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Thovarf
Reviews
George Gently: Gently and the New Age (2017)
Not Entirely Satisfying Conclusion to a Great Series (Spoiler Alert)
We watched and enjoyed the entire Inspector George Gently series in order over several years and were looking forward to the finale. Martin Shaw was great, as usual, and Lee Ingleby, as John Bacchus finally seemed to have grown up under Gently's tutelage. It certainly took long enough. Lisa McGrillis, as Rachel Coles, was an excellent addition to the cast in the later seasons and her character development was one of the highlights.
This final episode had some flaws, which detracted from the overall effect. The resolution of the murder of the young girl was believable. I had problems with the other main story line, which depended on assuming collusion between the evil US, evil businessmen and some horrible Tories. In other words, all the usual suspects. Lazy screen writers with a predictable bias. Since Britain had a Labor government from October 1964 to June 1970, the bad guys were certainly quick to assemble their nefarious and bloody scheme in 1970, having gone to ground after killing Gently's wife in '64, with no purge of the evil by Labor in the intervening years. The time line also means that the Labor MP at the center of the investigations in this episode was sacked from a Defense Ministry post by a Labor government. The Brits weren't doing coalitions in the 60s and 70s.
One of the late seasons ended with Gently receiving news that he had a terminal illness. That plot line seems to have been dropped but might have provided a better ending than having him done in by massive corruption. As it is, the bad guys seem to be winning and can anyone believe that Bacchus and Rachel could avoid Gently's fate if they challenge the beast? Something less grim would have been better.
Excuse Me for Living (2012)
Bad, bad, bad!
This is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The totally unbelievable plot is premised on one coincidence after another.
The druggie lead character's father is getting a divorce and his mistress happens to work at the institution to which the lead character is remanded. Said institution happens to be within walking distance of the mansion of his best friend/supplier. The lead character's mother is represented by a woman divorce attorney who frequents parties at the friend's mansion. Her best friend is the daughter of the doctor who runs the institution but she only attends the parties at the mansion when necessary for the plot. The doctor has the lead character participate in a discussion group of older men, one of whom is the friend of the late father of the female divorce attorney an academic who is hopelessly smitten by her. She quickly develops a school-girlish crush on him, despite acting like a merciless harpy when other men are concerned. And so on...
Some of the acting, particularly that of the divorce attorney and the love stricken professor, is particularly bad. We at first thought they were trying to scam each o other before realizing. no, they just can't act, at least with this script and direction.
Some of the scenes are puzzling, at best. I at first thought that the funeral was a poorly done fantasy sequence, before realizing, no, it was just poorly done.
Avoid at all costs.