Wednesday 3 February 2016

War and Peace (2016 Tom Harper)

Paul Dano makes an unlikely but highly successful lead, James Norton as fine as we expect him to be, Downton's Lily James given the chance to flex her acting abilities, Jim Broadbent in great form as bad-tempered head of household.

Great cast also includes Gillian Anderson, Stephen Rea, Brian Cox, Matthieu Kassovitz (Napoleon), Jessie Buckley (JN's sister), Jack Lowden, Aisling Loftus, Adrian Edmondson, Greta Scacchi, Tuppence Middleton (whoreish wife), Callum Turner & Tom Burke (the bad boys).

Harper made the questionable Scouting Book for Boys, episodes of This is England 86.  Andrew Davies has adapted Tolstoy (was Napoleon pulling the Russian's ear in the novel?) It's shot by George Steel (The Honourable Woman, Peaky Blinders, Harper's Woman in Black 2), and the fantastic music is by Martin Phipps, whose credits include Woman in Gold, The Honourable Woman, The Shadow Line, Brighton Rock, Clapham Junction, The Ruby in the Smoke, Low Winter Sun, The Line of Beauty, and Dirty Filthy Love - not a bad CV!

Filmed all over the place in  Russia, Lithuania and Latvia.

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