Drama and more Drama

Many of you must have watched the movie 'Midnight in Paris' and I am sure most of you would have liked it, I loved it. There's something very original and honest about it, the way Woody Allen has captured nostalgia and the love for a period and then justified it towards the end of the drama, I think it was very original and out of the box.

Searching for the 'nostalgic moments' in movies I came across a series of episodes on the same on this site BLIP. If you think of watching television drama and drama series and what not, this is one site for all of you. Don't get me wrong, it is not one of those steal-and-upload-illegally sort of a place. It is TOTALLY legal, in fact the professional and new age directors upload their dramas on this site as a part of the new and overwhelming medium known as Web Television (we all have Internet connections but not all of us have TVs you see). It is convenient and yes, FREE!

You'd be surprised to browse through the far and wide collection of videos this site has and all for free. It is not restricted to drama series alone, you just name the category, cartoons and comics, comedy drama series, fashion, DIY, news and technology, health and fitness, etc etc.

There are staff favorites and audience favorites so you can pick whatever you like or start browsing them all alphabetically. This site is uncommonly clean and user friendly, you won't find unnecessary user comments and curses (unlike some of the other ^famous^ video sites).

Nothing happens on the Internet which could/should not be shared on Facebook (except your bank details) so you can connect your Facebook account and share with your friends whatever it is that you're watching. Other social networking sites could also be used.

Next time when you want to see some really nice drama (or anything else) do visit BLIP and enjoy yourself. It is one of the best video sites I have come across in a long time.

Site address : http://blip.tv/drama-videos

Photo Credits

Hugo (2011)

Hugo: The Message

By

Maddy Olson blogs on a variety of subjects that are deep topics and can change lives. Writing about the costume fun experts at costumesupercenter.com  is a very rewarding way to express her creativity and she absolutely loves it! Having four children of her own has allowed her to use the imagination she was gifted with and share that with you.

HUGO (2011)

My son has read the book, by Brian Selznick, twice before this movie came out. It made a reader out of him and filled his mind with positive outlooks on his own life.

The story is set in 1931 Paris. Hugo had lost his mother and endures some very tough times with the father he adores. However, together they had fixing an automaton, trying to get the little robot to work again. Through many events, Hugo ends up an apprentice at the train station monitoring and fixing the clocks there.

Hugo has a knack…a knack for collecting little pieces of machinery, cogs, rods, and switches in an effort to finally get the little robot working! However, the toymaker in the train station does not approve of his items coming up missing and makes Hugo pay him back by working for him.

By meeting the toymaker, Hugo meets a little gal that becomes his friend, who cares about him. At one point he shares a very touching sentiment about how he views his relationship to the world.

“Sometimes I come up here at night, even when I’m not fixing the clocks, just to look at the city. I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of part they need. So I figure if the entire world is one big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.”

--Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This little boy learns about loving himself and trusting others even when his mind might tell him not to. He faces fears and finds ways to overcome some tough situations. He stands up to those bigger than him to do the right thing. And he learns to love again. In his journey, he brings hope to those around him and exercises compassion. In his own journey to find out who he is, he helps a lost soul to find their way and realize their potential.

My son took away many lessons and ways to find value in life. In fact, he read it twice. We went and saw this movie together and he was so excited to see those characters come to life and he wiped one of the tears I cried and just held my hand. It was a bonding experience for the both of us. A moment I spent trying to understand my son and it was a time that he could share something valuable with me. It isn’t every day that you get to peek inside a child’s mind and see the gigantic world through their eyes.

There were some that felt disappointed in the flick. To them I say that they missed the message that was being conveyed. If you want an action packed film, this is not the one. This is about self-reliance, self-love, and acceptance. Allow yourself a couple of hours to fall into this young boy’s life in another time. Let your inner child roam.

The Christmas Special

The holiday season is on and I guess most of you have already made plans. Does your plan include watching your favorite Period Drama? Well, which one are you most willing to watch?

Downton Abbey Christmas Special

Downton Abbey Christmas Special

Like last year, Downton Abbey Christmas Special episode would be on air on ITV. It is probably the biggest name in period drama series presently.

This year too, the special episode would be full of drama and love and betrayal. ITV has put in strong efforts in making this one and is expecting over ten million viewers worldwide!

Let me give you a head-start, somebody already has a romantic something for Branson, Lady Edith might have a new love interest, yet again and there is some more romance, involving Mrs. Patmore! This is going to be interesting and promises drama to the very end.

Call the Midwife Holiday Special

Call the Midwife Holiday Special

I love this series because of its sheer honesty and realism. There's hardly anything dramatic about it yet you enjoy watching it.

This is Call the Midwife's first Christmas Special (obviously). So, like always the Nonnatus House and its residents are busy with work even in the holiday season (sure, childbirth wouldn't wait for the holidays to finish). Jenny Lee and Chummy are uptight with their schedule. What else, nurses and nuns are trying to find the parents of a newborn and Chummy is trying to organize something (sounds like an oxymoron Chummy : Organize).

Kind Jenny is looking for the children of an elderly vagrant, so there's quite a lot of work to be done.

 I can't decide which one am I going to watch. The one with lavish drama or the one which actually celebrates childbirth.

I would love to know your reasons for watching (or not watching) these dramas.

Happy Holidays!

Atonement (2007)

Zack Mandell is a movie enthusiast, writer of movie reviews, and owner of Movie Room Reviews which has great information on movies and actors. He writes extensively about the movie industry for sites such as Gossip Center, Yahoo, NowPublic, and Helium.

Atonement (2007)

Atonement is a well written, beautifully performed period film that was first released in 2007. It was adapted from the novel by the same name, written by Ian McEwan, and released in 2001. Atonement begins by painting a picture of life in the joyful English country side of 1935. Having recently recovered from the horrors of World War I, Britain is experiencing a calm that is soon to be shattered by the start of World War II. 

Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), is a 13 year old girl caught up in, and held captive by the immaturity of her young age. She’s the younger sister of Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley), the secret admirer of her sister’s love interest, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), and the one responsible for shattering the potential happiness of three young lives.

The drama begins after Briony witnesses, and improperly interprets a shared moment between Cecilia and Robbie through an upstairs window. Briony begins to think of Robbie as someone he’s not, and her secret crush on Robbie clouds her ability to see things for how they really are. The film does a great job of demonstrating this by showing this scene first through the eyes of Briony, and then from the perspective of Robbie and Cecilia. What Briony interprets as a rude, aggressive advance on Robbie’s part is actually the first expression of mutual interest, or love, Robbie and Cecilia share on screen.

The innocence and joy of those involved is soon to be shattered. After their first charged episode of on screen interaction between Robbie and Cecilia, Robbie returns home and sets out to write Cecilia a letter. He writes, and re-writes the letter, finally producing two versions, an appropriate letter, and another that’s suggestive to say the least.

Although he doesn't intend on giving the second letter to Cecilia he mistakenly grabs it on his way out the door. Through an act that can only be described as bad luck, Robbie gives the letter to Briony to give to her sister Cecilia. Being incapable of self-control, Briony reads the letter and finds it disgusting, but at the same time becomes jealous over Robbie’s affection towards her sister.

For the morally inclined the movie takes a plunge during a library sex scene between Cecilia and Robbie that Briony secretly views through a half-opened door. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but a necessary happening for what comes next. A friend of the family, Paul Marshall (Benedict Cumberbatch) rapes Briony’s teenage cousin Lola (Juno Temple) in the woods, and although Briony is witness to the crime, she lies and says Robbie committed the crime. 

As a result of this lie Robbie is sent to prison for four years before being released under the condition that he joins the military. As Atonement progresses Briony, Robbie, and Cecilia find themselves thrust full force into the horrors of World War II. Robbie is a soldier and has one final meeting with Briony and Cecilia who have both become nurses. It’s at this point all three realize that Briony’s lie stole their youth, and chances for a happy life.

The movie ends with an elderly Briony writing a book titled “Atonement”. Although Cecilia dies in a tunnel during the bombing of Britain, and Robbie dies on the beach at Dunkirk, Briony tries to restore some level of happiness between Robbie and Cecilia through her fictional story telling. If they couldn't have happiness in life, perhaps they can have it in death?

The Final Analysis

Atonement has quite a few emotional ups and downs. For the majority of the film I wanted Robbie and Cecilia to get a break and live happily ever after, but the movie never gave me that. I’ll admit this film definitely had a more depressing ending than I am used to seeing, but it was nice to experience something a little more realistic than the idealized love stories movies tend to present.

The scenery and score are both wonderful, and help add to the overall sensual nature of the film. There are a few scenes that left me feeling awkward and uncomfortable so I wouldn't suggest watching this movie with your kids.

Lastly, although I've never read the book, the film adaptation of Atonement is phenomenal. If the book, like they always say, is truly better than the movie, then the book is definitely worth a read!

Happy Holidays!

Hello! I hope the holiday season is going on great!

Sorry for my long absence, I am here to make up for things.

I think most of us have already watched Atonement (2007) and enjoyed it too, for those of us who haven't, I'll be posting a review by Zack Mandell (MovieRoomReviews.com).

Enjoy and keep it warm!