In the Valley of Ellah

. . . with Tommy Lee Jones and Charilize Theron, is a sad little take on what happens when boys go to war and get really screwed up. Charilize's character investigates a killing that happens near a military base, the brutal murder of Jones' son. They try to make Charlize look like a tough no-nonsense cop with sensible shoes and pulled back brown hair, but let's face it, how can she not look beautiful. The movie definitely makes a statement about how screwed up the Iraq War is and has some really good performances. One warning, it did cause three people I was watching it with to fall asleep -- they were really tired though.

The Jane Austen Book Club

I know, I know, it seems my blog has been taken over by Jane Austen. Oh well, I think the season will be over soon. The Jane Austen Book Club, based on the book of the same name, is actually better than the book. It's so light and peppy and fun -- I was thrilled. All the female characters are charming and enjoyable to watch and the main lead male, Hugh Dancy is, well, yummy. I thought it would hardly have anything to do with Jane, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the Jane Austen references, and the way the characters showed why Jane is so great. The bit about Ursula Le Guin was funny. I have always been resistant to science fiction and fantasy novels, so people are always telling me that I should read Ursula LeGuin, and so far I have resisted -- I liked how the romantic pair showed how they loved the other by reading each other's favorite books. This is a movie about and for book lovers. How can that be bad?

Two movies with Sienna Miller

I didn't plan it by I just saw two movies with Sienna Miller, Interview and Factory Girl. Both movies explore how a messed up, druggy famous beauty deals with her fame. Factory Girl is about Edie Sedwick, an Andy Warhol groupie in the 60s who dies too young. Interview is a strange little film with Steve Buscemi who stars and directs with Sienna Miller. The whole movie is basically those two talking; he is a political reporter slummin' it by interviewing a B-movie actress. It's based on a Danish movie and really just kind of strange. One thing for sure is that Sienna Miller is lovely and magnetic, but both movies are just kinda so-so.

Oh and I also saw Eastern Promises with the studly Viggo Mortenson as a tatooed Russian mafia thug. Pretty violent and not as good as The History of Violence by the same director, but you do get see Vigo all nude and stuff in a steam room hopping around killing people. So if you're into that.

Jane Just Plain Rules

Now I feel sad -- Miss Austen Regrets' portrayal of my dear Jane made me lament her short life once again. This Jane seemed more like the Jane of my imaginings than, well certainly more than Becoming Jane. I liked her snippy and funny comments -- many of the lines came straight out of her letters to Cassandra ("shocking acts of dancing") -- and her hunger to write and find solitude. This Jane wanted to have fun and dance and have too much to drink; she even had a hangover. When Cassandra burned Jane's letters after her death, I wanted to grab the letters out of the fire and save all the rich wonderfulness of her words. Ah me -- and then her problems with money and the position that she is put in to try to help her sister and her mother. "I'm to be my own husband, it seems" she complains about her situation. I think I will reread Persuasion now and try to hear the voice of Jane reflecting on her life.

As You Like It
I also saw the HBO movie version of this Shakespeare play -- one of my favorites. I'm pretty sure it is only a movie that English teachers and their students will watch.