Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

JinRoz For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

malmborgimplano-92-599820 The news that Mr. and Mrs. Benedict Cumberbatch have named their son Christopher made me automatically think "Yay! They named him after Chrissy Tietjens!" Which they probably didn't. But Chrissy is a worthy namesake, a modest, virtuous and capable man who represents everything that the English aristocracy is supposed to stand for-- which is why his fellow aristocrats, especially his sleazy wife Sylvia, resent him with such insane violence. It's also one of Benedict's best screen roles--the quintessential Cumberbatchian eccentric genius, you could say, though really there's no such thing, Benedict being one of those actors who creates a new character each time rather than just doing the same thing in part after part (which he's been accused of doing by people who saw him in "Sherlock" or "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" and just don't see what all the fuss is about.)I've seen this series twice now, once when it was new and again after reading Ford Madox Ford's "Parade's End" cycle of novels, and I think that the only thing that prevented this TV adaptation from being successful was the decision to basically falsify Ford's original conception of Sylvia, changing her from the sadistic personality-disordered monster she is in the novels (among other things, she beats a dog to death, terrorizes her child, and tries to trample her ex-husband's pregnant wife with a horse) to just a poor little rich girl who's sulky and irritable because she doesn't have enough to do. That's how Rebecca Hall plays her, and though her performance is one of the few things people liked about this series, it irritates me so much that I mostly fast-forwarded through her bits the second time through. A friend of mine who loves "Downton Abbey" felt personally insulted by Benedict for a comment he made about "Parade's End" being more serious than that. Well, I avoided "Downton" for the reason that it just looked like more landed gentry porn to me (I didn't tell my friend this) and I like this series because it's so intelligent and authentic and non-pandering (aside from the ponification of Sylvia.)

l_rawjalaurence Set in the early twentieth century, PARADE'S END revolves round a love-triangle involving Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch), his wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) and Tietjens' mistress Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens). With a screenplay ably written by Tom Stoppard, director Susanna White situates this story in the repressive world of bourgeois England, where appearances matter and emotions should be kept hidden at all costs. So long as people "seem" to be respectable, then everyone will be happy. Tietjens tries his best to maintain such (false) standards, but the experience proves too much for him, especially in the later episodes when he goes to fight in France and falls foul of just about everyone. In Hall's performance, Sylvia reminds me of the characters in Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY in the sense that she seems hell-bent on destroying those around her. She refuses to play the social games required of her, and spends much of her time deceiving her husband. Valentine remains faithful throughout despite her mother's (Miranda Richardson's) entreaties, proving beyond doubt that love can conquer all. Martin Childs' production design is a wonder to behold, particularly in the scenes set in the First World War, where he manages to recreate the atmosphere of desperate squalor in the trenches, contrasted with the elaborate formality of life back in Groby Hall, Yorkshire. In the context of the First World War, British bourgeois life in the Hall seems symptomatic of a lost world. In the new world following the conclusion of the War, the characters can no longer rely on old certainties; they have to determine their own lives. Cumberbatch is particularly good at communicating this altered view: through a series of close-ups we watch his features harden as he finally rejects Sylvia and embraces a new life in his deserted London apartment. It might not have the opulence of his past life, but at least he can be himself. The narrative zips along at a brisk pace, offering viewers a lesson in changing values in British history as well as telling a thoroughly compelling tale. Definitely worth repeated viewings.

ezshuter An outstanding series for the director and all actors. Having read the four books by Ford Maddox Ford, I was disappointed so much good material was not included in the script. Considerable history of Christopher's family, for which he was so fiercely devoted, was not included. Christopher's personality would be more understandable to an audience if they knew more about him. Young Valentine was not developed as a character nearly as fully as I would have hoped. I wanted more, I tell you, far more....this wonderful novel deserved 10 episodes to do it justice.The acting, photography, costumes and sets are superb. Rebecca Hall was perfect. Americans like myself will struggle with the sound and the actor's words now and then. However, that provides an excuse to watch the series repeatedly until satisfied. Thank you for this wonderful production.

blanche-2 "Parade's End" is a five-part miniseries from England starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Rupert Everett, Miranda Richardson, and Janet McTeer. Based on the novel by Ford Maddox Ford, the script was written by Tom Stoppard.The story is about the British upper class pre- and during World War I, focusing on Christopher Tietjens (Cumberbatch) and his wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall). Christopher is an honorable man and extremely repressed, it seems - he won't sleep with the woman he loves (Adelaide Clemens) because he's married, but then he's not sleeping with his wife, who has been unfaithful to him and may or may not have given birth to their son.Tietjens eventually joins the war office rather than staying in safety because he considers it more honest than what he's being asked to do at his job as a government statistician.I didn't read the book -- according to the reviews, the role of Sylvia is not supposed to be sympathetic, and Rebecca Hall has been criticized for this. I would submit it's not her fault, it's the director's - I'm sure she could have acted the role any way she was requested to do it.The director cast young Adelaide Clemens as Tietjens' would-be mistress, though their relationship isn't consummated before or during the war. I have to agree with reviews, for a suffragette, she's pretty vapid.Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the greatest actors today, and again, as reviews have pointed out, he has now achieved matinée idol status. Originally HBO did not want him in this series because they didn't know who he was; by the time the series was ready to be filmed, they said it had to be with Benedict or they wouldn't do it! Christopher isn't supposed to be a matinée idol - he's described as bulky and unattractive. Cumberbatch gained weight for the role to make himself look a little bigger, though by no means bulky, and he wore inserts in his face to kill those incredibly high cheekbones. He also does something with the jaw area - he had jowls and an unusual way of using his mouth, which has been compared to Edward Fox's and Jeremy Irons' jaw movements. It's part of his characterization, so he actually doesn't look like the dashing Sherlock, between that, his weight, and his lighter hair. He's also lowered his voice, which was pretty low to begin with.All in all, it's a brilliant performance. He really is a true chameleon. Christopher, however, to Americans anyway, is difficult to understand with his uptightness and his honor, just like one lost patience with Ashley Wilkes and his mixed messages to Scarlett.And since Cumberbatch is now a matinée idol and if you're a woman, what you're waiting for is some sex and boy, there wasn't much of that, though we did get to see his bare chest when his shirt was open. Wow. We who have seen him do love scenes, such as in The Last Enemy, were left pretty much like Sylvia -- frustrated.There are some beautiful scenes and some very gritty war scenes, plus lots of symbolism to be had. This series has been compared to Downton Abbey but it is in no way a soap opera. It's much more subtle; it moves slowly, as that way of life did, with everything looking good on the surface but bubbling with scandal and problems underneath.A great effort that succeeds in part, with some wonderful acting.