War and Peace [CAUTION: SPOILERS]

[QuizteamBleakley]

Anyone watching? All British actors appearing here...

Paul Dano really is the stand out performance in this. His face just tells a story just through his expressions. I was properly shocked when he raged against Helene and had my heart in my mouth when he was talking about Natasha to Andre and telling him to propose.

I agree about poor Denisov proposing to Natasha too. I was so embarrassed for him!

I don't know what to feel about Natasha. I don't like the character in the book particularly so I'm not sure whether that's why I'm not warming to her on screen either.

Denisov's foray into romance was well done; back to soldiering now!

The ball scene was lovely to look at and the interweaving with the rest of the courtship well done.

But I do think Prince Andrew is a little less glamorous than he should be. He didn't seem haughty enough. Pierre is a peach! I would watch this again to see Paul Dano's performance again.

I find Lily James' teeth very distracting

Apologies for bringing the thread down a notch, but I agree with this. She has a way of talking that makes them really prominent and as I've never noticed them before, I wonder if she's doing it for the role.

I'm also shocked to find out that Paul Dano is American! His accent never falters and he is utterly fantastic in the role of Pierre.

I know what you mean about the teeth but I did love this week's episode - the lighting of the ball was magnificent.

Why would you stick your teeth out for a role? She does have a slight overbite, I think! The lighting and costumes for the ball were beautiful!

Why would you stick your teeth out for a role?

I know what Lass means. She DOES have a slight overbite anyway, but I think she's really going for it with the opened mouth and slightly gormless facial expressions; probably because she's trying to play a character who's really too young for her.

Maybe she'll rein it in as her character gets older (DISCLAIMER I haven't read the book so don't know if she gets much older or if she dies in childbirth or of some nineteenth-century fever or something)..

It's been mentioned that Helene is not portrayed how she is in the book with regards to her appearance. However, I do like the actress who plays her. I am also watching Dickensian and she is completely different in her role aside Havisham. She plays both roles so beguilingly.

Aah I know what you mean now! Maybe she's trying to portray a teenager full of wonderment and enthusiasm, which everyone keeps saying she is instead of a narcissist, which is what I think she is!

Helene, I think is blonde in the book and Natasha dark haired. I think she's great time n this though. I keep meaning to watch Dickensian...

In the book, she's 12 at the start, about 16 at the Winter ball and only about 25 at the end of the book, so I don't know understand why, if they wanted an older actress, they wouldn't have just aged the character by 4 years. She'd then only be 30ish by the end, and wouldn't have had to be quite so irritating at the start. It wouldn't change the plot much, except to make it a little less creepy for modern tastes.

I liked the way Prince Andre's character developed from hedonist with a death wish into a more humble, thoughtful man. Is there a big age difference between him and Natasha? He referred to being much older than her.

it's quite well done though - you get the sense that both Prince Andrei & Natasha are caught up in the romance of each other and that it is going to end in disappointment...

i love this,
i love Pierre,

it is so well done and enjoyable,
i am sure Natasha and Andrei are not going to live happily ever after.
Poor Pierre needs to kill off his wife

I am binge watching in my day off. Completely obsessed.
Initially thought I would enjoy some hard shagging with Tom Burke upon the silverware. But now I have seen what a total cad he is I am going to devote my life to helping Pierre make life better for his peasants in his estate and drink tea from fine china.

anybody else think that James Norton is much more swoonsome with dark hair than blonde (lowers tone)?

Yes, * wafflerinchief" he is absolutely delicious, especially in uniform.

I feel only I am the woman who could make Pierre truly happy.

travelled, it's a little confusing, having a musketeer popping up in War and Peace, as it were!
Love your sentiment about helping Pierre! I would like to teach at his school, even girls!

i adored Norton in the linen shirt sitting on his window too, Prince Andrei is the quintessential troubled soul you think you can fix, but I suspect no-one can actually fix him...It does make me want to dust down my aged and unopened copy of W&P because this is clearly a better story even than P&P, where in a way it's more unrealistic to expect that someone like Darcy suddenly becomes a pussycat.

Well, I am finally starting. I adore the book and I've just put the first episode on iplayer. Pierre is perfect.

Prince Andrei is the quintessential troubled soul you think you can fix
Very true. I'm incredibly susceptible to this type, more fool me. I've had a definite thing for Prince Andrei for years.
I must say, James Norton is rather fine; though this Prince Andrei is more like the one in my head.

it's a little confusing, having a musketeer popping up in War and Peace, as it were
Indeed. As is Detective Inspector Rebus masquerading as a Freemason in the last episode.

Mmmm yes natasha that is a much finer prince Andrei. I do have a weakness for him. When I'm in a certain mood i pull out my copy of the book and it falls open at a certain chapter which would cause spoilers for those who do not know the story but .

Am fairly pleased with it so far.

Agree Hellzapoppim cos Athos is a real gentleman and a tortured soul, but Dolokhov is just a drunk k and a no good letch.

Linen shirts are so classy, Waffler' and do you know, ( whispers) they didn't wear underwear, just tucked the shirt round their nether regions.

I saw Dolokhov described as a possible psychopath. He's not a nice chap that's for sure.

Watched it last night on iPlayer and cried at that last scene between Pierre and Andrei talking about Natasha. I just love Paul Dano's Pierre.

I cried at that too, Igneococcus. DH just didn't get why it was a really sad scene at all!

Paul Dano (who I'm not conscious of ever having seen before) is just wonderful.