TV Series - "The Crown Season 3" (2019) ****1/2

It must be rough for the cast of season 1 and 2 to be so good and then to find themselves topped by their replacements - as excellent as Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby etc were they are topped by Olivia Coleman, Helena Bonham Carter. The stand out star though is the woman who plays Princess Anne - she's sensational. And hot as hell.

Some amazing episodes - the death of the kids in that landslide especially. Fantastic television that is consistently surprising.

Script review - "The Crown - pilot" by Peter Morgan

The copy of this I read felt different from the show. But atypically excellent Morgan work, covering a seemingly familiar piece of history from a fresh angle.

TV review - The Crown Season 2 ****

This took a while to get going for me - the early eps about Suez, Philip in Australia and what-not didn't do it for me, for whatever reason. But the series then hits its stride and is really superb at the end, notably the eps on Edward VIII, Margaret marrying Snowdon, and Charles at Gordonstoun (who whined about their depiction but f*ck that bully factory I say... besides the depiction is quite fair), and the Profumo affair. Some terrific moments. Very well acted and gorgeous to look at.

Movie review - "The Special Relationship" (2010) ****

A lesser known instalment of Peter Morgan's marvellous Tony Blair series of movies starring Michael Sheen. This one is about Blair's bromance with Bill Clinton, starting when Blair was an up and comer and Clinton was at his peak. It goes through the turmoil of Clinton's rule, ending with the end of the presidency.

It's a jolt to see all these things referred to which were such a big deal at the time - Monica Lewinsky of course is still remembered but I'd forgotten what a thing Kosovo was, and that early 90s idealism that war could be put to bed. And Blair's puppy dog enthusiasm to send in troops (for good reasons but still... into a mountainous region where occupying armies have always found things hard) can, in hindsight, be seen to be a warning.

Sheen is good as ever in a layered performance. Dennis Quaid is an unexpected choice for Clinton but he does it well - the folksy southern charm, the swagger.

Intelligent and well made. It didn't have the impact of the others in this series but it's as good.

Script review - "Frost/Nixon" by Peter Morgan

Peter Morgan's one of my favourite writers in part because of this script which is extremely entertaining. It takes an event I'd vaguely heard of and makes it really interesting. It follows in many ways the stock template: an unlikely hero (glambot David Frost) has a dream (to interview Nixon), overcomes obstacles (lack of money, disdain) to triumph (getting Nixon to kind of apologise).

I'm sure there are historical errors but I went with it. The characters of Frost and Nixon are very defined - some solid support from Nixon's loyal deputy; Frost's idealistic helpers aren't as interesting and the female characters practically non existent. Still, gripping stuff.

TV review - "The Crown" (2016) ****

First rate look at the early reign of Queen Elizabeth II by one of my favourite writers, Peter Morgan. The hefty budget was not wasted - marvelous recreations of old England, whether it's the Cabinet room, hunting lodges in Kenya, the royal plane, the palace.

Strong acting across the board - I especially liked Jared Harris and the woman who played Princess Margaret but everyone was good. Love those accents. Some of the incidents are well known - the wedding, the Margaret Peter Townsend affair. Other was more fresh, at least to me - the Great Smog, Churchill's second Prime Ministership. Really classy, enjoyable TV.

Script review - "Rush" by Peter Morgan

Not sure what draft of this I read but it contains a lot less voice over than in the final film. It does lack a little something - I think Morgan never really develops the lead two characters beyond "flashy playboy" and "determined Austrian". No other characters get much of a look in - the girlfriends are just girlfriends, although I did enjoy the Richard Burton cameo. There is some interesting stuff about the importance of having an enemy. And reading it while listening to the Hans Zimmer score was pleasant enough.

Movie review - "Rush" (2013) ***

It looks incredible, with some funky 70s visuals, first rate car race sequences (every one different, the way Ron Howard differentiated his fights in Cinderella Man), is set in a different "world" and has a decent story and thumping Hans Zimmer score.

But Chris Hemsworth is miscast in the lead - he's got the looks and physique, but lacks genuine glamour and charisma; it would be a hard role to cast but it needed someone with a touch of the Errol Flynns (and an English accent which didn't seem to tacked on).

The other big problem is the script - I love Peter Morgan's other work but far too much of it is overwritten with characters spelling out the subtext when it wasn't needed (eg Hemsworths courtship with Olivia Wilde, the final scene between Hemsworth and his rival).

Script review – “The Damned United” by Peter Morgan

Wonderful story, with a great character in Brian Clough – the hero who is egotistical and full of lip. At it’s heart this is a love story – Brian and Peter Taylor are a couple, they have great success together, he becomes obsessed with another man (Don Revie) so much so it breaks up his “marriage” to Taylor so he can run Leeds. The new relationship is a disaster so he goes back to his old love and all ends happily. Superb.

Movie review – “The Deal” (2003) ****

Wonderful look at the relationship between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, who shared a room together when both were first elected MPs (in 1983), then became devoted political frenemies. Michael Sheen’s performance as Tony Blair became deservedly famous, mostly because he got to repeat it twice – smiling, jovial, hard working, with a touch of the Uriah Heeps… you’re never sure if he’s sincere or full of it, but it’s clear he was greatly distrusted by his own party. A bit more of a glimpse of his home life and look at his religious convictions (he’s a born again) might have helped. David Morrisey – an actor I was unfamiliar with although he’s done a lot of work on British TV – is excellent as the glowering, gruff Brown, who is depicted here as being more principled and genuine as Blair, holding off on looking for votes after John Smith’s death whereas Blair went for it… but then is that such a crime? Maybe Blair had the ticker for the top job in a way Brown didn’t. Brown certainly doesn’t put up much of a fight in the famous lunch – he gives in straight away, and doesn’t even get an iron clad promise from Blair that he’ll step down after two elections. (Keating got it in writing from Hawke but it didn’t help him either). Dexter Fletcher is very good as a politico although the third biggest part really goes to a gay Labor minister.

Movie review – “The Damned United” (2009) ****

Excellent bromance set in the world of 70s British soccer – because at it’s heart that’s what this film is, a platonic romance between two men, the big-mouthed brilliant coach played by Michael Sheen, and his quiet off-sider Timothy Spall. Apparently the people concerned are legendary in England, and the events notorious; it was all totally unfamiliar to me but I found it enthralling. Cocky Sheen, determined to make his mark on a new club, struggling to change the culture and his own big mouth. Plenty of wonderful scenes and moments, but the key to it lies with the wonderful characters. I loved how they mocked up the big games by putting dummies in the stands.

Script review – “The Queen” by Peter Morgan

What sounds like an overly light topic – the Queen in the week after Diana’s death – is made readable through two things: recent nostalgia, and a bunch of “gee I didn’t know that” facts (eg court protocol). It’s also an interesting look at the Queen, although it’s a bit kind to the irriating Tony Blair and his mob. It also fails to make the point that the media whipped up feeling against the Royal Family to deflect from their own considerable role in Diana’s death. Did Morgan go easy to secure better reviews?

Movie review – “Frost/Nixon” (2008) ****

Terrifically entertaining look at what at first sounds like a not particularly interesting topic, but actually turns out to be very interesting. Frank Langella is superb as Nixon, all growly voice, torment and humour and Michael Sheen is also good as the chirpy, seemingly-out-of-his-element Frost. I wonder if Ron Howard was attracted to the material partly because of the Frost character – a person best known for trivial stuff, who actually had genuine steel. Hans Zimmer’s score helps keep up the pace and it's a terrific fresh way of looking at Watergate. Wonderful stage actor voices whom it’s a pleasure to listen to – Langella, Sheen, Oliver Platt, etc