Midsomer Murders: Set 13 Review

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(More customer reviews)For those new to this British masterpiece, Midsomer Murders is a long running "who done it", based on the novels of Caroline Graham, starring John Nettles (of the Bergerac fame) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. The series is set in the fictional Misomer County, which comprises of many cosy, rural villages, where wealthy and poor alike seem to do each other in at an average rate of three to four bodies per episode. The series has a worldwide following, not in the least due to the creative and macabre ways in which the MM victims are typically dispatched. I give the series as a whole a five star rating, though set 12 was a bit dissapointing (four stars) in that it lacked some of its trademark British humour which in the past acted as a buffer between the viewer and the grim reality of the bloody murders... Let's hope Set 13 sees MM back to its best form!

Set 13 contains the following episodes:
ep 52: Dance With the Dead; orig air date: Nov 2006
ep 53: The Animal Within; orig air date: Jan 2007
ep 54: King's Crystal;orig air date: Jan 2007
ep 55: The Axeman Cometh; orig air date: Feb 2007
SPOILER ALERT!!!: In The Axeman Cometh we meet Simon, Cully's intended. Her wedding is in ep 60 (which I guess will be in set 15). END OF SPOILER ALERT!!!
If you own any MM sets from Region 2, you may already own at least some of the above episodes, as the Region 1 and 2 sets are NOT synchronised. Better check... I read somewhere there were fewer MM episodes released in the US in order to keep the price of each set more affordable. If that was indeed the case, then it is a great shame... I would like to see those missing episodes released at some point in the US as well.
PS: As a side note, John Nettles is retiring soon, though we should see Barnaby episodes well into 2011. The makers are still shopping for a suitable lead who will pick up the baton. All they will confirm is that Barnaby will NOT be killed off, and that his current sidekick (played by Jason Hugh) is NOT in the running. The actress playing Cully has already retired from MM (her last episode was shown on British TV this summer; it was her character's wedding episode).
UPDATE (Feb 10, 2010): Nettles' replacement has been revealed. I have included the details in Set 16 review.

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The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles (Bergerac) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, with Jason Hughes (This Life) as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include Phil Davis, John Castle, Richard Johnson, Lisa Eichhorn, David Horovitch, Harriet Thorpe, Flora Montgomery, and Suzi Quatro.

THE MYSTERIES Dance with the Dead--A young man asphyxiates in a vintage automobile, setting off a search for his mysterious girlfriend. The Animal Within--A mischievous old coot goes missing just before a visit from his niece—a woman supposedly dead for three years. King’s Crystal--At an artisan glassworks, Barnaby delves into possibly murderous family rivalries. The Axeman Cometh--The Midsomer music festival brings out the bluesman in Barnaby. Unfortunately, it also brings out someone murdering rock stars.

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Persuasion (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Persuasion" is tied with "Pride & Prejudice" as my top favorite Jane Austen novel. I was looking forward to this version, after being a little disappointed with the 1995 adaptation (actors were a bit too old for their roles, I thought, but that's another review).
While "Northanger Abbey" is a story of young love, "Persuasion" is a story of love lost. Anne Eliott was once engaged to Frederick Wentworth but has had to give up the engagement due to the persuasion of her friend Lady Russell. Anne is the daughter of a baronet and Frederick is a young lieutenant with little prospects and was deemed by her friends and family as not worthy enough to marry Anne. Fast forward to 7 or so years later, and Anne's family is in dire circumstances. Her family has to move from their large country estate to Bath in an effort to retrench and avoid further debt. Frederick returns to England as a wealthy and highly eligible naval captain and his and Anne's paths meet again. Frederick is pursued by 2 of Anne's younger sisters-in-law while Anne is left to wonder what might have been. After a stressful visit to Lyme, Frederick and Anne's paths briefly separate. Anne moves to Bath where she is pursued by her cousin William Eliott and she crosses paths with Frederick again. Will love triumph the second time around?
Whether you agree or disagree with my assessment of the 1995 version starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, I think you will find that Rupert Penry-Jones and Sally Hawkins are wonderful in their roles as Frederick Wentworth and Anne Eliott. Sally Hawkins - unknown to me until now - gives a soul-stirring and endearing performance as Jane Austen's long suffering heroine. Rupert Penry-Jones is aptly dashing and handsome, though perhaps a little bland, as Frederick (I'd take him over Ciaran Hinds any day). The supporting cast is solid - with a few exceptions - and the screenplay, up until the last 10 minutes, stays true to the tone and spirit of the book. The production values, costumes and locations are excellent. This scores points for actually filming in Bath and Lyme (actual locations from the book). Another high note is Martin Phipps (who also composed the amazing score of BBC's "North & South) who delivers yet another stirring score.
The reasons for the 4 stars are as follows (warning, spoilers!):
a) Casting - I absolutely detest Amanda Hale as Mary Musgrove. She is annoying and stands out in a bad way from the rest of the cast. Julia Davis is also off as Elizabeth Eliott and looks more like Anne's wicked stepmom than her older (by 2 years) sister. Elizabeth is supposed to be beautiful and elegant, and Julia Davis is nowhere near this. Surely there are more than enough talented British actresses who could have played these roles.
b) Changes - Some long-time fans will be a little irritated with the changes made to famous scenes from the book. This is where the 1995 version triumphs over this version. While the Amanda Root version remained faithful to the book, this version strayed in some of the vital scenes such as the dialogue between Captain Harville and Anne on woman's constancy; and the scene where Frederick writes a letter to Anne.
c) The last 10 minutes - where Anne runs around Bath like a headless turkey - almost completely ruined it for me. Whoever thought of sending a docile, elegant, poised, upper-class lady like Anne to run around town like a servant girl is beyond me. The adaptation would have been outstanding except for this miscalculation. I am not a purist, but there is just so much a long-time Jane Austen fan can take and this one crossed the line for me.
All in all, however, I give it 4 stars for Sally, Rupert, most of the supporting cast, Bath, the score and the first 80 minutes. It goes along swimmingly up until the climax, at which point I have to fast forward to skip the part I detest. A good and solid adaptation, but "Northanger Abbey" starring JJ Feild and Felicity Jones gets my vote as my favorite of the recent Jane Austen adaptations.

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Jane Austen’s romantic masterpiece comes to DVD in a thrilling new production from the BBC and Masterpiece Theatre. Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with a fortune and rank, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet.

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