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Amber [RTE] [** Spoilers **]

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    #932
    WayneScott
    Registered Users Posts: 242 ✭✭WayneScott


    frozenfrozen wrote: »
    I think the father was quite well developed actually. You see him not really giving a **** at the start (liner, not start of the jumping around story), then moving onto going mad, and you start to see the world through his eyes (and ears) as you hear amber, despite her not being there, and start thinking that maybe the man on the beach was involved. We see the man on the beach through the fathers eyes, yet we see the father beat up the chinese phone man from an external view, and see the how ridiculous him beating up the man is, because we see the chinese man is actually quite innocent.

    Not standing up for the wooden acting. The father too. But we do get quite a large insight into the fathers thought process.
    i do not think so and he was a lousy actor to boot

    what is this about the writer interviewed explaining it?


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    #933
    amtc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭amtc


    Why if they lived in sandyford did they keep going to the beach? It's about as far inland in Dublin as you can get?!


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    #934
    delw
    Registered Users Posts: 2,655 ✭✭✭delw


    amtc wrote: »
    Why if they lived in sandyford did they keep going to the beach? It's about as far inland in Dublin as you can get?!
    They were only on the beach with the dad who lived else where,looked like dollymount beach so maybe the dad lived on the northside


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    #935
    Big C
    Registered Users Posts: 943 ✭✭✭Big C


    think I will give up on rte, if anyone thinks that was a good way to end a drama, pure horse sh**


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    #936
    gary223
    Registered Users Posts: 56 ✭✭gary223


    Joslyn Shapely Children wrote: »

    1: How did yer man terence know about the 'daughters of the air' thing? He said someone in prison told him but who else could have known?
    (This. How did he know?

    The guy who stole the phone watched the video on her phone and told Terence. He was the prisoner who said they told each other everything.

    Not defending it. It was tripe.


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    #937
    Wattle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Wattle


    What I got from it was that in some missing persons cases there are no obvious answers. The cases of Trevor Deely and Deirdre Jacob came to mind. They were there one minute and then they were gone. All that is left is endless speculation. The program seemed to be more about the effect on the family of the person going missing than Amber herself. I don't think it was particularly brilliantly done from the point of view of acting and script. I would have liked a more concrete conclusion but in the end my thoughts were that that's real life.


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    #938
    gary223
    Registered Users Posts: 56 ✭✭gary223


    Wattle wrote: »
    What I got from it was that in some missing persons cases there are no obvious answers. The cases of Trevor Deely and Deirdre Jacob came to mind. They were there one minute and then they were gone. All that is left is endless speculation. The program seemed to be more about the effect on the family of the person going missing than Amber herself. I don't think it was particularly brilliantly done from the point of view of acting and script. I would have liked a more concrete conclusion but in the end my thoughts were that that's real life.

    If we knew that up front, we wouldn't be so annoyed with how it was done. We were tricked into thinking we were getting a reveal at the end.


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    #939
    teddyhead
    Registered Users Posts: 198 ✭✭teddyhead


    Im in the process of rewatching it. The father did it! His overall odd behaviour and seemingly bad acting actually make sense if you presume he is guilty , which I do.
    Its still crap though.Too gimmicky and unsubstantial for the subject matter, like when soaps deal crassly with serious illness and stuff.


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    #940
    Wattle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Wattle


    gary223 wrote: »
    If we knew that up front, we wouldn't be so annoyed with how it was done. We were tricked into thinking we were getting a reveal at the end.

    I'm not sure we were tricked into thinking that. And if we knew up front that there was no definite answer no-one would have watched it in the first place. In a way the ending reminded me of Picnic At Hanging Rock. There's no answer to the mystery in that film either. Mind you Amber is not a patch on that film.


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    #941
    phill106
    Registered Users Posts: 6,810 ✭✭✭phill106


    Jeez needs an episode 5 or what?
    Whats with the red haired manga lad? Ambers friend said she didnt know him, but is now going out with him? And he was outside their apartment with 2 other young fellas when the mother and son went in.


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    #942
    Mr Boom Boom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭Mr Boom Boom


    teddyhead wrote: »
    Im in the process of rewatching it. The father did it! His overall odd behaviour and seemingly bad acting actually make sense if you presume he is guilty , which I do.
    Its still crap though.Too gimmicky and unsubstantial for the subject matter, like when soaps deal crassly with serious illness and stuff.

    Rewatching it??? Jeez are you into self sado-machochism ? I rather have my balls crushed in a vice than watch that crap again !!!


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    #943
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    WayneScott wrote: »

    what is this about the writer interviewed explaining it?

    You know you have failed when you have to do that ^
    Again, I blame ultimately the people who commissioned this. I have no problem with the premise at all (I prefer that type of thing to a sensational whodunit) but it seems to me that at no point did anybody sit down and iron out the problems with the script. 'Go back and develop that scene or develope that character' At no time did anybody say re-shoot that scene and get the actors to do their jobs because it is not making sense or it has no depth.
    It's a consistent flaw in RTE's recent dramatic output at this stage.


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    #944
    martingriff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,745 ✭✭✭✭martingriff


    gary223 wrote: »
    If we knew that up front, we wouldn't be so annoyed with how it was done. We were tricked into thinking we were getting a reveal at the end.

    Would you have watched a show knowing an ending. I have not seen it and know people are mad there is not a happy ever after ending but why does there need to be


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    #945
    Mardy Bum
    Registered Users Posts: 3,674 ✭✭✭Mardy Bum


    stringofmisery wrote: »
    The man in the white van took the proverbial biscuit for lazy patronising scriptwriting!it made me so mad also!

    It was taking the mickey out of the stereotypical kidnapping and lazy script writing from numerous whodunit shows (postmodern tongue in cheek). If the writing was lazy we would have had a nice end with zero ambiguous scenes. It would have been nice and clear for a dumbed down audience who are used to Poirot and Midsomer Murders and the father would have killed the Amber. However we got something a little different without the spoon feeding that the vast majority of the audience has become accustomed to unfortunately.


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    #946
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,928 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    stringofmisery wrote: »
    The man in the white van took the proverbial biscuit for lazy patronising scriptwriting!it made me so mad also!
    no it didn't


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    #947
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,928 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    for those of you that are annoyed at Amber....do not repeat do not watch this critically acclaimed movie!!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/


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    #948
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    Mardy Bum wrote: »
    It was taking the mickey out of the stereotypical kidnapping and lazy script writing from numerous whodunit shows (postmodern tongue in cheek). If the writing was lazy we would have had a nice end with zero ambiguous scenes. It would have been nice and clear for a dumbed down audience who are used to Poirot and Midsomer Murders and the father would have killed the Amber. However we got something a little different without the spoon feeding that the vast majority of the audience has become accustomed to unfortunately.

    You say all that as if the premise was unique, it wasn't. What we 'got' was a drama populated by characters nobody could emphatise or identify with because of a combination of bad writing, bad acting and bad direction. We 'got' a drama that didn't resolve what exactly it was trying to do and actually depended on cliches of the genre it was trying so hard to ape.

    Like you it indulged in patronising the audience, 'if you are not 'clever' or 'artsy' enough to get it...f*** off'.
    Pathetic actually.


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    #949
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,928 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    Happyman42 wrote: »
    You say all that as if the premise was unique, it wasn't. What we 'got' was a drama populated by characters nobody could emphatise or identify with because of a combination of bad writing, bad acting and bad direction. We 'got' a drama that didn't resolve what exactly it was trying to do and actually depended on cliches of the genre it was trying so hard to ape.

    Like you it indulged in patronising the audience, 'if you are not 'clever' or 'artsy' enough to get it...f*** off'.
    Pathetic actually.
    Most people are just complaining about the "ending"....

    you're right about the rest...i found the show pretty bad until the last episode...if anything it was too short and too rushed, but it was nice to have something over four nights. It should be tried again.

    The entire phone story had me screaming at the tv


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    #950
    BabysCoffee
    Registered Users Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭BabysCoffee


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    for those of you that are annoyed at Amber....do not repeat do not watch this critically acclaimed movie!!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/

    Does it have a badly written script too? And is the acting poor also?


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    #951
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,928 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    BabysCoffee wrote: »
    Does it have a badly written script too? And is the acting poor also?
    no it's unreal


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    #952
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    for those of you that are annoyed at Amber....do not repeat do not watch this critically acclaimed movie!!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/

    Very good film, would teach a few of Amber's cast how to do 'enigmatic'.


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    #953
    RockDesk
    Registered Users Posts: 293 ✭✭RockDesk


    I realise I should have given a link to the interview. I can't seem to link directly but if you go to http://www.rte.ie/2fm/ and look at the very latest section, it's headed there. He starts talking about it 4 and a half minutes in.

    To be honest, I really enjoyed the programme, and the ending didn't bother me. I just decided myself what I thought happened to her. But there are certain things that are unanswered from the programme, or I found to be completely irrelevant to the story and that really bothered me. Writers/producers shouldn't expect viewers to invest so much time into these characters and then decide that NOTHING needs to be explained. For example, we are assuming the guy in prison looked at the phone and saw the pictures, then told Terrence. But I don't buy that, I don't know how Terrence knew and I feel that should have been answered properly. Maybe they could have dedicated the time we saw the father having the escort over to the police/prison guards finding out who knew.

    Also, I really didn't like how condescending the producer sounded in the interview above. That bothered me more than the ending, but I liked Ryan's handling of it.


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    #954
    BabysCoffee
    Registered Users Posts: 4,712 ✭✭✭BabysCoffee


    Wattle wrote: »
    I'm not sure we were tricked into thinking that. And if we knew up front that there was no definite answer no-one would have watched it in the first place. In a way the ending reminded me of Picnic At Hanging Rock. There's no answer to the mystery in that film either. Mind you Amber is not a patch on that film.

    Hanging Rock is an amazing film. The haunting music adds an incredible air to it.


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    #955
    kunst nugget
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭kunst nugget


    Mardy Bum wrote: »
    It was taking the mickey out of the stereotypical kidnapping and lazy script writing from numerous whodunit shows (postmodern tongue in cheek). If the writing was lazy we would have had a nice end with zero ambiguous scenes. It would have been nice and clear for a dumbed down audience who are used to Poirot and Midsomer Murders and the father would have killed the Amber. However we got something a little different without the spoon feeding that the vast majority of the audience has become accustomed to unfortunately.

    Was the phone story also taking the mickey out of lazy script writing because that was atrocious writing…

    I actually have no problem with the ending but the rest of it was so sloppy and ill-conceived. Accusing people who didn't enjoy this badly thought out mess of a programme of being dumbed down is ridiculous imo.


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    #956
    CountyHurler
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,657 ✭✭✭CountyHurler


    I think the final part was what seriously let the show down.. Dont get me wrong it hadnt been fantastic up to that, but it was at least watchable, if a little bit boring. But the ridiculous last episode was what really let it down.. Within ten minutes, Ben had learned how to create his paedo profile and "led to the rescue of those two girls in America"... That was right at the end of the series and was badly written and scripted.. The whole section should have been left out.

    The storyline about Ben's middle eastern "friend" was also ridiculous. She seemed to let the accent slip at the end of every sentence.. "Ha-Ben, I only meet-a you to talk about Amber, a-that is it, inanyways"

    And bringing in Con Murphy and "comedian" Eric Lalor was just distracting and certainly did not bring up the standard of the acting.


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    #957
    kunst nugget
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭kunst nugget


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    for those of you that are annoyed at Amber....do not repeat do not watch this critically acclaimed movie!!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/

    Hardly comparing like to like.

    I think Broadchurch would be a better comparison. Masterfully executed and engaging series dealing with many of the same issues as Amber. I'd recommend everyone to watch it to see how it can be done successfully.


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    #958
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    CountyHurler wrote: »

    And bringing in Con Murphy and "comedian" Eric Lalor was just distracting and certainly did not bring up the standard of the acting.

    Keith Duffy in Love/Hate too.

    Somebody in commissioning seems to be orchestrating this 'idea' of casting known 'celebs' but is obviously taking no hand in making decisions about the content and direction.


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    #959
    c68zapdsm5i1ru
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,709 ✭✭✭c68zapdsm5i1ru


    martingriff wrote: »
    Would you have watched a show knowing an ending. I have not seen it and know people are mad there is not a happy ever after ending but why does there need to be

    Yes, if I knew it was meant to be an exploration of how an unexplained disappearance impacts on a family or on people connected to the missing person. But from the start this was presented as a typical whodunnit and so as viewers we spent a lot of time looking for clues and weighing up this character and that character's motives, instead of concentrating solely on the effects of Amber's disappearance on those left behind.
    Also, it was messy and disjointed and had several not very credible scenes and incidents. It just wasn't executed very well, regardless of the intentions of the writer.


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    #960
    c68zapdsm5i1ru
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,709 ✭✭✭c68zapdsm5i1ru


    Mardy Bum wrote: »
    It was taking the mickey out of the stereotypical kidnapping and lazy script writing from numerous whodunit shows (postmodern tongue in cheek). If the writing was lazy we would have had a nice end with zero ambiguous scenes. It would have been nice and clear for a dumbed down audience who are used to Poirot and Midsomer Murders and the father would have killed the Amber. However we got something a little different without the spoon feeding that the vast majority of the audience has become accustomed to unfortunately.

    You seem determined to assume that anyone who didn't like this wasn't intelligent or arty enough to appreciate it. That's not the case. Yes we got something a 'little bit different', but that doesn't automatically mean it was good or devoid of lazy writing.


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    #961
    c68zapdsm5i1ru
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,709 ✭✭✭c68zapdsm5i1ru


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    for those of you that are annoyed at Amber....do not repeat do not watch this critically acclaimed movie!!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/

    I saw Cache a few years ago and thought it was excellent. I thought Amber was weak.


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