Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 1 2012

     This series is based on novels by Kerry Green wood.  Phryne Fisher solves the mystery of a drowning on her aunt’s property and this starts her off on her own career as an investigator in the 1920’s of Melbourne, Australia.  Many times she works with Detective John 'Jack' Robinson on cases brought to the police department.  She met Dorothy 'Dot' Williams on her first case and now she takes care of household details and works on the cases too.  She also met Jane and she is now her ward.  They don’t know what happened to Jane’s parents but she was 'stealing' for a hypnotist and a woman running a hotel. 

     These are good and lighter fare as far as mysteries go.  Not as deep and complex as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.  The characters are interesting and you become drawn more and more to them as the episodes progress.  Miss Fisher is a very kind person and she is always missing her sister Jane.  She was kidnapped when they were pre-teens and Phryne doesn’t know what happened to her.  I think Phyrne is a very unusual name too!!  I liked the fashions, hairstyles and cars of this period.  3 ½* (I liked this series)

60 min each episode, TV Series, Crime with Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Ashleigh Cummings, Richard Bligh, Travis McMahon, Anthony Sharpe.

Note:  Imdb 8.4 out of 10, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 585 reviews,

Special Note:  The episode titles for this series are Cocaine Blues, Murder on the Ballarat Train, The Green Mill Murder, Death at Victoria Dock, Raisins and Almonds, Ruddy Gore, Murder in Montparnasse, Away with the Fairies, Queen of the Flowers, Death by Miss Adventure, Blood and Circuses, Murder in the Dark, King Memses Curse.

1984

     This film is based on a novel by George Orwell.  There has been an atomic war and the world is divided into three states.  London is in Oceania and a party rules it with total control over all the citizens.  Winston Smith works on correcting newspapers in an office.  He has met Julia and they fall in love, which is a crime.  Everything in Oceania is outdated and dirty.  All the people wear the same blue overalls.  Big Brother listens to what you say and he can also see what you are doing.  Those who break the rules are tracked down by the Thought Police and they are re-educated.

     There was a lot about this movie that I didn’t understand, probably because I haven’t read the book?  Everything is very bleak and all existences are the same but they are not very enjoyable or good?  2* (I didn't like this movie)

113 min, Drama directed by Michael Radford with John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher, James Walker.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10, 80% critic 71% audience, Roger Evert 3 ½*.

Special Note:  George Orwell said this film was not about the future but about the years after WWII when England suffered poverty and hunger. 1984 was also released in 1956 with Michael Redgrave, Edmond O’Brien, Jan Sterling, David Kossoff, Mervyn Johns, Donald Pleasence.  The Rotten Tomatoes rating is 76% audience.

Belle 2013

     This movie is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle in Britian of the late 1800 and early 1900 centuries.  She was the mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Captain.  Sir John Lindsay brought young Belle to live with his great-uncle and his wife as his heir after the passing of her mother.  His family did take her in and they called her Dido but they were taken aback because of her illegitimacy and the fact her mother was of darker skin.  She has privileges because of the status of her father yet her skin prevents her full participation in the traditions of her social standing.  When her father passes away at sea, she is awarded a yearly allowance which makes her more eligible for marriage.   During the social coming out season for Dido and her cousin Elizabeth, this inheritance will attract young noblemen without money of their own.  Elizabeth will be more desirable for marriage but the man will need to have his own money since she has no allowance.

     Dido is appalled by the way she is forced into a double standard only due to her skin color.  A suitor interested in Elizabeth treats Dido abdominally.  He has his own money so he doesn’t need her allowance but his brother does.  How can she marry into a family with one of the members loathing the sight of her?  I was worried in the beginning that this film would get too bogged down in the traditions and customs of this time period.  It does begin to move away from this focus and gets better.  3* (This movie is OK)

104 min, Drama directed by Amma Asante with Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Sarah Gadon, Miranda Richardson, James Norton, Tom Felton, Penelope Wilton, Alan McKenna.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 83% critic 83% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*.

Mr. Selfridge Season 2 2014

     The setting is 1914 and it has been five years since the store opened.  Rose Selfridge and the girls have gone back to Chicago.  Gordon Selfridge has left boarding school and he’s working in the store.  For the fifth anniversary celebration Rose returns to London.  Agnes is working the store windows and Thackeray isn’t happy when Henri is rehired.  WWI is starting and many of the men enlist in the army.  Women are brought in to work in the warehouse to replace the men.  Harry submits a list of leather suppliers to Lord Loxley, a member of the procurement committee for the war.  German manufactured goods are removed from the store as a show of patriotism.  Henri is arrested because he visited Germany and then it’s discovered American authorities want him for a possible crime.  Harry is smeared in a newspaper article about shoddy shoes sent to the troops.

     I enjoyed catching up with the characters in this series and there are a lot of changes due to the war.  I like the further development of the characters, cars, manners, fashions and hairstyles of this period.  4* (I really liked this series)

45 min each episode, TV Series created by Andrew Davies with Ron Cook, Amy Beth Hayes, Tom Goodman-Hill, Trystan Gravelle, Jeremy Piven, Amanda Abbington, Samuel West, Malcolm Rennie, Aisling Loftus, Gregory Fitoussi, Calum Callaghan, Kika Markham, Frances O’Connor, Greg Austin, Katherine Kelly, Aidan McArdle.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 67% critic 87% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 3,088 reviews.

Tusk 2014

     Wallace Bryton is a podcaster on a radio show.  He travels to Manitoba, Canada to do an interview of a man who has posted a YouTube video but it falls through.  Wallace sees a bulletin board ad in a convenience store and he decides there may be a story here he can checkout as a replacement.  He goes to the home of Howard Howe, he is a strange man, paralyzed and in a wheelchair with many adventure stories of his past to tell.  What Wallace doesn’t know is that Howe has given him a drug and he has entirely different plans for Wallace.

     This starts out very boring and then it turns ridiculous plus it is not funny?  There are a lot of scenes mocking Canadians, their love of hockey and their speech mannerisms.  Johnny Depp plays an irritating Inspector Clouseau type Canadian detective.  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

102 min, Comedy directed by Kevin Smith with Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, Johnny Depp, Matthew Shively.

Note:  Imdb 5.5 out of 50, 39% critic 38% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*.

The Identical 2014

     William and Helen Hemsley are in love in 1936 and they welcome identical twin boys into the world in Tupelo, Mississippi.  Their problem is that it is the Great Depression and even though Helen wants to keep both the boys, William realizes they can afford to feed only one.  Evangelist Reece Wade and his wife Louise reveal that their greatest hope is to have a child but they are unable.  The Hemsley’s decide to give the Wades the boy of their choice.  In later years, Drexel Hemsley has an awesome musical talent and he rises like a comet plus he changes the music world.  Ryan Wade is pressed by his father to become a preacher but he doesn’t think that is what he should do?  Ryan enters a contest to find someone who resembles Drexel Hemsley and who also can play music.  Of course, Ryan is chosen to travel across the country as The Identical. 

     This film is based on a lot of ‘if’ questions.  What if Jesse, the brother of Elvis Presley had lived, what if he had been adopted by other parents, what if they didn’t know each other growing up, what if Jesse also had musical talent, what if he was watching Elvis and his rise to fame?  The focus here is on the Jesse possibility without much included about Elvis and his life?  I knew right away a lot of information was based on Elvis even though nothing is mentioned about him.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

107 min, Dram directed by Dustin Marcellino with Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, Joe Pantoliano, Blake Rayne, Erin Cottrell, Brian Geraghty, Amanda Crew, Waylon Payne, Danny Woodburn, Chris Mulkey, Noah Urrea.

Note:  Imdb 4.7 out of 10, 7% critic 68% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*.

Special Note:  In the real life of Elvis, his twin brother was stillborn.  Elvis always felt guilty that he lived and his twin died.

The Nun 2013

     This film is adapted from a novel by Denis Didertot. The setting is France of the 1760’s.  Suzanne Simonin is a beautiful girl with a natural talent for music.  Her parents send her off to a convent and they expect her to take vows to be a nun.  Her family has exhausted their resources to marry her two elder sisters.  They have nothing left for Suzanne.  She resists the rules of the convent and she’s made the decision not to take her vows.  Her family has come to see her ceremony but they end up taking her home.  Her mother explains Suzanne’s circumstances and choices to her.  She agrees to go back to the convent and she does join the order but she manages to obtain a lawyer who will help her renounce her vows.  This will require an order from the Pope in Rome. 

     This is very interesting and I doubt this is an isolated event.  Hence the quote spoken by Hamlet, “Get thee to a nunnery!”  Suzanne doesn’t have choices but she has a lot of strength and courage.  She is nearly broken in her quest for release but she continues to persevere.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

112 min, Drama directed by Guillaumne Nicloux with Pauline Etienne, Isabelle Huppert, Louise Bourgoin, Martina Gedeck, Francoise Lebrun, Agathe Bonitzer, Alice de Lencquesaing, Gilles Cohen, Marc Barbe.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 75% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Metascore 51/100, The Hollywood Reporter 60/100, Variety 50/100.

Special Note:  The filming locations were Bronnbach Monastery, Baden-Wurtemberg, Germany and Rhone-Alpes, France.  This film was also released in 1966 and it has an Imdb rating of 8.0.