Thursday 11 March 2010

Flowers, films and a book


Joined Love Film DVD rental but then couldn’t think what I wanted to see. Any recommendations? Here’s what’s come so far, rather enjoyed them both:

Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day – fun, silly and frothy, an elegant period piece set in the 1930s. Amy Adams plays a Marilyn-Monroe type cabaret singer with three lovers – she’s ditsy but adorable. Plainish, middle-aged Miss Pettigrew, starving and desperate for a job, becomes her social secretary and tries to sort her out - a bedroom and nightclub farce-with-a-heart.

Another costume drama: The Duchess. Keira plays Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire to Ralph Fiennes’s Duke. A scenic film full of 18th Century atmosphere. We learn there were three people in the bright young aristocrat’s marriage, which kind of reminds us of the life of her descendant, the hapless Princess Diana. The film of Amanda Foreman’s book.

Recent reading: The Truth about Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell. Enjoyed this a lot – an original novel. Melody lost her memory when she was nine after a fire, and ran away from her parents when she was 15 and pregnant. But were they her parents? Following a chance visit to a hypnotist show, fragments of her memory begin to return.
After I’d finished I felt that some of the plot twists were pretty unlikely but so absorbing was the story it didn’t matter.

Encouraging comments about Paris Imperfect from Sweden. They thought Renee Zellweger should play Clio in a film, but I don't think I see her in the role. Would love to have these casting worries.

(At last my Christmas presents are flowering, the four-bloom amaryllis is not just a bulb but a be-good to-yourself because you're worth it, Finest M&S bulb.  Have invested in a white orchid too, as you see. If you click on the pics, the flowers look fantastic, she says modestly.)

4 comments:

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I also joined Love Film when a friend recommend it to me. I've seen the two films you mentioned and also 'Cherie' with Michelle Pffeifer, which I enjoyed. I can't think of any others right now.

I've got this book on my tbr pile and can't wait to read it.

Jan Jones said...

I've had a red amaryllis like that for well over 20 years. It was a present from my mother, who bought it for 99p in a Woolworths sale.

It has flowered every year since and produced dozens of babies, all of which also flower every year!

Karen said...

I loved Miss Pettigrew lives for a day :o) Haven't read Paris Imperfect yet but when I do I'll have a think about who I'd imagine in the lead - thing is every reader will probably see the character differently!

Have just seen Amelia on DVD which I really enjoyed.

flower Philippine said...

Lovely flowers! Wish I can also arrange beautiful flowers like that. I want to learn how to arrange flowers cause it so interesting. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this post. Thanks for sharing!

-pia-