Foyle's War: Set Four
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Movie Reviews of Foyle's War: Set Four
Movie Review: Michael Kitchen triumphs again as detective chief superintendent Christopher Foyle.
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Kitchen triumphs again as detective chief "superintendent Christopher Foyle. He often identifies himself, however, rather more charmingly: "My name is Foyle. I'm a police officer." No badge is shown or papers presented while so introducing himself. Such would be superfluous though as Kitchen's Foyle, in mannerisms, demeanor, as well as the way his carries himself, makes it rather apparent that he is in law enforcement. And to boot, all this takes place in the early days of the 4th decade of the 20th century, "in the beautiful southern English countryside amid the disorder and danger of World War II"(to quote the packaging).
As in all Foyle episodes a murder takes place and Kitchen methodically goes about solving it. He has a sergeant for assistance as well as an actress side-kick (whose most unusual name in real life is Honeysuckle Weeks) who plays an army soldier seconded to drive for Foyle, who is without a license to do so. Like in many detective dramas the who did it is rather less important than the drama getting to that point. Actually, these hour and forty minute long Foyle episodes often go by for me without my giving much serious contemplation toward the solution Foyle seeks. Ever play chess and really focus on 3, 4, 5, 6 possible moves in advance and then play a casual game of chess just for fun? That's how I personally watch Foyle's War. I'm not too interested in guessing then second guessing again & again who I think is the murderer. (I do do that often with David Suchet's Hercule Poirot Agatha Christie mystery dramas, but alas, do too much guessing wrong there, however.
The episodes:
"Invasion"
March 1942: The US Army Corps of Engineers arrives in Hastings to build an aerodrome and Foyle needs to calm a local farmer whose land has been requisitioned by the government. In this episode we also are treated to a guest appearance by Philip Jackson; aka Chief Inspector Jap from Agatha Cristie's Poirot series, although he's but a pub owner herein. And we also get a major development in the Sam Stewart/Andrew Foyle relationship.
"Bad Blood"
A lone aircraft drops a bomb over farmland. Nearby sheep start dying, then a farmers wife, and Sam falls ill.
"Bleak Midwinter"
December 1942: DCS Foyle investigates the death of Grace Phillips who died in what appears to be an accident in a munitions factory.
"Casualties of War"
March 1943: Foyle receives a visit from his goddaughter, who he has not seen for 10 years, and her young son who is shell shocked from when his school was bombed.
Watching Foyle is also very much a period drama, as I've said, giving one a feel for wartime England, the country lanes, the occasional military vehicle and soldier(s), authentic clothes, hats, people on missions greater than themselves passing through the lens. My advice thus is not to overly focus on actively trying to solve these tough-to-crack mysteries to better revel in the actual performances herein. Notwithstanding the "Columbo" series being a totally different style of show, Foyle's War shares a number of similarities with Peter Falk's famed detective: the who-did-it is not the most interesting part of the show, but watching the very deliberate and understated detective go about his job. I particularly relish Columbo's speech manners and the way he draws things out as if they were salt water taffy as he hems and haws, pauses, retreats, etc. Michael Kitchen's Foyle, albeit in his own unique way, is entertaining just to watch as well. He is a man of few words, but very communicative with his demeanor, facial expressions, and the like. A hostile possible suspect verbally lambasts Foyle in one episode, for instance, while Foyle looks into this man's eyes watching him vent. When the man finishes, Foyle begins to pass the man on his way out. The man comes after Foyle trying to add a coda to his venting and when doing so attempts to grab hold of Foyle's arm. Foyle simply continues on his way and half over his shoulder, simply says to a uniformed officer behind him, "arrest this man." In another episode a person asks how Foyle knew something that would be hard to know and came to the conclusion that he did. To which Foyle responds, a picture in his hand, and a knowing expression on his expressive face: "I found this in her diary. I found the diary under her pillow." Maybe I'm just a glutton for language precisely employed, language--bereft of unneeded words---delivered with style. Cheers
Movie Review: Television at its best!
Summary: 5 Stars
There are television series and then there's "Foyle's War." If one had to choose a production that depicts what the Brits are best at, it's this show.
So what are they best at? In my opinion, it's a natural leaning towards understatement combined with a steady growth in suspense. Several plot lines are developed until the conclusion which always leaves you thinking about ethics and politics. Alfred Hitchcock was a master of it and so is Anthony Horowitz, Foyle's creator.
The action takes place during World War 11, mostly around the town of Hastings. Foyle is Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle who wants to contribute to the war effort. His duty is to solve crimes on the domestic front and he always introduces himself as "a police officer."
Sometimes the crimes are political and other times they appear petty but actually, they are always very crucial because society has to function ethically during the war or there's no point in fighting for values that are not respected. A chaotic and lawless society would mean that the enemy has won.
That is Christopher Foyle's credo. Profiteers, traitors and looters will not be tolerated. It's almost like the zero tolerance policy that the city of New York adopted a few years ago when crime statistics were out of control.
In Foyle's War one is always conscious of the common good. There is a recurring theme of the need for all Brits to be treated as equals and Foyle uses this approach when it comes to crimes committed by the aristocracy. He is not impressed by status.
That does not mean that important people don't get away with misdemeanours and even murder, but as Foyle says he will come after them when the war is over. And we believe him, so strong is his moral code.
I absolutely love the way Horowitz shows two sides of a story. Nothing is simple or inevitable and the viewer is not insulted by too much explanation.
Basically, "Foyle's War" is a thinking person's detective story in which historical events play a crucial part. For example, in one episode there is a reference to Dunkirk with a description of what really went on there and how ordinary people went over to Dunkirk in the flimsiest of vessels to rescue their soldiers. It will make you cry because of the powerful emotions that are repressed by the fishermen. It's a million times more effective than that tedious Dunkirk episode in the film "Atonement."
As for the cast, there is Michael Kitchen in the role of Foyle. His portrayal is amazing. One slight twitch of his lips is all that's required to convey the deepest of emotions. A shrug, a raising of the eyebrows, even a moment of silence, says it all.
And it's his acting style that leaves an imprint on the other actors. His driver, Samantha Stewart, who is a little more emotional than her boss, is still the epitome of British stoicism and dedication with a touch of charming femininity. She is perfect in the role. Honeysuckle Weeks is spunky yet vulnerable in the portrayal of Samantha.
Paul Milner (played by Anthony Howell) is also perfect casting. He is Foyle's assistant who has been wounded in action in Norway and so has to return to home duties. His private life is a disaster because of his injury and this makes for interesting personal situations.
This is the trio of principal characters who will lead the audience from August 1940 to the end of the war in 1945. The final series is yet to be shown and I am certainly looking forward to it. As a matter of fact, I couldn't wait for it to be shown on Australian TV so I have pre-ordered it and hope it arrives soon.
Movie Review: This is a stellar series
Summary: 5 Stars
I wasn't sure if I'd like this series, but I have all four seasons now and enjoy them very much. They're absolutely stellar.
The ambiance is an important one: the city of Hastings on the SE coast of England. This is the site of the invasion of the Normans in 1066. It is that part of Great Britian settled, first by invitation, by the Angles and Saxons and where they took over by force of arms when they were much less welcome. Here is where the Romano-Britians merged with the Anglo-Saxons and then the Norman French (and therefore Vikings) to create the Britian that has emerged at the present time. For those interested in the history of the island, WWII can be seen as part of the on-going parre and thrust between the European mainland and the British Isles, which makes the war activity and the individual responses to it so vivid.
Also for the historian is the very accurate presentation of British culture, attitudes, and relationships during the 1930s and 1940s. The creators of the series have paid close attention to detail, giving the audience a true experience of what it was like during the time. Clothing, housing, vehicals, the loss of privacy, the loss of common commodoties, the rise of a black market, etc. More importantly it shows the very real effect of secrecy and fear of invasion on justice, truth, education, and relationships. Probably no other series captures the individual human costs of that war--or any war.
The murder mysteries themselves are almost a bonus. Done in a more classic style, or perhaps more properly a transitional style that links the manor house mysteries to the police procedural, the series is at once as fun as the old movies like The Thin Man and the Charlie Chan mysteries, and yet as complex and dramatic as the more modern series like Law and Order or Midsommer Murders. In short the series has a little for each of us, and a lot for all of us.
The inspector, Foyle, is a taciturn individual. Like a good poker player he gives nothing away until he lays down his cards to take the "pot." His associates are delightful characters: An attractive young detective injured in the war and returned to the police force, a pretty driver who has a all the drive and determination one would expect from this generation when they were young.
The mysteries themselves allow the viewer to see the difficulty of finding the purpetrator of a murder--or any serious crime--during a period of secrecy, suspicion, almost paranoia. It also shows some of the frustrations attendant upon bringing individuals to justice who are considered "invaluable to the war effort." It presents the viewer with an important but unspoken question: when is our willingness to suspend the law, to make exceptions, to tolerate crime, to condone the supression of the rights of the individual make us as bad as the enemy and oppression we are fighting against.
A wonderful series. Good mysteries, good characters, good ambiance, good history. Stellar.
Movie Review: Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle returns, and finds the crimes he solves as morally complex as always
Summary: 5 Stars
Set 4 of Foyle's War is made up of the two episodes that comprised the fourth season in Britain and the two that comprised the fifth. The time ranges from 1942 through early 1943. Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) continues to track down criminals, yet is deeply bothered by some of the compromises he is expected to make in the name of winning the war. Foyle is a taciturn man, even sad. He has lost his wife and his son is a fighter pilot. In 1939 Foyle desperately wanted to join up, too, but was told by his superiors that his talents are far better utilized where he is. Foyle is a dedicated, no-nonsense cop. He's respectful to authority and the rich, but he isn't intimidated. If a person has committed a crime, especially one which could damage Britain's war effort, Foyle will never let up until the crime is solved and justice -- by the book -- is done.
This series is effective for several reasons. The production values are high. A great deal of effort has been made to establish the look and style of England during WWII. The cast which backs up Kitchen is first rate. These include the ongoing characters of Samantha Stewart played by Honeysuckle Weeks (a great name) as Foyle's driver. Stewart is an energetic, curious young woman, brave when she needs to be, who has earned Foyle's respect. Paul Milner is played by Anthony Howell. Milner lost a leg in the Norway campaign and was assigned to Foyle as his detective sergeant. He had to build back his confidence. Milner now is a full member of the team, one who can work independently if needed.
Most of all, the series works so well because of Michael Kitchen and the mysteries themselves. Kitchen is an excellent, subtle, versatile actor whose long career includes the amusing and reprehensibly egoistic doctor in Reckless, the well-intentioned but naive king utterly outmaneuvered by Francis Urquhart in To Play the King and the unprincipled charlatan who finds himself facing Inspector Morse. Inspector Foyle is a serious, thoughtful man of high principles, who keeps most of his feelings to himself but who is not without a sense of wry humor. Kitchen captures the man perfectly. In these four episodes, Foyle must deal with murder and resentments toward GIs, the cover-up of biological weapons research gone wrong, death in a munitions factory, and a calculated crime of passion linked with top secret research for a new kind of bomb. This one, Casualties of War, will severely test Foyle's belief that crime must be punished regardless...and will lead to his resignation.
What's in store for Foyle next? Well, we know there are four more episodes which have been filmed in Britain and which will undoubtedly be shown sometime in the U. S. Let's hope it's soon. Foyle's War is a satisfying and at times morally complex set of mysteries for adults, and Michael Kitchen does Inspector Foyle proud. Each story is approximately 1' 40" long. The four DVDs in the set have excellent pictures and audio.
Movie Review: Thought-provoking mysteries, real drama
Summary: 5 Stars
The great appeal of Foyle's War is its realism; it often interweaves actual historical events into the plots, which enhances the setting and further illuminates the plight of the characters. This fact sets Foyle's War apart from the myriad of equally enjoyable, but often more colorful, or even a bit comical, mystery series. Unlike the fabulous, and often fanciful, cases of beloved detectives like Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple these stories portray the characters and victims with heart-wrenching reality. Set Four in the series is no different; again we see the ways in which war affects the people at home; the families torn apart, the citizens simply trying to survive no matter the cost, the people who may not go into combat but are no less affected by the violence and chaos of battle.
Featuring impeccable ensemble casts for each episode including subtle, nuanced performances from Michael Kitchen as DCS Foyle, these mysteries transcend mere whodunnits. The characters are developed enough that the viewer can actually feel for them; the crimes are complex enough to engage one's mind until the end. The final episode in this series, "Casualties of War", involving the traumatizing after-effects of the London Blitz on Foyle's nephew is a star in the set. These stories pose real questions about the morality of war; What conduct is acceptable during war? What rules can be bent in the name of victory? It is Foyle's constant struggle with these problems that makes this series so engaging. Series five cannot come too soon!