Stephen Poliakoff - Glorious 39

[Serial_Apologist]

Quite why the BBC feel the need to fund him so lavishly is beyond me. They could probably make about a dozen decent Play For Today-type dramas for the cost of one Poliakoff whopper.

And Poliakoff is always so full of himself, on occasions when one sees him interviewed.

[vinteuil]

aeolium and mandryka have summed up what I thought - overblown, pretentious, predictable, cliché ridden, absurdly splendiferous in casting, sets, cinematography - and e m p t y .....

[Norfolk Born]

This has proved to be a MOST helpful thread - I was in two minds about whether to watch this film, and thank you all for the 2 hours or so that you have, on balance, saved me!: ok:

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I found it the must haunting film I've seen for a long time (that probably says something about my film-watching habits though). It was still circling round in my mind this morning.

That was very much the effect it had on me. Frau Alpensinfonie was watching it this morning whien I was trying to do a pastel painting, but I soon became hooked.

[Nick Armstrong]

This has proved to be a MOST helpful thread - I was in two minds about whether to watch this film, and thank you all for the 2 hours or so that you have, on balance, saved me!: ok:

Ofca - a mistake, I feel. I have now watched it and I thought it was by and large very good. Yes, luxuriously cast and shot - but thought-provoking too, and - yes - haunting... In the foreground, the issues which were in the background in the Ishiguro novel and Merchant/Ivory film Remains of the Day. I did find there were a couple of clichéd or clunky moments, but by and large I'm very much in the camp with johnb and Mr & Mrs Alpensinfonie. Thumbs up from me

[JoeG]

Glad to see my original post has stimulated such a discussion and clearly divided opinion! Referring back to the original question I posed, however, did anyone who watched it have any empathy with the appeasers bearing in mind that they did not have the hindsight that we have. (Though presumably they would have known about some of the atrocities carried out by the German regime in previous years)

[aeolium]

This has proved to be a MOST helpful thread - I was in two minds about whether to watch this film, and thank you all for the 2 hours or so that you have, on balance, saved me!: ok:

Ofcachap (and S_A) - I wouldn't want you to avoid watching on the basis of my opinion and those of other naysayers. Why not watch at least part of the film and judge for yourself? It does depend a lot on the degree to which you are sympathetic to the style and themes of Poliakoff and clearly some here are - but not I (and thinking of Not I makes me wonder whether it would have been possible to mount TV productions of Beckett's entire stage oeuvre for the cost of this one film).

[Norfolk Born]

I'll refer t'matter to t'committee, namely the lady wife - 'appen we'll decide summat in t'next few days. (I've got THAT MUCH STUFF backed up on t'hard disk....)

[Serial_Apologist]

I'll refer t'matter to t'committee, namely the lady wife - 'appen we'll decide summat in t'next few days. (I've got THAT MUCH STUFF backed up on t'hard disk....)

So, Ofchap gets the line off the lady wife, rather than the lady wife off chap! :cool2:

[Norfolk Born]

If I ever meet Ofchap, I'll confirm that with him.