jamesmoule

With so many people watching on iView and giving episodes ten out of ten, I thought that at some of those people would put their opinions into a user review, yet I find that I am the first one.

Those not of the Islamic faith might be put off by a series that dramatises the political struggles for control of an Australian mosque. I struggled to stay interested in the characters for the first two episodes. I hoped to be enlightened but I found myself being confirmed in my attitudes towards both the religion and the nationalities who follow it.

The acting is of a high standard, especially considering that many are not very experienced.

The pace is very slow. The subtitles often get lost in the background which is not good if you don't speak Arabic.

This is a series that might be better placed on SBS. This is not suitable for prime time on a Sunday night and I expect that the ratings will show that.

This is a comedy by Americans, for Americans. Just like Americans ruin great British comedies with remakes, this saccharine versions of Cyrano with a happy ending (!) is a parody.

My greatest night in the theatre was at the Sydney Opera House with John Bell playing Cyrano in the Louis Nowra translation. The original Rostand play was not a simple comedy and it wasn't about someone with a big nose. It has even been played without a nose prosthesis because it is basically about self-image. No matter how great a poet and swordsman Cyrano is, he believes that his appearance is a total turn-off for women. The final scene of the play invariably has the audience in tears.

I like several of Steve Martin's movies but this is just stupid, unsubtle trash. I'm embarrassed that an Australian directed it.

Perhaps the sequel could involve re-writing "Macbeth" or "King Lear" with a happy ending. (After seeing this, I produced a send-up of American cinema in which "Oedipus Rex" ends with a happy family gathering.) Not all American movies are superficial but this one certainly is.

This is one of the most unrealistic stories that has every been dramatised.

It seems unlikely that the DI would ever have been promoted to that rank.

It is totally unlikely that any DI would tolerate being spoken to by a DS in that way.

It is totally unlikely that a DS would retain her rank, let alone her job, if she behaved like this one.

The character of Frederika shows complexity. I was impressed with the range of acting shown by Hermione Corfield, whom I hadn't seen before. She is a young actor with a big future in diverse character roles.

This series doesn't take itself too seriously so, with due suspension of belief, it is possible the enjoy it without being too picky about such things as correct police procedure and glaring holes in the plot.

A second series is probably not justified but I am betting on there being one.