IMHO. 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' ~ lost hope

Having just recently read an article by Henry Lion Oldie about the art of understatement and leaving things unsaid, and having agreed with the fact that a reader must not demand full clearness from the author where he does not really intend to be fully clear but instead intends that the reader has some thought himself, I really shouldn't be complaining about the world of 'Strange and Norrell' not being described in full, the actions of the characters not being explained in full, the events taking place being bereft of meaning and the ending being so entirely open.

Still, I don't really think I am too demanding when I expect some narrative logic in a book or a movie or a TV series.

'Strange and Norrell' presents brilliant actors portraying interesting characters in a wonderful historic setting with an intriguing start of the story. There was something Pickwickian in Mr Norrell constantly worrying about consequences and his loyal but just and down-to-earth servant Childermass, rash and passionate Strange and odious Drawlight. There was something Rowling-ish in the legends of the Raven King and spells with mirrors and water. I daresay there even was something Shakespearean in the world of the sly fairy. But in the end, it was Susanna Clarke's tired and boring. I saw it everywhere. She had been writing the book for ten years they say, apparently there was no strength left in her, and no will and/or time in her editors to make the story coherent. The scattered episodes were glued together as they were, with hardly any intermediary, leaving me constantly wondering why this or that event took place. Something bad happens, and they do nothing about it. Then something worse happens and they still do nothing. And what's the worst, it ended in nothing particular, and not because it was the author's intention, but because she could no longer keep writing. Or so I hear. I would, I really would gladly put up with the open ending, but all these small irrelevant things make no sense to me.

But then, they make sense for each respective character. I can totally understand why Norrell kept silent. I can totally understand why Strange struggled on his own. I can totally understand that Childermass wanted to know the truth in order to follow his conscience, and I can understand the fears of the government, the greed of Lascelles and the despair of Stephen.

The problem is, they keep on minding their own business and it's not until the last minutes of the last episode that they finally start interacting with each other.

Surely I'm not too demanding when I expect that interaction sooner, the coherence higher, when I expect the English humour and English irony after so many people commented on having seen those things, and when I expect a story about magic being magical. However, it turned out to be even more realistic than any realistic historical movie - with the promised sharp wit never appearing, it's about how different people behave according to their beliefs and interests, but in the end, what a pity, even though I can totally understand each of them, I find no one to admire.

IMHO. 'ShakespeaRe-Told ~ The taming of the shrew'

It's probably the fourth time I watch 'Taming of the shrew' as a movie or stage performance. And therefore it should be the fourth time I cannot make myself like this story.

The biggest problem is, I like very much stories about love growing out of  testing, probing, mocking, taunting, 'will you still love me and accept me if I do this?' and if yes, there comes happiness - but here, this is not the way of testing I find very attractive. One reason is that creating such problems as in 'Taming' is not the right form of doing that. 'But he does think the world of you in his own strange way', says the kind-hearted friend. But then you see, it's scary. Supposing that I am still single when I am 38, will I also be as desperate for sex to find just any man as to agree to such treatment?

The second reason, the main one is that I personally prefer give-and-take to just give-in. Up until the very end I couldn't find a single thing she would need in him. The submission is only glorious when it's mutual. And showing the worst of you is only justified when you devote yourself to delivering the best.

Oh yes, Henderson and Sewell were absolutely great, and it's rare to see a performance like that, but then, I didn't care for a second whether their characters would be happy or not.

IMHO. 'Dancing on the edge' ~ realistic realism

This is what happens when you open an article called '18 TV serials you won't be able to drop'.

story and characters

I don't know, maybe it's the case when for some reason I feel I can associate myself with a character - that's what happened with Sarah. She was my favourite from the beginning to the end. But suddenly some of those whom I didn't like at all turn out into helpful, loyal friends, and some of those who seemed nothing special change everything, some turn out to be wiser than you'd think, or less wise than you thought, but one thing that never changes with those British series - everybody has his own reasons that are so solid you can't hate them even when they behave the opposite of being any knights without fear and reproach.

the visual side

Suddenly I realised, when my Mom asked me if thirties is my favourite period in history, that they are really not. It doesn't prevent me, however, from falling in love with how this serial is done from the point of view of its visual design - beautifully, artistically, vividly. It's not exactly the time I love most, but certainly it's the time that deserves being depicted with such love and in such detail.

music

is something I don't have anything to say about, really. This show was not only for the story, nor was it only for the looks, but for music, too. And even though after episode 3 we did not hear much of the orchestra's performances, there was enough played and sung to make me respect jazz musicians even more, though jazz will never ever become my favourite genre either.

acting

It would take too much space to praise everyone who acted in the serial, but I couldn't find a single actor who was out of place or unnatural in those interiors, in those costumes and inside of that music.

I'll just say this: Wunmi Mosaku was extremely cute when she was acting shyness of her heroine, and Tom Hughes was so impressive that though I usually don't understand such characters, I started to feel like I do, just a little. And Janet Montgomery and Joanna Vanderham both made me grow to like their respective heroines.

conclusion

After I've praised the show so much one would think I'd give it 10 stars, but I have to say thing in the conclusion: 'Dancing on the edge' is very interesting, yes, extremely educational, too, and extremely well done, but it just doesn't leave a particular trace in your heart, because it is, first, too short, and second, not too smooth in terms of story-telling. Some places were too sharp and abrupt, and even though there couldn't be anything more said or described, leave the sense like they lacked depth.

p. s.

and I do have to admit that the story is so very realistic (and sad...) that after watching I felt like I read a book by one of the writers who were active in 30s.

'The hour' ~ an opus on democracy

I would say that BBC is always and without any doubt a marker of high quality when it comes to TV series. When I hear that they've made a 'War and Peace' with scenes that weren't in the original and seemed to the director to be implied by the author. Now I'm not going to say that BBC always creates only good things. But I'll say it like this: at least they're good at making series about themselves - British, Londoners, BBC members.

story and characters

I know, I know. Elder members uttering sheer philosophy like Dalai Lama are funny.

Boasting the progress of your democracy like a child is funny.

It all might be utterly funny if not for the fact it was not. With such believable characters, with this kind of story that does not leave you much time for breathing... Because they really got themselves into a great trouble, not being afraid of the consequences. It would be fuuny that by the end they all proved to be such brave men taking full responsibility for what they've done, which was not entirely a good thing, but for the fact that I could actually laugh when it was so serious and the characters were so dear to me already.

And I could possibly laugh when 90% of people in my country don't understand that

acting

I'll just mention that the series get mostly positive, or neutral feedback at worst, at least among those sources I've checked. Not that I checked them for reviews, rather for making sure whether the ending was really as ambiguous as I saw it, and therefore could be treated freely as I want... And I'll tell you that half the reason of the positive part was the acting. This is probably what I have to thank BBC for. Maybe except for Romola Garai. Maybe she was just a bit too unnatural for me.

But all of them were looking so real, so "50s".
And there was the cute Lisa Greenwood. And Oona Chaplin. God she's so beautiful... and real.

costumes, interiors, atmospere

Are the second half of what got this series so many positive review. Period drama? Gimme moar.

conclusion

I know this won't be a masterpiece considered to be one of a kind, but you know how I found it? In a list of some 10 British TV series worthy of watching. And I would recommend it like I did the other day to my friend: listen, there is a young brave journalist willing to change the world with his program, and there is a young brave woman fighting prejudice, and many other loveable people, young and not, a bit of a detective story and lots of serious questions.

And British accent. Yeah.

searching for clever lines ~ Sherlock

season 1 episode 1

Sherlock and John

- You're a doctor. In fact, you're an army doctor.
- Yes.
- Any good?
- Very good.
- Seen lot of injuries, then. Violent deaths.
- Well, yes.
- Bit of trouble, too, I bet.
- Of course. Enough for a lifetime, far too much.
- Want to see some more?
- Oh, god, yes.

Lestrade and Sherlock

- Who's this?
- He's with me.
- But who is he?
- I_said_he's_with_me.

John and Sherlock

- That's fantastic.
- Do you know you do that out loud?
- Sorry, I'll shut up.
- No, it's... fine.

- She said, you get off on this, you enjoy it.
- And I said "dangerous", and here you are.

Sherlock

- Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.

episode 2

John and Sherlock

- Did you like it?
- Um... no.
- Why not? I thought you'd be flattered.
- Flattered? 'Sherlock sees through everything and everyone in seconds. What's incredible, though, is how spectacularly ignorant he is about some things.'
- Hang on a minute, I didn't mean that...
- Oh, you meant 'spectacularly ignorant' in a nice way!

Sally and John

- You're still hanging around him.
- Yeah, well...
- Opposites attract,  I suppose.
- We're not...
- You should get yourself a hobby. Stamps, maybe. Model trains. Safer.
...
- Fishing! Try fishing!

John, Sherlock and Lestrade

- Fantastic.
- Meretricious.
- And a happy new year.

John and Sherlock

- Homeless network?
- My eyes and ears, all over the city.
- Oh, that's... clever. So, you scratch their backs, and...?
- Yes, then disinfect myself.

Moriarty and Sherlock

- You've come the closest. Now you're in my way.
- Thank you.
- Didn't mean it as a compliment.
- Yes, you did.
- Yeah, ok, I did.

episode 3

children, Sherlock and John

- They wouldn't let us see Granddad when he was dead. Is that 'cos he'd gone to heaven?
- People don't really go to heaven when they die, they're taken to a special room and burned.
- Sherlock!

John and Sherlock

- Punch you?

- Yes, punch me in the face. Didn't you hear me?

-  I always hear 'punch me' when you speak, but it's usually subtext.

- Don't do that.
- Do what?
- The look.
- Look?
- You're doing the look again.
- Well, I can't see it, can I? It's my face.
- Yes and you're doing a "We both know what's really going on here" face.
- We do.
- No, I don't, which is why I find the face so annoying.

Molly and Sherlock

- You're a bit like my dad. He's dead. No, sorry.
- Molly, please don't feel the need to make conversation, it's really not your area.
- When he was dying, he was always cheerful, he was lovely, except when he thought no-one could see. I saw him once, he looked sad.
- Molly.
- You look sad, when you think he can't see you.

Sherlock and John

- Alone is what I have. Alone protects me.
- No, friends protect people.

John and Mrs Hudson

- I have met someone.
- Oh! Ah, lovely.
- Yeah. We're getting married. Well, I'm going to ask, anyway.
- So soon after Sherlock?
-Hmm, well, yes.
- What's his name?
- It's a woman.
- A woman?!
- Yes, of course it's a woman.
- You really have moved on, haven't you?
- Mrs Hudson, how many times? Sherlock was not my boyfriend!
- Live and let live, that's my motto.
- Listen to me - I am not gay!

John

The thing about Mary, she has completely turned my life around. Changed everything. But, for the record, over the last few years there are two people who have done that, and the other one is... a complete dickhead.