The Flying Deuces & Look Around You

The Flying Deuces (A. Edward Sutherland, 1939)

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Rating: Q=4, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Early Comedy, Comic Duo, Slapstick

I adore the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin. Their films are genius, to me, and no matter how many times I watch them they will never lose the spark. But I've never felt that way about Laurel and Hardy comedies, for some reason. While The Flying Deuces has its moments -usually when Stan is being his naive, patient, loyal self and Hardy is flailing around miserably- the humor is just not my cup of tea. Slapstick can be magical when Chaplin and Keaton dress it up with acrobatics and subtle charm but Laurel and Hardy just don't hold my attention. If you've never watched one of their films, though, you should. It's hard not to have an appreciation for how they paved the way for future comic duos.

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Look Around You Season 1 (Peter and James Serafinowicz, 2002)
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Rating: CSS=11, SP=7 / Double Whoopee!
Scale F=4, Scale G=3, Scale H=4, Scale I=3, Scale J=4

BBC Comedy, Wacky, Spoof Series, Satire

OK... why I hadn't heard of this show before is beyond me. Absolutely HYSTERICAL. If you enjoyed watching "made-for-kids" documentary and educational television programs when you were growing up, you just might love this spoof show. Absurd doesn't even begin to describe it. You'll just have to watch. I know I'm going to keep coming back to watch each ten-minute episode. Favorite one = Sulfur.

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The Forsyte Saga

The Forsyte Saga (Christopher Menaul & David Moore, 2002-2003)

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Season 1 Rating: DSQ=11, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=4, Scale E=3

Season 2 Rating: DSQ=10, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale A=4, Scale B=3, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=3

Melodrama, Late 19th/Early 20th Century, Complex Relationships, Emotional

What an absolutely captivating and whirlwind drama series. The art direction is stunning; like a painting, every scene is layered with color and complexity. The acting is superb. Damian Lewis's portrayal of Soames Forsyte is excruciatingly superb. I found myself cringing and becoming totally furious at his character but someone also sympathizing. Both seasons of the saga are intense in the stories and scenes, characters and utterly complicated relationships. If you enjoy soap operas and melodramas, this is for you. If you love period dramas that are lovingly crafted and timeless, this is for you.

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Tom Brown's School Days

Tom Brown's School Days (David Moore, 2005)

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Rating: Q=5, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 5=2

Based on Book, 19th Century, Coming of Age, Bullying, School Drama

The classic book of boys, growing up, and values is wonderfully adapted in this film. I was captivated by the young actors' performances: emotional and realistic, sometimes painfully so. Tom Brown's School Days captures the complex struggle between doing what is difficult and right or what is expected of your peers. A very worthwhile viewing for any young person.

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The Trip

The Trip (Michael Winterbottom, 2010)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

British Comedy, Mockumentary, Travel and Food, Being a Comedian

If you love British comedians as much as I do, then this film is for you. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon dish out plenty of absurdity and wit but all is kept balanced by the subtle, dark humor found in any good Mockumentary. This one is a spoof of Gourmet Food Travel shows. Steve wallows in melancholy, contemplating his relationships and overwhelming desire for more fame. Rob sits back and relaxes, perfectly content with his life and style. Comedic rivalry, impressions, goofiness, countryside... it's a treat.

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Submarine & The Secret World of Arrietty

Submarine (Richard Ayoade, 2010)

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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Indie, Complex Relationships, Dark Comedy, Teen Romance

Oh, high school... there was something so great about being different. And every moment and event was exaggerated ten times over; became ten times more real. This film reminded me so much of being a teenager - the drama of relationships, the mistakes, the awkward conversations, the escapades. Submarine is funny and sad and contemplative. Richard Ayoade created something quite beautiful and intriguing. The characters and storylines feel real and yet somehow remain entirely fantastical.

The Secret World of Arrietty (Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2010)
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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

Animated, Studio Ghibli, Based on Book, Fantasy/Whimsical

It seems like I waited years to see this film - it was well worth it. Studio Ghibli never fails to impress me and inspire. Based on the children's classic The Borrowers, The Secret World of Arrietty tells the story of little people who live beneath the floorboards and survive by borrowing bits and pieces from the humans. It is utterly enchanting. Every stunning illustration -from the world of the garden to inside the walls and under the grates- is meticulously detailed and gorgeous. Arrietty, the heroine, is fun to watch as she climbs the towering walls, skips along blades of grass, and frets and schemes in her room full of found objects. I can't recommend this film enough. Masterful.

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Jeeves and Wooster, Miss Marple

Jeeves and Wooster Season 1 & 2 (Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, 1990-1991)

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Season 1 Rating: CSS=8, CSQ=7 / The Guffaws

Scale F=3, Scale G=3, Scale H=2, Scale I=3, Scale J=4

Season 2 Rating: CSS=9, CSQ=7 / The Guffaws
Scale F=3, Scale G=3, Scale H=3, Scale I=3, Scale J=4

British Comedy, Wit, Based on Book, Odd Couple, 1920s, Sharp Dialogue

Since Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are two of my comedy heroes and I absolutely love anything set in the 1920s, I had great fun watching both of these seasons of Jeeves and Wooster. Both characters are portrayed so amazingly well it is hard not to be drawn in- loving Bertie for his ridiculous charm and silliness, admiring Jeeves for his incredible mind and suavity. If you like sharp wit and subtle, sophisticated humor, you'll love this show.

Favorite episode from season 1 = "Tuppy and the Terrier"
Favorite episode from season 2 = "Jeeves in the Country"

Miss Marple, all seasons (Joan Hickson, 1984-1992)
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Rating: CSQ=10, SP=7 / Decadence
Scale A=3, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=4

British Drama, Mystery, Based on Book, Detective, 1940s-1960s

Agatha Christie has written my favorite mysteries and is one of my all-time favorite authors. While my favorite of her timeless characters is Detective Hercule Poirot, there is a place in my heart for the warm, unassuming, but sharp as a tack Miss Marple. Masterpiece Mystery has resurrected the character in recent years but nothing compares to Miss Marple portrayed to perfection by Joan Hickson in the 1980s. These productions are so good because the characters are exactly right.

The Body in the Library (1984)
A Murder is Announced (1985)
A Pocket Full of Rye (1985)
The Moving Finger (1985)
The Murder at the Vicarage (1986)
Sleeping Murder (1987)
At Bertram's Hotel (1987) -my personal favorite
Nemesis (1987)
4.50 from Paddington (1987)
A Caribbean Mystery (1989)
They Do It With Mirrors (1991)
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1992)

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Albert Nobbs

Albert Nobbs (Rodrigo Garcia, 2011)

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Rating: Q=6, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Drama, Tearjerker, Complex Relationships, Late 19th Century, Class Tension, Gender and Sexuality

This may be the most depressing film I've ever seen. The tension and repression that Glenn Close creates through her portrayal of Albert -a woman living as a man- is so strong, it is painful to watch. From every close-up of a shielded personality to every moment of silence, I found myself crying inside and outside for Albert. Janet McTeer's confident, strong-willed Mr. Page enhances the tension even more making the film just so difficult to watch. The film reminds us of many things: that gender inequality and abuse are real issues - then and now; that acceptance can mean the difference between life and death; that some people's dreams won't come true, no matter how much they wish and try and hope.

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