jdickinson-44664

I asked my Wife on a number of occasions if she thought this was a serious piece of TV drama as we struggled to watch it. Predictable, cliched and at times so superficial it bordered on a comedy. Difficult to pick out anything of note from a wasted watch. They threw everything at it with a token this and a token that that simply didnt fit the mix whatsoever. So little to recommend it so I wont.

I remember watching the movie The Culpepper Cattle Co back in the day (1972) and wishing that American Westerns added a bit more realism and a sense of history. Sadly even to this day we get your Doris Day girl next door and Audie Murphy type offerings I tried Yellowstone and didnt like it. My Wife refused to watch anymore of 1883 as she said there was too much talking.

1923 on the other hand is a gem. It gives you a real sense of how the West was and how it transitioned into the 20th century. From the plight of the Indians to the hardships the farmers endured it was all there. It gave me insights that I as a European had no knowledge of.

I thought the acting was excellent even if some characters have been heavily criticised.

Alex's portrayal of a spoilt English aristocrat was annoyingly spot on even if her accent at times was dreadful. Helen Mirren's Irish accent was dreadful but her acting was excellent as was Harrison Fords. My wife hated Timothy Daltons character saying he was wicked and evil so he got that spot on. Jerome Flynn was the stand out performance for me personally. Oh almost forgot Spencer Brandon Sklenar) , one for the ladies to swoon over. I could go on but I am no film buff. Just wanted to do a brief review and say if you haven't watched it you should . It wont disappoint.

First episode I thought this is going to be a great watch. Great cast gritty scenes. However it wasnt long before the Missus was pleading with me to turn over and find something else. Its so slow, theres too much talking , its like watching paint dry and they kept coming. Its like watching The Little House on the Prairie. Yes there were scenes of extreme violence and action sequences that were realistic and begged for more. However from a gallop to a canter to a trot you got that sinking feeling time and time again, In the end we gave up and watched a cracking and overlooked Britishseries called The Capture. Try that if you want to stay glued to your screens. Perfectly paced and complex. I like my Westerns but in this case I felt let down. It could have been so much more but for me just didnt deliver.