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literacy2007
Reviews
Miseuteo Robin ggosigi (2006)
So disappointing
The lead actors are adorable and the premise charming, but this movie simply did not live up to its potential. The plot was difficult to follow and would jump from one scene to another with little or no explication. The plot had major holes and characters were insufficiently drawn. It was often difficult to know a character's connection to the protagonist. One character in particular seemed to jump back-and-forth between mere longtime friend, former girlfriend, and former girlfriend trying to become girlfriend again. Motivations were fuzzy. The whole movie was so choppy that you had to wonder if the editor was under the weather when he or she decided what to leave in and what to take out. Really pretty awful movie.
Parade's End (2012)
Riveting performances by leads Rebecca Hall and Benedict Cumberbatch
Before "Parade's End," Rebecca Hall and Benedict Cumberbatch were last paired professionally in an unassuming romantic comedy called "Starter for 10," a film anchored by their friend James McAvoy. All three played university students. Although each turned in a good performance, the roles were not ones that required much acting range. In Parade's End, however, the roles of Sylvia and Christopher Tietjens allow both Hall and Cumberbatch to flex their considerable acting muscles. When both are in a scene, the scene is so riveting that it is hard to know which actor to watch.
Over the years, the 36-year-old Cumberbatch has built an impressive portfolio of work. He has been accurately described as a chameleon. He so completely invests himself in a role that it is sometimes hard to recognize the actor behind the character.
As Sylvia Tietjens, wife of wealthy landowner Christopher Tietjens, Hall holds her own against Cumberbatch. Her Sylvia is smart, narcissistic, beautiful, lusty, manipulative, and utterly fascinating. Her rival, suffragette Valentine Wannop, pales in comparison. While the younger Valentine is sweet, loyal, and plucky, she doesn't have Sylvia's fire.
Which woman will Christopher choose? You'll have to watch the series to find out. Along the way, you'll enjoy not only the performances of the three principal actors, but also the performances of a wonderful ensemble of able actors, including Rupert Everett, Anne-Marie Duff (coincidentally, the wife of James McAvoy, who joined Hall and Cumberbatch in "Starter for 10"), and others.