"You mean all this time... we could have been friends?"

[lonelybrit]

Had a lovely lovely weekend with aysheh coming to spend a night or so in my neck of the woods. We walked, we shopped, we watched TV/DVD, we attempted some proper cooking, and possibly we drank a wee bit of wine.

Films watched:
Stardust - I'd give it 8/10 for being fun and pretty. aysheh would give it considerably less as she read it first, and within the first few minutes of the opening credits was starting to twitch and mutter about my having to read the book when it was over.
In & Out - watched very late at night. It's fun and cheesy and ridiculously OTT, but its heart's in the right place and we both throroughly enjoyed it.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? - very, very well acted by all. But by god, with the exception of Baby Jane herself, never have I seen so many characters who to put it bluntly couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. Still, it is a classic for a reason.

TV watched:
Torchwood: Dead Man Walking / A Day in the Death - I think the main response to these two eps is still that we were blown away by the acting from one particular individual. The favourite scene remained Ianto's expression when Owen with a single line destroys his fond childhood memories of Tintin and Snowy. More generally, we liked that ADITD gave an alien object, for once, being something wonderful and hope-inspiring and harmless. As well as rather pretty.
Lark Rise to Candleford - ♥♥♥ This is a real slow burner of a series. It starts out slow, but every week something new gets added to the characters and the situation. We're both now thoroughly rooting for Lady Adelaide, one way or another we want something wonderful to happen for her that she'll get to keep, the lady deserves to be cherished.

Comments

[rivier.livejournal.com]

Hah, I was thinking about posting about Lark Rise - or, the "everybody secretly wants to boff Dorcas" show as I like to think of it. Because they do!

My biggest sympathies definitely lie with Adelaide - she's in this terrible, isolated situation, her upbringing doesn't allow her to drop the barriers and make any kind of friendships with the proles, and she's married to a hopelessly immature turnip who needs a severe kicking... except he'd probably enjoy it, he looks the subby sort. I vote for Adelaide and Dorcas running off together to bring up the baby and open a small cake shop in Weymouth. Happy ending all around then!

(Is this the point where I should also admit that I'd been watching for several weeks before I saw the credits and went, "Ooh, Julia Sawalha was in that ep - oh my God, SHE'S Dorcas????" Mind you, this is the woman who watche the whole of Schindler's List, marvelling at that complete unknown but absolutely perfect actor they'd found to play Stern, and then turned to her friends at the end and said "Hey, Ben Kingsley's in the credits - who was he playing?" My fail, she is as wide as the oceans!)

[lonelybrit]

Alas poor Adelaide. I think what really gets me is that they have obviously tried to make sure that's impossible to really dislike any of the three sides of this triangle, none of them are the villain. I'd say the most culpable is Sir Timothy - the curse of weak men, tsk tsk. It's hard to completely dislike him, though, as I do admire how he genuinely cares for those on his estate and remembers his old childhood friends (not just Dorcas).

As for Dorcas *sigh* Bit like Tosh really. Poor thing seems doomed in love. If anything, she seems to show more love, concern and consideration for Adelaide than Sir Timothy does.

And my heart broke for Adelaide during her speech to Timothy of only being 'brought up to do two things'. She really has tried so hard on his behalf, going to this country concerts with him and employing the local tradesfolk when she could get finer from London. He doesn't really seem to have done anything to return these gestures. I don't blame her for finally beginning to snap, happy marriage should have compromise on both sides.

I vote for Adelaide and Dorcas running off together to bring up the baby and open a small cake shop in Weymouth. Happy ending all around then!

Oh that would be lovely! Mine and Aysheh's original idea (after *cough*awinebottleortwo*cough*) was that Dorcas could have Timothy if that's what would really make her happy, Laura could settle down with Phillip and his pheasants, and Adelaide could do a lady Chatterly and find happiness with Alf - purely because you can tell that when he falls in love, he really falls in love, and he would worship her AND we know he's good with the kiddies. Though I think I prefer your idea, cake shops by the sea are always of the good =)

[rivier.livejournal.com]

Yes - the whole show suffers from a bit too much "nobody can be unloveable" which means that when you do need a protagonist, it's either an out-of-villager, or the pantomime spinster sisters - very similar faults to those of Cranford, in fact: another fluffy costume drama that seduced me in spite of my best intentions! Sunday night TV, for when your brains are still offline for the weekend.

Most of Lark Rise's dramatic tension comes from one of the characters digging in their heels and posturing improbably, and then being coaxed into relenting by the final reel. And yet, I'm tuning in every week, damn them!

I had more time for Timothy earlier on, but I think last night showed him in a dreadful light - his wife is finally pregnant, and he's ignoring her in favour of mooning totally blatatly over the fact that the childhood sweetheart he was too chicken to marry may actually be getting a life of her own (fine for him to marry and start a family but God forbid she should ever do the same!) I thought he might have been able to put up a fight to keep the schoolteacher there, if he'd chosen to - but having the excuse to drive him away was a blessing for Timothy, I thought he came across as close to conniving at that moment, and for nothing but selfish reasons! BAD!

Laura's clearly never going to have a problem with suitors. I vote Philip and Alf should have a fraught, hate-sex-filled encounter in the hayrick, realise that they were both after Laura as a surrogate, and run off together to join Adelaide and Dorcas in Weymouth. Then I can write Tales Of The Cakeshop, a collection of wry urban anecdotes about finding a home of love and tolerance within a judging society. At which point Laura will get over the Retcon and run back to confide in Gwen - whoops, wrong crossover! Actually, Laura can marry Timothy! Perfect! Going by her mother, she'd be popping out the sprogs faster than the play-Doh Fun Factory!

[lonelybrit]

I know, damn them for making me like everyone! *shakes fist* Even the Pratt sisters had their moment of hope - one of the reasons I wound up disliking the father so much was that he pretty much destroyed what was likely to be their one real chance of maybe growing a little more. I mean, I dislike them now, but I also pity them since they've been given a backstory.

And utterly yes. At least in the beginning Timothy seemed to be trying with regards to his wife, but recently, less so. I think the next ep or so will make me decide just how I should be reading his actions with regards to the teacher. Possibly I also need to rewatch as I can't tell which part convinced him fighting would be a lost cause (jealously or practicality because of hte parents' board).

I vote Philip and Alf should have a fraught, hate-sex-filled encounter in the hayrick...

I second that vote! And I was feeling so good and pure about being able to enjoy a show without once having slashy thoughts, and then those two met for the first time and glowered at each other. *sigh* I am a lost cause.

Then I can write Tales Of The Cakeshop, a collection of wry urban anecdotes about finding a home of love and tolerance within a judging society.

I approve of this, and I expect to see the first draft posted in the next week or so!

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

I love Whatever Happened to Baby Jane! It's just so..camptastic! :D

I've read Stardust but haven't seen the film yet, although I have heard other grumbles of 'not as good as the book.

[lonelybrit]

Oh it was wonderful! :) The faux english accent, the cops who must have literally tripped over the missing convertible en route to get their doughnuts. Brilliant!

It is a good film, Aysheh admitted this, but she said that she would rather they'd ahve started with something like 'Inspired by the book by Neil Gaiman...' as opposed to claiming it as an actual adaptation.