The only actor in Into the Woods that I was really disappointed with was Meryl Streep -- that role just requires much stronger vocals than she can deliver. Overall, I thought that there were a lot of really good scenes, but it didn't hold together too well, and that it lost a lot of the darkness that should be there.

I'm watching the siege weaponry in Two Towers and remembering how Hubby was offered a job on the movies if he could get to New Zealand. His health had collapsed by then, though I almost wish we'd found a way for him to go anyway.

Saw The Imitation Game. I liked it very much. I remarked to my sister that it was a terrible movie title. But when it was over, it made more sense.

Butterscones Crumpetcakes was great, as was everyone else. Charles Dance will have a hard time getting away from Tywin, though.

I just watched that too. I wasn't impressed, honestly. The movie is paced really strangely and feels more like a highlights reel than a cohesive film - it hit all the obligatory biopic notes and most of the obligatory Britain-in-WWII notes, but the framing device was muddled and awkward. The performances are strong mostly because everyone is playing to type. (There's Benedict Cumberbatch as a borderline autistic smart guy who solves puzzles! There's Charles Dance as the guy in charge of a powerful army who talks down to everyone! There's that guy from Downton Abbey as the guy people feel they can tell secrets to but is politically a little farther left than is socially acceptable at the time! And Keira Knightly, as the girl!)

And Keira Knightly, as the girl!

The brilliant girl.

I liked The Imitation Game, but did not love it. I feel like it would have been a better movie without the framing device and flashbacks. Those flashbacks were totally unncessary, right?? All I thought about during then was how impractical it was to have young boys in white pants. I am amazed that was such a hot property unproduced script. I can see how the story would be hot, but that script? Meh.

Maybe my reality-based drama metric is off kilter. I've been limiting myself to genre shows and movies for a couple of months due to my total disenchantment with reality.

I think my expectations were high, and was bound to be disappointed.

Which isn't to say, I didn't enjoy most of it. I would have been happy to watch a film that was set in the WWII era.

I ran across a really hilarious action sequence from the Indian movie Singham today: [link]