R Doughty

I enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow very much. I have yet to see a movie live up to the great book it was derived from so it is not an insult to say that this miniseries doesn't either. It captures the spirit and sentiment of the book quite well. I just thought the ending was quite abrupt compared to the book which as I recall went quite a bit further in time. As for the casting of persons of color (many different shades) in aGiM, I found it not objectionable at all. The characters they are playing are obviously meant to be Caucasian Russians and not black or brown at all. The actors are doing what they do, act. It is up to the audience to accept the actor in the role he or she is playing, as opposed to objecting to black and brown individuals being present in 1920s Russia. It is theater and there are talented actors of all persuasion out there ready to play a part.

OuBoth my wife and agree that Virginia River does not have the feel of a Netflix original. It was obviously made for network television as evidenced by the 44 minute episode length, leaving 14 minutes for commercials. Someone else mentioned The Hallmark Channel and that is exactly what it feels like. We both agree that the writing is second rate and can't say much for a few of the actor's performances. Tim Matheson is the worst of them and Annette O'Toole seems to over act in most of her scenes. On the positive side, the scenery is beautiful and the main characters, at least the younger ones, very attractive. That being said, Virginia River is obviously a show oriented toward and produced for women and judging by the reviews most of them enjoy it. So I suppose the producers achieved their goal but for me it is practically unwatchable.

My wife and I finished "My Mister" last night. We both thought it was one of the best dramas we have seen in a long time though we don't know quite who to recommend it to as it would not be to everyone's taste. It is dark, moody, brooding, and sometimes slow paced. It is, however, a deeply moving look at the interaction of very real people dealing with the pressures in their lives. It is beautifully shot and written, even with the English subtitles, I thought, with very moving performances. The direction and performances are top notch. It was also very interesting, from the perspective of a westerner, to get a peek into the Korean workplace and social cultures. We were sorry to see it end but it was oh so rewarding. We really loved it. Check out a couple of episodes. I think you may like it too.