An Adventure in Space and Time Review

In 2013, The BBC celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its iconic science fiction series, Doctor Who. The week of its anniversary there were tons of documentaries, specials, and classic episodes of the series shown all week culminating in a special episode that was broadcast to movie theaters in ninety-four countries. One of the specials celebrating the history of Doctor Who was a television release movie about the show getting started and the legacy it created. An Adventure in Space and Time (2013) went above and beyond the usual low standard that most television release movies have and made a fun movie experience for Doctor Who newcomers and diehards alike.

In 1963 Sydney Newman (Brian Cox), progressive head of BBC TV's drama department wants to fill a Saturday tea-time slot with a show with youth appeal and hits on an idea of an august figure, like a doctor, leading a group of companions on time travel adventures. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine) is frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling. Newman takes a chance and appoints Verity to expand the idea. She takes on a young Indian director Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan) to direct the television show. Fighting sexist and racial bigotry, Verity and Waris persuade crusty character actor William Hartnell (David Bradley) to play the doctor figure, who himself felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Fighting many technical hiccups and competition with coverage of the Kennedy assassination, the first episode of "Doctor Who" is born. As the show slowly becomes a success Hartnell displays an obsession with his character, but after three years ill health catches up with him and he starts to forget his lines. The show became such a rewarding part of the lives involved in creating it, but can Doctor Who go on without The Doctor?

If you are a fan of science fiction and fantasy and are not familiar with Doctor Who you are missing out. This series predates both Star Wars and Star Trek, and in spite of its hilariously low budget in its early years it features some high end science fiction and fantasy that should appease geeks of all varieties. The new series has significantly better special effects, camera work, and writers but the classic series has its appeal, much like the nostalgia of watching the original Star Trek or Lost in Space television shows. An Adventure in Space and Time combines my love for this long running series and my love of film production. It's also a bittersweet story about an aging man rediscovering fulfillment late in his life.

An Adventure in Space and Time was written by Mark Gatiss who also writes (and occasionally acts) in the new Doctor Who series as well as BBC's crime drama Sherlock. If you've been watching Doctor Who over the past several years, you'll notice bits of memorable dialogue from the series put into the script here. It's so well integrated that it's easy to overlook. But if you catch it, it makes the lines in the movie more impacting and dramatic. The story is easy to follow, the script is well written, and has lots of nods to the series strewn throughout. To indicate the passage of time, the camera focuses on the Tardis console's "Yearometer" to show what year we are advancing to in the movie's storyline. I was so invested in the story that when a BBC executive insists that Newman "kill Doctor Who", I was horrified for a moment before realizing that the show is still airing 50 years later.

William Hartnell and David Bradley

The acting was outstanding! Especially David Bradley as William Hartnell. Bradley is probably best known for playing Argus Filch in the Harry Potter movies. The two look so similar it's uncanny! Seriously if they wanted to feature the First Doctor in the television show again, they could easily get Bradley to do it and I doubt anyone would hardly notice. He's spot on in vocal inflections and mannerisms. It's as if Hartnell were still alive and with us! He delivers a touching performance that did television's heritage proud. Many cast members have appeared in both the new and classic Doctor Who series; including Mark Eden who played Marco Polo in the now lost episodes alongside the real William Hartnell.

Several scenes from the classic Doctor Who were recreated for the movie, including replicas of the 1960's Dalek props crossing London's Westminister Bridge and The Doctor bidding his granddaughter farewell. These recreated scenes were done with such loving care and detail as to pay due respect to the originals while still captivating how cheap and silly the sets and props were.

An Adventure in Space and Time was a delightful reflection upon inception of Doctor Who. It's charming, poignant, and at time exciting. The camera work is great, the acting is fantastic, and the period sets and costuming are amazing. It is a drama and may not appeal to all viewers. It's less about the Doctor Who television show and more about the actors and production crew members. You don't have to be a hardcore Doctor Who fan to appreciate this movie, but dyed-in-the-wool Whovians will likely relish this amiable story. As a television release movie it's not rated, but I'd give it a PG and that only because it shows adults drinking alcoholic beverages a couple of times. This is very much a family friendly movie. I recommend seeing An Adventure in Space and Time if you can find it, it may even be worth owning a copy if you enjoy this sort of movie; I know I do.

Here's a trailer for An Adventure in Space and Time:

An Adventure in Space and Time is not on Netflix streaming or DVD in the United States. You can purchase a copy on Amazon.com, though. It's a shame you can't find it some other way and watch it right now.
*cough cough* click here *cough*

Can you think of another classic television show that would make a good "making of" movie? Comment below and tell me about it!

My Week with Marilyn Movie Review

To this day there is still a lot of mystique and gossip about Marilyn Monroe, especially for a person who has been departed for over fifty years. Her image was sexy without being promiscuous, vulnerable and sweet, yet confident and hopeful. Marilyn embodied the womanly ideal of her day and was hailed as a sort of American royalty that everyone loved and adored. Such an interesting and dramatic contrast practically begs for a film to be made. Thus, My Week with Marilyn (2011) was created.

Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh), the nearest thing to royalty among British actors, is making a movie in London.  Young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an eager film student, wants to be involved and through some bold negotiating he finds himself a job on the set. When film star Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) arrives for the start of shooting, all of London is excited to see the blonde bombshell. When Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness, Colin is intrigued by her. Colin’s intrigue is met when Marilyn invites him into her inner world where she struggles with her fame, her beauty, her loneliness, and her desire to be a great actress.

My Week with Marilyn is all based on real events. Colin and Marilyn did spend a week together during the shooting of The Prince and the Showgirl while her husband, Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), took a short trip back to the US. Olivier was at his wits end accommodating Marilyn’s apparent ineptitude, and Marilyn actually wasn’t able to accomplish much of anything without her acting coach Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker) and her business partner Milton H. Greene (Dominic Cooper). It was a tough and trying time for all involved. Frankly, it doesn’t make for a very interesting story, but it does makes for a fascinating character study and a unique look into the real Marilyn Monroe.

The real Marilyn Monroe vs. Michelle Williams

The best aspect of My Week with Marilyn has got to be Michelle Williams’ portrayal of the starlet. Marilyn had abandonment issues, sought a father figure, lacked confidence, acted glamorous and sexy, and exuded a lovable, feminine aura. There were so many facets to Marilyn that it would be a considerable challenge to portray this cultural icon, and Michelle Williams nailed it. She acts and looks the part so much it is truly uncanny and amazing to watch. There are times when she is very well composed and portraying Marilyn’s “public image” self, and other times when she is overwhelmed with depression and catatonic. Yet it’s still Marilyn. There’s scene when she and Colin are looking at a doll house, and she points to the doll family saying that the father is Colin, the mother is herself, and the kids are their children. Similar to how a little girl might project fantasies onto her toys. But coming from a thirty-year-old woman, it’s rather bizarre. The scene is important since it shows Marilyn’s desire for the normal family she’s never really had, while also showing us she’s a bit off kilter.

I’ve seen a couple of BBC movies, and I’ve noticed they seem to reuse a lot of actors. This isn’t bad, they are excellent actors. But I couldn’t help but notice actors that have played in Doctor Who, others from the Harry Potter films, and some have even been in both. Emma Watson appears as a wardrobe assistant that develops a relationship with Colin. It makes me wonder if Great Britain only has a handful of actors.

My Week with Marilyn teeters between interesting and tedious. Seeing Marilyn in such a diverse set of situations to show us what she’s really like is interesting, but at the same time it gets tedious and repetitious since everyone is exasperated and impatient with her by the end of most every scene she’s in. While the performances are excellent, the story (such as it is) tends to become sappy and doe-eyed from time to time. It’s got an R rating for some language, but apart from that it’s quite tame. I enjoyed watching it, and I recommend seeing it, but I don’t think it’s worth more than one viewing. Therefore, it’s a renter, albeit an intriguing one.

Admittedly, I'm not a big Marilyn Monroe fan. I like her photographs more than her movies. What is your favorite Marilyn Monroe moment? Comment below and tell me why!