What We've Been Watching

Having recently signed up for Netflix, my sister and I have been watching a lot of movies. What have you enjoyed recently? What did you think of something I list here? (Please, no major spoilers in the comments!) For some reason I have a harder time reviewing movies than books, so here are a few mini-reviews:

BBC's North and South
2004
(IMDb)
Starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe
Based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell

I was unfamiliar with this lovely and moving story--set in England during the industrial revolution--before watching this adaptation, but it won me over quickly. Very powerful acting and lots of attention to detail in the production. North and South might just be a new favorite of mine.

Fan-made trailer:

Lost in Austen
2008
Starring Jemima Rooper and Elliot Cowan
(IMDb)

This was quite original in that the plot isn't based on Pride and Prejudice, but around modern-day Amanda Price appearing in Elizabeth Bennett's world. Where not everyone is as Austen wrote them, and Amanda's popping into their lives doesn't help anything. Soon everybody's falling for the "wrong" character--including Amanda herself.



ShakespeaRe-Told: Much Ado About Nothing
2005
Starring Sarah Parish and Damian Lewis
Based on Shakespeare's play
(IMDb)

Delightful retelling of the classic Much Ado About Nothing story, set in modern times. Although little bits of the original language appear, the dialogue is completely modernized--but still quite clever. I loved noticing references to the original work and also being able to enjoy how the scenes were modernized. Damian Lewis was a completely believable Benedick, and he and Sarah Parish played off of each other very well.
Highly recommended, though their version of A Midsummer Night's Dream is not. (The plot was hardly retold at all and the way the scenes were shot and setting were both very odd. It's presumably the 21st century and yet "Theseus" doesn't believe he's going insane when the king of the fairies comes out to talk to him? Come on.)
We have yet to watch The Taming of the Shrew, and decided to wait on watching Macbeth until we were more familiar with the original story in order to enjoy it better.

And we're currently in the middle of watching BBC's
Robin Hood
TV series
2006-
Starring Jonas Armstrong as Robin Hood, Keith Allen as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Lucy Griffiths as Marian, and Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne
(IMDb)

This version of the legend includes "modern elements," but is still set in medieval times. A lot of the classic scenes usually depicted in the legends--like Robin's meeting with Little John--are done differently, which is actually quite refreshing. Of course the Sheriff is evil and Guy is his minion and Robin is good and Marian is his lady love, but so many stories can be made out of that setup. The series squeezes in more characterization into the roles and completely different plots, but expect the usual corny implausible escapes--but you have to forgive it; he is Robin Hood, after all. The first season was really good, and excepting the first couple episodes *shudders*, the second one has been, too (although I've heard season 3--not yet out on DVD--goes downhill).

Waiting on Wednesday: Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa Klein

And you thought I'd died, right?! Nope. I've just been extremely lazy about reviewing or posting anything recently, even though I have two lovely books sitting at home that I've read but haven't written thoughts about yet and I feel terrible! One of them is as part of John Marco's TLC Book Tours for his new MG book, Starfinder, so look for my review of that on June 23rd.
Anyway, on to what I'm waiting on!

Lady Macbeth's Daughter
by Lisa Klein
Released October 13th, 2009

Albia has grown up with no knowledge of her father, the powerful thane Macbeth, and her mother, the grief-wracked Grelach. Instead she knows the dark lure of the Wychelm Wood and the moors, where she’s been raised by three strange sisters. The ambitious Macbeth seeks to know his fate,and Albia’s life becomes tangled with that of the man who leaves in his wake nothing but bloodshed. When Albia learns that she has the second sight, she must decide whether to ignore the terrible future she foresees—or to change it.

With only the shepherd Colum to aid her, Albia sets out on a journey fraught with peril. Will she be able to save the man she loves from her murderous father? Can she forgive her parents their wrongs, or must she destroy them?

Why I'm waiting:
Lisa Klein's Ophelia--a retelling of Hamlet--was amazing and gorgeous and I loved it! Her Civil War novel, Two Girls of Gettysburg was also very good, only not as original. Lady Macbeth's Daughter has GOT to be original since I don't think most people even knew that Lady Macbeth says, "I have given suck, and know how tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me," muchless imagines her having a child. So I'm thinking it looks very exciting!

Waiting on Wednesday: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

"Waiting on" Wednesday was created by Jill of Breaking the Spine, and is a way for bloggers to share the upcoming books that they're longing for. This week I'm waiting on...

Eyes Like Stars (The Théâtre Illuminata: Act 1)
by Lisa Mantchev
Released July 7th, 2009

Enter Stage Right

All her world's a stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She is not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but has no lines of her own.
Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Open Curtain

Why I'm waiting:
Doesn't it sound cool?! Who isn't excited? Theatre, Shakespeare, faeries...
Are you excited, too? Check out the scavenger hunt that will make you eligible to win an ARC of Eyes Like Stars!

Bleak House

2005
Starring: Anna Maxwell Martin, Denis Lawson, Gillian Anderson, Carey Mulligan and Patrick Kennedy
Directed by: Justin Chadwick & Susanna White
Fourteen 30-minute episodes

It’s hard to write a summary of this movie because it’s about many things. But it centers (for the most part) on Esther Summerson, who is has recently been taken into the care of Mr. John Jarndyce, to be a companion to his ward, Ada Clare. Mr. Jarndyce’s family is at the bottom of the Jarndyce and Jarndyce law suit, which has been unresolved for years and years and has driven several people mad. Also in the movie there is the beautiful and mysterious Lady Dedlock, who has something to do with Esther’s unknown past – and who lives in fear that her magnanimous secret will be sniffed out by Mr. Tulkinghorn, a somewhat predatory lawyer. Throughout the movie, Esther remains calm and kind, even when she catches a terrible illness and is near death. But problems arise of many different kinds: Richard, Mr. Jarndyce’s other ward, is interested in the Jarndyce suit and becomes more and more obsessed with “putting his shoulder to the wheel” and getting it settled. And Ada, who is an innocent and sweet girl, blindly puts her faith in the man she loves. As for Esther’s own happiness, there are things she has no control over tugging at her fate – but she also has to decide for herself.

I was very impressed by this adaptation of Dickens’s novel. The random crashing sound effects at the start of some scenes was a little odd – sort of like they were trying to make it too dark – but after a few episodes I got used to it and barely noticed anymore. The cast was incredible, especially Burn Gorman as Guppy (there could be no one else so perfect in the role) and Denis Lawson as Mr. Jarndyce. My main disappointments were Mr. Smallweed and Mr. Vholes; neither of them were much like in the book. But a lot of the lines I recognized as being straight from Bleak House, which was a definite point in Andrew Davies’s favor. All in all, I found this to be a delightful movie which didn’t exactly follow the book but was a darn good adaptation. Those who haven’t read it would probably like the film just as much as those who have.



My first review (but not my first book) for Becky’s Charles Dickens Mini-Challenge 08.

Becoming Jane

2007
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rated PG for brief [unnecessary] nudity and mild language
Cast includes: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, & James Cromwell

Jane Austen is young and unmarried, but none of the men who come courting her live up to her expectations...until a disagreeable young man honors the people of Hampshire with his presence. Mr. Thomas Lefroy is rude—yawning over Jane’s writing!—and, in her words, “insufferable.” However, upon meeting at other occasions, the two realize they are equals in wit and intellect.

Sound familiar? Yes, the beginning is so filled with painfully obvious Pride and Prejudice references—in characters, lines, and scenes—that it seems like a cheap rip-off on the classic novel. Maybe Austen did find inspiration in her everyday life, but Pride and Prejudice was not an autobiography, for goodness’ sakes. The allusions could have been much more subtle.
Fortunately the second half of the script smoothes out into a story of its own. And yes, liberties are taken with Jane’s life and her mysterious flirtation with Tom. So? Personally I can forgive a fictional movie for changing the story of a person’s life if it is well done (Amadeus, for instance), and Becoming Jane is, altogether, a lovely film.
James McAvoy was amazing and Anne Hathaway’s acting has improved immensely (her British accent wasn’t even half bad), but unfortunately Maggie Smith’s talents were hardly seen. The English countryside scenery was delightful and the soundtrack was very pretty, though it did not seem to go with the mood that was visually illustrated in certain scenes.
Over all, I thought the movie was well worth watching at least once—for the intense emotions portrayed with little direct speaking between the lovers in a near-end scene alone. My final opinion is: it was passable, but could have been excellent.

Horatio Hornblower: The Duel

1998
Director: Andrew Grieve
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Dorian Healy, Robert Lindsay

Seventeen-year-old Horatio Hornblower (Gruffudd) is just beginning his service with the British navy as a midshipman aboard the Justinian. Although at first he is terrified of heights and unused to the rocking of the ship, young Horatio is brilliant at calculating, navigation, and mathematics. But jealousy and hatred arises. Jack Simpson (Healy) is senior midshipman, and with his power over the other midshipmen, he “teaches them their places” by eating their food, beating them when he wishes to, and generally making their lives miserable. So when Horatio is being “snotty” and questions the rules made by Jack Simpson, he becomes the victim of Simpson’s wrath. Struggling to adjust to his new life, attend his duties, and stay out of Simpson’s way, Horatio has a seemingly doomed beginning to his naval career. Transferred to the Indefatigable, Horatio believes for a while that he is safe. But Jack Simpson is never far away, and when he goes a step too far, Horatio decides the abuse can go on no longer, and he challenges the senior midshipman to a duel with pistols. Watch this wonderful movie to find out what happens! The Duel is a great film that will quickly sweep you up in its amazing reenactments of battles at sea, duels, and one young man’s intelligence and determination. If you enjoy this movie, be sure to continue watching the series with The Fireship, The Duchess and the Devil, The Wrong War, The Mutiny, Retribution, Loyalty, and Duty.

Bridge to Terabithia

Director: Gabor Csupo
Genre: Adventure/drama/family/fantasy
Rated PG for thematic elements including bullying, some peril and mild language
Starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb

When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was shocked; What had they done to such a great story?! It didn’t look anything like the touching tale of friendship the novel tells. But, after reading positive reviews from others who had also enjoyed the book, I decided to go see for myself—and was pleasantly surprised.

Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. has been training all summer to be the fastest kid in the fifth grade, but that dream is crushed when the new girl, Leslie Burke, beats all the boys on the first day of school. At first Jess is against Leslie, both for beating him and for being weird, but then he figures, “Why shouldn’t I talk to her?” and a strong friendship develops. The two create Terabithia, a secret magical kingdom in the woods where they are free from bullies and worries, and where their imagination is boundless. Leslie finally has a friend, and Jess learns how to daydream. But a sudden catastrophe shatters Terabithia, and Jess wonders if it can ever be rebuilt again.
The movie adaptation sticks close to the main plot of the book, with only a few minutes of CGI—which is to show you what the characters see—and AnnaSophia Robb is the perfect Leslie, with her friendly smile and large sparkling eyes. Although I thought the animation took away from the quiet power that is captured in the novel, Bridge to Terabithia was a good movie and very worth watching for all ages.