‘Blackout’ - BBC1 - Monday 9th July 2012

(Rated 3ish/5)


Okay definitely more range from Chris in episode 2 (please ref back to last post on this). In fact some absolutely beautiful and highly emotive close-ups - stunning emotional expression. BUT, but,I find the dialogue cringe-inducing. What a massive shame. I think alcoholics and their therapists will have gasped in horror at the therapy session! It has an exciting plot now - not sure what is going on any longer - and some very good performances, but sadly the writer has let them down IMO. Maybe all will be much improved for the final episode next week.

Blackout – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

‘The Hollow Crown: Henry IV Part I’ - BBC2 - Saturday 7th July 2012

(Rated 5/5)

And again...
Perfectly excellent!
Great cast, great writer, great production! Flawless!

This time the exchange between Hal (Tom Hiddleston) and Falstaff (Simon Russell Beale) - playing Hal's father and himself - gave me goosebumps!
Falstaff as Hal                        "...Banish plump Jack and You Banish The World..."
Hal as his father... himself     " I do... I will"

A friend and I met Tom Hiddleston when he came out of the Donmar Warehouse having played in Othello with Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role. Tom had made a big impression on my friend - yes she fancied him big time ;) - but also she saw something startling in him - she told him that he would make it big in Hollywood. She was so right! Tom has incredible sensitivity, a very high EQ, is gently and beautifully eloquent and such an understanding of the human condition; our feelings and our struggles. As he says and does so convincingly: An actor can "inhabit every extremity of the human condition." 

For me Simon Russell Beale was an unexpected Falstaff but very good. Julie Walters was a delightful Mistress Quickly.

I am very much looking forward to Part II and then to Henry V.

Meant to say this play is also very dear to me as I studied it for English Literature at School :)

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV Part I – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

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‘The Hollow Crown: Richard II’ - BBC2 - Saturday 30th June 2012

(Rated 5/5)

Perfectly excellent!
Great cast, great writer, great production! Flawless!
As always 'This sceptered isle' gave me goosebumps!

The Hollow Crown: Richard II – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

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‘Blackout’ - BBC1 - Monday 2nd July 2012

(Rated 3ish/5)


I wish Chris Eccleston would be in something properly 'good' again that shows his full talent... something like... Dr Who!! Blackout I found disappointing and predictable, formulaic in plot, dialogue and, sadly, I felt bored. Chris was good as he is at the intense looks... but I so want to see more range!
However, it's only the first episode and may well develop into something great...
More on this here as it develops...

Blackout – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012

‘The Physicists’ - Donmar Warehouse - Thursday 5th July 2012

(Rated 4/5 )

The Dear Donmar looked extra small walking into it last night. I have been in some of the bigger theatrical spaces, which London provides, more recently, and also I guess I have dramatically (no pun intended) lowered my expectations of Donmar productions, and indeed productions in general – both on stage and on the small screen, having experienced some disappointments. I say that, but I think it’s really important to acknowledge my feelings come from having been truly spoilt by some sensational productions in my fairly recent past. But this time, I am very pleased to say the smallness of the Donmar space was deceptive in several ways. Indeed it did reflect a confined space – a ‘lunatic asylum’ as it might have been termed at the time The Physicists (written by Friedrich Dürrenmatt in 1962, this version by Jack Thorne) was set. The ‘lunatics’ (I seem to have adopted that word though it was not used in the play!) apparently believed themselves to be Albert Einstein (Paul Bhattacharjee), Isaac Newton (Justin Salinger) and the third, Möbius, a channel for King Solomon (John Heffernan). The play opens with the murder – although psychiatrist and head of the institution, Dr Mathilde Von Zahnd (Sophie Thompson) tells us, we must not use that term; it’s rather an ‘unfortunate incident’ – of one of the nurses by Einstein, who is calming himself down with some violin playing. Detective Inspector Richard Voss (John Ramm) investigates and this whole first act turns straight into a farcical comedy, which does not seem to quite work. It brings up some interesting considerations on responsibility of the mentally ill, the nature of mental illness, is mildly amusing in parts, seems to be a little over-acted but with good portrayals of Newton et al., and has us wondering if this is a poor version of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest meets The Pink Panther, but here we have yet another deception.  After the interval, Act Two opens in much the same way as Act One, this time Möbius has murdered his nurse, whom he claimed to be in love with. I wondered if this was making some comment about the mentally challenged in relationships and maybe that they couldn’t handle love and closeness – by this time all 3 patients had murdered their respective nurses. But the actual message of the play was far more wide-reaching and frightening. If I had read reviews, or even the programme beforehand I would have had some idea as to what the play was actually about. At the time it may have helped me forgive what I thought to be a poor first act, but I am pleased I had no idea, as the plot twists are very clever, interesting and really have you thinking and discussing afterwards. It surprised me in an excellent way! But to give them away would be to spoil it so I will avoid details. This play had myself and my friend discussing concepts around brilliance versus madness, and are they maybe highly linked? The legacies of the well-known physicists and philosophers and how they and other lessons from humanity over the years have all fed into our collective unconscious (Jung) and been built on. What it may mean both personally but also to the wider world if someone hides their insights from science or art – in this context Da Vinci lost the credit for his marvellous discoveries on the heart and circulation to Harvey so that help to humanity was delayed – but could the consequences be far worse and for harm rather than good. Are discoveries always a good thing? Is science dangerous in the wrong hands? Are we humans developed enough spiritually to handle our knowledge?

Though, as I mentioned I thought there was some over-acting at points, this was a very good cast and the stage was made great use of. Sophie Thompson delivered in the slightly manic but marvellous way she can, John Ramm was an amusing detective, Miranda Raison did very well in two very different roles as wife and then nurse to Möbius. The physicists themselves hit their marks beautifully. For me, Paul Bhattacharjee did the best job at portraying his famous scientist alter-ego Eistein, but John Heffernan reslly shone as Johann Wilhelm Möbius, especially considering he was struggling with a very runny nose from cold or hayfever. Maybe I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to such things, but I really doubt I’d have been able to do the job he did under the circumstances!

Well done Donmar People and Josie Rourke. An excellent effort with its sights on brilliance.

The Physicists – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012 

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‘Midnight in Paris’ - DVD - watched Tuesday 26th June 2012

(Rated 4/5)

Such a typical Woody Allen in which a writer - the Woody Allen role in this case taken by Owen Wilson - discovers how to live life in the present by being transported back in time to his 'golden age' to interact with his writing heroes; Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others in 1920s Paris. This is lovely, humorous and fun. In a way it teaches us the value of fantasy whilst reminding us it's an illusion and to value our real lives. Both can combine in magical collaboration. Highly clever and imaginative with Woody Allen's dialogue in tip top condition :)

Midnight in Paris – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012


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‘True Love’ - BBC - started Sunday 17th June 2012

(Rated 3/5)

This was a great idea - some of the UK's top actors - David Tennant, David Morrissey, Jane Horrocks, Lacey Turner, Vicky McClure, Billie Piper - improvising their way through stories of love - and in some cases it worked beautifully and naturally - but there was also some highly cliched and cringe-inducing lines and less than good acting. I felt things improved as the series went on - David Morrissey's being the most impressive and unpredictable. Jane Horrocks' episode was also moving to me - though sadly I felt Charlie Creed Miles let the side down as her husband, who seemed unable to portray feeling. Lacey Turner showed us again that she is stunning at being traumatised. Billie Piper came across very girly but was touching in her lesbian love story. I did want and expect better from others though. Long live WRITERS! :)

True Love – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012


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