NF75015

From the constantly creaking wooden floorboards (a brilliant detail -- we've all been in those kinds of 1800s French buildings) to the bothersome construction projects on the street ("unnecessary" but they make us realise Paris was in transition then as now) -- the inimitable Polanski throws us into the late 1890s with the greatest respect for us as viewers. No need to exaggerate Paris as either picture-perfect, or a den of grubby street urchins. Just everyday life, with all its pros and cons.

Jean Dujardin again shows us what a talented dramatic actor he is, and Louis Garrel is perfectly understated as Dreyfus.

The film gives us good context around the Dreyfus Affair without ever feeling preachy or manipulative.

Solid acting all around, and a satisfying screenplay that's a pleasure to the ear in the original French version.

I love the fact that Robert Harris wrote the novel on which this film is based. The same Robert Harris who wrote the novel "Conclave". He's getting the recognition he deserves.

The Dreyfus Affair is well-known and here.

I'm guessing that most of the bad reviews here are from people who haven't spent much/any time in Spain.

For those of us who live in Spain, this miniseries (8 episodes) perfectly captures:

1) simple Spanish life in the 1960s (Spain is a completely modern country today but in the 1960s was far behind Northern Europe) 2) the nuances of Spanish behavior 3) differences in mentality between the Mediterranean South (carefree life + mild temperatures) + La Mancha (dry continental climate with hard-working people + harsh temperature extremes)

OK, on to the story. The plot is intriguing -- a young woman from the Mediterranean South agrees to marry a wealthy man from La Mancha in order to save her family from crippling debts + eventual eviction. What she doesn't know is what kind of life awaits her in La Mancha.

The acting is excellent all-around and the characters are believable. Yes there's drama -- welcome to Spain -- but it's rarely overacted by Spanish standards.

I found the plot twists fascinating. The main actress (Megan Montaner) is charming and holds your interest throughout. The rest of the cast are equally believable and engaging.

Yes, the gay subplot felt slightly unnecessary. But no doubt gay people existed in 1960s Spain and we get to see how they coped with their situation. (If they had included Chinese or Black Africans in the 1960s, we could accuse the producers of "ticking diversity boxes", since those minorities didn't arrive in Spain until after 2000. But the gay storyline could have been authentic.)

Despite the tragedies throughout, this was an uplifting series with engaging characters and good dialogues. The cinematography is fantastic.

Special mention for the music: beautifully chosen, lots of Spanish guitars, never intrusive.

If you want a character-driven drama and you understand (or wish to understand) the Spanish mentality, then this miniseries is for you.

PS: I later discovered that this was a remake of a shorter Italian miniseries "La Sposa".

Charming documentary about the amazing love, talent, and determination that explain the success of the King's College boys choir.

Here the focus is on the TV coverage (once in 1954, and then 1964-present) -- and there is mention of the previous radio-only version since 1928. (I've got a radio recording from 1951.)

We get to meet former choristers (some now in or near retirement) and visit with the current boys (age 8-13) who board at the prep school. Typical lads with great senses of humour and a true desire to do their best to honour the Christmas tradition. They were all admitted via an audition process at age 7 or 8.

Along with the beautiful Christmas music, we see how the program is put together technically.

A lovely treat to watch during the holidays. Especially for those of us who grew up singing in choirs, or admiring the angelic talent of the King's College boys choir.