Modern English TV series are good in themselves, historical English TV series are simply excellent, so it did not take long to make a decision about viewing ' Crowns'.
The plot focuses on the English royal family in the mid-twentieth century. The work, telling about the monarch, filmed during his lifetime - a thing that is quite rare, therefore ' The Crown' in this regard is unique, which attracted attention.
On the one hand, the series can hardly be called epic, breathtaking, its action will be extremely slow, but it definitely has all the advantages that attract connoisseurs of the genre: a detailed era that makes you immerse yourself in that atmosphere from the first shots; the excellent work of the director, costume designers are forced to admire the picture, savor each frame. Sublime speech, right manners, reserved behavior of the characters and dialogue about what is right and what is not, bring pleasant feelings to lovers of past times. In general, a great alternative for those who miss 'Downton Abbey'.
The only thing that was so embarrassing was the nude nature of Matt Smith’s character in the first series, apparently added to attract a certain audience, but looked completely foreign in a series of such a highly cultural level. Thank you for not seeing this later. But in general, it was Prince Philip who at times became the one who stole all the attention and sympathy, how well his position remained in the shadows of the queen's husband was shown.
Remembering the story, you understand how many events happened in the family of the longest reigning monarch of the world, which gives the creators of the series many opportunities to make it even more interesting, the benefit they have a decent potential.
8 out of 10
The cast is one of the strengths of the series. Claire Foy’s game, which I’m not dreaming about or in spirit about before watching The Crown, is very subtle. Constant tension, awkwardness, insecurity - she conveys everything with facial expressions, look, gesture. It feels as if the actress and in life, so easily she was given the image of the young Queen.
About the character of Elizabeth the second says a few things: the desire to be a mechanic in war, he understands cars better than some men. Despite the indignation of relatives and close to the family – the wedding with Prince Gretzky and Danish Philip Battenberg, who was soon christened as Mountbatten, whose uncle “brought India”. As a queen, she honored traditions and made decisions not at the behest of her heart, but at the behest of the Crown.
The Crown
He is one of the main characters in the series. It is not a living being; it is a title, an object like the Ring of Power. A heavy burden lies on its owner: responsibility and status. The power that one acquires by renouncing one’s habitual nature, as well as in name, by choosing a new one, like the Pope. The Crown is the center of the monarchical universe, both in life and in this series.
Play of other actors
There are three more images from the series that are comparable to the Queen.
1 Edouard VIII - a disgrace of the family, a favorite of the press and an idol of romantics. He renounced the Crown for the love of a divorced woman and was forced into exile. Actor Alex Jennings very exquisitely embodies the image of Uncle Elizabeth II. A close relative who will gladly advise the young queen, a niece whom he calls Shirley Temple, her mother, her brother’s wife a cook, and her late brother a weakling. The American wife of the forsaken king is not accepted in the family, and they do not want to see, so he comes to the funeral himself, tells her in letters how unbearable he is at court, how he hates his mother, but at the same time lies near his mother and smokes a cigarette to her. Well, the bagpipe scene speaks for itself. A very controversial image, to play it, you need to be a skilled actor.
2 Winston Churchill is the father of the nation. His image along with Elizabeth II, and timekeeping is no less. John Lithgow conveyed the image of an incomparable politician, orator, prime minister, but at the same time a man old, sick, with many internal contradictions, confident that his homeland needs him no less than during world wars.
3 Elizabeth's father is King George VI. A faithful husband, an exemplary father, a beloved king. Jared Harris plays the "King of the Stutter" who has fallen the burden of the Crown, following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII. One of the most beautiful scenes that reveal the soul and image of George VI is when poor people come to him to sing a Christmas song and he joins them. And of course, playing a terminally ill king who is struggling not to show his sight, Harris shows aerobatics acting.
I agree with those who noticed the darkness of the series. The film is not full of bright colors. On the contrary: dull, foggy and a little dark, like Britain itself. For the scenery and outfits. The interiors of palaces are similar to museums of fine arts. Grace and beauty, which is not worth a little money. And before you ask what $156 million was spent on, carefully review the show. Artists, costumers, designers worked every penny. What a coronation scene!
Of course, everyone in the series will not like something. The absence of sharp scenes, a somewhat slow narration, paying attention to things are not always interesting, as here is the rap of Elizabeth’s beloved horse. I think it really was to reduce the timing due to unnecessary scenes for the series.
Special praise for Peter Morgan and The Crown. Each series tells its own separate story. The series covers probably all the most important British events of those times, both national and intrafamily.
I recommend watching the series only as a quality. It is a high-quality picture, competent directing, the play of actors that distinguishes this series from many similar to it - this is the level of multimillion-dollar feature films of Hollywood.After "The Crown" many series will seem too simple, almost amateur.
I really didn't like the show. Maybe my expectations were too high. What I expected from him:
1) Immersion in Elizabeth. The opportunity to get to know her more as a person and a woman, first and foremost.
2) Getting to know each other in the royal family
(3) See the life of monarchs
If the third one was glimpsed, I consider the first two points unfulfilled. All Elizabeth does for the first season is walk around with huge eyes and a mouth ajar. Like a wax doll. Very upset episode with the elephant, somewhere in the first series of the series. Obviously, the goal was to strain the viewer, to make him worry, but everything was so naive and badly filmed that it caused a smile. Thank you for not finding any funny moments either. As a result, I received:
1) Dark series
2) The Inanimate Family of Monarchs
(3) The most terrible, not revealed Elizabeth
If I hadn’t read in advance that Elizabeth’s family was against marriage and had a bad attitude towards Philip’s family, I wouldn’t have learned this from the series, so all the characters are plasticine. The series does not reflect the stubborn character of the Queen. The question arises why then to make a film about people at all, if the director does not have the goal to reveal their thoughts, feelings and attitudes to each other.
2 out of 10
The series “The Crown” is positioned as an expensive historical canvas, designed to show the life of the acting Queen of Great Britain from all sides. The time shown in the series covers the period - the coronation and the first years of the reign. The creators of the series tried to immerse the viewer in intricate palace intrigues, complex political decisions, as well as family problems and joys. What happened to that?
The series is quite expensive (budget $156 million). It is very difficult to know where the money is spent. The creators say that costumes and interiors were recreated, attention was paid to every detail in order to convey the royal environment with extreme realism. Did it work? I guess. Only historians and art historians can answer this question. You can compare it to The King's Speech! (budget $15 million), as the film is about the same time and also concerns the royal family of Great Britain. Both in the film and in the series, the era is presented quite realistically, at least no one rides a gyro scooter and posts cats on social networks. But the filmmakers managed to meet a smaller budget without sacrificing the realism of props, costumes and scenery.
The series “The Crown” is quite chamber, many scenes take place in rooms with a small number of actors involved in the frame. And again, you can draw analogies with the movie “The King speaks!”. It is not clear why many scenes in the series take place in semi-dark rooms, apparently to give some understatement and intimacy. But it doesn't feel like that. Unlike the film, where the muted colors complement the emotions of the main characters, the series is simply dark. I want to offer to turn on the light and add emotions to what is happening.
The actors of the series also leave much to be desired. The main characters do not worry, they are simple cardboard figures that do not convey feelings, which pronounce flat lines. For example, undisclosed drama in the scene with the artist and the Prime Minister. There is no way to go from hate to friendship. In the same “King speaks!” masterfully revealed the characters. Their fears and hopes are intertwined with commitment and reality. The secondary characters of “The King Speaks!” appear for a very short time, but they have time to open up and add shades to the main picture. In the series, secondary characters play the role of scenery and do not carry a special semantic and emotional load. The drama of the royal family is not revealed. The difficult relationship between spouses boils down to: “I only loved you!” And you? And you don't have to say, "Ah!" You don't understand anything. She's the queen. It doesn't belong to itself, it doesn't belong to the family. She belongs to her title and must live up to it! Oh, come on! Everyone chooses who to be and the main priorities in life are also determined by the person. And in the UK, there are precedents when royals chose their personal lives and refused the title. After that, they lived the life that suited them. Fortunately, they did not have to work as loaders to feed their family. There is always a choice.
Many episodes are very long and boring. Some things aren't clear. The creators of the series wanted to show the Queen’s passion for horses. But why does her gender of the series care how much money a stallion will bring in horse racing and how much as an inseminator? Why do you spend so much time in your presence?
To sum up the above. “The Crown” is a faded, protracted, boring series with inexpressive acting of actors and a mediocre script. This is a series to fill excess free time or background picture. I understand the high rating of the series on imdb, many viewers are citizens of the United Kingdom and are interested in learning about the life of the Queen. But I saw it as a normal historical film, albeit with high expectations. However, they did not pay off. Whether you want to revise it is definitely not. "The King's Speech!" I've watched it twice and will watch it again.
Overall, of course, I liked it. Palaces, costumes, pearls - a brilliant transfer of the atmosphere was quite successful.
From a plot point of view, it's more complicated. I had the impression that almost everyone was trying to say as little as possible, but fill the time of the series. The characters look at each other meaningfully, sometimes even ask questions, but then immediately switch to another stage, as if the authors are afraid to come up with some answer to a question, when they apparently do not know the truth. In general, it seems that the more time has elapsed since the death of a character - the more he has lines - respectively, at first talking mainly George and Churchill. In the second half of the season, thank goodness, the rest of us engage in action and discussion. The downside is that the events of the first part remain silent. What did Elizabeth’s uncle say about surname and place of residence? or where did the great love of Margaret and her officer come from?
About actors. Claire Foy is beautiful. I don't like Matt Smith, but he's colorful and great. Although his posture is not an officer at all. I didn't like Margaret and the Queen Mother. The second is just sour and inexpressive. And the sister of the Queen, probably, should cause sympathy and sympathy, but in fact it turned out a vulgar girl who stomps with a leg, envy her sister and does not cause sympathy at all. Churchill is not the best incarnation, but quite decent. The most vile hero, of course, is Uncle Edward. I don’t know what he did to the creators, but here he is a pathetic evil hypocrite, and in general completely on his own, without any influence Wallis Simpson, who mostly only listens to him. The rest of the actors have little screen time and, in general, are beautiful, and each is remembered in their own way.
The series would not hurt the most bit of humor, it seems that in ten episodes I smiled three times.
In general, it is a beautiful, not too dynamic and exciting action. If the window is -30, and time is full - it is quite suitable to kill time.
7 out of 10
Palace intrigues, family scandals, recognition and abdication are standard everyday life of a monarch whose monarch we all know. The series about the first years of the reign of Elizabeth II was colorful, full of the above-mentioned intrigues and historical events that inscribed her in the ranks of the wisest British monarchs. And even though the role of monarchy has changed today, people still love it and exalt it as a personal deity.
Competently selected historical intervals and events make the series really interesting, showing the relationship between the Queen and the family, the Cabinet, the House of Lords, etc.
The cast is simply a stunning, magnificent image of King George and the unsurpassed Winston Churchill. But I especially want to mention Matt Smith for his role as Prince Philip. What is it like to live in the shadow of your wife? Together with Claire Foy, they truly depicted the real family drama of the Queen. You can’t be a wife and a mother and a daughter and a sister when you’re a queen.
The intriguing ending only stirs up interest and makes you wait with trepidation for the next season!
The Crown is a great series in every sense. It will serve for you as a historical “leakbez”, will show the everyday side of the life of the monarch, a beautiful acting, will deliver aesthetic pleasure.
The series is filmed about the life of the current Queen Elizabeth and, accordingly, claims some historical authenticity - and here you can learn a lot about some facts. So, for example, the Great Smog of 1952 is shown here, the authors told about the lost masterpiece of painting in the form of a portrait of Winston Churchill on his 80th anniversary, and in general, the gradual disclosure of the characters of the royal family makes you climb the Internet for their biography.
The main thing, I think, is that there is a monarch’s life. All of us probably once thought, saying: “I would like to wave a handle to the crowd and live in luxury, while true politicians solve problems!” But that is not the case. Being a monarch is a heavy burden that requires great strength. Behind the constant smile on the face hide solutions that tear a person from the inside, behind-the-scenes games, gossip and intrigue, assessing views and constant comparison with predecessors. People of the big political game are constantly trying to manipulate the young queen, and here more than ever it is necessary to show what kind of test you are from. There is no longer a man, there is only a monarch, and everything is for the good of the state.
Clare Foy has a striking resemblance to the real Queen, right to the chills. Her acting is beautiful, wonderful and deserves other epithets. However, I remember Matt Smith and John Lithgow as Prince Philip and Winston Churchill. Smith's screen time decreases from series to series, but his character and acting look just fine - he perfectly played a husband who has the most difficult wife in the world. The image of the Prime Minister of Britain is beautiful – it is a grumpy old man, an excellent politician, a real teacher. Cigars and whiskey are included. Except that John Lithgow does not quite look like the real Churchill, but you get used to it.
The series is worth watching in HD and only in HD! For everything is at the highest level! Oh, how many little details, accessories and jewelry there are. One look at the rooms and corridors that are worth it. All these costume decorations, awards, ceremonial items look delightful and complement the already beautifully recreated picture of the post-war period - from cars to the city itself. This aspect in "The Crown" is just at the top level!
Summing up, we say that this is a wonderful show, telling us that there is a household side of the Monarch’s life, and what difficult decisions (and deprivations) he has to make (and endure) for the benefit of the state, flavored with magnificent actors and amazing scenery.
We waited, waited and finally waited: after 'Victoria' with the beautiful Jenna Coleman comes dedicated to Elizabeth II ' The Crown' with Claire Foy and Matt Smith. This staging is much larger, and the names of its participants alone already cause awe. The script is written by Peter Morgan, creator of the famous ' Queen' with Lady Helen Mirren. Several episodes were directed by Stephen-Doldry, on whose account 'The Hours' and 'The Reader'; they worked with Morgan on 'Audience'. A beautiful theme was written by Hans Zimmer. And so on and so forth.
' The Crown' is a pure delight for those who pay attention to detail. Never before have the creators of a series about the British monarchy been so thorough and painstaking in everything from planes to shoes. Looking at the interiors and costumes, you well understand where the grandiose budget of the series went.
The action develops emphatically leisurely, calmly, and hourly episodes can not be called saturated events. But at the same time 'Korona' simultaneously develops several plots, each of which was enough for a full-fledged series. The squabbles within the larger Windsor family, the struggles of political parties, the vicissitudes of marriage, in which one is doomed to remain forever in the shadows. And of course, the transformation of Elizabeth from a young princess, wife and mother, into a great queen who still rules Great Britain.
In ' The Crown' not so many famous actors, which is quite unusual for a British series of this scale. Claire Foy and Aileen Atkins are well known to fans of the series ' Up and Down the Stairs' Jared Harris often flashes on screens, but mainly in the second roles, so that the main star ' Crown' became my favorite Dr. Matt Smith. The authors of the series understand this, so that the camera lingers on it no less often than on Claire Foy.
It is too early to sum up any results, but it is already clear from the first series - 'The Crown' Removal. I hope this series is with us for a long time.