FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE THE ENGLISH, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Lost in the Reel’s video review for The English

The western genre has seen many attempted revivals over the years, yet it seems to be a genre so rooted in America’s dark past… That filmmakers have really struggled to be able to successfully update it for the modern age.  While certain movies come to mind like Tombstone, 3:10 to Yuma, The Harder They Fall and Django Unchained… these well-received projects are few and far between.  And I have to admit, that if I could pick any genre that I could single out as my least favorite… it would probably be the “western”.  

So, when I saw that Emily Blunt, who happens to be one of my favorite actresses working today, was starring in a western limited series for Amazon and BBC… I’m not going to lie, I was a little disappointed.  But, Blunt is very choosy with her projects, so I had faith that this was going to be something that was at the very least, unique.  And then when I realized that Chaske Spencer was starring alongside her in the show, I began to become even more interested.  The actor blew me away in last year’s little-seen Sundance darling, Wild Indian… and I have been clamoring to see him in a meaty lead role like this.  Suffice to say, although the genre wasn’t exciting me, everything else about The English was.  

IS THIS ONE OF THE BETTER WESTERNS TO COME OUT RECENTLY?

And I have to say, that while I have my issues with this 6-episode limited series… It is one of the better westerns I have seen in a long time.  It is at once an ode to the film’s from our past, but also a renovation of a genre that has been in need of some major rejuvenation.  It’s a series that my dad (who watched Gunsmoke and John Wayne movies pretty much every day of his life) would have absolutely loved.  And one that I found great admiration for, though not on the same level, as he might’ve.

WHAT IS THE ENGLISH ALL ABOUT?

Set in the mythic mid-American landscape in the year of 1890, The English follows Cornelia Locke, an Englishwoman who arrives into the new and wild landscape of the West to wreak revenge on the man she sees as responsible for the death of her son. Upon meeting Eli Whipp, an ex-cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation by birth, they join together and discover a shared history which must be defeated at all costs, if either of them are to survive.

WHAT CAN YOU COMPARE THIS SERIES TO?

The English felt to me like something that Quentin Tarantino might cook up, by way of Edgar Allen Poe.  It has the large cast of characters, whip-smart dialogue and violence of a Tarantino flick, and also the macabre sensibilities of Poe.  It is a beguiling mixture, that also elevates it past its roots into being something more memorable.  And this series also has some of the most visually-arresting cinematography that we have seen in television all year.  With its vast landscapes, epic wide shots and over-saturated colors bursting off the screen… The English is a dazzling feast for the eyes.  

HOW ARE EMILY BLUNT AND CHASKE SPENCER?

Then we have the performances… Emily Blunt proves here, yet again, why she is one of the most sought-after leading ladies in the business.  Very few performers have the screen presence that she has.  And the ability to be a vulnerable, proper and charming salt of the earth type, as well as a believable tough-as-nails bad-ass.  In The English Blunt gets to play to every single one of her strengths as a performer… And you can see that she is relishing every single moment of it. 

 Her chemistry with Chaske Spencer is so raw and delicate.  It’s such a different kind of romance than what we are used to seeing on screen.  It is in the quiet moments where the two gaze into each other’s eyes or when their fingers lock together, that their spark comes alive.  And their relationship is one of mutual respect and admiration.  Eli never looks down on Cornelia once because of her gender… He treats her as his equal from the very moment that they meet and deservedly so.  We also never see them get physical with one another, which feels refreshingly old-fashioned… yet it allows for their sexual tension to seep through the screen.  Very rarely am I ever captivated by a romance as much as I was with these two characters.

SHOULD THIS HAVE BEEN A 2-HOUR MOVIE INSTEAD?

Yet, my issues with The English lie in when these two characters are not on screen.  Writer/Director Hugo Blick seems to have gotten carried away with his narrative and has filled this series with way too many unneeded side characters and subplots.  At its core, this is a very simple story of star-crossed lovers and revenge… yet, Blick has over-complicated the whole affair.  To fill these six hours, it feels like he has padded the run-time considerably.  And that ultimately made me feel like The English would have worked far better as a two hour film, than the bloated limited series we got here. 

 I think the first episode, as well as episodes 5 & 6 are so breathtaking and perfectly paced.  But, unfortunately the middle chapters feel like filler and they are, honestly, a bit of a chore to get through.  We have such great actors like Stephen Rea, Tom Hughes and Rafe Spall who are playing integral roles to the plot, but I could have cared less about them.  We only needed a few scenes with these characters for their impact to have been reached, yet it feels as if half of The English’s runtime is spent developing their uninvolving arcs.  Blick should have relied more on his two main character’s to tell his story, because they are the driving force of the series and the only reason why we care.  

IS THE ENGLISH WORTH WATCHING?

Despite all of that, I do think The English is worth checking out.  If you are a fan of westerns, this is an absolute must.  And if you’re not, I still think there is a whole lot to appreciate about this series.  It also gives me hope for a genre that I thought didn’t have much life left in it.  I believe there could be a whole slew of important and timely stories from an Old West perspective that are just waiting to be told.  And The English just might be the beginning of those stories finding their place and purpose, in this modern day.

All 6 Episodes of The English will be Streaming on Amazon Prime November 11th, 2022.

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