Displaying items by tag: Holliday Granger

MICKEY 17

US, 2025, 137 minutes, Colour.

Robert Pattinson, Stephen Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Tony Collette, Naomi Ackie, Patsy Ferran, Holliday Grainger, Daniel Henshell, Thomas Turgoose.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho.

There were high expectations for Mickey 17. Korean director, Bong Joon Ho, has had a prominent career since the 1990s, range of genre films including The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer and his Oscars, including best film, for Parasite. Here he is taken on an American story, and has treated it both seriously and satirically.

It is 2054, much of a muchness like the present in some ways, Mickey and his friend Tivo trying to raise money from a loan shark to start a business, failure, and the violent aggression of the loan shark. But, in this future, there is space exploration and the setting up of planets. There is also a great deal of scientific experimentation – including processes to create multiples of human beings, living, dying, and then being printed out again, identified with successive numbers. The morality of this process is being questioned.

Enter one of those evangelical church leaders, Kenneth Marshall, played with satiric zest and prominent teeth by Mark Ruffalo – aided and abetted by his smiling but domineering wife, played by Toni Collette. Marshall disapproves of the process but agrees that in some ways it could be useful, that the government should set up an expedition on a new planet, four a half years travel there, and set up a process for multiples, but only one at a time. And, with the succession of multiples, they are also described as “expendables”.

But we are also introduced to Mickey 17, Robert Pattinson enjoying his role. On the new planet, out scouting, he falls down a hole, is menaced by some strange creatures, wondering whether they are animals or aliens, not rescued by his colleague, but, saved, in fact by the creatures. Which gives him the opportunity to give a resume of his original life as Mickey Barnes, and the visual succession of all the numbers between one and 17. But, when he is presumed lost killed, Mickey 18 is printed out, Pattinson again, quite a different personality, tough, determined, rebellious…

And there is a range of characters on the planet, the scientists generally kowtowing to Marshall, young Dorothy being an exception and stepping in to help Mickey 17.  Marshall has his sycophantic assistant, a yes-man, pandering to all Marshal’s exorcist whims, especially in organised religious television programs for the subservience staff on the planet. His wife is always there, but is experimenting with making sauces! In the meantime, there is an officer, Nasha (Naomie Acker) who is in a relationship with Mickey 17.

We can all this go? The capturing of one of the creatures and killing it, and holding a baby to ransom over a furnace. The two Mickeys confronting each other, Nasha and her coping with each of them, Tivo now involved in drug dealing and threats from the loan shark on earth.

There is a solution but, as with most of the film, not always predictable, always some surprises, some satire, some parody – especially with Kenneth Marshall and his final vanity in confronting the aliens.

The original book, by William Ashton, was published in 2022 and the film began production during the Biden era. But, released in the early days of the Trump era, many audiences will be making links! One reviewer noted that Bong Joon Ho was taking the Mickey out of the United States. Yes!

1. Science fiction? Science fantasy? Political fantasy? Space exploration and development? Humanity issues? Moral issues? Philosophical issues?
2. The career of the director, films in Korea, range, science fiction, Oscars for Parasite?
3. The credibility of the plot, situation on Earth, 2054, ordinary life, Mickey and Vito and their plans, finance, the loan shark, the threats? But the political developments, scientific experimentation, production of multiple persons, moral issues, political? The intervention of Kenneth Marshall, support of his wife? His speech, the panel listening, agreement, setting up the centre on the planet? Moral issues, only one multiple?
4. The visuals of the planet, wintry, the spring season, the centre, interiors, rooms, laboratories, meeting room, television programming? The musical score? Songs?
5. The prologue, Mickey, the confrontation with the creatures, falling down, Vito and his taunts, no help? Setting up an atmosphere?
6. Mickey, Robert Pattinson’s performance, as 17 and 18, his background on Earth, volunteering, is recounting the various stages of his life, further printing after deaths, the range of deaths, the range of personalities, situations, experimentation and testing? His relationship with Nash and her support? Mickey 17, in the snow, the story of his acceptance by the creatures, communication with them, the rescue? And discovering that Mickey 18 had been produced?
7. Mickey 18, the different personality, strong minded, confrontational? Encountering 17, their interactions, the episode with Nash, the drugs, sexual encounters? The building up of tension? Especially towards Kenneth Marshall? The agent and her discovery of 17, the attraction, the confrontations with Nasha?
8. Kenneth Marshall, the religious background, the church, his moral stances, vanity and position, relationship with his wife, her advice, domineering? His ambitions, the plan, the multiples, overcoming his moral scruples? His ambitions for success? His manner, his teeth, speech, presiding at meetings, his assistant as flattering him all the time, his interactions with the lab managers, their subservience to him? His wife, her manner, the cooking, the sources?
9. The confrontation with the aliens, the taking of the baby, the shooting, one creature destroyed? The massing of the aliens, the leader? 17 and his ability to communicate? The work on the translation device? Dorothy, her work, personality, helping the Mickey’s?
10. Marshall, his plan, discovering the two, the explosive device to destroy each of them? The flatterers, television, his going out, the speech before destroying them, his continued vanity? His wife waiting at the studio watching?
11. The Mickey’s, the previous clashes, the fights, 17 to fall down into the furnace, saved? With Nasha? Her confrontation with Marshall? Strong-minded?
12. The contact with the aliens, 17 and his communication, Marshall discovering this, the upset? The aliens and then manoeuvres, massing to conceal the leader, then dispersing, the confusion? The condition of the return of the baby threatened over the furnace? Nasha having to hold the baby’s rope in her mouth?
13. The plan is to fire, Marshall unable to give his speech, the explosions, his death? The aliens, the return of the baby? Possibilities for peace?
14. Six months later, Spring, the assembly, Mickey 18 sacrificing himself for the explosion, 17 and his presence, Nasha and her speech, the flashback and his memories during her speech, then his pressing of the detonator to destroy the multiples machine?
15. The banning of multiples? The machine, Marshall’s wife, her reproducing her husband? She being a multiple?
16. The tone of the film, comic and serious, satiric, some parodies, especially Marshall in the Trump era, but issues of science, humanity, ethics, philosophy?

THE INK BLACK HEART

UK, 2024, 4X 60 minutes, Colour.

Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Ruth Sheen, Jack Greenlessirren, Stephen Hagan, Kevin Bishop, Mirren Mack,.

Directed by Susan Tully.

The Ink Black Heart is based on a novel by Robert K. Galbraith, a.k.a. J.A.Rowling. It features her detective, Cormorant Strike, played in all episodes by Tom Burke, and his assistant, then partner, Robin Ellicott, played in all episodes by Holliday Grainger. This is the sixth in the series.

The book has around 900 pages which means a difficult task in adapting it for a television series with four hour-long episodes. However, the series does keep all the key elements of the novel, but some of the background to Cormorant and his relationship with Robert, indicated sometimes by a very brief phone call, allowing the audience to develop aspects in their imagination.

The Ink Black Heart is an animated program for television, and plans for a film version. The key issues concern creativity behind the idea, various claims, murder of one of the originators, a range of suspicions. In the novel, there were pages and pages of transcripts of online conversations, especially from a sinister character called Enemy and another anonymous player in the online games. In the series, these conversations are presented verbally.

One of the creators approaches Robin but the company is too busy – and then she is killed. Robin feels to blame, becomes more involved, studies The Ink Black Heart, becomes more involved in the online chats, experiences the threats of And on me, follows quite a number of leads an interesting potential suspects, enrolling in an art class to gain more knowledge of the suspects. There is also a sympathetic police officer to whom she is attracted.

In the background, there is her birthday celebration and Strikes moved to kiss her and her shocked reaction which puts a great stress on the relationship. There are the other employees of the agency, and presided over by veteran Ruth Sheen.

For audiences who have read the novel, they will be able to fill in a lot of the background – especially the identity of the ultimate killer, the variety of subterfuge is and ability to disguise the sinister presence. Audiences who have not read the novel will have to pay constant attention, especially because of the range of characters and potential suspects.

As with the other episodes in the series, fans of JK Galbraith will not be disappointed.

1. The title, intriguing, the sketches, the origins of the program, the episodes, the animation, the characters? And the flow onto the computer games?
2. The London settings, Strike and’s office, the sabotage and destruction? Strike and Robin as partners? The other detectors and their tasks, surveillance, the characters? Presided over by Pat? Her opening the bomb package, saving the day?
3. Strike and Robin, the work of surveillance, the long hours, Robin and her various disguises, especially going to the art class and her identity, her investigations, her disguise to interview the writer of the book, at the fair? Strike, his disguises, especially the character at the fair?
4. ED lead will, her visit, anxieties, the film too busy, the news her death, Robin going to her agents, the uncle, issues of rights, authorship, the rivals, her relationship with Josh, the attack in the cemetery, his being in hospital?
5. The establishing of various suspects, the boyfriend and his wanting to further develop the partnership, the film? The uncle and the discussions about the film? The role of Josh?
6. The range of women suspects, relationships, the writer of the book, the nervy woman and her mother?
7. The range of men, at the arts Centre, the eccentric manager, the model, his attraction to Robin? Wally and his involvement?
8. The political background, the extreme right, using the cartoon, online, targeting Edie?
9. This is to the up court family, the wife and her involvement as agent and adviser, the father and his medical background, sinister behaviour, moods and relationships? Flavia, her age, put down by her mother? Ghosts, the music, computers, in the background, his final emergence?
10. Visit to Oxford, the professor, his participation and identity, his death?
11. The young sister, Robin and the interviews, her contribution to the mystery?
12. The attack on, and, his injuries? The ups and downs of his relationship with Robin? Pat and her interventions?
13. Strike and, the background of his relationship with Charlotte, her coming to the office, wanting the help, the divorce issue, scandals, the brutality of the husband towards his daughters, the confrontation, power over him?
14. The combination, the visit to the Upcotts, the revelation of the truth about Gus, about Anomie, motivations?

TROUBLED BLOOD

UK, 2023, 4 x 60 minutes, Colour.

Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Sophie Ward, Ian Redford, Linda Bassett, Fionulla Flanagan, Anna Calder Marshall, Cherie Lunghi, Kenneth Cranham, Robin Asquith, Michael Byrne, Ruth Sheen.

Directed by Susan Tully.

This is the film television series based on Robert Galbraith’s novels (a.k.a. J.K.Rowling). They have been a star vehicle for Tom Burke who embodies the central Detective, Cormoran Strike, and made the character his own. As does Holliday Grainger with her portrayal of Robin, his assistant and then his Detective agency partner.

The Galbraith novels are very long and writer, Tom Edge, has been able to reduce the core mystery and detection to 4 episodes. This is the fourth novel adapted by Edge. Many of the characters in the novel do not appear in the series, Edge has the ability to make very short sequences which introduce quite a number of the minor characters very effectively.

There is also a difficulty in Burke’s interpretation of Strike, the writing cutting back on a lot of his background as well has his leg injury so that he is not as distinct from other detectives as he might be. However, it is always interesting to see how he operates, interviews, deductions, contrasting with the liveliness of Robin and her ability to take on different characters, different names, different appearances.

One of the values of this series is that so many veteran British actors have significant roles, including Sophie Ward, Linda Bassett, Fionulla Flanagan, Cherie Lunghi, Ruth Sheen as well as Robin Asquith and Kenneth Cranham. Most interesting is the appearance of Anna Calder Marshall, especially in a final telling sequence, because she is, in fact, Tom Burke’s mother.

The series is a treat for fans of Robert Galbraith (Rowling).

1. The popularity of the Cormoran Strike and novels, the work of JK Rowling? The adaptation of large novels, keeping the key detection line, personal aspects of the characters? Readers, the omission of characters?
2. The personality of Cormoran Strike, background, rock ‘n’ roll singer father, seeing his son as a mistake, the flighty mother, Joan and Ted looking after Cormoran and Lucy? His Detective agency, skills and reputation? Working with Robin? The use of collaboration, partners, the staff? Cormoran and his methods, interrogations, interviews, backup connections, the police?
3. The personality of Robin, her background, the family scenes of Christmas, relationship with Matthew, his deception, the scenes with the lawyers, her defiance, the divorce? Her love for her work, working with Cormoran, her skills of detection, her taking different personalities, identities, clothing, accents…?
4. The basic investigation here, Anna and her partner approaching Cormoran, 50 years since the disappearance of her mother, the background story? The use of flashbacks of the 1970s to dramatise various aspects of story from the witnesses? Intercut with the investigation? Margot, mother and wife, with Oona at the club, her marriage to the respectable doctor, Cynthia as the nanny for her daughter, her practice, the other doctors, the staff? Her disappearance? Various possibilities, the serial killer Dennis Creed, the witness seeing two people struggling in the rain and the phone box, the clients at the surgery, the London gangsters seen at the Christmas party, the film of the violent attack on the woman, the ring, the later identification with the gangster, in the aged care home, his vicious relative?
5. The personal story, Cormoran going to Cornwall, Joan and her dying, Ted and his grief, the effect on Cormoran? Sadness? His sister, her insistence, demands on him? His brother trying to reconciling with his father? Phone calls from his father? His refusal?
6. The lead with the mother and son, the house, the limitations, the talk about magic and the death of Margot, social worker? The investigation leading back to their house, the truth of what happened, the body dragged there, the cement, burying of Margot, the burial place covered, the drugging of the family, the killing of the father, keeping the mother and son at the house?
7. Robin going to the aged care home, the gangster senile, encountering the nephew, his threats, using her wits?
8. The story of the young man, going to the doctor for help, his illness, running away, changing his name, the dead women associated with him? Cormoran and Robin finding him, the interviews, his angry wife, suspicions, and the revelation that he was a victim?
9. Brian Tucker, the grieving father, 50 years against Dennis Creed, Creed in his van, abducting, killing, his presence in the mental institution? Tucker supplying clues? In the background of the inspector who retired, probed all the cult connections – and the later vindication? Cormoran going to visit Creed, the games, the investigation about Margot, Creed giving the information about Louise Tucker,, defying him?
10. The author of the book, the meeting in the pub, his arrogance? The lead for Cormoran to go to visit Janice?
11. The interview with the doctor, his supplying the film, some happy scenes of Margot with her daughter, part of the happy ending?
12. Searching down Gloria Conti, her return to England, the story of the gangsters, the violence, Margot helping her, the significance of her witness about the chocolates? Her being willing to testify against the gangsters?
13. Tracking down Irene and Janice, the discussions, revisiting Janice, her information and stories? Cormoran eventually realising the inconsistencies, the return of the confrontation, her attempt to poison him, the truth, her personality, her satisfaction, the killings, the long talk and her explanation of all that she had done, her motivations?
14. The ending, the preparation for June’s funeral?
15. And the audience anticipating the continuation of the series?