A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: I am a Game of Thrones fan, and I have read all of the George R R Martin books on the primary series. I anxiously await his version of the final seasons with Winds of Winter, which has allegedly been completed this year, and the one follow on story A Dream of Spring which is to come. I have been less enthused by the Targaryen prequel House of the Dragon series, and I have not read those books. I had heard about this series to be premiered on HBO, and I decided to read the book before watching the series. I am glad that I did. I can say immediately that the six-part series does not cover the entirety of the book, but rather about half of it. It is set one-hundred years before the activities in Game of Thrones. The story focuses on an ordinary hedge knight, a knight that is not tied to any particular house, and wanders around as a free agent for hire. The knight is named Dunk, or Duncan the Tall, he is played by Peter Claffey. Dunk is a very tall young man, and built solidly. He was a squire to another roaming hedge knight, named Ser Arlan of Pennytree, who passes away in the first frames of episode one. Dunk was knighted before the old man passed away. Dunk buries his master, and sets off with horses and a sword. In short order he comes upon a young bald child who is working in an inn. His name is Egg, and played by Dexter Sol Ansell. The story carries on with a focal point being a jousting tournament in a nearby town.
Dunk “the Lunk” as he calls himself is naive about the world, and his part in it, but he has been taught good lessons growing up. His takes his Knight’s pledges to heart like “defending the innocent” and being honest and true. I see quite a bit of Brienne of Tarth in him, from his large size, but also his commitment to doing things right, and seeing them through. Egg is a young smart lad, who wants to be useful in assisting Dunk as a squire but he is also a source of good information. He knows things, knows people and houses, and he can make things better for Dunk. Overall, the story is a bit slow, and that is reflected in the book too. Of course we can’t just see Dunk as an ordinary knight plodding through towns and farms and gain any insight into the larger houses and issues at play in Westeros for the time. So things happen which are fortunate for Dunk, and can be a surprise to the viewer. In George R R Martin’s world, it is never too wise to become too attached to any one character. He likes surprises and he likes to change direction. This happens here too. This story will succeed if you like Dunk and you like Dunk and Egg together. I do. I think that both do admirable jobs in showing their relationship as it grows and their affinity for one another. They are both young and naive in the world and take for granted a number of things. There is still more to come in the book that hasn’t been shown yet. This story doesn’t have the depth or breadth of Game of Thrones with all the houses and so many stories on so many fronts. This is simpler in scope which is welcome. Westeros has already been well explained, and so a more narrow focus can still tell a good story about two seemingly inconsequential characters, who according to a random woman soothsayer will be more important than expected. I will continue to watch and look forward to a Season 2.
Hamnet and Frankenstein: I saw for a second time both Hamnet and Frankenstein this weekend. I can say that the second viewing re-affirmed my feelings about both films. I still maintain that Hamnet is the best film of the year. I simply love this film, and the places where it goes. It is a love story, both romantic love but also love for children and family. It is about grief, and dealing with loss. It also focuses on an absent father who uses his tremendous gifts to pay tribute to his son, with a wife who watches on and can see his contribution. It moves me, from the music to the performances where Jesse Buckley shows a range of emotion which will earn her the Best Actress Oscar award. I am so very glad that I saw this again with people who had not seen it at all, and relied on me for a movie recommendation. I will admit that their immediate first reaction was “well that was different”. I will also say that the child actors were all excellent, and contributed well to the overall feel of the film.
Frankenstein: I saw this again with someone who had not previously seen it. Her reaction was a question to me about “did you like this?”. The answer is that I didn’t and don’t think that this was a Best Picture nominee. I think that the awards for Production, Costumes, Make Up, Cinematography are all well warranted as this is beautifully made and shot. Del Toro has a certain vibe and feel through his films. I find that this one more closely resembles his earlier film Crimson Peak with Jessica Chastain. He has a good cast, with very busy Oscar Isaac playing Victor Frankenstein, who we learn is the real monster. But my assessment remains the same as earlier reviewed. It is a long film and it is dark. But it is a dark tale. Funny that a doctor who finds a way to cheat death doesn’t give his creation the desired ability to, in fact, die which causes him endless torment. Interestingly, Jesse Buckley from Hamnet is not promoting her new movie The Bride which is a Frankenstein story set in the 1930s.
Mondays With Robbie 