28 Weeks Later: This is the first sequel to the popular 28 Days Later from 2002 with Cillian Murphy. This sequel was released in 2007. The premise is that time has marched on since the activities in the first film which focused on an outbreak, started by humans through testing on chimpanzees with a “rage” virus carried through the blood, which ravaged the United Kingdom. The sequel begins with an opening in a remote cottage property in England where a couple, played by Robert Carlyle and Catherine McCormack are joined with an elderly couple and some other strangers. They live together to survive, and keep the outside world and its dangers safely outdoors. Things happen. The story continues with a further explanation that the remaining Infected people died from starvation within a few short months and the US forces had entered London with an eye to re-opening it. It was understood that the rage virus and those with it were gone. Still, there was plenty of clean-up and sweeping away dead bodies to occur outside of the military cleared London space, near Canary Wharf. Robert Carlyle meets up with his young children. As they enter the military protected compound, each person is tested and checked for health and the virus. The young boy is noted to have two different eye colours which is unusual. Carlyle and his kids head to their room. Carlyle has an important job in Security within the military compound. The US soldiers manning the rooftops and guarding/protecting the inhabitants are bored and don’t understand the need for all this security if everything is so safe. Things then change the situation dramatically. Rose Byrne plays the Chief Medical Officer who did the examination on the young boy, and she is surprised that children are being allowed into the compound. It all seems very rushed to re-populate.
Her instincts were correct. I liked this movie. As discussed on the earlier review, the premise is very much from The Last of Us. Again, it is the humans who are the real challenge in how they interact with one another. Once again, humans believe that they have a situation under control. It seems obvious that bringing in teenagers and telling them strict boundaries in where they can venture is a recipe for disaster. The clever turn in this story is how the origin of the undoing takes place is a very real and human interaction. Of course there are elements of incredible fortune where parties meet up with one another in fantastic coincidences. London is a very big city, and the idea that parties would just happen to run into one another at a particular time in a particular location seems absurd in the extreme. But in film where an alien can land on a planet, and find the exact person within moments or have them walk on by the logical leap is not too out of the ordinary. The actors are good, and make this believable. Renner, Byrne, Carlyle all provide quality performances. I am still amazed at some of the pictures of an abandoned London that they manage to get. This is worth a viewing, but I will caution that there are some more intense and more graphic scenes in a few places which may be too much for the easily queasy.
The Gilded Age: This is a series on HBO consisting of 9 episodes from the writer and producer British Julian Fellowes, who brought us Downton Abbey, and the movie Gosford Park. Fellowes knows his 19th Century with his version of Upstairs-Downstairs with servants and the masters in the upper crust of society, as that society goes through tactonic shifts. This series takes place in New York City in the late 1880s. It focuses on the fictional Russell family (Bertha and George) played by Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector who are “nouveau riche” who have gained their riches in the railroad business. George is kindly with his wife and daughter but a ruthless business man. They have a palatial residence bordering on Central Park. The “old money” family and rival across the street is the Van Rhijn family run by the Maggie Smith-esque widow Agnes played ably by Christine Baranski. The drama unfolds with the niece of Mrs Van Rhijn, Marion Brook arriving to the house along with an unexpected companion and looking to challenge in the ways of this society. Marion Brook is played by Louisa Jacobson, who is the youngest child of Meryl Streep. Add to this quality supporting characters played by Nathan Lane, Cynthia Nixon and Jeanne Tripplehorn.
While the Russell family is fictional some of the other families within this society are real, like the Astors (the John Jacob Astor who was on the Titanic with a new bride if you remember). The Russells are based upon another family from the time. What is quite remarkable is how the women are wrapped up in their scheming and plans to keep the up social status, while the men are angling to build up America and the city of New York. In the meantime, there are subplots with the servants as they navigate their worlds in their interaction with the moguls. It is all absolutely lovely to look at with the costuming and production design which is top notch. The rooms within the Russell mansion are stunning along with other upper crust houses, with the art that many will recognize. HBO it seems doesn’t do anything with half-measures. The Crown was excellent and for me a cut above this series, but this is all very good as well. I think Downton Abbey and Bridgerton (which I have only watched the first season) are on equal footing. I think that the primary actors are all very good and believable. Viewers will be engaged with them and care about how things turn out for them. The culmination of season one is a massive ball within the Russell household. The clash between the old and the new, which is interesting since however much the Americans fought for their independence from England, they still struggled to separate themselves from the traditions of the English first class ways. I felt a great deal of sympathy for the young women (especially the young Russell woman) who is witheld from entering society by her mother since she hasn’t had the “right people” acknowledge and accept her. How troubling to live in a gold-plated cage. Will this change? You have to watch and see. There are three seasons with another season to come in the future. This, so far, is welcome news.
Mondays With Robbie 