yawnmower1

Kiss Me Kate may be the greatest musical on film. Certainly, the dancing has never been equaled.

The songs by Cole Porter are classic, of course, and the orchestral arrangements are glorious. The book and lyrics cannot be topped. That's a good start.

But the cast makes this a shining gem. Howard Keel is handsome, debonair, and mischievous. Kathryn Grayson is at her most beautiful and in perfect voice. They have their usual wonderful chemistry.

But, for me, it is the dancing that shines brightest. The choreography is stunning -- much of it done by the dancers themselves (Bob Fosse, Bobby Van, Tommy Rall) because of their specific abilities. They are exuberant, athletic, and artistic. Combine them with the extraordinary Ann Miller and you have the greatest dance team ever born. The producers saw what they had and devised special numbers just to highlight the talents of this amazing group of dancers.

The pacing is fast and furious. The music is classic. The ensemble is great and they seem to be having the time of their lives.

A rather amazing series from 1997. Fast-paced with quick editing, well-written and, almost without exception, wonderfully acted. Lovingly directed by Adrian Shergold.

David Morrissey is young and handsome as Shaun, an aggressive Inland Revenue investigator. He deservedly gets much of the air time, but there are many stories here which eventually weave in and out of each other. Phil Daniels is brilliant and funny and repulsive (not a mean feat) as a bulimic ex-football writer, now thoroughly cynical food critic who hates eating and food. It would have been nice to enjoy more of his ingenious character.

The series follows a dozen Londoners of all ages, races, and social backgrounds, none of whom seem able to find much love, which results in much havoc. All of them are interesting -- even compelling. Sandra Voe as Annie, the mother of a dangerously volatile schizophrenic man, turns in the most touching performance of all. Her final scenes with David Morrissey are deeply felt and profoundly heartbreaking.

In general, the emotions run high throughout -- too much, perhaps, at times -- but it is certainly preferable to the inanity on television today, especially in the US. And there are some dicey plot-points, chief among which is Shaun's abrupt change of character mid-series, but the show is so adhesive and engaging these seem slight misdemeanors.

This powerful, humane, intelligent drama was made by, and appeared in prime time on, France 2. It received just three letters of protest along with thousands praising its astonishing young actors and their memorable story. Try to imagine such a positive, thoughtful film on American broadcast television; one simply about the impassioned relationship between two men. No one gets sick, beaten up, or dies. It's just a question of love.

Cyrille Thouvenin (so wonderful in another must-see, Confusion of Genders) stars as angry, frustrated, deeply-closeted Laurent. He is terrified to come out to his parents because they are so virulently homophobic. He witnessed his cousin's coming out: disowned, thrown out, and died without his family around him. Laurent lives in fear with his best friend Carole, who goes along with the fiction that she is his girlfriend for the benefit of his parents.

Then he meets Cedric (handsome and exceedingly sexy Stephan Guerin-Tillie), with whom Laurent has a college internship. After a rather combative start (neither young man is particularly adept at 'making friends'), sparks fly, and the two revel in a joyous fling as they discover love. The heat, happiness, and fervor they project is palpable, gratifying, and genuine.

The problem is that Cedric is up front about his sexuality and makes a huge deal about Laurent coming out; Laurent is truculent, defiant, and refuses to consider it. Carole is tired of the charade and has a love of her own to nurture. Everyone wants Laurent out, but he is immobilized. When Cedric's mother impulsively let's the cat out of the bag, Cedric and Laurent's private world falls apart. How they, their parents and friends, deal with the consequences forms the crux of the illuminating story.

This transcends being just another 'gay' film. It is about learning how to love. Gay, straight, old or young, all must learn. As for Laurent and Cedric, rarely has a simple "I love you" been uttered with more poignancy on film.