Made a tribute for this great movie and this couple 🙂
Watch, comment and share!
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More about the movie:
The White Queen-A Fairytale Romance
Click on picture for program information!
Any who tuned in on Sunday night to the BBC would have caught this lovely new 10 part drama debuting with all the trappings of a good historical drama, including a forbidden romance, a country divided by war, intrigue in the Royal Court and even some sprinklings of magic.
The story is based on Philippa Gregory’s series The Cousins’ War and concerns the three women who acted behind the scenes of one of England’s most memorable battles: The War of the Roses. The first episode introduced us to the ‘White Queen’ aka Elizabeth who is one of the major characters on the York side of the battle. I enjoyed watching her and King Edward meet and fall in love even if it was rushed through. Â They had great chemistry and you were really invested with their romance. Who doesn’t love a Cinderella style romance? I loved the secondary characters especially Elizabeth’s mum who is part villain and part hero.
Of course they were some downsides especially with regards to the production value which could have been higher. Everything seemed a bit dull but then that was probably because we only got to see the poor side living their lives. I can’t wait to tune into the next episode where we hopefully get to meet more of the influential characters at the Court and to see more scenes between the newly wed Royal couple.
Here’s a quick video I made to celebrate my new favourite TV couple:
Enjoy!
Have you seen this new series yet? What did you think of it?
Parade’s End: The new Downton Abbey?
Parade’s End DVD cover
Click cover for BBC page!
Have any of you guys seen the new BBC/HBO production Parade’s End?
I don’t know about you but this is fast becoming one of my favourite period mini-series! Set during the Edwardian era and the First World War, this epic period drama centers around a wealthy aristocrat Christopher Tietjens (played beautifully by Benedict Cumberbatch) and his loveless marriage to the beautiful but cold, destructive Sylvia (played by the stunning Rebecca Hall). Things escalate when a young suffragette walks in to Christopher’s life, challenging his ideals and his loyalty to his wife.
Downton Abbey comes to mind when watching the trailer for this series but despite appearances, Parade’s End is not much like the beloved ITV hit. Well apart from the setting and the costumes of course. But where Downton only skims the surface of the more serious issues of that time including the decline of the aristocracy, Parade’s End goes deeper, delving on more philosophical and thought provoking ideas of what makes someone a good person and what duty means to each person. The characters are also not as clean cut good or evil and you never know what you can expect as it will go from calm seas to explosive drama all within a single scene. Of course there are still beautiful sets and costumes to drool over and the acting is top notch as expected.
So is it better than Downton Abbey? Still a bit too early too tell but so far it’s great in a different way. Less high tea polite chats and more dramatic and provocative, with some very original, intriguing characters. There’s no security of a happy ending either, unlike Downton.
Currently two episodes have aired and both have been amazing in my humble opinion. Looks like things will get more gritty in the next few eps with the war starting. Beautifully shot and directed by Susanna White with a great screenplay by renowned Tom Stoppard, this BBC production is not to be missed. Try it out for yourself!
Check out the trailer:
And here’s a great look at the making of:
Movie Rave: Hysteria
Summary:
In Victorian London, Dr. Mortimer Granville, a young doctor struggles to establish himself. He is hired by a doctor to investigate treatments for women diagnosed with female hysteria using ‘pelvic massage’. The doctor’s two daughters develop an interest in the young Dr. Granville, each tempting to woo him.
Cast:
Hugh Dancy as Granville Mortimer
Maggie Gyllenhaal as Charlotte Dalrymple
Click picture for more info!
Review:
A romantic comedy concerning the invention of the vibrator? Yes pleaseeee! 😀
And with such actors as Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rupert Everett, you have a success in the making! I recently managed to get hold of this new movie and I can’t tell you how much I loved this witty, hilarious period drama!
Set in the 1880’s, the story starts with a well-meaning doctor Granville (Hugh Dancy) looking for employment after being booted from his last position due to a disagreement with his old-fashioned boss. He ends up working for a Dr. Robert Dalrymple in what the movie delicately terms as ‘female medicine.’
In case you hadn’t heard, ‘hysteria’ was a term for a number of illnesses plaguing women in the Victorian era from headaches to paranoia to even boredom. The actual god-honest treatment? Masturbation performed on the patient by a doctor. Well, you can imagine how poor Granville felt, ‘handing’ out treatments to multiple patients daily (hehe).
But the movie handles it all surprisingly well. What could have ended up being a vulgar, cringe-worthy, inappropriate R-rated feature was instead very tastefully done with a great deal of tongue in cheek humor. We don’t see the actual process and it’s all handled as professionally as they must have been back in those days.
And my goodness, was it witty! Anyone with a love of intelligent drama will love this delightful movie. The characters were hilarious, especially Rupert Everett and the prostitute working as a maid in the doctor’s house added some naughty humor. 😉
The movie was also about more than just the invention of the famous vibrator. It looked at how archaic science was back then, women’s rights and Mortimer Granville’s struggle with doing work that means something.
As for the romance, Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal have great chemistry and it’s the typical love-hate relationship thing. He’s actually meant to marry her sister which adds to the romantic tension. She’s everything he wants demure and lady-like whereas Maggie’s character is loud, feisty and unconventional. You can imagine how things go. 😉 The only thing I can say about this movie is that the romance could have been a bit more developed. It all wrapped up so fast: one minute they were in love and next they were together without much build-up.
You may be hesitant about the content but don’t be. Overall, this is a great, witty, romantic, well-acted, well-scripted movie that is a great treat for older fans of period dramas. 😉
Historical Drama Rating: 4 and a half stars out of 5
Sexiness Rating: 4 out of 5
Hugh Dancy is always sexy and Maggie surprisingly fits well into period clothing and looks fresh and pretty. The chemistry is undeniable.
Trailer for Downton Abbey Christmas Special!
Who else is looking forward to the return of the Earl of Grantham’s family and servants? 😀
So many questions to be answered!
Will Mary and Matthew finally get together?
Will Bates and Anna finally catch a break?
Watch the new one minute preview of Downton Abbey now!
Catch the special airing on December 25th on ITV1!
Movie Crazy!
Hey everyone!
I very much enjoyed my little vacation in Brunei! 😀 I actually postponed my return till Sunday as I’m found it to hard to leave 😉
I’ve actually stumbled upon this awesome DVD store down here in Brunei and have picked up a whole bunch of obscure/rare historical movies and series that are difficult to get a hold of. Gotta say one thing for these Bruneians-they sure know how to stock a DVD shelf! (And the food isn’t half bad either!) 😉
Some of the movies I’ve got include Marco Polo (starring the gorgeous Ian Somerhalder ;)), As You Like It (starring the equally radiant Romola Garai and Bryce Dallas Howard), The Four Feathers and The Lady and the Duke.
1) Marco Polo (TV miniseries 2007)
Click picture for more info!
Trailer
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2) As You Like It (2006)
Click picture for more info!
Trailer
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3) The Four Feathers (2002)
Click picture for more info!
Trailer
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4) The Lady and the Duke (2001)
Click picture for more info!
Trailer
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I can’t wait to start watching!
So have you guys seen/heard of any of these dramas?
Or do you know of any other obscure ones?
Comment and share your thoughts!
Kiss Me-A Period Drama Fan Vid
Hey guys,
Ok, I’m going to be a bit selfish now and do some self-promoting, while of course, holding your best interests at heart 😉
Long ago, I made this video to the song Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer featuring all my favourite period drama kisses. It’s still one of my personal favourites among all the videos I’ve made and I thought I would share it with you guys!
Enjoy!
The Way We Live Now music video!
Dear readers,
I’ve just recently watched the BBC series The Way We Live Now (by Anthony Trollepe) and totally fell in love with the couple in the movie! Theirs is a story of forbidden love and is totally absorbing. Cillian Murphy who plays Paul Montague and Paloma Baeza who plays Hetta Carbury have instant chemistry and their love story is filled with all the drama a good romance needs!
As soon as I watched it, I knew I had to make a video for them and now I’m sharing it with you guys, hopefully to encourage more people to come and watch this great show. I always love a period movie and this is one of the best I’ve seen. Apart from the love story, the plot is engaging, addictive and it’s based on classic literature! 😀 For those Pride and Prejudice fans, Matthew Macfadyen stars in here and the talented Andrew Davies writes the screenplay.
Historical Romance Addicts 