Tv Dvds

Saturday February 23, 2008

Wallis & Edward

2.5/5

The story of Edward, Prince of Wales and Mrs Wallis Simpson revolves around political crisis and sexual scandal on a grand scale: the kind of thing that British royalty specialises in. But this British telemovie seems determined to treat crisis and scandal cautiously - much too cautiously for its own good. Wallis & Edward, directed by David Moore and written by Sarah Williams, is a handsome-looking production, and it has a strong cast, but it's a study in under-achievement, a lily-livered exercise that risks turning into something as blandly sympathetic as a Hello! spread and as romance-focused as a Harlequin novel. - PH

Dexter: The First Season

4/5

Dexter's premise does not sound promising: a serial killer who murders serial killers? Ick. But forget about the pitch - Dexter is smart, gripping TV. It's stylish, too, and has a lovely wryness. It turns out that an unfeeling sociopath is the perfect vehicle to examine our own motivations and behaviour. Who are we? Why do we do the things we do? Why do we love? How do we maintain relationships? Does anyone know the real us? Michael C. Hall, fresh from another dark gig (Six Feet Under), does a terrific job of making the detached Dexter likeable: in his hands Dexter is not creepy, he's fascinating. - Gabrielle Wilder

© 2008

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