Omigosh, Gorgeouses. I loved this movie. How come nobody told me to get off mine arse and rent it? Why? It’s SO my type of movie.

It’s my type of movie for lots of reasons. First, I love a good movie musical — can’t go wrong with that. Second, Beatles music — can’t go wrong with that. Third, great story of the turbulent 60’s, war, love, art — canNOT go wrong with that! Fourth, Bono and Salma Hayek special cameos — can’t go wrong with that! Fifth? James Sturgess….

James fareakin’ Sturgess. I can’t believe I have the hots for James Sturgess. The very man I thought was SO NOT CUTE as Anne’s brother George in The Other Boleyn Girl.

No, I was not into him then….

But, THEN, last week, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM as we watched him in 21 (which Cheaty also recommends, by the way).

Mmmmmmm…. Here’s another and another….

Cheaty is now salivating…, FYI. Sigh….

On a serious note, I was particularly gripped by the movie’s representation of the youth in 1960’s America — those drafted, as well as those fighting back at home in the anti-war movement.

Young, spirited boys sent to their doom, objectified and ruined. Thrust from a world of innocence, modern comfort and order into one of death, savage danger and chaos.

The movie just REALLY got to the heart of the draft — the EMOTIONS associated with it, the utter tragedy of it ALL. This deeply saddened me.

I think of the soldiers in Iraq and their families….

The sheer BEAUTY of the movie, though, inspired beyond and lifted spirits.

Cheaty highly recommends. And not only because she broke out into song not once. Blackbird singing in the dead of night….

Let us know how YOU like(d) it in the comments.

Peace & Love,
Haley-O

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while now, you KNOW I LOVED Philippa Gregory’s book The Other Boleyn Girl — I mean, I was TOTALLY obsessed with it for a while there…. (That is, until I picked up THIS BOOK, my new obsession….)

Anyway, I don’t need to tell you how CRAZY EXCITED I was when I heard the movie The Other Boleyn Girl was out on DVD, finally! I RRRRAN to the video store almost immediately, picked up THE LAST COPY, and frolicked home with it — hugging it closely, and saying “mmmyyy pressshhhuses” to passers-by, while drooling slime down rotting teeth……….

I love me some Gollum…. Reminds me of my MARGE!

A-ny-way….

Aside from the HOTT….

…HOTT….

…HOTT….

…Shall I go on…???

…HOTT….

…HOTT….

…and…HOTT….

….Aside from all that HOTT, the movie was seriously disappointing. Seriously.

And, you know, it would take a lot for this movie to disappoint me — since I LOVE the subject matter and since all the actors are FAREAKING HOTT…. So, I was pretty shocked to find myself so disappointed.

“Why so disappointed?” you ask. Well. WHY? Why, why WHY would you mess with a good thing? The Other Boleyn girl was a BESTSELLING book. Women across the globe fell IN LOVE with this HOTT, passionate, fascinating, beautiful love story. And, then the movie goes and destroys it!? The movie goes and jumbles up the story and REDUCES THE BEST PART OF THE BOOK TO ONE WORD? That’s right, King Henry’s HOTT, BEAUTIFUL, HOTT courtship of Mary Boleyn, which lasts chapters and chapters in the book (and could have lasted chapter’s more as far as I’m concerned), is reduced to one word: “Tonight.”

So disappointing. It’s like omitting that whole “MAMAMIA MAMAMIA MAMAMIA LET ME GO” bit from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody…. THE BEST PART! Reduced. To one word. To-freaking-night.

The rest of the movie was filled with disappointments like this….

The book was a beautiful fictionalization of history, as true to its source as possible (according to Philippa Gregory). And, The movie was a ROTTEN fictionalization of the book — hardly true to it at all. (Jane Parker THE SOLE SOURCE of Anne’s arrest? WTF?) Why? When the history itself is so brilliant and blockbuster worthy?

The movie’s one saving grace (aside from the HOTT) is its ending. The last quarter of the movie is really well done. And, the very, very end sent chills up my spine….

I suppose I recommend it. It’s definitely an enjoyable rental — especially if you like period pieces like I do. But, I can’t tell you how AWFUL a rendition it is of this most wonderful book. And, it really is a sorry excuse for what could have been a beautiful tribute to the REMARKABLE story of Anne Boleyn.

I was supposed to take the night off tonight. And, God knows I need it. Who ever thought one would need a VACAY from blogging. It’s work, you know?

It’d just be nice sometimes to chill at night and do nothing. Watch TV. Read a book…. But, then, when I actually GIVE myself a night off — like tonight — I kind of want to write something….

Tonight, instead of writing, I could be chilling in bed with the new book I’m reading, thanks to FAB reader, MEL, who wouldn’t SHUT UP about it.

I usually don’t do what Oprah says…. But, there’s a lot of BUZZ about this book; so, as a yoga teacher and as a blogger (and, again, because MEL wouldn’t SHUT UP about it!), I thought I should check it.

…Aaaaaand, I’m loving it. It’s really well written, CLEARLY explains abstract concepts, and it makes a whole lot of sense on various levels (personal, philosophical, religious, political, ethical, etc., etc.). Cheaty HIGHLY recommends….