Some time ago we talked about Benicio del Toro and Emily Blunt’s new movie, The Wolfman. The release day is coming up fast and we wanted to share some of the posters. We are eager to see if this story is as scary at it seems!

[Show as slideshow]

The ladies of Cranford are back for a two-part Christmas special. It’s been two years since we last saw Miss Matty and her friends. If life continued peacefully, the railway still looms over everyone’s heads. The arrival of new habitants and prestigious guests will stir up some new adventures and even create some differences between some of the town ladies. Even Lord Septimus, the mysterious son of Lady Ludlow will return home after years living abroad. Miss Matty feels she needs to rethink her life after some unexpected events, but she is determined to do as much as she can to keep Cranford the wonderful place she always knew and cherished.

The cast:

Miss Matty Jenkyns – Dame Judi Dench
Peter Jenkins -  Nicholas Le Prevost
Martha – Claudie Blakley
Jem Hearne – Andrew Buchan
Miss Pole – Imelda Staunton
Mrs Forrester – Julia McKenzie
Mrs Jamieson – Barbara Flynn
Miss Tomkinson – Deborah Findlay
Lady Ludlow – Francesca Annis
Captain Brown – Jim Carter
Mr Buxton – Jonathan Pryce
William – Tom Hiddleston
Erminia – Michelle Dockery
Peggy Bell – Jodie Whittaker,
Mrs Bell – Lesley Sharp,
Edward – Matthew McNulty
Lord Septimus – Rory Kinnear.

Cranford was one of our favourite series last year, so we are terribly excited to see this special and revisit again all those delightful characters who immediately warmed up our hearts.

The first part will air tonight in the UK 9:00 PM GMT and the second part the 27th at the same time.

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Now, the giveaway!

To celebrate Christmas we decided to give away a dvd of Return to Cranford.

The rules:

- 1 entry per person
- Open Worldwide
- deadline: 31st December 2009 at midnight.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Today we decided to post a double review, since Ana T. and I had already both seen Emma and written something about it, we decided to share them both.

I just realised that I have now watched 4 versions of Emma, the BBC’s 1972 miniseries, the Paltrow, the Beckinsale and the BBC’s 2009 miniseries. None of them were perfect, with my favourite script so far being of the 1972 series and my favourite cast being from the Beckinsale movie but I can’t get enough of period dramas in general and Austen in particular, so last weekend I decided to sit down with a cup of tea and watch the new version.

I did like it as a whole, I had read lots of less than flattering things about it so I was a bit worried but I really found it a nice, if not particularly compelling series. Let’s start with the script, it was written by Sandy Welch of N&S fame, the script does change some of things in the book, or better yet we now see happening things we had just been told about. That wasn’t bad, it made it easier to understand that Emma’s penchant for matchmaking may have come from her earlier success although in the book I felt it had more to do with her status. And it makes Emma more modern in her attitudes and smiles (a lot of smiling there) and so more approachable by the audience. It also explains the big difference between Emma and both Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill who were sent away.

Where I think it fails is that it makes Emma look like a spoiled brat at times, (the picnic scene for instance) and what’s interesting about that? She may be young but she is still a dignified young lady in the book. Doesn’t mean I didn’t like Romola Garai as Emma, I did like her but I wished for a bit more dignity and the question of her relationship with Churchill should, in my opinion, have been left a bit more vague like I felt it was in the book.

Regarding Mr. Knightley I do feel that Jonny Lee Miller does a competent job of it but I wish they had chosen someone with a difference physical presence, someone stronger, looking more mature and compelling and preferently someone unknown. It’s becoming a bit odd to see always the same faces showing up. Also his confrontations with Emma are a bit too loud and straight to the point and lack Austen’s wit. I did feel Miller’s Mr. Knightley got better with time (I preferred in the last two episodes) and I particularly enjoyed him and Emma at the ball in episode 3 but I can’t help wondering what another actor would do with the role. Oh and a word for Blake Ritson’s Mr. Elton, Tamsin Greig’s Miss Bates and Jodhi May’s Mrs Weston.

What I did like a lot in this version were the settings and the costumes. Just lovely to watch and the whole series is very well lighted, the outdoors with sunny days, the beautiful buildings and gardens. It all made it a very nice experience.

So, this is a series I would recommend to all Austen and period drama fans. For me there were the reservations I mentioned above that make it a series I’ll probably watch again in the future but without the mesmerising effect of a P&P, a N&S or a Jane Eyre.

As any Jane Austen fan, I was eager to see the new Emma BBC adaptation. Until now, my favorite was Kate Beckinsale’s and while I was convinced it would be difficult to do better, there was hope for something outstanding, something that would surprise me and knock my socks off. The result wasn’t quite what I expected, nerveless I did enjoy revisiting Jane Austen world.

The story happens somewhere in the beginning of the 19th century in Highborn, a small village in England. Emma Woodhouse is a rather proud young lady who imagines herself as the perfect matchmaker. Her family is healthy and respected and as the younger child she is spoiled and surrounded by people who admire her. Miss Taylor, her governess and later her companion, can’t find any fault with the enchanting and lively girl.

When Miss Taylor becomes Mrs Weston, Emma tries to find a new friend. In one of her visits to Mrs Goddard’s School she notices a charming young woman, Harriet Smith. Not much is known about her except she has a mysterious protector who always paid for her expenses. Emma immediately thinks her future friend might be the illegitimate daughter of a gentleman and decides to take her under her wing.

After the success of her matchmaking schemes with the new Weston couple, Emma is convinced she can find the perfect husband for Harriet. Her first choice is the new reverend, Mr Elton… But she will learn the hard way that her wishes are not always the right ones for the people she loves.

Emma is one of my least favorite books by Jane Austen, just after Mansfield Park. She is the kind of heroine difficult to warm up at first, her proud attitude and snobbish comments don’t make the task easier. In this new adaptation, they manage to give her a mischievous and free caring attitude that quite suits the character and shows her in a much more sympathetic light. If I was not entirely convinced by Romola Garaï’s choice, her bright smile and bouncing blonde curls showed me a more immature side of her Emma that is easier forgiven.

My main complain is the lack of screen time of Mr. Knightley. Is there a need to explain to screenplay writers that Austen’s men are one of the strong points in her novels? I felt Jonny Lee Miller gave us a wonderful performance but certainly he could have been even better if he had the chance.

Harriet Smith was probably the most annoying character in the series. If she’s gentle and sweet, she’s also too insecure and easy manipulated. She gets in and out of love for three different men in a year without much thought. Her permanent whining is something that got a bit on my nerves…

A curious fact about Jodhi May who played already in a period drama with Romola Garaï – Daniel Deronda. There she was the young and beautiful Mirah Lapidoth and Garaï played the spoiled and selfish Gwendolen Harleth, both were about the same age. Strangely, here they must have 20 years of difference…

The cast was well chosen but nobody really stands out… Everyone was at the right place, in the right time. The costumes and surrounding were beautiful, as always with BBC.

In the end, this was a good adaptation that certainly wins after being watched a couple of times, it grows on you without you noticing.

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We leave you with the promo video:

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1366312/

We wanted to share with you several clips of Dorian Gray who will be in cinemas tomorrow wednesday 9th September in the UK.

Each time we see new images of this movie our curiosity grows even more!

Official site: www.orange.co.uk/doriangray

As you well know, we are anxiously awaiting the release of Dorian Gray, especially after seeing the gorgeous movie stills and the trailer. Based on Oscar Wilde’s gothic bestseller and one of our favourite books, the movie will hit theaters next week first in the UK and hopefully very soon in other countries:

• UK  9 September 2009 
• Canada  11 September 2009 (Toronto Film Festival)
• Greece  17 September 2009 
• Italy  23 October 2009 
• Australia  12 November 2009 
• Finland  25 December 2009

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Young Dorian arrives fresh on the London social scene and is taken under the wing of Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth of MAMMA MIA) who introduces him to the seedy pleasures of London life.  When Dorian sees how incredible he looks in a newly painted picture of himself, he swears to do whatever it takes to look as young and handsome in real life as he does in the picture – forever.
 
His stunning good looks and charm soon attract the celebrity lifestyle and everything that it brings.  Dorian finds himself slipping deeper and deeper into a world of sin, sex and celebrity, seemingly without any consequences.  But as his actions become increasingly evil, for how long can he hide the secret behind his eternal youth?

For more information visit www.orange.co.uk/doriangray

The copyright line © 2009 Momentum Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

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To celebrate the release of Dorian Gray, we’re giving 5 lucky readers the chance to get their hands on a copy of the book!

To be in with your chance of winning simply answer the following question…

Watch the trailer closely… During a party, there’s one scene where Dorian sees his true face, on what object is it reflected?
 
Don’t leave your answer in the comments email it to us instead using our Contact form and don’t forget to write on the subject of the message: “Book giveaway Dorian Gray”, so we can enter you in the giveaway.

The giveaway is open European countries only.

 Thanks!

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 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/

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!

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