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Any Human Heart, a man's life in three stages, bittersweet reverie

By April MacIntyre Feb 14, 2011, 4:26 GMT

Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen - Duke of York\'s Theatre in London - London, UK © Landmark / PR Photos

"Any Human Heart" is a "Masterpiece Classic" presentation. Part 1, 9 p.m. Sun.; Part II, 9 p.m. Feb. 20; Part III, 9 p.m. Feb. 27 on PBS affiliates.

"Any Human Heart," which premieres Sunday on PBS' "Masterpiece Classic," is, a measured pace look back at a man's love life, and the exhilaration and let downs that made his carefully noted journals.  Jim Broadbent is the oldest version of Logan Mountstuart, a half-Uruguayan, half-English privileged son of the merchant class, who marries into a titled family.

In the process, his life becomes incredibly complex.

Based on William Boyd's 2002 novel "Any Human Heart: The Intimate Journals of Logan Mountstuart," this lushly lensed miniseries follows the life of a literary hopeful from his optimistic virginal Oxford college days to his death at 86, during the time span, he rubs shoulders a la Forrest Gump, with the notables of the era.

Logan as a student-writer is played by Sam Claflin, then in middle-age he is taken over by Matthew Macfadyen to the final version of himself, played with amazing heart and soul by Jim Broadbent.

In this bittersweet tale, our Logan becomes an aide de camp of sorts with Ernest Hemingway in Paris and Joan Miró in Barcelona, even playing golf in Biarritz with Duke of Windsor and his American lover, Wallis Simpson.  Logan lands employment with the British intelligence during World War II and even meets writer Ian Fleming.

His father's words underscore the narrative; we are all the sum of our luck, both good and bad.

Logan loses his college virginity to Tess (Holliday Grainger), , his best friend Peter's (Samuel West) girl — yet Peter marries Tess when she becomes pregnant.

After his father's death, and flush with cash, Logan moves to Paris, as his friend Ben has set up shop there.  Logan's first novel "The Girl Factory," becomes a bestseller.  His girl from Oxford, Land, is unhappy with his artistic selling out and breaks his heart, refusing to marry him.

Logan's chance meeting with Freya (Hayley Atwell), turns the story into a real potboiler, as the war ramps up, and his marriage is dissolving under the weight of contempt.

There is much more, but the quality of the casting and the premise that our lives are the result of good and bad outcomes from decisions made, and of course, the wild card of luck, make this especially adult television one to savor and enjoy. It's not for the ADD crowd. Slow pace, languid and emotionally touching, we can all see a bit of ourselves in Logan's end of life long look back at what was, and what could have been.