Downton Abbey Confession #11

The only consolation that Edith Crawley had on her wedding day is that her dress was prettier than Mary's.

 No argument needed there.

Les Miserables (2012 movie)

Les Miserables: Fight, Dream, Hope, Love

      I went and saw Les Miserables last month...and OMG! It was AMAZING!!! Just extraordinary, brilliant, beautiful, romantic, heartbreaking, and so much more! If it doesn't win Best Film at the Oscars, I'll...well, I don't know what I would do, but I just really hope it wins!

~ ~ ~

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean

    For twenty-five years he  had been alone in the world,

never father, lover, husband or friend.

-Victor Hugo

      After serving nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister and her child (as well as attempting to runaway), Jean Valjean or prisoner 24601 is let free from prison only to find out that he has been put on probation. Basically he travels from city to city in France to find some kind of living, but it's hard to do when you forced to show your papers or in his case, his yellow ticket signifying that he is a convicted criminal. No one wants him, no one cares for him and he doesn't even care for himself.

     Then God intervenes in the form of a kind priest (played by the wonderful Colm Wilkinson, the original Jean Valjean!!) He gives him food, shelter and a place to rest. Instead of thanking the priest for his generosity, Valjean makes off with his silver. He is caught by the police and then in an unlikely miracle, pardoned and forgiven by the priest who gives him the silver in hopes of becoming a better man. Valjean is overwhelmed by this incredible act of mercy and swears before God that he will never be the man he was before.

     The rest of the story is about Valjean as a better man and a man of God (the religious element is very deep in this story). He extends mercy and grace to those who suffer, raises a child who is not his, but loves her passionately, fights for justice by God's law and not the governments, forgives his enemy and sets him free, and in the end is rewarded for his faith in God and his compassion toward the suffering.

      I knew that Hugh Jackman was a stage actor in Australia long before he hit it big here in the USA. I had seen him in >>>Oklahoma!<<< and he was great. Because he was so well known to American audiences for his role as Wolverine and other action roles, a lot of people were skeptical if he could portray Jean Valjean in an honest way.  Well, he definitely won me over! He was incredible in the role and gave a very personable portrayal of Valjean as a man who is trying to forget his past, redeem himself from his sins, and fight for a better future. His singing voice is very different from what I'm use to hearing, but there was a lot of strength in the softness of his tone. 

     Acting-wise, he was perfect, like always! There is very little dialogue in the film; it just blends from one song to the next, but it still requires believable performances with the actors. Hugh Jackman really captured the essence of Valjean from a godless prisoner, a redeemed man, a respectable mayor and business man, which all led him to be a father, and a very good one too. It was wonderful seeing his character evolution through the film, seeing where he began and where he ended.

~ ~ ~

Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert

He was the guardian of order,  the lightening of justice,

 the vengeance of society...

-Victor Hugo

     "I am the law and the law is not mocked," quotes Inspector Javert. Never has there been a man who lives his life so rigidly by the law as Javert. Cold and heartless, with no concept of kindness or mercy, he goes through the world keeping order and reform with the law as his only guide.

     Javert has been in hot pursuit of Valjean from the very start. It is made very clear from the beginning that these man hate each other and they both realize that their paths will eventually cross. When they do cross, it is an all out war between good and evil, the law and mercy, God and the government, and what is right in the eyes of God and in the eyes of man.

     With the exception of Fantine, Inspector Javert is probably the the character I pitied the most in the entire story. He is definitely a conflicted man whose view of justice was warped at the most. He is a hard man, a lost man, and a man who doesn't believe in redemption at all. Russell Crown displayed that compromised characterization very well. I loved the depth he gave to Javert, instead of just seeing him as a cruel man, you see him as a very broken man that can never except love or forgiveness.

     It took me a while to get use to his voice. It's very mellow and soft compared to most men I've heard play Javert. He does sing quite well, but I'm use to hearing a strong and powerful voice for Javert therefore giving the appearance of a strong and powerful man. In spite of that, I think Russell did a very good job at Javert. His ending scene is without a doubt his best scene, completely powerful.

~ ~ ~

Anne Hathaway as Fantine

She had known everything, borne and suffered everything 

and shed her last tear.

 -Victor Hugo

      No one has fallen farther from grace in Les Miserables than Fantine. The mother of an illegitimate child who is being raised by complete strangers, Fantine is fired from her job when her coworkers think that she has taken a second job as a prostitute to pay for her daughter. Although completely untrue, the foreman sends her away (mainly because she refused to sleep with him) and now Fantine is left in the streets with no way to care for her daughter, who is the only light in her life.

      For money, she cuts her hair, sells her two back teeth and becomes a prostitute. No matter how deep she falls, she still tries to maintain some kind of dignity, which is stamped upon by a cruel client and Javert. Finally after what seems to be the end, Valjean rescues her and gives her the redemption she has been searching for.

      Without a doubt the BEST performance in the entire film! Anne Hathaway was incredible! Her voice was beautiful and her acting was exceptional! I just loved her as Fantine. She gave the most heartbreaking and powerful performance out of anyone else in the whole film (that's saying something because everyone in the film was great!). No one could have played a better Fantine than her and she deserves all the praise that has been given to her for her breathtaking performance.

 ~ ~ ~

Amanda Seyfried as Cosette

Isabelle Allen as young Cosette

The bishop had caused virtue to dawn on his horizon;

Cosette brought the dawning of love.

-Victor Hugo

                                                                       

     An illegitimate child who is unwillingly left behind by her mother in hopes to save her, she is raised and abused by a heartless innkeeper and his wife who lie, cheat, and steal to make their living. Like her mother, Cosette dreams of happiness, but in her little mind she feels that she will never find it. That is until a handsome stranger comes and pays her evil caretakers to take her away. Then Cosette's dream of happiness comes true. She is loved, she has a home, a father, and a future.

     Nine years later, Cosette has blossomed from a raggedy and pitiful orphan into a beautiful and generous young woman who is devoted to her loving and protective father. Her life changes when she sets eyes on a handsome revolutionary and she captures his heart. Now Cosette questions her life, her loyalty and her love to her father and to this new man.

     When I heard that Amanda Seyfried was cast as Cosette my initial reaction was PERFECT! Her clear voice, prettiness and sweet demeanor was a perfect match for this role. Amanda played Cosette as a very innocent, but intelligent girl who is on the brink of womanhood in the midst of boiling revolution.

     Isabelle Allen who plays young Cosette was as charming as a child could get! She has a pretty voice for someone so young and you just want to hug her everytime you see her! Her scenes with Hugh Jackman are some of the most enjoyable moments in the story.

~ ~ ~ 

Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy

 In all his trials he was sustained

and at times even exalted by a

secret strength in himself.

-Victor Hugo

     Handsome, intelligent, political, a university student and heir to quite a bit of money; bourgeoisie citizen, Marius Pontmercy seems to have it made. He could stay up in an ivory tower making plans with what to do when he inherits his grandfather's fortune, but instead he is making speeches in the street, rallying the poor and forgotten people to revolt against the king.

     Marius has everything, but love. A ideal he scoffed at for years, until he sees Cosette, the beautiful daughter of a gentleman in the streets of Paris. With one look, Marius' life is never the same; he becomes infatuated and longs to know more about her. Even amidst the teasing he receives from he friends, Marius is resolute in his pursuit. He finds Cosette with the help of a friend (more on her later) and they both fall in love. When the revolution begins, and Cosette and her father have to leave, Marius is torn between following his heart or following his dream of a better world.

     I had only briefly heard of Eddie Redmayne, who seems to be very well known in England, but isn't really well known here in America. Well, is spite of that, he gave role of Marius a great deal of justice. His voice is...lets sum it up, heavenly to listen to! His acting is wonderful as well. Marius' solo, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, was beautiful. A well cast choice for a love struck revolutionary.

~ ~ ~

Samantha Barks as Eponine Thenardier

  She had accomplished a double progress,

towards the light and towards distress.

-Victor Hugo

     Once the spoiled brat of her parents, Monsieur and Madame Thenardier, Eponine is now a street rat who lies and steals for her family. She'll do anything for food and money, no matter what it may take. Eponine has a double sided problem, she is in love with Marius Pontmercy, who is far above her rank and he is completely clueless about her affections . Especially when he sees lovely Cosette, the young girl that Eponine use to bully and look down upon, and he demands to know more about her. So Marius sends Eponine to do just that. Hard living and humiliation is a real bitch when it turns on you. Eponine lives for only one reason and that is Marius. She would do anything for him, but seeing him in love with a wealthy girl, especially one who was once in her present position, breaks her heart. When Eponine realizes that he may never be hers, she does the unthinkable and follows him to barricades.

      Many people have favored Eponine over Cosette mainly because most people can identify with Eponine's plight as the other girl. The one the guy never sees as someone he could be in love with. Understandable, but still, Marius' is in love with Cosette, who is a gracious and loving young woman, and chose her because of those qualities. Eponine is a liar and a thief and no matter how courageous and honorable her intentions might have been at the barricades, she was simply not the one for him.

     That all said, I loved Samantha Barks as Eponine! Her voice is beautiful and so is she. Her acting as a young woman thwarted by love was a great watch. I have the 25th anniversary edition of Les Miserable where she was Eponine and when I heard she was the official cast for the same part in the movie, I was floored! Perfect and exceptional in every way! (To think that people honestly wanted Taylor Swift to play Eponine. I don't think there could be a quicker way to debauch a great story than that. She would actually have to know about sacrificial love to be able to portray it.)

~ ~ ~

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as The Thenardiers

 "(A) dreadful pair, the Thenardiers, a marriage of cunning and fury."

-Victor Hugo 

     The villains that never seem to go away. The Thenadiers are about the worse couple anyone could think of. They lie, cheat, steal, terrorize, and will do anything to get money, which is all they care about. Cosette's former guardians, who hated her and parents of Eponine who spoiled her as a child and now use her in their plots to get rich. (Gavroche, the little revolutionary boy is also their son, but they threw him out in the streets when he refused to help them). By the end of the movie they (or at least Monsieur Thenardier) get their comeuppance from none other than Marius, the complete opposite of their worthless lives. It's a great scene!

     Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter were wonderful in their roles, but the problem was, the Thenardiers are suppose to be ugly people and trying to make Helena B. Carter ugly is almost an impossibility! Either than that, they provided a lot of comic relief, especially in their immortal song, Master of The House, which is absolutely hysterical!

~ ~ ~

 Les Miserables: International Trailer

     Wonderful, incredible, beautiful film!!! Surprisingly enough, I only cried a little bit in two scenes, both involving Fantine. Either than that, I didn't cry at all; which is more than I can say for the rest of the audience as well as my sisters, there wasn't a dry eye in the room!!!      I'm so glad it won best film at the Golden Globes as well as best male and female awards for Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway! They totally deserved them! This film had better make best film at the Oscars!

     

Matthew & Mary: A Love Story

A new video!!!

Mary & Matthew: A Love Story

     So, there's actually a story behind this video. This was the very first video I made and it was my hardest as well. What is up there is actually the second version. My first one was ruined and so I had to start all over again. It ended up being a good thing, because this one is much better!!

Twilight vs. Being Human

 Caution: There is some adult content!

      For those who don't know, >>>Being Human<<< is a UK show about a vampire (Aidan Turner; Kili from The Hobbit), a werewolf (Russell Tovey; Henry from Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville) and a ghost (Lenora Crichlow) all living together in a flat. It's a bit on the adult side...so not exactly family entertainment....but what I have seen is good.

     This video is absolutely hilarious, but the song is kind of inappropriate...so you've been warned.

Update on Life

     

     It's been a while since I actually posted something about myself. Normally I've just written movie reviews and the occasional holiday post. Yet, there has been a lot happening in my life!!!

     The best being is that I've started my second semester of college. My first semester I absolutely loved!! My classes were great, my teachers were awesome and I met some great people. So, I was a little apprehensive about the spring semester. I'm still just taking English and Math; yesterday I started my English class and I feel it's going to be somewhat harder...Math, I don't start until February...so we'll see about that.

~ ~ ~

     Of course it wouldn't be an update on life if I didn't mention Downton Abbey : ) For Christmas I got seasons one and two! One of the best gifts ever!! Now I'm letting my best friend barrow it, because she hasn't been able to see season two (that's criminal).

      On Sunday we watched the premiere episode of season three...OMG!!! I loved, loved, loved it!!! It was fantastic going back and seeing all the great characters...and Matthew, but he came without saying!  Shirley MacLaine was incredible as Cora's mother and I was happy that there wasn't a lot of competition between her and Violet. One, because everyone was expecting it and it would have to obvious. Sunday nights are finally fun again : )

~ ~ ~

    

     Although, there is some stiff competition with Call The Midwife. This has been an amazing show! It's very real and has a personable feeling to it, because it's the memoirs of the main character, Jenny Lee. A couple of weeks ago we got to see the special Christmas episode and it was awesome. Best news? They're making a second season!! I'm so excited!

~ ~ ~

     Oh yeah, so I have a total new online obsession >>>Pottermore<<< the official Harry Potter site...well, I finally joined! It is so addictive! You actually get to explore and discover the books and find out secret information about characters, places, and the whole world of Harry Potter. In the first book, you start with Harry being delivered at the Dursleys doorstep and work your way up to getting his letter and shopping in Diagon Alley. Eventually when you get to Hogwarts and you're sorted in one of the houses. I got into...

     I was kind of shocked, because I was hoping to get into Ravenclaw, but now I really don't mind. Once you're sorted and in your respective house, that's when the fun begins. You can collect points for your house by finding little collectible objects, like badges, galleons, herbs for potion making, and so on. You can actually make potions!

     For now, there's only book 1 and book 2, with some of book 3 to go through. Seriously though, it's a lot of fun!

~ ~ ~

     So there's an update on my life and another movie review might be next, because my sisters and I are going to see Les Miserables on Saturday!!

~Ivy

All pictures from >>>Pinterest<<<

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. 

~ Helen Keller

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

     Well...I FINALLY saw it! After so much waiting and anticipation I finally saw The Hobbit and it was soooo worth the wait! I was glad that I read the book a few months in advance so I got the whole concept of the story. There were scenes that were almost word for word from the book. There were scenes in the movie that weren't in the book, but did run with the flow of the storyline.

     The movie actually starts with Bilbo (older Bilbo played by Ian Holm) retelling the story of the dwarves of Erebor and how they lost their home and vast treasure to the evil dragon Smaug. It was a great beginning and it got the whole crux of the story taken care of in the first ten minutes.

     After that charming beginning (and a great introduction to Thorin...more on him later) we finally get to meet Bilbo Baggins...The Hobbit.

~ ~ ~

Bilbo Baggins

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

      When Gandalf the Wizard arrives at Bag End one fine morning and presents the opportunity for Mr. Bilbo Baggins to have an adventure, Bilbo turns him down immediately and that was the end of that...or so he thought. Later that very night, Bag End becomes the meeting place for one, two, three...thirteen hungry, rude, dwarves (well not Thorin, but his ungenerous attitude more than made up for it). 

     Then it is brought before Bilbo to become a burglar for Thorin and his company. His job is only meant to get inside the secret passage of Erebor that leads to the treasure hoard where Smaug resides. Sounds easy enough, except incineration might ensue. Once again, Bilbo says no, but the next morning when he finds all the dwarves gone, he ponders about the adventure, about Gandalf's words, and about finding a home and then he does the unthinkable and takes a step outside his door.

  

     The humorous aspect about watching Martin Freeman in this film is that I tried very very hard not to see Dr. John Watson, but I did in certain parts...and it added so much to his character too. Martin played Bilbo Baggins to absolute utter perfection. Shy, quiet, and very private, doesn't want to be bothered with outside issues, etc. I think Tolkien would have been proud.

     

     One trait that Martin pulled off very well was Bilbo's general awkwardness, especially when around Thorin, the ultimate alpha male of the story. Thorin makes it very clear that Bilbo is not wanted in the company and Bilbo takes it silently and with humility. A rare quality to be found in a hero, but one that I admired greatly. 

     There is also a wonderful kindness and gentility in Bilbo that coincides with unlikely courage and strength. Overtime the dwarves and eventually Thorin become to see all these traits come together to make this shy hobbit an extraordinary hero, and finally appreciate his presence in the company.

     Bilbo was my favorite character in the book and is most definitely my favorite character in the movie. When I read the book, Tolkien's  small charming details and descriptions about Bilbo Baggins made him sound so sweet and endearing (almost like a child) that I just wanted to reach through the pages, pull Bilbo out, put him on my lap and hug him to pieces!! In the movie...I just want to marry him. Seriously. I'm going to marry Bilbo Baggins.

~ ~ ~

Gandalf

Ian McKellen as Gandalf 

     Gandalf, it's safe to say, is always going to be Gandalf. He really isn't any different here than he was in The Lord of The Rings trilogy. The same isn't always a bad thing either. He is a constant source of wisdom and comfort for Bilbo as well as somewhat of a disciplinarian for Thorin, whose often times prideful nature, gets in in the way of his better judgement.

     The wizard somewhat glides in and out of the story, first he's here and then he's not. Of course when something terrible is happening and there seems to be no hope, BOOM, here comes Gandalf to save the day. At the same time, he offers constant opportunities for the other characters to showcase their bravery and their skills, most especially Bilbo, who above all others, doubts his place outside the comforts of Hobbiton.

~ ~ ~

Thorin Oakenshield

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

     As I said in the introduction, the movie starts, not with Bilbo's story, but with Thorin's. As a matter of fact most of The Hobbit can probably be considered, Thorin's story. We first see Thorin as a prince of Erebor and heir to the throne after his father. When Erebor is attacked by Smaug the dragon, Thorin guides his lost people to the Blue Mountains where they build a new life.

     Now, some sixty years later, Thorin's grandfather and father are both dead, leaving him a king...with no kingdom to really call his own. This journey is Thorin's only chance to bring his kingdom back to his people and to avenge the lives lost through Smaug's terror, as well as the destruction of orcs in other dwarven countries. Especially one particular orc leader that killed and beheaded Thorin's grandfather in the battle of Moria (same dwelling from Lord of The Rings) whom Thorin thought to be dead, but has been hunting him and his friends since that very battle.

     As a king, Thorin is proud and courageous, but his pride can get in the way of listening to reason. He looks down (no pun intended) on Bilbo for being an irritant and contributing nothing of any value to the company, in spite of the fact that Bilbo saves their lives several times.

     Thorin might be displeased with Bilbo Baggins, but his major agitation is directed toward the elves. When Erabor was in destruction and ruins, King Thranduil (Legolas' father) who lived in the elven woods close to the dwarven kingdom, refused to help them. Afterwards, Thorin has harbored a general hatred toward all elves, even those who really wish to help him.

     In the book, Thorin is actually quite old with a wicked sense of humor. In the movie though, he's a handsome warrior figure who is the embodiment of a passionate king who is trying to reclaim back what is rightfully his.

~ ~ ~

Gollum

Andy Serkis as Gollum

     One would hope that after The Lord of The Rings, you may never want to see this hideous creature ever again. Even though, he plays an intensely important role in The Hobbit as the possessor of the One Ring, that Bilbo Baggins just so happens to chance upon in the dark goblin caves.

     Gollum isn't necessarily evil, but anyone with a brain can render him completely insane. Instead of him possessing the Ring, it seems the the Ring possesses him. When Bilbo is lost and needs to find his friends that have been captured by goblins, Gollum is unwilling to compromise and help him. Then Bilbo suggests a game of riddles and Gollum finally complies.

      Riddles In the Dark, the chapter in The Hobbit where we first meet Gollum is possibly the most famous chapter in the whole story. It's not the game of riddles or the fight for the ring though, that make the chapter so extraordinary or Gollum's part so memorable. It was the bases of his fate that determined Bilbo's qualities as an adventurer and a hero.  

"It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand."

~ ~ ~

Lady Galadriel

Cate Blanchett as Lady Galadriel

      Some people raised a lot of unnecessary grief over Cate Blanchett's return as Galadriel, mainly because she wasn't in the book, but I was glad to see a familiar female face and it may as well be her. Galadriel gives a small cameo appearance in the movie during the White Council. A meeting at Rivendell consisting of her self, Gandalf, Lord Elrond, and Sarumon the White. 

     Once again, Galadriel brings a few minutes of comforting relief and a breath of fresh air into a story dominated by battles, blood, and darkness.

~ ~ ~

The Company of Dwarves

     These guys were awesome!!! The movie would not be what it is without them and I loved every single one of them! Each character had their own unique personality that brought a lot of dimension into the story. So it wasn't like a dwarf, is a dwarf, is a dwarf. Similar to The Fellowship of The Ring, but instead of having a fellowship of different races, theirs was a company of different personalities and characters.

     I'll have to have a separate character review on all of them : )

~ ~ ~

"I've never been so wrong in all my life"

     So great movie, great characters, great storyline added together with beautiful New Zealand landscape, stunning costumes and a beautiful score makes for a wonderful three hour watch. And makes you wait even more anxiously for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.