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Visual Jane Austen

For those of us just beginning to enjoy a visual Jane Austen, there is a new adaptation of Sense & Sensibility playing on PBS. I barely remember the1995 version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.

Although serious fans of Austen may balk at any movie version, it still may peak interest in such period pieces. This new version of Sense & Sensibility is breathtakingly beautiful, the costumes alone are at the very least, worth a look. Part II airs 2/8/09 at 9 p.m.

Also see: Review of Miniseries North and South

DVD Review: Possession with Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart

Possession is 2002 DVD based on the book of the same title by author A. S. Byatt. It intertwines the present and the past melding two love stories and a quest for literary gold. An American in England Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) finds unsent letters by a (fictional) Victorian poet. He connects with Dr. Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) to try and find answers to his questions, who was the poet writing to?

As more letters are unearthed Roland and Maud discover a hidden romance between two Victorian poets.

This movie is no action-adventure; it is a true story with believable characters and seamless transitions. The scenery is beautiful and the period clothes are magnificent. It's especially fantastic for those who enjoy movies/books like Pride and Prejudice and North & South. Extra's on DVD include director commentary.

Roswell TV Series: Sci-fi Romance at its Best!

Stephanie Meyer's Twilight young adult book series has hit the best seller list with each installment, but it isn't the only series to take a crack at mixing sci-fi and romance. Roswell, a WB series that started in 1999 ran three seasons. It centered around a girl named Liz Parker (Shiri Appleby) who lives in Roswell, New Mexico. The pilot episode starts with a bang, literally, when a gun goes off in the Crash Down (her families alien-themed cafe) and Liz gets hit. In a split second decision, the bruiting Max Evans (Jason Behr) saves Liz's life by using his powers. Yes, that's right his powers! His secret is out (at least to Liz) Max is no ordinary teenage, in fact he is no ordinary human. 

Blood and Chocolate: The Movie

Set in the city of Bucharest, Romania this visually stimulating movie centers around a 19 year old female named Vivian. But she is no ordinary teen. she's part werewolf (or loup garou). Vivian struggles to overcome the events of her past all the while coop with archaic rules of her kind. To top it all off Vivian mets Aiden a human strangers who captures her attention. Soon Vivian must decide where her loyalties lie, with the traditions of her kind of with Aiden.

Blood and Chocolate is based on a popular young adult book by Annette Curtis Clause. Despite this great start, I found the movie lacking. The plot was one-dimensional and the end was too easily predicted. However, some of the visual effects (such as the shapeshifting from human to wolf) were great. And the music matched perfectly with the Romanian setting.

Overall, I'd give this film 4 out of 5 stars.   

Miniseries North and South

I am big on romance movies. There are a few contemporary favorites like: A Bed of Roses, Titanic, Ghost, Pretty Woman, Sweet November. However, sometimes romance is best served British. Not just Love,Actually or Bridget Jones’ Diary but the hand-accidentally-brushing-up, corset, top hat, horse and buggy kind of romance. I’m talking Pride and Prejudice, beautiful, heart-wrenching wow.

This is why I am recommending the miniseries North and South. Based on a novel written by Elizabeth Gaskell this fantastic period piece has a profound storyline of industrialization, the emergence of worker’s rights and a love story with subtle, delightful nuances.

The main characters have depth and passion. The suspense rises in all the right spots. Not to mention a heroine who is both smart and beautiful. If you loved Pride and Prejudice, I recommend you watch North and South (two-disk set).