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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2
Period Drama, Jane Austen, Romantic, Complex Relationships
As someone with a degree in English literature, I do occasionally love to watch 19th Century romances. Mansfield Park is not exceptional but it takes you back in time, evokes strong emotions, and provides release. Although this is not as well known as Austen's other novels and film adaptations -Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Emma- the story is still worth hearing. As ever, listening to Austen today reveals a very different world of social classes and strict gender roles. And love, that all-powerful force.
Hugo (Martin Scorsese, 2011)
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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4
Adventure, Artistic, Nostalgia, Whimsical
I was pretty excited to finally sit down and watch Scorsese's latest piece. Hugo has won many awards and was nominated for countless others. All were fully deserved. This film is a painting that moves. I was captivated from the start and was drawn into the magical world of clocks, automatons, the beginning of cinema, and the joy of going to the movies. Some of the script, in my opinion, was a bit sloppy but I don't think it really matters. The story is not told through words but rather through image and feeling. This is so unlike anything Scorsese has done before but somehow is entirely fitting. If you love movies about movies, you'll like this one. If you like incredible mis en scene, watch this one.
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