malcolm_murray

Boudica is, by TV standards, a big-scale romp, with large battle scenes and predictable displays of Roman decadence sitting alongside an attempt, expected from writer Andrew Davies, to add some historical focus and modern relevance.

Alex Kingston is in commanding form as the flame-haired warrior queen. It's the type of role she is moulded for - feisty and forceful with just a hint of no-nonsense sex. She does seem to look more like Mel Gibson in Braveheart as the film progresses, but her big pep talk to the troops is at least as powerful as Mel's. In the generally fine supporting cast, Gary Lewis is stoutly impressive as a seemingly magically abled priest supporter of Boudica; Jack Shepherd makes the most of the stammering Claudius, and Andrew Lee Potts, despite coming across like a spoilt brat and a half-dressed drag act, has fun with the positively loathsome Nero.

Add in some fairly strong gore, amusing sex and tolerable use of modern language and Boudica falls somewhere between bodice-ripper and historical epic. Good fun all round. 7/10

I didn't expect much of Three of Hearts; indications were that it was something of a dog, and both Billy Baldwin and Sherilyn Fenn aren't exactly reknowned for their choice of projects. So I was quite pleasantly surprised that the film turned out to be a savvy, passably witty little comedy. The locations are well used and both Baldwin and Fenn turn in entertaining performances. Towering above them, though, is Kelly Lynch. Funny, sassy and utterly adorable, she fits the part like a glove, and turns the potentially least interesting role of the threesome into a character to treasure. Inevitably, the film suffers a little when she is offscreen.

6.5/10