Any Human Heart (2010)

The cast drew me towards Any Human Heart, and not just Gillian Anderson. Jim Broadbent, Matthew Macfadyen and Sam Clafin (new to me, quite hot) all played Logan Mountstuart at various stages throughout his fictional life from the early 1900s, through the wars and into the 1980s. It was an interesting device, and one that worked nicely, helped along by the flashbacks and forwards, latterly to an elderly Broadbent rummaging through his old diaries and piecing together photos of the women in his life. 

Through Logan's youth and first marriage, Macfadyen took over the role at the end of episode 1, and held it until 3/4 of the way through episode 3, allowing Broadbent the final episode. Along the way Logan collects marriages and vocations, though he is nominally a writer, of two books at least. Strangely, the men playing his friends have aging makeup rather than being portrayed by different actors when in their 60s and 70s, but I suppose that would have been confusing for me, the simple viewer.

Logan is recruited into British intelligence by one Ian Fleming, and charged with looking after the recently abdicated King Edward VIII, played with gusto by Tom Hollander, with Gillan Anderson his venomous wife, almost unrecognisable with dark hair as Wallis Simpson. Later on Samantha from Sex and the City pops us as for an affair with Macfadyen, and then she dies with Broadbent (I could make an unflattering remark about not needing aging make up, but I'll leave it alone). 

Aside from cameo-spotting and following who's playing who at what age, Any Human Heart was a moving, intriguing drama, that was never less than enjoyable. Logan wasn't really an everyman, as his first marriage is into the aristocracy, then he publishes a book, curates an art gallery in New York and ends his days destitute in France looking out for a woman who reminds him of his tragically killed second wife, Freya. His character is very human though, in that his life is a succession of choices, forks in the road - or a toss up between good luck and bad luck as Logan has it. 

I'm often interested by fiction that bumps up against fact, and here as in Upstairs, Downstairs, and later The King's Speech, the period of the abdication is particularly fascinating. It's also interesting to see how Logan changes with the world, or to see how it leaves him behind. The direction made Any Human Heart stand out, with some stylistic flourishes that stayed the right side of pretentious, and were more affecting. Brilliantly acted, with a superb cast, this was a hidden gem.