Fisherman's Friends: One And All, The Invitation and Eiffel

 

I deliberately avoided the first film about Fisherman's Friends and the only attraction of the sequel were the shots in the trailer of Port Quinn where we had stayed for sixteen years at the National Trust properties of Doyden and Lacombe. And that Alison wanted to accompany me. I agreed with one review that the movie was very ordinary (apart from a good cameo from the mature actress Maggie Steed) except it did "make the most of the stunning Cornish coast with some handsomely captured sunsets". The scenes set in Port Quinn included the Doyden Castle, another NT property, and a cottage round the corner from where we stayed. See separate post.

A predictable but fun B movie about a young woman being invited to a wedding that involves vampires. Lots of dialogue, not all great, but the cast tried their best. Nathalie Emmanuel was fine in the lead role and Sean Pertwee hammed it up.There were twists at the end that were a change from the usual happenings in this genre. I had never seen that in any vampire film. There is also something added on at the end that was filmed later. Interesting.

I had to go to the Rex cinema in Berkhampsted to see this French movie. There was a lot I didn't know about Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) who led the design of the structure. He designed bridges and even the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty. I loved the sets and costumes of late nineteenth century Paris, particularly when the construction had reached Level 1 which needed six architects and twelve engineers. I enjoyed how we were told of the intricacies of building next to the Seine with metal caissons and injected compresesd air, and about the lattice structure avoiding wind turbulence. There are good bits about explanations of the structure and lots of work on the drawings. So far so good. But because this is a French movie we had to have the revival of a love affair from twenty years previously. It did show Emma Mackey to great effect and added some needed female interest. Director Martin Bourboulon and cinematographer Marias Boucard have made a wonderful job of the tower's development.