Movies!

So last night my friends and I had a little Valentine's Day party. We gorged on chocolate, talked a lot, and watched a movie. I lobbied for Pride and Prejudice, 2005, but was outvoted because most people had never seen PS I Love You. So I gracefully acquiesced.

Now I'm not a big fan of Hilary Swank (and she did not win me over in this movie) but her character kinda sucks. First she's neurotic and incapable of keeping a job even when doing so will help her achieve her goal of getting a bigger apartment (although their apartment seemed rather big; maybe they had too much stuff?) and then having a child. She's also a really crappy friend. I know her husband dies and that sucks but her friends can't freeze their lives forever while she mourns.

I think a large part of the success of this film is because women like Gerard Butler (several of my friends admired his accent). I think he's kinda cute but I'm somewhat biased based on Hollywood gossip-he's been presented as somewhat of a whore and that colored my view of him (Sorry!)

My favorite part was making fun of the fact that she is a Yankees fan (Yankees suck!) Toward the end of the film, she is in Yankees stadium with a friend and she says that she can't feel Jerry's presence any more. I reminded her that Jerry's in heaven and would of course stay far away.

Bottom line: I'm glad I've seen this but I think I might have preferred watching Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time.


I also started watching Masterpiece Theater's new Emma. I have only watched about half an hour of the first part (stupid homework! and stupid broken computer!)

So very early first impressions:
1. Romola Garai reminds me somewhat of Drew Barrymore in an unpleasant way-like really overemotive and weird facial expressions.
2. Dumbledore lives! That's pretty much all I could think about when seeing Mr Woodhouse and I don't think that would change.
3. Damn you Jonny Lee Miller! When I first heard there would be a new Emma, I (and many others) clamored for the divine Richard Armitage to be Mr. Knightley as it would be nice to see him in a light comedic role (wouldn't it?) Obviously that did not happen. But I was especially mad that they chose JLM as he has ALREADY played an Austen hero (Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park, 1999 which is not a bad film but is a crappy adaptation). Edmund also happens to be my least favorite Austen hero while Mr. Knightley is my absolute favorite (Darcy is a mere fourth). So he went from playing the worst to the best, in my view. But I kept thinking, seriously there were no other eligible men to play this role?! I mean, come on! But he won me over, already! I'm so easy, apparently that it takes only a teeny portion of screentime to get me on his side.
Lastly in honor of Valentine's Day, why don't you go and watch North and South (again)? Here is a picture of the aforementioned Richard Armitage to encourage you. I am not sure if I will be able because I still have a lot of homework but I might try to watch an episode or just a few of my favorite parts.