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As you know we decide to move out a couple of weeks ago and after some intense work and many decisions, we finally finished our new home.

From now on, you can find us here:

lightscamerahistory.com

 

Moving House

We’re still here but we are moving to a new domain that will allow us to do bigger and better things. That’s why there have been no new posts lately but we promise to announce where our new home is and start posting again really soon.

Mrs. Brown / Her Majesty Mrs. Brown (1997)

After Prince Albert’s death, Queen Victoria shut herself completely from the world. Leaving London and her royal duties, she seeks refuge in Osborne House (the royal family summer house) in the isle of Wright. Dressed in heavy black clothes, she took pleasure in nothing and actually didn’t allow any feisty behaviors in her household.

John Brown, a servant who worked at Balmoral who had struck a friendship with the prince during the last year of his life, was asked to come to the queen’s residence expecting his presence would provoke an emotional awakening.
 
Victoria refuses any public appearances and even leaving her apartments was something unusual. Brown stubbornly convinces her to get out of the palace and take some fresh air and even ridding her favorite horse. He becomes her personal servant and slowly, his influence over the queen grows… He treats Victoria like he would address a normal woman, without the usual deference and stiff protocol she was used to. It’s a joy to see her changing from a sorrowful widow to the woman she was before her husband died. Brown’s influence starts to displease many of her entourage and even her People start calling her Mrs. Brown, alluding to an improper relationship between them. Her long absence from London does not help the situation…

The entire cast of this movie is perfect. Everyone seems just in the right place and giving their best. Judi Dench is an amazing Victoria (as she is in any other role)! Her regal attitude is natural, she’s reserved and formal but not without an occasional spark of humor. She has no physical resemblance with the queen, and yet she effortlessly becomes her. For this role, Judi Dench was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe and wins the BAFTA for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. It’s not surprising after seeing how powerfully she played the role of the queen.

Billy Connolly’s Mr. John Brown is a very passionate man. He does a great job portraying such an ambiguous persona. While caring for Victoria’s well being and happiness, it’s clear he is also very ambitious and intends to climb up all the stairs as fast as he can to reach to the top. We love him for making the queen smile and bringing her to life, but his blunt ways and relentless quest for power sometimes drive us away from him. His suffering towards the end is never over the top and easily touched us.

Mrs. Brown is a fair accounting of Victoria’s and John Brown’s relationship and remains our favorite movie about this sovereign.

A little note here for all Gerard Butler’s fans, you can see him here as the young brother of Brown. We almost didn’t recognize him but the voice was unmistakable.

Highly recommended!

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119280/

 

 

The Young Victoria (2009)

The story starts during Victoria’s childhood in Kensington Palace. Her education is in the hands of her mother, the Duchess of Kent, and her conniving and arrogant secretary Sir John Conroy. The young princess lives isolated from everything and everyone, especially from her father’s family.

Being the heiress of the throne of England and underage, many are those who would wish to control her.  Conroy tries to force her to name her mother Regent and he would rule through the duchess. But Victoria, much more determined and perceptive than he thought, refuses and distances herself from her mother. Leopold I, king of Belgium and uncle of the young woman, also tries to influence her and his weapon reveals to be much more effective. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg is sent to England as a candidate for marriage. He is serious and cultivated and is sure they would have nothing in common.  It doesn’t take long to see these two understand each other very well. The chess game between them is a lovely and quite symbolic moment.

The following years as a queen, Victoria tries to educate herself to the tasks and duties expected from a sovereign guided by the scheming but oh so charming Lord Melbourne (he could manipulate us any day!). If the young queen seems happier with her destiny, some of her choices and inexperience will have dreadful consequences…
 
Emily Blunt is a talented actress and if we never doubted she would play Victoria well giving her a mischievous and playful side, her looks don’t help her portray the small and energetic queen in the most faithfull manner. While considered pretty in her younger years, she was never a beauty. Victoria impressed her subjects with her radiant personality and her wit, and often her size and regular looks were misleading.

The real jewel of this movie is, without any doubt, Rupert Friend. We weren’t fans of him after seeing him as George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice (2005), but since this Austen screen adaptation was an overall disappointment, he kind of went unnoticed. Here he has the chance to shine! Intelligent, passionate and with an unshaken common sense he is the perfect co-sovereign, even if he has some tendencies to control his wife…

The same we can say about Mark Strong and his Sir John Conroy. We couldn’t be more pleased to see Strong getting more parts in cinema and TV since he really is an excellent actor. He brought all the aggressiveness and lust for power of Conroy adding a hint of madness and even some fear, towards the end. Quite a beautiful performance!

The most disappointing part is the end that is perfectly unnecessary. Why show those images of Victoria 20 years later and after having 9 children she would never have a figure as slender as Emily Blunt. It only gives the impression that Albert died the same year or shortly after.

Overall, this is a charming story with a lovely photography, gorgeous costumes and excellent performances that certainly will charm any period drama fan. There are some historical inaccuracies like the scene when Prince Albert saves the queen and is shot (actually nobody was hurt or the Prince tried to save anybody’s life), but these changes only add more drama to the plot without actually spoiling the story and our enjoyment. Just a small note, the song Only You by Sinead O’Connor seemed somehow misplaced in an historical movie, but maybe this is just us.

After watching The Young Victoria, we can only warmingly recommend Mrs. Brown which portrays the queen in her later years after the disappearance of her beloved Albert. A review is planned for this week, in case anyone is interested to know more about Victoria’s life.

Official site:  http://www.theyoungvictoria.co.uk 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0962736/

 

(you can watch another trailer here)

News: Cranford is Coming Back

Excellent News!

The BBC has announced that Cranford will be back at Christmas. Set one year after the previous series it will bring back to the TV screens dear Miss Matty, Miss Pole and all the other well known characters who we’ve already met before and adding a few new ones. We’ve been looking forward to this announcement quite anxiously as Cranford was one of our favourite series from last year. Filming is set to begin in June and we’re looking forward to see the first scenes.

BBC

La Fille de D’Artagnan / D’Artagnan’s Daughter (1994)

We saw this movie years ago when we were big fans of Musketeers movies (actually, we still are!) and after re-watching it a couple days ago we thought that a review was absolutely necessary.

The story begins in 1654 in a convent of the South of France where Eloïse, daughter of the musketeer d’Artagnan, lives since her childhood. After witnessing the murder of her mother superior by the mysterious Lady in Red and the cruel Duke of Crassac, the young woman senses a conspiracy against the young King Louis XIV and promptly goes to Paris to gather the help of her famous father and his companions, now retired from their duties as musketeers.

D’Artagnan’s Daughter (or The Revenge of the Musketeers in the U.S. and we’re still wondering why this choice of title)  is one of those adventure movies we always like to watch no matter what, even if the story is not the classic tale by Dumas. But after so many adaptations, this one can still bring a little something that makes it special.

The stars of the movie are undoubtedly Sophie Marceau and Philippe Noiret.  The relationship father-daughter is very real and there’s complicity between them that makes every scene enjoyable.

Sophie Marceau is a delightful and may we say radiant Eloïse. Fiery, witty, passionate, sometimes reckless and with a rare talent to put herself in the most awkward situations, just like her father at the same age when he arrived in Paris to become a musketeer. From the first scenes at the convent, where she was not able to mingle with the other young woman and the nuns, we sense many good stories to come. She is the light of the movie!

Those familiar with French and European cinema must known how talented Philippe Noiret was. He could play anything and always capture the essence of his characters. Here it’s no different. He embodied the aging d’Artagnan with such class and confidence. Twenty years have passed and you can still feel the fire of the young man who, along with his friends, terrorized the Cardinal Richelieu’s guards.  Exceptional performance, as always!

Bertrand Tavernier directs this adventure movie with an irregular pace but the humor and witty dialogues are a pleasure to follow and will make up for some script holes here and there.

While not extraordinary, D’Artagnan’s Daughter is a perfect movie to revisit the swashbuckling genre that never really grows old, at least not for us.

IMDB: http://french.imdb.com/title/tt0109798/

 

 

Our Mutual Friend (1998)

Our Mutual Friend is a series based in Charles Dickens book of the same name, which deals mostly with the problems of having money or lack thereof, in different orders of society. It’s considered one of the most interesting works of the author and the adaptation to the screen is just as wonderful.

The heir to a fortune, returning home to marry the bride his late father has chosen for him, is found drowned in the river by Mr. Hexton and his daughter, Lizzie (Keeley Hawes). The money is then inherited by an old couple – the Boffins – who strike a friendship with the bride – Bella Wilfer (Anna Friel) – and invite her to stay with them. At the same time a mysterious stranger appears and becomes involved with both Boffins and Wilfer.
 
Meanwhile, Mr. Hexton is accused of murdering the young rich man but is found drowned in the river a few days later… Now, Lizzie is all alone and must find another life for her brother. She also finds herself not only fighting Mr. Headstone’s (David Morrissey) advances but also feeling unworthy of the Wraybourn’s (Paul McGann) attentions due to their class differences.

Mr. Rokesmith (Steven Mackintosh), the mysterious stranger, who later becomes Mr. Boffin’s secretary, proposes to Bella and hopes she will love him for himself. But the Boffins, scandalized by his effrontery take the matters in their hands. This is one of the most predictable stories, but nonetheless you’re glued to the screen until you are sure of the real identity of the mysterious secretary and how everything ends between him and Bella.

McKintosh and Anna Friel have a good chemistry together. The first look they held for each other is revealing and each of their scenes together are a delight.

If, at first glance, David Morrissey really looks charming and honorable, he slowly becomes scary as the deranged stalker who is driven by his insane jealousy for Eugene Wraybourn. What first begun as a sweet admiration ended up creeping us out. Remarkable performance by Morrissey who sometimes manages to create some doubts if we should rather hate him or simply pity him for his insecurities and unrequited love.

Keeley Hawes’s Lizzie is a character easy to love and admire. Gentle but yet strong, she knows it’s her duty to see her brother well and she will do anything to take him out of the hole they live. She never feels deserving of Eugene’s affections and it’s him who convinces her they belong together.

Full of secrets and with a dark gothic feel, Our Mutual Friend, present us with an astonishing cast who completely captivated us from the first scene. Steven Mackintosh and David Morrissey steal every scene they’re in and both Anna Friel and Keeley Hawes are wonderful in their roles.

The light of the candles used a bit everywhere helps also creating the right gloomy and intriguing atmosphere that will make you bit your nails and fearing for the worst.

There are several storylines intertwining and it is a long series (six hours) but we found it well worth the time it took to watch it. This is certainly one of the best BBC adaptations, very much in the style of Bleak House.  A small note, the novel was adapted by Sandy Welch, who is known pretty well by all fans of North and South and Jane Eyre.

Highly recommended!

(image © BBC)

 

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144727/

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Here it is the trailer (in french) and poster of the movie we talked about a few months ago. Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky premiered at the Cannes Festival with some disappointing reviews.

 

 

Official site: http://www.chanelstravinsky.com/

 

Under a Greenwood Tree (2005)

Based on a Thomas Hardy novel with the same name, this TV movie went a bit unnoticed and it’s a shame, since it’s a very agreeable story.

During the winter, a few days before Christmas, the arrival of the new village teacher, Fancy Day, creates commotion among the bachelors of the little community. The pretty and intelligent teacher is clearly amused and somehow exasperated with all these attentions. One of them caught her eye, Dick Dewy, a young peasant with good looks and a kind heart. For him its love at first sight and he becomes completely smitten by the young woman.  But Mr. Day has other plans for his daughter; he is determined to see her married with the local rich man, Mr. Shiner.

Miss Fancy Day is a very accomplished and well educated young woman who has her feet firmly set on the ground. For her father’s sake, she is willing to marry for convenience. From the very beginning, it’s obvious where her heart is and it becomes more and more difficult to maintain her promises.
Dick Dewry comes from a humble family, he is a hard working man who tries to do his best to support all the family and maintain his father’s business. They both come from different worlds and Dick’s lack of personal fortune is obviously the reason why there could never be anything between them. Knowing the reason why he was rejected, Dick tries to expand his business showing to everyone he has ambition and proving to Fancy (and her father!) that he could support her.

When Mr. Shiner proposes, the young teacher, still fighting her growing attraction for Dick, is unsure it’s the right choice for her and clearly hesitates to give him a straight answer. Everything seems to take a bad turn when she is seen kissing Dick. If he seems happy and at ease with his feelings, Fancy has a much different attitude and tells him they shouldn’t see each other again.
Everyone around them seems convinced they are mismatched and they could never be happy together, encouraging them to find other people in their own worlds.

Keeley Hawkes always manages to impersonate very attractive characters, even when some of their traits are not so appealing. Fancy is sweet and yet strong but sometimes her refusal to admit her feelings and to be honest with herself can be a little bit annoying. We understand her concerns about her father and why she made him that promise, but she knows she cannot be happy with anyone else expect Dick.

James Murray makes a charming and honest Dick Dewy. He is very upfront with his feelings and intentions and is not afraid to say what he thinks. It’s very hard not to be charmed by him and you almost take it personally when he is rejected or even when he is insulted for not being good enough for Fancy. He never backs down and only gives up when he thinks she finally accepted to marry someone else.

The rest of the cast is also very talented with a special mention to Steve Pemberton’s Mr. Shyner who really touched us with his bluntness and loneliness; Parson Maybold, played by Ben Miles, who’s pompous airs made us sometimes undecided if we should laugh or be exasperated; or even the sloppy church choir leaded by Mr. Dewy who created some of the most amusing and lovely scenes in the story.

This rural little story somehow makes us think of Lark Rise to Candleford (they also have Ben Miles in the cast) with stories of the daylife, the upcoming modernization and changes that come with the Industrial Revolution. Some scenes are filled with good humor and the atmosphere is warm and cozy making us feel at home.

Under the Greenwood Tree is one of those delightful movies you would certainly love to see during a raining afternoon with a cup of tea in your hand. We can only recommend it!

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465653/

 

Gosford Park (2000)

If you love cozy murder mysteries à la Agatha Christie you will certainly like Gosford Park. Imagine a weekend in the country, a large number of distinguished guests, obviously accompanied by their maids and valets, who will join Sir William and Lady Sylvia McCordle for a shooting party.
 
From the beginning it is known that most of them have an interest in their host’s fortune, either they depend of his allowance like Lady Sylvia’s aunt, Lady Trentham , or they need funding for an arms dealing business or a new movie, and/or are hiding a few secrets of their own. Below stairs the same happens, not everyone is what they seem and there are quite a few complex relationships going on. The sense of hierarchy and station is has strong below stairs as upstairs. All this creates a heavy atmosphere and we wait with bated breath to find out what is going to happen next.

We don’t have to wait long before Sir William is found, after an evening with some embarrassing revelations, in his library, dead. Killed apparently by a knife wound but, on closer investigation, someone had first poisoned him. At first glance, there are several suspects and we wait patiently, along with the guests, for the police who seems to be less effective than expected… A little note here about Stephen Fry as the intimidated and incompetent police inspector, he is simply brilliant.

Throughout it all one of the characters that we follow more closely is Mary (Kelly McDonald), the Countess of Trentham’s maid who, at first seems a naive and innocent girl but will reveal herself as more intelligent and perceptive than most of the others guests and servants by realizing what really happened to Sir William and why. But it’s hard to single out anyone, since all are interesting in its own way.

Some might complain about the multiple storylines but, for us, it’s what makes this movie so interesting. This is not only a murder mystery but mostly a representation of the English society of the time with its different classes, different strict rules applied to each and even their morals.
The dialogues are smart, witty and funny and some characters will charm you to the end. Even Lady Trentham’s snobbish comments will make you laugh and ask for more.

Directed by Robert Altman with a brilliant cast that includes Clive Owen, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, Michael Gambon, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry, Eileen Atkins, Emily Watson, Derek Jacobi,…and many more, they all create the right atmosphere and delightful story that will certainly please to those who normally enjoy a gripping old-fashioned movie.

 

 

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/

Images: Allocine.fr and Première.fr