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Damian Lewis fans line up for Wolf Hall tonight

990 replies

Travelledtheworld · 21/01/2015 11:29

Wednesday 21st January BBC2 Channel 4

lush costumes.

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11358197/Damian-Lewiss-inspiration-for-Wolf-Halls-Henry-VIII-Wills-and-Harry.html

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7
5Foot5 · 22/01/2015 23:35

DH used to have a crush on Joanne Whalley. Now she looks much older than me!??

MegBusset · 22/01/2015 23:46

I absolutely loved this. Was very slightly distracted by Jojen from Game of Thrones as Rafe; and (slightly more obscurely) the Norfolk policeman ("Heartbeat") from the underrated classic Fast Show spin-off Grass as Wolsey's other assistant (can't recall character name.

HolyTerror · 23/01/2015 07:37

Maybe the actress who played Liz will be back again playing her sister Jehane?

hackmum · 23/01/2015 09:30

Did anyone else think it looked absolutely beautiful? I thought that was more striking than anything.

I enjoyed it, but there was something about it that made me think it was trying too hard.

funnyossity · 23/01/2015 09:37

I think I need a bigger TV as I thought it didn't look as good as I was expecting! It had looked better in my head.

ladydepp · 23/01/2015 13:58

I thought it was amazing. Mark Rylance just blows me away, saw him on stage in Twelfth night and he was superb- he just owns the stage (or screen!).

Not sure about Damian, he is almost too famous for the role for me. Good actor though.

I thought Anne Boleyn was done very well, haughty but a bit insecure with it. Looking forward to seeing how she gets on Wink

YonicScrewdriver · 23/01/2015 15:47

Pardon my naïveté as haven't read the book but what age child do you think could watch it?

squoosh · 23/01/2015 15:50

There were some pretty brutal scenes of violence in episode 1, flashback scenes where Cromwell was remembering being beaten by his father. I'd imagine 12 and up?

Tiredemma · 23/01/2015 15:51

Love Joanne Whalley- loved her as Queen Mary I in The Virgin Queen (which also had the excellent Ann-Marie Duff in it)

MamaMary · 23/01/2015 15:53

I think this thread is populated by die-hard Wolf Hall fans! Everyone's been very positive about it.

I was very underwhelmed by the first episode. I thought Mark Rylance was a bit bland and wooden - when his family died he did not even seem upset. His slight stature makes him totally unconvincing as the imposing, heavyweight former ruffian/ mercenary that Mantel's TC was.

I also thought the episode was purely structured - it jumped about all over the place for no apparent reason. I have read both books, so I followed it fine- but if you hadn't I think you'd be a bit lost. And yy to Rafe and Richard not being properly explained.

I'm a fan of Claire Foy and thought she seemed ok - we'll see how she develops.

squoosh · 23/01/2015 15:56

Oh I disagree that he didn't seem upset when his family died. I found those scenes and his reaction really moving.

MamaMary · 23/01/2015 15:58

*poorly structured

Also, did anyone notice that Tyndale's English New Testament was in Latin??

YonicScrewdriver · 23/01/2015 16:02

Thanks Squoosh. I'll let DS stick with Terrible Tudors for now!

APlaiceInTheSun · 23/01/2015 16:04

I'm enjoying it, it's really atmospheric. Much of my enjoyment is down to my love of the books though - I've read both of them and there are nuances you miss (eg the significance of Gregory's letter, the esteem in which TC holds Rafe & Richard) but impossible to explain I think without losing impetus.
Holy Liz's sister Johane is played by Saskia Reeves, so Natasha won't be making a comeback.
I think Mark Rylance is terrific (and will be terrifying!) as TC. I think he will grow in stature as the series continues, as the "butcher's dog" becomes the King's right hand man.

Quenelle · 23/01/2015 16:18

I thought the scenes when TC lost his wife and daughters were very moving.

DH did some googling of the characters after watching (he hadn't read the books) and found out that Richard Cromwell was Oliver Cromwell's great-grandfather. I didn't know what the relationship was with OC, if indeed there was one.

HolyTerror · 23/01/2015 16:35

APlaice, I got that completely wrong, then - I thought that as Saskia Reeves looked much older than, and completely unlike, the actress playing Liz (when Liz and Johane are so much alike in their appearance and mannerisms according to HM's Cromwell), that SR was playing Mercy! Hmmm. Weird casting decision. I would have just used the Liz actress in a different wig.

DH remembered MR had lost a daughter as we were watching the implausibly fast but I understand why they had to film it that way girls' death scene.

hackmum · 23/01/2015 16:46

I've read the books and I must admit that a) I found the time shifts slightly confusing and b) I couldn't work out who the characters were. Mind you, when I was reading the books, I couldn't always keep up with who was who.

Mary - I didn't notice that about the Tyndale bible, well spotted!

hackmum · 23/01/2015 16:47

There was one other thing - one of the characters (Cromwell's wife?) said "around one" instead of "at about one o'clock". I'm sure they wouldn't have used "around" to mean "about" in those days. I know that's really pernickety but it jarred a bit when you know they were striving so hard to be authentic.

squoosh · 23/01/2015 16:52

I've just realised that I don't think I've ever seen Damian Lewis is anything, apart from red carpet photos, so I don't have any preconceptions of what he'll be like.

I always picture Henry as Holbein painted him, a big square box on legs with a little square box head.

I'm sure Holbein is spinning in his grave at that description.

HolyTerror · 23/01/2015 16:52

But Mantel's dialogue is largely modern and doesn't make much of an effort to mimic what we know of Tudor vocabulary, grammar etc, so I imagine the adaptation was just deciding to reflect that? It does probably stick out more in a TV version where they've gone to some length to costume and light the sets authentically, though. I certainly noticed it more than when I read the novels.

Quenelle · 23/01/2015 17:08

Damian Lewis will always be the wonderful Dick Winters to me. Loved Band of Brothers.

I like the modern dialogue. If HM in her books, and consequently the programme makers, had striven for authenticity they would be in Shakespeare-style territory, which would not be as accessible to a lot of people. I wouldn't be able to follow an involved story with multiple characters if I was struggling to understand their language.

notsogoldenoldie · 23/01/2015 17:33

Oh...I dunno....I think it would be really good to see it done in the English of the time..perhaps with subtitles?

diddl · 23/01/2015 19:05

I was underwhelmed by Mark Rylance after reading all the gushing abiut him tbh.

But then there wouldn't be hand wringing & dramatics, would there?

Why did Henry marry his brother's widow?

notsogoldenoldie · 23/01/2015 19:24

Why? Presumably because he had no choice. Arthur and Kathryn were betrothed at 3. I believe Henry was 17 when they were wed, and according to some reports it was a love match as well as a marriage of kingdoms.