15/03/2011

BEAUTIFUL BUT SAD, SAD BUT BEAUTIFUL or WHAT I HAVE BEEN WATCHING

"Every human being is a collection of selves, we never stay one person as we go on our journey to the grave. I'm all these different people, all these different people are me"
I've finally finished watching ANY HUMAN HEART. It took me time. Each on of the four episodes was so deeply moving and full of greatly emotional moments, I preferred to wait between one another. Touching, sad, but so beautiful. Based on the bestselling novel by William Boyd, Any Human Heart,  it is a rollercoaster ride through one man's life. A trio of great actors portray the different life stages of hero Logan Mountstuart, a writer, lover, art dealer and spy living by his wits in the tumultuous 20th century. Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent stars as Mountstuart in his dotage, with Matthew Macfadyen  as the hero in his prime and Sam Claflin as the eager seducer in his impetuous youth. Hayley Atwell, Kim Cattrall and Gillian Anderson also star in this gripping tale of adventure, romance and heartbreak.The cast was excellent and the three actors who played the leading role of  Logan Mountstuart in the three different stages of life were brilliant.  


Hayley Atwell is charming as Freya, Logan's second wife. Their relationship began as an affair, but they soon married. Freya is Logan's love of a life. He would never forget her. 
Matthew Macfadyen, Sam Claflin and Hayley Atwell play together again after the three of them were in the cast of The Pillars of the Earth as Prior Philip, Richard and Aliena respectively. 
Other familiar faces are Kim Cattrall as Gloria, the wife then ex-wife of Logan's good friend Peter Scabius (played by Samuel West), Gillian Anderson as Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, Tom Hollander as Edward, Duke of Windsor, Ed Stoppard as Ben Leeping  and, finally , Holliday Granger as Tess Scabius. 


I liked it and I recommend it to all lovers of good drama. Mind you, lots of tissues at hand needed.
The DVD is already available both for region 1 and region 2

3 comments:

Regina Jeffers said...

I read the novel and was blown away by the author's interpolating the real-life characters with the fictional ones. Unfortunately, my local PBS channel deferred on showing this series for a fund-raiser period so I have not seen it, of yet. I have it on order, and it will be my pleasure to spend some quality time looking at MM.

Maria Grazia said...

@Regina Jeffers
I haven't read the book, instead. I hope you won't be disappointed by the adaptation. I doubt that can happen, though. Brilliant cast, great story. High quality drama. And, last but not least, MM, of course.

tyme_4_t said...

I enjoyed this program! Matthew Macfadyen & Hayley Atwell ooze chemistry. Jim Broadbent is quite wonderful too as the older Logan...especially when you realize that his character does not actually have a lot of actual dialogue.
I must confess that my intial interest was completely 100% based on the fact that MM was in it and I was pleased that I enjoyed more than just looking at MM in those suits and navy outfits...;)