Saturday 3 August 2013

Burton and Taylor

Dear reader, my sincerest apologies for leaving this blog alone for a short while. I admit I was always one of those children who would start a journal and always lose sight of writing anything meaningful in it. My excuse? A sudden rotten summertime cold in the current South-East heat wave and a stunning hiatus in Pembrokeshire has stopped me from updating this blog. I know, such a bad excuse. Forgive me. But at least I have returned with an abundance of things to talk about. First up - BBC4's latest goodie.

I wanted to talk about the recent ‘Burton and Taylor’ BBC4 biopic starring Helena Bonham-Carter and Dominic West. This TV film got me through an afternoon tied to the sofa whilst feeling sorry for myself under a mountain of tissues with Lemsip virtually on tap. The biopic played on the tension between on-off-on-off lovers, combined with glamour that convincingly transported me back in time. In addition, the film also played on the experiences of the infamous actors in the public eye, in turn resonating with current adversaries facing modern celebrities.



However, although the piece was beautifully written and effectively gripping, it was very difficult for me to believe Bonham-Carter as Taylor. This underlying fault to the biopic was in no way  due to HBC’s acting abilities, but my inability to look past her pale and pixie-like looks and see Taylor’s unforgettable classic looks. Nonetheless, it is difficult to argue against West and Bonham-Carter’s dedication to portraying one of the most fascinating twentieth-century love affairs in its latter stages.


As this film finished, I was left wanting more. It is sad that the BBC will no longer be making similar biopics in the future.


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