bardsleys Reviews

The Golden Compass (2007)

An amazing adaptation - a must-see movie

[10/10 · 10 December 2007]

I loved the trilogy and was worried that the film would spoil the rich imagery my reading of the books had generated. Amazingly, the film has almost perfectly captured the spirit of the books with superb characterisation and outstanding special effects. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) was astonishing and really carried the film in the right direction with the right mix of untutored intelligence,dignity and courage. Is it possible to fall in love with a CGI character? Well I did - with Iorek the ice bear. An awe inspiring creation. The relationships between the humans and their daemons were just as tender and intimate as the book suggests they should be - totally convincing. What a great film.

Mary Bryant (2005–2007)

An outstanding evocation of time, place and human experience

[9/10 · 18 April 2006]

This was an excellent and entertaining movie, with convincing costumes and settings. The depiction of the horror of the sea voyages, the appalling nature of life in the convict settlement (scarcely better for the overseeing officials then for the convicts) and the relative luxury and colour of life in the Dutch colony of Timor were all powerfully vivid and evoked a strong sense of place and time. However, too perfect teeth are a recurring difficulty in period movies! The casting of the main characters was first rate, with Romola Garai as Mary shedding the fragility and innocence we saw in 'I Capture the Castle', and displaying considerable depth and emotional strength. Jack Davenport's outstanding performance as one of the marine officers was characterised by moral ambivalence and confusion in someone half a world away from his cultural certainties. Alex O'Loughlin as Will Bryant was a very effective counterweight to Davenport, giving a compelling account of a convicted Cornish smuggler and fisherman struggling within his own clear if unconventional moral framework. This fine team were supported by equally strong performances from the rest of the cast. Authenticity of detail of costume and setting was not however matched by authenticity of narrative – the script takes liberties with events, relationships and the fates of some characters. Although much is not known about Mary's life, some known facts were abused! However the main thrust of Mary's story retains its integrity and the movie provides a welcome testament to an otherwise neglected extraordinary figure from English – and Australian - history.