ikReview - Irina's review of the week

The other Boleyn Girl

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:18:00 GMT

Two sisters - one is soft, the other is strong, one is blond, the other is dark, one is loving, the other only wants to be loved - Mary and Anna Boleyn (played by Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman).

A historical drama, wonderfully played, with beautiful authentic looking costumes, vaguely based on true historical facts - the Boleyn sisters lovers of Henry VIII.

It could have been this way - soft Mary Boleyn charms the king and becomes true and caring lover and mother of king's child, while strong and ambitious Anne uses her charms to get the King and forces him to make her a queen. The end is devastating for both sisters. Far going consequence of this affair is the new church of England.

I liked this film far more then the prizes winning film Elizabeth (Anne Boleyn was the mother of queen Elizabeth), because unlike Elizabeth it is not attempting to be a grand epos, but it is trying to tell a story of two young women.

Hunting and gathering by Anna Gavalda

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:00:00 GMT

I actually find the German title more appropriate. It that can be translated as "Together is one less alone". The book is about how lifes of 4 people changes to better when they become friends and roommates.

So, what do a young anorectic artist who is temporary working as a cleaning lady, a poor aristocrat historian selling postcards, a bad tempered chef and a grandma, whose worse fear is to end up in a nursing home have in common? Well, first of all they live in the center of Paris in an historical apartment and second, together they are definitely less alone. Their thoughts and conversations are amusing and ... so parisien! O la la!

A truely lovely book about modern ordinary people (except the living in the middle of Paris part) and their problems, emotions and a good time.

Oh, and I just discovered that there is a movie too. The trailer looks promising. If the movie is any as good as the book - it must be a must-to-see at least for me.

Charlie Wilson's War: a smart and witty film about not so witty recent history

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:41:00 GMT

Did you think that guys like Ronald Reagan and Michail Gorbatschow made history? Well, you are wrong! Meet Charlie Wilson - a congressman from Texas in an unbelievable and yet based on true events Charlie Wilson's War.

In the beginning of the '80s Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is just another average congressman who cares mostly about being reelected and about being surrounded by as many good looking secretaries as possible, until he meets a certain sharp lady from Texas (Joanne Herring played by Julia Roberts) that makes him see that a history can be made in a distant place called Afghanistan.

His decision to interfere has actually caused the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union and influenced lifes of millions of people living in the Eastern block. But history is ironic and the far going consequences for his own country and the country he was trying to help turned out to be not quite as he imagined.

All the good ingredients: good actors, an excellent script and and a sensational story based on true events!