Loads of drama

I’ve been on leave so I’ve had time for a bit more film and tv than usual.  This is my half time report…  

God’s Creatures 

I saw this at the proper cinema which was great for the cinematography on display with the wind blown seascapes.  A domestic drama set in a run down Irish fishing community where people don’t learn to swim because if they did they might be obliged to help anyone in trouble.  We get this nugget early on and it sums up the sort of place very succinctly.  A very slow burn which is all built around Emily Watson and Paul Mescal’s performances as a mother and son.  I love the choices that both of these actors make and their abilities to deliver such moral ambiguity in a compelling way.  This is a story about a sequence of tiny choices that turn out to have big and ultimately devastating impacts. This is particularly true for Watson’s character whose adoration for her son has blinded her to his faults but finds herself torn between the men and misogyny around her and the women of the community. The choices she makes are hard to watch.  Mescal continues his clever role choices here, with another superficially charming man with hidden complexities that are not all as shiny.  Gripping performances and looked amazing, let down a bit by the pacing and narrative in places and ultimately a fairly slight film but definitely still worth a watch in a week where in real life a son has been convicted of murder after his mother handed him in to the police. 

Catherine called Birdy 

I watched this as part of my breadcrumb trail catching up on the work of Bella Ramsey.  A Lena Dunham film based on the book by Karen Cushman and starring Ramsey as the 14 year old girl caught in the medieval marriage market.  It’s got a great cast with Andrew Scott and Billie Piper as her parents, Lesley Sharp as her nurse, Sophie Okonedo as the woman showing how to make the most of the limited options available to women, and Joe Alwyn as lovely eye candy.  Presented as a fun romp, I loved Andrew Scott and Billie Piper in particular as loving parents who don’t really have any other options. Overall this version of the story stays fairly true to the book and doesn’t pull its punches until the very end.  The final scenes give us a high point to finish on, although it’s also pretty clear eyed on what comes next. Currently streaming on Prime. 

Beef

Wow, what a ride this turned out to be!  I binged this ten part series following the consequences of a parking lot altercation that ends up destroying the lives of everyone around them.  Pacey and fun, with a great plot and performances that find the time to show the humanity beneath the madness.  I ended up rooting for these people even as they made terrible choices. Streaming on Netflix - warning this is addictive. 

Succession S4 Ep3  

I couldn’t leave my summary so far without mentioning this. What a classic episode, up there with the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones, which is definitely being referenced in that title of Connor's Wedding.  Everyone in black from the start, and we think set up for a stand off with Gerri, but then it is stylishly undercut by the main event which happens offstage which means that we are not really any better off than Ken, Shiv or Roman.  I loved that Tom was in the thick of it, and what a performance from Matthew Macfadyen,  apparently feeling real emotion before cutting back to how he is going to maintain his position in this new world.    The writing and performances in this are stunning, bringing out each character into sharp relief before heading back into the ensemble. as they all work out what is their best angle whilst dealing with such a range of personal emotions.  So many subtle moments such as Connor's immediate words when he hears the news, Shiv's brief reconciliation with Tom, and the hug of the three siblings just before we head into the final set piece at the airport. High tragedy and farce mixed together with style in almost every scene, it left me breathless with admiration.