Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
View MoreThrough painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
View MoreI enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
View MoreBlistering performances.
a Biblical suggestion. great cast. clever script. and a long battle between two men each with his way. a legendary series who seduce again and again. not only for acting or story but for special care to create its atmosphere. a film about success and self - definition who impose Peter Strauss and Sam Neail in two powerful roles. and the science to explore each detail of character, the air of 1980 years, the music, the dialogs, the costumes, the mark of different societies and the inspired direction are keys for an admirable work who use the drama nuances and the soap - opera tricks, who impose the dream as possibility and transforms the rules of fairy tale. a film about a competition. or a kind of war.memorable scenes and nice memories.
View MoreI found myself torn between which of the title characters to root for. My personal tastes (and the fact that I love Peter Strauss's work) had me going for Abel, the man who had endured and built his empire up from nothing, only to be further battered by a bureaucrat. But there were moments when I switched, despising Abel for stooping so low and wronging people without just cause, instead really feeling for Kane and the problems he unfairly now struggled with. And so it goes throughout the story - You're never sure who deserves to win, while all the time hoping they will resolve their issues and become the powerful friends they could so clearly be. The conclusion is inevitable and can be seen coming a mile off, but that is the point - YOU know how this will end, but so engaging are the characters that you pray for a plot twist or surprise that will change things!!Sam Neil and Pete Strauss are phenomenal actors in their own right. Putting the two together in this was sheer genius!!Both of them took on awkward accents and delivered them faultlessly. I made a point of checking in with some friends from Boston and my Polish co-workers. All agree that the accents are very authentic and flawless. Strauss's accent in particular begins to take on subtle hints of American, as he spends more time in his new land. He also has amazing continuity, as he is never seen without the Baron's silver bracelet of authority. Any time his sleeve, accidentally or otherwise, rides up high enough you will see the glinting silver band. Better still is the stark contrast between Abel's honest and outwardly expressive personality and Kane's quiet and dignified internalisation. Both men are shrewd, yet so very different in their methods. The supporting cast also do a fantastic job. So often in a series like this, there are those who simply cannot act (or more often, they overact) and frequently spoil scenes - Not so in Kane & Abel!! The viewer is drawn in to identify with these as well, from their family and friends, to their colleagues, everyone stands out. One most important thing to note is that this mini-series is based on a novel. One of the same name, by Jeffrey Archer, in point of fact. That being, it should be noted that TV version is rarely the same as the book - Many things just do not and can never translate from page to film. Timing, pace, cinematography, interpretation, budget and many other things mean that things will differ betwixt the two. That said, Kane & Abel is a phenomenal series. It remains sufficiently faithful to the novel to engage the viewer and deliver the story in all it's glory. There are very few minor plot points excluded and none that are crucial to the tale. Others are easily implied or given enough attention for viewers to get the full background. The story itself is realistic enough that I suspect there is some factual basis.
View MoreThis movie is at best a mediocre mini-series. It oftentimes leaves major holes in the plot. For instance, we never see William and Kate get married or have children, and suddenly they have a 12 year old son at St. Paul's. You never realize that many years have passed before Abel and Zaphia are divorced, but it only takes one scene for the movie to do it. Very few characters are really in line with how Archer's book portrays them. The only accurate portrayal in this movie was that of Davis Leroy. Fred Gywnn nailed that part the way Bob Vila nails studs together. Overall though, the film is a disappointing show.
View MoreIt must be more than ten years ago that I saw this mini-series. Probably a period that I loved very dramatic films and books. But I can never forget this series. It was film so 'smooth' and 'rich' and especially the music was dramatic. I'm really curious what I would experience if I would see it these days. It's funny that the bible-borrowed title of the series announces that the clash between Kane and Abel will be very dramatic. That's very smart of the creators, I think.
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