BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
VeteranLight
I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Jithin K Mohan
The period setting was wonderfully done, even shooting on location. If you are patient there is a payoff for the excruciatingly slow proceedings of the series. A nobody's rise to the favours of the King of England and the famous Boleyn case is seen through the son of a blacksmith Thomas Cromwell. The attempt to make everything seen through such a man is what makes this miniseries interesting and also that same thing makes this quite boring for a large part. The character is given more importance than that he could have got. There are some interesting politics discussed here too but the focus shifts in a way that you are not sure what exactly they are trying to convey. Claire Foy was fantastic as Anne Boleyn, Mark Rylance's performance felt too underplayed and it felt more a problem of direction because he does show glimpses of brilliance.
Freedom060286
This series was very well-written, with careful attention to detail. The cast here perform intelligently, and are perfectly suited to their roles. There is no over-the-top acting, people behave in a realistic manner.Damian Lewis is a very believable Henry VIII, and Mark Rylance is exemplary as Thomas Cromwell. I enjoyed seeing a quality actor like Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, although Wolsey at that time was a few years younger than Pryce. Anton Lesser is very good as a less- than-saintly Thomas More, in contrast to the unrealistically upright character in the 1966 movie A Man For All Seasons. I especially liked the historical accuracy, which has been badly lacking in other versions of the same events. Some of the dialog is word for word from the historical record (for example Thomas More's comment about Martin Luther). Too bad there wasn't a second season to cover Thomas Cromwell's life from May 1536 to his execution in July 1540.
Peter Kettle
Riveted by Wolf Hall. No gristly Boleyn decapitation, but a subtle portrait of a French swordsman, sidestepping the blindfolded Queen, who turns her unseeing head to one side before the huge broadsword sweeps it off. It is done without vulgar drama. The hand maidens wipe their bloodied hands clean after placing the body in the coffin. No emptying of arteries, no rolling head, no eyes in close up. Thus are the first two books in this great trilogy masterfully achieved, giving us the quidditas of an age that is almost our own. Complex allusive prose has been properly adapted and not simply eviscerated into a crude bloody caricature of Tudor intrigue (such as the awful 'Elizabeth' a few years ago). It is undeniably brilliant, subtle and all the more moving. You don't need everything underlined. By implication we are presented, in the two books as here, with a nascent modern nation, a step away from the grasp of theocratic Rome, which crept into the heart of Europe and nearly dominated and stultified the progress of secularism. Contemporary statecraft approaches in this wonderful creation by Hilary Mantel. And we all learn something; 'Wriothesley', if that's how it's spelt, is pronounced 'Risley'. So there.
fiona_r_lamb
Just finished this series shown on PBS TV; I've had it on my pvr for a while and procrastinated for a while before switching it on. I also could not bring myself to binge-watch it. Instead it has taken me weeks. I struggled to get through it but I forced myself. It got better but there were times I fast-forwarded through bits, which is never a good sign. I did not find it that dark (lighting), as others have reported. But the pace felt glacial and I just didn't really believe/get behind any of the characters.This series was too dull/slow and "The Tudors" was the other extreme, too crazy, and both were unbelievable to me.However, I did cry during Anne Boleyn's last scene, realizing just how awful the King was. Cromwell being embraced by Henry just made me want to throw up.So, I'm glad I made myself watch until the bitter end but equally glad I'm done.
