'Downton Abbey' Season 3 Tonight at Last

finally season 3 crosses the pond. check your local pbs listings for times tonight. welcome back to the best cast on tv and a masterpiece classic that deserves that title.

michelle and jessica interview

sneak peak at the divine dame maggie

'Downton Abbey' Season 3 Tonight at Last

finally season 3 crosses the pond. check your local pbs listings for times tonight. welcome back to the best cast on tv and a masterpiece classic that deserves that title.

michelle and jessica interview

sneak peak at the divine dame maggie

'Downton Abbey' Season 3 Tonight at Last

finally season 3 crosses the pond. check your local pbs listings for times tonight. welcome back to the best cast on tv and a masterpiece classic that deserves that title.

michelle and jessica interview

sneak peak at the divine dame maggie

Movie Montage 2012

'Les Miserables' ***1/2

'les miz' is brilliant. the show that is. the tom hooper directed film is somewhat short of brilliant. but that is good. all of us 'les miz' fans have seen the film in our minds over the past 25 years. some of our thoughts and hopes may have been realized with this version. quite a few of mine were. well almost were. but i did not conceive it...mr hooper did and he is to be congratulated. he remained faithful to the original adding snippets here and there to tie together formally loose ends to make a more complete scenario. also a good move.

i cannot quibble with the production values. it is generally amazing to look at and listen to. generally.  for instance: there was just a bit, no maybe too much, excrement in the sewer scene. sometimes less is more. but this is a minor quibble. and vocally the idea to record live on set is quite remarkable with the exception of russell crowe.

the story of jean valjean (hugh jackman) begins with his release from prison, owning a factory encountering his former prison guard javert (russel crowe), encountering the down and out fantine (anne hathaway) and taking responsibility for her daughter cosette. but it all really picks up after the death of fantine when the story moves to paris and we meet the young revolutionaries led by enjoiras, (arron tveit) and his band of student rebels and his best friend marius (eddie redmayne), his friend eponine (samantha barks)  and the now grown cosette (amanda seyfried).

what we now have is an action filled revolt and true romance and the remnants of unrequited love and friends forever gone. and death. not your typical musical but still a bit above most all the others filmed.

the musical highlights are 'the red and black', 'in my life/a heart full of love, 'one day more', 'on my own', 'bring him home' and 'empty chairs at empty tables'. anne hathaways 'i dreamed a dream' is certainly her jennifer hudson moment. it and ms hathaway are wonderful but it is sung for the academy. it is her supporting actress oscar nomination and probable win. if there were justice that nom would go to samantha barks as eponine. i have never been kind to ms hathaway but will give her due credit here. she would just not get an oscar vote from me.

hugh jackman is terrific as jean valjean. eddie redmayne as marius is extraordinary. his 'empty chairs at empty tables is brilliant and a highlight. aaron tveit is a fitting and worthy enjoiras. samantha barks is the quitessential eponine and her 'on my own' is brilliant. amanda seyfried with an almost angelic voice is adorably convincing as the lovely cosset. sasha baron cohen and helena bonham carter add the necessary comic relief as the innkeeper thenardier's. and now we get to the weak link: russell crowe who's right for the part but not the singing. his voice is ear piercing. when he starts singing it just pulls you right out of the film. sadly. and admittedly it lost 1/2 a star because of him. 

all in all see it. it is a grand endeavor that succeeds. and samantha, eddie, aaron and amanda along with hugh amaze.

Looking Back: 'The Music Lovers'

'the music lovers' has always been a favorite of mine. finally here is someone, director bernard rose,  who agrees with me. we both think it is glorious and moving. it was ken russell's follow up to 'women in love' and he again used the wonderful, well brilliant, glenda jackson to play the nympho wife to richard chamberlain's so gay but terrifically acted tchaikovsky. it was killed by the critics at large. frack them. it is currently available on netflix streaming but never got an official dvd release. it deserves a blu ray release.

Josh's Juke Box

two from the incredible bonnie tyler

'total eclipse of the heart'


'it's a heartache'

'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' ***1/2

'salmon fishing in the yemen' is a lost gem of 2012. perhaps because it has one of the worst titles of the year. don't let that title fool you. it's one of those slice of life films i enjoy.  it's quite simple: a sheik wants to bring the sport of fly fishing to the yemen and his faith dares want to make the impossible possible. and of course there is the love angle as the relationship between consultant and expert, emily blunt and ewan mcgregor, grows from mutual admiration to something more. emily blunt is wonderful (i love her actually) and ewan mcgregor is subtly brilliant as always. and last but not least there is a rare comedic turn by the wonderful kristen scott thomas (i love her too). and yes emily and kristen are almost always wonderful and more.

this one is already available on disc and digital download. take a chance you may get swept in.

'Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2' ****stars

the 'twilight' finale gets 4 stars because it out did itself. it is a grand spectacle. now i have not always praised this series as there were some major bumps along the way. here we have a fond farewell. the cast shines in a way it has not before although robert pattinson always shined in this series for me.

now i never read the books therefore a turn of events toward the end of the film offered one of the best surprises in film in years. one of the few things that could beat it would be a remake on 'the sound of music' where the nazi's get the von trapps at the end. that would be a surprise!

the fans of the series have seen this already. if you have not seen the previous entries it may not make sense. still i am here to say it is the beat of the series. goodbye to the cullen can and the pack. you served us well.

one last thought: this finale was a better ending than the 'batman' finale although the first two installments of the 'batman trilogy' wre better than the 4 out of 5 of the 'twilight series. i hope that made sense.

Josh's Jukebox: ABBA

the song of the day is 'the songs of the day' abba remix

'Argo' ****

'argo' the based on a true story about the rescue of 6 americans during the carter administration is really really good. we know how it will turn, out but i now say the brilliant, director ben affleck keeps us engrossed and on the edge of our seats throughout. the cast is one of the best ensemble casts of the year. special kudus to alan arkin a supporting actor nominee potential.

a potential best picture nominee i urge you to see it. and congrats mr. affleck. you are three for three.
it is the possible winner of that roque oscar.

So Now What....

well i am pretty well on the mend so i can finally return to my passion...going to the movies. so today i begin with 'argo' as it may well be the first to disappear as it's been our the longest. so i'll see you tomorrow with more. but i leave you with this: music

Kate Weds for Third Time and Leo Gives Her Away

1. leo  dicaprio walked kate down the isle in a private ny ceremony. best hope third time is the charm. her new mate i ned rocknroll(???) nephew of british tycoon richard branson. let's just hope she left this headgear home for the ceremony. what was she thinking?

Audra Retuning to 'Private Practice' for Finale in January

'Nine' Revisted

'overture belle donne'


'guido's song'


'a call from the vatican'


'folies bergere'


'be italian'


'unusual way'


'cinema italiano'


'my husband makes movies'


'take it all'



'i can't make this movie'


'finale'

Merry Christmas

TODAY

50 Years Ago Today

one of the best films ever was released.

O Holy Night

Feliz Navidad