I checked Google and Yahoo for their caches of our old miniseries thread, and this is what I got from them.
webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mnS5f-UwZ2sJ:rufussewell.proboards.com/index.cgi%3Fboard%3Dpillars%26action%3Ddisplay%26thread%3D1393%26page%3D3+rooftop+seen+tpote%3F+go+rufus+go&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=usTHERE ARE SPOILERS IN ALL THESE OLD POSTSTopic: Seen TPOTE? Discuss the mini-series here!RUEFUL
There are now tons of reviews online, many positive, some not (it's funny, the ones I've read mostly love it or hate it, no inbetween). But I had to share this quote from one reviewer:
Oh yes. He does.
Nell, good luck with your decision. If you decide against reading the book, be careful with the reviews you read. I've read a few that give away some really important plot details without a spoiler warning, including one that mentions the ending.
SPOILERS
I loved the loft scene also Judy (who wouldn't?). I liked getting a glimpse of a tan line. It would be nice if we'd get a scene showing how he got that tan line, working shirtless. Ok, I'm done being shallow.
Oh, wait, no I'm not. I haven't mentioned how much I like Action Tom. Not having read the book, I didn't know how much physical action (fighting, not building) Tom would have. From standing up to William and his sword, to fighting off attackers, he's quite brave and capable of taking care of himself. It's very, very hot. Also, in the forest, I think that's the first time I've ever seen Rufus in a scene where he's flat-out running.
Wichi, I have seen those kind of crosscutting scenes before (including the Godfather one you mentioned), and I knew why they did it, I just didn't like it as much here. I felt like as the emotion and tension was building in the forest birth scene, it was actually reduced by the palace scene. They did the same thing during the baby-retrieval scene. I should probably just admit to myself it's because they kept cutting away from Rufus.
A couple of other random thoughts:
-The opening credits animation is cool.
-I haven't noticed a weak link in the cast yet.
-I do agree with a couple of the reviewers that the women are all pretty feminist for the 12th century. I don't mind that, but it probably would have been more realistic if one of them was more conventional.
-The sex scene between Reagan and Percy cracked me up. I think "mechanical" is the word that comes to mind.
-I hope the loft scene doesn't mean we don't get the cave scene where he's got her pressed up against the wall. Oh, sorry, I've gone back to shallow.
WICHIWOMAN
I was thinking the exact same thing! Go Rufus Go! It had to be hard to run with all those clothes on. (mmmm....me thinks he could have run much better without clothes! )
Spoken like a true fangirl!
No, they better not have cut that scene out!
JUDYPATOOTY
YES. HE DOES.
SPOILERS
I agree 100% about Action Tom! I had forgotten how "vigorous" shall we say, Tom was in the book. But I guess it would be expected of a strapping master mason.
I agree wholeheartedly with your random thoughts, Rueful. Especially that one about Reagan and William's bathtub "sex" scene. THAT was not in the book, though. The screenwriter added in that new aspect of William's relationship with his creepy, power-mad, manipulative mother.
Just this morning I was remembering bits and pieces from Episode 2 and I think the one scene that hit me the hardest was when Tom first saw his infant son at the priory, knelt down and held him in his arms. Oh. my. goodness. What an emotional, moving scene. My heart was absolutely breaking. Rufus played that SO well.
KYGAL
« Reply #30 Yesterday at 2:23pm »
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My mom enjoyed it and felt it went along with the book as best it could. Everyone is good but I agree Rufus steals the show as Tom. Glad we get to see Rufus on a weekly basis for a while anyway.
WICHIWOMAN
« Reply #31 Yesterday at 5:00pm »
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I watched it for the third time last night. Hubby and son watched it last night and really enjoyed it.
I'm confused on one of the key points in the latter part of episode 2. Maybe someone could explain please?
MAJOR SPOILER
Bigod and Prior Phillip visit King Stephan to get land to build the new cathedral. King Stephan tells them that he's already made Hamleigh the new earl and therefore has rights to the land BUT he might change his mind if Bigod and Phillip can come up with a convincing argument. Philip and Regan Hamleigh negotiate for quarry versus forest. Regan tells Philip that Bigod will control him and all money and offers Philip her money to build the cathedral, which Philip turns down.
This is where I lose the story. After leaving the king, Bigod accuses Philip of stealing and Philip accuses Bigod of lying. What was Bigod accusing Philip of stealing? And was Philip accusing Bigod of lying because he wanted control of the cathedral?
END MAJOR SPOILER
Thanks!
RUEFUL
« Reply #32 Yesterday at 6:34pm »
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SPOILERS
I'm glad you mentioned that, reformeddruid. I was surprised at how old the "boys" were, because even though I haven't read the book, I was sure that they were supposed to be younger. Good to know I'm not totally crazy. I guess the change was partly due to time constraints, but it would make more sense for Alfred to hate Jack if he'd known him longer and saw him gradually usurp his position with his father. In the movie, Alfred has sort of an instant, inexplicable dislike for Jack. (Guess we have to go back to the PTSD theory Wichi and I discussed.)
Oh, that's interesting. I wonder why they didn't use that detail, if they were concerned (which I think I read somewhere) about Tom's likeability after the baby abandonment.
[/quote]Jul 24, 2010, 2:15pm, kygal wrote:
The blood and violence was there but I was surprised, being on cable at 10 pm, that the rape and sex scenes were not a bit more graphic.... would have liked a bit more of the other with Tom and Ellen. Where is Numbat when you need her![/quote]
Agreed!
My understanding is that Bigod originally had suggested that they ask the king to give the lands to that diocese (which is run by Bigod). He implied to Philip that he'd use the money to rebuild the church. Then Reagan Hamleigh told Philip that Bigod really had plans to use the money to rebuild his own Bishop's castle, and had the architect show Philip the building plans that Bigod ordered. So she and Philip agreed to talk the king into splitting the lands (castle, forest, quarry) between the Hamleighs and the priory which Philip runs (and not the diocese,which Bigod runs). Thus Philip would have control of the money, which he would use for his church, not Bigod's castle. And that's why they made the mutual accusations.
The reason I think it was confusing was that they omitted the scene where Philip and/or the Hamleighs made this subsequent pitch to the king. So the question was, how did Bigod know Philip had anything to do with the king's decision?
I have watched this again (3rd time for me too Wichi, although admittedly the 2nd time was just Roofing). It's just so well done, regardless of any minor questions I might have.
WICHIWOMAN
« Reply #33 Yesterday at 8:10pm »
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Thanks Rueful. I thought I was missing something.
I found this review. She was listening to the audio book while driving. Hilarious!
MAJOR SPOILER!!!!
So, despite knowing in advance about an extremely WTF? sex scene towards the beginning of the book (thanks, Brigdh!) I STILL almost drove into a ditch when it happened. I was so busy shrieking, "WHAT? WHAT?" while staring, agog, at my radio, that my wheels just, you know, wandered. (I'm normally a really safe and conscientious driver, I SWEAR.)
Other notes:
More thoughts on the sex scene: REALLY? REALLY? I mean... REALLY? He's malnourished, dehydrated and completely, utterly exhausted from being up all night during Agnes' labor, then digging her grave, burying his dead wife, walking until daylight and then retracing his steps -- so exhausted, etc., that he's practically hallucinating -- and he has no performance problems? HE IS OBVIOUSLY THE MANLIEST MAN OF ALL TIME. And were the kids there the whole time??
Okay, and so Tom left the baby on Agnes' grave. As I doubt the newborn was doing any crawling, the priest presumably found the baby in the same spot. Right? Yet the priest didn't notice that the baby was lying on a freshly dug grave? Then again, I've only just listened to that part, so maybe he's holding back the truth in front of the big group of monks.
The repetition continues -- seriously, after Agnes died, Tom listed off EVERY SINGLE THING that'd happened so far. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. I mean, I get that I'm supposed to be following his thoughts, but good LORD, it's tedious. I'm so happy that I'm with the monks now. Hoo boy, I need a break from Tom. And I suspect that Ellen is going to bug the bejebus out of me -- there have been so many references to her golden eyes that I won't be at all surprised if when she starts to sparkle. NUMBAT
« Reply #34 Today at 7:07am »
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THIS WHOLE POST IS A SPOILER I THINK!!!
Woo hoo - found - watched - twice!!
I mentioned somewhere else that the first time i watched, i was a little unable to follow the story and had to keep asking Mr N to explain it to me - despite having read the book. I maintain this has nothing to do with the bottle of wine i drank while waiting the two hours for it to download.........
Anyhow, watched it again today and i must say it was remarkably easy to follow this time!
I agree with a lot of what has already been said - on first viewing, i did find the pace and the switching back and forwards a little disconcerting, especially in the birth scene. I so wanted just to watch Tom delivering his baby and i wasn't interested in Maude. Selfishness aside though, i do understand the film technique they were employing, but like rueful, i think the emotional impact of Jonathon's birth and Agnes's death was watered down a little by the interwoven story threads.
Rufus's performance in that scene was beautiful but i can't help thinking there was a lot of it left on the cutting room floor.
In general though, i have no complaints about book v movie. The story is more or less true to the book. There are minor details that have been changed but overall it's not too bad.
There's so much that i love about it, i don't want to be
so i'll just get my one bug bear out of the way - i don't really like either of the women that they cast opposite Tom. I'm trying not to keep saying "in the book this" and "in the book that", but i did find that neither of the women fitted the images that i had of them. ITB (in the book) Agnes was described as not being particularly beautiful, but a warm, loving person. Whereas i found her a little harsh in the movie. I know she was suffering, a lot, but i would have liked her to be a little more gentle - especially at the end where she tells Tom to go and build his cathedral. Because up to that point she seemed a little sceptical about the whole idea.
And Ellen - i understand that she has to be a strong woman, but at the same time i pictured her to be more ethereal. And yes, i hate to bring it up, but ITB, her major, major feature was her golden eyes. I just think it's a shame that they haven't featured them. Ellen was written as almost "other worldly" which is what hit Tom in the gut when he first met her. He desired her from their very first meeting. This Ellen is a much bigger, stronger, more forceful woman.
Of course it will be interesting to see what other scenes they have together as the story progresses (i must admit i'm fascinated by this process of having to watch it unfold over a few weeks rather than being able to watch it all in one go), but at the moment i'm not entirely buying their great love. I wonder if Rufus had an opinion on that "roll in the hay scene" as we know he likes to discuss these things with his director - I think it was on the Vinyan DVD that Fabrice described him as a more cerebral and exacting actor compared to Emmanule Beart who was more instinctual. I can imagine that he might have had a few words to ask about why the roll in the hay scene was just that - when there had presumably been weeks and weeks - if not months of build-up of sexual tension between the two. To me it did seem more like a scene between two people who were already intimate - not a "first time". To me a "first time" is either slow and exceedingly sensual or very, very hard and fast. I suppose this tended towards the latter but it wasn't quite, well, hard or fast enough! And the way he looked her up and down after the fight scene where he fell from the balcony made me think they were already getting it on by then. Or they would be that night!!!
But really, Tom? Take your pants off next time, mate.
Apart from the ones i've already discussed, my favourite scenes were when he finds his baby again in the priory - the criticism of himself as not being any good for anyone or anything were heartbreaking - and also his scenes with Matthew McFadyen. Of all the other actors, i think Matthew is the stand out as the gentle Prior Phillip. His struggle with his need to let God guide his hand vs his hidden vanity and desire to build the cathedral is very well handled. And when Rufus and Matthew are on screen together it's a pure delight.
I have to say for as much as i do adore the "roll in the hay", the scene i really love is the one immediately following when Tom leaves Ellen asleep and draws up his plans for the cathedral in stone and then takes them to Prior Phillip. I think that's where we see the real Tom start to show himself.
And the final scene where he and Phillip, Alfred & Jack are standing at sunrise and he sets the direction of the cathedral in line with the sun is pure, pure magic.
But my very, very favourite part of all? When he lays the new born baby on Agnes's grave, he thumbs the side of his nose. Now this may be just an embarassing sign of my obsession, but that is the exact same gesture that Mick makes just before he unbandages Evelyn's blistered hands in the hut and then blows on them. Stupid i know, but i love little moments like that when you spot a glimpse of another character in a gesture or an expression or a way of speaking. Of course there's also a reminder of Paul in Vinyan.........
Can't wait til Ep 3!!!
for it being on, 
for Rufus's acting, in particular in the scenes regarding the baby, 
for the overall quality of the production, and 
for the scene in the loft.
for it being on, 
for Rufus's acting, in particular in the scenes regarding the baby, 
for the overall quality of the production, and 
for the scene in the loft.
rueful - how very clever you are you techno wizz!!! 
You made me spit out my pop, you evil woman!!!
