Recently watched...

Here are some pieces of videography that I think you should know about...

Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Jack tipped me off to this doc about Jiro, the best suchi-er in the world. His restaurant in Japan has 10 seats and 4 stars from Michelin. The doc is beautifully shot and constructed, the subject is inexplicably fascinating, and the men involved are inspiring. The whole thing made me feel like I wasn't doing enough with my life, but in a really positive "yes I will do better bc I'm worth it!" kind of a way instead of the "you suck, you don't do enough" thing, which is the other way docs can make you feel. To top it off there's a twist ending. "What?! How can a documentary have a surprise ending?" you may ask. Watch it and see (Wordplay also has surprise, edge of your seat ending). It's a real treat. I cried.

Jeeves and Wooster
Bestie Sarah and I marathoned this early 90s treat over the month she was home for the holidays. Starring Hugh Laurie (Dr. House) as Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, an easy living gentleman and Stephen Fry (of QI and Bones) as Jeeves, his extremely clever and understated valet. Basically it's the 1930s, Bertie has gobs of dough and tons of hijinks which Jeeves gets him out of with his wonderful brain. The first season is a riot. The second season starts out with a whole new glammed up look trading Bertie's accent and many of the actors. Eventually by the end of season 2 it settles back in, but the minor actors do rotate for the rest of the 4 total seasons. The slang and banter are superb, some of the situations are absolutely delightful, but many of them get rather old over 4 seasons. Usually some shrew of a distant relative of Bertie's makes him steal something from another acquaintance to ensure that through some degree of tomfoolery the shrew can marry some bumbling idiot. That, or some bumbling idiot makes Bertie pose as someone to impress the male relative of some ridiculously soppy female so they can marry. Laurie and Fry hold the weakening plots together. Overall it also a real treat. If you've never watched Fry and Laurie in their original guise: that of outrageously dry and successful British comedy types you need to watch Jeeves and Wooster, or A Bit of Fry and Laurie, or Black Adder with Rowan Atkinson.

Koyaanitqatsi
I'll have you know I spelled that right the first time!
Matt told me about this one awhile ago and I finally got around to watching it. 90 minutes, no dialogue, just a collection of beautiful shots directed by Godfrey Reggio and an amazing score by Philip Glass, cinematography by Ron Fricke. Filmed between 1975 and 1981, this film is a deliberately constructed series of real time, slow motion, and time lapsed footage of any and all things. Starting with beautiful shots of the wilderness, onto abandoned projects, bustling cities, American factories and onward, this film really wiped me out. Sometimes I cried and knew why, other times I had no idea. It's a real think piece, as I was warned and I think I'll give it some time before I watch it again. If I was in college I'd write all of the amazing papers about this one. As I'm not however, I'll just kind of sit here and think about it all the time, like I've been doing with any spare moment of brain space since I watched it.

There you go, what I've been watching in the last month or so. S'all good. I left out the not so great, so you're welcome. 

Les Miserables: A List

Here 'tis, here 'tis. I'm actually surprised and rather flattered at the number of people that were a) sad I had a stomach bug yesterday and b) were upset that they had to wait yet another day for my review of Les Miserables.

I'ma go at it like one of my Downton reviews. It's just so much more fun to geek out than formulate a review. And at the end of the day (you're another day older!) I just want to yap and not really be critical.

I'm going to reveal things so if you haven't seen the movie you might not want to read this. I was worried I wouldn't like it, but knew it would have its issues, and still loved it! I never thought it was going to be a filmed stage production so was not upset that it wasn't. After dressing 65 performances I'm still in love with this musical, even after the film. Someday I'll see it live...yup, that's right, I've never seen a professional production, just one high school production (woof) and the anniversary concerts on PBS. Anyway...

:::Ok, the beginning. The French flag in the water, BUST OUT AND IT'S THE WORK SONG CHORDS!!! That was it, I was sold. There was a huge ship, those familiar notes were playing and Russell Crowe was being blasted by surf.
:::I love Russell Crowe. If you'll look at my past entries I wasn't sure of his voice. One of the main grievances with the film is Russell Crowe. I didn't have high hopes, and so was pleasantly surprised! Yay Russell! Yay Russell in blue! So glad it's French so he could wear that blue. He always wears that light blue (Gladiator and Robin Hood). It matches his eyes.
:::Hugh Jackman's janked up gnarly half shaved head, brilliant. The hair and make up design was divine.
:::Hugh Jackman, always knew it was Hugh Jackman. I always knew each character was their respective actor, probably because I've been so invested for so long. Oh well. My bestie had no idea it was Hugh Jackman, so there you go.
:::Ok, this one's for Elizabeth. She used to find pieces of Valjean's yellow slip on the set and would bring them downstairs. There's a very long shot of the yellow slip that made me miss her.
:::I liked that there was more dialogue and more clearing up of facts in the film. The musical can get kind of muddy and the part about parole and the mayor and all that was made much clearer.
:::Colm Wilkinson! I was SO happy to see good ol' Colm. I knew he was coming, but it was like seeing an old friend. Yay Colm!
:::ANNE HATHAWAY. Really?! really?!! I mean, come on. I Dreamed A Dream is one of the all time tear jerkers of my life. I just wept and wept. and wept. Lovely Ladies was less raw than I thought it might be, but the added bit with Fantine's patron into I Dreamed A Dream was hard times. Rough.
:::Anne Hathaway again.
:::Seriously, Anne Hathaway.
:::The little parts like the foreman and a soldier at the barricade were cast with really beautiful voices.
:::I'm sad there was no 24601 tattoo. That changed a lot about the show for me, and the whole plot with Thenardier.
:::Master of the House was disgusting. Not the usual romp, but I loved it.
:::I was so much more in love with Stars than I thought I'd be. I love B. Vaughn and so was worried I'd just hate Stars and Javert's Suicide, but Stars was far better than I thought it'd be. I felt like it was more of Russell Crowe. A lot of Javert's conversation with Valjean can get so one note, like literally. I felt like with Stars he was using the song. The bit in both songs with him walking the line of the ledge was great.
:::Russell Crowe, on a horse, galloping down stone corridors chasing Valjean. That was great.
:::Castle on a Cloud was lovely. Her little rag doll made me so sad.
:::It went FAST! I was surprised that they'd added more solos and wrote more music and yet the film was as long as the musical is on stage. They sped through a lot of things. They cut lots of lines and reworked lyrics that I don't think were necessary to change" "attack us from the right" to "attack when it is light". They also changed happenings during the barricade and cut a whole attack. I didn't feel like we had enough time with Eponine or Gavroche, but maybe I feel like we get more time with them in the stage musical because I got time with them four nights a week.
:::Gavroche died fast, and anybody I worked with this summer knows what a blessing that is.
:::You still get the fact that Cosette and Marius are dumb dumb children. Gosh, they're so dumb. It's just written that way. No fault to the movie.
:::Hugh Jackman is huge. Kind of strange to see buff, fit Valjean in Cosette's bedroom with his shirt open and his chest all tattoo-less and huge.
:::The students looked so British.
:::As the barricade broke down and was overtaken I was so worried we wouldn't get the moment when it turns on stage and all the bodies are revealed and Enjolras is hanging there. Having him shot out the window was a) very Joseph Smith (strange for me to think about that?) and b) SO moving. I still got my upside down Enjolras.
:::Revealing Enjolras' body before the part in the score where he's revealed also worried me. What would they fill that time with?! Javert putting a medal on Gavroche with Eponine's body in view. That was nice.
:::I liked that Jackman sang older as time passed. Valjean can get kind of La Boheme where he's ballading until the end. Valjean's old and tired. I also liked that he kind of had a heart attack, maybe? I'm telling myself he did, because it's never made sense to me that he just up and dies. I get that we're supposed to believe he's old and tired, but he sure sings well until he dies. This is why I liked Jackman's progression.
:::SO much poo! SO MUCH! I'm glad Javert didn't get in the poo.
:::Javert's sucide. It's normally a black out. NOT ready for Russell Crowe to break his back. YIPES. I gasped big time. Less at the violence of it and more at the "holy crap, they SHOWED Javert break his back!"
:::I definitely habitually went into dresser mode at times. "Heart Full of Love is over! Time to change Andy!" "Turning is over! Time for the nun change!" "Cosette's singing to Marius! Make way for Elizabeth! It's ballgown time!".
:::They cut almost all of Beggars at the Feast. HOW was the film so long still? I mean it didn't seem long, but minutes wise it was.
:::Yay Anne Hathaway at the end, but was sad they didn't do the duet with Eponine.
:::ECSTATIC to see Colm again. Like really, I lost my mind, and it made so much sense.
:::BIG OL' BARRICADE AT THE END!!!! I lost it. The end. That was nuts. woof.

Can't remember more, but I was pleasantly surprised throughout. It had odd bits, and it was hard for me not to take myself out of it every time a lyric was changed or the order of things was messed with, but it was beautiful. 

Anna Karenina trailer

I don't like Anna Karenina. I don't like the person, I don't like the story bc I don't like the person. Women's lib blah blah blah, she's a trashy selfish person and the train can't come soon enough.

So...Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina, blerg. I don't like Keira Knightley. I think she plays the same character over and over: pretty but nothing special with some sort to inexplicable personality that draws all men to her. Perfect for Anna Karenina! She also doesn't wear any period well besides the 20s and 30s.

And so the trailer for the 2012 Anna Karenina which I've known about for awhile, but have repressed or something bc I was surprised to see a trailer so soon.



Ug. Ok, so Tom Stoppard, one of my favorite playwrights has done the screenplay. Great. Jude Law, wonderful. Other than that? Not excited. The menswear looks phenomenal, but the womenswear looks sloppy and droopy and all concept heavy. Again, it doesn't help that Keira Knightley, like I said, can't wear period to save her life. Alexi looks gross (aren't they both Alexi? they both look gross, but Jude Law's in an "amazingly done hair and make up" kind of way). Yes the cinematography looks beautiful in scenes. What's with the dancing? The furs are divine. Not excited, the train can't come soon enough!

Les Mis trailer thoughts

I'm in it. I don't care if you don't like Anne Hathaway (I'm not a huge fan) or worry about Russell Crowe's singing, I'm in deep and it's going to be great. It'll probably be next Valentine's Day before the daze wears off and I can give you a more fairly studied opinion.

Ok, thoughts about the trailer:

Anne Hathaway's voice: I'm not a fan of original Fantine's voice...don't shoot me! I'm excited for a new take. Also, since this is film she can really play up the nuances of the song through her acting. I like the weak pathetic tone at the beginning. I think it'll be a moving performance all around. Even though she's not a favorite of mine she does shine at times.

Hugh Jackman, if only he'd take me away and raise me in an abbey...LOVE the pulling in the water. Just learned about a week or so ago that there are alternate beginnings between some sort of chain gang and ship workers of sorts.

Amanda Seyfried looks like the perfect Cosette, totally vapid.

RUSSELL CROWE!! russell crowe. RUSSELL CROWE! First time I watched the trailer lost my mind a bit when we see him on a horse...in the rain...in a uniform. Going wild. Then he comes up all dashing and evil looking when she sings "but the tigers come at night". And then he's in it later running. Ug, I just am SO excited. Still a little worried ab his singing, but like I said, I'm in it!

Lovely Ladies is going to be awesome, I can tell just from the one shot of the whores swinging out of the doorways.

That's Anne Hathaway's real hair getting shaved off.

That's one nice looking barricade.

I'm going to bawl my eyes out during this movie. I'm going to bawl my face out every night I dress it back stage. I'm not really going to be emotionally stable until Valentine's Day so keep that in mind.

I'm excited. I realize I'm not approaching this film from any angle of neutrality. If you read the entries I've posted to this point you can tell I've been slowly deciding to just give in, and I have. This will be amazing!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Les Mis Trailer!

Les Mis Trailer! Gave me chills! RussellCroweRussellCroweRussellCrowe! More opinions to follow. Best December ever!

Why December is going to be the best month of my life.

The Great Gatsby (brand new trailer!)
The trailer reveals it's just as ridiculous and fabulous as Moulin Rouge and I'm so excited! Also, Amitabh Bachchan!! US film debut? Oh Mr. Luhrmann, you would put the world's greatest superstar in your film.

Les Mis
mad props to Anne Hathaway for whacking all her hair off, way to go. You already know how excited I am ab Russell Crowe. I've been sewing for a week and a half on Les Mis for USF and will dress it backstage, but I'm sure I'll still be stoked come December!

The Hobbit
The Hobbit's the only one of the series I've ever (had) read (to me). I love Bilbo, I love Martin Freeman, I love Benedict Cumberbatch, I love Richard Armitage and even though I haven't read all the books, I really like escaping into Middle Earth.

Word was the My Fair Lady film was going to be out this December, but casting is far from finalized and it seems Carrie Mulligan, who is the pick for Eliza, was busy filming Gatsby and is onto her next project, and Emma Thompson is working on Annie with Willow Smith and Jay-Z, so we'll see if anything ever comes of My Fair Lady.

The Bodygaurd musical

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17906423
http://www.thebodyguardmusical.com/

Uh...the West End is producing The Bodygaurd as a musical with Tony Award winning Heather Healey (Nala from the original Lion King and Aida) as Rachel Marron. Lloyd Owen plays Frank Farmer who is best known for his role on Monarch of the Glen, but I know him as dreamy WWI soldier from The Cinder Path. I only recognized him bc of his awesome chin scar.

Owen as Frank Farmer and Headley as Rachel Marron

Now The Bodygaurd is on my short list of movies I have to watch if they're on TV (also Gladiator, Titanic, and Forest Gump), and I'll be thrilled if the musical does well, but I'm not so sure. It seems like a really intimate yet epic film to put on stage, but heck go for it! I'm dying for it to be great and want to see it! Previews start in early November, it opens in December. Christmas present?

Hick

I just watched this trailer for the movie called Hick with the bratty girl from 30 Rock. It's about a girl from Palmyra, Nebraska hitchhiking to Las Vegas. Everyone in the trailer has a "hick" accent closer to Southern. There are no Southern accents on the way to Vegas from Nebraska unless you're in the Dixie part of Utah. Nebraskans don't have accents. We have "the" American accent, that's why telephone survey companies love us, dummies.


Wikipedia says we have the Standard or General American accent, Palmyra from Hick is included in this zone.

Nicole Kidman playing Grace Kelly, why not Charlize Theron?

Nicole Kidman it has been reported will play Princess Grace in an upcoming movie about Kelly's life in the early 60s. Yes, Nicole Kidman is pretty, but Grace Kelly was the most beautiful woman in the world, and I can't really think of anyone that has topped her since, barring Charlize Theron, whom I've thought of for years as the contemporary Grace Kelly. I don't know what motivations were behind casting Kidman to play Kelly, but hopefully you all agree with me that Theron has more of the staggering and delicate beauty of Princess Grace.

a younger Kidman

The fairest of them all

so very pretty

Princess Grace in 1963

Side note: Are we supposed to believe that Kristen Stewart in the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman has the potential to be fairer than Charlize Theron? Pah-leez.

Titanic in 3D!

As a reward to myself for getting my display boards done for the comp I'm going to I went to Titanic with my sister and friend. When it first came out I was in 3rd grade and wasn't allowed to see it. I have no memory of wanting to see it, so this was fine. Around middle school it became apparent that everyone my age was finally being allowed to see it so I got permission to watch it at a sleepover if I fast forwarded through the naughty bits. Since then I watch it whenever it's on TV regardless of what time it started. Roommate and I stayed up until 2 one Friday bc we happened upon Titanic at 11:30! I wouldn't say I'm a Titanic fanatic as some are, but I recognize that it's an epic film, it has great costumes, and the characters don't annoy me, so why not watch it?

I was SUPER excited to see it in the theatres though. I'm a big believer in cinema magic. If Gone With the Wind came out to theatre again (which it does in select cities sometimes), I'd be ALL OVER that. I was excited for the huge screen and the remastering and all that jazz, the 3D, not so much. It takes my brain quite awhile to get use to 3D every time I see a 3D movie, and I feel like it doesn't add much to a lot of films.

Things about Titanic in the theatre and in 3D:
:-:Such big costumes! I esp like the yellow dress with all the tawny braid work on the blouse, so great THAT BIG and HD!
:-:For being filmed before HD cameras, the hair pieces really stand the test of time. I know for sure there were at least 3 main character wigs, but I can't tell. If fake facial hair was used I couldn't tell, it was all really high quality even at those sizes!
:-:Make up is always the first to give a film away, and in Titanic's case, it's really just the lips for now. 
:-:The computer generated people when they scan the boat at the beginning of the voyage are really obvious.
:-:The 3D was fine, and not really all that special. It was mostly used to add depth to scenes with groups of people standing and talking. It was kind of annoying when there were blurry objects in the foreground, but we were paying attention to the background. Dangling equipment in the subs comes to mind. Other than that, I took my glasses off often and the screen looked just the same.
:-:Titanic is WAY more traumatic at cinema scale. I like Jack and Rose fine, but I know how that's all going to end so I'm not too terribly invested in them. It's when people start bouncing off propellers etc that I get really worked up. By the last half hour seeing life sized people flying around got to be a little overwhelming.
:-:I'm super happy that I went to Titanic in the theatre bc now I can say that I have seen it all the way through, beginning to end with the naughty bits.

This YouTube parody is THE BEST:

Best Dance Dresses

FAVORITE dance dress:
"The Piccolino" from Top Hat on Ginger Rogers
Youtube it, neither of the videos are embeddable.

so sparkly and pretty!

"Dancing in the Dark" from Band Wagon on Cyd Charisse
not the most extravagant, but it dances like a dream.

like a dream

"It Only Happens When I Dance With You" from Easter Parade on Ann Miller
ombre and feathers!!!!

1912 it's not, beautiful it is!

"The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" from White Christmas on Vera Ellen
SO MANY LAYERS OF CHIFFON!

source

"Dancing Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat on Ginger Rogers
ostrich feathers, that is all.

Fred hated this dress, and it was parodied in Easter Parade

There are more of course, but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. The Piccolino dress is my favorite dress!

The Remains of the Day

Sometimes I'm absolutely not inspired to blog, then my mom happens upon The Remains of the Day on TV.

The summer before college I got a TV/DVD player and Blockbuster online and I, in effect, watched most of the important costume dramas to that point in time. Amongst them were many Merchant/Ivory films. I read and/or purchased the accompanying books; read A Room With a View, bought Howards End. 

I was determined to read The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro before I watched the film and I couldn't wait to see it so I ran to the library and hunkered down...HOLD UP. I've been going through my journals and I cross referenced RofD that summer, but I guess I watched it the summer before my senior year, strange. Anyway, this is what I had to say after I read it...

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Sunday 18 June 2006
Oh man, I just sobbed bitterly and uncontrollably for like five plus minutes at the end of The Remains of the Day. Are you joking me?...OH Stevens! I lost it, I was all sprawled on my bed from many a maneuver all night to try and get comfortable, my comforter all twisted, my mouth guard in, just sobbing and weeping uncontrollably...I just laid there all contorted absolutely blubbering... AOAoGH!

Huh, I can't find an entry about actually seeing the movie. I do say that the library didn't have it. Oh well, anyway....

The Remains of the Day is amazing. S'bout Stevens the butler and his butling. The book is his telling of the good ol' days of Darlington Hall right before the Second World War. You quickly realize that Stevens is the perfect butler because his sole, and I mean sole purpose in life is to be of the most assistance to his employer as possible no matter what his employer does, or what he feels for others. It's just profoundly heartbreaking and amazing. The film stars Anthony Hopkins as Stevens and Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton the housekeeper with James Fox as Lord Darlington and Hugh Grant as Lord Darlington's godson. It's absolutely magnificent. Hopkins and Thompson are my favorite on screen couple and are just, ah! just SO good! If you like Downton you'll LOVE this, it's pre-Julian Fellowes, back in the day when Merchant and Ivory were the name in aristocratic and posh British costume dramas.

Go read it, cry a lot.

War Horse

how cute are you Captain Nicholls?

I just got back from War Horse which I went to by myself while the actors were at rehearsal and the other costumers went to Sherlock Holmes. I saw the play in London as a part of my study abroad which forced me to read the play first. This ruined the ending for me which I didn't appreciate and I feel took away the emotional impact of the ending. I felt like seeing the play did the same for the movie. I knew what was going to happen and even though they threw a little twist in at the end I figured they couldn't change the bare bones of it. If I'm remembering the play correctly they changed and added some characters to make it more movie friendly, but overall it was basically the same plot.

Major change: no puppets. No puppets, no magic. The horse actors were phenomenal, but I just wasn't really drawn in. Honestly I never connected with the schpeal about a boy and his horse so it was the puppets of the play and the music of the Song Man that really got me. Without the spectacular puppets and eerie songs a lot was left to be desired. The score by John Williams was pretty, but nothing special, not like we've come to expect from him, although he does know how to use his French horns. While Joey the horse was beautiful I felt that he wasn't showcased enough. This might seem strange since he's the star, but the way it was filmed or something just didn't have the impact of how amazing these creatures were. The same goes for Topthorn who's the bad-a giant black horse that Joey befriends. In the play his puppet is remarkably bigger and differently built from Joey. The first time we see Topthorn in the film this is the case, but Topthorn's physical prowess is lost for the rest of it. Overall the horses just seemed tiny. Considering 14 horses were used for Joey it's no surprise that the changing of their size and build was distracting throughout. I just longed for the all encompassing theatre experience with the lighting and sound and live actors and all the audience members sharing the experience with you.

Highlights? Benedict Cumberbatch of course. I was grinning like a fool when he entered as Major Stewart even though he looks so dopey with a mustache. I was surprisingly taken with handsome Tom Hiddleston as Captain Nicholls who's getting better with age (even though it's only been 3 years since Cranford). Other than those two it was sort of a who's who of not too terribly famous British actors (Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis). The full length shots of the riding was of course a major highlight, even if you could tell it wasn't always Cumberbatch and Hiddleston doing their own riding, but sometimes it was, and you know how I love a good gallop.

Of course I was mortified by the war scenes and the barbed wire, but I wasn't really moved all that much. I went hoping to weep through the whole thing as others I know have done, but honestly I only got emotional during the Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close trailer and during the credits when it said "Based on the play by So and So, first produced at the London National Theatre".

Topthorn is a boss.

I think as a movie those who haven't experienced the magic and charm of the play won't mind it and will probably even like it. It's sentimental and patriotic in a "isn't war horrible, rah for getting through it" kind of a way. Albert wasn't nearly as terrible as he is in the play, that's something the movie has. It also kept the goose.

Original entry on War Horse the play (bottom of entry).

Les Mis film casting

Thanks to friend Shannon for bringing this article to my attention that announces the addition of Taylor Swift to the Les Miserables cast in the 2012 film. Quick review of the cast...

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean
Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert
Anne Hathaway as Fantine
Amanda Seyfried as Cosette
Helena Bonham-Carter as Madame Thenardier
Eddie Redmayne as Marius
Sacha Baron Cohen rumored as Thenardier
Aaron Tveit as Enjolras

Jackman as Curly in Oklahoma!

And now Taylor Swift as Eponine. First this makes Eponine and Marius nearly the same height as Redmayne is average and Swift is tall. I've been excited for this project all along considering I'm a huge Russell Crowe fan and love Hugh Jackman nearly as much. Jackman of course is a tour de force Broadway triple threat with many great musicals under his belt. One need only to harken back to the Oscars he hosted to recall his bad-a ness on stage. Anne Hathaway's Oscar hosting also showed her musical prowess. The more I think of it however other cast members might leave something to be desired. Crowe has his own band and has a nice voice that leans toward country, but does he have chops? Dunno. How will "Red and Black" be with Tveit as Enjolras? He's played Fiyro in Wicked, and has also been in Rent and Next to Normal. Will I be devastated when he's sprawled dead on the barricade? I'd better be. One need only to remember Mama Mia to imagine how Seyfried will do as Cosette. I'm just getting much less certain about this film. Remember Nick Jonas as Marius in the 25th Anniversary cast? He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the classically trained. I'm afraid this might be the case for the film putting Jackman and Tveit against Swift and Seyfried. Les Mis is just such a bear of a score. I'm praying the musical director is great.

The excitement for the musical Les Mis to be put on film is I think that it will be equivalent to seeing it in New York or London for those who can't make that ticket. I'm getting more certain as I look at this casting that while the acting will be phenomenal or passable the singing looks to be a mixed bag between musical theatre singers, pop singers and other--not the Broadway or Westend performance I think people will expect.We'll see! We've got Les Mis and My Fair Lady to look forward to!

Russell Crowe sings

Aaron Tveit as Fiyro

Anne Hathaway

Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway

Born Yesterday

Instead of going to bed I ended up watching the last hour of Born Yesterday (1950) with William Holden and Judy Holliday on TCM last night. I'd heard of it but had never seen it before and I was more than pleasantly surprised. Paul is hired to educate Harry's, a junk tycoon's, uncouth lover Billie. Of course Billie's got the most grating voice, but Paul is patient and they bond over the constitution and Tom Paine. Billie's eagerness to learn is endearing and by the end of it they're both wearing tortoise shell glasses. William Holden was absolutely wonderful and their chemistry and comic timing was honestly some of the best I've seen between two actors. It was absolutely wonderful. Billie's wardrobe was just to die for as was Paul's delicious Brylcreemed 'do.

source

so handsome

source

glasses, and shoes (his)

the glasses! the GLASSES!

I'm baffled to this day why Sabrina picks Bogart over Holden, I mean really! I would pick Harrison Ford of course...although Greg Kinnear has aged remarkably better than Ford...

My future movie collection

Everynowandthen I think of a movie that I need to have in my collection because I either love it or because I know that my children will need to have a knowledge of it, usually both. I figured I better start getting these titles down so I can have a real list. I'm sure I've missed some so let me know. We'll see if I already have them.

Musicals
An American in Paris
Bells Are Ringing
Singin' in the Rain
Brigadoon
My Fair Lady
The King and I
Top Hat
White Christmas
The Nutcracker
The Court Jester
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Thoroughly Modern Millie (even though I like the stage show better)
Not on the Lips

Kids
Beauty and the Beast
Aladin
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid
Cinderella
Sleeping Beauty
Mulan
Emperor's New Groove
Snow White
Monster's Inc.
Finding Nemo
A Bug's Life
Toy Stories
Hook
Swan Princess
Enchanted
Tangled
The Santa Clause
Mr. Kruger's Christmas
Quest for Camelot
Big
Blank Check
Wallace and Gromet
Muppet Christmas Carole
Great Muppet Caper
The Sandlot

Costume and/or Chick Flick
Anna and the King
Downton Abbey
Wives and Daughters
You've Got Mail
Sleepless in Seatle
While You Were Sleeping
Bleak House
Daniel Deronda
Branaugh's Much Ado About Nothing
Remains of the Day
Howard's End
Little Women (Christian Bale)

Elizabeth the Golden Age

39 Steps (Rupert Penry-Jones)
Cranford
Return to Cranford
Lost in Austen

Classics (as in Classic Hollywood)
Charade
Born Yesterday
Arsenic and Old Lace
Cool Hand Luke
The Quiet Man
Bullit
The Towering Inferno (Newman and McQueen)
Vertigo
Manchurian Candidate (Sinatra)
A Man for All Seasons
North By Northwest
Psycho
Tarzans (Johnny Wisemuller)
39 Steps
It's a Wonderful Life
Roman Holiday
Modern Times
Duck Soup
McLintock!
The Seabeas

Bollywood
Kabhi Khuchi Kabhie Gham
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Don
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Swades
Chak De India!
My Name is Khan
Main Hoon Na
Kal Ho Naa Ho
Sholay


Other
Strictly Ballroom
True Grit (2010)
Batmans (Christian Bale)
Lord of the Rings
Law and Order: SVU
Alias
Better Off Dead
One Crazy Summer
Can't Buy Me Love
The Baxter
Rockies (not 5 or 6)
Firefly
Serenity
Sherlock
Doctor Who Series 1 and 3-present (I have 2)
Harry Potters
Back the the Future
Indiana Jones
Star Wars IV-VI
Arrested Development
Quigley Down Under
Hamlet (RSC w/ David Tennant)

W.E. Vanity Fair photos

Martha tipped me off to this Vanity Fair photo shoot of the stars of W.E., Madonna's upcoming directorial debut about Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII (release date 9 December 2011).http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2011/09/we-cast-slideshow-201109
Read the attached info about the film and drool over the photos. I'm most impressed by the couch (ok and the replica of this dress), Wallis' KNIT zig-zag suit, her amazing finger waves, James D'Arcy's impeccable tailoring and D'Arcy as a blond. 

Also interesting about the film in general, James Fox is playing George V with son Laurence Fox as Bertie.

Review: Creation (2009)

I just got done watching Creation on InstantPlay with Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin and real life wife Jennifer Connelly as wife Emma. I've been meaning to watch it for awhile (costume drama, has Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany's a fave) but was never really in the mood for an intense drama on evolution.

I can't say that I was particularly in the mood for one tonight, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very slow going at first, and never really too terribly thrilling, the overall feel of the movie was nonetheless appropriate and comfortable for the subject matter. A gem at playing specksy pre-electricity naturalists (Master and Commander) Bettany turned in a great performance as perhaps the most famous of them all. The movie shows Darwin's struggle to come to terms with the death of his eldest daughter Annie (played by a beautiful, charismatic and toothy Martha West), finish his studies on evolution and publish a book "disproving God" while having marital problems with his very religious wife. After seeing or reading an interview where Bettany tells how before filming he doubted his wife's ability to pull off an English accent, I'd say Connelly did wonderfully well, with the accent and the role, but I'm also a sucker for her since A Beautiful Mind (another Bettany/Crowe favorite).

Anyway, I seem to be rambling. Awe yes, I was very pleasantly surprised by Bettany's portrayal of Darwin as a devoted family man (which he historically was). His scenes with his daughter Annie, flashbacks with his infant children and family time on the beach or watching a fox kill a rabbit were touching and heart warming. Overall the movie was well focused and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Costumes were well done, esp Mrs. Darwin's maternity wear (I'm a sucker for old-timey maternity wear). I was especially captivated by the hair design. Present Darwin was balding rather badly and flashback Darwin was not. Based on the shadow evident of Bettany's hairline in some scenes (if you are able to grow hair it's hard to hide the fact, even after a fresh shave) I'd say they shaved his head and he was wigged. I'd be surprised if this wasn't the case and a bald cap was used. Most surprising for me was a very close shot of Darwin's eye as he woke up one morning and the fact that a) his eyebrow lace was blatantly visible and b) he wore eyebrow pieces! I had no doubt his chops were fake and I knew Bettany had very light eyebrows, but I was shocked they didn't just dye them! Maybe this way was just easier? At any rate, you think they could have gone back in and edited those 5 frames so you couldn't see the lace. I only noticed a brow shift once after I knew they were pieces. Other than that Connelly and the little girls had some very pretty hairstyles. Connelly's wig and chignon was surprisingly thick and large but I've been learning that yes, some women are blessed/cursed with that much and thick of hair.

Angel

I recently watched Angel on Netflix instant play starring Romola Garai and Michael Fassbender. I don't want to spend too much time on the film bc I didn't like it much. I can appreciate melodrama as a genre, but those who say that this movie is a melodrama satire don't explain away all the issues I had with this one. Basically Garai plays an obnoxious but gifted Edwardian writer who marries the love of her life (Fassbender) which leads to her ruin. I say Edwardian, but Angel's character's costumes are all over the place from the 1870s to never really much later than the turn of the century although the other character's fashions progress. I don't really take issue with this. As you can see above, my favorite dress, while out of period, is absolutely spectacular. If you watch the scenes with this dress, and then later with this red one you've pretty much seen what's worth seeing in the movie, unless you have a thing for self destructive behavior, or Michael Fassbender. Also, mild adult content. Also Sam Neill. Also, they should have died Garai's eyebrows darker, super annoying.

Jane Eyre

Some avid Shakespeare attendees I have found develop an abhorrence for Hamlet. Everyone does Hamlet and it's a very long and arduous play. I knew a woman who refused to see the David Tennant Hamlet at the RCS because she was so over Hamlet. I couldn't imagine this! Every Hamlet is new! and David Tennant! Although Hamlet is not my favorite, so I might have skipped it as well had I not been such a Tennant fan, but we're not going to talk about Shakespeare. We're going to talk about Bronte!

With the recent movie Jane Eyre being the 4th in fifteen years I think that some of us have become a little weary of this particular piece, but not me! It was hard for me to imagine a better telling than the most recent BBC production starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens. At four hours it included everything I loved and gave a new life to the story.

When I heard about the new version I was skeptical at first. The Jane, played by Mia Wasikowska, did not thrill me as she was nothing special in Alice in Wonderland. Rochester looked hunky, but I was concerned that he was barely ten years older than Jane, not close to twenty. The costumes of course (by Oscar winning designer Michael O'Connor) were going to be a win, but even after watching clips online I was unsure about casting and was interested to know how this version could be different or noteworthy among the so many others.

In truth you can't really change Jane Eyre up too much. This version did change the order of things a bit, but that was perhaps the most novel thing about the actual story line, but that was the best part! This version went back to some of the essentials in the book that I feel have been missing from other versions, while updating it enough to make it palatable for the audience. Case in point: the after the wedding scene.

In the Timothy Dalton version this scene is followed faithfully with Rochester going NUTS and throwing the biggest tantrum ever, as the literary Rochester does.
In the Toby Stephens version this scene is split up into memories of Rochester in Jane's room in less than vertical positions.
In the newest version the essence of the book, Jane and Rochester's absolute defeat, is portrayed beautifully, violently on Rochester's side, but without turning the audience off to him. It was just absolutely breathtaking.

Other scenes of note are of course after the fire, when Rochester falls off his horse, and the proposal. The very former was again, breathtaking.

Wasikowska's performance was better than I'd ever hoped. Again, the script returned to the book in such a way that the real, feisty but careful Jane was revealed. I was so pleasantly surprised by her performance. Michael Fassbender was fantastic, and attractive in such a peculiar way that while not being ugly enough for Rochester (no man yet cast has been) had a strange look about him that wasn't entirely knock you over attractive. His portrayal of Rochester I feel was new enough and lovable.

Other performances of note were Dame Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax and a never looking better Jamie Bell as St. John (whom, opposite of Rochester, has never been cast handsome enough).

The costumes were perfect to distraction. The accuracy in the women's wear was exhaustive, even down to the little known flap on the front of Jane's chemise to prevent any chance that her corset might be seen. The material choices in the menswear were especially interesting as Rochester's evening ensemble seemed to be some sort of polished cotton. In general Rochester was costumed impeccably, if not mildly stylized and slender. Set in the 40s when the book was written Rochester had a fly front pair of pants, something I'll have to research. I don't doubt O'Connor found research for this. Down to the collars and bustles (not to be confused with the 1870s usage) the costumes were spectacular.

As was the hair and make up. Oh man, so great, and pristine.