pjp88029

15.Jan, 2020: Fantastic, gripping 8 episodes series, 45 minutes each, Totally Binge-Worthy, currently available with a HULU basic subscription. Especially if you LOVE dramas with deep, complex character development, and twists you never would have guessed. Excellent Acting by all of the cast, but especially by Paprika Steen, as an investigative journalist. No Tenth Star due to 'muddy' editing and storyline flow with the past and present scenes of so many of the actors; a Tenth star would have been given if Dates Text boxes had been inserted with the jumping back and forth.

The only reason that I gave this film a 5 and not less is because it was saved by the superb (10) acting of Ansel Elgort and great (8) acting by Lily James and the chemistry (9) between them that was totally "young love" believable. Jamie Foxx as a bad guy thug, Yawn, been there, done that. Spacey as the brains and boss of the operations added nothing unique to his all too familiar "Man Who Knows All Essentially Monotone" style of portraying characters over the years, another Big Yawn. I predicted that the film would have one of two endings, Everybody Dies or a Happily Ever After outcome; and Guess What? It did.

There is an underlying moral theme of doing the right thing vs doing the wrong (Royal) thing and covering this up to protect the Royal family throughout the series.

The complexities of relationships that a Royal Family holds with the public, politicians, the church, their staff and each other were well portrayed and mostly believable in each episode.

For the most part, the actors casted fit their roles quite well, with a few exceptions. The youngest Royal, Princess Isabel, age 17-18 in the series, played by Nathalie Lunghi, (age 22 in 2008), was made to look like a burnt-out '30-something' year old meth addict. Quite over-done in the makeup and over-acted scenes she had to do.

The same with several of the minor actors who played kitchen and wait and cleaning staff. Their scenes were so overacted they made themselves look like blubbering idiots who would NEVER be hired to work in a position requiring discipline, decorum and discretion such as working for a Royal Family. Very UN-Believable portrayals.

I blame this full on the Director, not the actors. They were just doing their jobs, as directed.

Overall, This was an 'easy to binge watch' 8 sessions series to escape from my little life's realities for a day and I learned a bit more about how and why things are done the way they are in the United Kingdom from medieval times throughout today.