Brosnan strolls through the series as though he is Ian Dunross, being alternately cold and calculating, then shouty and angry, all the while being seriously hot – the man appears to have been brought into this world immaculately dressed.
The writing and acting is exactly what one would expect from a drama of this calibre. Heck, even the weather realises its role in Noble House, contributing thunderclaps and rain at appropriately tense moments. Lavish sets and costume design (though not without an unfortunate profusion of clip-on bow ties), extensive location filming, mystery, intrigue, people motivated by economic considerations – it has it all. Noble House is in the same vein – a melodrama of the level only the 1980s could produce (and this isn’t just indicated by the fact it was clearly produced in an era which still considered the synthesiser to be a legitimate machine for incidental music).
Based on a Barbara Cartland historical romance, A Hazard of Hearts tells a story of diabolically cunning lords, charming and aloof lords, lords with gambling problems, and some beautiful but troubled ladies. The moment the opening titles of Noble House began, I was reminded of a movie my parents favoured during my childhood. If you can’t wear a sweater like this, you’re not allowed to be friends with Ian Dunross. Struan’s is the ‘Noble House’ of the title – the largest company in Hong Kong – and so the plot plays out against the backdrop of British high society in Hong Kong, with all the class glamour one would expect. It concerns Ian Dunross (Brosnan), the owner, or “Taipan” of floundering Hong Kong company, Struan’s, and his attempts to keep it afloat amidst financial attacks from his bitter rival and approaches from an American corporate raider. Starring Pierce Brosnan, this NBC miniseries was first broadcast in 1988. Recently, I purchased on a whim an adaptation of a James Clavell novel, Noble House.
No, David Niven, this post is not about you. This is probably a result of loving all-star cast movies, and is definitely reflected in my love for cheesy Agatha Christie films. In any case, and this will come as a surprise to anyone who thinks all I watch is cop shows and Doctor Who, at these times I have an especially fond appreciation for hammy dramas. I mean, I do that all the time anyway, but it’s extra awesome when I need to wind down. During busy and stressful times, I like nothing more than to settle down in the evening with some vacuous entertainment on the TV.
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