Rated: Suitable for 12 years and over
Staring: Olivia Coleman, Meera Syal, Aidan McArdle, Luke Ward Wilkinson

Beautiful People, 2010-03-08
We loved this series and so did our friends. Saw an episode on tellie and decided we wanted to see it, so bought the series. After you pick your jaw up of the ground (when watching the first one) it was funny and sad and so unbelievable it has to be true, doesnt it?

Rated: Suitable for 18 years and over
Staring: Billie Piper, Callum Blue, Iddo Goldberg, David Proud, Clive Russell
Director: Fraser Macdonald, Peter Lydon, Susan Tully, Yann Demange

Great show!, 2010-01-30
I was very glad that I watched this show. It's much like the book version, but sexier and with somewhat more drama. I thought Billie Piper did a great job as Belle and the supporting characters were interesting and well-rounded. A great, fun and interesting show. Also would recommend the book version, as well The Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Girl.

Staring: Rhys Ifans, Aidan McArdle, Jodie Rimmer, Camilla Power, Daphne Cheung
Director: Terry Johnson

"I don't intend my life to be ruined by success"., 2009-09-24
The film starts with a wry dig at itself for being modern and trying to look like a trendy modern film. Pete and Dud are watching this very film and commenting on the cinematic clichés, and then the story begins...

...After seeing the differences in class background we get to witness the comedy crucible of the 'Fringe' four which led to the meeting of the iconic duo. It is quickly established that Peter Cook is very much on a his own level, a higher plane of satirical intelligence which nobody else can reach - but one which Dudley Moore can appreciate and compliment with his own spontaneous ideas. Momentum builds and the group gain notoriety, eventually making superstars of Cook and Moore. The film continues to analyse itself and progresses the story in an almost episodic format.

It would have been easy to simply chart the story of two people who worked together, but capturing the spirit of them takes great writing skills and even better performances. The film concentrates on Peter Cook and Rys Ifans clearly loves the role. Do you remember when you first saw Jurassic Park and you couldn't believe the special effects which brought the dinosaurs to life? Well that's how I felt watching Ifans managing to shape-shift into Peter Cook. You can put someone in the same clothes and give them the same hair-do, but it takes a sprinkle of acting genius to adopt the same speech characteristics and mannerisms down to the smallest of detail - he even has Peter Cook's eyes!

Aidan McArdle is also great as Dudley Moore. He depicts well the feeling of second fiddle to Cook's overbearing presence, and also the slick Hollywood persona during his international 'sex thimble' years. But the truth is that 'Not Only But Always' centres on Peter Cook. The film is constructed around him and everyone appears either to be intimidated or awed by his presence. The relationship between him and Dudley Moore was infamously less then perfectly cordial, and the film focuses more on the antagonism of the relationship and a battle of ego which Cook could never lose.

This is made for TV and sometimes it's obvious; the airport scene was a blatant cheapo studio set - but as always the focus was on a brilliant Cook moment, the film could have been filmed against a children's doodle of an airport and Rhys Ifans as Cook would have distracted your attention away enough to make is plausible.

In a nutshell: Rhys Ifans *is* Peter Cook, he sold his soul and was possessed by the late comic genius - watching him on screen is like watching Cook himself. The persona of a much revered and often misunderstood man is presented in a way which is often gushing - but also fairly honest. Cook isn't the only character to be dissected on screen though, and a big part of his life was his working partnership with Dudley Moore. The essence of just a few aspects of that relationship are presented to us. It might not be an entirely true reflection, but I can't help but get the feeling that it comes pretty close.

Rated: Suitable for 15 years and over
Staring: Andrew Buchan, Alun Armstrong, Lyndsey Marshal, Rupert Graves, Aidan McArdle

Why only four?, 2010-08-28
I thought this series was terrific -- well worth my ordering it from the UK. I can't understand why the filmmakers stopped at four episodes; there must be many more interesting Garrow stories that could be told. I highly recommend it.

Staring: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling, Hayley Atwell
Director: Saul Dibb

Swaddled in whalebone and wigs, Keira Knightley steps into the restricted world of the Duchess of Devonshire, a royal lady popular with her subjects but stuck in an unhappy marriage. If this situation recalls Princess Diana (a descendent of the Duchess's family), so much the better for the purposes of director Saul Dibb and company; this film is eager to draw parallels with the unfortunate Lady Di, as Knightley's unsuspecting girl is married off to the Duke (Ralph Fiennes), a distracted man who craves male sons, and obviously has never thought of women as anything other than a means to achieve an heir. When the Duchess launches her procreative career with a couple of daughters, well, the Duke begins to get nervous--and partners outside the marriage become increasingly appealing. The Duchess serves up lavish portions of Brit-movie staples: costumes (which, in Knightley's case, are nothing short of spectacular), landscapes and gorgeous music (by Rachel Portman). If it falls short in some vague way, perhaps it's because the film is a mostly one-note affair, meaning exactly what it seems to mean at every moment. Charlotte Rampling appears too briefly as Knightley's mother, and Dominic ...
The Duchess, 2010-09-02
A wonderful movie. Amazing acting by all and helps to explain the days when women had little political influence. Fantastic costumes and experience to watch. You will watch this over and over again.

Rated: Suitable for 18 years and over
Staring: Billie Piper, David Proud, Clive Russell, Chris Coghill, Eileen Essell
Director: Yann Demange, Fraser Macdonald, Peter Lydon, Owen Harris, China Moo-Young

Call Billie, 2010-09-04
Excellent series with great acting, Billie Piper handles an erotic subject and all sorts of scenes with great style and no slides into porn. Cherie Lunghi is great as the "agent" and there is a fine blend of humour, some pathos and the story is very "human". Can't wait for series four. Usual excellent no-fuss ordering and speedy delivery from Amazon.

Staring: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, Aidan McArdle
Director: Tommy O'Haver

we never get tired of it, 2010-01-04
We have borrowed this dvd so many times, I decided to buy it. The whole family likes it...even though there is "some comic violence", most young children can watch this. And Mom and Dad will actually watch it, too. Love the music. SO much better than those princess films.

Rated: Suitable for 15 years and over
Staring: Samuel Barnett, Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Layton Williams, Aidan McArdle

Still fabulous, 2010-08-19
I was worried that the second series wouldn't hold up to the first. But it does. Although when I first started watching it I wasn't sure, but as time went on I discovered it hadn't let me down and it was completely hilarious and genius. Something I can watch again and again!

Staring: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, Aidan McArdle
Director: Tommy O'Haver

we never get tired of it, 2010-01-04
We have borrowed this dvd so many times, I decided to buy it. The whole family likes it...even though there is "some comic violence", most young children can watch this. And Mom and Dad will actually watch it, too. Love the music. SO much better than those princess films.

Staring: Ruth Wilson, Toby Stephens, Lorraine Ashbourne, Pam Ferris, Ned Irish
Director: Susanna White