Silent Witness - Season 21 (2018)

Duty of Candour (whatever that means) by Matthew Arlidge. Seemingly random murders are in fact linked to a data theft at a large hospital, a hospital where it just so happens Nikki is receiving counselling for her ongoing PTSD. Dodgy head of hospital Nitin Ganatra is up to something.

Jack has time for a little romance with Kiza Dean, who's investigating, but finally manages to reconcile with Nikki.

The DP is Vanessa Whyte (did some of the Ted Lasso series, A Confession series with Martin Freeman in 2019) and the editor Anna Dick.

A Special Relationship, Graham Mitchell. The murder of a US embassy executive brings them team into contact with government operatives including Michael Landes (Love Soup) and Ellis's Sharon D Clarke. Nikki and he have a thing but he's kidnapped, though for some reason that I didn't comprehend doesn't become a murder victim. A troubled man Jefferson Hall is at the centre of things and there's a quasi-mystical ending where he sees a dead women and hears things he couldn't possibly have heard. Hm.

The Duchess of Duke Street (1976 John Hawkesworth)

Producer Hawkesworth brings his Upstairs Downstairs sensibilities to the BBC, as chef Gemma Jones defies the upper classes for her shot in early twentieth century London.

We seem to have missed the beginning (only the opening episode thankfully) and find herself already having made a good impression with a Major, Michael Culver (Roland's son) and Lord Bryan Coleman, but is pressed into marrying butler Donald Burton so she can be mistressed out to the Prince of Wales, Roger Hammond. That I find a bit much.

Familiar faces in June Brown, John Raply, Doreen mantle, John Welsh.

Silent Witness - Out and In (2017/8)

Dudi Appleton and Jim Keeble were brought in to write the 20th series finale Awakening, which Dudi directed. It's one of those in-a-strange-land ones, and especially being a finale you worry someone's not going to make it.

We're in an extremely dangerous part of Mexico, Sinoloa (actually the Canary Islands!) A former colleague of Nikki's has been killed but there's no body. She was connected to a group trying to reunite families with 30,000 people lost to the cartels. Jack joins her to try and track what happened to her and co-workers who have gone missing, and are present when a horribly tattooed murderer is arrested - can he help them find the missing workers? He's Rick Genest and the tattoos were real - he was something of a celebrity. With Raquel Cassidy, Ben Cura.

Nikki ends up kidnapped and buried alive. Jack goes out of his mind trying to find her. (They have mobile phone contact but she's running out of battery and air.) When he thinks he's failed there's a fade to black - a merciless black which seems to go on forever, like we're going to get the end credits music. But then mercifully we are back on to Nikki... and her escape.

And the farewell message she left on the phone - that the team were like her family - will never be heard. Little nods to Harry (in dialogue) and Leo (quick flashback) were also poignantly placed.

So yes, a good season finale and an onscreen tribute was given to all the people who had worked on the first twenty series. Editor Al Morrow does some good stuff with the missing colleague Elena Saurel.

So in Season 21, episode 1, in which Ed Whitmore plays his usual hand at throwing lots of characters and stories at you, Nikki is off work recovering and Jack's not communicating with her. Q gets it at once - he feels guilty for not saving her, but as she says 'We're still here!'

Nikki is lured back by Alex Macqueen who thinks pathologist Julian Rhind-Tutt may have something to do with the disappearance of his colleague.

A Triple Bill of Silent Witnesses (2017)

Discovery. Ed Whitmore. A woman is knocked off her bike and kidnapped. Does this connect to the family that live next door? And what's this got to do with the death of an ex addict? The solution of  the latter, involving air bags, is ingenious; otherwise I was quite confused throughout.

Remembrance. Graham Mitchell. A Body is found in the river. It links to another death three years before involving an over-emoting Sarah Smart, who latches onto Nikki. And some angry young men.

Covenant. Richard Davidson. Man and son are tun off the road and killed. Was the man's brother, fresh out of prison, connected? (Lee Ross.) We're led to believe it's a military operation, but the gunman isn't a great shot. Turns out there's a Strangers on the Train back story. and we meet Clarissa's husband, Daniel Weyman, who's an IT expert.

This Happy Breed (1944 David Lean)

 

Alison Leggatt and Guy Verney

The Aeronauts (2019 Tom Harper & co-scr)

He came up with the story; Jack Thorne helped him adapt it.

Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are a great team. She's as good as he is - probably better. I thought she was award-worthy. Didn't get nominated for anything. The film is unusual in that there's no romantic plot at all.

Splendidly photographed by George Steel in 2.39 on the ground and 1.85: 1 in the air. The main balloon action was filmed in a 100 x 100 foot bluescreen stage with 360 degree lighting. Some of the changes in climate were created with a box filled with smoke in front of the light source. It looks fabulous. Louis Morin is the VFX supervisor (he describes it as the 'department of miracles').

Mark Eckerberg edited. Great sound as well.

The Best of Enemies (2019 Robin Bissell & scr)

Taraji Henson and Sam Rockwell are predictably good as real life characters; Babou Ceesay (We Hunt Together) is charmingly effective as the negotiator.

It had a cinema release but was then pretty much rushed to DVD - though it still hasn't had a Region 2 release - why not??

Good screenplay. Bissell was an associate / executive producer on Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, which may explain Tobey Maguire's role as producer on this. He hasn't managed to do anything since.

Brief Encounter (1945 David Lean)

Ding ding! (As the background fades to black.)

Loved Celia Johnson's inner thoughts.

Never has the torment of unwantedly falling in love been so well expressed.

That Summer! (1979 Harley Cockliss)

Great title!* Fairly dismal film has ex offender Ray Winstone training for Torquay swimming event, befriending Julie Shipley, Tony London and Emily Moore, to the detriment of their careers. His progress hindered by unpleasant Glasgow types. Amusing ending where Winstone, pursued by cops, starts the race late, has time en route to save said Youth, make him confess to police and still win the race!

A key year for Winstone - both Quadrophenia and Scum also came out in 1979.

David Watkin shot it, not that you'd notice in TPTV's rubbish screening.

*Having said that, the best one I could come up with was Offenders and that's hardly brilliant nor helpful in selling the film. Perhaps a line of dialogue from one of the characters? Give the job to ChatGPT and you'll end up with a film called Yeah... Dunno!

Hamlet (1948 Laurence Olivier)

Interesting to hear such well known phrases / titles as 'murder most foul', 'to the manor born' and 'leave her to heaven'.

Strikingly photographed and directed, though some of the tracking / crane shots are somewhat wobbly. George Dickinson's roving camera and strong lighting are a definite feature. Also the writing's good in that it doesn't feel like a series of scenes and acts.

Really more interesting than I thought it would be, though not quite up to Orson Welles's standard.

Love the soliloquies that start out as internal thoughts.

Desdemona's death - most lyrical. The filming of the play-within-the-play most interesting.

Long, though (2 1/2 hours).

Good cast: Jean Simmons, Basil Sydney and Eileen Herlie (king and queen), Felix Aylmer, Norman Wooland (Horatio), Terence Morgan; and Stanley Holloway, Peter Cushing, Anthony Quayle, Patrick Troughton, Harcourt Williams, Esmond Knight, John Laurie.

I think the dialogue between Hamlet and Desdemona "Shall I lie on your lap...Do you think I meant country matters?..That's a fair thought to lie between maid's legs" was meant to be suggestive.

I was all set to go straight into Kozintsev's 1964 version, but the disc was fucked.

Good Morning Babilonia (1987 Paolo and Vittorio Taviani & scr)

Two skilled Italian architects Vincent Spano and Joaquim de Almeida journey to the US to make enough money to buy back their father's building restoration business. After several wrong turns, they end up designing the giant elephant statues for D.W. Griffiths' Intolerance! (He's played by Charles Dance, the father by Omero Antonutti.)

Despite finding love with dancers Greta Scacchi and Desiree Becker, tragedy overtakes with a death in childbirth, and a bleak and quite unexpected World War II finale.

It wasn't quite as good as I was hoping it would be. Written With Antonioni's collaborator Tonino Guerra.

Good music by Nicola Piovani. Photographed by Giuseppe 'Beppe' Lanci (Nostalgia, Caro Diario).

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (2026 Tom Harper)

George Steel's digital film was then transferred to celluloid and the re-digitised, leading to the inevitable question - why not just shoot it on film? It looks great, though:

And I was wondering about this amazing shot on Pontcysyllte Aquaduct whether it's actually a brilliant drone shot or CGI:

As revealed by Cillian Murphy here, it's neither: it's actually a non-CGI helicopter shot, which deserves George Steel's crew some kind of award, surely?

Oh yeah, as to the film. Tommy's become a recluse but his sister Sophie Rundle brings him back into action, as his son Barry Keoghan is behaving like a wrongun and discrediting the fine name of the Peaky Blinders. Tim Roth is trying to devalue English currency with millions of pounds of forgeries (a true history lesson). Steve Graham returns for the showdown and old friends Packy Lee, Ned Dennehy and Ian Peck are still around. With Rebecca Ferguson (the Dune films), Jay Lycurgo and Ruby Ashbourne Serkis.

...and it's likely to be something of an audience pleaser for fans of the show (despite that unexpected ending).

Fittingly, Harper directed the first three episodes of the first series of peaky Blinders back in 2013; Steel shoe the whole first series. 

Mark Eckersley cut it. He also cut The Aeronauts, Heart of Stone and Wild Rose, all three directed by Harper and shot by Steel, and also worked on War and Peace back in 2016 (Harper again - we should give it another watch).

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987 Howard Deutch)

Written by John Hughes. Eric Stoltz lusts after lea Thompson but it's his buddy Mary Stuart Masterson that's right for him all along. Craig Sheffer good as totally unlikable over-privileged jerk, Elias Koteas also good as skinhead friend.

"A 1949 Plymouth Fury", I asserted confidently. In fact it's a 1951 Jaguar Mk VII

Jerry Zeismer was first AD on this. He befriended Eric Stoltz, and it was Stoltz that persuaded Jerry to meet Cameron Crowe and work on Say Anything.

The Teacher (2026)

According to IMDB The Teacher wasn't written by anybody. Maybe Channel 5 has its own Chat GPT now that just churns out this crap. Victoria Hamilton is the teacher who allows herself to be pushed around by super-woke troublemaker Alice Grant (couldn't bear to take a screenshot of her smug face!), leading to blackmail, murder and the inevitable blah blah.

Enjoyably bad in 4 x 45 minutes episodes, until last episode, when I just couldn't wait for it to be over. They must known it's bad?

Olly Rhodes (son), Steve Edge (dad), Shak Benjamin (initially cool classmate), Ellis Jupiter (the persecuted 'they').

He's Just Not That Into You (2009 Ken Kwapis)

Some of the women are as much nitwits as the men.

Great cast though are there one or two stories too many? Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Baffleck, Jen, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Jennifer Connelly, Kris Kristofferson.

Funnily enough Some Kind of Wonderful was referenced, and that's also on my hit list.

We kept interrupting it to chat and accordingly it ended up feeling much longer than it was - though in fact the film does clock in at just under two hours - long for a comedy.

A Woman of Substance (2026 Katherine Jakeways)

Begins promisingly in 1970s NYC and Brenda Blethyn in the middle of a power struggle with her kids over her company. Then quickly goes back to her young self, Jessica Reynolds (who's fabulous), and her experiences working as a maid in the dreadful Fairley household in Yorkshire, and how she makes good. I assumed the flashback structure was written for the series but actually its derived from the novel, written by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

Reynolds is Irish, and does a good Yorkshire accent. She was in Steven Knight's House of Guinness and Kneecap.

Leanne Best, Ewan Horrocks. Emmet J Scanlan, Lydia Leonard, Niall Wright (the dependable 'Mac'), Mara Huf (the granddaughter), Will Mellor, Rosie Cavaliero.

Tony Slater Ling is on camera on the first three. It totals eight x 45 on Channel 4.

The production designer is Anna Pritchard, art directors Richard Downes, Matthew Hope, Victoria Richards, set decorator Faye Brothers.

Unfortunately the ending is rather fluffed. For example we meet her three other children for the first time and have no information, for example who is the father of two of them? It would have been sensible to just write them out. Then the twist end is actually rather disappointing, after all she's had to overcome; the novel had a more positive conclusion. And where's Mac?

Silent Witness - New Season 20 (2017)

Identity examines the immigrant crisis through the story of a teenager who has lost half her family. An exploitative white Muslim is taking money off immigrants and leaving them to die at the same time, interpreting the Koran rather over-enthusiastically. (Well, I don't know anything, and I think there are probably different versions of the Koran, but I personally think the one most decent Muslims believe in doesn't actually tell you to kill 'non-believers'.)

Meanwhile in a massively stingy irony, a people smuggler who actually tries to help an even younger immigrant is slain by one of her own family. Biblical! Maybe that's what they were going for. 'They'? I mean of course Timothy Prager, who treads delicately through this material (though rather solemnly).

Knew none of the (largely good) cast. Sofia Asir, Gerald Kyd, Nathacha Karam, Elham Ehsas, Billy Cook.

Silent Witness (2016)

Did Police firearms unit cover up a botched killing? (Jean Charles Menezes was 2005.)

Stukie investigates. In Plain Sight, written by Tracey Malone and Matthew Arlidge.

Then, a family is murdered whilst having a picnic. It's another sneaky tale from Ed Westmore, River's Edge. Claire Holman, Nicholas Sidi, Elen Rhys, Sally Carman, Derek Griffiths, Dean Paul Gibson.

A decent enough film. Nikki and Jack in danger.

Mona Lisa Smile (2003 Mike Newell)

1953 Wellesley College. Art teacher Julia Roberts dares to be different and comes up against the Establishment. Written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal (The Concierge).

Amazing cast: Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dominic West, John Slattery, Juliet Stevenson, Marcia Gay Harden, Marian Seldes (President). Terrific confrontation scene between Dunst and Gyllenhaal, tender scene between Roberts and Stiles. Having seen these young women develop, I would guess that neither director Newell not editor Mick Audsley had to do much to shape the performances.

The final scene, the girls on bicycles following her car out - is perhaps a shade too far but generally this is really good, though perhaps overlong: for example, Julia's new onerous contract terms are spelled out twice, once in the meeting and again in the letter dictation. Newell and Audsley went on to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which Mick worked on for 13 months! I noticed he used the same shots of the church tower and bell at the end as he did at the beginning.

Photographed by Anastas Michos, unfortunately not associated with anything else of note.

Loved the ending compilation of women portrayed in the media in the fifties.

Silent Witness (2016)

Life Licence. Chris Hurford & Tom Butterworth. Lyndsey Marshal is a therapist charged with the rehabilitation of murderers, one of whom is released after serving time for a notorious child murder. When a former jail mate of his is murdered he naturally comes under suspicion. It's like pinning the tail on the donkey - I went through at least three possible murderers before eventually settling on the right one (who's often the least likely). That guy with the chin investigates (Lloyd Owen).

Vigil in the Night (1940 George Stevens)

Carole picked it as it was the meatiest subject matter on offer at RKO, a story about a dedicated nurse and her sister, based on an A.J. Cronin novel (adapted by Fred Guiol, P.J. Wolfson & Rowland Leigh). Carole is fine as usual, but audiences thought it too depressing and it lost money. Seen today it seems slightly creaky and contrived, though holds the attention. Anne Shirley is the errant sister, Brian Aherne the saintly doctor figure, Julien Mitchell the conscience deprived millionaire. Good support from Ethel Griffies as a no-nonsense matron (you know, from The Birds) and a very early appearance from none other than Peter Cushing.

Lombard respected Stevens as technically proficient, having been a cameraman he knew how to use light; the DP is Robert de Grasse. (Stevens shot many short films in the twenties including those of Laurel & Hardy). The music's by Alfred Newman.

Whatever Works (2009 Woody Allen & scr)

 Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Henry Cavil, Ed Begley Jr.

"I saw the abyss!"
"Don't worry - we'll watch something else."

Such great plot turns. It was originally designed to be a play, but he needed exterior scenes, so converted it to a movie and pushed more of the action outside.

It doesn't rain!! 

"I was very, very pleased with my cast. Even the people in the small parts were wonderful. Larry is sensational. In spite of his constantly saying "I can't act, I can't act." Evan Rachel Wood is a miraculous young actress. And Patricia Clarkson is a great actress, so they made it come to life." Woody to Eric Lax. Wood didn't really make a mark, subsequently (I am reminded she was in the later Mildred Pierce) though has more recently found an audience in Westworld.

Nowhere Special (2020 Uberto Pasolini & scr, prod)

Marvellously acted by James Norton, Daniel Lamont and Eileen O'Higgins and very well edited by Masahiro Hirakubo and Saska Simpson.

A film which breaks all the rules: has no bad guy, no love affair, no character arc; yet succeeds beautifully - as such it had to borrow its budget from Romania. Also known as 'Rear Window Cleaner'! (Actually the title is the only thing about the film that is lacking.)

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941 Sam Wood)

Cracking cast: Charles Coburn, Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings, Spring Byington, S.Z Sakall, Edmund Gwenn, William Demarest in seriously well photographed film courtesy Harry Stradling Sr. Wood likes the confinements of the frame.

Written by Norman Krasna. The millionaire's house was a set left over from Citizen Kane.

The Enemy Below (1957, released 1958 Dick Powell)

Yes, the actor from 42nd Street and Murder My Sweet. Wendell Mayes adapted D.A. Rayner's novel and tells of the pursuit of a German submarine by a US destroyer, skippered respectively by a somewhat fed up Curt Jurgens and Robert Mitchum, who respect one another at a distance. Refreshingly the scenes at sea are actually filmed on a destroyer without back projection; lots of long takes give actors the opportunity for... well, acting. Lots of 'give orders twice', 'give orders twice' dialogue.

Slightly swollen though - how many times can you show depth charges blowing up in the water, or a submarine being rocked about. Still, builds to a nice ending.

With David Hedison, Theodore Bikel, Russell Collins, Kurt Kreuger. Photographed by Harold Rossen, scored by Leigh Harline, edited by Stuart Gilmore. 20th Century Fox, CinemaScope.

The original ending was to have been Mitchum trying to save the German from the submarine when the bomb goes off, killing them both and leaving a shot of an empty sea... which would have been fantastic - but of course the studio wouldn't allow it. Cut forward to the seventies where the unhappy ending would have been the only one allowed!

Anything Else (2003 Woody Allen & scr)

"There's an old joke about a prize fighter who's in the ring, and he's getting killed, he's getting his brains beat out, and his mother's in the audience. And she's watching him getting beaten up in the ring, and there's a priest next to her. And she says 'Father. Father. Pray for him.' And the priest says 'I will pray for him. But you know, if he could punch, it would help.' There's more insight in that joke into the what I call the 'giant so what?' than most books on philosophy."

Bridges, by Darius Khondji:

The Queensboro Bridge, I believe

"Have you ever dialled 911? It's like getting a mortgage."

It's great - one of the undersung ones. He couldn't understand why it didn't do better. He liked his long takes - the one with Jason and Christina and Stockard where people keep coming in and out of shot - he would rehearse the scene and the lighting all morning, break for lunch then shoot it all in one go.

Oh yeah - it rains! (Right at the beginning when we first meet Ricci.) Let's see if it rains in Whatever Works, Mighty Aphrodite and Alice next.

Maltin gave it a BOMB rating and called it 'Woody's worst movie'. He can't get them all right.. What is Woody's worst movie? I think I'd have to say Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex.

"I was crazy about Christina, and Jason was adorable, and Stockard Channing is always a really strong actress." Woody to Eric Lax.

Licorice Pizza (2021 Paul Thomas Anderson & scr)

It's a love story, featuring wonderfully 'normal' looking people. Yet somehow it doesn't quite click for me. Maybe it's too rambling and episodic. Maybe despite his entrepreneurial spirit, the Cooper Hoffman character just is too young. Alana Haim is the object of desire. I don't know. I enjoyed it though, particularly the scenes revolving around Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper) and the truck, and Sean Penn's action movie star (with Tom Waits). The scene with Benny Safdie bringing Haim to the restaurant to meet his lover Joseph Cross is pure Altman.

A film like this, you have to mention the production designer - Florencia Martin. (Probably an award winner for the most times we're inside a shop and you can see the name painted on the window backwards.) And the costume designer - Mark Bridges.

Special mention to Milo Herschlag as Hoffman's younger (and perhaps cooler) brother. (His only film.)

Silent Witness Triple Bill (2015-16)

The team tackle East End gangsters Steven Hartley, Beth Goddard (one of those faces you just see on everything) and son James Farrar (who's rather good) in One of Our Own (Tom Butterworth and Chris Hurford / David Drury), which takes its departure point as the death of a good copper. Mark Frost and Elly Fairman (and latterly Steven Pacey) investigate; Jason Watkins appears.

Season 19 kicks off by putting Nikki in danger as an apparent suicide makes her realise she's mis-diagnosed an old case featuring her mentor Georgie Glen. Ed Whitmore writes a thrilling but quite far-fetched story as usual, putting Nikki in prison at one point, then later shot at by a hit man. She does some silly things, doesn't tell the police when she should etc., annoying detective Liza Tarbuck.

Dean Lennox Kelly is the man released from prison, Dean Andrews his angry son. Geraldine Somerville the murderer - oops! I mean wife. After the Fall was again directed by Drury, and photographed by James Friend, later to win Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front.

But it was the noticeably high contrast photography and skilful designs that caught my attention in the following story, Flight, shot by Steve Lawes, best known for Death Comes to Pemberley and Sherlock. It's about the survivors of a war zone who have become radicalized and plan to do silly things: Abigail Hardingham and Assad Raja (mum is Wanda Opalinska). Graham Mitchell wrote, Richard Senior directed.

Lord of the Flies (2026 Jack Thorne)

Thorne has preserved much of William Golding's story and even the time period, probably a good idea.

The island location is good (Malaysia), the music different (Cristobal Tapia de Veer, The White Lotus), the extremely wide lenses weird (Mark Wolf). Mátyás Fekete / Andonis Trattos edited alternately.

Directed by Marc Munden.

Good cast: with Winston Sawyers (Ralph), Lox Pratt (Jack), David McKenna (Piggy), Ike Talbut (Simon).

Second part, Jack, features a brilliantly handled pig hunt. Third, Simon has a weird red colouring running through, perhaps predicting what will happen at the end. Leading me to wonder if they've all been colour themed.

In the final instalment, Ralph, the veneer of civilisation has crumbled and savagery holds domain. Great flashbacks with Ralph and his dad (Rory Kinnear) and a policeman (Danny Mays) before the climactic arrival of naval officer Tom Goodman-Hill. (Q wanted him to rescue Ralph and leave all the others behind!) Before this there's a sequence with all the kids close up shot by shot looking up - having read the book, I fully expected them to be looking at suddenly arrived officer, but that doesn't happen till later, making me wonder if the scene had been devised that way then moved in the edit.

Striking imagery and good performances anchor arthouse version of bitter and cautionary tale.

That was John Taverner right at the end - 'Funeral Canticle' performed by the Choir of the Academy of Ancient Music, written for his father. Also appears in Tree of Life.