eclarkdog

I found this series on Tubi recently. (Tubi has been a good source to find older, lesser-known Brit shows.) The series is based on a novel by Arnold Bennett, whom I'd never heard of previously. Bennett was a rather prolific author in the late 19th/early 20th century. He did well for his time, but not much critical success, which made him forgotten for decades, until more recently.

For a 1985 production, I found the series to be rather well done. It looks good technically (I've seen many later series(90s/early aughts) that just don't stream all that well now). It captures a bit of grimness and dreariness one can expect from a turn-of-the-century industrial town. I'm not sure the exact timeframe, despite looking everywhere, but I assume it is set close to the year it was written (1902).

One general comment is that the characters affect a rather strong dialect that I can't quite place. It's English that seems to have a Gaelic twist to it. Subtitles may be needed.

Overall, I enjoyed the series, though I felt it lacked much dramatic punch. The cast is not particularly handsome, but the actors are all solid. Not familiar with the main actress (Interestingly she is American/Canadian with some native Alaskan, but did grow up mainly in England) at all, and the only recognizable actors were the guy who played Qybern in GOT (I'd never seen him in anything else other than GOT but recognized him instantly despite being much younger here) and Peter Davison, who has been in tons of stuff.

The plot is fairly simplistic. It seems a bit of a social commentary while being a subdued romance. The summary had indicated that Anne would struggle between two men, Mynors and Price. However, there is very little tension here, and I felt that any connection between Anne and the doomed Price was not portrayed much at all. I'd say that aspect is the major complaint of the series. That and a rather lackluster ending, made so by that said lack of earlier tension.

In addition, a big apparent plot point is the money that Anne inherits, which leads to a struggle for independence from her tyrannical Father. This aspect is done better, but I never felt the money and her changed economic status were fully realized. Did the book lack this as well, or was this simply a faithful series? Not sure.

Regardless, I find the series worth watching as a satisfactory period piece.

Butler seems to put out a ton of these smaller budget action/disaster flicks with questionable titles to boot. I've seen some and not seen some. For the ones I have seen, there is one constant thing: Butler gives it his all regardless of the people and content surrounding him.

Butler achieves this with "Plane" (ugh ..stoopid title), giving a fine and believable performance that lifts the movie. However, this movie is not bad at all. In fact, I found it very entertaining. Sure, one must dim the brain cells a bit and just go along for the ride. The movie's style reminds me a bit of 80's actioners 'cept maybe not quite as over-the-top. Butler's character is not like Ahnold or Sly, using super-human brute force. He is a hero though.

The cast is mostly a list of "oh..I've seen him/her in that thang", but a few like Mike Colter (Luke Cage and "Evil") and Tony Goldwyn (another stalwart of the low-mid budget fare for years) do a fine job with what they are given. The acting all-around is fine.

In my opinion, the one flaw that drags the movie down is that it lacks depth. The movie is about as generic as it gets. It's mostly a fun ride, but there is nothing here that would keep one coming back.

If you like Butler and a solid action flick, then def watch it. IMO the 6.5 rating, currently holding here, is about spot on.

This show popped up on Tubi recently, probably due to the algorithms, as I was watching some other Brit period pieces like Upstairs/Downstairs. (Tubi has a lot of junk, but it does help me find little unknown gems)

This show is in the vein of Upstairs/Downstairs, with not much Upstairs to speak of. A bit of Downton too. However, I would not call it a little gem. It is mostly mediocre.

I am surprised that I am writing the first review here, and there is not much info on this now over 20-year-old miniseries. At least, I'd expect it would be of interest to Felicity Jones fans. I've always liked her too. This show appears to be her first adult role, although she looks about 14, even though she was probably around 19 when it was filmed. She is definitely a bright spot in the show and absolutely adorable.

The series is watchable but has many flaws. The acting is excellent, but the story and writing are on the weak side, with inconsistent themes and tonal issues. The music is terribly unsuited for the period, though not bad on its own. (I almost stopped watching halfway through the first episode due to the music)

The standouts are Jones. One can see in hindsight that she was destined for a great career. The actress playing Ms. Ryan, who does look familiar, was superb, as well as her counterpart in Mr. Jarvis. All the actors are solid.

However, despite the interesting love scenario with Jones' character and the new guy, and the very subtle "Remains of The Day" thing going on with Ryan and Jarvis, there is not much story here. The show was mostly upbeat, but some of the darker bits went nowhere, and were honestly morally confounding.

Regardless, the series is entertaining enough to push through simply for Jones to see some of her early work before fame.