Small Island, part 1

I finally started watching Small Island, the final offering of the 2010 Masterpiece Classic season. Halfway through the program, I am incredibly impressed. Here's the brief summary from the PBS website:

"This island is too small if you have big dreams...Without dreams we are nothing."

Hortense in Small Island

Born into a broken home and an impoverished life in Jamaica, Hortense (Naomie Harris) longs for a fulfilling life in England; one with a fine house and a doorbell. The door of opportunity swings open, and Hortense is married and on her way to the promised land of post-war Britain. Steadfast dreams are soon tested by hard realities as Hortense and her husband Gilbert (David Oyelowo) face racism and poverty. In the small-minded country, their only saving grace is Queenie (Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre). But Queenie faces her own disillusionment, married to the kind but dull Bernard (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Last Enemy). Bonded by high hopes and broken dreams, these four lives fuse together in a powerful and hopeful story of love and fulfillment. Small Island is based on the award-winning, bestselling novel by Andrea Levy. (Two episodes; 90 minutes each; TV-MA, S)

With an epic feel, and covering a nearly ten year time frame, Small Island is the fierce and passionate story of five individuals and how their lives intersect during and after World War II. It's an in-depth look at a period in English history that the mystery series Jericho first introduced to me a couple of years ago - Jamaican immigrants to England during the postwar years. England may not have had an official segregation policy like the United States, but prejudices were very much alive, only perhaps manifested in a different manner.

At the heart of this story are two women from opposite sides of the world, but not so different when it comes to the big dreams each cherished for their lives and how those dreams were often starkly different from reality. Naomie Harris plays the prim and proper Hortense, who dreams of becoming a teacher in the "Mother Country" and having the type of life she's always read about and dreamed of growing up in Jamaica. Harris is perhaps most recognizable as the character Tia Dalma from the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films. Hortense will do anything to keep her illegitmate origins a secret, and obsessed with the idea of living the English "dream" life she'll even marry a man she doesn't love in order to secure passage. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Queenie, played by the superb actress Ruth Wilson. I became a fan of hers when she debuted opposite Toby Stephens playing the title role in Jane Eyre. Wilson has a wonderfully expressive face and I think a great career ahead of her, especially with strong roles like Queenie on her resume. Queenie is an interesting character - she marries the generally kind but dull Bernard in order to escape having to return to her family's farm. While marriage has freed her from returning to her past, it presents another kind of cage as her husband is loathe to change anything and is very set in his ways. But when he enlists, Queenie begins to become more self-sufficient as the proprietress of her own boarding house. For the time period Queenie is remarkably free from prejudice and seems to have the gift of seeing people as they are, instead of in some limited "box" society tries to keep them in. Tied to other men, both Hortense and Queenie have no idea that both of their lives have been touched by the same man - the rebellious and strong-willed Michael, who grew up with Hortense on Jamaica.

Queenie's husband Bernard is played by a favorite of mine, actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch first came to my attention when he played William Pitt in the film Amazing Grace, and that was followed by a variety of roles in films like Atonement and series like Miss Marple last year. Later this year he'll be seen on Masterpiece Mystery in the new, modern-day Sherlock series (can't wait!). Bernard is pretty much the polar opposite of Queenie - quiet and repressed, but in spite of this he adores her. I found the scenes where Bernard was interacting with his shell-shocked World War I veteran father extremely insightful - one really gets the sense that Bernard is at least in part so buttoned-up because he fears turning into his father, whose wartime experiences left him permanently, emotionally volatile. David Oyelowo plays Hortense's eventual husband Gilbert. Oyelowo is perhaps most familiar to British television viewers for the years he played Danny on the show Spooks (known over here as MI-5). Gilbert's character really rather broke my heart in this episode. An extremely kind man, with dreams of a career in law, he joins the British RAF hoping to learn a trade and gain opportunities to further his education. The reality of his situation is far from ideal as all the Jamaican soldiers find themselves doing menial labor and not seeing the frontline action they were promised. But Gilbert doesn't let this prejudice completely sour him - I loved that he and Queenie were able to become friends and just see each other as people, instead of dwelling on their differences.

Michael, played by Ashley Walters, is the "hurricane" that blows through both Hortense's and Queenie's lives, changing them forever. He seems blessed by luck and is remarkably oblivious to the consequences he leaves in the wake of his actions. I can't wait to see how Hortense, Queenie, and their respective husbands come to terms with each other and how their lives have been touched by the dreams and passions brought to life by encounters with Michael.

The look of this film is just spectacular. Every frame is filled with rich color and shadows and possibilities. It's also saturated with the period detail I love to see, from the sets and household furnishings to each actor's costumes. The score is also absolutely lovely, a superb example of composer Martin Phipp's work (should be familiar to all fans of the show North & South and the oh so fabulous Richard Armitage *g*). Also, kudos to the filmmakers for the excellent direction and camera work and scripting that allows the viewer to flow effortlessly between the postwar "present" and the flashback scenes. Small Island isn't just lovely to look at, it's a wholly visual and emotionally engaging film experience. My review of part two is forthcoming - till then, if you're interested in another perspective please check out this excellent review of the series on Austenprose.

Persuasion revisited

Let's see, Masterpiece Classic aired the encore of this version of Persuasion back in February, and I'm just now getting around to acknowledging it on the blog. Oh well, such is life...better late than never is apparently the new norm around here. ;-) This program originally aired on PBS in January 2008 as part of the Jane Austen season that year. I originally blogged about this show here - this is a re-post with maybe a few new thoughts thrown in for good measure. Here's the summary of the show from the PBS website:

"The one claim I shall make for my own sex is that we love longest, when all hope is gone." ~ Anne Elliot in Persuasion

Unhappily unmarried at age 27, and dealing with family financial peril, hope is fading from Anne Elliot's (Sally Hawkins, Little Britain) life. Circumstances bring Captain Frederick Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones, Casanova), a dashing naval officer she once deeply loved, back into her life eight years after Anne was persuaded by her family to reject his marriage proposal. Having returned from sea with a new fortune, Wentworth is surrounded by swooning women while Anne broods at the periphery, longing to be in Wentworth's favor. Now Anne comes face-to-face with the deep regret of her old decision, and her abiding love for Wentworth, as she wonders if a long ago love can be rekindled.

Upon first viewing, the verdict was that I absolutely loved it. This adaptation isn’t without…how can I say it?...it’s quirks, but I really, really enjoyed it. And I’m completely in love with Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Wentworth (never saw that one coming, did you? LOL!).

The score, by Martin Phipps, was exquisite. He also scored North & South (it’s CRIMINAL that this man’s work isn’t available on CD). I also loved the sets, costumes, and cinematography…the latter for the most part, anyway. I read somewhere that some, if not all, of Persuasion was shot with hand-held cameras, and the herky-jerky movements are glaringly apparent, especially in the film’s first ten minutes. The whole hand-held camera technique worked really well for Bleak House as it helped up the story’s suspense level – but for a romantic period drama like Persuasion the “immediacy” such camera work provided wasn’t really required IMO, and could be a tad distracting.

Overall, I really liked Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot. However I don’t think the cinematography did her performance any great service with the randomly inserted close-ups of her face where she said absolutely nothing for several seconds at a time. I kept expecting her to start addressing the audience like Frances O’Connor’s Fanny Price does in the 1999 version of Mansfield Park (which worked REALLY well in that film, I think). Also, the way they had Anne run hither and thither all over Bath at the end of the film was a little funny. Okay…after watching this version, say another ten times, I might find it hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny…but last night I admit to being totally caught up in Anne’s romantic angst, so I just didn’t care. LOL!

Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Frederick Wentworth – definitely the highlight of the show. Or, as I told a coworker as we texted back and forth about this movie late last night, “I WANT MY OWN FREDERICK NOW, DANG IT!” (that’s a direct quote, in case you were wondering). Oddly enough, when the camera just paused on Wentworth’s face and he gave a look, I didn’t mind at all (haha). And the very end was just perfect…I could’ve cried (in a completely good way). (Spoiler alert, in case you care…) When Wentworth surprises Anne with a new house for a wedding gift, the look on his face as he watches her joy is just priceless. And then they dance in the yard…oh. My. WORD. Loved it. I realize I’m a complete and utterly hopeless romantic sap, but I don’t care. It was too perfect!

Gah...I just love Rupert Penry-Jones. I think his acting gets unfairly dissed sometimes, just because he's too freakishly beautiful for words. And when he just stares at the camera and emotes - well, I'm not gonna object. Just sayin'. :)

I didn't really talk about Anne's family when I originally blogged about Persuasion, I think I was too caught up Rupert Penry-Jones' fabulousness. However, since this originally aired Anthony Head, who plays Anne's father, Sir Walter Elliot, has also appeared in the television show Merlin as King Uther. I've got to say, the man plays snooty aristocrats quite well.

I've watched this film several times since it originally aired, and my opinion of it has remained pretty consistent - for me, the camera work is the movie's biggest drawback. But the performances, tone, pacing, and look of the film equal a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Worth checking out if you've yet to see it.

Wallander: Sidetracked

Sidetracked, the first episode of the Wallander mysteries starring Kenneth Branagh in the title role premiered on Masterpiece Mystery yesterday. And the verdict is...I really liked it. I don't see it becoming a series I obsess over (big shocker, I know), but the character of Kurt Wallander is shaping up to be an ideal vehicle for Kenneth Branagh's formidable acting talents. Here's the brief summary of last night's show from the PBS website:

As Swedish inspector Kurt Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) watches helplessly, a young girl stands trembling in a rapeseed field, about to do herself great harm. Wallander's work gets under his skin, and this case is no exception. What evil would drive a girl to such desperation? Wallander is soon distracted from this question by a string of grisly murders. A former minister of justice, an art dealer, a wife-beating thug and a playboy have all been scalped. The haunting memory of the girl in the field drives restless Wallander towards the dark secrets and cover up at the center of the story in this adaptation based on the work of international bestseller Henning Mankell.

I'd never even heard of Henning Mankell prior to reading about this show when the Mystery schedule was announced a few months ago. This show is interesting because apparently the Wallander mysteries are something of a Swedish cultural icon...yet this show has a very "British" feel to it, with a twist. The settings are rather Swedish, I suppose, since they are like nothing else I've seen in a contemporary British mystery series. However, though I only recognized two of the actors (Branagh, of course, and David Warner playing Wallander's father, Povel), the entire company drops British colloquialisms on a fairly regular basis. The resulting show is an interesting hybrid of both worlds.

The most interesting part of this show is not the mysteries themselves, of course, but the character of Wallander. Branagh owns this role. His presence absolutely commands attention whenever he's on-screen. I tend to rather enjoy British shows about haunted, tortured detectives (Inspector Lewis, Jericho), but Wallander takes the type to a new high (or low, depending on how you want to describe it). Wallander is a man who is haunted by his work. He's got abysmal manners (I LOVE it when he gets exasperated with the profiler the department calls in as backup!) and is something of a slob, but he's driven to do his job and do it well, no matter the cost to his personal life or well-being. Physically Branagh easily fits the description of a Swedish man (tall and blonde), but it's his face that makes this character really gripping. Every line, every expression, all the pain and urgency Wallander feels are all beautifully expressed on Branagh's face. Branagh is to be commended for the way he brings a lifetime of skill and emotion to the role.

Casting David Warner as Branagh's father was a stroke of genius. These two play so well off each other, and their dysfunctional but loving father/son relationship is beautifully and realistically portrayed. Their scene together at the conclusion of Sidetracked provided a wonderful, emotional punch to the conclusion of the film. I'm looking forward to seeing how this relationship develops in further installments of the show.

Wallander's character fascinates me...I'm looking forward to Firewall next Sunday. So, if you watched Wallander what did you think?

Oh, almost forgot to add...kudos to Martin Phipps for providing a terrific score! It did an excellent job setting the mood & tone of the show.