Impressions of Tales from the Green Valley, Confessions of an ugly stepsister and The Aviator

[birdienl]

Tales from the Green Valley 2005


Adapted from: no adaptation
Length: 360 min

Summary: Five historians and archeologists live and work on a farm like people did during the reign of James I (1603-1625). They plant and harvest crops, rear animals, build a stable and cook their meals 17th century style.

Familiar faces: Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman and Alex Langlands, also known from Victorian and Edwardian Farm

Watch this if: 
- You enjoyed the better known documentaries Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm
- You would like to learn more about 17th century live in an engaging manner
- You think a documentary cannot be funny and wholly engaging (you thought wrong!)

Don't watch this if:
- There really is no reason not to watch this!

Best part: Stuart, one of the experts on the farm, struggles to catch a sheep and falls on his back in the snow, taking the sheep with him in his fall.



Confessions of an ugly stepsister 2002


Adapted from: the novel by Gregory Maguire
Length: 90 min

Summary: A look at the classic Cinderella story from the perspective of one of the 'ugly' stepsisters. After her husband dies, Margarethe leaves England with her two teenage daughters to return back to her native Holland. She enters the household of the rich Van der Meer as a housekeeper, but will she soon be more than just that? 

Familiar faces: Matthew Goode, Jonathan Pryce

Watch this if:
- You like a twist on a well-known fairytale

Don't watch this if:
- You like fairytales to be clear and black-and-white, and you become skittish from ambiguous characters

Best part: The fact that it takes place in 17th century Holland amused me very much as a Dutch watcher!




The Aviator 2004


Adapted from: a biographical movie about the live of millionaire, film-director and aviator Howard Hughes
Length: 170 min

Summary: Howard Hughes is a rich young man thanks to the fortune his father made selling drilling tools. Between 1920 and 1945, he embarks on careers as a film director and aviation magnate, dating famous actresses and socialites, but all the while growing more unstable because of his obsessive-compulsive disorder

Familiar faces: Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale

Watch this if: 
- You enjoy balanced biographical tales which show a person's life from multiple sides
- You're interested in early 20th century history

Don't watch this if:
- You're not in the mood to watch a life fall apart due to mental illness

Best part: The acting of both Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett was truly fenomenal!

Comments

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

The Aviator is a great movie.

Thank you for the recommendations! I love fairy-tales with a twist.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome!

Re: The Aviator: Yes, I was surprised at how much I liked it!

[rissi jc (from livejournal.com)]

It is super sappy... but I love "Confessions." It is so... sweet in a dated kind of way. =)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I really liked it too, much better than the book in fact, which is just... weird. It has taught me not immediately to order books from the library just because I liked the movie ;-)