I pilastri della Terra

Ken Follett's novel is an all time classic,and it was great to see it put on screen. The result is good. I watched the whole miniseries in one day; once you started you cannot stop, like when you read Follett's book. The cast is perfect. Ian Mc Shane is brilliant as always, and all those wonderful English actors and actresses are perfect. One thing bothered me a lot though; the monuments, the clothes, the furniture look more renaissance than 12th century, and it's a shame because it spoils the credibility of the movie. It did not surprise me though, knowing that it was produced by Ridley Scott. After his awful Robin Hood, you knew what to expect. I wish it would have been as accurate as Jean Jacques Annaud's "In the name of the Rose". It would have been a masterpiece instead of the pleasant mini series we have here. Ar least, it is very entertaining .

Very good, it is always difficult to find 'drama' that is quality and not overdone, over-the-top or tired. The acting in this is excellent all around and it is definitely worth watching; at least from the two episodes that I have seen thus far. Considering I haven't heard hardly a thing about this until I watched it I am very impressed.

The storyline seems to contain fairly valid historical accounts of the time if not the lives of individuals. Keeping in mind it is not as mystical as I would have thought from the title and even the previews I've now seen since I began to watch it - it has made up for that with a strong story and lovely backgrounds for visual appeal and 'time proper' settings. Can't wait for more.

Set in England during medieval times, this is a fictional account of what happens after a dying king's proper heir dies in a shipwreck. There are many characters(including a family that seek to construct a grand cathedral, two siblings who lose their nobility and try to regain it, and several men of God with more or less pure intentions… and granted, not everyone is actually necessary) and a lot of plot, and it can be dizzying at first, but it is worth your attention(if you like what you see early on… it ain't gonna change). While I have not read the novel and can make no comparisons, I watched this with two people who love it and they both said that it wasn't the exact same and that they still enjoyed it a lot. This is gripping right off the bat, and it keeps to an intense pace throughout. There are many developments, and while it can at times come off as just going back and forth between the same couple of options, you tend to follow them with interest surpassing that of the best banks. The tension and suspense are great. This has good and well-delivered dialog, with many memorable lines(and razor-sharp points about what it was like back then). The exploration of the awful situations that people could be and were stuck in back then, on account of the system, religion and their lack of rights is excellent and chilling. This is realistic(a lot of the way), authentic and has an incredible richness of detail. The strong feminist behavior of the women in this would not have been tolerated as we see here. This has mostly credible psychology, including for the villains(if one or two are black and white in depiction). The acting, writing and direction are marvelous, and the music is as well. This has amazing production values. No one is sacred, anyone could die at any time in this. The twists and unexpected turns of events keep you guessing how it will end, and it is fairly satisfying. There are power struggles, deception, politics and manipulation aplenty. This does seem to think itself Shakespeare at times, using effects right out of Macbeth and Hamlet. There is dramatic license leading to things that couldn't happen… happening. This has some humor. There is some action, and it works well. You can tell this was executive produced by the Scott brothers. The atmosphere is fitting, this always builds the right mood. This can be called a soap opera to some extent, though I would classify it as one of the better ones. Redmayne is a Christian Bale wannabe once he starts talking(he does thankfully refrain from the pitiful Eastwood impersonation). There is a lot of disturbing content, a bit of blood and violence, sexuality, nudity and a little strong language(largely it isn't gratuitous). I recommend this to any fan of epics. 8/10

One of my favorite books of all time turned into a TV series that shows up out of no where. I was expecting something truly disappointing. After watching the first two episodes I can honestly say this is beyond my highest expectations. The plot development is different from the book, but the emotional impact of the story is fully present. The character development draws you in just like the book did. Your desire to know what happens next will surpass that of reading the book. It is such a wonderful thing to see an adaptation that captures it's source so fully and even surpasses it at times. I can't wait for the remaining episodes. This show will win many awards. Addendum after Episode #3: Things dipped a bit in this episode. If I was rating this show using the 10 stars that IMDb uses, I would have gone from 9 previously to 7 now. There were some overly cheesy moments in this episode that seemed to dilute the storytelling skill from the first two episodes. Hopefully this is a rare occurrence.

I've only seen two episodes, so this is a somewhat uninformed review. Oh, and I haven't read the book, which probably helps to enjoy the show as it's own creation.

It's important to note that Ridley Scott is a producer and his most recent film Robin Hood, shares quite a resemblance to the general story and setting of Pillars. (Side note; the opening credits are exactly the same). If you've seen Robin Hood, then you get the Monarchical, religious complications as well as the bleak, foggy, dark blue world backdrop of old England.

I was expecting a more fantastical, mythical world, but this series is pretty grounded in reality so far.

The show's greatest strength is the actors. You can't go wrong with Donald Sutherland and Rufus Sewell in a TV series. And Ian McShane is always great, especially when he's playing a dark character.

Might not blow you away, but unless the show takes a nosedive, it's definitely worth watching.