Tintin: Superb!

We took over 90% of the movie theater, our family plus twelve other families from the homeschool group, and were all delighted by a wonderful show! We discussed the movie over breakfast this morning, and our combined overall review--and being Tintin lovers we are very picky reviewers--was very, very favorable:

• the film kept the atmosphere, feel of the Tintin stories
• no politically-correct distortions
• incredible attention to detail in every scene, we felt as if inside one of the books
• the 3-D effect awesome!
• the initial scene of Tintin being drawn by Herge' at the art fair won all of our hearts
• the Catholic reference of St. John the Evangelist in the final scene was left intact (see original page of book here)
• and many more...  

Watching Jane Eyre(s)

Last night we finished the 2006 BBC version of Jane Eyre, highly recommended by our local librarian. I had never seen it and was very pleased with it. We have also watched the 1930's version with Orson Wells, the 1996 Zeffirelli version, and the newest, 2011, version out on DVD recently.  As a new version of the Bronte classic is out every 5 years, or so it seems, we are far from done.

I loved this romantic story since I can remember and find it fascinating to compare the different versions. Austen'sPride & Prejudice and Emma are other "comparative marathons" the girls and I have undergone.

The BBC 2006 version we finished last night was also wonderful.. She was an excellent Jane Eyre, believable, good, confident. The film was scary and emotional, and we had a blast.

And yet as much as I liked so many aspects of all of the versions mentioned above, the Zeffirelli version remains my absolute favorite. His mastery as a director is unsurpassed. His Romeo and Juliet, I believe, will reign on top forever in cinema, his Hamlet (with mel Gibson) excellent, andhis life of Our Lord is, in my opinion, so much better than The Passion Of Christ.

Zeffirelli films are a feast for the eyes. No director is as careful in his visual composition and interiors as he is. Every detail is in its right, beautiful place. See the photo from the film below on the right as an example. This version also has the best Adele, Rochester's ward. William Hurt is surprisingly excellent as Rochester and the feeling between master and governess is developed so well--which is the major absence in the recent 2011 version.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

We always read "the book" before we go see "the movie."  In this case, we had read and reread the book every time there was a 1st grader in our homeschool, so we were looking forward to Mr. Popper's Penguins.  But the modern movie adaptation made it hard to recognize the 1938 book (written at the end of the Great Depression).  It wont he Newbery Honor Medal and was illustrated by Robert Lawson!  The tale is about turning lemons into lemonade, following your childhood dreams, and not being afraid to like geography in the midst of a prejudiced, small town.  The movie, however, is about a divorced father trying to look cool on custody weekends.  The penguins eventually melt his icy Park Avenue heart and help him win back his kids' hearts, his wife, and the quaint restaurant of his childhood.  The humor is Jim Carrey style (goofy gags) but the negative content is surprisingly closer to a G rating than many PG movies these days.  It's not the beloved story of our homeschool treasury, but it was worth a couple of laughs at the $2 theater.

Finally! The Tintin Movie!

Tintin is my "friend" on Facebook and yesterday the trailer for the new Spielberg film was posted! Yeah! See it here.

Another Masterpiece

My husband and I have become hooked on Masterpiece Theater.  Would you believe that I saw “Captain Wentworth” last week?  Jane Austen fans will be drooling as he plays Hannay in “The 39 Steps.”  This spy-themed movie-ette is currently showing free for a limited time online, and you can watch instantly here.  Because it is only 1 hour and 23 minutes long, it’s a perfect evening break from your routine.  Some educational value concerning WWI, but much better than “Any Human Heart,” which was last month’s free installment.  This would be fine for all ages.  Of course, we also are eager to watch “Upstairs Downstairs,” which starts today.  I didn’t realize the Masterpiece schedule was changing so regularly, and I wanted to make sure my blog friends were also having the benefit of watching these free classics!  Plus there's a sweepstakes at PBS to win a trip to the UK, which I have entered again and again...

Of Gods and Men

I just listened to the interview, and actor Lambert Wilson speaks beautifully of learning Gregorian Chant for the film, and how he went back to the Cistercian monastery after the film to sing and chant more Gregorian Chant.

The film is about Cistercian monks in Algeria who face some tough decisions...

Only the first part of the interview is about the film. It makes me want to see the film even more, but it is still not availabe. I am hoping the fact that it was in the Oscars will make it available soon.

The King's Speech

I got a note from a dear Canadian blog reader today:

I know you are a movie aficionado, Ana. Last night, my family watched The King's Speech at our local theatre. It was such a lovely movie, that I just had to write. The King's Speech is a truly great movie that is made even better by the fact that it is a true story. It is set in England, with WWII on the doorstep, and a young and morally confused new king (Edward VIII) has resigned after only a few months on the throne. The new king, George VII, is a good choice for the throne, but has a very debilitating stammer. The age of radio is dawning, and the new king is expected to give all sorts of radio broadcasts....Go and watch it, Ana. Lots of history. Good cinematography. Well edited. Great acting. You will LOVE it.
Guaranteed!
K.

PS the only disclaimer is that there are two instances of swearing the movie. The king's speech therapist uses the "swear words" technique in the king's therapy.

Animals are Beautiful People

Simply hilarious... our whole family loved it!

...and refreshingly not-politically-correct!