ludmillaherni

I watch everything when Johnny Depp is in it. He hardly can make a bad movie.

This movie is a funny mash-up of the different sleuth-stories, like those of Agatha Christie and the Sherlock Holmes ones. The combination of the quicksilvery Gwyneth Palthrow, the TerryThomas style of Depp and the deadpan acting of Paul Bettany - who is irresistably funny here - is a perfect combi with the straight acting of Ewan McGregor. Let yourself just go with the flow and follow this funny, over the top-story. The movie has a fast pace and doesn't take itself too seriously. It has, in fact, everything a good English movie has and has something most Americans lack (in my humble opinion): self-deprecating humour.

.....with a wonderful twist in the form of criticism about all those famous people who -you think- stand up for a cause or for someone, but actually only want to be (back) in the spotlight themselves. The principal characters are wonderfully over the top. Jo Ellen plays Emma sweet and a bit naïve. James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep play hilariously magnified characters and Andrew Rannells keeps the balance in the group with his more so called 'highbrow background'-persona.

The music is sometimes great, in the best old Broadway tradition, sometimes a bit cliché, but overall I like it, because it has a feel of the old school of musical-making, in the '40-s.

First of all: both Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell are both absolutely brilliant in this! Rufus -I'm long time fan, since the Charles II series- has all the mannerisms and the stupidity of this conceited man.(sorry, I'm a republican, I don't like our own royal family either😁) Being dutch, I had to look up Emily, to know what kind of status she has in the UK, but I saw the interview at the time and was impressed by the calm and the skill of this interviewer. Movies like this, like ' all the president's men' and 'the post' are very much to my taste and this one is another 'like' for me.

Billie Piper is also great as the somewhat papparazzi-like person, who nevertheless knows what 'sells'. BBC tv is a bit like NOS tv in the Netherlands: well behaved and somewhat dull, but trustworthy. That's exactly what is portrayed here.

As far as I'm concerned: great acting!