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Reviews
The Pacific (2010)
Gut-wrenchingly powerful
I find it difficult to discuss The Pacific without bringing up its forerunner, Band Of Brothers. The two miniseries' share the same production team, the same studio and the same historical setting. But the comparison ends there. The Pacific is, and I do not state this lightly, one of the most powerful series I have ever seen. This is a much more personal story, with the emphasis on three very different Marines rather than an entire company of paratroopers. As such much more screen time is given to individual performances, performances by Joseph Mazzello and James Badge Dale in particular which leave no room for relief and will render the audience emotional destroyed afterwards. In places, this series is genuinely horrific, for it depicts the Pacific campaign with not a hint of sugar-coating for the sake of entertainment. Band Of Brothers dedicated one episode to the brutality and the horror that arose from the war. The Pacific devotes the entire second half of it's series to it, focusing on the Okinawa campaign in particular. Neither Band Of Brothers nor Saving Private Ryan will prepare you for the scenes in those final episodes, for in places they are genuinely sickening. This series is a true eye-opener to today's escapist society, because for a few terrifying moments, you are witnessing war at its darkest and bloodiest state. It is not one-sided either. With Band of Brothers it was made very clear, to an almost unconvincing level, that the Nazis were the bad guys and Easy Company were heroes. These lines were blurred during the Pacific, with atrocities shown on both sides, in fact more so by the Americans. This series really captures the racism and the hatred behind this war. As for production values, expect BIG ones. The landing on Peleliu is one of phenomenal scale and is truly breathtaking. As per Spielberg, the atmosphere is truly immersive, and the writing is as powerful and punchy as it is convincing, managing to balance drama and historical accuracy perfectly. The acting is as convincing as the script, and is refreshingly unpretentious. In conclusion, The Pacific is not only bigger than it's predecessor but it is much deeper. Consider bringing tissues to the screening, for so powerful is the acting (assisted by a fantastic soundtrack courtesy of Hans Zimmer among others) that in places you will find yourself shedding a tear for the sheer pointlessness of the violence. No other series or film has produced that effect.
A Few Best Men (2011)
A Few Hours of Trash
Whilst I found myself laughing during this film, and feeling good for having seen it, I am frankly shocked by the crimes committed in review number 2. The script is not sharply written, by ANY stretch of the imagination. Frankly, what was clearly intended to be comic dialogue is in essence nothing more than obscenities. I walked into the cinema expecting some refreshing British wit and humour and all I received was nob-gags and slapstick. Don't get me wrong, American style humour, whilst different, is very funny when written well, but this is not on that level. My laughter was forced for the duration of this film, and frankly I expected more from the likes of Kris Marshal and Kevin Bishop. And there was so much potential for Australian cultural humour, even of the crass variety, but that well is left untapped throughout. And as for the supposed 'realism' that some reviews claim, this is possibly the most unconvincing comedy I've ever seen! Since when can positions in the Australian parliament be inherited? That said the film is rather heart-warming at times, with the central couple having a genuinely convincing chemistry. And Olivia Newton John provides a frankly staggering comic turn. But on the whole this film fell short of expectations, and is just a bit disappointing. By all means watch it if you're in the mood for cheap laughs, of which there are plenty, but don't go expecting British comedy gold because you simply will not get it.
The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012)
Disappointed
Despite my initial excitement, this turned out to be the least interesting part of The Hollow Crown. Admittedly, my judgement is somewhat clouded by Jamie Parker's magnificent performance at the Globe Theatre, but I simply did not get the kick out of this production that the play would normally deliver.
Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. Using Henry's funeral as the opening scene completely altered the tone, bringing one of depression and futility to the whole show. Secondly, I felt the cutting choices were very poor indeed. Cutting out the Southampton scene with the three traitors felt like a mistake, for that scene provides a lot of insight into the brutality of Henry V. This brings me onto my third point: Tom Hiddleston's performance. I understand that with regard to the performance history behind this character, which includes Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton and Kenneth Brannagh, it is very difficult to make this role ones own and by extension do something new with it. Hiddleston attempts this and fails rather miserably. It's just embarrassing when he states that his soldiers 'stand like greyhounds in the slips' and then it cuts to the soldiers looking uninspired and frightened. Similarly, the St. Crispin's Day speech had the potential to be incredible, because the army was standing nearby ready to be inspired. Jamie Parker can afford to underplay this speech due to the theatrical values, having to make the audience his army instead of having a real one. Hiddleston has the men, but instead chooses to whisper to his Lords, thereby completely killing the drama and excitement of the scene.
In contrast to this, I thought that Pistol, Bardolph and Nym were played superbly. The farewell scene outside the Boar's Head almost brought me to tears, with the cold, silent delivery of the lines being totally appropriate to the tone of the scene. Similarly, I thought that the caution of the French King and the petulance of the Dauphin were very well acted and portrayed. The scenery of the campaign was also very well selected and filmed, although frankly the final battle was a bit thin, and lacked the adrenaline and terror that was so well delivered in Henry IV Part I.
On the whole, I found the whole production just disappointing. After the stunningly compelling adaptation of Richard II, Henry V simply doesn't do enough for a finale. The whole thing just feels a bit limp, and in a play of this magnitude and fame, regardless of interpretation, you simply cannot scrimp on production values or acting ability. Intense tragedies can do this and it works, but Henry V is BIG, and as such one should really pull out all the stops when tackling it.