TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Climb

Less naked bottoms this week as Game of Thrones continues the slower pace to spend some time with a wide variety of characters, once again all finding themselves in impossible situations.

The Climb wasn't the strongest of episodes, especially compared to the previous few episodes, but it did its job of setting the scene for the last few instalments of the season. In fact, it often felt like a chess game in that sense, positioning the pieces in their respective places ready for everything to kick off. The central theme of the episode, the climb of both literal and figurative representations, was perfect for an hour which saw many characters find themselves placed into a new set of circumstances, either by design or by another's machinations. Those in control were few and far between, though by far the most powerful; think Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) and his control over Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) or Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Cersei (Lena Headey) being forced into acknowledging that Tywin (Charles Dance) is in complete control. As a central theme, it was an excellent way of demonstrating the power shifts in Westeros, but sadly, some the individual scenes just didn't quite sparkle in the way that we're used too.

One such character who is currently at the behest of another is resident traitor Theon (Alfie Allen), a character I have continued to neglect in these reviews quite simply because he hasn't been getting up to a lot. And I've forgotten him. He still isn't getting up to very much, being tied to a cross, and the cathartic pleasure of watching someone so snivelly and spineless get tortured by people has waned somewhat since the series opener. Thankfully, Iwan Rheon's wide-eyed gleefully unhinged performance as the as-yet unnamed Boy (though people who have read this far into the books will have a clue) saved the scene from complete dullness. He was a saving grace in the middle of a scene that just seemed to be there to remind people like me that Theon exists.

Another victim of not-so-exciting-scenes recently has been Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) though of course last week, he did get to go all wet and wild for a bit with Ygritte (Rose Leslie). In contrast to Theon's linear progression, Jon's was directly vertical as he and the other wildlings prepared to make the ascent up the Wall, the literal climb of the episode's title. The quiet scene between Ygritte and Jon was nicely done by both actors, conveying the subtext of their relationship well without overplaying the moment. The climb itself was very well done, with Sarkharov employing some impressive, vertigo-inducing visuals to convey the danger and extremity of the situation. And we all know that MacKenzie Crook's Orell is probably going to find himself at the pointy end of Longclaw before the season is out.

There is one scene though that stood out amongst all of the others was that scene between Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) and Tywin Lannister, a battle of wits and one-liners that typified a lot of what we love about Game of Thrones. Usually in these scenes, honesty is not something that's demonstrated; we get a similar moment later in the episode when Varys (Conleth Hill) and Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) dance around each other, elegantly sidestepping each other. In contrast, watching Olenna go up against Tywin was like watching two battleaxes clashing violently, sparks flying, but neither one refusing to budge. With some cracking lines ("a sword swallower through and through") and some brilliant eyebrow acting from both parties, Olenna and Tywin was a match we'd been waiting for. Rigg has fast become the new fan favourite in her performance and quite right too; she's bloody good.

As noted in my little introductory sentence, there was a distinct lack of nudity in this week's episode, contrasting sharply with Kissed By Fire. There seems to have been a recurring pattern this season in which we get an episode absolutely full of naked bottoms, bare breasts and the occasional male appendage followed by one in which there is nary a piece of flesh in sight. The nudity is an aspect of the show I have never overtly criticised as it has never been something I took great issue with, despite the naked male to female ratio being vastly disproportionate. However, it seems to be an odd pattern this series, perhaps designed to appease both sides of the audience, those who desire naked bottoms and those who can do without. Either way, Game of Thrones doesn't need to rely on this nudity quota to get itself through; it's a fantastic drama with or without the odd bare breast.

The Climb was lacking a little something this week for me, despite being built on an excellent theme and individual scenes shining. Sadly, it never came together to form a cohesive whole but let's face it, even a bad day for Game of Thrones is far above a fair amount of things on the television.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review for the previous episode, Kissed By Fire here.

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TV REVIEW: The Village - Episode Five

Once again, it seems that times have not improved for the residents of The Village. But then you weren’t really expecting them to, were you? On the plus side, however, it can perhaps be said that the point of this laugh a minute chuckle fest (and the Sarcasm of the Week Award goes to…) is now slowly becoming apparent.

Episode 5 saw the shell-shocked Joe Middleton (Nico Mirallegro), clearly suffering terribly from post-traumatic stress syndrome, reach the end of his latest period of leave. Knowing he must go back to the front line, he struggles to hide his distress from his family, in actual fact breaking down before making it over the borders of the farm. Collapsing in a heap in the middle of a field, he is helped back home in no fit state to return to duty. Naturally, the terrifying red-capped military police have other ideas, meaning harrowing consequences for Joe, and distressing viewing for us. Meanwhile, young Bert (Bill Jones), blaming himself for the mental state of his older brother, runs off into the night, injuring himself in the process. Grace (Maxine Peake) meets with union leaders in an attempt to secure better working conditions for the factory women, Martha (Charlie Murphy) continues her flawless performance in the role of irritating busybody and John (John Simm) continues to do little with his time but pray.

Unsurprisingly, all is not well up at the Allingham household, either. The family, still reeling from the suicide of its patriarch, must continue with business as usual. Business as usual, however, means shady dealings for Edmund (Rupert Evans), as his employment of Detective Bairstow (Joe Armstrong) as a spy grows complicated, dredging up the private life of Arnold Hankin (Anthony Flanagan) in the process. As it were. Caro (Emily Beecham) is still lost to the spell of Britain’s creepiest and most unprofessional psychiatrist, Wylie (Jonny Phillips), with even her mother, Clem (Juliet Stevenson) beginning to show her suspicions. Poor, poor George (Augustus Prew), ever the Assorted Buffery favourite, is now also a soldier, thanks to good old Wylie, and is distraught that he wasn’t able to come home sooner after the death of his father, but he did not wish to desert his men. God love him.

The horror of war was the key theme this week, with Caro and Grace’s storylines very much taking a back seat. Nico Mirallegro was outstanding as the traumatised Joe, and even Augustus Prew’s George (aww) carried with him a quiet, frightened dignity- a chilling contrast to his pre-war personality, and an excellent device for highlighting the sheer extremity of Joe’s own condition. Two female performances also shone through this week, and they belong to Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson. The former’s anger at God, the world and specifically Martha at the suggestion that Joe’s illness was somehow God’s will, and that she herself had no part in the saving of her husband from alcoholism was perfectly judged, and showed a far tougher, almost more admirable side to Grace’s character, as did her stunning response to the military police. She’s gone from downtrodden alcoholic’s wife to campaigning, self-confident superwoman in just five short episodes. She looks good on it, too. Not that it will get her anywhere in this village. 

 The same for Juliet Stevenson’s Lady Clem. Suddenly much more assertive, not just in name only but in her own opinions, we saw her make jokes over dinner about impotence and her husband’s suicide. To the outside observer she’d lost the plot. However, as she said herself, things can’t get any worse, and ‘that, in itself, is a form of freedom’.

These words actually sum up rather nicely how I’ve come to feel about The Village as a whole. Expect the worst, and not only will you never be shocked, but you can step back and appreciate the show for what it is. It’s been a sharp, if bleak, human condition commentary, highlighting the terrible effects of war, poverty and contemporary attitudes upon peoples’ lives. It hasn’t been a cheerful ride, but it’s been a profound one.

I’m looking forward to the final episode next week, half because of a genuine desire to watch it, and half out of sheer delight that this televisual ordeal is coming to a close.

Although I dread to think what the writers are going to throw at us for the big finale.

The Village is next on tomorrow night, 9pm, BBC One.

Jen

You can read my own blog here or follow me on twitter here

FEATURE: Crime Drama, Women of the Clink

As viewers of just about any TV channel, anywhere, will doubtless have noticed, there have been an unusually high number of crime dramas on our screens of late. Rare is the evening these days where we can switch on the gogglebox, flick through a few channels and not see members of the police force*embroiled in scenes of varying dramatic merit.

Whilst crime dramas themselves are far from anything new, what is especially unusual is that so many shows in this sudden surge are heavily focused on the roles of women.   

Shows such as Scott and Bailey, Prisoners Wives and even the well documented Broadchurch have brought women on both sides of the prison bars into sharp focus. And hurrah for it we say here at the Buffery. We’ll wager our gender hasn’t really been done justice in the genre since around about 2006 when Prime Suspect was last on, although feel free to correct us if we're wrong. A more problematic point of note, though, is that many of these crime dramas seem to involve at least one or two of the same actresses. So, to avoid any possible confusion and in all honesty as a bit of an excuse to harp on about how great they all are, we’ve decided to provide you with your very own foolproof guide to the female characters of some of our favourite crime dramas of late- the Women of the Clink.

 

1.    Name: DC Rachel Bailey

Role: Detective, Manchester Major Incident Team

Show: Scott and Bailey

Played by: Suranne Jones

Bio: Professional loose cannon Rachel Bailey is a promising young detective, despite an apparent inability to choose the sensible option in almost any situation.  Impulsive but smart, she is referred to as ‘Sherlock’ by many in her department, due to her uncanny knack of identifying unusual behaviours in potential suspects.

Weaknesses: Her personal life does rather tend to get in the way, most recently leaving her suspended from service for several months.

2.    Name: Francesca

Role: Wife of an imprisoned drug baron

Show: Prisoners Wives

Played By: Polly Walker

Bio: Fiercely loyal to her husband, Francesca has stuck by him through his long imprisonment, engaging in criminal activity at his behest and visiting him regularly, despite the feelings of her father (David Bradley) on the matter. Despite this apparent obedience, Fran is one feisty lady, quick to offer an opinion and very protective of her children as well as her somewhat questionable life choices. Clever and resourceful, Francesca has pulled her family out of many a tricky situation.

Weaknesses: Tendency to not act until it is too late, too easily seduced by money.

3.    Name: DCI Jo Fontaine

Role: Detective

Show: Prisoners Wives

Played by: Nicola Walker

Bio: It was Jo Fontaine who convicted Paul (Iain Glen) Francesca’s husband of drug related offences back in the day. Unable to quite let go of the case, Fontaine investigates Francesca’s continued questionable dealings, eventually reaching something vaguely resembling an alliance with the latter. This is no mean feat.

Weakness: Can act rather smug, and as a result doesn’t come across as terribly empathetic. This does not endear others to her, Francesca in particular.

4.    Name: DC Janet Scott

Role: Detective, Manchester Major Incident Team

Show: Scott and Bailey

Played by: Lesley Sharp

Bio: Janet is older and wiser than colleague and friend Rachel, generally acting in a more level headed manner. Trusted by her superiors as she is, other members of the team frequently turn to Janet for help and advice. More than once she has saved the day, keeping the unit together, whilst remaining characteristically loyal to both her family and to Rachel. Janet has been in this game a long time, and has strong, reliable instincts as a result. She is particularly effective when interviewing suspects and witnesses, as they too tend to trust her.

Weaknesses: Can be slow to reach a conclusion, not often changing her mind once she has set it on something.

5.    Name: Helen Bartlett

Role: Murder witness/suspect. We’re never wholly sure which.

Show: Scott and Bailey

Played by: Nicola Walker (This is where it begins to get confusing)

Bio: Helen appears throughout the third series of the show, as her mother is found murdered, we suspect at the hand of her father. However, all with Helen is not what it seems, as we discover that years of abuse by her parents have taken their toll, with her frequently drinking herself into a stupor, using prostitutes and turning up at Janet Scott’s door at inappropriate moments. Could it be she has something to hide?

Weaknesses: Doesn’t hide her secrets particularly well, acts irrationally at times. Quite rightly too, due to her years of suffering.

6.    Name: Harriet

Role: Mother of imprisoned Gavin, an unlikely teenager tearaway 
Show: Prisoners Wives

Played by: Pippa Haywood

Bio: Also known as the most downtrodden woman since well, ever, Harriet visits her son Gavin at the prison- a young man locked up for his involvement in gang culture, more specifically for the possession of dangerous weaponry. Widowed several years ago, Harriet is cripplingly, achingly lonely, with only her dog, Basil, for company now that her son is inside. She means well, very well, in fact, but others tend to be unnerved by her attempts to make friends. Her son has her wrapped around his little finger, and Harriet will do anything for him, frequently at her own peril.

Weaknesses: Without a doubt her inability to see the faults of others. That and a lack of basic understanding of personal space and social etiquette.

7.    Name: DCI Gill Murray

Role: Detective, and head of MIT

Show: Scott and Bailey

Played by: Amelia Bullmore

Bio: Sharp, witty and very authoritative, the powerful yet fair Gill Murray goes by a variety of nicknames in her department, chiefly ‘Her Majesty’ and ‘Godzilla’.  She may appear tough and cold hearted, but she certainly has her softer side. She’s fiercely loyal to her team, and is a supportive single mother to her teenage son.  Long since divorced and heartbroken, Gill is often more sympathetic to the plights of fellow women than to those of men. That said, she is straight talking, smart and rarely misses a trick.

Weaknesses: Few. Sticks to her guns a little too much, and has a tendency toward favouritism.

8.    Name: Detective Supt. Julie Dodson

Role: Pretty much what is says on the tin

Show: Scott and Bailey

Played by: Pippa Haywood  (We did warn you…)

Bio: Good friends with Gill Murray, straight talking Julie Dodson, or ‘Slap’, as Murray calls her, has great instincts and a quick mind.  She has an incredibly no nonsense approach, even when it comes to dead bodies. Julie takes no prisoners, and makes it very, very clear when she doesn’t like someone (Kevin).

Weaknesses: Terrified of one of her superiors, could it be that ‘Dodson’ has an insecure side?

9.    Name: DI Ellie Miller

Role: Detective Inspector in a small town police station

Show: Broadchurch

Played by: Olivia Colman

Bio: Ellie has worked for the local police force for years, and knows the town inside out. A close friend of the Latimer family, she finds working on the case difficult. Having had her heart set on his job, she finds it difficult to get on with her boss. A friendly, warm hearted yet strong willed officer who has to learn to see the bad in people in order to find the killer, could it be that the murdered is closer to her own home than she thinks?

Weaknesses: A tendency to see the best in people, ignoring truths she does not like.

So that’s it- our round up of the women of the clink, both the prisoners, and the police officers. There’s only one question left to ask, really. 

Who’s side would you want to be on?

*or service now isn’t it? According to Hot Fuzz that is. Which, feeding nicely into my earlier point, was actually on tonight.

Jen

You can read my own blog here or follow me on twitter here

TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Kissed By Fire

This week's dose of Westeros came complete with quiet character developments, daring swordfights and more than a few naked bottoms.

Game of Thrones has always been about the grey area of the characters we follow, the honourable tempered by their own pride or the evil-doers by their compassion. It's what makes the show so compelling because we're never quite sure where we stand with certain people. Kissed By Fire was an excellent exploration of this grey area, the choices that these characters have to make in order to ensure their own survival, no matter what the cost to their own moral standing or their honour. As a result, the episode slowed the pace down from last week's whirlwind of revelations and spent much more time in several places, offering us a glimpse at just how far some characters have travelled since their first appearances.

Perhaps the most obvious example is Jon Snow (Kit Harington); like Ned before him, Jon has a fierce sense of honour and his infiltration of the wildling camp has put that to the test. Harington was finally given something to do this week (as it were), facing two tests to prove that he had broken his vows completely. One is to pass on intelligence about the forces remaining at Castle Black which he passes by threatening violence and insisting on his honesty. The second is a naked Ygritte (Rose Leslie), Naked Bottom Number One, compelling him to prove he is no longer a crow by also getting his kit off, Naked Bottom Number Two. And I can pretty much guarantee that no one will ever take Ygritte's catchphrase seriously again.

We also got to spend more time with Stannis (Stephen Dillane), who so far hasn't really amounted to doing much bar looking a bit gruff and having Davos (Liam Cunningham) arrested. Here, we got introduced properly to his family, Selyse (Tara Fitzgerald - though glimpsed briefly last season played by another actress) and his daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram). Offering a chance for us to see Stannis in a domestic setting, it also serves to show the audience just how far he has fallen; his wife not only forgives his betrayal with Melisandre (Carice Van Houten), she celebrates it. And keeps dead babies in pickle jars. The woman is not well. It is the scene with his daughter though that was particularly touching as she clearly symbolises this distance for him. It's a touching scene and Shireen's song, both in this scene and the end credits, is particularly haunting.

Family was another important theme of this episode, as evidenced in a particularly heartbreaking scene between Arya (Maisie Williams) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie). When Gendry decides that he wishes to stay with the Brotherhood, he cites that he has never had a family and these could be his. Williams plays the next line with such vulnerability, completely contrasted with her fierceness earlier in the episode, that I am not ashamed to admit, I welled up; "I could be your family". As Gendry mournfully observes, she would be his lady. Both Dempsie and Williams played the scene perfectly, capturing the strangeness of their relationship and their reliance on each other in just a few lines.

Once again, the episode is stolen by the unfolding relationship between Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Naked Bottom Number Three, and Brienne(Gwendolyn Christie), Naked Bottom Number Four. Full of symbolism (they're both naked, in a bath, which reflects their own images back at them), it's a big revelation scene, the story of how Jaime came by the nickname Kingslayer. It perfectly encapsulates the idea of a character's mix of light and dark and the emphasis on family that runs through the episode. Jaime makes no excuses for what he has done, he simply tells the story of how the Mad King forced him to choose between his oath and his family. Coster-Waldau again proves his worth as do the show's writers; after all, they've managed to make everyone feel sorry for a man who pushed a child out of a window so he could continue having sex with his sister.

These conflicted characters make compelling viewing, but of course, not all characters are so morally mixed up. After all, this is a show which also includes Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) and Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen). It's been awhile since we saw Littlefinger in full flow, beyond simply manoeuvring to get Sansa (Sophie Turner) out of harm's way. Here however, he is employed by Cersei (Lena Headey) to find out what the Tyrells are up to. He does so, thanks to sending a nicely attractive boy, Naked Bottom Number Five, to seduce Loras (Finn Jones) and discover their plotting. This in turn leads to Tywin reasserting himself as supreme bastard by forcing Cersei to marry Loras and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) to marry Sansa in order to stop the plot. The Lannister meetings are always entertaining, and this one is no different, particularly Headey's raised eyebrow at the end of the scene.

Director Alex Graves also chose to explore this through the use of light and dark in the visual aspects of the episode; the warm, dangerous glow of the flaming swordfight contrasted sharply with the muted cold tones of Selyse's residence or north of the Wall. It's one of the most beautiful episodes to date and one of the best in terms of advancing the plot. However, for those of us who have read the books, it's becoming torturous. Fear not, I won't reveal any potential spoilers, but I think it is safe to say that big things are on the horizon.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of previous episode, And Now His Watch Is Ended, here.

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FILM REVIEW: Iron Man 3

Set after the events of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 finds Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is struggling to come to terms with what happened to him in New York, alienating girlfriend Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) by becoming increasingly focused on his work. However, he is soon called back into the world by the presence of a terrorist known only as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who has succeeded in carrying out several dangerous bombings. Elsewhere, Rhodes (Don Cheadle) is now wearing a nice star-spangled Iron Patriot outfit in service of the President (William Sadler) and a new business rival for Stark appears in the form of Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce)

The third film in a superhero franchise always seems to be the trickiest one to get right and it is a milestone where there have been some catastrophic disasters; Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand are probably the first ports of call when considering just how far these franchises can fall. The Iron Man franchise, part of Marvel's Cinematic Universe, started off at dizzying heights with Jon Favreau's first instalment and crashed spectacularly back down again for Iron Man 2. Then of course there is the small matter of Joss Whedon's The Avengers (sorry, I refuse to call it Avengers Assemble, it just sounds silly), one of the biggest films of all time and a smash hit across the world. So, Iron Man 3 was responsible not only for following that, but also getting Tony Stark's own franchise back on track. So does it succeed?

Thankfully yes, with yet another risky move by Marvel paying off brilliantly. Hiring a director with only one directorial credit to his name and a screenwriter for whom this is his first blockbuster credit (though first of a few according to IMDB) is not the usual practice when it comes to tentpole franchise films. However, putting Shane Black and Drew Pearce on the film proves to be one of Marvel's most inspired choices to date, and they have made many over the course of putting together their cinematic universe. The pair taken the superhero genre and mashed it up a bit, scaling back from the grandeur of The Avengers and taking Tony Stark on a more personal journey.

There has also been a great deal of effort into adding more depth and meaning into their superhero film. It is awash with familiar iconography from the war on terror that instils a certain level of trepidation in any watching. The Mandarin's canny use of media to spread his message directly recalls Bin Laden's use of the very same whilst the emphatic rebranding of Iron Patriot is a subtle criticism of the USA's bullish foreign policy, also evidenced in some of the antics that Rhodes gets up to later in the film. That's not to say it gets too serious either, far from it. In fact, it's probably the funniest Marvel film to date (yes, possibly even funnier than The Avengers). Black's partnership with Robert Downey Jr has already yielded one fantastic film in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (a film that was instrumental in getting Downey Jr into the suit) and it seems that Black and Pearce knowing exactly how to write for the actor. 

Stark is as glib as ever, delivered with wonderful aplomb by Downey Jr even though he is very nearly upstaged by Ty Simpkins in their scenes together.  The partnership of Stark and Rhodes gets a decent amount of screen time too, offering the notch on the 'buddy' quota. However, the comedy performance of the film has to go to Paul Bettany as Jarvis. Given much more of a character to work with this time around, as well as a couple of malfunctions to contend with, Bettany's deadpan delivery works a treat with Black's screenplay and was a real highlight. 

There isn't a weak link amongst the performances either, particularly Guy Pearce as uber-businessman Aldrich Killian. Held up as a reflection to Stark in terms their different methods and approach to technology, Killian proves to be a good foil for Stark in their scenes together. Gwyneth Paltrow also gives her best performance of the franchise here and though I can't go into too much detail about her role, Pepper's character arc has been excellent across the three films and given a good finish. However, it is, as expected, Ben Kingsley who steals the film. He is simply sublime.

One of the most interesting aspects of the unfolding narrative is the way in which Black and Pearce analyse Tony's relationship with his alter-ego through some canny use of the suit itself. A big feature of the marketing, the Mark 42 doesn't disappoint, used as a symbol of Stark's fracturing hold on reality after New York and focalising his post-traumatic stress into something more tangible, both for the character and for the audience. The construction of the suit also means that, for a lot of the time, Stark isn't wearing the whole thing, maybe just an arm, or part of a leg, meaning the audience get a lot more Downey Jr, but also Stark on his own, learning to rely on his wits rather than his suit. As a result, the action sequences are thrilling and entertaining, particularly the third act battle which sees Stark use the suits as extensions of himself. It's a fascinating take on the psyche of the character and a neat piece of analysis on Stark's reliance on an external representation of his identity, the mask he wears to hide himself away.

For the most part, it's joyfully entertaining, but there are a couple of niggles that take the sheen of the red and gold paintwork ever so slightly. Rebecca Hall's role as Maya is sadly underwritten and despite getting some choice one liners, barely has anything to work with. She's a brilliant actress, most recently evidenced in the sublime Parade's End, but she feels wasted in the role, especially in comparison to the strength of Pepper's part in the wider narrative. The film also suffers slightly from the usual second act sag; whilst necessary to the developing plot, a couple of scenes lack the same zip as the first and third acts. They are small issues, but it does mean the film falls just short of a five-star rating.

An excellent start to Marvel's Phase Two and the best Iron Man film yet, it also feels like it could be the last time we see Tony Stark on his own turf, but somehow that's actually ok. The character has developed considerably since we first saw him swaggering across the Middle East and the conclusion here fits wonderfully with what has gone before. I'm sure we'll see Mr Stark, and therefore Iron Man, again, just not necessarily on his own.

P.S. If you liked Iron Man 3 and haven't seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang yet, you need to get on that right away. Like now. Go.

****

- Becky

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