Sunday, December 1, 2013

No Sooner Said...

Last night V. and I went to the movies and saw TWO!  Philomena was first and The Book Thief second... Whew!  That was a bit much even for me.

Philomena was wonderful.  It's based on the true story of Philomena Lee who had a baby out of wedlock in 1950s Ireland.  Anyone who has read Maeve Binchy will know that this was almost a mortal sin.

Philomena was promptly booted out of the family home and sent to a convent that looked after unwed mothers and their babies... I don't want to give anything away but to say this: Judi Dench is at her best, such a veteran, looks so relaxed and gives a really good performance of an aging mother who, 50 years after the fact, is asking herself some serious questions.

Philomena and journalist Martin Sixsmith embark on a journey that will bring Philomena some resolution and the viewer is left open-mouthed...
I highly recommend this movie and give it 4 stars out of 5.  V. would give it at least 2 Kleenex out of 3.
Yes, my husband cries at movies.

The Book Thief was another genre altogether.  Set in 1939 Germany, a young girl is left by her mother, after her brother's death,  with a German couple struggling to survive.  Liesel brings an allowance with her and that is the prime motivation for taking her in. 

War is declared and we are taken on a journey that reveals Liesel's and her foster parents' characters in time of real strife.  With the help of her loving step-father, Liesel learns to read and becomes empowered to push the boundaries elsewhere in her life.  She is a gutsy girl with a big heart and the gift of inspiring the love and respect of those who know her.

Elsy has commented that this is one of her favorite books and that she hopes the movie is as good.  I have not read the book and I doubt that the movie does justice to the best-selling novel but the Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse with Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson make for a powerful onscreen family.  This is a great Christmas time movie to watch.  V. cried 2 Kleenex' worth and even hid his eyes  a couple of times...  This movie is visually beautiful and moving. 

I give it almost 4 stars out of 5.

Happy viewing!

Stella

2 comments:

Tear Jerker said...

Oh I cannot wait to see these two films. I saw Gravity. No tears, very good. Saw Captain Philip, Tom Hanks nails the role; No tears. Saw Catching Fire, loved it. No tears. Vlad and I can never go to a movie together. If they are tear jerkers... I am a snotty mess.

elsy said...

am really excited to see it now.....even if it doesnt live up to the book...am a sucker for a visually beautiful film.

Happy Birthday to Me

My face is on fire as I write this.  Can't go outside for three days because I've had Photodynamic Therapy for pre-cancerous cells o...