southdavid

I missed this at the time but going through the Guardian's "best of TV" lists convinced me to watch this. I wasn't even familiar with the story, having never read Tolstoy's novel nor seen another adaptation of it before. I was struck most by the work of the casting team, in finding a series of actors on the cusp who are now much more famous.

In the early 1800, most of the privileged young adults are only concerned about their social circles and who they might marry. However, the French Army led by Napoleon Bonaparte (Mathieu Kassovitz) are advancing across Europe in the direction of Russia. The men, such as Andrei Bolkonsky (James Norton) and Nikolai Rostov (Jack Lowden) enlist but dreams of glory are met by consistent defeats to a skilled military tactician. Soon the advancing French come to threaten the opulence that the wealthy families are used too.

It's a really impressive cast that was put together for this production. The leads (such as they are) are Norton, Paul Dano and Lily James. I say that because it's really a large ensemble - though perhaps revolving around the wishes of those three characters the most. There is also Tuppence Middleton, Callum Turner, Jessie Buckley, Tom Burke, Kit Connor and Chloe Pirrie in the group that would become household names. As well as the already established Gillian Anderson, Ken Stott, Brian Cox, Adrian Edmondson and Greta Scacchi.

It's a sprawling story and lavish production, taking place over many years and involving several big battle scenes and interiors and exteriors of Russian buildings. I will say, at first, and certainly because I wasn't familiar with the story, I was unsure who I was supposed to be tracking, particularly as I recognised so much of the cast - but eventually it becomes apparent who fits where and what they're after.

It's pacing probably won't win you over, if you're not a fan of costume drama but if you are, it's about as good an example as you can find.

I have reviewed each episode of "Love, Death + Robots" and am a big video games guy, so thought I'd do the same process for Amazon's "Secret Level".

I mean, I have, of course, played Pac-Man in various forms for years. I haven't though played "Shadow Labyrinth" that this particular episode is more closely based around and for a good reason, that it's not been released as of time of writing. There are recognisable "Pac-Man" elements though that I'd assume the game is going to play with.

A humanoid creature falls out of a survival tube and is met by Puck (Emily Swallow) a yellow ball who explains that the creature is the "Chosen" one and its destiny is to help them escape from the maze they are both trapped in. Puck presents the Chosen one with a sword and facilitates the killing and eating of various dangerous creatures to survive. The ultimate aim is to the defeat the ghosts, that haunt the maze and escape.

A bit more stylised than the previous editions of the show and less concerned with photo realism than producing a scary and at time ethereal world. There are moments of real horror in this one too, as the true nature of the puck is revealed and amongst the most gory elements of the whole series so far.

I don't really know what to think of this one, I mentally dubbed it "Zack Snyder's Pac-man" as soon as it finished, as it was such a dark version of what has traditionally been a colourful and family friendly sort of game. If you're looking for something akin to "Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures" this is certainly not that. It was inventive though; I'll have to give it that.

Context is sometimes king when it comes to seeing a movie, so I should mention that I saw "Flight Risk" after going to see Mike Leigh's "Hard Truths". I think the emotional catharsis from one film to the next has led to me thinking more positively about what should have been a fairly standard Netflix thriller - than is actually the true worth.

Recently returned to work, US Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery) is tasked with transporting Winston (Topher Grace) a former mob-accountant turned state witness from a small Alaskan airfield to Anchorage - and then on to testify. During the course of the flight their pilot Daryl (Mark Wahlberg) reveals himself to be a hitman, tasked with stopping Winston from testifying by killing him, and Harris. Harris manages to subdue him but then is left having to control the plane, as well as working out how the Hitman knew that they would be on this plane.

"Flight Risk" is exactly what it looks like. A silly high concept action thriller that maybe is saved from being unwatchable by it's three leads. Wahlberg starts off fairly level-headed and charming but as his true character is revealed becomes more and more unhinged. Michelle Dockery has to carry the film and does well enough with an American accent and a few emotional reveals along the way. Grace gets to play morally dubious smartass, which is very much his wheelhouse, though he generates most of the films laughs.

I'm not sure why this one in particular warranted a cinematic release when streaming now tends to be the home of dumb B-Movies like this - maybe it's that Wahlberg's star power is a little higher, maybe it's Mel Gibson back behind the camera, though this is comfortable the least ambitious of the films he's directed.

Maybe it was just because I'd been haunted by "Hard Truths" but I enjoyed the take-out-the-brain fun of this one. I'll never need to watch it again though.