Alan Bennett week -warning spoilers

[Griffin NoName]

Currently enjoying Alan Bennett week on TV, a true feast. There's tons of it including interviews, monologues by him on him, monologues performed by others, and other tales.

The one I watcched tonight A Question of Attribution*  is splendid with a great scene with Anthony Blunt (keeper of Queen;s art ciollection and Spy, the fifth man) and H.M.Q. discussing art fakes, or as AB calles them "enigmas" before later stating "Appearances deceive, like so many things ... 'Art is seldom quite what it seems.'  -  and again later " 'because something is not what it is said to be, Ma'am ... does not mean it is a fake ... it may just have been wrongly attributed.' " and finally after she has left explaining "'I was talking about art ... I'm not sure that she was.'


*synopsis at http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/british-television/28601-question-attribution.html

If only TV could always be so good.

Oh and by the way, Beagle, I now regard it as imperative to view The History Boys since I now have the as yet not watched DVD and a recorded version off TV or my Bennett fescht will be incomplete.

[beagle]

The one I watcched tonight A Question of Attribution*  is splendid with a great scene with Anthony Blunt (keeper of Queen;s art ciollection and Spy, the fifth man) and H.M.Q. discussing art fakes, or as AB calles them "enigmas" before later stating "Appearances deceive, like so many things ... 'Art is seldom quite what it seems.'  -  and again later " 'because something is not what it is said to be, Ma'am ... does not mean it is a fake ... it may just have been wrongly attributed.' " and finally after she has left explaining "'I was talking about art ... I'm not sure that she was.'

That's one of my favourites too. I've had it on an old VHS tape since the 90s.
If I'd known it was on again I'd have re-recorded it. Very amusing when H.M makes it clear she knows his entire history just by saying "After all, your father was a clergyman".  Also when A.B. suggests one of the paintings might be incorrectly attributed and she says "What shall we do? Put it out for the bin men?"

If you're interested in the Cambridge spies and their (various ) motivations you might like "An Englishman Abroad" and "Another Country" too (The latter is a play by Julian Mitchell made into a film).


edit: P.S. , technically Blunt was the fourth, not fifth.

[Griffin NoName]

yes, fourth man, spotted as I re-read what I'd written just now. have seen those films, and enjoyed. Putting AB out for the bin men seems fitting. I liked that exchange too.

[beagle]

So easy to get the fourth, fifth and sixth confused.
Oops. Forget I said that.

[Griffin NoName]

Pardon, did you say something?

Just watched the alchie vicars wife (maggie smith).

[beagle]

I'm a  Maggie Smith fan. Especially that bit where as Richard's mother in  Ian McKellen's 'Richard III' she gives him a dressing down on the stairs of the Shell-Mex building.

[Griffin NoName]

I'm a great Maggie Smith fan too, but haven't seen the Richard III. Haven't seen I or II either - were there a fourth, fifth or six ?

[beagle]

1:43 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTDkM7wUx-A

[Griffin NoName]

Blimey. Aint YouTube wonderful.

Spotted another favourite - Bill Paterson.

And Jim Broadbent (but he is not in this bit).

I miss Shakespeare. I gave it up for reasons I won't specify although the word "surfeit" comes into it.

Wonder what he would have made of Blunt.

[beagle]

I thought Tim McInnery was great as Catesby too; hardly thought of Lord Percy at all .

Wonder what he would have made of Blunt.

Well he wasn't too keen on Cambridge and the other traitors in Henry V.
Think he was more royalist than communist, though he may just have been smart enough to know which side his bread was buttered.



I shall expect a full report on "The History Boys" before long...

[Griffin NoName]

I shall expect a full report on "The History Boys" before long...

Only had the DVD a couple of years and I am now seriously working up to watch it but have to figure out how to get the selephane off.