Kenneth Branagh is simply amazing. We already know this. He’s so full of humanity, human emotion, human feeling, human this and that and the other thing. Kenneth Branagh is chock-full of acting goodness. I always watch his movies with at least some modicum of fascination, and I can’t take my eyes off the screen.
Furthermore, I had no idea Cynthia Nixon was such a good actress. I realized this very, very early on in the film. Of course, I’ve only seen her in Sex and the City… but still. She’s wonderful!
Some notes:
- Does anyone else get the impression that FDR was stricken with polio as divine punishment for his marital infidelity? Most of you will already know that I have progressive views on fidelity of any sort, but I still got this feeling from the script…
- “…And make it a feast? Here’s a five-spot.” Wow. Just… wow.
- How authentic do you think this script was written to be? I rather wonder. How much can you condense a great story before it becomes fiction? Are all great stories fiction, regardless of their authenticity?
- It’s such a pleasure to see Tim Blake Nelson as Tom Loyless. I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything but O Brother, Where Art Thou… and he’s just so good.
- I am continually blown away by the quality of HBO offerings. The scripts, the acting, everything is absolutely amazing. Carnivale is another example of television at its finest. I really think I need to see Deadwood soon.
- “When I can walk, I’ll run.”
I wanted the film to go on much longer than it did – I would’ve sat here for three more hours to watch the rest. Hell, they could’ve covered the years before his presidency and each re-elected term. I was really enjoying myself! And I think if this is released on DVD, it’s going on my wishlist. Especially yummy television.
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