State of Play

I'm not sure how many of you saw State of Play when it came out last year. I still haven't gotten a chance to see it, but a little while ago, I was able to see the BBC miniseries that it was based on. I am not sure how true this new adaptation stayed to the original. Having not seen the new version, I can only comment on the original.

The series takes place over six episodes. I cannot say much without giving away plot developments. The film follows the lives of several journalists and one member of Parliament and his family as they all uncover a huge story. It all begins one morning when two seemingly unrelated events occur. The MP's research assistant is killed on the London underground and that same morning a teenage drug dealer is shot.

The series was directed by David Yates and written by Paul Abbott. It is an extremely intense, edge-of-your-seat thriller. I found myself unable to stop watching from episode to episode. Luckily, I first saw this over winter break, and was able to completely stop everything else.

The ensemble cast in this film was AMAZING! Polly Walker, Marc Warren, James McAvoy, and Kelly Macdonald were all pretty good. I had seen all of them in other roles before, so I wasn't very surprised.  I was extremely impressed with David Morrissey and Bill Nighy. They constantly seem to raise the bar. This project was no different. The person that I was most impressed with was John Simm. He was especially good! I had previously only seen him as the Master. This was a completely different role for him. It was really interesting to see him develop this whole new character.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone and cannot wait to see the remake! It really is a must-see!

The Devil's Whore

Set between the years 1642 and 1660, "The Devil's Whore" charts the progress of the English Civil War through the eyes of a 17 year old girl, the fictional Angelica Fanshawe.

This was a really interesting film to watch. One of the problems with the American school system is that I have learned many different aspects of American history over and over again to the point of being quite bored. Very little of the history of other countries is taught in American school systems. I found this film to be quite interesting. In fact, most of what I know of British history, I learn from films (should I be embarrassed to admit this?).

This story was beautifully captured on film, and the cast was absolutely magnificent. Andrea Riseborough played the fictional Angelica Fanshawe, Dominic West played Oliver Cromwell, John Simm played Edward Sexby, Michael Fassbender played Thomas Rainsborough, and Peter Capaldi played King Charles I.

This miniseries is definitely a must-see. I hope you enjoy!