Return to Downton Abbey- Dec 1 on PBS

PBS is giving us a nice little teaser for Downton Abbey in the form of Return to Downton Abbey on December 1, 2013 at 9 pm.

Susan Sarandon hosts this recap of all things Downton including a peek at Season 4 which starts on January 5, which is not that far off! Apparently O'Brien is gone so we will need a new evil female character below stairs. I can't wait!

We get to see some behind the scenes clips, along with interviews with creator Julian Fellowes and some of the actors we now know and love. So tune in to PBS this Sunday (I think even my local WNED out of Buffalo is airing this one at the same time) and enjoy the teaser!

About Time- A Sentimental Journey

I got to see the latest Richard Curtis film About Time last weekend and can absolutely recommend it. If you haven't already heard it is about a time travelling father and son team (Domhnall Gleeson and Bill Nighy) and the son's search for love (Rachel McAdams in her third time travel film). And yes it is a bit sappy, par for the course with Mr. Curtis. But it is also wonderful!

In a nutshell, it seems like Richard Curtis was feeling very sentimental about family (the father son relationship especially) and he has also apparently been mulling over the fact that we could all be happier by smelling the roses more instead of getting stressed out over life, as most of us do.

So suspend your disbelief (only adult men in this particular family can time travel, and to do it they have to go into a dark place while they close their eyes and clench their fists) and just go with it.

Tim (Domhnall Gleeson pronounced Dough-nal) is the new Hugh Grant/ awkward Brit character who falls in love instantly with Mary (Rachel McAdams) without seeing her at first (too complicated to explain) and uses his time travel ability to go back and "re-do" the cringe-inducing moments we are used to in a Curtis film.

Let me just add that the cast is superb among them Tom Hollander as...well...again, hard to explain his relationship with the main characters but his role is hilarious perfection! And Lindsay Duncan is understated and simply lovely as the mother/wife of the time travelers.

The supporting cast of young unknowns is also wonderful and the scenery of Cornwall is out of this world. So yes, if you enjoyed Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral you will adore this one too. If those films didn't turn your crank then you probably have drastically different taste in film than I do!

Enjoy this one friends!!!

Longbourn by Jo Baker

I have recently been swallowed up by a book, Longbourn by Jo Baker. This is going to be a short post because I am nearing the end of this totally absorbing story and I want to get back to it.

If you haven't heard of Longbourn yet, it is the story of what happened below stairs in the Pride and Prejudice story. Not only a brilliant concept, but brilliantly executed. We tend to forget who actually made those big country houses tick, and the story of the maids, cooks and footmen make for just as riveting a novel as the original. At times I forgot it was the P&P story, until, for instance, Elizabeth reappears and tells the main character (maid Sarah) that she is coming to stay at Hunsford parsonage with her when she visits Charlotte Lucas. To which I said to myself, "Oh, goody! Let's get Sarah's spin on the whole Darcy issue!"

Random House Australia provided this adorable character map if you would like to see who the downstairs folk are. Or you could just be surprised. Suffice it to say, this one is a great read and will make a wonderful film. I would be surprised if the film rights aren't already spoken for. I look forward to this future film much more than the one already being made Death Comes to Pemberley, a miniseries adaptation of P.D.James's murder mystery sequel to Pride and Prejudice, even though that one stars a fave of mine, Anna Maxwell Martin.

So that is all I am going to tell you about this wonderful book. You are just going to have to check it out for yourself. And picture the film as you read it!

Cheers!

P.S. Now that I have finished the book, I can give it an unqualified recommendation. There is a happy ending (unlike so many modern novels). As well, it will make you feel pretty awesome about yourself and all you do. We are the cooks, maids, gardeners, housekeepers, nannies and income earners these days. Not to mention that we manage to be as captivating and handsome as the Bennet sisters all the while. Well, some of the time anyway!!

Secrets of The Tower of London

Did you know that The Tower of London is almost 1,000 years old and was built by William the Conquerer as a result of the Norman Invasion of 1066? It was built for use as a palace and as a signal of the strength of the French ruling elite of that time. I certainly didn't know it was that old, and my great-grandfather was born in the Tower Hamlets, a few blocks from the actual tower.

Tonight most PBS stations are airing Secrets of The Tower of London tonight, Oct 27 at 8pm (my local station is airing it on Nov 17 at 8 pm) and it is well worth watching, no matter how much you know about "The Tower".

The history of the Tower of London as a prison for the upper classes is much better known although there are a ton of secrets within it's walls, not surprising considering it's age.

Tourism is the purpose of the Tower these days and although it no longer houses the Royal Menagerie, it does still hold the Crown Jewels and the displays of Royal armour.

So if you want to know more about its famous prisoners such as Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More as well as the Beefeaters and the ravens, tune in tonight. Of course, they can't cover every story associated with The Tower of London, but you will definitely be fascinated and the wonderful HD photography makes you feel as if you are right there in the heart of London. Great to get a peek behind the scenes with the people who work and live there. Yes, many workers actually live on the grounds!

The ravens were in the news this week as apparently two of them were killed by a fox just before they were put into their cage for the night. Who knew there were foxes in the East End of London? And there is a superstition that if the ravens all fly away, the monarchy will fall and Britain with it. Which is why the resident ravens have their wings clipped and why they have a few extra around "just in cases" (sorry, I occasionally fall into Love Actually speak). Sad that two of the ravens had an early demise, but I guess the foxes have to live.

In any case enjoy the program. It is wonderfully done and I can't wait for Secrets of Selfridges and Secrets of Scotland Yard. "Check local listings"!

Cheers!

Frances O'Connor- Actor of the Week

Frances O'Connor is my actor of the week and I truly can't believe that I have not featured her before. She has done a few films that I watch again and again, and she continues to surprise us with new offerings. So here goes...

I first saw Frances O'Connor in Mansfield Park 1999 and continue to be blown away by her performance every time I watch this. I have not even come close to getting tired of watching Mansfield Park. And she gets to kiss both Jonny Lee Miller and Alessandro Nivola, the lucky girl. Wonderful acting, great chemistry and the best take so far on MP. Yes, it needs to be redone in a longer miniseries format with a Fanny Price more like she is written in the book, but I will still always love the Patricia Rozema version and Frances O'Connor is a big part of the reason!

As the spunky and sexy Gwendolyn Fairfax from The Importance of Being Ernest, she again rocks the strong female lead. I mean, who else could stand up to Judi Dench (playing her mother) and make Colin Firth do exactly as she wished, including getting a tattoo on his posterior? Incidentally, she outshone Reese Witherspoon by a mile in this one.

If you haven't seen the Women's Suffrage film Iron Jawed Angels, you really have to seek this one out. It is so little known and yet such a great film. Once again we have Frances O'Connor playing a real firecracker of a lady, Lucy Burns, and playing her extremely well. This film should be required viewing for...everyone! You will never miss out on voting for anything after you see this one. Loved it!

And of course we have the lovely Rose Selfridge in the recent Andrew Davies miniseries, Mr. Selfridge. Frances O'Connor is a bit more sedate as Mrs. Selfridge, although she still has quite a backbone! Just a little softer around the edges than some of her roles. We can't wait to see her again in season 2. I just hope they don't kill her off. In real life, she died in 1918. Please keep her in the series Mr. Davies!

There are a few other of her period dramas, notably Madam Bovary, which I haven't seen but would like to. Any other recommendations of fave Frances O'Connor films?

Cheers!

Austenland! Finally!

I FINALLY got to see Austenland, the much anticipated and much delayed film about an Austen fan who blows all of her savings on a vacation to a Jane Austen theme park in England. Based on the book of the same name by Shannon Hale, directed by Jerucha Hess (Napolean Dynamite)  and produced by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight) this one was filmed at least 2 years ago.

So you can understand my trepidation in viewing Austenland, especially considering the mixed reviews it was getting. So it is with great relief that I can tell you that rest assured, if you are reading my blog, you will like this film. It is all a matter of matching the consumer to the product in this case. If you are a random person off of the street (especially a male used to action films) you will be unlikely to appreciate this tongue-in-cheek romp of a movie.

However, if you have ever wondered, even fleetingly, what it would be like to step into the pages of a Jane Austen novel, then you are likely thinking that if this place were real, you would be booking a ticket. OK the thought has possibly crossed my mind before!

I won't give any spoilers, but Keri Russell does a great job as the main character Jane and the two love interests, JJ Feild and Bret McKenzie were already two of my favourite actors even before Austenland. Jennifer Coolidge of course steals every scene she is in. The whole cast seemed to be having a blast filming Austenland, which only adds to the viewers' enjoyment.

The supporting cast is marvelous too with Jane Seymour as the snooty proprietress of the theme park. Rupert Vansittart (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pride and Prejudice 1995) and James Callis (Tom from Bridget Jones) were wonderful additions and nods to some of the films we know and love so well.

So in conclusion, it's not high art but it is a hoot and well worth seeing. Enjoy!

Cheers!

P.S. There is a tour company in England called P&P Tours which will take you to a lot of the filming locations of your fave Period Dramas including Downton Abbey and P&P 95. The link is here: http://www.pandptours.co.uk/

P.P.S. My previous blog post about my desire for a real Austenland is here along with a link to Regency House Party: http://janeaustenfilmclub.blogspot.ca/2013/04/my-reality-tv-pitch-real-austenland.html

Bridget Jones is Back! Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

Yes, Bridget is back in the new Helen Fielding book Bridget Jones: Mad about The Boy! But unfortunately, Mark Darcy is not. After her fairy tale ending, (if you recall the heart achingly lovely ending of the last book with the Velveteen Rabbit analogy) and two children later, Bridget is a widow.

I would have guessed she would be divorced by this time, but Helen Fielding has made Mark Darcy a martyr. Apparently, he was killed by a landmine while negotiating the release of aid workers in the Sudan.

So this is how Helen Fielding decided to get Bridget back on the dating scene. Mark has to go so that Bridget can continue to be Bridget. You know, along the lines of Matthew Crawley having his car accident so that Lady Mary can continue to be her prickly self. The story line must go on!

Apparently Bridget is now 51 with two young children and her new boyfriend is just turning 30. She is also struggling with social media and dating in the 21st century. Daniel Cleaver apparently makes a brief appearance in this book, (for old time's sake) and Bridge is just as bumbling as usual only now she is agonizing over twitter and Botox.

The reviews have not exactly been stellar but I have a copy of Mad About the Boy in front of me anyway, which I purchased this morning and will probably have finished by tomorrow. As much as I would have preferred a little peek into the married life of Mr and Mrs Mark Darcy, I will take anything Helen Fielding decides to give me. And I hope fervently that it makes it's way onto the screen in an improved version even without Colin Firth as the ever perfect Mark Darcy. The second film did not do justice to the second book but we can hope can't we? Here are some quips from the book jacket of Mad About the Boy:

• What do you do when your girlfriend's sixtieth birthday party is the same day as your boyfriend's thirtieth?
• Is it normal to be too vain to put on your reading glasses when checking your boy toy for head lice?
• Does the Dalai Lama actually tweet or is it his assistant?
• Is it normal to get fewer followers the more you tweet?
• If you put lid plumper on your hands, do you get plump hands?

And if you would like to read a transcript of Helen Fielding herself interviewing Bridget Jones for the Daily Mail, it is pretty hilarious! Here is the link:

She's back! Older, none the wiser and with some very odd dating advice for the newly single: Helen Fielding interviews Bridget Jones

Cheers!

P.S. I just finished the book. I really liked it. If you liked the second BJ book then you will probably like this one. A similar satisfying ending. By the way, I think Helen Fielding's writing is very autobiographical. She has a boy and a girl just like Bridget and although the father of her children is not dead, he now lives back in the USA (a writer for The Simpsons or some such) so I think the death of her father may have inspired some of the sentimental bits in the book. So this is probably a peek into the life of Helen Fielding. The neighbour Rebecca is likely inspired by Helena Bonham Carter who is thanked at the end of the book. I will bet she will snag the part in the next film!!!