Far From The Madding Crowd makes for a proper Victorian chick flick

Movie:    Far From the Madding Crowd

PG-13, 1 hour 59 minutes

Grade:   A-

In a Nutshell:   Based on the classic 1874 novel by Thomas Hardy, Victorian England presents us with a romantic setting for a proper Chick Flick where men fall all over themselves for a beautiful, self-reliant woman.

We’ll never see Twilight fans line up for Team Gabriel vs. Team William or Team Frank, but Jane Austin fans and those needing a Downton Abbey fix will give an approving nod.  Gabriel is a total stud-muffin.  Just sayin.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Bathsheba says “It is my intention to astonish you all.”  And she does.

·         Bathsheba asks Gabriel, “Tell me what to do.”  He answers “Do what is right.”

Things I liked:

·         Bathsheba Everdeen (no relation to Katniss) is played by the lovely British actress Carey Mulligan.  She has such a tiny waist!  Her close-ups showcase  just how beautiful she is.

·         The musical score was delicious.

·        The talented cast includes Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts, Juno Temple, and Frank Troy.

-    I've never read the novel, but I hear that Danish director Thomas Vinterberg stays true to the source material.
-     Beautiful cinematography that captures the magic of the English countryside.  I was just in England this month!  We saw sheep everywhere as we traveled through the Cotswolds and into Wales.
Here's one of my pictures:

Things I didn’t like:

·         It was so sad to see the sheep mindlessly follow each other jump off the cliff.  People are like that sometimes too, don’t you think?
·         It’s hard to feel sympathy for a beautiful woman who has so many suitors.
-    It's a little slow-moving, although time passes fairly quickly for the characters.

Funny lines:

·         “Mr. Oak, I don’t want a husband.  I’d hate to be some man’s property.  I shouldn’t mind being a bride at a wedding if I could be one without getting a husband.” – Bathsheba
-     "I have some interesting pigs." - William Boldwood

Did you know?
-    The author of the original book took the title from Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" dated 1751.  It reads:
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
-    "Madding" means "frenzied"

Interesting lines:

·         “What a luxury to have a choice.” – Bathsheba’s companion

·         “I have a piano and I have my own farm and I have no need of a husband.” – Bathsheba

·         “It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in a language chiefly made by men to express theirs.” - Bathsheba

  

Tips for Parents:

·          Most children will be pretty bored.  Teenage girls, on the other hand, will probably eat it up.
-     There is a bedroom scene, but you don't see much and it occurs after the couple is married.

The Boxtrolls movie is artistically outstanding, but stylistically icky

Movie Title:  The BoxTrolls

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:  From the quirky and creepy creators of Coraline and Paranorman , this family flick has a steampunk feel to it and features the voice talents of Ben Kingsley, Toni Collette, Elle Fanning, and Jared Harris. 

Based on the book Here Be Monsters! (The Ratbridge Chronicles) by Alan Snow, this dark and dirty animation feels more like an unnerving mixture between Charles Dickens and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street for kids…if that’s your cup of murky tea.  While the animation is impressive, it’s not entirely appropriate for young children.

The clay-mation style is known as stop-motion, but this film also includes CGI, making it an interesting blend of actual objects and pixel magic.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Cheese, hats, boxes…they don’t make you.  You make yourself.” – Eggs
• Stand up and fight for yourself and what’s right.

Things I liked:

• Laika does an amazing job with depth-of-field.  There is so much to see in each screen shot.
• The 3D effect is pretty impressive, especially the fog and smoke.
• Artistically speaking, the animation was outstanding.  Stylistically, it wasn’t my favorite.

Things I didn’t like:

• There were more disgusted “ewwww’s” than charmed “ahhhh’s” from the audience.  Lots of ick moments.
• Some of the Cockney accents were hard to understand, especially in the beginning of the movie.
• The BoxTrolls sound like Gollum in Lord of the Rings.
• I don't see merchandising for this movie going very far.  Who wants to play with a creepy, dirty troll in a box?

Funny lines:

• “Do you think the BoxTrolls understand the duality of good and evil?”  - Mr. Trout
• “If you’re going to eat me, just get on with it.  I’m sure I’m delicious.” – Winnie
• “Be prepared to say bye-bye to your brie, cheerio to your cheddar.”  - Archibald Snatcher
• “We’re the exterminators of justice.  We exterminate justice.”  - Mr. Pickles
• “Curds Way? How do I get there?”  - Eggs

“Milk turns into it.”  -  Winnie   (Get it?  Curds and whey…)

• “The Briehemouth!”  - Lord Portley-Rind
• “A woman like that is like raw, bold, maybe a little stinky.”  - Lord Portley-Rind

Tips for parents:  This is a twisted version of Victorian England that includes some violence, but no profanity. You might need to explain to your kids how leeches were actually used as a medical device long ago and that some people are lactose intolerant.  The BoxTrolls gather discarded items, but they also steal.  The villain is an unhinged cross-dresser and truly evil. There is discussion in the movie about what a good father is and does.  I think young children will be both frightened and bored.

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