If you like a film with
twists at every juncture then Argylle, Matthew Vaughn’s latest,
is the one for you. It regularly pulls rugs from under your expectations so to
reveal much about the plot would spoil the fun. It is an espionage movie
focussing on a fictional spy Argylle and the woman who writes the books Elly
Conway. However, it doesn’t take long for fact and fiction to blur with an idea
that anyone who is a writer will watch thinking `I wish I’d thought of that`.
It’s a dazzling narrative though by sheer repetition eventually undermines
itself because the viewer will start to correctly guess what the next twist is.
Argylle is not quite a
comedy yet has plenty of over-the-top moments that play out in Vaughn’s
trademark choregraphed anarchy. There are inevitable echoes of Bond and Vaughn’s
own Kingsman series with some pacy sequences including an impressive one
set on a mountainside village plus close quarters peril on a train, in a flat
and even an oil tanker. The signature virtuoso scene involves coloured smoke
and dance moves followed by a showdown in an oil filled boiler room. As with
the director’s previous work the athletic daring of these sequences is
impressive to see though can sometimes look just a bit too poised and pleased
with itself.
The cast have a lot of
fun, a highlight being Catherine O’Hara who rolls with the changes and really
suits this sort of material. Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell make a good
team even if some of their dialogue seems forced. It is the case that the movie
makes its supposed real-life incidents even less likely than its fictional ones
and there are a few jarring inclusions not least the prominence on the
soundtrack of the `final` Beatles song `Now and Then`. It’s described as two
characters’ song from five years ago yet it only came out last autumn having
previously only been known as a scratchy demo. A mid credits sequence suggests
this film has some sort of direct link to the Kingsman series and that Argylle
will have sequels though I can’t see how they can pull off the same trick
twice.
The first season of
Jack Rooke’s semi-autobiographical account of his struggles with university,
sexuality and the death of his father gifted a superb six episodes in 2022
filed with raucous humour yet also tinged with reflective melancholy. Though
often promoted and considered some kind of outrageous gay comedy it would be
more accurate to describe Big Boys as a comedy drama about
friendship, mental health, and grief. This second season leans into these more
serious topics more though not at the expense of the jokes.
While there are LOL
moments all over the place (though fewer extreme ones this time) the most
memorable scenes are infused with different emotions. The incredible final
episode manages to combine flashbacks of Jack’s father’s final days with the
chaos of Shannon’s new baby being born in a sequence that will surely be
amongst the most memorable of the year. Also, anyone who has lived through the
slow decline of an elderly relative cannot fail to be moved by the short
moments we see Danny’s Gran disappearing into her dementia.
This season gives more prominence
to the wider ensemble particularly Harriet Webb’s fabulous Shannon who brings
such mouthy life to every scene she’s in and Izuka Hoyle’s Corinne whose sarcasm
is filled out this time with a warmth and some challenging drama. The episodes also
tackle wider issues ranging from student housing, older people dating, abortion
and parental responsibility with a skill that respects the issues but is still
so watchable. At the centre of it all are Dylan Llewellyn’s sweet, confused yet
this time more confident Jack and Jon Pointing’s laddish but well meaning,
empathic Danny. I wasn’t sure there needed to be a second season but now I am
hoping for a third!
One of a raft of shows
developed in the wake of the huge success of the revived Doctor Who, Merlin
presented a new look for one of the best-known mythical tales. Traditionally
interpreted as a mysterious sorcerer who controlled Camelot, perhaps best
realised by Nicol Williamson in the film Excalibur, Merlin is re cast
here as a young man. He comes to Camelot in the first episode and ends up as Arthur’s
servant while under the tutelage of physician Gaius. Merlin is already blessed
with powers but straight away learns that magic is banned by King Uther for reasons
we later learn are personal.
It’s easy then to draw
a line between any covert hero struggling to hide a secret and while the series
could have allegorical intentions it works best as a straight forward adventure
show. The visual effects may seem a little less dazzling than they do on modern
series but they still impress especially the dragon kept chained underground to
whom Merlin frequently comes for somewhat elliptical advice. Catching an
episode when channel hopping made me decide to give the first season a watch
and sixteen years on, I still found it to be a well calibrated, escapist series
with enough ideas and jeopardy to keep you watching.
In the lead role Colin Morgan
has the right mix of youthful enthusiasm tempered with a more thoughtful side
and gives a performance that leans into the personal and humorous aspects yet
able to turn serious when needed. He and Arthur played by Bradley James have
the banterish demeanour of flatmates rather than a prince and servant but it lightens
the mood playing well against Anthony Head’s stern Uther. He is the revelation
of the season as the actor gives the role a seriousness that makes him
sometimes seem like the antagonist, at least for Merlin. Kate McGrath is
terrific too, her Morgana a simmering kettle ready to boil. In a role that
differentiates him from grumpy old man Victor Meldrew, Richard Wilson layers
Gaius with practical knowledge and morality bonding well with Colin Morgan on
screen. Of the regulars only Angel Coulby is underserved save for a couple of
episodes in which she features prominently displaying huge potential for the
character of Gwen.
Visually there are
monsters aplenty though wisely the series doesn’t dwell on them too much and it’s
no coincidence that the more absorbing episodes are those in which the danger
comes from inside the court or from a visitor rather than a roaring creature. Several
episodes prove gripping especially one in which the younger Mordred is being
hidden and the last episode while the direction is crisp and makes the most of
the impressive French castle used as the main location. Magic may be banned but
this place always looks magical.
Of course the one
obvious thing is that somehow Arthur never seems to notice the source of much
of the magical happenings going on around him emanates from his own servant but
the scripts deflect this with humour and cleverly contrived diversions. Though Merlin
is a family show and will never match the visceral impact of something like Stranger
Things the season as a whole remains hugely watchable and entertaining plus
it has aged far better than its fantasy contemporaries.
There's reviews of season three, four and five back in the early days of the blog, search for Merlin
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