bbewnylorac

I seem never to be watch Uncle Buck till the end. I lose interest. While John Hughes was a great writer of suburban comedy, the scenes go on for too long and there is not enough happening. The script probably needed a few re-writes. It doesn't reach the snappy heights of Hughes and Candy's film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The film has, as its great strengths, the charisma of the late, gifted comedian John Candy, for whom this role, as the madcap yet good-hearted single uncle, is perfect, and child star Macauley Culkin steals the movie with his eerie wisdom and goofiness. I love the diabolical teen daughter character. The parents of the kids are probably too bland as characters, although maybe that is deliberate.

This documentary series is very under-rated, taking us to some out-of the way places in countries like Georgia, Bulgaria and Greece. Often we see breathtaking ruins and priceless relics that tourists wouldn't have access to. The cinematography and direction is outstanding, with the use of drones and imaginative points of view. Bettany Hughes does love the spotlight, but she is refreshingly down to earth at the same time. She's good at explaining complex subjects and histories in an accessible way. I love it when she meets the locals. She is great with the people she meets and curious about them. But her other strength is her enthusiasm. She doesn't fake her sense of wonder. She is genuinely in love with history and culture and you feel like she is seeing these sights for the first time, along with viewers.

Michael Portillo is a good host, and he visits some very interesting people and places in this series about six European cities. It is well produced and is informative and upbeat. The main fault is that Portillo hogs the spotlight. He asks questions but the interviewees get only a bit of attention before he gives some personal anecdote, or cracks a joke and takes over the scene. He may as well simply narrate the whole show. How about letting people tell their own stories in more than one sentence? How about letting other people try cooking or sailing or motorcycle riding? It's a good travel show for people who can't go overseas themselves, but someone should tell Portillo to step back a little.