True to its name, every Wednesday I hope to share with you videos which I have enjoyed and think you might, too. We all need a bit of cheering up to last until the end of the week, don’t we?
Charlie Brown reveals the truth behind the book reporter. Kids’ cartoon, or satirical microcosm of the book blogger’s world?!
For all of those who perished as the R.M.S. Titanic sunk on 15th April, 1912.
A collection of thoughts:
The S.S. Titanic
S.S. Titanic leaving Southampton
Titanic lifeboats on way to Carpathia
Titanic survivors on way to rescue-ship Carpathia
Survivors of Titanic on Carpathia
Getting “Titanic” news – White Star Office
We are still touched by the tragically poignant tale:
Behind the scenes at one of the greatest pieces of cinema of all time
I am currently watching Julian Fellowes’ new Titanic series, an interesting approach to the world’s most famous shipwreck. The finale airs tonight on ITV1 at 9:00pm.
Eva Hart, the last person said to have any memory of the catastrophic event, died at the age of 91 in 1996. She described the plaque placed on the shipwreck at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean as:
“A tribute to man’s arrogance. [...] This was a ship which needn’t have lost a life.”
As a young child, I found the Titanic infinitely fascinating and devoured any mention of the vessel in non-fictional works, particularly encyclopedias. It is a tale which never ought to be repeated, nor forgotten.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
-Mother Teresa
Rest in Peace, the more than 1500 people who perished in the early hours of this day, 100 years ago.
The BBC’s lavish production of ‘Great Expectations,’ which finished airing last night on PBS, was both breathtaking and spine-chilling. I watched it in December when it fist aired here in the UK and absolutely loved it.
The clean cinematography made the programme visually stunning and greatly aided the director, Brian Kirk, in bringing his new take on Dickens’ classic story to life.
The acting was also out of the ordinary. The series got off to a sumptuous start with wide-angle shots of a gloomy swamp, which looked like a clip from a horror film. The steel, unsaturated look captured perfectly the squirmish feelings which I had when I read the opening chapter of the novel. I also found Orlick and Magwitch to be suitably vile.
Gillian Anderson, who played the infamous Miss Havisham, did a wonderful job. The forty-three year old actress is the youngest to have ever played the part; therefore, she was naturally put under the spotlight by critics. I found that her youthful portrayal of the old woman was fresh as she showed that Miss Havisham may old in her mind after refusing to leave Satis House on her wedding day, but truthfully she is young in spirit. She represents the destruction love can make on the young and passionate. Her frail white hair and lips, paired with her soft, eery voice made me shiver. Anderson is not unknown to Dickens adaptations, and she may be familiar to you as Lady Dedlock from Bleak House (2005).
Douglas Booth, who played Pip as a young man, was praised by the press for his accomplished acting; however, many disagree as to whether he was right for the part. Some said that he was too good-looking to play Pip, even more so than Estella, who was played by Vanessa Kirby. Since Estella is meant to be a heart-breaker, they argue that she should be stunning compared to a more ordinary-looking protagonist, Pip. For myself, I cannot see how casting the Burberry model/actor should make the series any less agreeable. It just reinforces the stylised take Kirk has made on the novel and adds to the sense of fantasy which Dickens created. The adaptation involves a lot of an artist playing around and experimenting, and I think it paid off.
The only major turn-off for me was the gory scenes of violence; however, Dickens used strong references to violence in his plot lines, anyway. The BBC did not invent Victorian England! Besides, I’m a squirmer and can’t stand that kind of thing, so it might not bother some others.
Overall I thought the production was fantastic. It was extravagantly done and on the cinematography alone, I would give it a rating of five somersaults. Add in Douglas Booth’s chiselled cheek-bones and Gillian Anderson’s hair-raising presence, and you have me on board.
I just saw this advert on TV, featuring Stephan Fry, Rupert Grint, Julie Walters and Michelle Dockery, and now have an urge to visit the Giant’s Causeway after seeing Michelle elegantly poised on the rough basalt columns of rock. I loved Julie’s reference to Wordsworth, too (I’m reading his poetry so it made me feel clever). So very British.
It’s definitely up there, rivalling California.
Also, check out this ad. celebrating the best of British comedy – it has a song!
Adverts with songs in them are always the best. Especially if it’s legendary, like the 118 advert.
Epic.
Another one of my favourites is the Johnnie Walker ad. from a few years ago because I can’t imagine how many takes they must have done to film it perfectly.
CBS announced last week that they have decided to create a modern, updated version of the tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless hero called Elementary, probably inspired by the roaring success of the BBC’s Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The new American series will be set in New York and they’ve already cast the British actor, Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, 2008-9) and Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, 2000) as Joan Watson, his female accomplice. This decision has set the Sherlock fanbase alight and everyone seems to be tearing their hair out…
Lucy Liu has been cast as Joan Watson in the new American Sherlock Holmes series (Image from WIkipedia)
Holmes will be an ex-British Police consultant, brought to NYC to a drug-rehabilitation centre. He has returned from rehab and is living with Joan Watson, a surgeon who has lost her medical licence.
On the one hand, it will be hard not to compare it to the BBC’s modern adaptation which was made extraordinarily well. It also sounds vaguely familiar for those who watch Castle and other such programmes. Some say that because Watson might become a love interest for Holmes, the producers might be tempted to swerve away from the original books too much, or even that it would become disrespectful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s memory as he firmly disbelieved that there were any romantic feelings between the pair. He wrote about an incredible friendship; however, will the CBS writers be able to recreate the same dynamics after such a controversial change? Why didn’t they make Sherlock a woman, too? A female Holmes and Watson team could rival Charlie’s Angels any day…
Jonny Lee Miller will play Holmes
However, on a positive note, they’ve certainly got the casting right. Jonny Lee Miller is a British actor who was great in two of my favourite TV mini-series and films, Emma, 2009 and Mansfield Park, 1999. Lucy Liu is a brilliant actress, already well established in the action/crime genre. Casting is critical and this certainly balances out any doubts which I have.
There’s just a hint of hypocrisy amongst the angry Holmes-loving fans; when the plans for the programme were first made public, almost everyone was upset that the Elementary would be too similar to the BBC’s, now they are upset that it will be too different? Yes, it could fail spectacularly or become an instant success, but it has not come out yet!
Jonny Lee Miller played Knightley in Emma, 2009 (Image from the BBC)
I’m excited to see how this classic adaptation with a modern twist pans out. After all, the BBC’s Sherlock may not continue forever as I’m sure the stars will want to move on to brighter screens eventually. Cumberbatch seems to be rising rapidly in popularity; after Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, I’m sure that Hollywood is calling. I’ve also heard rumours that Cumberbatch could be in Doctor Who, perhaps as The Master??
Congratulations to all of those involved with the production of The Artist! What a winner! Hope you all enjoyed that funny video which I posted along with the nominations. Here is a great post which summarises who the winners were and features some glamorous pictures from the night.
STL.
Will you be tuning in to watch the Oscars tonight? Who do you think will win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress? Who will you be rooting for?
Here are the nominations:
BEST PICTURE
War Horse
The Tree of Life
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
BEST ACTOR
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Demian Bichir – A Better Life
Brad Pitt – Moneyball
George Clooney – The Descendants
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
BEST ACTRESS
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Bullhead – Belgium
Footnote – Israel
In Darkness – Poland
Monsieur Lazhar – Canada
A Separation – Iran
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
Margin Call – JC Chandor
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
A Separation – Asghar Farhadi
BEST ANIMATION
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo – John Logan
The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy – Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan
BEST ART DIRECTION
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse
BEST SOUND MIXING
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
BEST SOUND EDITING
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man or Muppet from The Muppets – music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio from Rio – music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown and lyrics by Siedah Garrett
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
BEST COSTUMES
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
As a wholehearted fan of Jane Austen, I believe that everyone should embrace the writing of one of the world’s most prolific creative thinkers!
Here are my top five favourite Austen films/TV mini-series:
1. Emma 2009 (TV mini-series)
One of my favourite actresses, Romola Garai (The Hour, Daniel Deronda), played Emma opposite Johnny Lee-Miller (Trainspotting, Eli Stone) as Mr Knightley and the brilliant Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, The King’s Speech) as Emma’s fretful father, Mr Woodhouse. I adore the soundtrack and exquisite cinematography. I’ve watched it again and again but could still watch it one hundred times more. Thank you, BBC!
2. Pride & Prejudice 2005 (Film)
Starring Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Atonement) and Matthew Macfayden (The Three Musketeers, Death at a Funeral), this film has a refreshingly modern take on the original novel which I sometimes find rather too polished. It has an all-star cast featuring Dame Judi Dench (Casino Royale, My Week with Marilyn), Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job, Ordinary People), Rosamund Pike (An Education, Made in Dagenham), Talulah Riley (St. Trinian’s, The Boat That Rocked) and Carey Mulligan (An Education, Never Let Me Go).
3. Mansfield Park 1999 (Film)
I love this film simply because it is so different compared to the other Austen films. Despite the director’s risk of basing it on Mansfield Park as well as Jane Austen’s letters, I think it paid off. The references to Austen’s letters make for a more interesting viewing for someone who has seen so many films based on the original few books. Mansfield Park is definitely the darkest of Austen’s novels and this adaptation puts more emphasis on slavery, wavering from the original storyline, slightly. Frances O’Connor (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Johnny Lee-Miller (10 years younger than in Emma 2009) performed brilliantly. Justine Waddell (Wives and Daughters, Great Expectations) played Julia Betram and is also one to spot- another favourite.
4. Sense & Sensibility 2008 (TV mini-series)
The best out of the BBC and ITV’s 2007-8 collection of Austen. I loved almost everything about it and felt that it was somehow fresher than the 1995 version with Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Nanny McPhee) and Kate Winslet (Titanic, Finding Neverland). Plus, this series features Dominic Cooper (The History Boys, Mamma Mia, An Education) as Wiloughby… (And, interestingly enough, Dan Stevens/Matthew Crawley with longer hair, from Downton Abbey, playing Edward Ferrars.)
5. Lost in Austen (TV mini-series)
Yes, I know! It’s not an ‘Austen Adaptation’ and I therefore previously mislead you into thinking that this was a list of films based on Jane Austen’s novels. However, I’ve put it on here because… it’s quite funny! For an Austen fan, anyway… Lost in Austen is a parody of a Janeite Londoner who walks in to find Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom. It certainly stretches Austen’s characters to the limits… I thought it was brilliant that Christina Cole (Emma, Jane Eyre) played Mrs Elton in Emma (2009) as well! Indeed, Austen’s caricatures do reappear across her novels.
I realise from reading through this again that most of my favourite adaptations are modern. This is not to say that I do not like any of the ‘older’ ones! I love the Pride and Prejudice TV mini-series from 1995! Others worth mentioning include Persuasion (2007 mini-series) and Northanger Abbey (2007 mini-series).
Remember, this is just my opinion! If you disagree, feel free to comment below with your own favourites!
