Friday, March 26, 2010

Off to the Flicks

MTL didn’t fancy wearing 3D glasses so Avatar and Alice in Wonderland were off the menu. I thought An Education sounded interesting especially as it’s the film of a book written by journalist Lynn Barber about her life in the sixties when, as a teenager she fell in love with an older man and was actually encouraged by her parents. This is quite shocking as an Oxbridge education was on the cards for their daughter and the older man was involved in sleazy business with the notorious fifties landlord Rachman. Oh and he was married with children.

It was all delightfully familiar - I didn't partake so I remember the sixties -with the music of Juliette Greco, Jacque Brel and those exquisitely coloured cigarettes Balkan Sobranie. The love affair with France rang bells – as my boys use to say – teasing me:

‘If it’s French it MUST be good.’


Although I was in my thirties then I recognised the hopes and aspirations she had as a teenager (more proof of my arrested development - keeps you young though) and I

didn’t have an affair and go to Paris with an older man.


The acting – with one exception was Oscar worthy. Carey Mulligan as Jenny was

nominated as best actress. Peter Sarsgaard as David was convincing

as someone you’d ditch your ambitions for, Rosamund Pike was delightful as a vacuous blonde and Dominic Cooper as Danny completed the young quartet.

Emma Thomson selflessly played the unsympathetic head mistress.


I’m afraid I found Alfred Molina too dominant a personality for the role of the father. His extraordinary looks seemed out of place amongst such nuanced performances.


The film was just my cup of tea and succeeded in making me want to read the book.

Lynn Barber had to decide whether to tell all and risk upsetting her elderly parents,

now in their nineties in a retirement home. She felt she had been a dutiful daughter for 65 years and now was the time to tell her story – a decision most writers of memoirs have to face sooner or later.


MTL had his eyes closed every time I looked in spite of the occasional deafening bursts of sound – at the dog race – for instance. Why do they do that- it’s so jarring and completely unnecessary in such a film. There was a scene where the heroine was on a bus and I watched carefully as she rose to get off the bus – interested in what handbag she had and was surprised to see she had none but in the next scene – voila there it was. A mild lapse in continuity?


An Education had me - not quite in thrall – but thoroughly entertained. See photos below.

19 comments:

sablonneuse said...

That looks like a good film. I'll have to wit to buy the DVD though as they don't often show films in English here.
Glad you solved the problem of not hearing from J and hope she and her husband have recovered now.

Pat said...

Sandy: I hope you enjoy it.
The problem isn't yet solved J is a different J to Joy and her husband. They are recovering but I still am trying to contact J.

lom said...

You an see Alice in wonderland in 2d we did its a good flim

Gia Fernandes said...

Sounds nice. It's on my list of films to watch this month.
I wish you could see Alice in 3D though, it really is fabulous. A true visual treat!

Anonymous said...

If Emma Thompson's in it, I'll see it. Another in the pantheon of marvelous British actresses.

Cheers.

Pat said...

LOM: I wouldn't mind wearing the glasses - especially if it enhances the film.

CC: if I get the chance I will now.

Randall: and so likeable. I once wrote to her and she wrote back. She is excellent in the part - which isn't - for once - likeable.

Gadjo Dilo said...

Hmm, maybe I'll get to see it one day, though I doubt the subject matter will ring any bells for people here :-)

Balkan Sobranies were oval; were the coloured ones called "Cocktail Sobranie"?

Pat said...

Gadjo: I remember their exoticism and think they had black stems and coloured tips. She actually calls them Russian Sobranie. Cocktail Sobranie would certainly fill the bill.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I enjoyed the film very much, though I was unaware it was based on a true story...It would have enriched it for me, in a way, had I known that when I saw it...
I know what you mean about Alfred Molina...though I think he is such a wonderful actor, his "over the top" performace didn't really disturb me....I think Carey Mulligan is a delightful actress, though she did look older than a teenager to me....

I know what you mean about the sound in films now...I sound guy explained that to me when I was complaining about it, especially when I watch DVD's...I am constantly having to adjest the sound throughout the viewing. He said that all the sound now is made for BIG theatres and it doesn't transfer well to smaller speakers, etc. I find it very annoying, I must say. I don't know the size of the theatre you saw this film in...but it probably wasn't in one of these BIG theatres with all the new surround-sound "state of the art" equiptment...just a thought.

Madame DeFarge said...

Sounds very interesting. And sorry that I missed wishing you a happy birthday on the day. A rather unexpected intrusion of real life problems precluded any blogging type stuff. But glad you had a wonderful time - it certainly seemed a grand time.

Pat said...

Gadjo:' SOBRANIE COCKTAIL Colored Cigarettes 200s
Smoke in style....Cocktails are five separate pastel shades with a gold foil filter and are the same ring gauge as a standard cigarette.
(Tar - 14mg; Nicotine - 1.0mg)'
You were right and MTL remembers the black oval ones.

Naomi I've just orderd Lynn Barber's book. You are right about Carey. In the beginning - wet and bedraggled - she looked like a school girl but when the two of them were in bed they looked contemporary. I thought he was quite dishy.
The theatre wasn't very big ( there were five in the audience so the sound had nowhere to go:)

Pat said...

Madam D: thank you and I hope the real life problems are now sorted:)

Charlie said...

A very nice review, Pat. I do the same thing you do--look for inconsistencies, which for some reason drives Martha nuts when I point them out.

I won't go to the theatre any more because of the sound--I always end up with a raging headache.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

I've NEVER seen a 3D film, I'd love to see one, I've heard so much about them.

Lynn Barber's 60's life sounds like many teens lives here, today. Sad, isn't it?

Pat said...

Charlie: pity we can't look for inconsistencies together and drive everybody mad:)

GG: she had a lucky escape in that she recovered her momentum and went on to Cambridge but I'm eager to read her book and see if it did blight her life.

kenju said...

I should see that one. I had forgotten the name of the colored cigarettes, but in high school, I went to a dance in a turquoise dress, carrying a pack of the turquoise cigarettes. All my friends had cigs to match their dresses too, and we felt so sophisticated!!

Pat said...

Judy: smoking at school Judy - I'm shocked:)

Shane said...

Ahhh, An Education.

That was going to be my next guess.

word verification: notgum

Pat said...

Shane: ahhh! you say that now;)