Entertainment For Lively Minds
Amazing TV
I'm surprised not to have seen any mentions of either Any Human Heart or Accused on the blog. Both are exceptional TV shows which linger long in the memory; both feature exemplary casts; both are well worth watching.
Any Human Heart finished on Sunday and left me feeling wholly satisifed and not a little moved. I'd never heard of the book before, but the series gave the impression of being relatively true to the source simply through its extravagantly episodic plot, by turns touching, tragic and hilarious. There were shades of Forrest Gump in its placing of the main character, Logan Mountstuart, at key moments in history; but it was cleverer than that film and really used the century-spanning timeframe to deliver some thoughtful commentary on aging and the ups and downs of a life fully-lived. The decision to cast three people as Mountstuart at different ages, but not to simultaneously change the rest of the cast, was an odd one, but only slightly disorienting when taken in the context of its over-riding theme: that we are different people at different times of our life. Jim Broadbent and Matthew Macfadeyn were both superb at presenting an at times unpleasant character sympathetically. HIghly recommended indeed.
Jimmy McGovern's Accused serious is very different - essentially a series of plays looking at the justice system from the point of view of the criminal. Each revolves around a 'featured actor' - Christopher Eccleston, Juliet Stephenson, Andy Serkis etc. They are mostly dark stories with a pervasive sense of inevitability as the main characters end up in the dock. Particularly strong were the Mackenzie Crook episode, an unsubtle yet effective look at bullying in the army, and Andy Serkis' obsessive cabbie, desperate for someone else's life. The latter in particular gave humanity to a fairly awful person, and almost made one sympathise with him.
As a newish dad I'm finding that I'm sat in front of the TV far more than I once was; both of these (along with the untouchable Mad Men) make me feel less of a social outcast and more as though telly is a 'proper' thing to be doing. Any one seen them, or got any recommendations for anything else of similar quality?
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I have to say I was a little disappointed with Any Human Heart
It was miles better than a lot of the new drama on TV at the moment, but, because they had similar story 'arcs', I couldn't help comparing it to Brideshead Revisited and A Dance To The Music of Time, both superior adaptations in my humble opinion. It has prompted me to go back and re-read William Boyd's novel, however.
The book
is untouchable IMO, and while the tellyplay did its best, for me it didn't scratch the surface.
Read the book.
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/any-human-heart
Agreed
The Accused
is very good telly at the moment. As with Jimmy McGovern's previous series the Street, no matter how bleak the stories or unpleasant the characters, I find it compulsively watchable. A great storyteller.
I agree about The Accused being compulsive.
And it's had some excellent performances, particularly from Andy Serkis. There's absolutely nothing wrong with stories being bleak, or characters being unpleasant. But I really do wish that there had been just a touch more light and shade in the series. It's been unremitting bleakness, and I think it's lost some of its power because of the complete lack of any humour or any shaft of sunlight in the darkness.
One of the best things on British TV in 2010 was Shane Meadows' This Is England '86, which had some truly disturbing scenes. But these were all the more horrifying and powerful precisely because they were built on and intercut with some genuinely laugh out loud, heartwarming moments.
Disturbing scenes?
Tell me. No, don't. I've got it taped (that sounds old school doesn't it? Sky+'d? But I don't actually have Sky. It's a terminological minefield!)
Anyway, I've yet to watch it and while in the past I'd have quite happily sat down to engage I'm finding that if I hear that something has "truly disturbing" scenes I am already mentally edging away. I never used to be like this. I blame it on having kids. Or I'm just blossoming into the big girl's blouse I always had the potential to be. Whatever it is, it's a worrying development.
Right, time to 'man up' (as I believe is the popular phrase), and download some hardcore cage fighting porn. That should sort me out.
Unless the FPO finds out & then I'll be sorted out in an altogether different way.
Watch it.
It's definitely worth it. The scenes pack an enormous emotional punch, but it's all completely justified in context. It's a fantastic series.
Definitely
I'd say This is England was more compelling than either of the other two dramas mentioned here, and that's saying something.
Any Human Heart
Only halfway through but enjoying it so far.
Pretty faithful to the novel probably because Boyd also wrote the screenplay. I think the idea of using three separate actors to play the part has been inspired, Matthew Macfadeyn in particular is excellent.
I would love to see an adaptation of Boyd's "New Confessions" which covers similar ground but for my money a better book.
Any Human Heart (warning, potential spoilers present)
I really enjoyed parts 1 to 3, but found part of the last episode to be a bit Carry On The Revolution.
The final minute of part 2 though, I have to say I found one of the most heartbreaking pieces of TV I've ever seen. Nothwithstanding my reservations on the final part it was well worth watching.
It's almosr encouraged me to read another William Boyd novel. I read An Ice Cream War about 25 years ago, and really disliked it. These days I'd stop after 50 or 60 pages.
I too
have struggled with other Boyd novels, managed to get through The New Confessions finding the story too similar to AHH which I read first. Brazaville Beach I gave up on after 70 odd pages and the brief outlines I've seen for his other books don't attract me. I think Any Human Heart might be his 'Day in the LIfe' ie. the only one I couldn't live without. Try it Brer, if you don't dig it I'll refund your outlay.
Can I stand up for Boyd here,
even if Any Human Heart - the book - did nothing for me, though have nearly always loved his work. Do give the following a try.
- Stars and Bars.
- The Blue Afternoon.
- Give Brazzaville Beach another go as well, I found it very moving and affecting.
Agree that when you start, he can be a bit of a slow burner but stick with it, it's usually worth it. The other one you may want to try is School Ties which was two plays he wrote for tv - Good and bad at games and Dutch Girls. The first one starred the great Anton Lesser and Dutch Girls had Timothy Spall in probably one of his first roles. Shame they are no longer available because they were both great dramas. Now, I'm going to contradict myself, went to hear him give a talk & promote Ordinary Thunderstorms and he came over as a little unpleasant and rude, which surprised me given the tone of his books. Never read Ordinary Thunderstorms as a result. With supporters like me.....
Don't you mean "plays what he wrote"?
But seriously folks, thanks for the recommendations FB-W, I will try him again.
Conversely, I saw him interviewed in one of those Mark Lawson 'face-to-face' thingeys and he seemed a likeable chap, but then I've heard terrible things about Lawson.
Loved Accused, hated Any Human Heart
I love McGovern's passionate, intense style. He likes to put his characters through the wringer - the punishment always seems to outweigh their deed. I thought the Christopher Eccleston episode was contrived (finding money in taxi) but the rest of the series is excellent.
Any Human Heart seemed to be about a character who everyone thinks is great (Ernest Hemingway, every woman) without him showing us why. The greatest hits of history was clumsy - oh look there's a bloke who looks like Churchill next to our hero in a urinal and then there's a poster of Churchill so we know it's him.
His mum puts money in stocks. In the 1930s? I wonder what's going to happen next?
The series is bog standard, upper class, Sunday night twattery. Nicely photographed but dull.
Uh oh (potential spoilers)
Having had AHH recommended under my name in the Word weekly email, I'm starting to worry that I'm in the minority on this and will be blamed for wasting 6 hours' of people's lives.
I can understand why fans of the book might be disappointed: after all, isn't that always the way? But I don't think I agree that Mountstuart's experiences at momentous points in history were 'clumsy': the enduring refrain throughout the series was his father's 'it's all down to luck'. I thought that was one of the points it was making - by sheer good/bad fortune things happen be they bombs/shells dropping, finding oneself in possession of valuable works of art, meeting the right people, overdosing on drugs. Though by the same token, the main character never seemed to fully understand that he might have some power over his circumstances, content to simply blame fate.
As for the the 'carry on revolution' idea: it was a change in tone, but I quite enjoyed it, and it did emphasise him losing his place in a rapidly changing world.
Ordinary Thunderstorms
I've tried a couple of William Boyd's books in the past and found them slow. But I picked up his last novel, Ordinary Thunderstorms when I was looking for a third book in a 3 for the price of 2 offer, and I enjoyed it. It's a thriller set in contemporary London, and has real pace and interesting, if slightly exaggerated, characters. There are a couple of implausibilities in the plot, but that's true of most thrillers I've read.
In it he seemed to want to grab your attention, while still using his skills in creating atmosphere and characterisation. I had the feeling he'd decided to just let go and write something that amused him to write.
I find Jimmy McGovern to be the most predictable of writers
Usually the same old characterisation (working class, salt of the earth, difficult circumstances, etc), just a different face and a different town. The plots have been quite good, if not full of holes and a little samey - I didn't mean to do it, it just happened, blah, blah, blah - but no less watchable for that. There is no way on earth Juliet Stevenson would have walked away from court a free woman after actually admitting to arson.
Like Mike Leigh, Jimmy McGovern needs to try a different tack once in a while.