Critics give Benedict Cumberbatch a thumbs up for Parade's End performance
Benedict Cumberbatch’s new period drama Parade’s End depicts life in World War I England and the co-production between HBO and the BBC has so far impressed TV critics, with the first of five episodes, due to air on HBO tonight (February 26, 2013). Tom Stoppard worked on the adaptation of Ford Madox Ford’s work of fiction and Benedict Cumberbatch (playing jilted husband Christopher Tietjens) and Rebecca Hall (Tietjens’ straying wife, Sylvia) are the undoubted stars of the show.
Both Cumberbatch and Hall have stellar reputations in the UK, though Hall is better established over the pond, having starred in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Once the inevitable comparisons to that other popular period drama Downton Abbey are out of the way, New York Times praise Cumberbatch for his delivery of lines such as ‘I shan’t have a house again, anything beyond a flat looks like impudence in a man who can’t keep his wife,’ writing that “It is to Mr. Cumberbatch’s credit that he delivers such lines without a smile or a smirk, as befits his unusual character.” They add that Cumberbatch is “almost unrecognizable in this role,” a sure sign that he’s not conforming to type – good news for any serious actor looking for challenging roles.
Elsewhere on Popmatters, Hall is described as a “firebrand” and argues that Sylvia “emerges as the most fascinating character in Parade’s End by several degrees.”
Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares to come to a climax as ‘The...
The most riotously enjoyable Marvel movie yet, this action epic benefits hugely from the decision...
With his friends and his hammer, Thor is virtually unbeatable by any creature in the...
As Guardians of the Galaxy did two years ago, this action romp comes at the...
Before Doctor Strange was ever brought into existence, the man behind the hero was a...
Stephen Strange is one of the most talented neurosurgeons in the world, he's still relatively...
With virtually the same blend of wit and idiocy as the 2001 original, this fashion-scene...
Though Derek and Hansel have left the world of fashion modelling behind them, a part...
For a biopic of a real-life person, this feels like an oddly standard mob thriller....
Derek, Hansel and some other familiar faces are back in Zoolander 2! After offering their...