Wolf Hall is Timeless

source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

Wolf Hall has fascinated me all over with its wonderful writing, perfect directing, incredible acting, authentic costumes and gripping score. I think The Atlantic put it into the best words possible: “With Wolf Hall, PBS finds a drama worth of the word “Masterpiece.”

Yes. Wolf Hall is a masterpiece and what TOPS it all for me is how TIMELESS it feels. And, as I am having Wolf Hall withdrawals nowadays, why not sit down and write about its timelessness?

Hilary Mantel’s writing and Peter Straughan’s wonderfully condensed script open a beautiful window to the intrigue and manipulation in the court of Henry VIII in the 16th century. Wolf Hall is such a dark, political animal that it is inevitable to chew on a little bit about its politics. Besides, both the book and the drama help us understand history through a contemporary perspective, and does it through its politics and in particular, through the contemporary conversations its characters have all the time.  Continue reading “Wolf Hall is Timeless”

Play Dress Up with Henry!

source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

Wolf Hall is one of the best things that has ever happened to TV. And, as much as it fascinates us with its wonderful writing, directing and acting, it also mesmerizes us with its visuals, lighting, set designs and particularly, in my case, the costumes! I am in awe of the fabrics and designs, but also the research the costume team did to create the most authentic dresses possible for the production.

I recently heard this wonderful interview with theWolf Hall costume designer Joanna Eatwell where she shares her 30 years of experience in costume design and talks about her work in Wolf Hall. Continue reading “Play Dress Up with Henry!”

Why Damian Lewis should play Steve McQueen (UPDATE)

UPDATE: Cannes Film Festival 2015 starts this week and with it comes the possibility of learning important particulars about a certain dramatic feature length biopic on the life of Steve McQueen. We already know that a documentary about Steve McQueen’s experiences filming the racing film Le Mans is being screened at Cannes. We can only imagine that an announcement about a new biopic, still in the infancy of development, if there is an announcement at all, will be made around the screening of The Man and Le Mans.

I posted a while back about why Damian Lewis would make the perfect Steve McQueen. There’s no end to the visual evidence in support of my argument, so I’ve found more to share. Continue reading “Why Damian Lewis should play Steve McQueen (UPDATE)”

Master of Prophecies, Master of Phantoms, Master of Fate

00mainThe final episode of this fantastic series starts with Anne served up on a table, appetites of all her enemies at the ready, and Cromwell at the head of the table brandishing the knife. It’s Cromwell’s vision of himself and the metaphor for what he’s about to do to the Queen. Thus the episode “Master of Phantoms” starts with the masterful Cromwell ushering us into the final movement of this riveting and memorable drama, colored in broad strokes by a pervasive sense of inevitability and doom.

The conceit with which Mantel started Cromwell’s mission within Henry’s court, that posse of gentlemen dramatizing leading beloved Worsley into hell, is now going to come to a head. That posse is going to get what’s coming to them, in a sequence of events perhaps a bit too convenient, but compelling nonetheless. Continue reading “Master of Prophecies, Master of Phantoms, Master of Fate”

Desert Island Discs with TBkWrm

Music evokes emotions and memories in all of us.  It can stir up the urge to flee a room if the piece of music evokes bad memories. It can get us bouncing up and down as we enjoy ourselves or it can relax us. Following on from Damian and Damianista, it’s my turn to do Desert Island Discs.

Song 1 – ‘It’s my life’ by Bon Jovi

This song is Charlie Crews. It is loud and outspoken as he is. It demands your attention. Charlie Crews loses 12 years of his life through wrongful imprisonment for the triple homicide of his best friend, his (best friend’s) wife and one of the couple’s children.  Constance Griffiths eventually arrived on the scene several years into his sentence to take up his case. She manages to have his conviction quashed and Charlie once again walks the streets of LA as a free man…and a Detective of the LAPD. Charlie is determined, despite the terms of his release, it should be mentioned, on catching those who actually killed his best friend and family. He leaves everything financial in his life to his right hand former cell mate and accountant, Ted. Charlie faces all of the problems that come with the fact that the outside world had moved on, whilst his daily life for 12 years consisted of having the crap beat out of him and not really going anywhere or developing as a person. Laterally, Ted and Constance’s presence in Charlie’s life as he approached the end of his prison hell will have helped him, but Charlie shows the mark prison left on him as he has no problem ruffling the feathers of anyone who gets in his way on the outside. The sort of people that most people would be terrified of defying or facing up to. Charlie quite likes going against what is seen as the natural order.  In fact, the more feathers he ruffles the happier Charlie seems. Though admittedly all those women might help too…

Source: /images.tvrage.com
Source: /images.tvrage.com

“Like Frankie said, I did it my way.” Continue reading “Desert Island Discs with TBkWrm”