ShangLuda Admirable film.

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

ShadeGrenade 'Ever Decreasing Circles' passed me by back in the '80's. Though aware of it, I did not see it due to work commitments ( video cassettes were expensive then! ). I caught up with it recently when an episode was given away in a Sunday newspaper, and liked it so much I bought the rest. It reunited with Richard Briers with his 'Good Life/Other One' writers Bob Larbey and the late John Esmonde. He plays 'Martin Bryce', a right twit whose life consists of social event organizing ( and haven't we all met people like that ). You name a committee and he is on it. In some ways he is like 'Captain Queeg' from 'The Caine Mutiny' in that he is anally retentive and will tear his house ( called 'Brooksmead' ) apart to hunt for a lost grub screw instead of going out to buy a new one. He is married to the lovely Ann ( Penelope Wilton, seen most recently in 'Dr.Who' as Labour Prime Minister 'Harriet Jones' ), and they live in a cosy suburban close in Horsham. You wonder why she just does not pack a case and leave the daft bugger. This is a man whose idea of a fun evening is dozing in front of the fire whilst reading 'Lamp-Posts Through The Ages'. Martin's closest friends are the equally drippy Howard ( Stanley Lebor ) and Hilda ( Geraldine Newman ) Hughes. His worst nightmare comes true when hairdressing salon owner Paul Ryman ( Peter Egan ) moves in next door. Paul is sophisticated, good-looking and charming, the total opposite of Martin. He is also single and attracted to Ann. Each week, Paul manages to cuckold his neighbour to the point where Martin becomes genuinely convinced the younger man is somehow plotting to usurp his place in the community.This is one of those sitcoms that took time to grow into something special. Briers is in top form, creating an outstanding comedy character whom like 'Basil Fawlty' digs his own grave, yet never once sees it happening. Egan ( 'Toby Meres' in the 1974 film version of 'Callan' ) is equally impressive; in some ways Paul is just as sad as Martin thanks to his endless amusement at the little man's expense. Like Annette Crosbie in 'One Foot In The Grave', Wilton makes 'Ann' the only sensible character in the show. The scripts are first-rate throughout. The episode in which Martin became nursemaid to a gang of old ladies had me laughing out loud.Four seasons were made in all. Over time a Steptoe-like bond of affection grew between the main characters. The show bowed out on Christmas Eve 1989 with an 80 minute special in which Martin and Paul were at loggerheads over a Civil War re-enactment while the former was planning on moving out of the area.( To the person who claimed that prissy and pompous Martin reminded him of Gordon Brown, I have to respectfully disagree. He is more like David Cameron, while Howard resembles Nick Clegg in that he agrees with everything the other man says! ) A very overlooked series.

VictorianCushionCat Apart from Only Fools and Horses there is no better mainstream 80s comedy than this, on the surface it's the usual middle class suburban fare with clichéd characters but is a whole lot deeper, cleverer and funnier than that.Richard Bryers gives his best comedy performance, quality support from Penelope Wilton and Peter Egan is well cast as his foil Paul. Then of course the shows light relief in the form of 'his and hers' outfits, Howard and Hilda.The show exists in very ordinary unspectacular surroundings of a London suburb but no shame there, as thats pretty much the situation most of us live in. Much of the comedy derives from Martin Bryce's (Byrers) insecurity as he see's Paul as the threat to his quiet little corner of England.

GeoffLeo Richard Briers has appeared in some terrific TV comedy series but this must surely be his best performance to date. His character, Martin Bryce, runs 'The Close', his local neighbourhood by organizing all the committees and cajoling his neighbours to take part in various activities. His job, at Mole Valley Valves is seen to be fairly humdrum. His wife (Penelope Wilton) just about puts up with his irritating, though well-meaning ways, but his dream world has a rude awakening with the arrival of new next door neighbour, Paul Ryman (Peter Egan). Paul is everything Martin is not that in that he is successful in business without seeming to bother, has played cricket at Lords, is handsome with a succession of beautiful girlfriends, has many 'mates' to help him pull strings and is charming to all and sundry.The series shows Martin's vain attempts to prove he is the better man, often to his wife, Anne, but also to other neighbours from the close, notably Howard & Hilda Hughes. These two are another classic creation from writers Esmonde and Larbey. They do everything together, have a daily set routine which can never be interrupted and a genius for unintentional and innocent double-entendres usually only picked up by Paul and Anne. Howard (brilliantly portrayed by Stanley Lebor) is Martin's best friend but the latter cannot understand why he falls for Paul and his 'nice guy' image.One of the funniest episodes of the series comes when Anne is in hospital for a few days and Martin boastfully promises to spring clean the house single-handedly in her absence. He uses charts, colour-coding and a stop-watch but everything goes wrong that could go wrong and it's Paul who inevitably has to come to the rescue. The series ended with a one-off extended edition which saw Anne expecting a baby (rather late in life) and the couple's move from The Close to Oswestry, brought about by the merger of Martin's firm.An essential purchase on DVD for anybody who appreciates subtle comedy writing and great performances by the entire cast.

DarkHelmet-1 This show is basically a tour de force for Richard Briers as Martin, the ultimate control freak. Penelope Wilton, as Ann, and Peter Egan, as laid-back neighbor Paul, are also terrific. Howard and Hilda are too boring, though. This show never fails to make me laugh and I thank PBS for running it as long as they did.