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Post by zenina on Feb 6, 2011 22:15:32 GMT
Okay - I've watched it - all of it, also the "Making of" I'm not good in writing reviews, so I'm not really trying, just some bits and pieces of my impressions after the first viewing. Loved Rufus' portrayal, so subtle and yet emotional. He can express so much just with his eyes, a twitch of his lips, a smile, a look. It's all there. A wonderful sumptous production, the costumes, the sets everything. All the other actors were great. But I have to admit that I have a very low tolerance for tantrum throwing screaming women and with the exception of Nell - all the others escpecially Barbara Villiers and Louise were grating on my nerves and I wished that Charles would just get rid of them. I did like Shirley Henderson's portrayal of the queen (even though she also threw a tantrum - but I guess I would have as well in her situation ) Will certainly have to watch it again for the sheer pleasure of watching Rufus act and move in all kind of ways ;D And Rufus looked really like Marke in the Making of. I love his looks also with his hair cut so short.
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 7, 2011 8:33:06 GMT
Another Charles convert. How nice! Glad you liked it so much, it's really one of his best performances (and so much screentime! ) I'll have to re-watch that rather soon ...
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Post by zenina on Feb 7, 2011 12:07:58 GMT
How could one not like him in this And btw, I think you mentioned this as well Kate - I got a free lesson in english history. ;D
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Post by robela on Feb 7, 2011 12:09:02 GMT
Agree with you Zenina - glad you enjoyed it. When I said previously that Helen McRory overacted, what I mean't was what you have said. She got on my nerves. Having watched again and again I know that she gave a really good performance. The Making Of is wonderful just to watch Rufus talking in his natural way with Shirley about the characters of their parts. Charles II did let his 'women' get away with 'tantrums' which at that time must have been unusual. Rufus plays Charles very real, very moving and you believe in him. This must be one of his best performances. He must be proud on this one.
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Post by zenina on Feb 7, 2011 12:24:22 GMT
Helen McRory did certainly a good job acting wise. I really disliked her character and I think that's proof that she gave a convincing performance. I just have a hard time to understand how a man can fall for such a tantrum throwing hyena - but I guess her other assets made up for this. The same goes for Louise - arggghhhh. And of course Rufus makes up for all this as well. I gladly suffer through the ladies tantrums to be able to see and hear the man ;D
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Post by anyother on Feb 7, 2011 18:12:03 GMT
I still don't understand what he saw in Louise, either. But imagine having only sympathetic characters...that would be boring.
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Post by kissmekate on Feb 7, 2011 19:31:06 GMT
Well, Barbara Villiers was annoying, but at least she was clever, even if in a scheming and cunning way. That Louise figure was nothing but a spoiled and stupid girl!
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Post by GreenEyesToo on Feb 7, 2011 19:57:21 GMT
This must be one of his best performances. YES!!! The scandal is that he wasn't even nominated for a BAFTA for this. If he had, he would surely have won.
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Post by robela on Feb 7, 2011 23:24:03 GMT
I so agree with you GE2. He definitely missed out for Charles II in the awards stakes, also for TOTS.. Lets hope he will get nominated for POTE and also ZEN.
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Post by chocolate on Jun 3, 2011 12:00:01 GMT
I received my DVD of Charles II three days ago. At the moment I am at the middle of the series and ... I am speechless. I did not expect such film, nor such performance by Rufus. Not that I had ever any doubt he was great actor, just did not expect the extend of his ability to mesmerize. I will complete my review later, much later probably, only wanted to express how I felt now, when it is very fresh and genuine. I only wonder why (in God's Name) he hasn't been awarded for this role?!
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Post by lovethemanrs on Jun 3, 2011 12:43:07 GMT
Those of you who follow the Cap It thread already know of my love for Charles. Charles is one of my favourites amongst Ruf's character portrayals. I just adore him in so many parts, for varying reasons. But as far as Charles II is concerned, it's in my top 5 because: Absolutely brilliant performance from Rufus - filled with passion and emotion and intelligence. Amazing sets, costumes and supporting cast. My favourite scene in Charles II just has to be the fencing scene. Rufus is just so amazing in this. Very sexy and the intense expressions he displays whilst dueling with Buckingham are just astounding. Our man is an amazingly talent actor indeed. Special thanks to Rufus, he actually got me interested in some history on the royal family. I was intrigued about Charles II and wanted to know more about him, so Rufus got me to do some reading!! Well done that man. I am quite a 'fussy beggar' and I do not like that many actors to any great extent, but Rufus is one of the best I've seen in a long long time (if not the best). I do hope that one day he will be given more recognition by the film and TV industry and elevated to a standing more in keeping with his talents. With regard to Charles' women. Yep several of them got on my nerves too. Most notably Louise and Barbara, but they were good in their respective roles. Re: "The making of" - saw this for the first time when I stayed with Robela recently. When I first saw Rufus I thought he looked like a cuddly puppy dog - just adorable and very Lord Marke-ish. He seemed so thrilled and almost in awe of being in the place where Charles had lived. And when he was wandering around with Shirley Henderson, he was just charming. They are wonderful together (TOTS) is another of my all time faves. I hope they get a chance to work together again in the future.
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Post by megagem on Jun 3, 2011 20:37:46 GMT
Completely agree. I stayed up until nearly 4:30 am watching it for the first time on youtube as Rufusitis was beginning to ravage me a few months ago, and as soon as I saw how he looked in this I thought "MUST. OWN. NOW." As I've said, I hate that A&E cut out an entire hour of material, but thankfully it's posted in full on YT. At first it was about the looks (I've since evolved into a hardcore serious fan, but still allow myself a fangirly squeal now and then ;D) but I thoroughly enjoyed Rufus playing this role. Charles instantly brings a smile to my face because...well, how can you not smile when Charlie's around? That sparkle he has in his eye almost constantly, that determined stride, that firy determination when he's fencing (LTM ) and his constant love for Catherine despite their lacking relationship. He's a good guy, and I can't imagine (after seeing it) anyone but Rufus playing him. I agree with LTM, the sets and costumes were fantastic and I actually really liked Roof in the wig. He carried himself so well in his costume, exactly how I'd picture Charlie would've done. My favourite scenes are small varied bits scattered about (like the blindfolded kiss, the bit where Charles wakes up his sister and holds a finger to his lips, the address to Parliament, his reaction to Catherine's illness after miscarrying their child, and when Louise scoots herself over to him when they're sitting on the bench outside, just to name a few). Speaking of Louise (and all his other ladies)...Louise was annoying but she made me laugh so much. There seemed to be some sort of meaning behind all of Charles' relationships but that one. With Barbara (who I loathed....I don't like Helen McCrory anyway, and I don't know why), I think he was attracted to her wiles and determination; with Catherine, although the marriage was based on politics, he was thoroughly charmed by her and her dedication to him; and with Nell, well, I think it would've saved him a hell of a lot of trouble and time if he'd have just strolled down Drury Lane more and bought some oranges. I think Nell and Charles were perfect for each other. Her wit and charm matched his perfectly and he loved her the most our of his 'other girls' (as proved within his final words: "let not poor Nelly starve"). Nell's definitely my fave of his girls. I enjoy it every time I watch it and LTM is right, in the making-of segment, Rufus looks exactly like a cuddly puppy dog. So funny seeing him that way after you've been used to seeing him mostly clean-shaven and in a giant wig after all that time ;D and I definitely agree with LTM's thoughts on Shirley Henderson. I think they're an acting match made in heaven! I knew nearly nothing about Charlie to begin with and ended up falling for him rather quickly....hmm...that sounds rather familiar about someone else we all know and love that just happens to look exactly like this version of Charles
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Post by robela on Jun 3, 2011 22:49:34 GMT
Brilliant reviews there from LTM and Meg. Totally agree with both of you (and most others of us). Charles (Rufus) is fantastic, Seeing Charles II on tv was when I first fell bigtime for Rufus! He is just stunning in Charles, with the wig and the costumes. What is it with this marvellous guy, a stupendous actor, who happens to be one of the most handsome men on the planet. He makes dramas like Charles II, Taming of the Shrew, Pillars of the Earth and Zen The Italian Detective, all fantastic productions, with him acting superbly in every one. None of them except TOTS get nominated for any honours. As LTM said 'he was robbed of the BAFTA for TOTS, just missing out'. He has been so unlucky in this respect. Why have not Charles II, or POTE or last but not least Zen been nominated for anything. Seems so unfair to me. Cannot understand at all.
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Post by tipou on Jun 4, 2011 4:24:33 GMT
nice reviews, ladies. really good comments. i am so partial to chuck2. definitely great work from everyone involved. as meg said, its not only looks, its the fact that such movies/series actually make us curious to know more about history, on top of entertaining us! why this did not get an award for rufus is a mystery to me too.
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Post by chocolate on Jun 12, 2011 22:51:31 GMT
„Everything he does is magic”... I have been thinking about my review for Charles II here for a while now, and this quote from Sting keeps on appearing in my mind. Not that we necessarily need another review after so many wonderful pages already (I have read them all!), but still it felt like a part of my obligation to Rufus and as a member of the board is to put in the internet space my thoughts on his performance in the show. To start off I wanted to say that when I bought my DVDs from the BBC shop I did not know about all the dramatics around the different versions of the series! Now when I think what a big disappointment I have avoided... The movie God loves me, I suppose (together with some of my rational thinking). The first time I watched the films I stopped at the middle and crowled back here to read and write a few sentences simply to express my excitement at the moment of its peak. And now, after watching the show several times from begining to end, and after some time to digest the iformation and to settle my emotions, when I think about the four films, It feels like I have found and lost in a matter of several hours a new and dear friend in the face of Charles. I felt all his pain and joy, his hopes and dissapointments, his grief and his majesty, that at the end, when he was dying, I did not cry, my eyes felt only tender. It is unnatural for me not to cry over movies, I am probably the first one to have my tears rolling quietly, and it only comes to show here that at the final moments of the film I felt a bit of sadness and grief, and a bit of relief, because the battle to win in a such a difficult war for Charles was finally over. That is how convincing Rufus can be. Watching him play you forget where you live and when you live, he transforms the world around you into a moment, and makes you believe you are in it with him,with his many love(r)s, with his most sacred moments of hope, with the tears in his eyes after the loss of almost all of his friends and loved ones, in the pursuit of a higher goal and following his principles. I only do not agree with his words in „The Making of” when he says that Charles has been a good and a bad king. For me he was a real man, who was also a king. I didn’t find anything bad in the character, only the many faces of a person, of a man. He might have been a controversial figure, but not a bad king or a bad person in any way. Actually, throughout the film Charles grew as a very stable, tollerant, sensitive, wise and honorable monarch. I was feeling very sorry for his friends and allies that had to die politically of physically along the way, but I also understood why that had to have this fate. It was indeed a very intimate story seen through the eyes and soul of one very sensitive and talented (in my opinion) actor. (here I do not want to start talking about the wonderful partnership between him and the other actors, the director, the DP, the sets, the costumes, the incredible music and the rest of the production, because it is going to become a too long of a post, and I might get kicked out of the board). For me, the way Rufus interpreted Charles in „The Last King” is the most brilliant and mesmerising of his film performances to date. And I think it is going to stay that way. I hope he will have a long and rich career, with many interesting characters to bring to life, for his and our amusement, but I doubt he will manage to touch me as much as Charles did. Rufus made Charles so human in every aspect of this word. But he does that every chance he gets, and he does it so beautifully!
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