Tom Brown's School Days

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

Click here for the basics

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.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

The Trip

The Trip (Michael Winterbottom, 2010)

Click here for the basics

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.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Submarine & The Secret World of Arrietty

Submarine (Richard Ayoade, 2010)

Click here for the basics

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)
Click here for the basics

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.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Jeeves and Wooster, Miss Marple

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

Click here for the basics

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)
Click here for the basics

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)

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here