Book Giveaway Reminder: Stars Collide by Janice Thompson

Just a reminder that you have through midnight Sunday 2/20/11 to enter for a chance to win a copy of Stars Collide by Janice Thompson - all you have to do is leave a comment on THIS POST. Good luck! :)

Glorious 39

I have a feeling that Glorious 39 is either a movie people like or they can't stand. It's not a film that delivers easy, clear answers and closure - and it's not without its flaws. But personally, I found it to be enormously thought-provoking, a gripping and thoroughly absorbing piece of cinema. I'm SO glad it finally released on DVD! I had completely forgotten about it - it's been about three years since I saw trailers break online, and I hoped (vainly, as it turns out) that the film would see a limited release in my area since it features a memorable performance by m'darling DAVID TENNANT. Alas, a theatrical viewing was not to be, and it was only by chance that I saw an advertisement announcing the movie's DVD release. On to the story...parts of this review will probably be very spoiler-y since I want to set my thoughts about the film "on paper" as the saying goes. So be warned. :)

The film opens in the present day, with young Michael (Toby Regbo) visiting some distant cousins, brothers Walter (Christopher Lee) and Oliver (Corin Redgrave). Walter and Oliver seem uneasy with Michael's visit, especially when he asks about what really happened to his mysterious great aunt Anne Keyes, who disappeared during the war. Bu any uneasiness Walter and Oliver may feel with their young cousin digging up the past is quickly overshadowed by Walter's desire for an audience and the chance to revisit that glorious summer of 1939, before the outbreak of World War II changed everything. The tagline of this film is "you can't always run from the past," and we see the older Walter discover this to be true as his complicity in the events surrounding Anne's fall from the family's grace is revealed.

I absolutely love the look of the film as it begins to take us into the flashback. The family estate, the setting for so much heartbreak, is gorgeously rendered on-screen. Everything appears sublimely idyllic in the lives of the Keyes family - yes, conflict is on the horizon with Hitler's aggression in Europe, but what could that possibly have to do with their lives so far away, so secluded and removed from the hustle and bustle of London and political drama. Oldest adopted daughter Anne (Romola Garai) and her brother Ralph (Eddie Redmayne) and sister Celia (Juno Temple) appear to be as close as one could wish, dashing among the ruins, privileged and without a care in the world - until they are brought short by the image of a burial. The stark contrast to their carefree play is only a hint of the shadows that will soon overcome this privileged family.

Anne has invited two friends to the family home to help celebrate her beloved father's birthday - Sir Alexander Keyes (Bill Nighy), a World War I hero and a respected Member of Parliament. Hector Haldane (David Tennant), also an MP, is just a friend, while Lawrence (Charlie Cox) is a lover yet to be introduced to the family. Alexander brings an unexpected guest home with him, Balcombe (Jeremy Northam), an unsettlingly quiet and reserved government employee. Over the birthday dinner, Hector becomes quite outspoken about his fervent belief that Hitler must be stopped and that the current government's policy of appeasement is not only not working but dangerous, because "evil has to be stood up to." A bit of an aside - it's absolutely fantastic to see Tennant in his role with his Scottish accent. Excuse me while I swoon. And Tennant's scenes are even more swoon-worthy given his character's passionate stance against Hitler and the the threat of appeasement. Hector is a character who was determined to make a stand, and I loved that.

Shortly after the birthday dinner, Anne ventures into her father's previously forbidden outbuildings on the estate in search of a lost cat. There she discovers records, labeled as fox trots or popular songs, that don't contain music but instead are recordings of meetings - meetings she thinks little of until her friend Hector is found dead of an apparent suicide. Anne conjectures that the mysterious Balcombe could have something to do with Hector's death - she's wary of the recordings and everyone's reticence to explain the true nature of Balcombe's government work. As the stress of the mystery of the recordings and Hector's death mounts, Anne finds herself under fire as her own well-being and mental acuity are called into question.

I think I'll stop there, because this film is a journey worth experiencing yourself - if I've succeeded in hooking your interest. :) Let's talk about the construction of the film itself and some of the performances. Glorious 39 is written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. I confess to being unfamiliar with his work save for the Masterpiece production The Lost Prince. Despite some hiccups in tone and editing, Glorious 39 is a carefully constructed film, each scene increasing the tension and suspense factor exponentially. In some respects it is reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock film (note I'm not saying it's on that level, just similar!) - for the most part, the suspense comes from really well layed-out and gradually increasing psychological tension, not gore or scenes that only have "shock" value (this holds true until the last fourth of the film anyway).

I'm a pretty big fan of Romola Garai's work - ever since her appearance in 2002's Daniel Deronda she's continued to grow and mature as an actress, and her latest Masterpiece appearance in Emma is one of my favorites. I happened upon this review of Glorious 39 which likens Garai's performance as Anne to Ingrid Bergman in a Hitchcock picture, and the more I mull over that comparison the more I find that I agree with it. Anne possesses the same balance of wide-eyed innocence and strength that Bergman projected in films like Spellbound or Notorious (especially the latter IMO). And though it's not a Hitchcock picture, the psychological terror brought to bear against Anne, and her reaction to it, reminds me of the terrorized wife Bergman plays in Gaslight. The final act of Glorious 39 takes a marked turn towards the melodramatic that I think will be off-putting to some viewers. It calls into question the veracity of some of the events we've seen play out to that point, but the tone and direction worked for me.

Glorious 39 skates a delicate balance between taut psychological thriller and melodrama, and while I wouldn't say it manages that balance perfectly the end product worked for me. It seems only natural to me that the continued strain placed upon Anne by the events of the film would bring her to the point of a psychological breakdown. I think that's why the last fourth of the film takes on an almost unreal aspect when Anne visits the country vet in order to put the family pets to sleep. My take on the scene where Anne enters the barn filled with animal corpses waiting to be burned is that its some sort of comment on how the coming war will consume even the most innocents wholly and completely. I don't think it's a comment on the Holocaust, as the emotional impact of the scene feels more generic and broadly directed to me.

Poliakoff has crafted a film that addresses reality vs. imagination, truth vs. fiction, and trust vs. lies. As privileged members of the British aristocracy in the 1930s, Anne's family was wholly invested in maintaining the status quo at all costs. The lengths they are willing to go to in order to accomplish their aims are positively chilling, and may leave you pondering - as it did me - just how you might have reacted were you unfortunate enough to find yourself in Anne's situation. I think if the film hadn't made quite so sharp a turn towards over-the-top melodrama in the final act that the resulting movie would have been tighter and more focused.

If you're interested in this film but concerned about the R rating, that is mainly for the way psychological tension builds throughout the movie. When the deaths are involved there is some blood but the scenes are not overly graphic. The one "almost" love scene where Charlie Cox's backside is revealed is completely unnecessary. Romola Garai drops several f-bombs toward the movie's finale, which are quite jarring given her almost genteel on-screen presence, but in the context of the story and what Anne has endured you may find it understandable.

A few quick additional acting shout-outs...I just love Bill Nighy and he was spectacular as Anne's father. His calm, solicitous demeanor throughout the film is positively chilling. You can totally understand how hard it would be for Anne to come to terms with this, for all appearances kind and loving man, being involved in an appeasement effort that advocates the violent intimidation and silencing of protesters. I also love Jeremy Northam, and have to give him kudos for playing against the more heroic, gentleman-like type of role I'm more accustomed to seeing him play in period films. It was a real treat to see Julie Christie as Anne's Aunt Elizabeth - Christie just oozes class, and though her complicity in the plot to "teach Anne a lesson" is never directly addressed, her laser like focus on frivolous matters stands in stark contrast to the dark events on the horizon with the advent of war. Hugh Bonneville gives a great turn as Anne's actor friend Gilbert, whose life is also sacrificed for discovering too much about the appeasors' activities.

Since I love film music, I have to mention composer Adrian Johnston provides the film's gorgeous score (he worked on Becoming Jane). And in addition to Poliakoff's work as writer and director, I have to give credit to the editors and cinematographers that worked on Glorious 39 - the editing in this film is, for the most part, so good at never letting up on the tension and suspense! And the look of the film, from the settings to the costumes is simply sumptuous. The stark dichotomy between the outward beauty of the Keyes family's lives and the inward corruption is really well played out. If you liked Atonement, I think you'd enjoy Glorious 39. Both films are similarly thought-provoking stories that address questions of truth and honor without providing pat or easy answers.

And finally, if you actually made it through this review, thanks. I know it's a long one. :) If you've seen Glorious 39 I'd love to discuss - it's been a couple of days since I watched it and I feel like I'm still processing it in many respects!

Preview Linda Eder's new album!

If you've ever visited my Music Reviews page, it's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Linda Eder. For her 12th album, Eder has re-teamed with composer Frank Wildhorn for Now, releasing March 1st. Here's the tracklisting:

1. Not Gonna Fall This Time
2. No Finer Man
3. Ordinary People
4. The Heat of the Night
5. What Did You See Inside the Stars?
6. Now
7. The Mad Hatter
8. A Woman In His Arms
9. Good Bye
10. What's Never Been Done Before
11. More Than Heaven
12. Living in the Shadows

While I absolutely adore all of Linda Eder's music, her work with Frank Wildhorn holds a special place in my heart - I am convinced he was born to write for her voice and she was meant to sing his songs. The combination is, well, magical! You can purchase the standard 12-track release through Amazon at this link.

Now, if the news of a new Linda Eder album wasn't exciting enough, Barnes & Noble will be selling an exclusive version with THREE bonus tracks! Here are the titles:

1. Please Don’t Make Me Love You ~ Bonus Track
2. The First Time I Saw Paris ~ Bonus Track
3. Sweet Song of Life ~ Bonus Track

You can purchse the B&N exclusive version of Now at this link.

Linda Eder's newly-redesigned website launched today, and there you can listen to a stream of the entire 12 song version of Now - which I've been thoroughly enjoying today. You can check out the  new music here.

Here's a short video you can check out on the making of the album:

Primeval 4.5

I finally got the chance to re-watch episode five of Primeval this weekend since BBC America finally put the episode On Demand. This episode continues the overall up-tick in quality and storyline this series has enjoyed since episode three. The action opens with Philip (Alexander Siddig) offering Connor a job in his private lab, doing anomaly research away from the ARC. Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) is clearly flattered since Philip is his geeky idol, for reasons I have yet to grasp given Philip's presence on-screen this season. But whatever. It's been kind of fun to see Connor's predisposition towards Philip fanboy-dom get on Abby's (Hannah Spearitt) last nerve, especially after Philip orders all of the creatures in her beloved menagerie put down.

In fact, this episode has pretty much forced me to conclude that Philip has been one of the most poorly conceived and realized characters in the show's history. Having seen episode six, and with only seven episodes in this fourth series, I have my doubts that the writers can save Philip by the season's end, but who knows? *sigh* But if Philip doesn't have a point as far as the show's story arc goes, I will say I do enjoy witnessing how he gets on Lester's (Ben Miller) nerves. If there was any doubt in my mind about Lester's qualifications - which there wasn't, BTW - forcing Lester to tolerate a boss like Philip proves that my favorite snarky ARC manager needs no overseer. Between getting annoyed by Philip, telling Matt off for not listening to him, and fumbling through actual field work by standing in for Jess as a communications director, Lester was in FINE form this episode.

I really loved the whole execution of the creature storyline in this episode, the whole thing was well-conceived and quite creepy. The picturesque town giving off anomaly signal "flashes" was eerie in a horror flick kind of way - everything was "too" quiet and "too" perfect to be genuine. The way all of the townspeople cover up rumors of the Wichfield (sp?) worm was a neat twist on creature incursions - no one wants to acknowledge that the impossible is occurring, so it is repressed, that kind of thing. When Abby and Connor arrive and visit the pub to try and glean information from the locals, I loved how Abby was immediately pegged as the more serious, threatening of the two when she's given the bigger drink at the bar - poor Connor. *wink*

So while Connor and Abby split up to take care of the anomaly, Matt (Ciarán McMenamin) leaves to pursue the kidnapped Emily (Ruth Bradley) and the mysterious Ethan (Jonathan Byrne), who knows way more than any self-respecting 19th century anomaly hopper should about the 21st-century, like how to drive modern cars. AND he lets drop a comment about taking revenge on his FAMILY. Hmmm... I have really liked McMenamin in other projects, but I have to be honest, overall he's been a disappointment as team leader in Primeval. He's just WAY too serious for his own good - that's why I liked Danny so much in season three, and why as tragic as Cutter's departure was, I wasn't all that sorry to see him go. The show needs someone charismatic in a lead role, who brings a sense of adventure to the storylines, not stoic gloom-and-doom. It is with some hesitancy that I've watched Matt's relationship with Emily unfold over the last few episodes. Emily's served to loosen him up just a bit, but sadly Matt is still an extraordinarily stuffed shirt and makes Emily look positively charismatic by contrast. The hopeless romantic in me did love the moment he rescues her from the crypt, though. :) And if his connection with Emily has proven to indicate one thing, it's that both of these characters are not of this time period.

So back to Connor and Abby for a few moments...I thought having Abby trapped in a camper while the creature of the week - this time a labyrinthodont - made for some fun action sequences, especially when she starts driving the camper with the creature hitching a ride on the roof at high speed to the anomaly location. I also thought Connor's discovery that the fuel the creepy farm-folk were dumping down into the mountainside was somehow affecting the strength of the anomaly was pretty interesting. I'm not even going to try and discuss the science of that, when it comes to this show I'm not that interested in specifics. LOL! There was a fantastic angst-ridden Connor moment when, in the cave, he's confronted by the labyrinthodont that's eaten Abby's tracker and he thinks he may have lost his one and only love. I loved watching Connor go all fighting mad, since that's not a side of him that we usually get to see. And then of course to have Abby show up - his relief was almost palpable. The moment was capped by a fantastic kiss - and can I just say, Andrew Lee Potts is the master of the "sudden" on-screen kiss (just watch the last five minutes of SyFy's Alice). Knowing that Potts and Spearritt are a couple in real life made the moment all the sweeter.

Becker (Ben Mansfield) was a no-show this ep, and sadly wasn't missed by yours truly. Jess (Ruth Kearney) was also relegated to the background, but I've got to say she's getting on my nerves less and less as the show goes on. I think it's a combination of having her scenes reduced and the fact that when she's on-screen she's less annoying, proving her worth bit by bit each week. I really enjoyed her exasperation with Lester's high-handedness - those were some cute moments.

So, thoughts? Anyone besides me as exasperated with the show's development of the Matt and Philip characters? This was one of the best field operations this season IMO. And I continue to love watching Connor and Abby's relationship develop - they've come a long way since season one, haven't they? :) Episode six review coming soon!

Book Giveaway: Stars Collide by Janice Thompson

Because it's Monday, and it's Valentine's Day, and because I heart my readers, I thought it would be fun to have another book giveaway! This time one copy of Stars Collide by Janice Thompson is up for grabs.

About the book:

Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don't just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom - they are actually head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps. But when Kat's grandmother, an eccentric star from Hollywood's golden age, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed family members?

From the soundstage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes you on a roller-coaster tour of Hollywood, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion.

You can read my review of Stars Collide HERE.

Giveaway Details:

• Leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address: your name (at) domain name (dot) com
• For an extra entry, post about this contest on your blog or Twitter and leave a comment telling me you've done so with the link
• Entries will be accepted through midnight Sunday 2/20/11 and the winner will be announced Monday morning 2/21/11
• Open worldwide, but here's the deal - if I ship worldwide on a book giveaway, then the next two giveaways are US/Canadian addresses only, since I sadly can't afford to ship to far-flung corners of the world every couple of weeks. *wink*

Good luck!

Any Human Heart update

Just an FYI for those who care, it looks like I'll be giving Any Human Heart a pass on the blog and resume reviewing Masterpiece Classic productions with the encore of The 39 Steps in a few weeks. Due to content issues and a complete lack of anything resembling a compelling and sympathetic lead character (in my opinion, anyway), I was sadly not hooked by this production at all.

I may give Any Human Heart another chance when it releases on DVD, but there's too many other blog-worthy topics in my mental queue for me to want to slog through Heart as it airs right now - which is sad since the cast is really fantastic.

If you watched Part One last night, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Any Human Heart preview

Tomorrow night Masterpiece Classic resumes with a brand-new drama, Any Human Heart, starring the one-and-only Matthew Macfadyen! Here's a bit about the story:

Don't miss the premiere of Any Human Heart this Sunday, February 13, 2011, on MASTERPIECE Classic. William Boyd adapts his acclaimed 2002 novel about a man making his often precarious way through the 20th century. Matthew Macfadyen (Little Dorrit), Gillian Anderson (Bleak House), Hayley Atwell, Kim Cattrall (My Boy Jack) and Jim Broadbent star.

The cast is packed with Masterpiece veterans, and since this is an adaptation of a relatively new novel I'm quite curious to see how it plays out. It sounds rather epic. :) Here's a short preview:

Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.

Review: Jane and the Man of the Cloth by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Man of the Cloth (Jane Austen Mysteries #2)
By: Stephanie Barron
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0-553-57489-2

About the book:

Jane and her family are looking forward to a peaceful holiday in the seaside village of Lyme Regis. Yet on the outskirts of town an overturned carriage forces the shaken travelers to take refuge at a nearby manor house. And it is there that Jane meets the darkly forbidding yet strangely attractive Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth. What murky secrets does the brooding Mr. Sidmouth seek to hide? Jane suspects the worst - but her attention is swiftly diverted when a man is discovered hanging from a makeshift gibbet by the sea. The worthies of Lyme are certain his death is the work of "the Reverend," the ringleader of the midnight smuggling trade whose identity is the town's paramount mystery. Now, it falls to Jane to entrap and expose the notorious Reverend...even if the evidence points to the last person on earth she wants to suspect...a man who already may have won her heart.

Review:

Some two years have passed since Jane Austen had cause to exercise her fledgling detective skills on behalf of a friend - namely, Isobel, Countess of Scargrave, who, being charged with murder, found herself exonerated thanks to her friend's tireless efforts to uncover the truth of the sad circumstances surrounding her husband's death. Now Jane is bound for the coastal town of Lyme, in the company of her parents and beloved sister Cassandra, when en route their coach is overturned in a violent storm and Cassandra is left injured. The ever-resourceful Jane seeks help and refuge from the closest home available - High Down Grange, where she meets its owner, the brooding Geoffrey Sidmouth and his beautiful French cousin, Seraphine LaFevre. The manner of their introduction leaves Jane convinced that all is not as it seems at the Grange. After the Austens are safely installed at their rented cottage, the mystery of Geoffrey Sidmouth takes a sinister turn when the object of the man's scorn is found hung at the water's edge. Her curiosity roused, Jane begins to make discreet inquiries and discovers it is openly assumed that Sidmouth is "the Reverend" or "the Man of the Cloth," one of the Gentlemen of the Night - smugglers - who haunt the English coast specializing in the illicit "import" of fine silks and other highly-taxed goods. When one Captain Fielding, a retired Naval officer who claims to be investigating the Reverend, is discovered murdered and all evidence points to Sidmouth's guilt, Jane must use all of her intelligence and investigative abilities to discover the truth of Sidmouth's activities on the coast - for she is as loathe to believe his guilt as she is to admit that the master of the Grange may have captured her heart.

Stephanie Barron's second offering featuring the beloved Jane Austen as amateur sleuth is every bit as delightful as the first, proving Barron to be a master at channeling Austen's style and incisive wit and fleshing out what little is known of her life with historical fact and rich period detail. It is established fact that Jane visited Lyme during 1804, and indeed what she encounted there must have made a powerful impression since the town is featured in her final novel, Persuasion. Little correspondence survives from this period in Austen's life, and family rumor alone alludes to a "nameless and dateless" romance Jane experienced with a clergyman during a seaside holiday that provide tantalizing, but unformed, glimpses into this period of Jane's life. Barron uses these bare facts as the basis for Man of the Cloth, fleshing out this period in Austen's life, resulting in a rousing tale of mystery, adventure, espionage, and ill-fated romance. Jane's adventures are wildly varied - she gains as much intelligence from assembly room dances and sitting room calls as she does from highly unorthodox investigations of smugglers' caves and hidden tunnels. One could argue that so much outdoors adventure is outside the realm of possibility in the life of an author known for incisive social commentary, but I for one find the high adventure aspect of this fictional sojourn in Jane's life a fitting tribute of sorts to the adventurous, sensational gothic novels popular in Austen's day, that she would later satirize in her own Northanger Abbey.

One of the many things I love about this novel is the way in which Barron grounds Jane's supposed adventures in historical fact. With much of the author's life a veritable blank slate, thanks in large part to Cassandra's measures to protect Jane's privacy by destroying much of their correspondence after her death, Barron has free rein with which she can explore various aspects of 19th-century society and conjecture as to how these adventures may have informed Austen's writing. I was enthralled by Jane's encounter with "free trade" and the Gentlemen of the Night who practiced their dangerous and illicit activities along the English coast. There is something irresistably romantic in association with dangerous and enigmatic rogues who flout law and convention, as Jane discovers with Geoffrey Sidmouth. I was reminded of the 1954 film Moonfleet, and though the film is set some fifty years prior to this novel's action, Stewart Granger's portrayal of a dashing smuggler gave a powerful visual to my image of Sidmouth. Coupled with a dash of espionage that Jane would've been hard-pressed to escape in a coastal community, thanks to England's conflict with Bonaparte and France and her brothers' naval service, Man of the Cloth is a wildly entertaining mystery told with the style, wit, and insight that only a woman of Jane Austen's superior intellect and sense could provide. Bravo, Jane & Stephanie, here's to many more adventures!

***

This review marks the second or third time I've revisited Jane's singular adventure in Lyme, and it was a complete delight! Jane and the Man of the Cloth is my second entry in the Being a Jane Austen Mystery Challenge and my third in the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

• Visit Austenprose to read Laurel Ann's review of Jane and the Man of the Cloth.