cherylread

I found this mini-series to be a monumental disappointment. None of the characters rang even the tiniest bit true, the writing was plodding and contrived and the perpetual diatribe against Republicans was tedious. Meryl Streep was miscast in each of her incarnations, and Emma Thompson was unbelievably annoying (although quite fetching in her angel garb.) This seemed to be an overdone bit of Hollywood naval gazing. These folks are so out of touch with reality. I know the gay community. This film did it a disservice. I've known Mormons. This film did them a disservice. And Ethel Rosenberg as some sort of moral authority? Give me a break! I rented it expecting to be entertained. Now I am wondering why this show got ANY good reviews.

I was impressed with all the authentic films of World War I. It's a Who's Who of historical figures, and the battle scenes are amazing. They're old and grainy, of course, but I didn't know footage like this existed. There are scenes of soliders going over the top and getting mowed down by gun fire, and a great view of the damage to the French countryside from the air.

I teach history and plan to start showing parts of this regularly in my class.

I kept waiting for this film to go somewhere, but it just didn't. There were too many Dumb and Dumber wannabes in it stinking up the action. It was good when McDowell on on screen and lousy the rest of the time. Unfortunately, McDowell wasn't on screen enough. The rest of the cast was very, very amateurish. What a profound disappointment.