Author Topic: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011  (Read 27590 times)

marcie

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #40 on: November 16, 2011, 12:37:42 AM »

Masterpiece Contemporary 2011 welcomes Bill Nighy (The Lost Prince), Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon (Emma, Cranford), Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson in two new programs, Page Eight and The Song of Lunch.  See the 2011 MASTERPIECE CONTEMPORARY schedule and episode descriptions.  Check your local listings.


PAST PROGRAMS

Framed

November 27, 2011 at 9pm

One 90-minute episode
An eccentric Welsh village learns that London's National Gallery is storing its entire art collection in a nearby mine during the museum's renovations — leading to curious encounters between the village locals and the gallery's urbane, lovelorn curator. Trevor Eve (David Copperfield) and Eve Myles (Little Dorrit) star in this gentle comedy, based on Frank Cottrell Boyce's best-selling novel of the same name. ENCORE FROM LAST SEASON Watch online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/index.html through December 27, 2011.


Song of Lunch

November 13, 2011 at 9pm

One 60-minute episode
A dramatisation of Christopher Reid's narrative poem, telling the story of a book editor who, 15 years after their break-up, meets his former love for a nostalgic lunch at the Soho restaurant they used to frequent. The production is unusual in featuring little spoken dialogue, the action instead being an enactment of incidents described in poetic monologue of the male character. Starring Alan Rickman & Emma Thompson.


Page Eight

November 6, 2011 at 9pm

One 120-minute episode
Sixty-something MI-5 agent Johnny Worricker has amassed an impressive art collection, an amicable collection of ex-wives, and a droll, unflappable relationship with the work he enjoys alongside his boss and best friend, MI5 chief Benedict Baron. But when Benedict brings to light damning evidence of British complicity with illegal American torture operations, it falls to Johnny to do the right thing.



Discussion Leaders:  JoanP and marcie


marcie

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #41 on: November 16, 2011, 12:37:53 AM »
I don't know what to say, nlhome. I enjoyed it.

BarbStAubrey

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #42 on: November 16, 2011, 01:57:45 AM »
Just tried to watch it online from PBS - I think it would make a better poem to read than see it acted - the subject matter did bore me and so I stopped watching a bit after she went to the powder room - she looked exquisite and as usual they are both such fine actors.

He has a distinctive speaking voice that brings drama to all his parts but I just did not like him in this part - maybe it was the character I did not like - the more I think of it that was it - he did a superb job of characterizing a bloated blowzy self absorbed depressive and I just couldn't take it any longer - maybe if I watched it through I would understand why she wanted to see him again except out of curiosity but then why - she had the husband, marriage and children she chose so why?

Was the author Christopher Reid the actor who was paralyzed after an accident on his horse? 
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

marcie

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #43 on: November 16, 2011, 02:19:23 AM »
Barbara, it's a different Christopher Reid. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Reid

I think that during the "poem" he recalls that he invited her to lunch so she accepted. He must have had some attraction for her during their time together. Perhaps she didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying no.

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #44 on: November 16, 2011, 09:23:11 AM »
This is my take:

They were lovers for a few years, breaking up 15 years ago.  They had hoped for a life together, but he was going nowhere, treading water, getting deeper and deeper into alcoholism.  She left him.

Now, happily married, living in Paris, a couple of children, she gets a call from him to have lunch when she comes to London.  She accepts.  Her deep hope is to find her old love improved, getting on with his life, and happy.

She hopes for too much.  He is still in love with her, but in a dreamy, alcoholic sort of way.  His Great Love is alcohol.  He has gone nowhere and done nothing.  She is so disappointed.

So is he, but he drinks that, and all emotions, away ____ away.

I feel pretty sure makeup had worked to make him look dissolute.  And yes, Emma looked GREAT!  I loved her hairdo, but even more, I loved that dress.  I kept staring at the marvelous way that neckline was created and imagining all sorts of frocks and tops made in that fashion.  Very feminine and flattering.

I found it extremely touching when the moment came that she was feeling so sad about finding him unchanged and stuck in time and still addicted and she reached out and touched his hand.  She HAD been so very fond of him once, and the sadness of the death of those feelings and sorrow for him just overcame her.  WELL acted!

I have seen sooo much of this in real life.  I found it exquisitely acted and very short.  Beautiful.  Beautifully done.  Both actors beyond superb.

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #45 on: November 16, 2011, 09:28:27 AM »
And I loved Page 8.  Bill Nighy can do no wrong as an actor, in my view.  Loved the whole thing.

One of my husbands was an Intelligence Analyst, so I relate to Nighy's and Gambon's jobs and lives.

rosemarykaye

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #46 on: November 16, 2011, 11:59:58 AM »
MaryPage - I'm sure that, as you say, make-up was the cause of Alan Rickman's dissolute appearance.  He is far too gorgeous to have deteriorated (I hope).  And I agree about Bill Nighy (I nearly typed 'nighty' then...), wonderful, wonderful.  Michael Gambon also.

Rosemary

FlaJean

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #47 on: November 16, 2011, 01:03:35 PM »
I really enjoyed Page 8, but didn't care for this one at all.  I might have liked it better with a different male actor--felt he was miscast.

rosemarykaye

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #48 on: November 26, 2011, 01:00:54 PM »
I see that you are all to be treated to 'Framed' - I am just popping in to say that the book is absolutely brilliant, and my daughter Madeleine, who has seen the TV adaptation as well, says that that is excellent too.  Enjoy!

Rosemary

Frybabe

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #49 on: November 26, 2011, 01:30:08 PM »
I've seen Framed twice, so I might skip it this time, or not. It is such a lovely movie - no nasty language, violence or over-sexed bits.

Frybabe

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #50 on: November 27, 2011, 07:33:54 PM »
My PBS station is not running Framed tonight. Instead there are a bunch of Christmasy things including Handel's Messiah Rocks. I know I can miss that version.

marcie

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #51 on: November 27, 2011, 09:28:46 PM »
I am not getting FRAMED either on my PBS station. I saw it last year and read the book. I agree that both are excellent. I may watch it again online (available starting tomorrow) if I can make time.

ginny

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #52 on: November 28, 2011, 09:47:35 AM »
There's a book? I was all excited about Framed, it looks wonderful and then I read everybody's comments and couldn't wait and we're having Pledge Drives, so hopefully we will soon see it. I must look up the book.

I also have watched much footage of Alan Rickman  in many situations including interviews, and have changed my mind. He's also on Broadway now. Now I can see nuances I didn't before so am planning to get the Song of Lunch and watch it from the beginning, it's never good to enter something badly presented like the youtube is  in the middle!

I've been watching over the break (you'll all laugh) Pie in the Sky, which ran on  British TV for a considerable (if the number of CD's is any indication) number of episodes, I think that's my intellectual style. I really like it, it grows on you despite some obvious things which don't add up. I really have enjoyed sinking into it, it's a detective,  who wants to open his own restaurant upon his retirement, and does.

 The little touches are marvelous, like playing Elgar for his chickens in the coop. I hate to say it but we used to, too, not Elgar but suitable music for chickens. hahahaha It does work. :) He remarks at one point  ever since the Elgar he's had a lot of double yolks, which of course you get with young chickens but the music also seems to make a difference, too. Love the series,  it's unpretentious and fun and you always get to see something new and exciting when he gets dragged into cases.

I saw it listed in an Acorn catalog,  and borrowed them from  Netflix.

FlaJean

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #53 on: November 28, 2011, 06:30:19 PM »
I watched it for the second time and enjoyed it both times.

marcie

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #54 on: December 01, 2011, 11:57:42 PM »
We'll leave this discussion open to talk about FRAMED. We've opened a new topic to talk about the new PBS Classic season at http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=2716.0.

okietxjenjen

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #55 on: December 03, 2011, 10:09:53 AM »
Song of Lunch was strange.  I kept waiting for something to happen, after awhile I flipped channels.

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #56 on: December 03, 2011, 10:55:58 AM »
To me, it was a small picture of an ongoing, real life tragedy:  the person, male or female, who shows so much talent and promise as a well-educated young person and is grabbed by an addiction, alcohol, which they cannot let go of even for Love of another.  I have seen so very much of this in my lifetime, and I thought these two outstanding actors did an amazing job of portraying the angst in one very small film.

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #57 on: December 13, 2011, 01:44:41 PM »
In a review of his latest Broadway Show, Seminar, The New Yorker mentioned that the American Theatre Guild had named Rickman #46 in the list of all-time villains in show business.  The New Yorker went on to insist that they find him NUMBER ONE!

Maybe!

I absolutely adored him as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series.

He was also chosen by Empire as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (No 34) in 1995 and ranked No 59 in Empire's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in October 1997. 

Rickman has been a Joy in my old age, and thank goodness I have lived to know at least some of his work

rosemarykaye

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #58 on: December 13, 2011, 02:05:46 PM »
Oh yes MaryPage - Rickman is just wonderful.  Did you see him in Love Actually?  He's just so good in everything.

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #59 on: December 13, 2011, 02:47:05 PM »
Oh Yes!  Love Actually is one of my all time favorite movies, and I own the DVD.  Can't TELL you how many times we have watched it in our family.  It is one of those rare you-never-get-tired-of-it movies.

rosemarykaye

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #60 on: December 13, 2011, 04:05:29 PM »
And it's got Bill Nighy in it as well - and Colin Firth - joy, joy, joy!

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #61 on: December 13, 2011, 04:42:13 PM »
And LIAM NEESON!

Be still, my throbbing heart!

rosemarykaye

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #62 on: December 13, 2011, 05:15:44 PM »
 ;D  ;D

Am off to bed to dream sweet dreams....

JeanneP

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #63 on: December 13, 2011, 07:19:32 PM »
Rosemary.

Don't dream Colin Firth. He is all mine.

rosemarykaye

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #64 on: December 14, 2011, 03:06:36 AM »
 ;D  OK, I'll take Alan Rickman before Mary does...

MaryPage

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #65 on: December 14, 2011, 08:37:58 AM »
I am too old fashioned to go for threesomes, Rosemary.

Liam is my dreamboat!

marcie

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Re: PBS Masterpiece Contemporary 2011
« Reply #66 on: December 14, 2011, 11:01:39 AM »
:-)