About Maria Grazia…
I’m a teacher of English Language and Literature in Italy. I was born, live and work in a small town near Rome. I love my job and … reading, collecting DVDs and watching them of course, especially costume movies and dramas. Then I also like Art, music and blogging. I started blogging only in November 2008 with LEARN ON LINE, meant to help my students in their learning the English language and, especially, literature. Then I started liking it so much that I’ve created a personal blog: FLY HIGH!
I really can’t explain why I love period drama and classics so much. It has always been like this, since I read “Little women” at 9: if a story is set in the past – especially in the 19th century – it draws my attention and fascinates me lots more than series or movies set in our days.
In 1942, a young Scots woman, Charlotte Gray, travels to London to take a job. On the train she talks to a man sharing her compartment, and he – who works for one of the British secret service agencies at the time – gives her his card. Despite the war, social life in London is in full swing and the attractive, intelligent girl soon meets up with an airman, Peter Gregory. The temporary nature of life at the time is symbolized in their quickly lived relationship: she loses her virginity and also her heart to him. The intensity of the romance is heightened when Gregory is sent on a mission over France and news comes back to Charlotte that he didn’t return and listed as missing in action.
Charlotte spent much of her childhood in France and speaks the language fluently – a talent that the secret service wishes to exploit in its effort to support the French Resistance. Charlotte decides to throw in her job and joins a Special Operations Executive (SOE)* training course. Once it has schooled her in methods of interrogation, dyed her hair a mousy brown and replaced her fillings, Charlotte is parachuted into France to complete a specified mission. But instead of doing her job and heading home, she sets out to find Gregory’s whereabouts.
Read the entire review here…
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Great review, Maria Grazia! I really enjoyed Charlotte Gray, despite some obvious flaws but the cast is very good, especially Cate Blanchett. I never miss one of her movies.:)
Well, Alex, I’m not a professional reviewer and when it comes to books or movies that “play my hidden strings” – as I’ve tried to explain in my preface about my childhood memories – I’m not objective at all. I liked this movie, which I only saw last Sunday for the first time, in a totally emotional way. I was really involved in the story and didn’t see any fawl. I also like Cate Blanchett very much. I love her portrayal of Elizabeth I. Cheers.
Have a nice evening. MG
Nobody here is a professional reviewer, Maria Grazia, and the only thing we do is to give our honest opinion about what we like and what we don’t. While I liked Charlotte Gray, I did saw some things that eventually bothered me, especially because I read the book before seeing the movie. My comment was never meant as a critic, just my opinion. Like your review is yours.
I’m sorry if you thought I was criticizing you for mentioning fawls. I just wanted to say I didn’t notice any, ’cause I was emotionally involved and not objective, consequently. I respect any opinion, don’t worry. Then I can understand you, if you read a book first then see its film or TV adaptation … it’s almost never as you imagined it! In the case of Charlotte Gray, I know they completely changed the finale. In the book Charlotte joins Peter Gregory in the end, for instance.
So, Alex, I apologize if I sounded … judgmental. I didn’t mean it. Good night!
Hi guys.Thanks for the review – it sounds fascinating and a bit intense. It’s on my ‘to watch’ list. :)