Jane Austen 90's vs 00's : Sense & Sensibility

One of my most treasured movies of alllllllllll time. I love Emma Thomson's 1995 adaptation is heartfelt, funny and utterly compelling! Its won so many awards at the BAFTA's and the Oscar's. Kate Winslet was great as Marianne, her daily life was driven by her emotions in a society that encouraged young ladies to hide them. She manages to express herself in such away that you laugh with her rather than at her. With the book I found myself wanting to shake her and say, 'get a grip'. But in this adaptation all I can do is clutch a pillow and morn her loss. The scene where she is walking in the rain is the most dramatic scene ever. I have walked in the rain and I have never looked glamours or romantic, but Ms Winslett manages to do it and I take my hat off to her.

Alan Rickman plays the dignified Colonel. He's the knight in shining armour that is pushed aside and is forced to watch from the shadows. Basically he is = love.

You don't have to be a fan of Austen fan to like this movie.  I've just seen a review of this movie on ew.com and the reviewer has complained that Thompson was to old to play Miss Dashwood. Well yes she was, but she was deliberately cast so modern audiences could understand and relate to the difficulty of finding a husband  after a certain age. So shut ya face haters!

The 2007 adaptation falls on its face and fails to evoke any of the warmth or irony that 1995 adaptation did. If I had to describe this Tv movie in one word it would be 'blue!'. That was the only color I could associate with this film. It just seemed as if they had drained all other colors out and left the only depressing one left. Marianne in this version is more subdued and at the end is tamed like a'horse'. She looses all interesting aspects  of her character when she goes off and marries Brandon. I didn't even get excited about the sword fighting, I just didn't care enough to get excited.  Elinor is just plain and boring. Willboughy is not convincing as a handsome cad more like a self pitying boy who doesn't know who to blame for his predicament. What was Alan Davis thinking by adding a sex scene at the beginning.The key to all Austen films is to leave sex out of it and let the eyes do the flirting! The only good thing about this adaptation was Edward's character not only did he do a great job of becoming the slightly lazy care free gentlemen he is incredibly good looking.

But apart from that there is nothing to recommend this film. The 1995 wins hands down.

2:1

Jane Austen's 00's vs 90's : Persuasion

I know, I know, I know  I promised to do  a list of music but this really must take precedence over it. This passing few weeks I have let my obsession of  fiction of the 19th century literature consume me body and soul. Not a day has gone by that I have not watched or read something that hasn't been originally written by Austen, Bronte or Gaskell. It is very very sad  I know, but there is something about them has taken over me.

It might be the sexual tension in a simple handshake or the fact that you have to watch 6 episodes before anyone reveals their feelings. I like the politeness, the bonnets and the courtesy that everyone has for each other. Either way I'm hooked.

During my addiction I have managed to stumble upon the newer versions that the BBC has provided for Austen's 'Sense & Sensibility', 'Northanger Abber', 'Mansfiled Park' and 'Persuasions'. The originals as I call them were done in the 90's apart form Northanger Abbey which was made in the late 80's.  I've been both pleasantly surprised and also disappointed.


Persuasion 
Surprisingly my utter favorite out of the four. I remember watching it when I was younger and not thinking it had a patch on Pride & Prejudice and it was just really boring. Maybe I've grown up a bit or maybe its because I can relate more to the themes. For those who don't Persuasion it contains themes of; social status been gained by a proffesion, the importance of marriage, class rigidity and people who have more money than sense. Persuasion is different from Austen's novels as the heroine is Anne who is well past a marriageable age of 27 and is not that pretty. She is level headed, practical  and is surrounded by bumbling idiots. Anyway cutting along story short 8 years previous she was 'persuaded' to turn down an offer of marriage from a poor navy officer because he had 'nothing but his charms to recommend him'. 8 years later he is back a very rich captain and ignores Anne for half the book treating her with contempt. I won't spoil the ending but it is very good. Some people think the plot is to simplistic compared to her other works but I love it! Now on to the bbc 1995 version.

I'm afraid I cannot find fault with it. Anne is everything I expected plain, slightly submissive. The actress who plays Anne manages to show her exasperation for her father  without making it look like contempt. When we meet Anne she has resigned herself to help others, has hidden the pain of past disappointment and is just 'getting on with it' without dwelling.  The captain is proud but still engaging enough for you to root for him.
The only tiny tiny niggly thing that we don't get to see is that of the enigmatic Mr Elliot who will inherit Anne's father's fortune when he dies. He barely gets three  scenes. But apart from that it is bliss. (BTW Aunt Petunia is in it too!)










The 2007 version is also very good! The Captain in this adaption is slightly more handsomer if I dare say so myself. Anne is slightly more outspoken but does not veer off from Austen's original outline of Anne. There is more sexual tension in this film more longing looks and heavy sighs. There are also more laughs and the film is of more fast pace. Unfortunately this is not an asset as with so many characters your wondering who is who for quite some time. If I had not read the novel I would have had rewind to try and understand. The best bit is at the end when she has to catch the Captain before  he leaves, you literally scream with frustration as all her relatives descend on her at once demanding her attention. Whilst she is running through Georgian Bath you can't help cheering her along and curse her for being so selfless. The kiss at the end is smoldering *melts*.


Overall for Persuasion the 90's version as well as the 00's version are both excellent so I will declare it a draw.So far  its 1:1. Both versions will sit proudly on my shelf and I will not mind either I watch as they both different in the approach but are still faithful to the novel.

I'm sorry who?

I've recently been trailing through lists of greatest songs ever written, and frankly I am disappointed. The Rolling Stones has listed Bob Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone'  as the best song of all time and in the greatest music artist The Beatles came at number 1. Don't get me wrong The Beatles are great but the fact that Queen came a lowly 56 has really ticked me off. So I'm gonna make my own list of greatest songs, but because I've got a variety of taste I am going to split into the different genres.

Pop, Rock, Movie/Musical Soundtrack, Indie/Pop, country.

I'll probably do the top 5 of each when I have time  so watch this space...........................

Oh God Oh God Oh God

Sometimes I really do despair with myself. I leave things to the last minute and expect things to be fine and dandy, and of course it isn't. I hate that horrible spiral of doom sensation that things are creeping up on me.

My online friend pulled out of the house deal. Thank god theres still time to apply for the campus accommodation. =_= not exactly over the moon about freshers week . Theres stuff with student finance thats getting to me to. Arck I hate stress I just want to run away just get on a train and GO!

Lots of other stuff bugs me to! My blackberry phone isn't as cool as I thought it would be.

Another thing is when I ride to work, the wind blows in my face going down hill, so I don't go very fast ans wobble a lot , then on the way back it blows in my face going up hill, so I go at a snail's pace. I mean WTF? Does the direction of wind change as soon as I get off work?

I also wrote my will last week it made me feel very grown up and slightly morbid. Its given me great calm now that I know what I'm doing with a few handful of assets that are my own.

I haven't read anything in ages, normally I would go to the library but Ive had these two books for agggges and I'm scared what the fine will be so I'm putting it off. So I'm feeling pretty dumb and stupid.

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, knowing my luck I'll come back as me.

I've been watching a lot of only fools and horses recently its the only thing to do in the evenings, I find I can switch off and just knit while I watch it. Fingers crossed in a few months time my evenings will not be spent knitting and embroidery but will include nights out and getting very drunk.

This year I've decided to bite the bullet and live off campus. I met someone over the internet and will be moving in with them. I know it sounds dodgey  and my stomach flips sometimes when I think of loads of other people that have been conned over the internet. But they only need a £25 deposit and when I do go and meet them I'll bring someone with me. Still haven't asked that 'someone' to come with me, but she's the only one that reads this blog so hopefully she'll get the hint.

Drama seems to be in everyone else's life except mine. My friend has got back together with her gf, my other close friend is moving in with her boyfriend and approaching her finals. It just seems like I'm the one witnessing the drama and giving advice but nothing happens to me.My future  biographers will address this as the tumbleweed period of my life when nothing exciting happens.

Something Borrowed

Last night my friends and I went to see this, due to the holy  Orange Wednesdays.  Are lives are so consumed with the build up of Orange Wednesdays that we are too exhausted to do go out on Saturday. Basically we need a life.. But for now we have a cheap night out a week.

I'd seen the trailer and knew roughly what the storyline would be. The main male lead annoyed me more than usual he didn't say a lot. I'm sure if you counted his lines they would amount to less than 10. It was if he was letting his looks speak for him. I couldn't decide whether he was staying with Hudson's character just to be close to her best friend or was too lazy to go and find true love for himself.

Goodwin's character is spineless and is airy fairy in her ways that it made me cringe sometimes. She's obviously intelligent with her law degree so why put up with both her best friend and her crush's behavior? I can't understand why she put up with Darcy  for so long. The only time they have a friend bonding moment is during and after a 'salt and pepper' dance routine.

The best character in it all is Rachel's best friend Ethan, he seems to be the only who is wise to Darcy's ways and is willing to give frank and honest advice to Rachel even though its advice she doesn't want to here. His scenes are funny and quick and I was hoping for Rachel to fall for him. But sadly it wasn't meant to be.

The whole thing is like a movie soap opera; the wimpy girl, the domineering best friend and the handsome but stupid boyfriend. It's ok, if you your on the sofa in your pjays and are nursing a hangover but I wouldn't pay the £12 for the DVDs 

Rateing: 2 stars out of 5

Champagne taste lemonade income

Yesterday, on our way back from a wedding, my mum and I talked about life after university. I must have rambled along about having a nice house, some 1920's inspired hats, frequent stays in posh hotels and good book collection. It didn't take me long to realize that my dreams and ambitions are all about material gain and have nothing to do with family or getting married. I think this is to do with the fact that I get bored of things very easily. When I had my little godson it was all arrrr he so cute for about an hour and then I got really bored of playing his mud pie games and just wanted to watch TV. So I think I'd be a really naff mum as the novelty would wear off a few hours after birth.

And as for marriage.........well its not that I'm against the idea. Don't get me wrong wearing a ball gown and eating cake all day sounds great. But the thought of committing myself to someone for the rest of my life and never having a moment alone *shudders*. I don't think its for me. There have been lots of divorces in my family so I've seen first hand the hurt and angst that comes with it. It just doesn't seem worth it. So not for me thanks, maybe I'll change my mind but I doubt it.

So for now let me plan my comfortable middle class life, let my friends and family have the babies (I'll baby sit every now and again!) and if I get a lonely I'll get a cat.