Three Is The Charm

Being the Narnian fan that I am and learning the things that I do from my Narnia-news-base (narniaweb.com), I have been waiting to see Ben Barnes (aka. Prince Caspian) in Dorian Gray ever since he was cast years ago. It has been a long journey: first I bought the book so that I could read it before seeing the movie, then some time later I read it, then I saw the old black and white movie version, and this weekend I finally saw it with Ben Barnes. Odd pinning so much on a movie I wasn't sure I would even like all that much (my opinion on the book is mixed). I did think, however, from the start that Ben Barnes would make a great Dorian; he has that fresh and innocent kind of face, and seems to understand literature enough to translate quality into acting. And I did very much enjoy his performance. Slightly tweaked (of course), the movie stays very much true to the feel of the book (the artistry included). The biggest difference was the ending; it didn't feel quite right to me at first, but it does add an element of hope that I didn't find in the book. Hope, to my view, isn't exactly a bad thing to get. Overall, very nicely made.

The second movie is An Education. I had planned to see this in theatres in the fall, but it wasn't playing at my usual theatre, so I ended up missing out. Once the critics came out with all their praise for it, I really wished it would come out on DVD fast. I saw it last week, and met with my expectations. The dilemma Jenny faces is one that is too easy to relate to. I adore her case to the principal ("why should I go to school and be bored so that I can go to work and be bored?" -- not an exact quote), and also the fact that she finally understands why she wants to go to Oxford, but also that she can still find happiness.

Lastly is The Young Victoria. I also wanted to see it in theatres, but decided it would probably be better to just rent it (movie tickets do get expensive, after all). Of course, anything with queens and palaces is going to be visually pleasing, which this was. It also created some very applicable themes. Victoria is constantly knowing and not knowing what to do in her life as a whole and in smaller actions. Seeing Rupert Friend in the role of a "kind" character after the scoundrel Wickham in Pride and Prejudice was also nice.