Lewis: Season Nine (2015)

One For Sorrow d. Nicholas Laughland scr. Helen Jenkins

Quite intriguing mixture of taxidermy into art, drug dealing from a homeless book exchange and money laundering via stuffed animals. The only thing is that the 13 year old killing a man as part of a guard-prisoner emulation (based on the 1971 Stanford Prison experiment) is hardly credible. Nor parents' efforts to cover up.

We are missing Rebecca Front. New boss is 'hands off' Steve Toussaint.

Tim Piggott-Smith, Ralf Little, Steve Pemberton.

Magnum Opus d. Matthew Evans scr. Chris Murray

If the previous episode stretched credibility somewhat, this one's completely bonkers, with its religious sect based on Charles Williams, murdering for forgiveness (yes). And attendant nonsense about Alchemy (and tattoos).

Honeysuckle Weeks is looking rather gaunt. With Martin Wenner, Daniel Flynn, Steven Boxer, Wil Johnson, Isabelle Laughland (Slaughterhouse Rulez).

What Lies Tangled d. Matthew Evans scr. Nick Hicks-Beach

Who is blowing up people connected with maths research facility? Interesting knot theory stuff worked in well. Classic slo-mo explosion scene in lab. David Warner representing the old guard of actors.

With Oliver Lansley, Zoe Tapper, Ian Puleston-Davies, Mali Harries, Peter de Jersey, Emerald O'Hanrahan.

We thought we noticed Dexter sat behind them in their customary outside tables in the Broad.

It was the 33rd episode by my count (if you treat the two-parters as one) - same as Morse. Had the right number of 'ah' moments but otherwise an unexceptional instalment. Hathaway's 'You'll be missed' carries a triple meaning (the character, the actor, the series). Liked also that Hathaway's brought the original 'Lewis' sign that he designed in Episode 1 to the airport.

What do we do now? If you count the Endeavour films we've also watched this year, that makes 86 Dexter-related films in four months!

The Prince of Tides (1991 Barbra Streisand)

Written by Pat Conroy (with lots of involvement from Barbra) and Becky Johnston, from the former's novel. It sort of feels novelly.

Good story about how psychiatrist helps a troubled brother unpick his family scars. Rather long, with perhaps too much focus on largely irrelevant affair between Streisand and Nick Nolte (good), should have concentrated more on repairing things with Blythe Danner, whose intended marriage just fades out of the story. It would have made it shorter, too.

Sub-story involving Nolte's relationship with her (real life) son Jason Gould is touching. Jeroen Krabbe (King of the Hill) is a bit pantomime villain nasty. Kate Nelligan.

The flashback revelation is quite a shock when it comes. There's no anticipation, which I wondered whether was right or wrong. The kids' story the sister Melinda Dillon has written might have provided an ominous clue (it's appearance is not integrated that well).

'You're being musiced at!' I warned Q, near the end (it's by James Newton Howard). Photographed by Stephen Goldblatt and edited by Don Zimmerman, production design Paul Sylbert.

Great violin passages by Pinchas Zuckerman.

Lewis: Season Eight (2014)

Entry Wounds d. Nicholas Renton scr. Helen Jenkins

Hathaway has been promoted to DI and is proving a tough boss to Angela Griffin (Turn Up Charlie); Lewis is retired, and attempting to build a canoe. Then Innocent requests him back on a one year contract (thus he is retired a full 13 minutes of screen time), leading to amusing protocol situations with his former deputy, and some conflicts with Laura.

The Lions of Nemea d. Nicholas Laughland. Idea: Tahsin Guner,  scr. Noel Farragher (ep. 1) and Nicholas Hicks-Beach (ep. 2)

Is there a stable of ITV writers?

You know that bit in Amadeus when the king says to the composer 'Too many notes'? Well I felt a bit like that in this episode as lots of plot flew our way, involving a violent bouncer, a woman who needed to have a baby, a philandering college don (John Light) and a fraudulent play by Euripides (the discovering of the latter being the cleverest thing about it). But maybe that's the standard amount of plot?

Angela Griffin's still the DC and Hathaway has time for a sort of compassionate flirtation with the wife of the philanderer, played by Andrea Lowe, who we recognise from I don't quite know where.

Beyond Good and Evil d. David Drury scr. Noel Farragher

This is a great way to finish the season - put your characters in danger. In this case, a police-bashing psycho who Robbie put away  is about to be released following dodgy evidence (yes, it's all 'Robbie' 'James' these days and I haven't heard Hobson say 'Hello boys' in ages).

In answer to one of the questions above, let's look at how this begins - Robbie and Laura enjoying being together; Hathaway and DS Maddox (Griffin) actually enjoying one another's company at a pub - she has requested pork scratchings - and meeting her boyfriend (both useful plot points); and in similar friendly mood a couple of coppers enjoying ice creams and saying 'What are you doing tonight?' before one of them is murdered.

In other words a simple plot - is he or isn't he a psycho, and who's doing the copycat killings? And in the midst of this, Robbie (and Laura, and, as it turns out, Maddox) are under threat and Lewis and Hathaway argue about it - good stuff.

Sometimes the horrible academics bumping each other off can get a bit much. (This uses Nietzsche as its academic sub-text.)

Alec Newman, Susan Wooldridge.

Chapter Two (1979 Robert Moore)

In recognisably smart-talking Neil Simon style, widowed James Caan meets divorcee Marsha Mason and the two become an item. He rushes them into marriage and then on an extremely unwise honeymoon at a place he's taken his dead wife to, he becomes all moody and rejectful, then behaves like a twat. Meanwhile his brother Joseph Bologna is having a brief affair with her best friend Valerie Harper.

So - what? It's too long, and feels a bit contrived - but I guess you can't have a film in which boy meets girl, they get on great, the end... can you?

Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Margaret Booth is the supervising editor. David Walsh shot it.

Moore directed Harper in Rhoda, and Murder By Death, The Cheap Detective.

In any event at least it was watchable, unlike How To Talk to Girls at Parties, which was just too weird...

P.S. Didn't realise it was based on Neil Simon's own life. He lost his first wife Joan too young in 1973 and married Marsha Mason within six months...

The 12 Best Episodes of Lewis

Reputation (Pilot) s.1, Russell Lewis and Stephen Churchett. Sleep clinic and fast cars.

Old School Ties s.1, Alan Plater. Northern ex-con writer needs a bodyguard.

Expiation s.1, Guy Andrews. Couple-swapping and murder.

And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea s.2, Alan Plater. Crocodiles in the river!

Counter Culture Blues s.3 Nick Dear, Guy Andrews. Joanna Lumley returns from the dead to reunite 'Midnight Addiction'.

The Dead of Winter s.4. Russell Lewis. Hathaway falls for a suspect, Lewis inherits a cat.

Your Sudden Death Question, s.4. Alan Plater's quiz weekend.

Falling Darkness, s.4. Russell Lewis. Halloween, and Hobson in danger.

Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things, s.5. Russell Lewis. Murder at Girls' College. There's a girl in a coma, too.

The Ramblin' Boy, s. 7 Lucy Gannon (but not for the title). Lewis and Hobson!

Entry Wounds, s.8. Hilary Jenkins. Lewis has 'retired' for a full five minutes.

Beyond Good and Evil s.8 Noel Farragher. Psycho cop killer gets early release.

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009 Wes Anderson)

Written by Wes and Noah Baumbach, based on Dahl's book. Voiced by Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe.

Alexandre Desplat's music is a joy.

In true Anderson style it's almost like the whole thing is composed of lateral (or, occasionally, vertical) tracking shots. The animation is joyous.

Also features the Stones' Street Fighting Man.

Lewis: Season Seven (2013)

Down Among the Fearful d. Brian Kelly scr. Simon Block & Catherine Tregenna

Confusingly, Tuppence Middleton plays every character in this episode. Then there's a Talullah Fox, but I don't think she is one (but would wager it's her own baby Fifi Fox playing the baby). And Neil Stuke is in it again. Plus Emily Joyce, and Sanjeev Bhaskar, who isn't terribly convincing.

Owing to a car accident, Hathaway spends the whole episode in a neck brace, which bizarrely looks like an oversized priest collar (commented on by Lewis), which fits into a storyline about belief in the unknowable, and also features in a beautifully exciting finale in Oxford market in which Laurence Fox acts superbly well and convincingly.

It involves an elephant poison, clairvoyants, and a boy who had an accident with a horse, so quite a lively episode. Or two episodes, as originally broadcast.

The Ramblin' Boy d. Dan Reed, scr Lucy Gannon (Soldier, Soldier, Bramwell etc.)

The one in which Hathaway is on 'holiday' painting an orphanage, Lewis has to work with a stand-in who turns out to have a sweet connection to him, and where he and Hobson finally get it together. Yeah!

And it all revolves around a funeral home and drugs and a dinner party, hosted by odious Peter Davidson. Mark Powley, Lia Williams, Tom Brooke, Camille Power, Harriet Ballard and (thought he looked familiar) Taron Egerton.

Also loved the last shot...

Intelligent Design d. Tim Fywell, story Stphen Churchett scr. Helen Jenkins (former script editor for Parade's End, writer since of Vera and Midsomer Murders.

An ex-con (Churchett himself) is murdered; there are many suspects, including vicar Alison Steadman and Edward Fox.

Lewis is threatening to retire and Hathaway to resign...

After Life (2019 Ricky Gervais & scr)

Reasonably successful and funny story of man (Gervais) missing dead wife (Kerry Godliman) and how he copes with the aid of newspaper colleagues Tom Basden, Tony Way, Diane Morgan and Mandeep Dhillon, demented father David Bradley and nurse Ashley Jensen, and fellow mourner Penelope Wilton. Paul Kaye is a rubbish counsellor.

Gives Gervais the opportunity to take pot shots at all manner of subjects from crappy local news to bike riders to aggressive charity collectors.

Breezy (1973 Clint Eastwood)

A sweet, credible and subtle film, written by Jo Heims, who had contributed to Dirty Harry and written Play Misty For Me (and died sadly young aged 48).

Kay Lenz is just right as the free-living innocent, Holden exudes world-weariness (though looks in good shape - he was 55ish).

A dog brings them together. Roger C. Carmel is an odious friend who just wants to have an affair, Joan Hotchkis the odious ex.

Holden's house is hideous - a museum piece (the production designer is Alexander Golitzen, his penultimate credit). The title song is quite funny and is amazingly the work of Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Michel Legrand. It's photographed by Frank Stanley (The Carey Treatment, Magnum Force, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Eiger Sanction).

But a Malpaso production, obviously.

These aren't just scrawled crap you know - they're little voyages of discovery.

Shining Through (1992 David Seltzer & scr)

Who? Bird on a Wire, Omen movies, Punchline. Anyway, he has freely adapted Susan Isaac's novel to make a budgety WW2 film with Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith, which bizarrely ends up just like one of those far-fetched but enjoyable WW2 propaganda movies that she so frequently references (only the old version would have been 100 minutes not 127). It was quite enjoyable - Q liked it anyway. Framed as older Griffith recounting the story to the BBC.  Much of viewing distracted by this little stanza:

        It was the sorry tale
        Of raw doves, and a quail.

(In fact there were no quails featured - a shame, really.)

With John Gielgud, Joely Richardson, Liam Neeson. Little Victoria Shalet was in Goggle Eyes.

Photographed in Panavision by Jan de Bont and with a slightly sugary score by Michael Kamen.

Griffiths lazily spends the end of the film asleep

As Good As It Gets (1997 James L Brooks)

Written by he and Mark Andrus (whose only previous film, Late For Dinner, is rated).

I think it's a film of two halves, the first culminating when the sympathetic doctor Harold Ramis steals the film. Thereafter the dog disappears, there's a road trip and misunderstandings, and it loses something.

It actually is not that convincingly written in places. Nice ending though. Well, not the ending. The bit where jack's made up a room for Greg:

Jack Nicholson (third Oscar), Cuba Gooding Jr., Greg Kinnear, Shirley Knight and Jill (the dog) are great; Helen Hunt seemed to me all actory mannerisms, and she's so brittle you never feel she's worthy of attraction - bizarrely, she also won an Oscar (the film picked up no BAFTA nominations at all - year of The Full Monty, Mrs. Brown and LA Confidential).

Lewis: Season Six (2012)

The Soul of Genius d. Brian Kelly, scr. Rachel Bennette (who previously had written virtually fuck all)

If you want a screenplay in which the word 'Snark' recurs, look no further, as Lewis Carroll's enigmatic poem features, along with the botanical gardens, feuding brothers, an obsessive mother and the ubiquitous dodgy drugs company - a nice pot pourri.

Daisy May, Oliver Johnstone, Annabel Mullion, James Fleet, Alex Jennings, Celia Imrie.

Lewis Carroll claimed he didn't know what the poem meant, but agreed with a suggestion that it was an allegory for the search for happiness.

Generation of Vipers d. David O'Neill, scr. Patrick Harbinson

A feminist (Julie Cox) is murdered, around the time Q predicted she would be. Former college friends are slowly revealed as Toby Stephens, Daniel Lapaine and Kate Maravan.

Royce Pierreson may be involved - I can't remember. When not assaulting his cousin Freddie Fox, Hathaway develops a little thing for Roxanne McKee, but she is bumped off next to a skip. The Foxes bizarrely look like they're from the wrong fathers. I would have bet you that Laurence was Edward's and Freddie was James's, but it's the other way round.

Not sure this is the most convincing story. Someone should have read their letters. Oh, there's a wannabe Chief Constable Jason Durr involved as well, but he doesn't really contribute to the plot, other than making Lewis and Hathaway internet targets - stuff about trolling etc. unfortunately still (more) relevant. Nicely balanced as well by the opening, in which our Dynamic Duo enjoy 15 seconds of fame on TV.

We saw Dexter for a change, looking older, chatting at a drinks do. Is Dexter the Snark? Is Russell Lewis?

Fearful Symmetry d. Nicholas Renton scr. Russell Lewis

A baby-sitter is found tied up and dead - it links to her work as a photographic model, and an orphanage. A somewhat messy episode, strewn with  red herrings.

Ciaran McMenamin, Lucy Cohu, Con O'Neill. Dexter is I think with walking stick at the Ashmolean.

The Indelible Stain d. Tim Fywell scr. Simon Block

David Soul is a proponent of the Theory of Dangerousness, well, for the short while before he's dead. Then Patrick Baladi, David Calder, Jason Durr and other people turn up. And Lewis has a toothache.

Rare sighting of the Dexter in college quad.

Nancy Carroll is brilliant as extremely rude businesswoman, evidenced here:

"Wouldn't it be courteous to turn that thing off?"
"I'm at work, not at the theatre."

Out of Sight (1998 Steven Soderbergh)

Wonderful combination of talent. Scott Frank adapted Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel (who wrote the main character Jack Foley into 'Road Dogs' (2009) also), but has I guess scrambled a linear story. You sense things like the run-over dog 'Toughie' belong to the novel. And great moment after Guzman's been apprehended but he still wants to know how the magic trick was done.

Really superbly edited - a masterclass. We had to watch in slow motion a simple scene in which Clooney crosses a road to see where that subtle edit had been made. Also mixes audio and visual brilliantly, particularly in stand-out hotel scene. Did she have the music for this scene before she cut it? It's normally done the other way round, but you wonder. Love her little freeze frames. (She lost to Michael Khan for Saving Private Ryan - Frank lost to Gods and Monsters.) Love this film.

Really great music from David Holmes, beautifully shot by Elliot Davis. Great cast - Clooney, Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Catherine Keener, Steve Zahn, Albert Brooks, Luis Guzman, Dennis Farina.

Trainwreck (2015 Judd Apatow)

OK, nailed it last time. Q and I agreed we could probably cut it by about 25 minutes and then you'd get a decent movie. Apatow should be restrained.

Starring and  written by Amy Schumer. Plus Bill Hader, Brie Larson, John Cena, Dave Attell, Tilda Swinton, Colin Quinn, Norman Lloyd.

Marple: The Secret of Chimneys (2010 John Strickland)

A rather dull episode it seemed to me, all talk talk talk. Paul Rutman adapted Agatha's 1925 Marpleless novel, described as a murder mystery and treasure hunt combined.

Joining Julia McKenzie are Edward Fox, Mathew Horne, Adam Godley, Charlotte Salt, Jonas Armstrong, Michelle Collins, Anthony Higgins, Dervla Kirwan, Ruth Jones and Stephen Dillane as the detective.

The romantic sub-plot is pretty incredible too.

Chris Seager shot it. 'Chimneys' is Hatfield House.

Marple: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side (2010 Tom Shankland)

Fun episode, adapted by Kevin Elyot, who wrote Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, Clapham Junction and other Marples, based on Christie's 1962 novel which was dedicated to Margaret Rutherford.

Good cast of Joanna Lumley (who's perhaps just a shade over in places but great), Hugh Bonneville and Lindsay Duncan, with solid support from people like Neil Stuke, Caroline Quentin, Victoria Smurfit, Martin Jarvis and Charlotte Riley (Press, Trust, Close to the Enemy).

There's a passage of music which sounds exactly like it's from the flashback scenes from the film version of Murder on the Orient Express. So either Mr Scherrer is being a bit naughty or there's thievery at work.

A Few Good Men (1992 Rob Reiner)

We saw Keifer Sutherland on Rossy and he said that although Nicholson's 'You can't handle the truth' filming only involved him, all the cast attended to watch. He was note perfect and Reiner only called for a second take (also perfect) for something to do (well, let's say - safety). He gives a cracking performance - you really feel his military authority (partly present in that way he calls everyone by their first name - a very authoritative thing to do).

Some other people are in it too, called Tom Cruise, Demi Moore (I know - who?), Kevin Pollack, the aforementioned Mr. S, Kevin Bacon, James Marshall, JT Walsh, Christopher Guest, Wolfgang Bodison, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Written by Aaron Sorkin, from his play (the second filmed play we'd seen in a row). IMDB incorrectly credits a rewrite by William Goldman. Goldman phoned him to say he'd read in the Hollywood Reporter he'd been involved, set them straight and was calling to apologise. Sorkin was delighted - 'Someone had mistaken something I had written for something William Goldman might have written. I wanted that at the top of my resume.' (LA Times article.)

Robert Richardson filmed it.

Siddown both of you

Nicholson, the picture, sound and editing (Robert Leighton) were nominated.

Interesting credit - thanks to Haskell Wexler...

Liked the moment from a low angle when Cruise is interviewing Bodison and as he says 'Hello?' his head emerges from behind Bodison's - good direction.

The Odd Couple (1968 Gene Saks)

Matthau and Lemmon both received Golden Globe nominations. Nobody could do the 'PMER' scene like Lemmon. No one ever does anything like Lemmon.

"Some vacation - six cheap people in an empty hotel."

"You're not nothing. You're something. You're a person. You're flesh and blood, bones, hair, nails and ears. You're not a fish. You're not a buffalo. You're you. You walk, and talk, and cry, and complain, and eat little green pills, and send suicide telegrams. No one else does that, Felix, no one! I'm telling you, you're the only one of its kind in the world!"

Easy A (2010 Will Gluck)

Written by Bert Royal (his debut). Emma was Golden Globe nominated for this - quite right. She's wonderful. And Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are great parents. And Thomas Haden Church is a great teacher. (And Lisa Kudrow is not a great counsellor. And Malcolm Macdowell is not a great principal... you could do do reviews like this all day.)

It's ebullient.

To Have And Have Not (1944 Howard Hawks)

It deserved to be seen on Blu-Ray*, and Sid Hickox would agree. I'm sure it's not the only time we see the leads falling for each other, but it's maybe one of the few occasions when they stayed together. After Bacall does her famous, sizzling 'You know how to whistle, don't you Steve?' - Bogie's face is amongst the most genuinely happy expressions he pulls, as he himself whistles.

Q identified a connection to They All Laughed - yes. And comments on what a deep voice the young lady has. And (she was having a field day) notices how Bogie takes the bottle off Brennan without even looking at either of them. We both enjoyed:

Eddie: "What if something happens to you?"
Harry / 'Steve': "How do I know? You're the one that invited himself on this trip."

Written by Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner and Jules Furthman (who worked also on The Big Sleep and Rio Bravo and I reckon provides the humour; wrote many, many silent screenplays).

Walter Brennan's performance is fun.

Hoagy Carmichael was the great singer / composer ('Stardust') who provides the rather suspect song about the coloured man in Hong Kong, and who IMDB notes had the longest song title with '"I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with my Honolulu Mama Doing Those Beat-o, Beat-o, Flat on my Seat-o Hirohito Blues". His performance is creditable. One of the background numbers appears in a Woody Allen. He was named Hoagland after a circus troupe that stayed at the parents's house during pregnancy. Was a friend of Bix Beiderbecke.

With Dolores Moran, Walter Molnar, Marcel Dalio, Dan Seymour.

The music's not credited - IMDB attributes it to Franz Waxman. Christian Nyby edited.

* Indeed - in fact already owned it on Blu-Ray. Must start checking before buying Blu-Rays.

Home (2019 Writer: Rufus Jones)

Have to give a quick mention to this sublime comedy (6 x 30') in which Syrian immigrant Youssef Kerkour is sheltered by Rebekah Staton (Raised by Wolves), Rufus Jones himself and Oaklee Pendergast.

Very funny but has a real heart.

I love the episode in which he visits the refugee centre, finds a white guy with dreadlocks and welcomes him to the centre, though he's clearly there looking after things. He asks "Syria?" and gets the reply "Dorking. It's right by the M25. Now that's a long road."

And "How's the restaurant now?"
Shake of head. "No."
Love the simplicity, the concision, of that.

And the moment where the kid's mum touches his arm.
Cut to - He touching the arm of Raj (Aaron Neil) - "Yup. She was flirting."
"How do you flirt?"
"Fancy a fuck? - I'm gay."

Q thinks Rufus Jones is Terry Jones' son. It would be so cool if he was. If you asked anyone to guess which of the actors wrote it, everyone would say Youssef.

Produced by Channel X for Channel 4.

Lewis: Season Five (2011)

Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things d. Nicholas Renton, scr. Russell Lewis

Again, Lewis makes it personal - a murder at an all girls' college takes him back to a case from years before that remained unsolved. Good cast of Juliet Stevenson, Zoe Telford, Hattie Morahan, Stephanie Street, Antonia Campbell-Hughes (Jack Dee series Lead Balloon), Saskia Reeves, Shannon Tarbet. And Hathaway's trying to give up smoking. Girl in coma waking up, masked ball, good stuff.

We only have one more Lewis Lewis, unfortunately - he was writing Endeavour from 2012. He'd also written three episodes of The Last Detective (2004-5) and created the John Thaw 2000 series Monsieur Renard (priest in WWII France).

Wild Justice d. Hettie Macdonald scr. Stephen Churchett

Lewis is planning to visit Italy and has a translation app. A murder of a bishop also produces an Italian connection, plus some Jacobean revenge stories. Rebecca Front and Clare Holman give great support as always. With Ronald Pickup, Sian Phillips, Christopher Timothy, Daniel Ryan, Amelia Bullmore, Sorcha Cusack, Amanda Ryan and Aisling Bea as a hotel receptionist.

I thought the loud building works were in there for some plot reason but I guess they were just 'colour'.

"Sorry for shouting, ma'am."
"I didn't notice."
"Thanks."
"Don't do it again."

Lewis is considering retiring early to spend more time with his impending grand-child... That's not (immediately) followed up. If he does, Hathaway's leaving too ("Who else would, er, understand me?")

"Do you know what St. Thomas Aquinas said?"
"Was it 'same again'?"

The Mind Has Mountains d. Charlie Palmer, scr. Patrick Harbinson (a writer and exec producer of things like Person Of Interest, Homeland,  ER, Wire in the Blood, 24). 

Good episode based around drug trials run by Douglas Henshall in which a girl dies. With Tim's son Jack Roth, Nichola Burley, Sophie Stanton, Lucy Liemann, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Love Actually, Stig of the Dump, Wolf Hall), Christina Cole, Sam Hazeldine.

But - so Hathaway sees Hobson on a date - so what? It makes her then act very huffishly. I like 'What's going on with her?' but I want it to mean something more than we can imagine.

Good lines like:
"I'm the one studying classics at Oxford. And you're the one working in this toilet. So just watch who you're calling stupid."
"We're both in the toilet. But I can leave", and
"Just to dot the is".

There's also some apostrophe joke's in there, and an amusing something that sounded like De Clarenbone's Syndrome, which is probably made up.

Lewis has a distrust of psychiatrists because he was made to see (a bad) one when Val died.

The Gift of Promise d. Metin Huseyin, scr. Dusty Hughes, Stephen Churchett

A former MI5 operative (Cherie Lunghi), a gifted child (only that Lucy Boynton again - she crops up in everything!), an Irishman (Lorcan Cranitch), an Anna Chancellor - add in various husbands and professors and you have an interesting story, which allows barbs between Lewis and Hathaway about intelligence. But the latter again displays his compassionate side in dealing with the girl, with whom they have intelligence in common.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015 Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)

Written by Jesse Andrews. I like that she immediately bonds with Earl (RJ Cyler) in a way Greg (Thomas Mann) doesn't. Of course the 'she' we didn't know then was Olivia Cooke. Loved also her post-death letter to the college. With Nick Offerman (dad), Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal.

Shot by Chung-hoon Chung in very wide 10mm anamorphic spherical, moving to true anamorphic as the story progresses, so there's less depth of field. There's a beautifully orchestrated track through the canteen as well.

That bit of music I knew I knew and drove me mad for a few days was the Main Theme from The Conversation - played on a piano - by David Shire. (It then continued to drive me mad as an earworm.)

Gosford Park (2001 Robert Altman)

Absolute to-die-for cast populates Julian Fellowes precursor to Downton, from an idea though by Altman and Bob Balaban - the parallel story about a screenplay being written around a country house murder, perhaps? And certainly a sort of Agatha Christie whodunit.

Amazing editing (vision and sound) - Tim Squyres, Peter Glossop (many period things and Woody Allens), from Andrew Dunn's footage on two concurrently filming cameras.

Below stairs: Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Richard E Grant, Kelly Macdonald, Emily Watson, Eileen Atkins, Derek Jacobi, Alan Bates, Jeremy Swift (himself to appear in Downton), Sophie Thompson, Adrian Scarborough, Teresa Churcher (libidinous maid who always seems to know better than anyone else what's going on).

Above: Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, Michael Gambon, Geraldine Somerville, Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Jeremy Northam (singing all the Ivor Costello numbers), Bob Balaban, Ryan Philippe, James Wilby, Claudie Blakely, Camilla Rutherford.

And Stephen Fry, Ron Webster. Terrific performances all over the place.

"Oh well - life must go on, I suppose."

Filmed at Wrotham Park, Barnet (exteriors), Ston Easton Park in Somerset (a hotel - servant's quarters) and Syon House (upstairs bedrooms).

Words and Pictures (2013 Fred Schpisi)

Rich, charming film about above competition engendered by failing alcoholic English teacher Clive Owen and his fight with art teacher (and artist) Juliette Binoche (who never seems to age, and created the remarkable artwork herself). Despite the dialogue heavy script, theatre-trained Owen never fluffed a line in countless retakes. Liked that the bully doesn't reappear once he's found out, where in a more cliché ridden film he'd probably come back for revenge etc. yawn.

With Bruce Davison, Navid Negahban, Amy Brenneman, Valerie Tian, Adam DiMarco, Josh Ssettuba.

Wonderfully acted by the leads. An unexpected delight. As one of the behind-scenes people says it's the Dead Poets' Society of our time - better, I think.

Gerald di Pego clearly is a literate type of screenwriter. The producers wanted to make the film 'the right way', so the writer was present at rehearsals and throughout shooting, where he was the 'go to guy' for any technical issues that prompted a rewrite. Great music from Paul Grabowsky (including - I guess - the music he leaves her on email), shot by Ian Baker (in Vancouver).

Lewis: Season Four (2010)

The Dead of Winter d. Bill Anderson

We're back in Russell Lewis's capable hands, who seems to bring a warmth to the Dead of Winter. In this, we have Hathaway traumatised over his previous case, falling for girl he knew way back (Camilla Arfwedson), meeting her family he knew growing up: Richard Johnson (The Camomile Lawn, Deadlier Than the Male, The Haunting), and butler Pip Carter. Investigating a dead man on a bus (still not sure how he got on the bus!) Lewis inherits a cat, and befriends a feisty college professor Stella Gonnet (you can tell when Lewis takes to someone - he gives them warm smiles). Meanwhile there's another suspicious death, and the surviving daughter (Georgia Groome) is having problems of her own, which Hathaway immediately latches on to. Then the two detectives fall out, before one of those tense endings...

It's great stuff, the (creepy) and playful plot weaving most satisfactorily around these human elements.

Also with Nathaniel Parker (as a man who's shot twice!), Juliet Aubrey, Guy Henry, Jonathan Bailey, Gerard Horan (another detective who Lewis has to dress down).

Chris O'Dell shot the last four Morse films, seven of  Lewis, Sharpe, Poirot etc.

Dark Matter d. Bille Eltringham, scr. Stephen Churchett.

One of the more routine episodes centres around a death in an astronomy, and the passing of Venus (on Friday, at 3.15).Warren Clarke is a nosy porter, Annabelle Apsion his wife (cleaner), Robert Hardy, Diana Quick, Bernard Lloyd, Andrew Hawley.

Your Sudden Death Question d. Dan Reed, scr. Alan Plater.

The direction is a little annoying at times, but this is another corker - from the title on - with Plater's trademark sardonic wit, centring around a murder at a weekend quiz hosted by Alan Davies. The murder - it turns out - interrupts Lewis and Hobson's plans to weekend at Glyndebourne (The Fairy Queen, presumably Purcell's 'semi-opera' - though earlier Lewis is listening to 'Tosca' - a much better option - did Morse leave him his music collection?) Anyway, this would be to the amusement of Hathaway, only his precious Gibson has been stolen. ('Who's Gibson?' Innocent asks at one point. 'That's a separate line of enquiry we're pursuing'.)

It was one of Plater's last screenplays (he died in the same year, aged 75). His 1994 TV film Doggin' Around with Elliott Gould as a jazz musician up North, is sadly unobtainable.

So you also get these random quiz questions arising, which must have been fun, and an interesting gallery of suspects, including a couple of old dons (Timothy West and Nicholas Farrell), a womaniser (Adam James), Ruth Gemmell and Sally Bretton, soldiers Anna Koval and Jamie Michie and the student team led by younger brother of Laurence, Jack Fox and Natalie Dew.

Falling Darkness d. Nicholas Renton, scr. Russell Lewis.

Opens in the fog (rendering surveillance useless) - the Grim Reaper in an Oxford Street is one of the first images we see - it's Halloween. What Lewis R. does again here is place our characters firmly in the story - one of Hobson's old friends from Uni is murdered, and she then seems to be in the centre of everything, cuing much anxiousness from her friend and colleague.

The beginning's great - Lewis does Halloween - makes him very human:

And - again - put your characters in danger. (Marple's never in danger.)

Niamh Cusack, Lucy Griffiths, John Sessions, Rupert Graves.

Lewis: Season Three (2009)

Allegory of Love d. Bill Anderson, scr. Stephen Churchett from a story by David Pirie (author of 'The Vampire Cinema')

About a fantasy novelist who follows in the tradition of Tolkein, Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis, whose sword features. Amusing episode as James Fox appears in some scenes with his son - he's rather good as pompous lecturer. Also with Art Malik, Tom Mison.

Laurence has most recently been in Victoria, playing Lord Palmerston; James is almost 80 and was in 1864 playing - Lord Palmerston.

The Quality of Mercy d. Bille Eltringham (The Long Firm), scr. Alan Plater.

Murder of student during 'The Merchant of Venice'. The students sound like assholes (and are not particularly convincingly acted). Then there's a scam over at the Randolph which leads to Hathaway identifying the killer of Lewis's wife, which (again, somewhat unconvincingly) tests their relationship. Bryan Dick is the only familiar face in the cast.

The Point of Vanishing d. Maurice Phillips, scr, Paul Rutman

The one with the Occello and its vanishing point - in fact no one vanishes.

Hathaway is kindly to indisposed Ophelia Lovibond; Zoe Boyle tries to poach Lewis to work with her dad in the US (she takes to Lewis in avuncular way - note arm-in-arm walk). Jenny Seagrove is a steely mother. With Julian Wadham.

Blenheim Palace and the Ashmolean feature, and Dexter is seen being pushed past in his own wheelchair.

Counter Culture Blues d. Bill Anderson, story Nick Dear (writer for stage and screen), scr. Guy Andrews

Entertaining episode involving rock band 'Midnight Addiction', some of whom are a little hammy, and we suffer from the Curse of the Wandering Accents (particularly Joanna Lumley - why even bother making her Scottish? It's not key to the plot); and when the guitarist calls them 'Pig' it's just embarrassing.

Small early appearance from Daniel Kaluuya (though he'd been in Skins before this), Hilton McRae rather good as the one who's lost his memory (Mansfield Park, Darkest Hour, Endeavour). With David Hayman, Trevor Byfield, Anthony Higgins, Perdita Weeks. Simon Callow delivers his lines with the same sort of relish as Clifton Webb.

Anthony Higgins

Hilton McRae

Innocent: "You're going to think?"
Lewis: "Yes, ma'am. As a means of solving crimes it can be useful."

And note Lewis arm-in-arm with Doc at finale - natural warm relationship. Is Whately basically the kind of actor you want to arm-in-arm?

The 12 Best Episodes of Inspector Morse

Last Seen Wearing, s.2. Dexter / Thomas Ellice. Missing schoolgirl.

Deceived by Flight, s.3, Anthony Minghella. The one with the cricket match...

The Infernal Serpent, s.4 Alma Cullen. Great acting from Geoffrey Palmer and Cheryl Campbell in haunting episode.

Driven to Distraction. s.4, Anthony Minghella. Driving school...

Masonic Mysteries, s.4, Julian Mitchell. Morse in danger...

Promised Land, s.5 finale. Julian Mitchell. 'Morse Down Under'.

Cherubim and Seraphim, s.6 Julian Mitchell. Designer drugs, house music.

The Death of the Self, s.6. Alma Cullen. Michael Kitchen and opera in Verona.

The Way Through the Woods. Dexter / Russell Lewis. Very tense ending.

Death Is Now My Neighbour. Dexter / Julian Mitchell. Suburban shootings, a horrible Richard Briers (and 'Sir Clixby Bream' such a great name!) and Roger Allam.

The Wench Is Dead. Dexter / Malcolm Bradbury. Hospitalised, Morse investigates 1859 murder.

The Remorseful Day. Final episode. Dexter / Stephen Churchett. 'Thank Lewis for me'.

P.S. Russell Lewis's favourite episodes are 'Driven to Distraction', 'Greeks Bearing Gifts', 'The Infernal Serpent' and 'Cherubim and Seraphim'. Quoted here. And: Dead on Time, Masonic Mysteries.

Fleabag - Season 2 (2019 Phoebe Waller-Bridge)

Episode 1 set entirely in a restaurant is a model of (black comedy) writing. The series has as many dramatic bits as jokes, through Phoebe, Andrew Scott and the fox scene is also hilarious. Q says the finale has lines that cut like a knife - it also features two wonderful monologues.

Her looks to camera are priceless:

(And gathering of skirt when she climbs the ladder.) Stand-out cast of Olivia Colman, Bill Paterson, Sian Clifford, Brett Gelman.

Harry Bradbeer directed - This Life, Attachments, No Angels, Sugar Rush, Prisoners Wives, No Offence, Killing Eve). Camera Tony Miller (one episode of Endeavour, Small Island, Peter and Wendy, Remember Me). Great music Isobel Waller-Bridge.

Phoebe wrote and starred in 2006 Crashing.... And is rumoured to have been brought on to the Bond 25 script (by Daniel Craig)....

Children of Men (2006 Alfonso Curaon)

I don't need me to tell me how good this film is....

From the 1992 novel by PD James, written by Alfonsito and Timothy Sexton, (with earlier drafts from David Arat, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby). And, Clive Owen contributed to it (uncredited.)

Clive Owen holds every scene. Even when stealer Caine shares it.

Alfonso and Chivo have this way of pulling you in to a scene. The famous long single take camera is just one of the most outstanding things ever (we had to watch it twice), I mean how did they do that bit with the motorbike?? The way all the people appear over the hill reminds me of that amazing scene in Roma in the department store and suddenly a riot kicks off outside. 26.44 - 30.50. (The van had a built in roof in which the dolly operator, focus puller and Chivo were housed.) (There's a possible edit point where the flames hit the windscreen.) Four minutes. There's an even longer one later though, if not two - the birth scene?

Brothers George Richmond (Kingsman, Wild Bill, upcoming Rocketman) is a camera operator and Jonathan Richmond a focus puller, at work especially in the other really long take 1.23:27 which must have taken so long to set up and execute, that's why the blood spatter is on the lens - in fact Alfonso tried to stop the take but he was drowned out by an explosion. At 1.27:35 the camera looks up a stairwell and somehow, magically, the spatters are gone (i.e. a subtle digital edit point).

I also love the night scene (where are the lights - are there any?) and the escape from Ejiofor's place (almost Hitchcocky - the car won't start). The whole thing looks like it's been bleach bypassed or something to make it look ... depressing.

It's scary just how resonant the film is - how it's not really in the future at all, but right now. Alfonso said he wanted it to be more The Battle of Algiers than Blade Runner - he got that right and succeeded admirably.

Features Tavener 'Fragments of a Prayer', King Crimson, Cantus by Arvo Pärt.

Flashes of humour are most welcome (suicide kit is called 'Quietus'*). Did not realise - there's an animal in almost every scene, nor that Banksys are visible...

Sound design Richard Beggs.

It's astonishing.

(* Actually, now I know 'Quietus' means death, it's not funny.)

Queen of Hearts (1989 Jon Amiel)

Won the Grand Prix at the Festival du Film de Paris. So there. Tony Grisoni wrote for Terry Gilliam. Now screenwriting tutor at London Film School.

I wonder if this is slightly autobiographical. I mean, Grisoni sounds like it might be an Italian name.

Anita Zagaria is the stand-out in a cast of unknowns. With Joseph Long, Vittorio Duse, Ian Hawkes etc.

Lovely score from Michael Convertino. Shot by Mike Southon.

Stunt men aren't paid enough

Marple: They Do It With Mirrors (2009 Andy Wilson)

Andy Wilson's had a most interesting career. Made episodes of Gormenghast, Cracker, Endeavour, Unforgotten.

'Murder With Mirrors' (1952).

A dull episode, enlivened by Maxine Peake, Alexei Sayle (briefly), Joan Collins (briefly) and Alex Jennings. Penelope Wilton's accent is all over the mid-Atlantic by way of Snaresborough. What happened to Sarah Smart?

The Singing Detective (2003 Keith Gordon)

Yes, that Keith Gordon, who has recently directed episodes of Fargo, Homeland and Dexter, and before that was an actor in Jaws 2, Christine and Dressed to Kill.

Was Dennis Potter ever any good? I'm not at all sure now. His material is deeply unappealing and seedy, and he does not seem to have a very good opinion of women.

Downey is great of course (so is the make-up); Mel Gibson a revelation as the psychiatrist (great make-up). With Robin Wright Penn, Jeremy Northam, Katie Holmes, Adrien Brody, Jon Polito, Carla Gugino, Alfre Woodard (not in it enough), Saul Rubinek (not in it enough). When people aren't in it enough, maybe that's a suggestion there are too many characters?

The make-up is masterminded by Greg Cannom and Keith Vanderlaan. Stylish, contrasty photography by Tom Richmond (still no relation)

Gibson put up the money for his mate Downey's insurance bond.

La La Land (2016 Damian Chazelle & scr)

The choreography and the music both wonderfully help to tell the story - everything is so well integrated. It's a bloody marvel.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962 Robert Mulligan)

Wonderful kids' eye view of depression, racial hatred and injustice is just as relevant today as ever. Harper Lee's 1960 novel adapted by Horton Foote (AA).

Gregory Peck's best performance (he won the Oscar), very subtle and laid back. The kids are wonderful - Mary Badham, Phillip Alford and John Megna. With Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, Brock Peters, Estelle Evans (Calpurnia), Bob Ewell, Collin Wilcox Paxton.

Beautifully shot by Russell Harlan, great music by Elmer Bernstein. Art direction by that Alexander Golitzen fellow again (AA). Full credit though to Mulligan, who makes everything so real and elicits great performances from the kids.

It gets better every time I see it.

The night / suburbia thing had me thinking of Halloween!

Lewis: Season 2 (2008)

And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea d. Dan Reed, scr. Alan Plater

The Shelley episode, also featuring an autistic student (Tom Riley) who's a brilliant artist - a talent which proves extremely helpful. Hathaway is great with him.

In an offbeat beginning, Lewis and Hathaway, a little merry at Dr. Hobson's party, attend a break-in call across the way, and are later accused of being 'facetious' - though this turns out to be a string in an elaborate plot featuring forgery at the Bodleian.

The most delightful aspect is that of the artistic and slightly nutty Emily Beecham, who takes tourists on tours of made-up Oxford - JRR Tolkein played a banjo, and (delightfully) there are crocodiles in the river.

Lewis accepting the bribe of a crocodile postcard!

With Neil Pearson, Pippa Heywood.

Music to Die For d. Bill Anderson scr. Dusty Hughes

Tom Goodman-Hill (Humans), Ben Batt, Bradley James, Joanna Christie, Cheryl Campbell, Rachael Blake, Paul Venables.

Bare knuckle boxing, Wagner, East Germany, the Stasi. Various accents (S African, German) delivered variably.

Life Born of Fire d. Richard Spence, scr. Tom MacRae

Hathaway is mixed up in plot with old chums, doesn't come clean to Lewis, thus almost dies in fire (Lewis saves him).

Philip Battley, Ian McNeice, Matthew Marsh, Rachael Stirling.

I think the credits are in Copperplate, should anyone care.

The Great and the Good d. Stuart Orme, scr. Paul Rutman (Vera, Marple, Indian Summers)

In hospital with a bad back, Lewis and Hathaway become involved with a girl who has been drugged and raped - it all links to a consortium of powerful friends. Richard McCabe and Jason Watkins feature.

The Bookshop (2017 Isabel Coixet & scr)

'Harborough' is Portaferry, County Down. Cinematographer is Jean-Claude Larrieu. Moody scenery well photographed.

Didn't like this much. Actors are directed stiltedly. There's no explanation of Patricia Clarkson's vile behaviour (nor of James Lance). There's no positive effect from the bookshop. The whole 'Lolita' thing doesn't go anywhere. Bill Nighy's character doesn't help anything move. Nighy, Emily Mortimer and Honor Kneafsey (Our Zoo, Sherlock, Crooked House) as the little girl are at least professional. The music is annoying.

Penelope Fitzgerald wrote the source novel.

Lewis: Season 1 (2007)

Q suggested we move straight on into these; I suggested when we'd finished we could re-do Endeavour, and then proceed in a loop!

Reputation / Pilot (2006) d. Bill Anderson

Russell Lewis's story (screenplay by Churchett) features Perfect Numbers, a sleep clinic, a company making sports cars and a typically messed up extended family. Lewis we learn has lost his wife in a hit-and-run accident and we are introduced to Hathaway - Laurence Fox (James's son) - and new boss Innocent (Rebecca Front); Clare Holman is still around, we're pleased to see.

A maroon Jag makes a startling appearance, and we learn of the Endeavour Scholarship for music, which stipulates beneficiaries should play with 'soul'.

Charlie Cox is the unbalanced young man; Sophie Winkleman, Jack Ellis, Jemma Redgrave, Danny Webb, Flora Spencer-Longhurst.

The series made by Granada / WGBH Boston.

Whom The Gods Would Destroy d. Marc Jobst, scr. Daniel Boyle.

The ghost of Morse hangs over this case, with which he had been peripherally involved, and helpfully (or not so helpfully) leaves a cryptic clue. Anna Massey remembers him fondly. Richard Lintern, Crispin Redman, Adrian Rawlins and Richard Dillane are linked from some old-school Dionysian drug club...

The Cricketers is the pub (Woking). West Wycombe Park is (again) used for the country house exterior and 'temple', the main house at Allanbay Park in Binfield!

Missed Dexter in both these...

Old School Ties d. Sarah Harding.

Alan Plater's first screenplay for the franchise is marked by his dry and laconic wit and invention. Lewis is tasked with baby-sitting a criminal-turned-writer (he despises his dark glasses in all weathers, and being a 'professional Geordie'), who makes the unusual choice to stay on his book tour at the prison-turned-hotel Malmaison. He warms to him a bit, though, and as he's at the point of being honest - "I throw myself at the mercy of the court", he announces - when he is shot dead.

Don Gallagher is he, and his wife / agent who turns up is Gina McKee. Then there's a group of Machiavellian students, one of who (or is it whom?) throws his bike through a shop window in protest -  using the location / props intelligently.

A bromide is a copy, a 'bromide statement ' is one of little value intended to soothe or placate.

Thought I saw Dexter crossing a quad... And with Cathy Tyson.

Expiation d. Dan Reed, scr. Guy Andrews (three of the latest Victoria, and episodes of Prime Suspect, Poirot, Maigret).

Good episode involving a seemingly perfect pair of couples and their children leads to a topsy-turvy and disturbing plot beyond imagining when one of the number is found hanging. Lewis/ pathologist Dr. Hobson relationship going well, though she keeps suggesting Hathaway's the fanciable one; Lewis also has eyes for a next door neighbour, cuing line:

"Sorry, I've got to be going."
"You haven't even arrived yet."

The main relationship is going well. Laurence Fox is great. Great sub-plot involving dying don John Wood, with tense and unusual death-bed scene.

Couples are James Wilby, Julia Joyce, Adam Parkinson and Lucy Robinson (Cold Feet). With Pip Torrens, Phoebe Nicholls.

I think it's in this series that Lewis confesses to Hathaway that after Val died he drank a bottle of brandy a day for a year; he then took stock, and 'the next year, drank two'. Hathaway pulls off a very risky gambit with a man dangling from the top of the Museum of Natural History!