Brian Percival

We watched the three comedies over three weeks, but missed out MacBeth as reviews suggested it was a bit gory. The other three were extremely well done, set in the 21st century. 'Taming of the shrew' and 'Much ado about nothing' were only loosely based on Shakespeare's plays, though 'A midsummer night's dream' was much closer to the original.

Great acting, good chemistry, and very clever scripts. We were surprised how much we enjoyed these. Definitely recommended if you like this kind of show more thing, and don't object to Shakespeare's ideas being adapted so extensively.

Longer review: https://suesdvdreviews.blogspot.com/2025/10/shakespeare-retold-2005.html show less

The goings-on in a large English household in the 1910s.

It's well done for what it is. I just don't see the appeal of this sort of thing. Spiteful people backstabbing each other is not my idea of entertaining drama. And occasionally finding out secrets about characters is not my idea of development. It probably doesn't help that it portrays an oppressive world as something good and noble. At one point the family patriarch makes a little speech about being merely a custodian of his estate, show more implying that he's burdened with responsibility and not, contrary to all evidence, obscenely privileged. And of course he's fair and protective of his underlings, and they're all much happier in servitude than they would be otherwise. It's pretty disgusting. But then, I'm a straight male, so no one expects me to enjoy this kind of show. My wife liked it.

Concept: D
Story: C
Characters: C
Dialog: B
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: A
Acting: B
Music: C

Enjoyment: C plus

GPA: 2.5/4 show less

I loved the book and had waited a long time to see the film. I wasn't disappointed - I thought it was very good. It stuck very closely to the book and was all the better for it. Excellent performances from all the actors. My only criticism I think is that it didn't really convey how important words became to Liesel after she learn to read. Which is what I remember from the book. But a very enjoyable film.

The first season of Downton Abbey was...bingeable? Pretty good through the first watch. The dialogue, and the purposeful inclusion of great events in history is very charming. The characters are developed, and the two different storylines--the people upstairs and the people downstairs, keep it interesting. Second time watching, it is still good, but the romance can be hokey, and some of the events seemed dropped in just to keep the plot going, rather than well-thought out additions to the show more story. Very good to do crochet projects. show less