latinfineart

I certainly understand the appeal of the show, it's well written, it appears to be well directed, it's a good story, the casting is great, and a lot of people seem to find it very compelling.

My primary issue is the cinematography. I utterly despise handheld cameras, and it feels as if the cinematographer was trying to create a sense of nervousness, a kind of jagged energy, and kind of a youthful exuberance with the cinematography, but for those of us that are a little bit older it's just dizzying, and it's obnoxious. It's objectionable and it completely distracts from the story. That alone prevents me from enjoying each episode.

The cinematography is horrific. A truly terrible choice.

This is a wonderfully told story about a little slice of British history leading up to World War II. Ralph Fiennes turns in a stunning performance as usual, Carey Mulligan is her wonderful self, Johnny Flynn is great as are many of the other characters in this film. It was told in a rather understated manner, with a tremendous amount of dignity and charm. There was nothing heavy-handed about the storytelling, the direction was pitch perfect and the writing was directed toward adults, which is so refreshing in this day and age.

And as the film opens up - expanding its scope to include additional characters, among them Edith's rakish cousin Rory (Johnny Flynn) and a pair of unhappily married archaeologists (Ben Chaplin, Lily James) who all arrive to work the site with Basil - the movie folds in their separate stories as well. The Dig is about strangers becoming a community, Moira Buffini's script - adapted from John Preston's 2007 novel - subtly building a metaphor about a nation banding together to go to war.

I highly recommend this film even if you don't have an interest in archeology, it's it's a lovely story that was told in a very heartfelt manner.