frank-gibbard Reviews

Two Mothers for Zachary (1996 TV Movie)

Moving legal quandary

[7/10 · 19 August 2008]

I saw this comment here - quote "looking at it from the moral point of view, the Bible, which is the ultimate moral authority, teaches us that homosexuality is wrong, so wrong it is and the matter cannot be up for discussion" this is the worst comment I ever read on this site. Narrow minded zealotry from the arrogant believers in the book who cannot think their own thoughts outside the straight jacket of fundamentalism. This was a good depiction of a true horror story of bigotry (a view of a straight male). How was what happened the best outcome for the child, or natural justice? This was on TV here in the UK today. It is hard to accept society has not advanced to accept things without reference to religious considerations.

Play for Today: Hard Labour (1973) Season 3, Episode 20

Slice of life example of kitchen sink (terrific)

[10/10 · 14 July 2008]

Of course this is excellent professional stuff, shown tonight on BBC 4 to showcase Liz Smith. What was said before here I can only endorse fully and what a surprise to find Ben Kingsley appear quite unexpectedly, as a mini-cab controller, showing early flashes of brilliance. Great BBC Play For Today almost polemic in depth of social anthropology conveyed in simple scenes with sparse but exceptionally naturalistic and believable dialogue.

Scare alert - there is a real yuck moment where Liz Smith is required to massage her old husband's extremely hairy back that must have been revolting for her, the unexpected sacrifice of acting. Bernard Hill turns in as usual a convincing performance as an under the thumb husband to Alison Steadman's control freak.

Old style pubs and seedy streets add to the time capsule value of this production which I thoroughly enjoyed, an unexpected treat as I had never heard of this at all before.

A Very Peculiar Practice (1986–1988)

Top TV of its day but still supremely entertaining

[9/10 · 30 August 2007]

Just saw a repeat of one episode on satellite channel Performance and what a good one it turned out to be, pure luck finding it on at all. All I could remember after all the years were star Peter Davison and of course the two mad nuns, a quirky running joke you looked out for (like a Hitchcock appearances in his films) when these were first broadcast originally. This had Timothy West as a literally manic professor consulting the campus Dr (Davison's character)and raging at him on a drunken rampage round the University while popping pills Dr Daker keeps saying should not be mixed with alcohol. It is a typically bravura performance worth an award I felt and shamefully lost in TV's vaults, what an example of top-notch acting, does anyone agree with me I wonder? A companion piece to his Brass efforts in my opinion. This or both series should be run again on a main channel to be seen by more people for all its plusses already cited here. And to see Troughton and Crowden at their very best which is very very good as is the terrific original writing of the great Andrew Davies. Frank

Lilies of the Field (1963)

Good treatment good characters.

[10/10 · 1 August 2006]

I could have been put off watching this again after many years as I had forgotten how entertaining it was but when it came on today on TCM I remembered only Mr Potier's Academy Award and as he is a favourite actor I gave it a go. What an engaging watch it offers, really recommendable in its old values of telling a good story in a watchable fashion with NO special effects. Truly as others have said a charmingly account of believable interaction between markedly contrasting types of characters, all good top of the range acting performances over which the lead presides smoothly and photogenically as ever, a fact not lost on female viewers I'm sure. I like someone has remarked already found the diner owner an enjoyable element indeed. Do watch, do enjoy some neat heart-warming humorous interplay between the chapel builder and the dictatorial slave driver of a Mother Superior a finely executed role too. Great film I say.

The Young Ones (1982–1984)

Fantastic art

[10/10 · 19 July 2006]

Dear fellow fans, I read most of the wholly positive reviews here ending in the last - I think exceptional in its negative tone - amazingly critical one. This must not be the last word I thought not if I could help it with 5 minutes work. That last reviewer evidently had a humour by-pass oh well nothing is more subjective than humour. Well this is one of my favourite comedies ever on TV, nothing quite matches it for the range of odd regular characters, it is sooo different than all other pretenders for the wacky surreal crown it proudly wears in the realm of enlight-entertainment. I tip my hat to it for the towering achievement the originality the anarchic wit all the stuff others have enumerated here. The best of the BBC the best of British immodestly the best of my country men and women actors & writers the best of bad taste - who can forget a bailed out Buddy Holly hanging in the cellar, I never will. Thanks to all concerned for all the fun to single one ascendant talent in particular the genius of idiocy Mr Mayal yours laughingly Frank.

Eggheads (2003– )

Boring host asking too few questions

[6/10 · 29 May 2006]

Dermot Murnaghan the host has I think helped to spoil what could have been a better quiz format than it sadly turned out to be. I find him irritating, too cosy and avuncular with his patronising air and repetitious phrases you've heard in every programme ad nauseam and his chuckle and the implied siding with the underdogs efforts against the "dream team" although he knows full well they have little if any chance. He generally talks too much twittering on to fill the gaps because there are not enough questions per programme to keep interest levels up IMO. Other problems inducing exasperation if one watches it a lot is the "dream team" wins too often and their opponents rarely compete on anything like a level playing field.

One Foot in the Grave (1990–2001)

Favourite scene in top comedy

[10/10 · 25 May 2006]

After reading the generally favourable reviews here of this top sit.com I would add nothing to merely repeat the valid points I wholeheartedly agree with about the brilliant portrayals by the actors and superb writing achievement. I could draw attention to an outstanding episode IMO, that in which Victor takes the job of doorman (grandly entitled "Commisionaire") at a swanky hotel. To say he finds this job demeaning to himself is putting it mildly with the ridiculous uniform and mauve top hat; apparent pain radiates from every pore I think from the off and things soon come to boiling point. Victor is a bit distracted as a taxi pulls up as he is observing the struggle of a disabled person to negotiate their way out of a car and complete the transfer to a fold-up wheelchair.Accordingly he does not immediately notice the couple of customers arriving at the hotel, an apparent smart gentleman and lady the male barking at him as a result for having to wait his attendance at the vehicle. Victor is duly dressed down for his not holding the taxi door open and getting the case of the gent's companion. Our hero, and I warmed to him almost cheered at this juncture, having not toadied sufficiently in the required manner is threatened with being reported to the management of the hotel. Victor has meanwhile looked again across the road at the single handed efforts of the disabled driver receiving no help from anyone. Gasket blowing time: in a terrific beautifully delivered (of course) by Richard Wilson) magnificently composed speech (Mr Renwick at his socialist best) suffice to say the up themselves pair are put in their place the top hat has been thrown down and Victor Meldrew has resigned. He did not need a job that much, he still had some pride. Bravos all round for this great work I say. LOL to the power of 10.

Mornin' Sarge (1989– )

Fine comedic cop show "Morning Sarge"

[10/10 · 15 May 2006]

My comment on this televised situation comedy which I recall fondly is inevitably a bit vague being a one-off series of so few episodes. I was even surprised I could remember the title even at all. I racked my brain today as I watched a poor comic effort IMHO today on BBC 2 featuring 2 gormless WPCs and I thought there had been at least one funny programme about the Police that I recalled and I did not mean that one with Rowan Atkinson that did several series strangely IMO. This was about a group of characters at a London nick and included a vacant laid back blonde WPC and a very non-Dixon-like male Sergeant, the eponymous Sarge. A favourite actor also appeared in this show which aired on the BBC, I do not know his name but he has only one eye. Does anyone out there have recollections at all of this one and might care to comment please? Frank

The Office (2001–2003)

A new type of groundbreaking show

[10 April 2006]

The last comments here were so negative I could not bear them being the closing ones as presently represented. Big up from me for this wonderfully humorous spoof documentary of an office as fly on the wall cinema verite team might have recorded it. It seems some people don't get the humour, fair enough, a subjective quality is involved not everyone likes the same jokes. But the majority of comments and critical judgements have been positive both here and across the board according to popularity and awards received. Well done Gervaise and all the company I say for this tremendous effort and work of comic genius IMO. Mastery of embarrassment as a comedic device and cruelly funny at repeated viewings too. Cannot get enough of it 10 out of 10 Bravo bravo. Frank E Gibbard

Batman Begins (2005)

Good new telling of an old tale

[8/10 · 26 June 2005]

Being of the old school, which i cannot avoid, it's that age thing I expected more humour from the Batman franchise than this newest kid on the Gotham City block provides. One goodish line I can recall on the Batmobile: "does it come in black? does not a rib-tickler make. Michael Caine's Alfred reminds me too much of Parker the chauffeur out of the puppet series Thunderbirds but that is a minor personal hang-up. After it's slow start Batman Begins itself begins to gain pace and interest when the next actor to assay the bat suit and in his case the American accent both pulled off well I thought our man (he's English)cuts a dashing figure around the rooftops and suave party scenes at ground level. My enjoyment levels dipped when midway through the pirate filming my copy of the DVD let his baseball cap edge into and out of shot for the remainder and I realised why it was so cheap so there was more humour to be had from that particular viewing. Notwithstanding which I do recommend it thoroughly as the best Batman since the great Adam West first camped the part up rotten on our screens. The innovative quality showed more imagination than it's predecessors, very cleverly based in more realism particularly the tank-like car inspired maybe by James Bond.Other Bond-like elements struck me not least Morgan Freeman's "Q" style character kitting out millionaire Bruce Wayne. All in all a darker but as visually accomplished vehicle for Batman to carry him to yet greater heights and the realistic bat scenes shows the producers of this one had their radar spot on and scored a palpable hit.

Barbarella (1968)

Paying tribute to the late David Hemmings

[2 August 2004]

This film as we English call a picture is a personal favourite. The late great David Hemmings gave a dashing performance.As Duran Duran which evidently inspired the group of the same name Milo O'Shea is wonderfully over the top. Jane Fonda is, well, in her prime in furs soo politically incorrect all over and so right for the part in a wonderfully silly film. At risk of being sexist she is enough reason to watch.The eccentric surreal quality of the scenic art embellishes and matches the odd wit of the whole project which is splendidly realised. It is not ruined in my opinion by the rather obvious studio sets and stagy visuals but enhanced thereby to compound the fantasy elements that I never fail to wallow in at every viewing.