Customer Reviews

House of Cards 2 - To Play the King [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ian Richardson returns as the ruthless yet compelling Francis Urquhart, a fictional albeit realistic (and relevant) Prime Minister of England. In this episode, Urquhart finds himself in a royal battle with a newly appointed King. The King (portrayed with finesse by actor Michael Kitchen) launches an assault on Urquhart's "hard line" policies and enlists the aid of Urquhart's political enemies to gather against him. Adding to the balance of forces is Mrs. Sarah Harding (played by Kitty Aldrige), a young and attractive media pollster who becomes Urquhart's "personal political consultant" and, eventually, his mistress. Sarah soon uncovers incriminating information that can destroy Urquhart. Will she use it against him? Or will she end up like Mattie Storin, Urquhart's previous mistress who died under mysterious circumstances?

Giving the entire episode a strong allusion to 'Macbeth' is Urquhart's occasional remorse for the brutality of his past, and the brutality he must inflict to gain/hold power. Speaking directly to the camera (and us, the viewer), he provides insight into his cunning yet tortured thought process. Diane Fletcher's role as Urquhart's wife, Elizabeth, completes the 'Macbeth' allusion. Elizabeth exhibits a Lady Macbeth ruthlessness that matches Urquhart's ambitions. Of the King, she tells her husband, "Bring him down, Francis. Make him fall."

But can Urquhart really bring down a king? Find out and be entertained along the way.

This is the best of the three- the first two are great, the third is to be missed. The viewer is drawn into the villainy of an evil PM with Shakespeareian ease and expertise. I disagree with a comment of a prior reviewer that there is "no redeeming social value." In fact, the point - power corrupts, often irredeemably so- is probably too obvious to mention. Any failure of the subplots to tie together completely at the end is far outweighed by the brilliantly protrayed spectacle of evil.

This is the second part of the "House of Cards" trilogy by Michael Dobbs and the continuing story of Francis Urquhart who, now Prime Minister, is engaged in a political struggle with the newly crowned king, a thinly disguised version of Prince Charles, and in a romantic liaison with a woman whom his wife chose for him and who is almost his equal in cold-bloodedness though not in utter and absolute villainy. In this second work we are no longer taken in by the superficial charm of Urquhart. His cleverness has given way to brutality, rage and deceit, and he has lost our sympathy. We look with a certain coldness even on his moments of remorse and hauntings of conscience. He begins, for all his political triumphs, to show his essential weakness, and his wife is now emerging as the strength of their partnership. The work is well worth seeing despite some weakness of plot and is fascinating because of the unusual conflict between HRH and the PM though most of all because of the continued stupendous acting of Ian Richardson. It is, however, not quite up to the same level as "House of Cards," the first part of the trilogy.

To enjoy this series, you need to like subtle, stabbing humor, a phenomenal cast, unique camera perspectives, and a great script. I saw this series when it first aired (more years ago than I care to remember!) and never forgot it. Now my whole family is hooked too, and we re-watch every few months just because it is so incredibly well done. I love the way the cast plays to each other, and it seems as though they chose the perfect person for each role. I just wish the BBC would release it on DVD before my tapes fail!

The 'House of Cards' trilogy, a BBC production done at the time of Margaret Thatcher's downfall, is one of the best modern political intrigue/satires done. The cast, the story, and the exacting attention to detail make this a piece worth watching and re-watching, to see what details escaped notice the first time.

The Plot
In the first installment, 'House of Cards', Francis Urqhart manages to becoming Prime Minister by masterful deceit and political intrigue, forcing Margaret Thatcher's inept but well-meaning successor into an early retirement with the unwitting help of a naive young journalist. Mattie Storin comes to the realisation she's been used, and threatens to expose Urqhart, who then throws her bodily off the roof of the House of Commons (not as strange as it sounds -- there really is a roof garden with tables and chairs, etc. up there). Off Urqhart goes to Buckingham Palace to be made Prime Minister, free and clear.

But, there was a tape recorder running, setting the stage for the sequel...

'To Play the King' is the sequel, in which Urqhart matches forces against the newly installed King, played by Michael Kitchen. The King sees himself as the champion of the underdog and underclass Urqhart has abandoned, and it is a literal battle royale to the end. Storin has been replaced by Sarah Harding, who finds Urqhart is more than a match for her minor turncoating as well.

Kitchen's portrayal of a liberal but naive king is reminiscent of Prince Charles in the 1990s; there is a divorced wife very much in the manner of Diana (and this part doesn't play as well now given the subsequent history of the real Princess of Wales). Ultimately, the King gets too much embroiled in political intrigue, all the while insisting he is only doing what is right. In the end, the King, the King's advisors, Urqhart's advisors, and the party at large discover that Urqhart is more than a match for the lot of them.

The Cast
Ian Richardson is masterful as Urqhart, the scheming blackheart Chief Whip/Prime Minister. His voice, his subtle inflections and tones are perfect for the subtext in the words he speaks. His sidewise glances and knowing expressions to camera as the action plays out is worth far more than any words. He is a perfect snobbish, upper-class politico who considers political office as patrician right, and despises pretenders to the role.

Diane Fletcher is superb as Elizabeth Urqhart, the equally manipulative wife. She is under utilised in this part of the trilogy, coming into her own as a character and an actress in later parts of the trilogy. One gets the strong sense of muted ambition and greed, but not amorality or power for power's sake from her, a distinction hard to play out on video. Fletcher succeeds beautifully.

One gets the impression that everyone in British politics is brilliant and troubled. Well, the truth would be about half that.

The Play's the Thing...
This production, in writing and execution, is full of Shakespearean nuances. There are indirect and direct references to Richard III, and Urqhart is a Machiavellian manipulator in the Duke of Gloucester's image, recast for modern dress and situation, complete with stage whispers and asides to audience. The depth of the characters, while still remaining caricatures, is fascinating. Perhaps the best-known line for a while was Urqhart's attempts to get information out to the journalist Storin without actually telling her, and being guilty (by the letter of the law) for leaks and disclosures. She would hint and speculate, at which Urqhart would reply, `You might very well think that. I of course couldn't possibly comment.'

John Major used this response in one of his own question-time exchanges, a use that was appreciated by the Members on both sides of the House.

Alas, Sarah Harding gets no such memorable lines from this installment of the trilogy.

Conclusions
For those who know nothing of British politics, this is actually a fascinating way to learn. For those who take an interest in British politics, this provides an intriguing fictional tale that is, in many ways, so close to reality on so many levels as to be positively unnerving.

Richardson rightly won BAFTA awards for his portrayal of Urqhart in each of the three installments, 'House of Cards' and its sequels, 'To Play the King' and 'The Final Cut'. These sequels were possibly only because of a BBC change to Dobbs' original manuscript, which had Urqhart rather than Storin falling from the rooftop garden of the House of Commons.

A bonus for the viewer.

Ian Richardson is an absolute dynamo as Francis Urquehart, a proud and ruthless politician who puts Macbeth to shame in the ambitions department. The humor is witty and biting, and the show is riveting from start to finish. And Richardson is so convincing as the vile Urquehart that you just cant help rooting for him.

This is a four-part BBC television series, broadcast in America on PBS. It is the successor of "House of Cards" and the predecessor of "The Final Cut" and the best of the three series. It concerns a malevolent power-hungry Tory Prime Minister who clashes with a compassionate king. The dialogue is witty and fast-paced. The series has no redeeming social value: it's fun.

Ian Richardson's gleeful portrayal of Francis Urquhart embodies all the satirical ironies of the best villains. Think Hannibal Lecter, Heath Leger's "The Joker", put a wry and dry english sensibility to them, add the belief that his morality is for the greater good and there's Francis.

Having just finished watching series 2 of The House of Cards trilogy, the end left me with my eyes wide open, saying "wow"!, not usually one of my favourite expressions. In this series, Francis Urquhart is Prime Minister of Britain and is battling with the King on most of his governments policies, urging him to adopt more lenient policies regarding benefits for the poor and disadvantaged while Urquhart's party is distinctly right wing. The character of the King, played to perfection by actor Michael Kitchen (Foyle's War etc.)is clearly based on Prince Charles, using his speech patterns and bodily gestures and that of his sister(in the show) is based on his real lfe aunt, Princess Margaret. I usually combine watching any form of TV with needlework but, on this occasion, couldn't bear to tear my eyes away from the screen with these mesmerising scenes being played out, with stunning performances from all of the cast and with Ian Richardson playing his "baddie" role as effectively as any Shakesperian actor. I cannot recommend this series more highly and am now awaiting the third and last in the series, The Final Cut.

Second in a trilogy, TO PLAY THE KING continues the story from HOUSE OF CARDS and lays vital groundwork for THE FINAL CUT, but it lacks the cohesion of those other entrants into this series. One of TPTK's subplots-that of the King's newly-out homosexual press secretary-is a well-written, well-acted part of the story, but it just fizzles uselessly at the end, having had little impact.. Likewise, other plots which seem dreadfully important when introduced simply disappear. We're told, for instance, that the publication of the secrets of the King's sister will assuredly bring down the monarchy. Urquart orders this publication, yet the monarchy does not fall. Why? We're not told. Worse, the main plot-that of a confrontation between elected prime minister and hereditary monarch-- is itself resolved in ways that aren't even shown on-screen.

This is not to say that TO PLAY THE KING is uninteresting or in any way unwatchable. The acting is phenomenal, the dialogue sparkling, and the conclusions bold. The battle between Francis Urquart and the King of England is mesmerizing stuff. But this is clearly not the best entrant in the series, perhaps because it's hard to write about what hasn't happened in modern times. With the exception of love, there has been no issue which has publicly separated a British monarch from his Prime Minister in the twentieth century, so the film is largely theoretical. Oddly, the film's denouement really closes out the two main subplots, not the main storyline. Consequently, we're left wondering why exactly the chosen ending is happening.

Having said all this, it's still a phenomenal ride. If you like political intrigue at all, the only better films are the other parts of this trilogy.