Tag: Mark Rylance

Damian Lewis Created a Monster

 

wolf29tvf-2-web
I’ll admit to not being the most educated person. I spent most of high school just trying to pass the time and get out with a diploma. I wasn’t a bad student, but when you decide on beauty school in your sophomore year, suddenly AP History and three hours a night of homework seem kind of like a waste of time. And I certainly didn’t spend my two study halls a day reading up on history, math or science. Now, as an adult, I am revisiting these subjects with a newly-found appreciation. I am learning things as a 36 year old woman that most people learn in high school. The history of The Tudors has been my newest interest, and I have Wolf Hall to thank for opening me up to something new. Continue reading “Damian Lewis Created a Monster”

Wolf Hall Sweeps the BAFTA noms…almost

source: BBC
source: BBC

We got the news earlier this month that Wolf Hall, with 6 nominations, leads the pack for BAFTA TV Craft Awards. When the winners are announced on April 24, we’ll be tuning in to see this once-in-a-lifetime production hopefully win for some, if not all, of these categories for which it has been nominated.

Today we learn the remainder of the nominations for Wolf Hall for the BAFTA TV Awards.

Continue reading “Wolf Hall Sweeps the BAFTA noms…almost”

The Crows are circling

Wolfhall seems an awful long time ago to me. I saw it when it aired in the UK at the beginning of the year. Therefore the run up to the Emmys provided the perfect excuse for a re-watch and I continue our countdown to the Emmys by looking specifically at the episode for which Damian has been nominated (Wolf Hall, episode five, ‘Crows’) in the best supporting actor for ‘TV Movie or Limited series’ category.

source: BBC
source: BBC

The first question to ask is why episode five? Damian’s performances across the five episodes he is in – he only appears briefly at the end of episode one – are all very solid and any one of them could easily be the one up for nomination.

Some people complained that episode one was too slow paced, but if you had the patience to stay with it you get the reward. Think of Wolfhall as a pot slowly simmering to a boil. Episode five is when Wolfhall begins to come to the boil in readiness for a finale in episode six which will sear itself into our minds. Episode five simmers and crackles. It begins to reach the point of boiling over…and that isn’t the pot lid threatening to blow off that is the King with steam coming out of his ears! Continue reading “The Crows are circling”

A Wolf Hall Junkie’s (that’s me!) FUN Wolf Hall Journey

Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. We’re perversely proud of Henry. -Hilary Mantel

source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

Tell me… what are the odds your favorite actor plays your favorite historical monster in a mini-series based on your favorite book? I know 🙂 And, not just that, but the mini-series had its world premiere on BBC2 on January 21 — literally as my birthday gift! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

I have had this amazing journey with Wolf Hall. It started on a sunny and cold Saturday afternoon in New York City at the Belasco Theater in January 2014 and is now coming full circle at Prime Time Emmy Awards on September 20 with me getting glued to TV rooting for Wolf Hall and in particular Damian Lewis for them to turn those well-deserved 8 nominations into beautiful little statuettes 🙂 Continue reading “A Wolf Hall Junkie’s (that’s me!) FUN Wolf Hall Journey”

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”