House of Cards Trilogy, Vol. 3

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The final installment of the House of Cards trilogy strikes a more somber note than its predecessors. Francis Urquhart--prime minister and murderer--has almost overtaken Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's longest serving postwar leader, but the public is tiring of him and there are rumblings of dissent in the Conservative Party. When the prime minister's bullying goes too far, his foreign secretary, Tom Makepeace, resigns and prepares to challenge for the leadership.

Urquhart and his wife (who makes Lady Macbeth look benign) plot to secure both their place in history and their financial future. An opportunity presents itself in the shape of the Cyprus Agreement: a treaty between the Greek and Turkish inhabitants of that island. The Urquharts learn that there are massive oil deposits along a disputed sea boundary, and a Turkish businessman promises them a large "consultancy fee" if the oil ends up on his side of the border. However, Urquhart has other ties to Cyprus, because it was there (as a young soldier in the '50s) that he killed two Greeks. If this is uncovered, Urquhart will be finished. Attacked from all sides, it looks like there's no escape, but as he watches the Thatcher Memorial taking shape on the lawn outside his office, Urquhart vows to triumph again. With the help of his wife, the shadowy Commander Cawdor, and an ambitious member of Parliament who had an affair with Tom Makepeace, he might yet find a way to succeed.

Once again, writer Andrew Davies has created a satire to relish, one that confirms all of our doubts about the motives of politicians. Ian Richardson's wonderful performance--filled with sly asides and winks to the camera--makes Francis Urquhart as fascinating as he is wicked, and we find ourselves rooting for this terrible man. The world would certainly be a duller place without him. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

A Terrible Disappointment.......2006-09-04

Especially in comparison to the brilliance of the first two installments, this was a bitter disappointment. Rumor has it that those involved would only do the third installment if the evil king received his come-uppance, and he does here, in an unsatisfactory manner, unbefitting the evil he once wrought. It's hard to imagine that a grown man who fed rat poison to an inconvenient party functionary, threw a lover off the top of the House of Commons, and car bombed up another in front of her husband, would be tortured for a second by having killed a boy in (Cyprus civil) wartime. The motive force in this one strains credulity. Watch and enjoy the first two, but skip this one- it really does not conclude the career of F.U. as the same imagination that brought the first two installments to life would have,

Not as good as first two, but still incredible.......2005-07-19

Probably my least favorite installment of the Urquehart trilogy. This one was still absolutely riveting and fantastic, just not to the extent that the other two volumes where. However, it is still a must see.

Not impressed.......2005-01-04

I found that the last part of this brilliant series wansn't as good as the first two installments. To start with, Mr Urquhart (hence FU), seems to be less confiding to us as an audience and is seemingly not as devious as in the beginning of the series. He is more passive and less his brilliant, manipulative self, leading us to feel a slight pity that would have been unthinkable initially.

Another criticism would be the issue of the Cypriot graves in the "Final Cut". I thought it a bit silly that FU was having nightmares about his murdering of two young men, so long ago, when he was based as an officer on Cyprus. He never showed any sort of remorse before and then suddenly this is introduced. Further, I think that the young lady involved in investigating her uncles deaths gets far too big a role. She is nobody of any consequence and yet she gets complete access to the Prime Minister alone. Again, I found this silly and unbelievable and the whole story would have been better left out for the sake of more intelligent viewers.

Finally, the end wasn't particularly well wrapped up with the issue of the tape and the murder of the Cypriot father. What was that all about? Over all, I was not too impressed, although I conceed that the acting was up to its usual high standard - only the plot didn't live up to expectation.

Oops, they did it again!.......2002-03-16

Made major changes from the novel, that is--and for my mind made it that much stronger a screenplay(sorry to novelist Michael Dobbs,who was supposedly royally ticked at this adaptation).Ian Richardson is again brilliant as the Shakespeare-quoting politician/murderer/con man whom you love to hate, and the underrated Dianne Fletcher is equally good as the scheming Mrs. Urquhart(a good example of the old saying that the female of the species is often more deadly!). In strong supporting roles, look for Isla Blair and Paul Freeman as an ambitious aide to FU and a would-be Prime Minister, respectively--this relationship has some parallels to the highly political union of the Urquharts.

Noooooooooo! It can't be over!.......2002-01-16

The third and final chapter in the life and times of that charming psychopath, Prime Minister Francis Urquhart. The end of his career is drawing nigh, and he's haunted by ghosts (not only Mattie Storin who perished so sadly in the first installment, but also a pair of young Cypriot soldies during Francis' military service). But he musters his strength for one last battle for the leadership of the party. Can he solidify his place in British history? F.U. has proved that he can do whatever he sets his mind to.

House of Cards Trilogy, Vol. 3 - The Final Cut

Average customer rating:

A Terrible Disappointment
Not as good as first two, but still incredible
Not impressed
Oops, they did it again!
Noooooooooo! It can't be over!

House of Cards Trilogy, Vol. 3 - The Final Cut
Starring: Ian Richardson , Erika Hoffman , Lynne Verrall , Glyn Grain , and John Rowe
Director: Mike Vardy
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009MGH1
Release Date: 2003-08-26

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Description

Ian Richardson (From Hell, M. Butterfly) returns as malevolent statesman Francis Urquhart in this acclaimed finale to the Masterpiece Theater trilogy that began with House of Cards and continued in To Play the King. Now Prime Minister, and nearing the end of his term, Urquhart plans to let international events help him to a luxurious retirement. But he finds himself caught in someone else's power play, and for the first time he is unable to see a way out. Will he outwit his enemies one last time, or will his long career end in disgrace and defeat? Brilliantly adapted by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary), from Michael Dobbs's best-selling novel, this satirical trilogy took home a primetime Emmy, a Peabody, two BAFTAs and a Writers' Guild Award.

Customer Reviews:

A Terrible Disappointment.......2006-09-04

Not as good as first two, but still incredible.......2005-07-19

Not impressed.......2005-01-04

Oops, they did it again!.......2002-03-16

Noooooooooo! It can't be over!.......2002-01-16

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