Tag: Drama

3 must-see period films

Emma1 Comment

Lost in Austen (BBC, 2008)

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This show (seen last year on BBC) is a MUST-SEE for all Jane Austen fans!  It has a great cast (including gorgeous/talented new faces), looks beautiful (costumes, cinematography, lighting), and is full of humor.  There are jokes viewers of ALL ages will get, BUT there are also in-jokes for devoted fans of Jane.  (I liked those jokes best, of course!)

Amanda (Jemima Rooper) and Elizabeth (Jemma Arterton)

Amanda Price is a modern-day JA fan who enters into her fave novel, Pride and Prejudice.  She takes the place of P&P’s main protagonist Elizabeth Bennett.  But life in Georgian England is NOT as easy as it seems in the book!

The newest Mr. Darcy (Elliot Cowan)

Amanda meets the the entire P&P gang, plus a few NEW characters (Mr. Collins has brothers- LOL!)  Alex Kingston (ER) and Hugh Bonneville (Daniel Deronda, Miss Austen Regrets) are TERRIFIC as the Bennett parents.  

But the best part is Amanda’s complicated relationship w/ the newest Mr. Darcy!  As in the novel, Darcy is tall, imposing, and irritatingly proper.  (His voice is VERY cool, too!)  At first, he is shocked by Amanda’s (modern/odd) behavior.  She doesn’t want to fall for Darcy- she wants to keep  things EXACTLY like the novel.  But things quickly go wrong!     

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An interview w/ Elliot Cowan:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article4635114.ece

 

 

Middlemarch (BBC, 1994) 

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I bought this DVD a few weeks ago b/c it was a VERY good price.  (If you’re a fan of Austen or Dickens, you should definitely check it out!)  It’s a miniseries based on George Eliot’s most famous novel.  She (the pen name of George was in honor of her long-time love, George Henry Lewes) was a writer who could describe a wide swath of society, much like Dickens.  There are MANY interesting/young people trying to carve out a place in the world w/o compromising their dreams.  (These include Jonathan Firth, Colin’s younger brother, and the unusually handsome/intense Rufus Sewell.) 

Dorothy (Juliet Aubrey)

The main female character is intelligent, serious-minded, natural beauty Dorothea Brooke (Juliet Aubrey).  She and her younger sister Cecilia (a more conventional girl) were orphaned before their teens, so they live on the estate of their wealthy bachelor uncle, Mr. Brooke.  (The estate is near to the town of Middlemarch.)  Though she has many fine qualities, Dorothea wants to “do something more” w/ her life than what’s expected of a young woman of her time.  She draws up a plan for improving the cottages of Brooke’s tenants, but he doesn’t want to spend money on the project.   

Even though her youthful/outgoing neighbor (Sir James Chettam) is in love with her, Dorothea merely sees him as a friend.  But she quickly grows interested in Rev. Casuabon, a VERY serious/middle-aged/scholarly man.  Dorothea thinks that she can help him in his work.   They have a brief courtship before marrying, much to the disappointment of her family/friends.   

During most of their honeymoon in Italy, Casuabon buries himself in libraries while Dorothea sees the sights with handsome/young Will Ladislaw (Casuabon’s cousin).  Will paints for fun, but wants to find a profession where he can make an impact.

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Back home, Dorothea is impressed by the painting of a beautiful lady hanging in her house.  Will tells her the story of the unconventional romance between his British grandfather and Polish grandmother (in the picture).  Sadly, the lady wasn’t treated very well by her in-laws.  As he tells it, she is full of quiet amazement at the idea of such a relationship.  (We KNOW Dorothea hasn’t married for love.)     

Casuabon is emotionally distant and refuses his young wife’s help w/ scholarly work.  Dorothea desperately wants to make him happy, but she grows disenchanted with the cold, lonely marriage.  But she never complains. 

Will, who begins work as her uncle’s assistant, continues to see her as a friend.  Casuabon suddenly prohibits Will from coming to his house.  Dorothea is shocked- they did nothing wrong!   Did her husband sense something neither she nor Will can admit?              

Dr. Lydgate (Douglas Hodge)

The main male character is intelligent, ambitious, and worldly Dr. Tertius Lydgate (Douglas Hodge).  Unlike most of the others in the provincial town of Middlemarch, he is a well-trained MD (w/ specializations done in Scotland and Paris.)  Most docs of that day were NOTHING like ours!  Lydgate is a newcomer who elicits much attention- sometimes of the negative kind.  The other doctors bristle against his techniques (such as warning patients against wacky potions and refusing to operate when not needed).   They feel he’s too young to overstep them.

Like Dorothea, he gives part of his time to the poor.  (They become friends as the story goes along.)  Lydgate’s an idealist who hopes to create BIG changes.  In his personal life, he is quickly drawn to the vivacious and chatty Rosamund Vincy, the daughter of a tradesman.  They fall in love and marry, though he’d intended to wait until he was financially/professionally more stable.   Rosamund dreams of status and money, ignorant of the goals he has.  Will marriage curtail Lydgate’s ambitions?

A GREAT in-depth review of this film:

http://costumedramas.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/middlemarch-1994/

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)  movie_WindThatShakes

  We have a responsibility to attack the mistakes and brutalities of our own leaders, past and present.  If you lie about the past you won’t tell the truth about the present.– British director Ken Loach  playing

You may not have heard of this film that came on recently on Encore; I saw it first in the BBC catalog.  It’s a glimpse into the Irish war for independence in the early 1920s as seen through the eyes of a group of very young men in rural County Cork.  At the center of the group is idealistic/sensitive Damien O’Donovan (Cilian Murphy- a native of Cork; The Way We Live Now, Red Eye, Batman Begins) and his older/charismatic brother Teddy (Padraig Delaney).  Damien is soft-spoken, slightly built, and well-respected for his smarts.   Teddy is tall, talks forcefully, and a natural leader.    harassment

Though most of his scrappy country pals are IRA (led by Teddy), Damien is about to go to a London hospital for training.  Then he witnesses some humiliating, unnecessary, and violent events perpetrated by the Black and Tans (British soldiers sent to quash the growing rebellion).         damien_sinead

He takes up arms quickly- his community needs him.  Even Damien’s long-time female friend is part of the rebellion- she works as a messenger.      bros

This film juxstaposes the beauty of Ireland with the violence of the rebellion.   In some cases, long-time friends are pitted against each other b/c they have to preserve themselves.   Freedom is not the only issuse; in one scene Damien examines a little boy who’s near starvation.  How will this rag tag group of guys defeat the soldiers?  When a compromise is reached with England, Damien and Teddy are pitted against each other.  

More info re: this film: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_That_Shakes_the_Barley_(film) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460989/   cillian

More info re: Cilian Murphy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilian_Murphy http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614165/

“Body of Lies” (2008)

Emma4 Comments

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I saw this film last week and REALLY enjoyed it!  It’s a fun, fast-paced, and smart spy thriller.  I’m not going to reveal TOO much about it, b/c you should see for yourself.

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Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Roger Ferris- a young CIA operative based in the Middle East.  (Leo’s hair is dyed dark brown, he sports fluffy facial hair, and speaks w/ a North Carolina accent.)  Not only is Ferris fluent in Arabic, he’s knowledgeable about AND respectful of the ways of the Arab world.  In the opening of the film, Ferris is being assisted by a local (a young family man) in getting intel about terrorist activity in Iraq.

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His DC-based boss is Ed Hoffman; Russell Crowe gained about 30 lbs for the role.  Unlike Ferris, Hoffman plays politics, enjoys manipulating others, and is highly prejudiced against the Middle East.  Hoffman constantly talks about ending the war on terror by any means necessary, but Ferris isn’t always comfortable with all his tactics.  Sometimes Hoffman ignores Ferris’ info and shoots off w/ his own plan!  You’ll get a kick out of how Hoffman goes about his daily life in suburbia (family dinner, car pool, soccer games, etc.) while making life/death decisions on the phone w/ Ferris.

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While in Amman, Jordan, Ferris develops a keen interest in an (unconventionally) pretty nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani, a big star in her native Iran).  Though this part of the movie seemed contrived to many reviewers, the two actors have good chemistry.   Also, we get to see a sweet, respectful, budding romance between a Christian and a Muslim (very rare in Hollywood)!

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In my opinion, the main reason to see Body of Lies is Brit actor Mark Strong (who played Mr. Knightley in the A&E version of Emma).  Strong (who is actually of Italian and Austrian heritage) plays Hani Salaam, the sharply-dressed, well-spoken, and enigmatic head of Jordanian intelligence.  Hani prefers to use “punishment” instead of “torture” to get info from suspected baddies; Ferris feels bad about this.  Strong has a terrific accent suiting his character; Hani is portrayed as intelligent, arrogant (he’s of high status), and funny in a  sly way.  He’s far removed from the Arab Muslim Holywood stereotype, thank goodness!

Related Links:

A video interview w/ Mark Strong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91MtjruZrdU

A newspaper interview w/ Mark:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/my-secret-life-mark-strong-actor-age-45-926736.html

Hanging out here… cable TV offline today!

Emma2 Comments

Pics of Today:

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At least it’s sunny…

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but I’m in a LOUSY mood!

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I heard MANY DC ppl didn’t go to work yesterday!

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My lunch: tuna salad sandwich, baby carrots, & roasted red pepper hummus.

Recent iTunes Downloads:

Hindi Songs:

Haule Haule – Salim-Sulaiman & Sukhwinder Singh (Saavn Presents: Bollywood Hits 2008)

Jashn e Bahaara – A.R. Rahman (Johaa Akbar film soundtrack)

Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack)

Nachley – Daler Mehndi & Kunal Ganjawala (Lakeer soundtrack)

Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte – Salim Sulaiman & Sonu Nigaam (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Ringa Ringa – A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack)

Country Songs:

Never Loved Before – Alan Jackson & Martina McBride (Alan Jackson, Good Time)

Sweet Thing – Keith Urban’s new single

Things a Mama Don’t Know – Mica Roberts & Toby Keith (Mica Roberts’ debut CD)

Quick Movie Reviews:

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I had to be careful where I went because I was a Jew, because I was young and because I was handsome. It made me wiry and erratic and paranoid, which is what I still am. Always on guard.  –Tony Curtis

Trapeze (1956)

Two gorgeous guys in tights- what’s not to like?  This film stars Burt Lancaster (gymnastics kept him off the streets as a kid) and Tony Curtis (who didn’t have the required skills at first, but was very enthusiastic).  Curtis’ willingness to learn impressed Lancaster very much.  The two men did most of their own stunts in this film- wow!

This classic pic is set in Paris, and focuses on the working relationship and friendship btwn an older, injured former trapeze star Mike Ribble (Lancaster) and his energetic, young protege Tino Orsini (Curtis).  Tino came all the way from NYC to learn a difficult/dangerous trick on the trapeze (that only Mike can teach him).  But an ambitious/manipulative  young woman, Lola, also in the circus, has her eyes on Tino.

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Tony Curtis has always been an actor who has refused to play it safe, and has devoted his working life to performing in a vast array of characters… Yet what stands out about all his performances in the inner vulnerability and humility he finds in his unsympathetic characters and the never-say-die attitude of the heroes he plays.  -IMDB bio

Life is to be lived within the limits of your knowledge and within the concept of what you would like to see yourself to be.  –Burt Lancaster

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Another pic w/ Lancaster & Curtis, BUT there are few nice guys here!  J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster) is a powerful, much-feared gossip columnist.  He doesn’t feel guilty about ruining careers, marraiges, and his sensitive little sister’s budding romance.  (You can see the blemishes on Lancaster’s skin in this film; that suits the flawed character he plays.)  Sidney Falco (Curtis) is his ruthlessly ambitious publicist.  Friends worry that working w/ J.J. has corrupted Sid.  Just how far will Sid go to get a taste of success?

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A Soldier’s Story (1984)

This is a very thought-provoking ensemble fim based on a successful Broadway play; a young Denzel Washington playing a key role here.  It’s set in a Southern army camp during WWII; soldiers were segregated by race at that time.  They spent a lot of time playing baseball (many hailed from the Negro Leangue), waiting for a chance to fight.  The recruits may have clashing personalities, but they share a hatred of their drill instructor, Sgt. Waters (Adolph Caesar).

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Though Waters is black, too, he is very hard on his men.  His moods go up, down, and every which way.  Waters is not hesitant to use the “n” word to refer to those men he sits as “bad for the race.”  Waters takes no excuses from anyone, so no recruit is too upset when he meets w/ a mysterious death.  The white officers are worried, however, and call for assistance from Washington.

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Washington sends down Capt. Davenport (Howard Rollins from the TV series In the Heat of the Night); he’s a black officer/lawyer.  It’s not an easy case- Davenport quickly discovers.  The rag-tag group of recruits do a double take when they see an articulate/strong black officer, and the white officers fear that Davenport is the wrong man for the job.  “Folks around here won’t talk to you!” an older white officer exclaims.  But Davenport remains calm and professional, determined to find the truth.

Did You Know?:

– Burt Lancaster turned down the lead in Ben Hur (and the $1 million salary) b/c he thought it would be awful.  He set up his own production company (rare for an actor of his time) to do his own projects.

– Both Lancaster and Tony Curtis are native New Yorkers.  Who can mistake Curtis’ strong Bronx accent?

– Lancaster admitted to being nervous when working w/ Montgomert Clift in From Here to Eternity:

The only time I was ever really afraid as an actor was that first scene with Clift. It was my scene, understand: I was the sergeant, I gave the orders, he was just a private under me. Well, when we started, I couldn’t stop my knees from shaking. I thought they might have to stop because my trembling would show. I was afraid he was going to blow me right off the screen.

Movie Review: “Room at the Top” (1959)

Emma2 Comments
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The English factory town is dreary, but Joe Lampton has landed a job with a future.  To have something to do at night, he joins a theatrical group. His boss’s daughter, Susan, is playing ingenue roles on stage (and in real life). She is attracted to Joe, and Joe thinks about how much faster he will get ahead if he is the boss’s son-in-law.  This plan is complicated by his strong desire to be with an older woman who also belongs to the theatrical group.  Alice is French and unhappily married to a wealthy and powerful older man.  Joe believes he can get away with seeing both Susan and Alice.

–IMDB synopsis

Hey readers,

It’s ALMOST Valentine’s Day- good or ill, depending on how your personal life is going!  Don’t look for good clean romance in this controversial (for its time) Brit film!  The anti-hero (Hey, some women LOVE bad boys!) is played by an intense, enigmatic, and engaging actor- Laurence Harvey (who I’ve seen in The Manchurian Candidate). 

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I learned that Laurence Harvey was born in Lithuania; this explains the sharp features.  He grew up in South Africa, and eventually came to the English stage.

Harvey was born to play Joe Lampton, if not in kin, then in kind. Lampton was a working-class bloke who dreams of escaping his social strata for something better. It was a perfect match of actor and role, as the icy Harvey persona made Joe’s ruthless ambition to climb the greasy pole of success fittingly chilling.

 -Excerpt from IMDB  bio

25 y.o. Joe (Harvey) has recently gotten a job as an accountant in a factory in a small industrial town.  He shares a small flat (as the Brits call an apt) w/ a co-worker, and is friendly with the guys around the office.  The audience slowly learns that there are MANY layers to Joe, though he seems quiet and guarded at first. 

From the moment he glimpses his boss’ bubbly young daughter, Susan, he can’t keep her out of his head.  He eyes her hungrily- a prize to be won.  Though she has a steady man in her life, the inexperienced Susan is quickly drawn to Joe.  “I’ve never met a man like you,” she says with wonder in her eyes.  While Susan ponders what Joe is REALLY like, another woman catches his eye.  

Alice (Simone Signoret- an Oscar winner for this role) is a blonde, buxom, older woman w/ a sad look in her eyes.  When Joe snaps angrily at another man for mocking his working-class roots, Alice goes to console him.  From her expressions, you can see that she relates to him.  Soon they are a VERY hot item!  (This movie contains dialogue and romantic scenes QUITE different from other ’50s films.)

Though Susan wants to see Joe, her family and friends treat him like an interloper to their moneyed circle.  Joe replies politely to these snobs, but his anger is bubbling underneath.  George, another man who likes Susan, mentions his own war record.  We learn that even during wartime, not all men were treated equal! 

Joe lets the rage out when he’s with Alice, but it doesn’t scare her.  Alice stands up to him, saying that he is a “coward.”  Joe is insecure about his background.  He holds double standards, too.

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Joe shares some tender and happy moments with Alice, giving his calculating side a rest.  You may wonder if he really DOES love her!  Signoret does a terrific job of portraying a passionate, vulnerable, yet also strong woman.  Her character really pops off the screen; she kept it “real” (as the kids would say).  Harvey has a strong physical presence and a sense of danger about him- fitting for this role.  He makes Joe a very compelling young man!  Both actors handled some great/snappy dialogue and played emotional scenes very well. 

Check this film out if you want something different, multi-faceted, and intelligent.  Room at the Top is about ambition, lust, love, morality (different for men than for women), and above all- social class. Accent is sometimes tied to class; Joe switches to his Northern accent (Sean Bean has one!) when he’s angry or talking with family.  But at other times, that accent is much lighter.   The posh set don’t have such an accent, or they hide it!  (Joe is NOT the only one in the town w/ a contradictory nature.) 

Morality is underlying everything, too.  Joes’ roommate/friend warns him that flaunting an affair in this little town is dangerous.  People start to talk- Alice does NOT escape unscathed.  Susan’s patience and virtue are also tested by Joe, but she thinks they can live happily ever after.  Go see for yourself what happens!

Movie Review: “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1961) starring Paul Newman & Geraldine Page

EmmaLeave a comment

Hey readers!

Are we all ready for MORE Paul Newman?  He’s not a straight-shooting hero in this picture- he’s immoral, ambitious, and even… desperate.  He still looks SUPER-HOT!

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I saw this film last week on TCM; it’s based on a Tennessee Williams play, but not as well-known as say A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on aHot Tin Roof, or The Glass Menagerie.  This film is a MUST-SEE for anyone who likes snappy dialogue, complex characters, and SMART classic stuff!

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Chance Wade (Paul Newman) drives into his little hometown (a tropical Southern locale near the sea) with drunken/depressed actress Alexandra Del Lago (Broadway star Geraldine Page).  At a large/fancy hotel, he checks her in as “Princess.”  He has to carry her up to the room; the staff starts to gossip about them (of course).  Then Chance sets off to locate his boyhood love, Heavenly Finley (a very blonde and thin Shirley Knight; you may’ve seen her in As Good As It Gets).

But getting together w/ Heavenly is NOT easy; her father Boss Finley (a wealthy/powerful politician) keeps tabs on her every move.  Her older brother Tom (Rip Torn- back then he didn’t have red hair) is a violent thug in a suit.  Heavenly’s maiden aunt is the only sympathetic one in the bunch.  Even the servants on the Finley estate warn Chance to stay away.

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We learn (via flashbacks) that Chance was very friendly with the Finleys growing up.  He and Waverly fell in love, and planned to marry.  But her father had other ideas… 

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Chance: I had my picture on the cover of Life magazine! Woo-ha!  And at the same time I was… employing my other talent…

Why is Chance with Princess if he STILL can’t forget Heavenly?  What does he want from her?

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Chance: I like you. You are a nice monster.

I pondered on these questions as I watched:

Why do we find it odd when men use their handsome faces/great bodies to get ahead? 

Why can’t women be in charge of their own bodies?  

How does aging affect women, particularly beautiful ones? 

How/why is a daughter’s behavior tied to family honor?  

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Chance: This is pretty high-class pot. Where’d you get it?
Alexandra: You beautiful, stupid young man. That is not pot.  It’s hashish, Moroccan, and the finest.

Yes, they’re talking about drugs.  This movie deals w/ difficult ADULT matters; it’s NOT a feel-good film. But you definitely MUST check it out!

Best to all, EMMA.