I'm a bit late with this... it's from Christmastime...

Ssooo... I meant to post this that weekend after I got home...but was busy/tired/getting ready to go back to work. Not a good excuse, since I'd gotten most of it written (in my head at least) but, there you go.

*ahem* Fresh from December 28th, a recap of a very lovely movie day with my best friend. And yes, it includes reviews, a couple spoilers, and is quite long. I'm only a little sorry about that.

Our movie list for the day:
1. Jane Eyre (with Mia Wasikowska and Dame Judy Dench)
2. The Help
3. The Secret Garden (with Dame Maggie Smith)
4. Despicable Me
5. The King’s Speech
6. Becoming Jane
7. The Young Victoria

Jane Eyre. Jane was so good. This guy was the perfect Mr. Rochester. Not as mean as William Hurt’s version, not as creepy as the 2006 miniseries guy; and I never liked Ciaran Hinds as Edward. Timothy Dalton was ok, but a little … too overbearing; nevertheless he’s been my favorite Rochester so far. I loved Mia as Jane. I wasn’t sure what to expect with her coming from (the only other thing I’ve seen her in) Alice (with Johnny Depp). Now, I loved Alice, and loved her as Alice. BUT, that is a very different type of story and storytelling than Jane Eyre, which is such a classic. I love it. The only thing I didn’t love was St. John (“Sinjin”). He was mostly fine, and I liked him until he was angry and abrupt in the field near the end of the movie. It seemed out of character for him from every other version I’d seen, and the book as well (too over the top of a reaction, not pleading, but actually angry at Jane for not wanting to marry him). It’s my new favorite version of Jane, sorry Tim.

The Help. Such a good movie. It raises so many things that I never (and still don’t, really) understand about life then, where so many people believed those who weren’t white were less human, less important. And they were so often raised by those very people they looked down on! It makes me angry. Every time. But it so well depicted the few that were good, and the realities of crappy situations that the blacks had to go through and deal with and put up with in silence or be sent to jail, persecuted, or killed. God bless those who had the courage to speak up and speak out and stand up for themselves. And God bless those who listened. Such a good movie. And told well too. I can’t wait to read the book (yes, sorry, I did this one backwards…)

The Secret Garden. This is my favorite version with Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock. Seriously my favorite. The best telling of the story, the best Mary, the best Mr. Craven, Colin, Dickon, Martha…the best everything. Seriously, even if you don’t like this story, or think it’s stupid, or whatever, give this one a watch. At least once. The only part I don’t like is the bit with the fire and the calling to the “Great Magic.” It’s a bit… well, creepy to say the least. However, I love Mary’s transformation; the whole house’s transformation. So, it’s a favorite. All the old keys, the old house full of hundreds of rooms and even more secrets, it’s the perfect mystery and the perfect story of friendship, nature, and love. It’s even in my bestie’s top 10, and being the movie buff and lover that she is, that’s saying quite a lot.

Despicable Me. (skipped for time. Love it, but … it’d be after 2 in the morning if we kept it in, so since we’d both seen it, and we were too tired it was out!)

King’s Speech. (also skipped for time. Sort of sad we did, but I’ll be Netflixing it, you can be sure. Review to come.)

Becoming Jane. Anne Hathaway & James McAvoy in one of the best and saddest (if altered and imagined, at least a bit) love stories of all time. It’s sad, and happy, and exciting, and slow, and comfortable, and lonely, and disappointing, and terribly, terribly depressing… and I love it.

The Young Victoria. Again, how can you not love this movie. A real love story. So lovely, so beautiful. I love Emily Blunt – she’s perfect in this. I also love … uh, Mr. Wickham whose real name I can’t remember for the life of me who plays Prince Albert. He is fantastic in this movie. It is the perfect balance of manliness and gentleness. A man fully in love, and without much control with which to win over the woman he loves. But he does, of course. I also love the facts at the end – especially that after he died (at 42, no less), Victoria had his clothes laid out every morning in his memory until she died at the age of 80. A wonderful, sweet end to our day.

Leash, thanks again for sharing those couple days with me – I will forever remember it as truly relaxing and refreshing and uplifting. I love you, dear friend!