PLENTY OF ROYAL 'WHEE!' IN SEXY 'THE TUDORS'.Byline: David Kronke Television Critic Early in tonight's premiere episode of "The Tudors," King Henry VIII (a brooding yet charismatic Jonathan Rhys Meyers Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born 27 July, 1977) is an Irish actor and Golden Globe winner. Biography Early life Meyers was born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe in Dublin, Ireland to Geraldine Meyers and John O'Keeffe. ) is meeting with his court advisers. Trouble is afoot: The French are overrunning Italy and have assassinated Henry's uncle there. Henry intones grimly that these are "just causes for war." That decided, he announces cheerfully, "Now, I can go play." Which, of course, entails sex. And while there is plenty of sex -- straight and gay, rough and demure, sumptuous and downright creepy -- one is forgiven for wishing there was a little more playfulness to the proceedings. Created by Michael Hirst, whose screenplay for the 1998 Cate Blanchett film "Elizabeth" was charged with urgent intrigue, the 10-episode "The Tudors" plays out at a naturally more leisurely pace. Hirst wisely opts to start at the beginning of Henry's reign and posits the king as a buff, sexy creature, not the lard bucket of court portraitist Hans Holbein's paintings. As the series commences, Henry is married to Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (born Dec. 16, 1485, Alcalá de Henares, Spain—died Jan. 7, 1536, Kimbolton, Huntingdon, Eng.) First wife of Henry VIII. The daughter of Ferdinand II and Isabella I, she married Henry in 1509. (Maria Doyle Kennedy), who has given him a daughter but no son to assume the throne. Not that he's giving her much opportunity: He's ignoring her bed in favor of busily seducing every lady-in-waiting in sight. Soon, he'll encounter Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer dormer Window set vertically in a structure that projects from a sloping roof. It often illuminates a bedroom. In the late Gothic and early Renaissance periods, elaborate masonry dormers were designed. ) and be so utterly smitten he promises to jettison jettison (jĕt`əsən, –zən) [O.Fr.,=throwing], in maritime law, casting all or part of a ship's cargo overboard to lighten the vessel or to meet some danger, such as fire. all his other mistresses (what a softy softy - (IBM) Hardware hackers' term for a software expert who is largely ignorant of the mysteries of hardware. ). She's encouraged by her father, Thomas (Nick Dunning), to abandon herself to the king; Thomas has ambitions of his own, namely to oust the corrupt but powerful Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill) from Henry's court. Others of the king's advisers, such as the Duke of Norfolk The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the Premier Earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England. (Henry Czerny), would like to see Wolsey take a fall, as well. Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam) likes to imagine himself above the internecine politics and back-stabbing but can't help getting his hands dirty as well. As the series proceeds, Henry decrees that Wolsey can best make himself indispensable by convincing the Catholic Church to grant him an annulment annulment Legal invalidation of a marriage. It announces the invalidity of a marriage that was void from its inception. It is to be distinguished from dissolution or divorce. To justify annulment, the marriage contract must have a defect (e.g. or divorce from Catherine. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , Henry vows to Anne, "I shall honor your maidenhead until we are married." It's gonna be a long eight years. In addition to the sundry characters' romantic yearnings, "The Tudors" also explores the politics of the age, including his rivalry with Francis I of France Francis I of France (French: François Ier) (September 12 1494 – March 31 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres , his betrayal by the Spanish king Emperor Charles V and the sacking of Rome by Spanish and German soldiers. The series also essays the lives of many -- perhaps too many -- other characters in his court, including his sister Margaret (Gabrielle Anwar), who rebels after finding herself ignominiously ig·no·min·i·ous adj. 1. Marked by shame or disgrace: "It was an ignominious end ... as a desperate mutiny by a handful of soldiers blossomed into full-scale revolt" Angus Deming. married off to the elderly yet lecherous lech·er·ous adj. Given to, characterized by, or eliciting lechery. lech  er·ous·ly adv. king of Portugal.
Performances are largely entertaining. Few actors' eyes dart with the sinister drollness of Neill's, and veteran character actors Czerny and Northam are likewise entertaining to watch. Perhaps the biggest casting misstep was Dormer, perhaps too contemporary a performer, sporting a pouty smirk that strives for alluring but mainly looks vacant. Visually, "The Tudors" is an unfettered delight, with spectacular costume and production design and handsome cinematography that does justice to it all. Henry VIII, famously, had six wives; season one of "The Tudors" will conclude on the precipice of him marrying Anne, wife No. 2. Clearly, Showtime and the producers hope, there's a lot more story to come. David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke@dailynews.com THE TUDORS - Three stars What: The early days of King Henry VIII's reign. Where: Showtime. When: Episode 1: 10 and 11 tonight and Monday, 9 p.m. Tuesday, 8 p.m. Wednesday, 11 p.m. Thursday, 9 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday. In a nutshell: Plenty entertaining but doesn't quite reach the heights to which it aspires. |
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