Movie Night: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

After the tragic happenings of July 20 in connection with the third Batman film: The Dark Knight Rises, I was a little apprehensive about seeing it. Of course just because the sin of one man led him to do such a horrible thing, does not mean it had any connection with the Batman film, I was temporarily scared of theaters. :P
But I had watched the first movie in the Batman trilogy and enjoyed it, though I'm still a fan of the Marvel heroes above the DC comics. I did not watch The Dark Knight, however. I had heard so many conflicting reports of whether it was good or not. Some said they enjoyed it, others that it was incredibly dark. After watching five minutes of the film in Sam's Club (gotta love display t.v.s ;) I decided I was not interested in seeing The Dark Knight. (The second film.) It gave me a feeling of depression and fear and nastiness. So when this third movie came out, I was not originally pushing to see it. I was rather neither here nor there about it. But more and more people whose opinions I respect and admire were saying that this third and final installment, The Dark Knight Rises, was a film worth seeing. In the end, not expecting to like it all that much, I decided to go with my brother, his girl, Sarah, and a group of other friends. I entered skeptical, and I left  incredibly satisfied, which was a surprise to me.

The Dark Knight Rises begins with a reformed Gotham City. Since I missed the second film, I'm not sure if this is simply a carry-over from then, but it is a far different Gotham than the Gotham of the first film. Crime is at an all-time low thanks to the efforts of the late Harvey Dent. But it is a city going through a bit of depression because of Dent's death. Most of the citizens accept the fact that Batman murdered Harvey Dent, but there are a few holders-on who think differently. Among these are Commissioner Gordon, (Gary Oldman) and a young officer-turned-detective named Blake. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt...loved him a ton, by the way. Amazing character. :)

Early on in the film, the real truth of the Dent-dilemma is learned by the villain, Bane, (Tom Hardy) and  he attempts to kill Gordon to keep the real story from the rest of Gotham City. In the meantime, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse in his home, Wayne Manor, and has forsaken his persona as Batman. He lives there, a wreck and ruin of what he once was before losing Rachel and with her, all that was precious to him.

The film begins to pick up speed with the introduction of Cat Woman, (Anne Hathaway) Bane, and the young, zealous, Blake, and soon is a full-out fight between the residents of Gotham City as led by Bane, against the privileged and wealthy who, Bane tells them, have been holding back and making life miserable for the commoners.

This is where the film really caught my attention. I had not expected to find this, but the plot essentially follows that of the historical French Revolution.

Selina Kyle: "There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us."
Bruce Wayne: "You sound like you're looking forward to it."
Selina Kyle: "I'm adaptable."

The struggle between the people and their ruling powers. The dissension, the back-bitings, the sedition as whispered by Bane to the citizens of Gotham. The comparison grew as Bane begins taking over the city, and leads his own "Storming of the Bastille" by releasing the prisoners with the people's consent; telling them that the prisoners were innocent men condemned by the rich and wealthy who saw them as a threat. The parallels continue as Bane institutes a mock court presided over by none other than Scarecrow, (a.k.a. Dr. Crane of the first film. :) who mockingly tries cases and exiles/executes the new prisoners and captives.

This is the city that Batman must now try to save. But he is weak and out of shape. His personal life is a mess, his company is bankrupt, and he essentially fires his trusty butler, Alfred. Things are not going well, and, fueled by anger, Batman goes to "save" Gotham. In the following confrontation, Bane cripples Batman and locks him in a virtually inescapable prison.

As he recovers in the pit, Bruce Wayne realizes he's just been wallowing in self-pity, and that it isn't helping anyone. As he sees what Bane is doing to the people of Gotham, Wayne works to rebuild himself and tries to escape, knowing he has to put aside his fears, failures, and depression and save Gotham city. He escapes the prison and returns to Gotham, organizing an uprising among the remaining faithful law-enforcement officers who have been trapped underground, waiting for his command. But things are looking grim, as Bane has flicked the timer on an nuclear bomb and it will be exploding very soon.
In the end of the film, Batman rescues the city by attaching the nuclear bomb to his plane and, presumably, flying it out into the harbor where it then explodes, out of reach of the city and its people.

Selina Kyle (Cat Woman): "You don't owe these people any more! You've given them everything!"
Batman: "Not everything. Not yet." 

The true heroism and courage of this act touched me deeply. It had a deeper message than that of the first film. The Dark Knight Rises proved wrong the theory at the end of it's predecessor that perhaps the truth wasn't good enough and it was better to give the people hope by telling them a lie. It proved that, in fact, one lie leads to another, and there is soon nothing left but lies. It would have been better to have told the truth from the beginning, and then Bane would never have been able to get a foothold in these people's lives by telling them yet another bundle of lies.

At Batman' s funeral, Commissioner Gordon completes the parallels of the Revolution/Gotham's uprising by quoting Sydney Carton of Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities. (And yes, this had me Dickens-spazzing-out all through the credits :P)

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

*sniff, sniff*

*weeps a little weep*

*dries her eyes*

There is a closing montage that reveals a few surprising plot twists, and then the screen goes black and the epic credit-score begins to play. I was left feeling a fist-clenching hope, and a sense of deep satisfaction. Wrong had been righted. Heroism was not dead. Batman, a modern-day Sydney Carton, had put aside his apathy and done this valiant deed.

In the end I liked The Dark Knight Rises. I liked it a lot. In fact, I liked it better than the first film, which I certainly did not expect. As expected, it did have some issues such as a bit of language and a definitely fast-forward scene between Bruce Wayne and his colleague, Miranda Tate, as well as a few questionable moments involving Cat Woman. But beyond these things, I recommend the film if you like action/adventure/crime-fighting. The violence surprised me, actually, by being less gun-involved and more physical.  Bane, the villain, is essentially a great big bald guy with mean muscles and a metal breathing apparatus. And he is very violent. But there were surprisingly few people shot, and more people beaten up by use of punches and kicks. There was very little (if any) blood, and the fist-fighting brought to mind more of a dramatic, modern-day barroom scene from a Western than a typical superhero-movie. :P And I was pleased to find that there really was less language in this film (or more mild forms of it) than in the previous Batman movies.

In the end, my verdict on The Dark Knight Rises is that it was a very good movie. Some might even argue it was a great movie. In my opinion, the film spoke surprisingly relevant messages to our culture today. Socialism, communism, and relativism are all slapped in the face by the very fact that Bane tries to use these tactics to woo the people of Gotham into a marriage with his ideals. True courage, valor, and heroism are exhibited, and it showed a hero that, for once, acted upon a the principles of true Love that Jesus has laid out for us.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -John 13:15

Movie Night: Jane Eyre (1983)

As I write this review I am in the middle of watching the movie I review. I speak of Jane Eyre. Not that horrid 2011 version that started in the middle of nowhere and ended much the same. No. I speak of the 1983 version starring Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke. For some reason I know hardly anyone who has seen this film. Long has it tortured me, having Jane Eyre on VHS, for we having no VCR player. But then my cousin, Emily, got the movie for her birthday and I was in ecstasies. (Okay, so I partially was the cause of her getting the movie--I recommended it to my aunt. :D)
Where to start? Where to start? I suppose with a plot synopsis. This will be a difficult movie to review without peppering this post with spoilers, but I will do my best.

Jane Eyre follows the life of the girl by the same name--from her dark, cold childhood at Gateshead Hall and Lowood School, to her coming to Thornfield Hall as a governess, Jane shows considerable pluck, passion, and courage. Thornfield is  a strange house indeed, as Jane soon learns. From the mad sewing-woman: Grace Poole, to Mr. Rochester himself (Master of Thornfield Hall) there are secrets abounding--secrets that threaten to upset Jane's hopes of ever being loved and accepted.Will Jane find happiness in the end, through all the difficulties that are thrown in her way?

There. That is the best I can do at a synopsis, as there are some major events that would be plot-spoilers if I mentioned them. :P

This movie was made in 1983 so I will warn you--the costumes are horrid and the filming horrider. At times it looks like a stage rather than a movie. But the singular thing about Jane Eyre (and the thing that has endeared this version to me more than any other I've seen) is the passionate, riveting acting. Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke are such amazing actors that they could have been standing on a sidewalk and given just as good of a performance. Costumes and setting didn't matter. All you see is them.

--Her--

Zelah Clarke as Jane Eyre is astonishing. (in a good way.) She owns the character in a way that makes you think she really is Jane. There cannot be another Jane. All other attempts have been impostors and that is all. Zelah Clarke gives Jane a certain sweetness that I felt drastically missing in the other version and bits I've seen. Yes, she has had a difficult, stern childhood. Yes,she is wronged. (again and again) But she has not been embittered. Zelah's portrayal of Jane is winsome, grave, and ineffably sweet to counter the necessary strength and passion of her character. She is perfection. (And she has adorable dimples.) But beyond all this, perhaps the best part of this Jane is that she so stinkin' tiny. I'm guessing she is no taller than four and a half feet. So that when we come to Mr. Rochester...

"Are you dumb?...stubborn?...ahh....you are annoyed."

--Him--

I have heard that Timothy Dalton is best known for being James Bond. Excuse me while I die of painful laughter. I know him as Mr. Edward Rochester and only as Mr. Rochester. *Tosses laptop to the side to watch proposal scene and will be back later* Oh my goodness. My heart is melting. Entirely. Gah!
Ahem. Back to business. Timothy Dalton played Mr. Rochester's rugged, passionate, not-entirely-tame personality very well. He has an unearthly look about him anyway that lends itself to his Rochesterian-ess.
Physically, there is this pushmepullyou business going on in my mind that only increases the ideal of Timothy Dalton as Rochester. He is plain and ugly and he is tearingly handsome. He is intimidating and he is gentle. He is kind one moment and practically bites Jane's head off the next. It is this pendulum effect that makes him so fascinating. But one of the curious things about Jane Eyre is that Mr. Rochester is not exactly heroic. At least, not till the end. But we don't speak of that. All you need to know is that Jane--her  virtue and heroism and loyalty--makes for the real "hero" of this story.

--Them--

The emotion, passion, wit, and drama between Jane and Mr. Rochester (especially between this version of the famous couple) never ceases to delight me. And in this version, Jane is so tiny and Mr. Rochester is so strong and tall that it plays up ever more the big heart and virtue that is Jane's. I mean girls--one of Mr. Rochester's hands is nearly enough to cover Jane's entire head. He messes up her hair every time he crushes her in one of his huge, rough hugs. It is hilarious and touching and perfect. You know how there can be...well..(for lack of a better term) chemistry between two actors? It's here. It's here big time. In fact, given that they had 5 and a half hours to play it out, I think that they became Jane and Mr. Rochester.

Cons:

Without giving too much away, there are a couple things I should mention as cautions. One, the little girl Jane comes to Thornfield to educate is never explained. Is she Mr. Rochester's illegitimate daughter? Truth is, he himself doesn't really know. That's thing one.

Thing two is that there is a "fortune-telling" scene. Of course the gypsy turns out to be one of the familiar characters in the movie and a sham-performance, but there is the suggestion that some of the characters would have believed  a "real" fortune-teller.

Thing three is the definite, indisputable fact that this movie is eerie in places. I can't explain why. It's all part of the Unmentionable Secret, but it has to do with a singular, blood-chilling laugh and very mysterious happenings in the house. (It is all natural causes--no ghosts, haints, or chillin' things. ;)

Pros:

You are in tears by the end of a Certain Scene where Jane must make a heart-wrenching decision between purity and virtue and the only love she has ever known. She makes the right choice, and you are reeling by the end. Seriously, it's the most intense scene you will ever watch in a movie. It really makes you think whether you would have the fortitude. I promise you'll be weeping if you have any heart.

Again, I cannot spill the beans all over the carpet, but everything ends just as it ought. If Charlotte Bronte had lived in the world of today's modern story-lines, Jane Eyre would probably have turned out to be just another compromise. But with a turn of Bronte's pen, she put everything right.

The ending is not entirely, perfectly, un-markedly happy, but it ends as it ought. It ends right, and that is all one can wish for. :)

Quotables:

*ahhhh* this movie is so full of brilliant quotes and you know what? I could only find one (an entirely random one, at that) online. Rats in a poke. I suppose you will have to watch it yourself to experience just the best of the best dialog in movie history! (Pssst! The proposal scene is the best *ever*. If you want to watch the film entirely out of order, you can watch the scene here.)

Movie Night: Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Long, long have we held off in watching Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland for two reasons: (1) I used to feel trapped and depressed watching the Disney version as a little girl, (2) this one looked really dark. But last night Daniel rented it for us, being a large fan of Johnny Depp's acting. I am no good at synopsises, but in short, I really liked it!

Here's the scoop:

Alice (played by Mia Wasikowski) is a young lady of nineteen. Despite her epically horrible baby-powder-paleness in the first scenes, she is sweet, innocent, and girlish. She definitely does not fit in with Society.

Lady Ascot: "Imbeciles! The garden is planted with white roses when I'd specifically asked for red!"
Alice: "You could always paint the roses red!"

I loved how the movie incorporated these little familiar glimpses of Wonderland even while Alice was still up here. When she gets down there...now that is interesting! Despite my dismal predictions that everything would be just as depressing as I remembered the Disney version being, the characters redeemed the slightly (read very) odd plot.

Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum were darlings, and made me laugh. 

They were not at all as mean and cross as Disney portrayed them, and you could tell they were sweet. :)
The March Hare had us wriggling uncomfortably and laughing a lot throughout the movie. He's just so ugly! And that habit he had of staring at you with one eye! Blech!

"Spoon!" <--he was always throwing things and saying their names dreamily! :D

I loved the Cheshire Cat! He was pompous, cuddly, smooth, and yet not evil. And they dropped that annoying, cynical laugh that Disney (old version) had attached to him. Plus he has blue stripes in his fur.  Can you get better than that?

Then you have the Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter) Ugh! She was so horrible and cross and hilarious! The thing I loved best about her was that tantrum-note in her voice: "OFFWITHISHEAD!" It sounded so much like a little kid yelling. :) She and her knave. Ew.

The Hatter: "What a regrettably large head you have. I would very much like to hat it. I used to hat the White Queen, you know. Her head was so small."
The Red Queen: "It's tiny. It's a pimple of a head."

There are many more characters, including the Caterpillar (voiced by Allen Rickman..."The air is full of spices," anyone?) and the White Queen (complete with horrid brownish lipstick and played by Ann Hathaway) but perhaps my favorite character of all was The Mad Hatter. :)

Hatter: "Your carriage, my lady."
Alice: "A hat?"
Hatter: "Of course. Anyone can go by horse or rail, but the absolute best way to travel is by hat. Have I made a rhyme?"

My one complaint was that he had so much makeup on that I couldn't even see it was Johnny Depp. He looked pretty much hideous. I mean honestly--must you have such orange hair and pink lips? It was just kinda weird. I wished I could see more of his natural face because that would probably have made him even better. The Hatter was cheerful, valiant, entirely mad, and exceedingly loyal. But the thing that sealed him to my heart forever was the fact that for some strange reason, every time he got in a fighting mood, Johhny Depp gave the Hatter a Scottish accent. A very good Scottish accent. There are few things more perfect for slaying Bandersnatches and Jabberwockys than a good accent to keep your spirits high. :) <3

He and Alice are so sweet together and I really did almost wish Alice could stay in Wonderland for his sake. But of course it was best for her to go home after slaying the Jabberwocky. And there was the promise that she would come back someday. :)

So did I like this movie? Yes! Would I recommend it? Yes--if you don't mind a certain level of madness. ;) There was nothing remarkably reprehensible in this movie that was not dealt with. The worst thing was that Alice's brother-in-law was caught in the garden kissing someone else, but that was portrayed as being quite wrong.

Now I shall leave you with some quote-ables and the wish that you might have a Frabjous Day yourself with plenty of Futterwhacking and all that.

The Hatter: "You're not the same as you were before..you were much more "muchier."  You've lost your muchness."
Alice: "My muchness?"
The Hatter: (pointing to her heart) "In there."

*  *  *

Young Alice: "Do you think I've gone round the bend?"
Her Father: "I'm afraid so...you're mad...bonkers...off your head. But I'll tell you a secret: All the best people are!"

*  *  *

The Hatter: "Well...the entire world's falling to pieces and poor Cheshire's off his tea."

Movie Night: Wives and Daughters

The title little lets on the subtle, sweeping drama that underlies this sweet film. I read Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters a year or two ago, so you can imagine my delight when a friend introduced me to the film version not long after. (Wives and Daughters 1999, BBC)

Molly Gibson played by Justine Waddell

Molly Gibson, sweet, unassuming, and full of a fierce loyalty to her father, lives in the little town of Hollingford with little to vex her. Her mother died when she was very young so she and her father are best friends and companions. It seems everything will continue on in its simple, happy way...that is, until the story gains a Cinderella twist.

Father and Daughter... :) So sweet.

Mr. Gibson (Bill Paterson) makes an ill-advised marriage to a foolish, silly-minded woman: Hyacinth Clare Kirkpatrick. (Francesca Annis) He thinks it a very good idea--after all, with the young men beginning to buzz around Molly, what is he to do? So he proposes to the former governess of Lord and Lady Cumnor's daughters, and life for Molly is forever changed.

In the meantime Molly has befriended the old and established family at Hamley Hall: Squire Hamley (Michael Gambon), the cheerful but ill Mrs. Hamley (Penelope Wilton) and their two sons: Osborne (Tom Hollander) and Roger Hamley (Anthony Howell). Molly is attracted to Roger for his good sense and gentleness to her during the trial of gaining a new mother. (and such a woman!) They strike up a sweet, brother-sister friendship, and Molly begins to feel the delights of being loved by such a sweet, old-blooded family. After all, Molly is a little shy and a bit of a loner herself so she and Roger who is not his mother's favorite child are a natural pair. :)

Tom Hollander as the poetry-writing Osborne Hamley

In the next few weeks Molly's sweet spirit conquers her prejudice over her father's wife, Mrs. Gibson, though the selfishness of her new mother is nearly unbearable at times, especially when it interferes with Molly's ministrations and visits to the invalid Mrs. Hamley. But there is little time to bemoan her lot--Molly is not that kind of a girl anyway--for Mrs. Gibson's daughter, Cynthia Kirkpatrick is coming home to Hollingford after being away at school for a number of years.

L-R: Mr. Gibson, Mrs. Gibson, Cynthia, and Molly

When Cynthia arrives, Molly is befuddled and a bit confused at the mixture of candidness and reserve, charm, and reticence that her new sister shows.

All of Hollingford is soon charmed by the beautiful Miss Kirkpatrick (Keeley Hawes) with her wit and vivacious spirit. She is new and unique and utterly capable of bewitching the heart and soul of the pokey old town.

Molly loves Cynthia in her unquestioning way, but there is something strange going on. A secret somewhere about. Thrown into the charming Cynthia's shadow, Molly continues loving her family, the Hamleys, and the other folk in the little English country-town.

But Molly's is not to be an entirely happy, sunny lot. She learns a secret of Osborne Hamley--a secret that could jeopardize his inheritance because of his father's prejudice and she has sworn not to tell. Her beloved Mrs. Hamley dies, widening the rift between Osborne and Squire Hamley. Cynthia is consistently charming away every suitor that comes for Molly. But the chief thorn in Molly's crown is one that she tries not to mind because of her love for both parties involved:

Roger Hamley is deeply in love with Cynthia and has proposed directly before leaving for Africa. Molly's heart is broken  but she is too generous and loving to hang onto her jealousy. She will continue loving both Roger and Cynthia while burying her own feelings.

But the horizon grows even dimmer. Cynthia does not appear to love Roger the way she ought and demands their engagement remain a secret, yet she clings to her promise of marrying him with a vengeance that little matches the way she speaks of him. It almost appears to Molly that she is marrying him as an escape from...something.

Cynthia unaccountably breaks off her engagement with Roger Hamley and tells Molly her deep secret: She has long been engaged to another man--a cruel, heartless man who "loves" her so much she has become his obsession.

Osborne Hamley dies and Molly is left with the difficult task of being the confidante of two different people with deep, complicated secrets, unable to relieve her heart by telling them to anyone else. It is up to her to bring everything back to where it ought to be, all while denying her own heart that longs for Roger as Cynthia's never could. But trouble comes knocking on Molly's door as she tries to help. Her good name and character begin to be questioned by the busy-bodies of Hollingford. Everyone begins suspecting Molly of some scandal involving the man she is trying to rid Cynthia of. Only Lady Harriet (Rosamund Pike) who has long been a patroness of little Molly Gibson believes she is innocent and does everything in her power to set things straight.

Will it all come right? Will Molly, Cynthia, Roger, and all the rest of this cast live happily ever after? I will not say. I will not promise anything, for you must be surprised. But I will tell you that everything turns out as it ought to, including the sweetest non-physical proposal you've ever seen!

Cons: I imagine there is a bit of British language in this movie, though I can't recall exactly. Osborne Hamley is seen in bed without his shirt on. Cynthia in particular wears several rather low-necked dresses. She is a bit of a flirt, as well.

Pros: This movie has a simplicity and yet complexity about it that works well with the setting of an old feudal town in the English countryside. Molly is one of the most upstanding, loveable, and truly good heroines in period drama. (Second only, perhaps, to Esther Summerson or Amy Dorrit) Her purity and innocence are refreshingly show-cased next to Cynthia's worldly-wise womanliness.
Roger and Molly's relationship (for yes, of course they get together at the end! :) is sweet, innocent, and utterly cheer-worthy.

Tears mixed with rain...so sweet!

The proposal is Mama's hands-down favorite.

Love this scene where Roger (not shown) realizes his little Molly-sister has grown up!

You will find this movie a leisurely, yet emotional drama of the complexity of family and small-town life. You will laugh, cry, cheer, and want to hurl the DVD cover at several people's heads. But I assure you, Wives and Daughters will become a beloved piece of your heart, even though it is not as showy and flashy as some of the other "great" films. :) <3

Wasps' nests, anyone? ;)

I would have included some quotes from this darling movie, but unfortunately, imdb.com had only two, and those really had very little to do with the best parts of the movie! You shall simply have to watch Wives and Daughters for yourself as soon as possible to get the full effect! :)

The Young Victoria: A Movie Review

Hey Girls! You all voted on the side-bar poll for more book and movie reviews, so I thought I'd obleege you by posting a review of one of my favorite new(er) movies. That movie, my dahlings, is The Young Victoria.

First off, you have not lived Period Drama Costumes until you have watched this movie. That's all. You have not grown to love Queen Victoria after whom the Victorian Era is named until you've seen this movie. That's all. You have no idea that Prince Albert was so entirely amazing until you've seen this movie. That's all. *"be still, my heart, I'm hardly breathing.."* ;)

Emily Blunt as the young Queen, and Rupert Friend  as Prince Albert

The movie (obviously) covers the younger life of Queen Victoria--the most beloved queen (arguably) in England's history. There are politics galore, lots of intermarrying, and quite a few treasonous people. The first time I watched Y.V (Young Victoria, people. I'm just a wee bit weary of typing that title over and over :) I was horribly confused and befuddled and breathless.

Then why do I love this movie? Because I realized quite afterward that I watched it while coming out of anesthesia from my wisdom-teeth surgery. Not the sharpest crayon in the box, but oh well. I guess it affected my better judgement. This called for a re-watch. And it was not that confusing after all. You can certainly understand the most of it if you're not drugged and in terrible pain. :D

Albert and Victoria have a fascinating life together. I have always admired the young queen's valiance, determination, and loyalty to her people and her country. I didn't know that much about Albert except that he's rather a nice chap on a whole. This movie convinced me that Albert and Victoria are my favorite couple in all of (true) history. Period. Their love is so sweet--actually, Victoria is rather young and selfish once she gains her throne but Albert loves her through it and eventually she learns to take his advice rather than rely on her own favorite: Lord Melbourne. There is actually a fantabulous scene where Lord M. admits he has used Victoria for his own political pursuits and that she ought to realize what a wise, kind husband she has. It's my favorite scene from that movie, almost! :)

So now for a closer look. The costumes, as I mentioned before, are drool-worthy. Take a look at some of these beauties:

This has got to be my favorite--the color is breathtaking.

A closer view of the gold-rose ballgown....

It is simply delicious.

Emily Blunt looking lovely in green silk... :)

She looks so sweet and girlish in this simple dress. :)

There are so many beautiful dresses (and a few strange ones. :D) The hairstyles are also a tad weird, but that is explainable, as they are period correct. :)

There are dozens off characters so I will not try to show them all to you. I just want to hone in on four. First off, Victoria's mother, The Duchess of Kent, played by Miranda Richardson.

She is a cold, frightened, rather pliable woman who is under the thumb of her adviser, Sir John Conroy. She and Victoria's relationship is rocky at best, but somehow you feel sorry for her through it all. Especially in this little scene where you realize how much the Duchess really did love her daughter:

Sir John Conroy: [watching the crowd outside the palace] How changeable they are. They hate you, they love you, they hate you.
Duchess of Kent: They punished her. They never hated her.

Next is Sir John Conroy himself:

At first I was laughing because Sir John is such a different part than that Mark Strong played in Emma as Mr. Knightley, but it soon because evident that he was perfect for the part of a cruel, influential, manipulative adviser. I even have him staked out for Mr. Murdstone if they ever make another version of David Copperfield. Bwahaha. ;)

Lord Melbourne, played by Paul Bettany, is Victoria's Prime Minister.

He is a charming, officious, not bad-hearted version of Sir John Conroy. As in, he manipulates Victoria and tries to sway her political views, as seen in this quote:

Queen Victoria: I do want to help them, whatever you say. And not just the laboring poor, but the hungry and the homeless, and... There are people who are lost, and whose business is it to see to their welfare?
Lord Melbourne: Well, in my experience, ma'am, it's best to let these things develop naturally. If you interfere, you risk overturning the cart.
Queen Victoria: Well, Prince Albert doesn't agree. He's made a study of the working man's condition, he's full to the brim with ideas for their improvement.
Lord Melbourne: Is he indeed? How inspiring.

He's such a schemer, but Albert sets him straight in the end. Oh Albert! Now I get to talk about him, okay? :) Rupert Friend was The Albert.

I don't see how anyone else could have played him. Funny, because I first saw this actor as Mr. Wickham in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice and was disgusted with him. But as Albert, Rupert Friend is unrivaled. He even got the slight Belgian accent down to a "T". Albert is everything Victoria needed in a husband: faithful, gentle, wise, insistent. He even ***SPOILER ALERT*** intentionally takes a bullet that was meant for his Queen. *sniff sniff sniff* ***END OF SPOILER***
He handls Lord Melbourne brilliantly:

Lord Melbourne: Your Highness, there's your opening if you'll take my advice...
Prince Albert: Lord Melbourne, forgive me but you seem to have confused me with a member of your club. I am not your drinking companion nor your whist partner. I am the husband of your sovereign. And as such, I will make my own decisions, and I neither seek nor invite your advice. Good evening.

Yes. That is my Albert. :) Love him for me!

There are so many amazing parts in this movie that I could share all the quotes in the movie with you and still not have said enough. :) But I don't want to entirely spoil it for you, so I'll leave you with a few quotes at the end of this review. :)
So now we come down to the pins and needles of this film. What are the cons? What things are wrong with it? Of course Victoria was not a very submissive wife (partly what her position demanded) and of course she was not very kind to her mother, and of course she leaned on her Prime Minister rather than her husband for wisdom and advice. But all these issues are worked out in the movie in a fabulous, unmatchable way, so I don't count them as cons. Therefore, the only thing I can say in opposition to the film is that the dresses are a bit low, and there are several long(er) kissing scenes, one of which occurs in bed. (Though since the characters are married and fully dressed I didn't have *such* a problem with. We usually fast-forward though)
The Young Victoria is a film that every Victorian-era lover should see, and one that is destined to go down as a rich, elegant, heart-warming classic. Go watch it and be enthralled. :)

Quotables:

Sir John Conroy: [outraged] I cannot believe I'm being subjected to this interrogation!
Prince Albert: [sitting behind a desk, piled with papers] You're not being subjected to anything, Sir John. You have been in charge of the Duchess's finances for many years. Indeed, you have made public statements testifying to their health.
Sir John Conroy: I have!
Duchess of Kent: And I am so grateful.
Prince Albert: All I am asking is that you will be so good as to tell us exactly where the money has gone.

Prince Albert: I just got your note. I was riding.
Queen Victoria: Sit, please.
Prince Albert: The park is marvelous.
Queen Victoria: I'm so pleased you like it. I do want you to feel quite at home... I'm sure you're aware why I wished you to come here. Because it would make me happier than anything, too happy really, if you would agree to what I wish.
Prince Albert: And stay with you?
Queen Victoria: And stay with me.
Prince Albert: And marry you?
Queen Victoria: And marry me! 

Prince Albert: "For Pity's sake, smile woman. Anyone would think we'd have quarreled!" ;)

*I saved the best quote of all for last. :)*

Princess Victoria: Do you ever feel like a chess piece yourself? In a game being played against your will.
Prince Albert: Do you?
Princess Victoria: Constantly. I see them leaning in and moving me around the board.
Prince Albert: The Duchess and Sir John?
Princess Victoria: Not just them. Uncle Leopold. The king. I'm sure half the politicians are ready to seize hold of my skirts and drag me from square to square.
Prince Albert: Then you had better master the rules of the game until you play it better than they can.
Princess Victoria: You don't recommend I find a husband to play it for me?
Prince Albert: I should find one to play it with you, not for you.

Movie Night: The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin--in short: Thumbs Up. :)

When Daniel, Sarah, and I were little we would creep reverently into the library, make our way over to a certain shelf, and pull off one of the Tintin books. Daniel was generally the only one old enough to officially read those books, but Sarah and I monstrously appreciated all the adventurous illustrations and awaited Daniel's explanation eagerly.

 

So when we heard that Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg were making a movie version we were both excited and skeptical. How could anyone really make a good movie out of Tintin? Wouldn't they probably ruin it?
I'm here to say that as a devoted Tintin fan, the directors went above and beyond the call of duty. They stayed so faithful to the books (and especially the illustrations) that I could recognize all the characters right off the bat. They even throw in lots of direct nods to the illustrations! Check this out:

The original:

 And what the movie did with it:

Awesome, isn't it? :) I don't want to spoil the plot of the movie for you, but I consider it to be the most original and genuinely intriguing animated film to come out of the movie theater since UP. You get lots of adventure, you get lots of potential danger, and yet there is always that comic-book sense of "Everything will turn out right."

Captain Haddock...to the rescue?

  The story follows Tintin, a young journalist who frequently doubles as a detective, and his pal Snowy. Right there that sounds cheesy and entirely unoriginal, and yet I thought they played the boy and his dog thing differently than you usually see it. Tintin often leaves Snowy to do something while he moves on--he has a life besides that of his dog, and the dog is sensible enough not to get into places where he needs to be rescued. I despise movies where the hero has to put everything on hold to rescue a pet. :P

The hilarious duo: Thomson and Thompson. :)

Tintin becomes the owner of a mysterious model ship that appears to be entangled in a web of intrigue and family secrets that may or may not have to do with pirates, buried treasure, and more! There is plenty of peril, including getting kidnapped, shanghaied, and stuck in the Sahara desert.

Tintin and the loveable Captain Haddock

I am not usually this way, but the animation was so superb I found myself ducking and gasping and doing all sorts of typical movie-girl thing as the characters were in danger. :D

I love Snowy. :)

The outcome of it all is quite satisfying and leaves a door open for a Tintin 2! :) I wonder if there are plans in the works for that?

Throughout the whole movie there is a decidedly optimistic, hopeful, boyish point of view that I found refreshing. Tintin is neither pouty, nor rebellious, nor overly nosy.

 He is just a boy with an adventure who takes it all in stride. :)

 Jackson and Spielberg did a superb job with this film.I did not feel that it was only a child's film. I think it's one of that rare category that envelopes the whole family! All of our kids watched it, and we are pretty strict about letting the younger ones watch things. :)  I would highly recommend Tintin to anyone that asks!

So I loved the movie, I want to buy it, I'd whole-heartedly recommend it, but let's get down to the nitty-gritty. :)

Plot Strength and Characters: ***** (5 stars)

Language: A character takes the Lord's name in vain...once? Beyond that the worst you'll hear is "Great Snakes!" or "Blistering Blue Barnacles!" or "Great Scotland Yard!" :) Terrible, I know.

Sexual Content: Absolutely none.

Other Cons: One character gets shot, but it is tastefully done, I thought. One character belches, but as it is actually important to the plot, it is absolutely excusable. Apart from that, this movie has not a single off-color joke or reference. It is seriously the cleanest film I've seen in ages.

Tintin is my new favorite family movie. It's clean, it's adventurous, it's entertaining, it's hilarious. Go now, rent it and be happy. :) You will not regret it.