[Brighton] Grace ***May Contain Spoilers***

[Thunder Bolt]

Padded out with non detective stuff with unnecessary scenes with Sandy, Cleo and Ari.

Which isn't true to the books because Sandy doesn't keep sneaking back to Britain.

 

[keaton]

Reminded us of some amateur production.

That's what the two TV episodes I watched reminded me of

 

[jcdenton08]

I’m very sad to say, having enjoyed the previous episodes enough and being a big fan of the books (not so much the plays, but even then I’ve seen them out of loyalty), that last episode was balls.

Didn’t buy the acting and hoped Simm would grow into the role a bit. He is very unlike the Grace I always imagined. As someone mentioned above, he’s written rather differently in the book than how he is interpreted for screen. I really like John Simm generally, but his Grace I’m just not buying.

Wouldn’t be a huge fan of Potting or Branson either. Just not cast appropriately for me. Potting for example should be older, snarkier. More of a dick than a loveable Jack-the-lad.

I’m going to watch the rest out of principle, but I thought that was really quite poor to be honest.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

After seeing the very first episode whenever it was first shown and thinking it the worst detective drama we had ever seen, we have now watched series 2 episode 1. My goodness, that was worse. Sorry but it’s film location is not enough to make up for the weak storylines and dreadful acting. One thing I would say is that if you have read a book it will not translate to the screen for you. I haven’t read the books but still think the tv series is garbage.

 

[The Clamp]

After seeing the very first episode whenever it was first shown and thinking it the worst detective drama we had ever seen, we have now watched series 2 episode 1. My goodness, that was worse. Sorry but it’s film location is not enough to make up for the weak storylines and dreadful acting.

Agree. Books are crap, tv series is even worse. It’s just very poorly written rubbish.

I really do fail to see how it’s gained such acclaim as a book series.

 

[jcdenton08]

After seeing the very first episode whenever it was first shown and thinking it the worst detective drama we had ever seen, we have now watched series 2 episode 1. My goodness, that was worse. Sorry but it’s film location is not enough to make up for the weak storylines and dreadful acting. One thing I would say is that if you have read a book it will not translate to the screen for you. I haven’t read the books but still think the tv series is garbage.

I’ve seen dozens - hundreds probably including movies - of book adaptations having read the novel. There are good adaptations and less good ones. I would have to agree that this adaptation isn’t the best.

 

[JBizzle]

I like John Simm, but he just isn't how I pictured Grace in the books. I had him older and more GRIZZLED. A bit more like Gene Hunt in Life On Mars.

It's a strange one. I wonder if the TV show actually has more appeal to those that haven't read the books for just this reason?

I recall watching the Reacher films with Tom Cruise and not being able to get past the fact that Cruise is about as far from Reacher as you can cast without changing race of gender. I just couldn't engage with anything because I found it so distracting. On re-watching it recently, it's actually a decent thriller who's main character happens to have the same name as a guy in some books I like, but it's taken 10 years to get to that point.

Now the Reacher TV series... That's how you do a proper adaptation.

 

[Easy 10]

It's a strange one. I wonder if the TV show actually has more appeal to those that haven't read the books for just this reason?

I recall watching the Reacher films with Tom Cruise and not being able to get past the fact that Cruise is about as far from Reacher as you can cast without changing race of gender. I just couldn't engage with anything because I found it so distracting. On re-watching it recently, it's actually a decent thriller who's main character happens to have the same name as a guy in some books I like, but it's taken 10 years to get to that point.

Now the Reacher TV series... That's how you do a proper adaptation.

I haven't read any Reacher books, but I saw the first Reacher film so I had no prior expectations, if thats the right word. I just throught it was a bang-average thriller, utterly forgettable and almost had quite a dated feel to it. That wasn't because of Cruise being miscast IMO, it was just...dull.

 

[The Clamp]

This series goes to show, if the source material is poor it doesn’t matter how many A list actors or how much money you bung at it, it’s not gonna work.

 

[jcdenton08]

This series goes to show, if the source material is poor it doesn’t matter how many A list actors or how much money you bung at it, it’s not gonna work.

Fair enough. I disagree as I love the books as an easy read, but I definitely agree that if the central premise and the plots from the books don’t appeal broadly speaking, then the show is unlikely to. Take your point about casting though absolutely - you could have a world class cast in something like “Twilight” and it wouldn’t rescue the screenplay.

 

[Titanic]

Sam Hoare is entirely unconvincing as Cassian Pewe... very strange casting.

And I totally agree about the stage plays... truly dismal affairs from start to finish.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I’ve seen dozens - hundreds probably including movies - of book adaptations having read the novel. There are good adaptations and less good ones. I would have to agree that this adaptation isn’t the best.

I wonder if that is because each story is only one episode. I’m not sure that can do a book justice. The typical format for most dramas is around 6 episodes, to develop characters and plot.

 

[jcdenton08]

I wonder if that is because each story is only one episode. I’m not sure that can do a book justice. The typical format for most dramas is around 6 episodes, to develop characters and plot.

I think they did enough in the first few episodes to get the characters across, what they didn’t really do was develop thing in the episodes since. Grace isn’t a maverick, he’s a tough copper but real. I just feel the show, particularly SIMM’s performance, is leaning too heavily into something I don’t recognise in the character.

 

[jcdenton08]

Sam Hoare is entirely unconvincing as Cassian Pewe... very strange casting.

And I totally agree about the stage plays... truly dismal affairs from start to finish.

Cassian Pewe was indeed dreadful.

 

[The Clamp]

Fair enough. I disagree as I love the books as an easy read, but I definitely agree that if the central premise and the plots from the books don’t appeal broadly speaking, then the show is unlikely to. Take your point about casting though absolutely - you could have a world class cast in something like “Twilight” and it wouldn’t rescue the screenplay.

There must be something in the books because plenty of people like them. Just not for me. Great when you find a series of books or films etc that you’re into. Rare these days.

 

[Easy 10]

There must be something in the books because plenty of people like them. Just not for me. Great when you find a series of books or films etc that you’re into. Rare these days.

My parents absolutely LOVED the Reacher books, but the films have left them cold. Nether of them could get past Tom Cruise as Reacher.

There was clearly a market as the books have been massive. But the first Reacher film scored a lukewarm 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the sequel scored 38%. I've not bothered with JR2 as the first one was so insipid.

As you say, its very rare when books convert well to the big screen.

 

[jcdenton08]

There must be something in the books because plenty of people like them. Just not for me. Great when you find a series of books or films etc that you’re into. Rare these days.

I appreciate they aren’t high literature or anything. Just a “beach read” rather than a Pulitzer nominee! Sometimes you just want a crime thriller, and I love the Brighton aspect, even though some of his geography is very suspect.

He is several steps above Dan Brown, but when I’m reading a Grace story I’m not expecting masterpiece…

 

[BN9 BHA]

My parents absolutely LOVED the Reacher books, but the films have left them cold. Nether of them could get past Tom Cruise as Reacher.

There was clearly a market as the books have been massive. But the first Reacher film scored a lukewarm 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the sequel scored 38%. I've not bothered with JR2 as the first one was so insipid.

As you say, its very rare when books convert well to the big screen.

I have read and enjoyed all the Reacher books, can’t say I loved the films because of Tom Cruise being short and Reacher is supposed to be huge.

I really enjoyed the Reacher series on Prime, Alan Ritchson is more like I imagine what Reacher looks like.
Have you seen the series on Prime?

 

[Easy 10]

I have read and enjoyed all the Reacher books, can’t say I loved the films because of Tom Cruise being short and Reacher is supposed to be huge.

I really enjoyed the Reacher series on Prime, Alan Ritchson is more like I imagine what Reacher looks like.
Have you seen the series on Prime?

No not got round to it yet, but I may well give it a go. I'm balls-deep with A Town Called Malice atm though, and the doris is ploughing through Silent Witness, so there's only so much screen time available. Sadly I'm not unemployed.

 

[BN9 BHA]

No not got round to it yet, but I may well give it a go. I'm balls-deep with A Town Called Malice atm though, and the doris is ploughing through Silent Witness, so there's only so much screen time available. Sadly I'm not unemployed.

I definitely recommend the Reacher series, once I started watching it was difficult to not binge watch the whole lot.
I’m looking forward to A Town Called Malice