Posted on 12/23/2022 1:34:33 PM PST by Flick Lives
"Short or long, we ain't here but a moment. You nor me. None of us." - Eli Whipp | |
Eli: "Can you shoot?" Cornelia: "If I have to." Eli: "Oh, you'll have to." | |
"Difference between what you need and what you want is what you can put on a horse." - Eli Whipp | |
If you're looking for a great Western, checkout "The English", a six-part mini-series available on Amazon Prime.
It stars Emily Blunt as a young English aristocrat, Lady Cornelia Locke, who travels to the American West in the 1890s to find the man who killed her son. She joins forces with a Pawnee ex-cavalry scout, Eli Whipp, played by Chaske Spencer.
Acting is superb, and cinematography is stunning. You get a great sense of the vastness of the West with both its beauty and danger. It's one of those rare series where you forget you're watching a movie.
I won't give any plot spoilers, except to say the story has multiple sub-plots with some significant twists, which come together at the end in a well executed bit of writing.
The movie is remarkably "unwoke", with male characters being manly and and female characters being feminine. Unlike so many movies, Cornelia is not presented as a competent-in-everything "Mary Sue", but instead she learns along her journey.
It's a thoughtful and well crafted movie from every angle. It's nice to know there are still people out there who can put a good drama together.
Just working through it……I love a good Western
I want to like it.
Merry Christmas.
I think it is the best western I’ve seen.
I watched it twice and it was even better the second time because it helped me put all the pieces together.
Few films stick in my mind like this one.
Watched the first episode and thought...meh. But went back later and almost binged the balance. It is very good and very different. Actors are great and cinematography was outstanding. The kind of piece you will think about for a while.
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Yup. Good movie craftsmanship all around; writing, directing, acting, cinematography, costumes.
“The English” series was put together by a completely different crew, but it’s interesting to contrast it with the much-hyped “The Rings of Power” series, also on Amazon. The two series are like polar opposites.
First, compiments on a well-written review. You get to the point, hit the key details and don’t fall into the usual conservative trap of spending 3 pages telling us how important you are, why we should pay attention and why we should read what you are about to tell us if you ever get around to shutting up and telling us. And thanks. We were thinking about it, but concerned it would be a woke fest.
Merry Christmas.
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Thanks for the compliment. It is blessedly not “woke”; almost a rarity today in movies. As a side note, the movie also has a subtle pro-life message woven into the plot.
I watched it and liked it a lot. It really made you think about all those people who left the comfort of cities and explored the West. It was brutal.
I almost saw “Sack Lunch” with her on a plane but the flight got diverted.
Was “1883” the one where the daughter became an Indian, wearing all the native garb and such?
It reminded me of “Dances With Wolves” where Kevin Costner’s character “goes injun” using the lexicon of the movie.
I’ll pass, but I can recommend “The English Muffin.” Woman only like the top of the muffin, and then can’t find anyone to take the bottom halves. Treks through the desert to find a suitable dumping site.
I watched it and liked it a lot. It really made you think about all those people who left the comfort of cities and explored the West. It was brutal.
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Indeed. By the 1890’s, cities in the East would have had street lights; most major cities had sewage systems. Electric lighting and even telephone service was becoming available in the cities. But the West was truly wild then. You were on your own.
Thanks for the heads up. I’m always love a good western.
Thank you! I’ll give it a look!
“I’d pay to watch Emily Blunt sleep.”
I LOVED her in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and thought she totally stole the show!
We enjoyed it. Kind of a surprising situation.
Not a woke fest but preposterous bow and arrow shots, wardrobe changes and for the life of me cant tell you what the plot was a week or so ago after seeing it. Its a western alright ,,,,,of the unbelievable, unauthentic kind.
So far ( I haven’t finished) it’s one of the more ‘thoughtful’ Westerns
….can’t imagine why you thought it ‘unauthentic’ but that’s your opinion
Not every Western is of the John Wayne genre…….
…I actually think some of the old Gunsmoke series had elements of quirkiness as this movie has
It is an entertaining series; however most comments centered on it’s excellence as a western movie. To me that would suggest realities of character, dress and plot..most of which were absent in The English.
You are right!
It’s a very good movie, and the ‘subtle pro-life message’ caught me by surprise.
This movie has heart.
I agree!……beautifully made movie!
I love Westerns!…..and this one joins my favorites!
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