Is there a series of these books? Sounds like good audiobook fodder to listen to on the commute.
I think there's 3 or 4 of the books, and I believe his next book is setting up a new group of characters. Felt quite similar to the Marlowe Murder Club or whatever it's called, which has been nicely televised, or maybe Dick Francis books - easy going characters involved in thwarting criminal plots.
Is there a series of these books? Sounds like good audiobook fodder to listen to on the commute.
Yep, the 5th one is due to come out next month.
I love the books, and was really excited to hear the Netflix was doing something with them, but was a little disappointed when I heard it would be a film, not a series. I think they missed a trick there, TBH, but none the less, I'm still really looking forward to seeing it.
Enjoyed the audiobooks in a guilty pleasure, not having to try too hard to keep up kind of way. Instinctively it feels more a novel(s) for a TV series of the Death in Paradise easy viewing style rather than a film. Watching the trailer makes me feel I was probably right.
Not sure about Pierce Bronson as Ron. The bastard may be 72 but he just looks too good! Ron was a union man that would like to punch someone out but knows it'd put his back out instead. Bronson still looks like he could be playing Bond! In fact all the celeb actors/actresses in general are wearing a bit too well for the roles.
In my minds eye as I read the books I had Charlotte Rampling as Elizabeth and Alison Steadman as Joyce. Trevor Peacock(Jim, vicar of Dibley) as Ron and Naveen Andrews as Ibrahim.
In my minds eye as I read the books I had Charlotte Rampling as Elizabeth and Alison Steadman as Joyce. Trevor Peacock(Jim, vicar of Dibley) as Ron and Naveen Andrews as Ibrahim.
Pierce Brosnan makes no sense to me.
Brosnan has one key advantage over Trevor Peacock, to be fair
Brosnan also admits he first thought of another actor when reading the part of Ron.
"I never asked Chris why he cast me," says Brosnan. "I thought: 'this is Ray Winstone, bro'". But the actor kept any doubts to himself, and remembers thinking: "'Don't say anything Pierce, just keep going'".
Maybe a few years too young - but yes!
But I’m struggling with the setting of the home. Didn’t have that in my mind
Me too. Was a retirement village in the book, with the old house for the more infirm and the central facilities. It was posh, but not that posh in my head.
In my minds eye as I read the books I had Charlotte Rampling as Elizabeth and Alison Steadman as Joyce. Trevor Peacock(Jim, vicar of Dibley) as Ron and Naveen Andrews as Ibrahim.
Pierce Brosnan makes no sense to me.
Brosnan has one key advantage over Trevor Peacock, to be fair
A quote I read from Richard Osman that a lot of people were questioning the choice of Pierce Brosnan as Ron and his response was that he would have been Ron's choice to play him in the movie 🤣
In my minds eye as I read the books I had Charlotte Rampling as Elizabeth and Alison Steadman as Joyce. Trevor Peacock(Jim, vicar of Dibley) as Ron and Naveen Andrews as Ibrahim.
Pierce Brosnan makes no sense to me.
Brosnan has one key advantage over Trevor Peacock, to be fair
Fair enough!
yeah, I think Peacock works have been a bit lifeless as Ron
Me too. Was a retirement village in the book, with the old house for the more infirm and the central facilities. It was posh, but not that posh in my head.
Been quite the race so far, the daily grind as it were has been run of the mill, but the finishes have been exciting with some unexpected winners. Team Time Trial today. Ineos? Maybe UAE?
Been quite the race so far, the daily grind as it were has been run of the mill, but the finishes have been exciting with some unexpected winners. Team Time Trial today. Ineos? Maybe UAE?
Well that was supposed to be posted on the Grand Tours thread, not here. Sorry
Been quite the race so far, the daily grind as it were has been run of the mill, but the finishes have been exciting with some unexpected winners. Team Time Trial today. Ineos? Maybe UAE?
Well that was supposed to be posted on the Grand Tours thread, not here. Sorry
I was concerned they'd maybe taken a few liberties with the book...
Not sure about Pierce Brosnan as Ron. The bastard may be 72 but he just looks too good! Ron was a union man that would like to punch someone out but knows it'd put his back out instead. Brosnan still looks like he could be playing Bond!
There were a couple of subtle references to that in the film, the sort of "nod and a wink" type stuff where everybody knows exactly what is meant. A nod back to one of Helen Mirren's previous film roles too.
Happens a lot now with ageing actors. Arnie does a good line in self-deprecation throughout FUBAR (also on Netfilx).
It was all quietly entertaining. A bigger mystery to solve would be how anyone could ever afford the fees at such a grand retirement home.
Watched the film Netflix, haven’t read the book. Film was absolute rubbish. I’m aware it’s supposed to be cosy crime, but that’s no excuse for this lazy arse shit. Terrible dialogue, terrible characters, all round Dan Brown level stuff. To top it all they seemed to demand a murder suicide at the end! Given the hype it’s received in the media and the positive reviews it gets I’m getting a distinct whiff of Emperor’s New Clothes about the whole thing.
Yeah, kinda what Supernova said. But with less passion 😁It's a film to put on on a Sunday and fall asleep to.
Pierce Brosnan and Tom Ellis both have shocking accents.
Brosnan needs to stop doing accents 😁
Not read any of the books but if the film is anything like them I won't bother, truly awful like a mix of the worse bits of the Agatha raisin adaptation mixed with midsomer murders.
Not sure how ordinary it is for a care home to have a former top spy as a resident though.
Depends on the care home - Slow Horses had one specifically for elderly members of His Majesty’s security services, which would make perfect sense, a bit like the Chelsea Pensioners, but for spooks.
Watched it at the excellent Broadway cinema on Saturday night. Was pleasant enough but as a fan of the books it would have been so much better as a TV series, too much was missing.
The actors are getting on a bit and not getting the big hotter parts like they used to... probably better that they get opportunities than turn them down as they aren't big enough parts.
Found it unwatchable really. Enjoyed the book as an audiobook but as mentioned above it was just too compressed to really follow what was happening or allow characters to develop. I think I lasted about a third of the way through.
Read the books. Saw the film tonight. Agree that Brosnan was woefully miscast. Others were pretty good. Overall I felt it suffered from having to cut so much and taking a chainsaw to lots of the plot. Oversimplified everything (understandable) and made Bogdan into the bad guy, which is unforgivable. Distinctly underwhelmed and would have been better as a series I guess
I thought it was pretty poor but still reasonably watchable, I've listened to all the audiobooks whilst driving so have a vision in my head which this missed by miles.
There were a few specific niggles, the casting wasn't right, particularly Bronson but also the actor who played Bogdan. Also, Bogdan got proper stitched up, presumably he'll be cleared in the sequel otherwise there'll be a lot of re-writing going on.
The worst thing for me though was that everything was just a bit overdone. The home was way beyond what the books suggest, the MI6 links in the book are much more subtle, the "bad cop" was too stereotyped etc. I'm not saying the books are exactly gritty by any means but they're definitely less "cartoony" then this.
It's what puts me off a lot of current tv/film content, everything's too glossy, played for laughs and full of nods, references, homages and in-jokes.
The books have a successful enough vibe that they obviously thought it worth making a film, why they decided to throw that vibe away is anyone's guess.
I'm surprised people are saying the retirement village was more posh than they expected from the books. There's a similar looking one outside Matlock in a former private school (Muffin Man will know it) and that is exactly how I imagined it from the book. The book also indicated that residents were financially well off. Maybe it's just our personal reference points.
Dear god! I thought this kind of insufferably twee rubbish was safely self-contained in the literal graveyard slot of 8 o clock on a Sunday night on BBC 1, where it can be easily avoided.
i endured 30 minutes of it and concluded I’d rather remove my own kidneys with a teaspoon than watch the rest. Mrs Binners fully concurred
Watchable light fluff that made no attempt to take itself seriously. Won't win any awards for original thinking and all the big names have produced far better but compared to some of the poorly produced fetid dingoes kidneys on Netflix / Prime it was a bit of easy and inoffensive telly.
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