I have to admit, I was fairly surprised to see how this two hours’ film achieved what many TV miniseries just barely managed - the element of belief! Mia Wasikowska is just perfect as Jane Eyre! Age appropriate, she is believable as the innocent eighteen year old governess who has seen little of the world, but emulates the courage, conviction and righteousness of greater and more experienced women. Michael Fassbender did what no previous actor filling the shoes of Edward Rochester could do - make him pitiable and yet so adorable and charming!

In this version of Jane Eyre you actually see the difference between Jane and Rochester - physical, intellectual, social, and emotional - and the two lead actors do a convincing job of making us see why these two unlikely lovers should fall in love, and their ultimate reconciliation echoes the truth of that love which surmounted those difficulties, made them aware of their faults, brought them together as equals, and promised a happy future life.

I was delighted to see that minor characters were not overlooked, and were given their proper share of importance. Amelia Clarkson plays a very convincing Jane Eyre as a child and a special mention should go to Judi Dench as Alice Fairfax, whose terrific performance threatens to overshadow the two leads.

Every detail in this film pertaining to the era in which the story takes place has been meticulously observed. From sets to costumes to background score – it is excellent! Even Thornfield appears alive and enigmatic! Some Bronte’s purists would probably detest the movie for everything that makes it superior to other adaptations, but with Bronte’s, you either hate or love them passionately. I fall into the latter category with regard to this film.

Burlesque

So, all of my friends shrieked in horror when asked to accompany me to the movie Burlesque. With all this silly snobbery around me, I opted to wait for the DVD, but now I regret not having seen it at the cinema.

BURLESQUE, written and directed by Steve Antin, is a terrific cinematic definition of what the word 'burlesque' means: 'a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. The word derives from the Italian burlesco, which itself derives from the Italian burla - a joke, ridicule or mockery.' This is a riot of color and good fun and sassy production numbers à la Bob Fosse. The story is predictable and silly and the script borders on mediocre, but with the talent of the cast, none of that matters!





Ali (Christine Aguilera) flees Iowa in hopes of a career in show biz and happens into a Sunset Strip Burlesque House run by 'still not down' Tess (Cher) who knows her business is failing, despite the solid help from her gay assistant Sean (Stanley Tucci) and the warnings of her ex- husband/partner Vince. Tess has problems with some of her lip-synching cast, namely Nikki (Kristen Bell), and is being hounded to sell her club to the wealthy boyfriend of Nikki - Marcus (Eric Dane). Ali observes, wants to be in the show, but is offered the job of waitress in the club by bartender/songwriter Jack (Cam Gigandet), a guy so kind that he shares his little flat with her. Ali is persistent and when given a chance to audition she gets into the cast. Her trump card is that she is such a terrific singer that she converts the club away from lip-synching into a full-blown song and dance place. Romance of course flutters in as do other little side funny episodes, but the main attractions are the glitzy stage numbers by a surprisingly fine Christina Aguilera and by Cher herself. It is all very corny and very wonderful entertainment. Definitely worth an evening's pleasure.

The End of the Millennium

Almost two thousand pages later and my Millennium is finished.

Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson wrote novels, for fun, in his spare time. He died suddenly in November 2004, leaving three unpublished books, that are known as the Millennium Trilogy: The Girls With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

It follows the lives of the unlikely heroine Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist. In this trilogy, Salander fights for her civil freedom and takes revenge on certain people who have harmed her in the past. Armed with phenomenal hacking skills and tenacity to live, Salander might fight the system and everyone who wants her to stay down. Mikael Blomvist enlists her help to uncover government conspiracies and together they fight the dominating power.

These three books are among some of the most interesting ones I have read this year. Translated from Swedish, the three books open my eyes to a new setting; I was bored with crime novels set in North America or in the UK and this series provided a refreshing change from that. Also, I have always been fascinated by the Scandinavian countries and especially by Sweden and this trilogy offers a good overview of life in the modern Swedish society (and politics)

Larsson has created a very intriguing heroine. She is a victim but not victimised; she is vengeful but not cold-blooded; she is small but not weak; she deserves empathy but not sympathy. Lisbeth resides in a critical balance between these dialectics. This is what makes her an unlikely heroine. She is nothing cliché. At some points she overshadows Blomkvist, but the two main characters both have their own charms in the trilogy. Blomkvist is not a perfect hero, which only serves to make him more convincing as a human being. The books are a bit slow in some points and over-descriptive in others due to that fact – think - that Larsson was a journalist and not a novelist. Some parts could have needed an abundant editing and some repetitions would have surely not been there if Larsson would be still alive now.

That said, I think this series is worth reading, especially the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It’s a very dark and strong story, very shocking and engrossing at the same time. But never boring. I’m very sad to have to say farewell to Lisbeth Salander who kept me company for many interesting nights. I will devote myself to their cinematographic versions, the Swedish films of course, before Hollywood get hold of the film rights and make of George Clooney and Scarlet Johansson the unlikely versions of Lisbeth and Kalle!

Guernica: A Novel by David Boling

My son was very proud to have found this book as a present for me last Christmas. He knows I love history and adore Spain, so Guernica by David Bolin seemed to be perfect. And it was. The story is very intense.

In 1935, Miguel Navarro finds himself in conflict with the Spanish Civil Guard, so he flees the Basque fishing village of Lekeitio to make a new start in Guernica, the centre of Basque culture and tradition. In the midst of this isolated bastion of democratic values, Miguel finds more than a new life - he finds someone to live for. Miren Ansotegui is the charismatic and graceful dancer who he meets there, and the two discover a love they believe nothing can destroy ...History and fiction merge seamlessly in this beautiful novel about the resilience of family, love, and tradition in the face of hardship. The bombing of Guernica was a devastating experiment in total warfare by the German Luftwaffe in the run-up to the Second World War. For the Basques, it was an attack on the soul of their nation; for the world, it was an unprecedented crime against humanity.

Dave Boling reintroduces the event and paints his own picture of a people so strong, vibrant, and proud that they are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their values, their country, and their loved ones. This is a wonderful book. The characters and events are so well described that they come to life and you feel like you are living the lives and events that unfold. Hard to put down, it takes you through happy times, into darkness, sadness and on to hope. As a first novel by David Boling it is a masterpiece, by far the best book I have read in a long time. Also, it has changed my view of Picasso’s painting forever. And I would like to go back to Madrid and see it again.