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Post by kissmekate on Feb 4, 2011 9:31:54 GMT
Zen let in a nice bit of sun into our winter evenings. Ohhh yesss! Thanks for posting that  |
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Post by robela on Feb 4, 2011 10:48:21 GMT
Watched Ratking again last night and the Making Of for the first time. Andy Harris the Producer said that when he saw Rufus in the West End in Rock and Roll he wanted Rufus to play Zen which was being planned at the time He said that the time is right in Rufus' career for him to play Zen. He said that Rufus is exactly right for this role and it fits him like a glove. This is exactly what I have been feeling since first seeing him in Zen. Zen will make Rufus a household name I am convinced of it. I would be surprised if they are not aleady scheduling the next series of Zen. I hope that Rufus stays the same as he seems to be now. In that he is really down to earth and friendly and does not act like the big movie star. Did you not pick up on how enthusiastic all the production and cast were about the Zen project. I'm sure Zen is here to stay.  |
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Post by zenina on Feb 4, 2011 11:36:27 GMT
You are welcome for the "winter gem" post. I'm not a big crime fan but I loved it also because of the below mentioned facts Even if you don’t like crime drama, the Roman Architecture and sumptuous Italian locations will make this a pleasurable viewing experience. Zen let in a nice bit of sun into our winter evenings. ;D |
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Post by rueful on Feb 4, 2011 15:43:21 GMT
Thanks for posting those two positive reviews, Dippy and Zenina. They keep adding up, don't they?  Starring Rufus Sewell (A Knight’s Tale, Amazing Grace) the show’s balance of dark and seedy crime, corruption and murder mixed with comedic coincidence and the lead’s witty and surprisingly intelligent plans is certainly one worth a watch. Great description of the show's strengths! |
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 7, 2011 19:43:06 GMT
I just re-watched Ratking while ironing. Normally crime dramas don't work with me several times over because then the suspense is gone, but the little nuances that Rufus gives to Aurelio Zen, along with the witty humour and the supporting characters whom I've grown to like, make it fun to watch again and again and again. I liked the reserved, calm, underplayed and almost restrained way he behaved around the Miletti family, very careful about his moves. And the moments when he's sad (especially when he remembers his dad - it always makes me think that there's some of his real feelings in that scene ...) or disappointed (when Tania leaves), showing so much emotion with a look, a tilt of the head or a small gesture, are just so moving. The desk joke never fails to make me laugh, especially the final scene with Hueber  And the "Chief Zen" face is absolutely priceless. |
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Post by zenina on Feb 7, 2011 20:32:32 GMT
I just re-watched Ratking while ironing. Normally crime dramas don't work with me several times over because then the suspense is gone, but the little nuances that Rufus gives to Aurelio Zen, along with the witty humour and the supporting characters whom I've grown to like, make it fun to watch again and again and again. I liked the reserved, calm, underplayed and almost restrained way he behaved around the Miletti family, very careful about his moves. And the moments when he's sad (especially when he remembers his dad - it always makes me think that there's some of his real feelings in that scene ...) or disappointed (when Tania leaves), showing so much emotion with a look, a tilt of the head or a small gesture, are just so moving. The desk joke never fails to make me laugh, especially the final scene with Hueber And the "Chief Zen" face is absolutely priceless. Kate - you really nailed down what makes it also easy for me to watch it again and again. I always discover something new in Rufus' acting - like you said, a tilt of his head, a raised eyebrow, a tiny little thing that says more than words but is therefore even more impressive and watchable. I rewatched Vendetta over the weekend and one scene I especially love is when he goes to Tania's place after he had called her and she gets into his car and she tells him that she doesn't want to tell him about her situation. He's doing so little in that scene but it is more than words could tell. And the desk joke is priceless ;D |
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 8, 2011 8:55:53 GMT
He's doing so little in that scene but it is more than words could tell. I love that sweet little fleeting smile when she tells him he's a bad liar  A beautiful and heartbreaking scene in "Ratking" is his thank-you scene with Mamma. Again, just small gestures, this look in his moist eyes, but you can feel he's afraid and wants to take what might be his last chance to tell his mom he loves her. |
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Post by zenina on Feb 8, 2011 9:07:43 GMT
A beautiful and heartbreaking scene in "Ratking" is his thank-you scene with Mamma. Again, just small gestures, this look in his moist eyes, but you can feel he's afraid and wants to take what might be his last chance to tell his mom he loves her. Yes that's definitely also one of my favourites. Another favourite is I think in Vendetta, after he was sick during the night and he downs his espresso standing then wipes the cup clean with his finger and licks the foam away. I think it's a cute gesture and it feels kind of homey. (hope this makes sense |
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 8, 2011 9:20:23 GMT
Have you seen the espresso-themed wallpaper, Zenina? It has two very cute pics of that very lovely scene in it (and adorns my desk pad ). |
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Post by zenina on Feb 8, 2011 9:23:59 GMT
Have you seen the espresso-themed wallpaper, Zenina? It has two very cute pics of that very lovely scene in it (and adorns my desk pad ). I might have seen that - but is it in the Rufus Wallpaper thread? |
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 8, 2011 9:32:25 GMT
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Post by zenina on Feb 8, 2011 9:35:28 GMT
Thanks ;D Yes I remember seeing this - if he was going to do ads for coffee I would buy it |
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Post by tipou on Feb 9, 2011 13:25:15 GMT
hello dear fellow rufians as i am home skulking and sneezing with the worst case of the flu i had in years, no, in decades, here is a little gem i found on imdb. it is a review from an italian viewer (i wonder how dreamer would review the review - oh! dreamer!) hope no one posted this before and i missed it! A very good approximation of Italy., 12 January 2011 Author: scovazze from Italy *** This review may contain spoilers *** I'm Italian, so I was curious to see the show because it claimed to portray "real" Italy, not the oh-it's-so-lovely-in-Tuscany crap. Pretty accurate. I won't go into the detective plots, which are average at best and full of implausibilities (also, the reality of Italy in 2010, with Berlusconi in charge and all that it implies, surpasses any fiction...  ); I won't complain if a guy throws himself from a balcony of a prostitute in full daylight and it doesn't make the news or cause a new investigation: the show thrives on visuals, on quirky dialogue and on its actors. And Rome itself looks like the most beautiful place in the known universe - which it basically is. Some scenes are so lovingly shot in golden light that you nearly feel the heat in those narrow alleys, in the eternal Italian early Summer that Zen probably inhabits. Rufus Sewell is absolutely Italian, totally rocking the suit-and-sunglasses look (if you think he looks pretentious walking around like that, try walking through central Rome any day; guys like that are a dime a dozen here). He also nails the body language - in CABAL, the face he makes when Arianna tells him she is "a lady of the night" is really "in a different language" compared to how British actors would ever react, and the scenes with his Mom (who by the way is a French actress but nobody apparently noticed the different accent) perfectly express the way Italians feel forever 12 when under the scrutiny of their Mamma. I didn't mind that each character spoke in their own accent, it doesn't distract much; however Caterina Murino is really unintelligible, heck, I have much less of an accent and I'm not even in showbiz. However she just needs to be there, look beautiful and wear improbable garish blouses (THOSE are really fictional, no Italian woman in an official environment like a police department would wear them; definitely some male fantasy of what a desirable Mediterranean woman must look like). She doesn't seem to have much personality yet, we'll see if it gets better later. I wonder what is the point of Francesco Quinn's character, but I also guess they're just introducing him for the next stories. Zen (yes it's a real Venetian name, it sounds more like Tzenn) is no hero and is actually often rather "sfigato", which is a refreshing change from all those heroic American cops or the tortured musings of a Wallander. It will be really funny when this show - a co-production - gets dubbed into Italian and shown on our TV. People will find all kinds of faults with it. But you see? I'm being really Italian! I already see the worst-case scenario! People like me are the kind of world Zen lives in, and he's perfect in it. there are other fun comments, like "Sewell's excellent suitability for the role" (i guess everyone noticed the clothes), but also nasty ones:"Sewell is competent and sophisticated but often bland and monotone" - hve they seen the same series as i did? one reviewer mentioned one element : the perfect duration time of 1:30h. it seems evident to us, Masterpiece viewers, but hey, this is a darn good point. we CAN, as an audience, concentrate for a bit longer than the usual 60 minutes (with commercials) that we are fed daily, and a longer program makes for a deeper story, better characterisation, and more than clever one liners. i, for one, would love to have 1:30h "house, md" episodes. or, "damages". or "criminal minds". or.... |
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Post by GreenEyesToo on Feb 9, 2011 14:16:00 GMT
Thanks, Tipou - but sorry to hear you're suffering from the flu. Hope that doesn't linger too long, but you can use it as an excuse to snuggle up on the sofa and have a Rufathon!
Nice to have the Italian p.o.v. The "bland and monotone" bit brings me back to what I'm always banging on about, that people don't seem to appreciate (or even notice?) subtlety anymore. Is it because so few actors have that talent? Is it not "acting" unless it's showy/accentuated/over-the-top? Less is more, surely?
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 9, 2011 15:01:54 GMT
as i am home skulking and sneezing with the worst case of the flu i had in years, no, in decades, here is a little gem i found on imdb. Oh, you poor thing *hugs* Hope you'll be better soon. That dreadful bug is rampant here, too, knocking people down by the dozen  Thanks for that beautiful review. Good to hear from Italians that they have captured the "Rome feeling" alright! That's our Rufus! Love that one! GE2, you're totally right again about subtlety. Obviously some people are incapable of recognizing how much can be expressed in a tiny little gesture (and if the actor does it the right way, that can be much more than some others manage to convey by overacting!) |
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); I won't complain if a guy throws himself from a balcony of a prostitute in full daylight and it doesn't make the news or cause a new investigation: the show thrives on visuals, on quirky dialogue and on its actors. And Rome itself looks like the most beautiful place in the known universe - which it basically is. Some scenes are so lovingly shot in golden light that you nearly feel the heat in those narrow alleys, in the eternal Italian early Summer that Zen probably inhabits.
