Clevercell Very disappointing...

Micitype Pretty Good

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

TheLittleSongbird 'House of Cards' is superlative. 'To Play the King' is great. The third series of the trilogy 'The Final Cut' (1995) may be the weakest of the three but is still very good.Everything that made 'House of Cards' and 'To Play the King' is here in 'The Final Cut' and work brilliantly. Unlike the previous two series however, a few parts veer on the improbable and the ending felt unsatisfying in its predictability and not having the punch or clarity of the ending of 'House of Cards' (the ending of 'To Play the King' was the weak link of that series but was more convincing than here). The previous two series are paced a little tighter too. Having said all this, the deviations from the source material again don't detract and the spirit and attention to character and mood detail are present.On the other hand, 'The Final Cut' visually looks wonderful, full of elegance and atmosphere in the design and class and style in the way it's filmed. It's also beautifully scored by Jim Parker with a very memorable main theme, and the direction lets the atmosphere and drama breathe but still never undermines the momentum.Andrew Davies once again also deserves a lot of the credit. The script has dry cynicism, sharp wit, dark bite and class, with some deservedly iconic lines that have since become part of popular culture. The nation's mood is brilliantly captured and the political elements are handled so truthfully and don't feel shoe-horned (it's actually essential here) or heavy-handed. The storytelling is mostly very absorbing, the depth and richness of the previous two series in the trilogy not lost.Ian Richardson is once again absolutely incredible in his best and most justifiably best known role, dominating the whole proceedings with ease. Diane Fletcher has a bigger role in 'The Final Cut' and again shows completely believability in a role that one doesn't see from her usually.Paul Freeman is especially good in support, which is mostly pretty solid apart from Nikolas Grace's sleaziness being more over-the-top than creepy.Overall, while the weakest of the three 'The Final Cut' still has a huge amount to enjoy, primarily Richardson. 8/10 Bethany Cox

wiccan333 I have loved all of the episodes of The House of Cards Trilogies from the very first to The Final Cut. I absolutely abhor the American version of the show. I wish Hollywood would stop taking BBC ideas, paint them thickly with a stupidity brush to then show on our television screens and start making original ideas of their own.I am curious if any other fans of this original series has or know where one can get sound bites from the third series? In particular, there are two I am most interested in and I believe they are in the same scene. When Jeffrey Boozer-Pitt tells FU about his behavior with a woman who was married, FU makes the following statement, "Jeffrey, Jeffrey." The second sound bite is just a moment later when Jeffrey talks about his improper share dealing with same woman, FU says, You really are utterly contemptible, aren't you" he goes on, "No background, no bottom, absolutely no informing principal but the will to survive. Just a plump little bag of squirming appetites." Harsh,perhaps, but appropriate. If anyone knows where I can get those sound bites, please let me know. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Philby-3 WARNING; SPOILER AHEAD. This mini-series is the final in the three adapted by Andrew Davies from Michael Dobbie's books (the others are `House of Cards' and `To Play the King'. Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) has achieved his ambition to be prime minister even longer than Maggie Thatcher (whose memorial he is about to open) and is now contemplating retirement. However, his past is now catching up with him in the shape of his participation as a young man in a long-forgotten insurrection on Cyprus. What's more, his hitherto supportive wife, Elizabeth has been getting rather matey with Corder, the security goon.This is the blackest of the series and at times the dullest. The pace gets very slow and when the final bullet comes it is almost a relief. It fits though. As a noted Scottish autocrat, Lord Reith of the BBC once opined, the best form of government is despotism tempered by assassination. Churchill, on the other hand, thought that democracy was a terribly bad form of government, but far better than all the other sorts. Urquhart, the Scottish laird, needs to wear the democrat's clothes even to be a British conservative politician, but is a despot at heart. Mrs Thatcher was successful for many years as the national chief bully, but eventually hubris caught up with her in the shape of the poll tax. `F U' nearly makes it out the door, but alas, he knows too much, and, (shudder) is showing signs of weakness. Perhaps we forget that down through the ages politics has been a bloody business and the genteel veneer of present day parliamentary democracy conceals some pretty rough play.Anyway, the three `Cards' series amount to 600 minutes of great entertainment – much more fun than most airport novels and filled with incident and amusing, if not very original characters. `F U' himself, Ian Richardson, is a joy, and never has better use been made of `direct to camera' acting.

Clivecat I can't recommend this series highly enough! All the actors are first rate, the script literate and hilarious! BBC has done a first rate job and this is one of the best things I have seen in years! Ian Richardson is perfect in this role! He's probably sick of hearing about it by now, but he was really wonderful, as was everybody else. A first rate production in all ways!