Post by shmeep on Mar 6, 2009 10:41:41 GMT -5
Hello, Mags! You're right. We do need a thread for this miniseries. I don't know how much I have to contribute yet, but it'll be fun to run things by you as I go.
The writing is wonderful, the musical score is haunting, and the casting is pretty close to perfect.
Yes to all of the above. It all seems so very real--which is what makes it difficult at times, but it also makes me feel like I've stepped into the war with these men and am living it with them. These characters grow on me like people do in real life...some are really odd looking, but they become appealing as I learn more about them. The acting is flawless! Hits every note.
I would even go so far as to say that the D-Day sequence is better than that in Saving Private Ryan. (Maybe because they had the luxury of time and details and concentration on individual characters?) The drama is so compelling that you have to stop, periodically, and shake yourself and think,"This is real; this is true; this happened."
I am not a huge fan of prolonged battle sequences--especially when they are so realistically done. I almost feel every bullett when I watch this and each man down is devastating. I know this means it's well done--and I really do think it's brilliant!--but it's maybe a little TOO realistic for my taste. There is a good blend of the interaction and action and this makes the battles mean more. The scene that first had me tense and reacting aloud was when the first wave of paratroopers was dropped right in the middle of battle with planes being shot down and mass confusion and...wow. It was powerful.
You will fall in love with Damian Lewis and the man he plays, Captain Dick Winters, an honest-to-God American hero who by all rights should have been given the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day -- which are still taught at West Point as an example of off-the-cuff military strategy at its finest.
He is growing on me. I find him a bit odd looking--something about his tiny tight mouth--but I like the red hair and he's a wonderful actor. I've grown very fond of his character so far and I know that will grow. I like the combination of courage, heart, and intelligence embodied in this character. And Damian Lewis shows it all clearly in his performance.
PS The first two episodes, when the company is training in Georgia and then biding their time in England waiting for the invasion, are a little slow compared to the other episodes.
Yes, but this was great set-up and a good chance to get to know the characters. Having the David Schwimmer character--what a relief to be able to hate him deservedly and not just because his "Friends" character is annoying--there as a focal point of Easy's collective angst was a great way to see what made these boys tick. Brilliant. And while I'm no David Schwimmer fan, he really did a good job making me detest him and yet almost feel for him now and then so he must be a decent actor after all.
Shmeep! I should have known you'd find James in among all those boys in khaki, no matter how small the part . . . and yes, now that you remind me, I do remember him.
He's a bit hard for me to miss these days. Kind of stands out.
Bull turns out to be a great amd memorable character, BTW. Odd to watch the actor currently as Nicolette Sheridan's psycho husband on Desperate Housevives, when I see that blonde buzz cut and think of Normandy . . . .
Well, now you're confusing Bull with Buck! Both big blond guys, but Bull is the one who finds James McAvoy's body after a battle. He's the biggest one in the unit (I think) and once played a Fox River prison guard T-Bag kills on "Prison Break." Buck is the handsome one currently bringing new levels of crazy to Wisteria Lane as Dave Williams (my uncle's name!) so now I don't know which one is so memorable, but I like both characters.
How many episodes have you watched so far? Are you up to the Battle of the Bulge yet? Inquiring minds (as the saying goes) want to know. 
I've watched five so far. No Battle of the Bulge yet. Easy was just sent to Belgium in the middle of winter without proper supplies or warm clothes so I think I had better bundle up with a blanket, a cat, and a cup of hot tea before watching the next installment or it will make me cold just thinking about it.
This is all just making me yearn to get the DVDs from the library and do a weekend marathon!
I hope you do this. You deserve it! Thanks for turning me on to a great miniseries.
Modified to add: I couldn't resist.
Here's Bull:
And Buck:
Yes to all of the above. It all seems so very real--which is what makes it difficult at times, but it also makes me feel like I've stepped into the war with these men and am living it with them. These characters grow on me like people do in real life...some are really odd looking, but they become appealing as I learn more about them. The acting is flawless! Hits every note.
I am not a huge fan of prolonged battle sequences--especially when they are so realistically done. I almost feel every bullett when I watch this and each man down is devastating. I know this means it's well done--and I really do think it's brilliant!--but it's maybe a little TOO realistic for my taste. There is a good blend of the interaction and action and this makes the battles mean more. The scene that first had me tense and reacting aloud was when the first wave of paratroopers was dropped right in the middle of battle with planes being shot down and mass confusion and...wow. It was powerful.
He is growing on me. I find him a bit odd looking--something about his tiny tight mouth--but I like the red hair and he's a wonderful actor. I've grown very fond of his character so far and I know that will grow. I like the combination of courage, heart, and intelligence embodied in this character. And Damian Lewis shows it all clearly in his performance.
Yes, but this was great set-up and a good chance to get to know the characters. Having the David Schwimmer character--what a relief to be able to hate him deservedly and not just because his "Friends" character is annoying--there as a focal point of Easy's collective angst was a great way to see what made these boys tick. Brilliant. And while I'm no David Schwimmer fan, he really did a good job making me detest him and yet almost feel for him now and then so he must be a decent actor after all.
He's a bit hard for me to miss these days. Kind of stands out.
Well, now you're confusing Bull with Buck! Both big blond guys, but Bull is the one who finds James McAvoy's body after a battle. He's the biggest one in the unit (I think) and once played a Fox River prison guard T-Bag kills on "Prison Break." Buck is the handsome one currently bringing new levels of crazy to Wisteria Lane as Dave Williams (my uncle's name!) so now I don't know which one is so memorable, but I like both characters.
I've watched five so far. No Battle of the Bulge yet. Easy was just sent to Belgium in the middle of winter without proper supplies or warm clothes so I think I had better bundle up with a blanket, a cat, and a cup of hot tea before watching the next installment or it will make me cold just thinking about it.
I hope you do this. You deserve it! Thanks for turning me on to a great miniseries.
Modified to add: I couldn't resist.
Here's Bull:
And Buck:
