BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The Courier

**Posted by Yitzock** January 31, 2021 11:05 pm

I'm a few days late, but since the trailer for Benedict new movie The Courier is out I'd thought I'd share it. I thought I'd seen a post about this movie when it was still in development and production (possibly under a different title, I don't remember) but I was unable to find it so I hope it's OK that I'm making this topic. It looks interesting!
I don't do digital movie rental very often, but I might for this one.

**Posted by besleybean** February 1, 2021 6:02 am

Yes it was originally named Ironbark, which a lot of us prefer!
Whatever, it looks a really good movie and I can't wait to see it.

**Posted by Liberty** February 1, 2021 7:49 am

I just saw this trailer recently too and was thinking of posting it, so thank you for starting the topic! Do you know where it's going to be streaming?

Funny about streaming services: I really miss going to the cinema, and it's been so great to be able to use these. I've done the rounds of various ones, and have a couple on the go at the moment. I've been using both subs and pay on demand services, and having been watching all sorts of things that I wouldn't have watched before. It's not the same as the cinema, but thank goodness it exists!

**Posted by Yitzock** February 1, 2021 9:34 pm

Ah, yes, right! Ironbark! I knew I'd remember the old title as soon as I saw it again. Oh, well, they have their reasons for deciding on those changes. I don't have strong feelings about either one at this point.

I miss going to the cinema, too, sometimes, though perhaps not as much as seeing live theatre. But you're right, it's good to still be able to watch things in other ways! But as a result, if it's not on a streaming service I already have, I've mostly been seeing movies from previous years instead of watching new ones. I keep up with reading reviews, but don't always get to watching things, even ifI want to. There's so many TV shows to watch, it's easy to get distracted or just plain forget about certain titles.

**Posted by besleybean** February 2, 2021 6:08 am

Yes, I feel I am missing out on a lot of my favourite actors' projects.
My main viewing platforms are TV or DVD.
I have Cable and Netflix.
I don't have Sky movies and I rarely use my Netflix.
So if something isn't on a main stream channel or DVD, I don't see it.
I am going to make an effort to go to the cinema more...
if we ever get back to normal.

**Posted by Yitzock** February 2, 2021 5:23 pm

I'm sure one day we will be able to go to cinemas again (though in the UK and here in Canada I think it will probably take a long time before we can). After every previous pandemic, people have been going to theatres, so I'm sure this time will not be an exception. Though in some ways it's hard to imagine, I'm hopeful.

**Posted by Liberty** February 2, 2021 5:33 pm

I absolutely love the cinema and would go every week if I could! Unfortunately it's too expensive! Before the pandemic I'd been going to showings for older adults and just loved being able to switch off and immerse myself. I was a member of the local cinema, in a film group and used to go to a film course there every year. There's nothing beats sitting in the dark with a huge screen and surround sound!

But the advantage of streaming is that it's cheaper, so I've been able to watch more. I don't have Sky, but I do sub to Now TV every now and then if there's something particular I want to watch (I think Twin Peaks:The Return was one I subbed for). I also had a couple of months on Disney Plus. I've got Amazon Prime and Netflix too, and watch things on Iplayer, youtube, etc. I've recently watched It's a Sin on Channel 4 (the new Russell T Davies series) but I'm getting way off topic, sorry!

But talking of TV, I didn't know anything about Greville Wynne and had to look him up: found this video of him appearing on a TV game show!
(from about 10 minutes in).

**Posted by besleybean** February 2, 2021 5:38 pm

To stay off topic for a moment and can't we?!
It's a Sin is fab...
Oh no, I knew nothing about Wynne either...
so thanks for posting this.

**Posted by Liberty** February 2, 2021 5:52 pm

I hope it's not too much of a spoiler that he's alive and on TV in 1966!

Yes, I think off-topic is fine these days when there are so few of us here regularly!

**Posted by besleybean** February 2, 2021 5:57 pm

Well dunno when I will get to see it, so spoilers not a problem for me and yes...
my thoughts exactly on the last point!

**Posted by SusiGo** February 4, 2021 10:31 am

I am quite excited for the film and wonder when we will get to see it. It does not seem really clever to release it on 19 March in the UK, does it? Are cinemas even open? And who will go there? Same goes for Germany. All cultural institutions have been closed since November 1.

**Posted by Yitzock** February 4, 2021 7:37 pm

There might be some cinemas open in some places, but I think for most people the only option will be video on demand, like it has been for a lot of movies.

That's cool that the real person in the movie was on To Tell the Truth!

**Posted by Yitzock** April 18, 2021 9:29 pm

I watched this last night. While I liked it and thought it was good, I didn't love it. Benedict was great (though I didn't know that we would be seeing him naked in this, so just be warned!) and there were some exciting scenes, but there were a couple points where I think I had a bit of trouble understanding why things were happening the way they were.
I thought the actor playing the Russian, "Ironbark," was good, but he tended to speak very quietly (even in the scenes where other characters were not speaking very quietly), so I had to pump up the volume to hear some of the scenes properly. A few times I had to go back and listen again. In general, the quiet scnes were really quiet compared to the rest, which I found kind of frustrating. I don't know if anyone else will have this frustration, but it might have affected my enjoyment a bit.

**Posted by besleybean** April 19, 2021 5:43 am

Don't know when I'll get to see this, but sorry, the last part of your report made me laugh.
I should point out that I know nothing about the making of this film...in fact, isn't it British?
Anyhow, Mum used to say that all American films/TV shows are filmed in the dark and all the cast whisper!

**Posted by Liberty** April 19, 2021 7:05 am

A lot of British ones are just as bad! I've got used to watching with subtitles a lot of the time.

**Posted by Yitzock** April 19, 2021 2:30 pm

I find subtitle distracting in all the scenes where I don't need them. I don't know if it was just the mixing or what, but the quiet scenes were really quiet and then the rest of the scenes were loud. I've had some experience with other films being very quiet, but this seemed a bit more so than some others I've watched lately.

I'm sorry that this discussion has distracted from the discussion of the rest of the movie!

**Posted by besleybean** April 19, 2021 4:59 pm

That was my fault Yitzock and yeah Liberty, I realise...just made me think of Mum!

**Posted by Liberty** April 19, 2021 5:18 pm

My fault too! I haven't seen it yet, so don't have anything to add. It seems to be getting good reviews.

**Posted by Yitzock** April 19, 2021 8:59 pm

I don't mind, I just think it's funny how we ended up talking about that!

**Posted by SusiGo** April 24, 2021 3:39 pm

Yitzock wrote:
I watched this last night. While I liked it and thought it was good, I didn't love it. Benedict was great (though I didn't know that we would be seeing him naked in this, so just be warned!) and there were some exciting scenes, but there were a couple points where I think I had a bit of trouble understanding why things were happening the way they were.
I thought the actor playing the Russian, "Ironbark," was good, but he tended to speak very quietly (even in the scenes where other characters were not speaking very quietly), so I had to pump up the volume to hear some of the scenes properly. A few times I had to go back and listen again. In general, the quiet scnes were really quiet compared to the rest, which I found kind of frustrating. I don't know if anyone else will have this frustration, but it might have affected my enjoyment a bit.

Actually, seeing Benedict naked is an additional incentive for me and I really hope that I will get to see it in Germany. No hope for open cinemas so far so I probably have to wait for the DVD. There is video on demand but just for the US.
As for the speaking - same in Germany. I sometimes watch German films with subtitles because either the music is too loud or the actors are mumbling their lines. No idea why they do not their best to make people understand them. Of course this may be part of the characterisation but not always. I remember my despair when watching "Stuart - A Life Backwards" trying to understand Tom Hardy with no subtitles available.