Hollywood's Golden-Era: 6 ways old is better

Hollywood Glamour.

I love old Hollywood. I don't know why. Even though my last novel, Fly Away Home, has nothing specifically to do with Hollywood Glam, I can definitely say that the shimmer-glimmer-glamour of the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's cinema-life impacted the general DAZZLE of FAH.

 Only in the last several years have we started watching these old awesomes, so I'm a little behind the times. But oh do I love old movies now. What makes me love them so?

Let me count the ways...

1.) Appearance

Is it just me, or did they grow them handsomer/more beautiful back then?

 (Left to Right: Grace Kelly, Priscilla Lane, Ingrid Bergman, Gene Kelly Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck, Deanna Durbin)

I mean seriously now, folks. Have you ever walked down the street and met someone who looked like Gregory Peck? I think it's something in the water. Or maybe it's just the fact that people way back when took care with their appearance.

2.) Humor

I love the sometimes-corny musical humor, the slapstick stage-hand gags, the funny dancing, the witty lyrics. It's all so simple and relaxing, clean, family-friendly, clever. 

Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh"

3.) Values

Like I said, old movies have better values. One of my besties grew up in a family where they weren't allowed to watch any movie made after 1960. Hence, she's my go-to for which movies are the most amazing. With most of the old classics you can be certain there won't be a mad dive for the remote when a "shocking part" comes up. Relaxing. Entirely. (Weren't the kids in My Favorite Wife {1940} adorable?)

 

4.) Dancing & Music

In our family, we proclaim loudly that there is a song lyric for any occasion. Our love of Broadway was born from a love for old musicals, and these still have a place deeply imbedded in our hearts. (Though The Sound of Music was probably the oldest of the movies we saw growing up) And I swear you'll never see dancing again as good as that given us by Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and so many others.

5.)  Wit

The best of the old movies are often referenced in the writing how-to books and I love to watch films like Casablanca to hear the verbal sparring, the fencing-with-words, or the downright awesome-sauce of a brilliantly constructed screenplay. Here are some quotes from my favorite old movies:

Nick Arden: (discussing how to tell the children that Ellen is their mother) "Would it help if I wrote a letter?"

Ellen Arden: "Oh yes. 'Enclosed, please find your mother.'"

-My Favorite Wife (1940)

Jerry Mulligan: "Back home everyone said I didn't have any talent. They might be saying the same thing over here but it sounds better in French."

-An American in Paris (1951)

Captain Renault: "What in Heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?"

Rick: "The health. I came to Casablanca for the waters."

Captain Renault: "The waters? What waters? We're in the desert."

Rick: "I was misinformed."

-Casablanca (1942)

Irving Radovich: "She's fair-game, Joe. It's always open season on princesses."

-Roman Holiday (1953)

6.) Costumes

I love vintage fashion (but you already knew that) and in these Golden-Era films, fashion shines. Some of it is downright absurd, and some of it is absolutely adorable. Glamorous, cute, insane or awesome, the clothes in these movies are (in the main) so much cooler than today's modern movie.

These, then, are my top six reasons why I love old movies. I only wish Netflix had more uploaded! I can't seem to find any of the ones I'd like to see on there. Below is a list of the B&W (Black and White) films I've seen. When I say "Black and White" it's a general term for movies made in the 40's and 50's. Technically, some of them were made in color, but I'm a sloppy hand at categorizing. ;)

My Favorite Wife (1940)

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

An American in Paris (1951)

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

This is the Army (1943)

My Fair Lady (1964)

Holiday Inn (1942)

The Music Man (1962)

Carousel (1955)

The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Singing in the Rain (1952)

Roman Holiday (1953)

Cinderella (1957)

State Fair (1945)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Oklahoma! (1955)

Charade (1963)

Sabrina (1954)

Funny Face (1957)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Casablanca (1942)

The African Queen (1951)

Captain Kidd (1945)

I think that's most of them! (I intentionally failed to mention any Shirley Temple films. Somehow those don't exactly count.) What are some of your favorite old films? Any must-sees that I've missed? I know I am totally missing some Grace Kelly films as well as needing to re-watch most of these. (I don't really remember Singing in the Rain at all.) Any-who, this was a fun post to write up and I'm glad to see that my list of Have-Seens is actually not so very short after all. And as an interesting piece of trivia, I can totally recommend any of these movies to any of you as far as my judgment takes me. See? Isn't that amazing? No "Well....umm...there's that ONE part..." ;) Toodle-loo, darlings, and in the words of Teddy, "CHARRRRRRRGE!"

Les Miserables 2012

Les Miserables.

This is a film I have awaited for an entire year since I first made a close acquaintance cum deep friendship with the music and story of Les Miserables. I liked the project on Facebook and Pinterest. I tried not to watch too many of the t.v. spots and clips so that it wouldn't be spoiled for me.

The grand debut day came and someone thought to check PluggedIn--our usual first choice for Christian-based movie reviews. Now, it's no surprise to me that there would be some questionable characters in the film (i.e. prostitutes), but from what PluggedIn said, it seemed that the filmmakers might have gone a bit far. The good thing about PluggedIn is that they are full disclosure--nothing hidden. The bad thing is just that: nothing hidden. Things you might not notice while watching the film are brought to light and mentioned. I appreciate this--it's been really helpful in making judgments on many films over the years. BUT, I didn't have a good handle on what this meant for Les Miserables. How much of this was what you'd expect from the story of Les Miserables? How much was unnecessary? Was it concentrated in one place or sprinkled throughout? How much of this was just the fact that the reviewer wasn't too keen on the story anyhow? (Something I picked up after the first of three or four read-throughs of the review.) I wasn't certain.

This weekend we went to see Les Miserables in theaters. (So did my friend, Liza, by the way.)

I made the choice after active conversation with myself, my family, my parents, and the group of friends we were going with. I was very familiar with the plot and musical. Enough so to hazard a guess (and hope) that the questionable material would be harbored in one or two of the musical numbers: "Lovely Ladies" and "Master of the House." The former I had already been planning to tune out, as I don't make a habit of watching that song even in the concert version. For those of you who are in the dark, "Lovely Ladies" is the song that the prostitutes down at the wharf sing to Fantine about their trade.
We decided to go, armed with this knowledge and experience with sifting through PluggedIn recommendations. Going in to the movie, I was a little apprehensive. I wanted to be able to review the film for you all, knowing that several of my friends were waiting for my review to choose whether they are going to see it or not. But most of all I wanted to enjoy the film, because the story and music of Les Miserables have entwined themselves deep in my heart, and this was the moment I'd been waiting for.

We got our seats...

I distributed tissues...

 The lights dimmed...

and the first strains of the Chain-Gang songs thrummed through the theater. From the moment I first saw Inspector Javert (Russel Crowe) overseeings the lines of straining, groaning convicts and watched him bark at convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) my heart settled cockly-warm in my chest. It was not going to disappoint. I just knew it. Now, whether I would cry remained to be seen, but I knew all was going to be okay with the film.

OKAY? 

It was amazing. Overwhelming. "Utterly." *said in my very best Dr. Harrison voice*

(Spoilers may follow, so enter at your own risk. I'll try to be careful, but you never know.)

I have never cried as much in any one film as I did in Les Miserables. Every time I thought it couldn't get any better, any intenser, any deeper, Tom Hooper's directing proved me wrong. This film is raw and deep and pithy. It's not for the faint of heart. I left the theater emotionally exhausted, still damp, heart throbbing. If you like movies that don't leave a mark on your heart and don't rip you in two and don't effect you in any way, Les Miserables is not the movie for you.

Anne Hathaway's part as the poor, pitiable Fantine is relatively brief and a good third of it I spent not-looking, as it was the "Lovely Ladies song. (Generally, folks, just get your popcorn now. Fantine goes down to the wharf, and you have about five or six minutes to be gone before hurrying back so your heart can break.) Handy Dandy Cue-Card Time: When you see Fantine go to the wharf, go ahead and close your eyes. Open when she begins singing "I Dreamed a Dream", but not before. Despite the brevity of her screentime, Hathaway brings you in beginning with "At the End of the Day" and stringing you right along till she breaks you with her heart-rending version of "I Dreamed a Dream."

That's where my tears started. I wept as Fantine wept, understanding for the very first time her misery and anguish and shame. Anne Hathaway--former Princess Mia of Princess Diaries fame--has upped the ante for all future roles of Fantine. She was perfect.

Jean Valjean, as portrayed by Hugh Jackman, was wonderful. A couple times I thought the songs were a little out of his range and prevented proper "belting," but the soul and life he threw into the part far outweighed any faint flaws in his voice. All in all, I thought he fit the part and the part fit him very very well. His relationship with young Cosette was one of the things that most delighted me about the film. It was precious, I tell you.

I am partial to Russell Crowe as an actor, so I give him grace for the fact that he's an actor, not a singer, and his part was a little high for him. I admit I was was worried about "Stars", but he did well, dear chap, and though he couldn't belt it, he inspired enough cold passion and hardness into his portrayal that you give him a nod as a decent fellow who did his part dutifully. 

And really, what more would you want from Javert? He is all rote. All black and white and nothing else. He's not a fanatic. He's a legalist.

The Thenardiers.

Great glory above. What to  say about them? You hated them. Absolutely horrid. And yet Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham-Carter played their parts fabulously. Handy Dandy Cue-Card Time:  Again, as a recommendation, I would just listen to this song rather than watch it. When Cosette leaves the inn to get water, look away. You can return to enjoying the film after "Master of the House" is finished. That's what I did, and I didn't miss anything. This couple deserves the name of villain, and I honestly think I'll never see the Red Queen the same way again when I watch Alice in Wonderland.  *Shudder.* I hate this couple. And that isn't too strong a term. Believe me.

Eponine! Samantha Barks as Eponine was just what I could have hoped it to be. 

She's always been my favorite stage Eponine so when I heard she was going to be in the film as well, I couldn't wait to see her. "On my Own" was great, of course, but my favorite was "A Little Fall of Rain." The way she and Eddie Redmayne sang it was so novel and yet fitting and beautiful that I didn't even cry...I just sat there listening and loving.

Eddie Redmayne as Marius was a person who surprised me. I have long preened myself on being a Marius-downer. I don't like his character in the book.

 But Eddie Redmayne's portrayal endeared him to me quickly, and caused me to weep unashamedly as a baby during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." He's such a boy. There is one particular moment in the film after the barricade has dropped and it's all over and finished that had me shaking and crying. I won't tell you where, but you'll know. It involves all that valiant company and Javert and little Gavroche.

Dear Gavroche.

Daniel Huttleston's portrayal of this little Paris garmin stole the show in his very fleeting moments. His saucy "Little People" song and the sad fate that befalls him totally made me cry. (AGAIN!)

There were so many other characters I loved.

 Enjolras (Aaron Tveit) was amazing, though not Red-Vest-Of-Power-Ramin-Karimloo. He was a believable, passionate, desperate patriot and played his part well. He is also in possession of a very nice pair of lungs so he didn't disappoint in his "Red and Black" song. That made me get chills.

 I loved Grantaire (George Blagden). Seriously, he ended up one of my favorite side-characters. The barricade was impressive. And not in the way you'd think.

Cosette as played by Amanda Seyfried was very sweet and pure looking. I had a little issue inside over Cosette, as I happened to flip through a magazine at the grocery store that claimed to be interviewing her about her part in Les Miz which instead turned out to be a publicity opportunity for her new and HORRIBLE movie. So there. I couldn't believe her in the role of Cosette knowing that. But you know, her voice was very girlish and piping, she looked the part, and she acted sweetly so I think we can forgive her in the interest of the rest of you.

I won't even tell you about the ending because I am desperate not to spoil this for you, if I spoil anything else. I'm just saying, there was not a single person not crying in that theater.

Les Miserables. A film that so clearly portrays the depravity of humanity, the struggle to redeem ourselves, "I am reaching but I fall and the stars are black and cold..." the realization that we cannot win salvation--that is a gift--, the price and value of love, "To love another person is to see the face of God,"and the overwhelming knowledge of Jesus' grace. These themes are so strongly, strongly, strongly developed in the movie that I would like to personally thank Tom Hooper for keeping them so crystal clear. Ah. I am about to cry again thinking about it.

Les Miserables is a heavy movie. It's emotionally involved, it's gritty, and it's ugly in parts. But it is a good movie--I could even argue a great movie. One I think we could all stand to watch and learn from. I would not recommend it for young viewers, but keeping in mind my handy-dandy cue-cards, I say go for it. ;) You won't regret your choice.

Do you hear the people sing
Lost in the valley of the night?
It is the music of a people
who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earth

there is a flame that never dies.

Even the darkest night will end

and the sun will rise.

They will live again in freedom

in the garden of the Lord.

They will walk behind the ploughshare;

they will put away the sword.

The chain will be broken

and all men will have their reward.

Will you join in our crusade?

Who will be strong and stand with me?

Somewhere beyond the barricade

is there a world you long to see?

Do you hear the people sing?

Say, do you hear the distant drums?

It is the future that they bring

when tomorrow comes!

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: My Favorite Wife (1940)

After spending the weekend with the Taylors, I have come home with a pocketful of memories such as:

• Trying not to be dumped off my raft in the pool
• Picking blueberries
• Looking at BJ's awesome blue truck
• Experiencing a growing fondness for country-music
• Singing at the piano with Abigail playing
• Staying conveniently out of the way while Abigail and Daniel enjoy tete-tetes
• Watching fireflies
• Eating plums off the tree
• Playing badminton
• Being gifted with a whole bag of books to read this summer! (Thanks Goldberry! :)
• Laughing late into the night

And lots more. But one amazing thing we were introduced to this trip was the 1940 romantic comedy: My Favorite Wife.

I give you the plot, as described by Wikipedia:

After seven years, lawyer Nick Arden (Cary Grant) has his wife Ellen (Irene Dunne), missing since her ship was lost, declared legally dead so he can marry Bianca (Gail Patrick). It turns out however that Ellen was merely shipwrecked on a deserted island, and has been rescued. When she returns home, she learns that Nick has just left on his honeymoon with his second wife.

Dunne and Grant--cue the happy sighs

I love old movies, but I seldom have a chance to see them. Mostly because we don't own any. But that's a nuance. I laughed my head off all during this movie. The plot is just too absurd, the acting adorable, the ending perfect. I had always had the impression that Cary Grant was a heart-throb, dramatic, tall-dark-handsome sort of actor. Maybe he is in most of his movies (is he?) but in My Favorite Wife, Grant comes across as lovably confused and dithered.

Nick Arden (Cary Grant) does not love his new wife, Bianca, but after 7 years he figured it was time to remarry. His new wife, Bianca, is cold, haughty, beautiful, and affected. You've gotta feel for him, and no one can suppress an "Awwwww!" when Nick catches sight of Ellen in the lobby of the hotel he's just checking into with Bianca. It's adorable. And awkward for poor Nick. He's in ecstasies over finding his wife again after 7 years, but he's also just married another woman. So why doesn't he just tell Bianca his first wife has come back? Well, it's not quite that simple...and that's where the comedy comes in. I promise you'll laugh really hard.

That awful leopard robe! :D

Why I love this movie:

The good, old-fashioned, 1940's values. While a modern filmmaker might have had good chances to turn this into something scandalous, the directors of this film kept it funny, clean, and heart-warming. They played the awkward scenes of Nick having to hold two rooms at the hotel (one for Bianca, one for Ellen) lightly and playfully without going into all the things a modern movie might have.

The children in the film, too, are so cute and precocious, and at the end...well...I can't tell you. But it's very very heart-warming indeed. :)

Any Cautions?

The hotel manager comes to reprimand Nick for staging an intrigue in his hotel, obviously inferring that Nick is doing double-duty with two different women.

After Nick grows suspicious of the man Ellen was shipwrecked with for 7 years, Ellen pretends she is going to marry him after all, and leave Nick for good. (This is null and void, however, because all the time it was just a ploy to get Nick to assure her he stills loves and wants to marry her.) The classic values bit is played sweetly in the scene between "Adam" and "Eve" (the shipwrecked man and Ellen) when he asks Ellen to marry him and she replies: "I did not wait seven years only to lose my resolve in three days." :) *points for Ellen*

Quotables:

Ellen: "Oh, by the way, how was my funeral?"Ma: "Lovely. Doctor Blake preached a wonderful sermon."
Ellen: "Oh, I wished I'd been there."

Nick Arden: "I came here with my wife..hum...my bride, really. Now my wife, not my bride...my wife...why should I bore you with details?"
Hotel Manager: "I won't be bored."
Nick Arden: "Listen, it's just as simple as A,B,C."
Hotel Manager: "Don't tell me you got someone in B too?"

Nick Arden: (discussing with Ellen how to tell the children she's their mother and isn't drowned after all.) "Would it help if I wrote them a letter?
Ellen: "Oh, that would be nice, yes. 'Enclosed, please find your mother.'"

Nick Arden: (Making excuses as to why he wants to stay at the cabin with Ellen and the children instead of "thinking it over.") "I had a flat tire...I was just driving along and...ssssssss!"

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! :)