Artfully adapted from his own wonderful novel by William Boyd, who we had never heard of before. A whole life, made up by good luck and bad luck, weaving real characters (Fleming, Duke of Windsor, Harry Oates) into fiction. Humane, funny, tragic, life-affirming, one of the really great television productions, winning BAFTA for best drama serial, though amazingly, Boyd didn't even get a nod.
"Everything's changed now. Everything's real. Our summer is over."
"Get your passport and go. And try not to fuck anyone on the way."
"He's a C.A.U.C."
The way that Broadbent becomes Macfadyen is superb, a testament as much as anything to the former's art.
One of those films (originally broadcast in four episodes) in which everything works perfectly: acting, music (Dan Jones Appropriate Adult, Criminal Justice, won BAFTA), photography (Wojciech Szepel Tess of the Durbevilles, White Girl, with lots of interesting compositions and shallow focus - Freya's lips through the wine glass), editing (Tim Murrell Gun Rush, My Boy Jack, Clapham Junction, Marples, lately crap-looking horror, though he did contribute to the excellent Parade's End) set and costume design etc. (Also sound, for example, when it disappears.) In fact what is extremely odd about this is that these contributing technicians didn't immediately get propelled into the spotlight. Murrell's editing alone is superb. It's as good as it was the first two times (15 December 2010 and 25 March 2012), which is always pleasing. And it is endlessly inventive, viz. calling dog Bowser after dog food!
And stakeout vandals are not just his best friend but his doctor also! This, where other films are running out of steam.
I also love the fact that the psychiatrist is doodling. "Sex or money?"
Makes me sincerely wish that The New Confessions would be adapted by the same team.
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