This week I finally got to see the 2008 movie version of Brideshead Revisited. It is a worthy adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's famous British novel, although of necessity a very compact and much abridged screenplay, certainly compared to its original adaptation in the 1981 multi-episode television series. That series made stars of Jeremy Irons (as Charles Ryder) and Anthony Andrews (as Lord Sebastian Flyte) and they both left big shoes to fill by any successive actors. But I think that both Matthew Goode (as Charles Ryder) and Ben Whishaw (as Lord Sebastian Flyte) made those roles their own.
I think whoever plays Charles Ryder has the harder of the two roles. Ryder is naive, trusting, easily impressed by wealth and privilege, and not really sure who he is or what he wants. His personality seems rather dull, buttoned-down and pedestrian contrasted to the larger-than-life flamboyance and dramatic flair of Sebastian. Yet, alone of all the characters, Charles is in every scene because the movie is from his point of view. He must carry the film.
As it happens, this week I also binge-watched Matthew Goode play his most recent role as a very different character than the emotionally repressed Charles Ryder. He stars as Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck in the Scottish crime thriller series Dept. Q, now streaming on Netflix. DCI Morck is a foul-mouthed, emotionally scarred, volatile, miserable sonovabitch who is almost impossible to work with.
Dept. Q. has been deservedly getting rave reviews and I highly recommend it too. It's gritty, with a big dose of violence, complex characters, good acting and an extremely well-written script and plot.
I desperately wanted to like "Dept. Q"; love Matthew Goode (thanks to Downton Abby), but... just could not get into it. I tried... I tried... I tried.
ReplyDelete...when it comes to films, I'm illiterate.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these look really good -- time to check out the cost of Netflix!
ReplyDeleteI love department Q. A gripping and thrilling series
ReplyDeleteI like both Goode and Whishaw so I need to find Brideshead.
ReplyDeleteAnd Dept. Q.
I think I need to see this. The mother is so much better than Claire bloom, who does the same character in every role. Charles Ryder is played by that actor from A Murder is Announced! He's good. He too is from wealth and privilege though, but I think it's the the flamboyance of sebastian and his friends that amazes him, his own family being very repressed. Anyway thank you, I must look for this.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love Ben Whishlaw!
ReplyDeleteAnd you read my mind! I just put Dept Q. in my Netflix queue!!!
XOXO
We loved Dept. Q! Haven’t seen the remake of Brideshead Revisited.
ReplyDeleteSaw the TV series, never the film. It's tough to condense such detailed novels into a single movie...so I will usually take a pass. Maybe I should give it a go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Dept. Q recommendation. I'll be looking for that one.
I agree with whkattk, it is so difficult to translate some novels to the screen. Still, big shoes to fill for sure. The first movie really set a tone and made a big impression.
ReplyDeletei'll give brideshead a swerve but i am sure Dawn will insist we watch/endure another crime thriller.... you make it sound bearable so perhaps i'll pay attention to this one!!
ReplyDeleteI read all the Dept. Q books (10 of them) and loved them. The 10th one is supposedly the last one.
ReplyDelete@ Bill -- Oh, I didn't know it was based on a book series! So I looked it up on Wikipedia and discovered they were written by a Danish mystery writer. No wonder I felt a distinct Nordic Noir vibe while watching the series! Thanks for that info!
DeleteThanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation for what to watch.
ReplyDeleteDon't have Netflix at the moment, but once I do I'll have to check this out.
ReplyDeleteI loved that latest series. Goode is excellent in that role!
ReplyDeleteGood actors, good stories, I like them.
ReplyDeleteI read the books by Jussi Henry Adler-Olsen and watched the earlier series from 2013 that were released under the book title names, I believe. I enjoyed them as well as Matthew Goode's series. I'm looking forward to season 2
ReplyDeleteHi Debra, I re-read Brideshead a couple of years ago, which I got a lot out of, but I don't know if I would want to watch the new series. I also have a few other Waugh novels in my ready-to-read shelf, but it turns out that they are supposed to be read in a certain order, and some of them are also in the glue-and-fix pile. Taiwan is hard on books!
ReplyDelete--Jim
@ Parnassus (Jim) -- The only work of his I've ever read is "Brideshead Revisited." Although I enjoyed it, I've never been tempted to read anything else by him.
DeleteDebra, You have GOT to read, right away, Waugh's The Loved One. It is nothing like Brideshead Revisited. It is short and humorous (in a dark way). As a pet enthusiast, you owe it to yourself. You will love it!
Delete---Jim
Thanks for both wonderful recommendations dear Debra
ReplyDeleteFirst video I couldn’t access but found on YouTube easily, very well made I think I will look for it 🥰
Second is on Netflix so we will watch definitely now when you pointed out I will check it asap 👍
Hugs and best wishes 🥰🙏♥️
@ Parnassus (Jim) -- Okay, I just bought a Kindle version of it and I'll let you know what I think! Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your review of Dept Q
ReplyDeleteDept. Q is worth the binge watching. One keeps wanting to see what the next episode will offer.
ReplyDeleteLooks very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI still use the quote from the book and drama series about a twitch of a thread.
ReplyDeleteI finished watching Dept. Q yesterday, loved it! It's entirely different from the original movie series (they are also worth watching). Amazing acting, also from the actor who plays Akrim, I can't wait to watch season 2 when it comes out.
ReplyDelete