Movies over the weekend

[ellen_datlow]

I saw the new Coen brothers movie Burn After Reading and loved it. It's funny, satirical (both), wonderfully nasty, and a bit bloody. Anyone else see it yet? Great cast with George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Brad Pitt about bed-hopping, spying (although the spying is not to be taken very seriously despite the fact someone commits treason), the lure of body enhancement, and much stupidity. It's a misanthropic joy to behold.

Then I moved to an earlier century (the 18th) where it was pretty constricting to be a woman-- The Duchess with Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes in a very sympathetic portrait of Georgiana, the eponymous Duchess, who is married off at 16 or 17 to a Duke at least 25 years her senior who wants a male heir and nothing else to do with her.

The Duchess becomes a celebrity: beautiful, clever--she designs her own scrumptious dresses and hats, political, (while remaining personally, pretty miserable) and upon whose marriage Sheridan's School for Scandal was based.

Prince Di was a descendant of her family, the Spencers.

Comments

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I was guessing. I just knew she was under 18 because her mother said she was hoping she wouldn't marry until then. Poor thing. It's amazing she accomplished so much considering she was churning out kids from then on. (two girls, one boy and several miscarriages). She seems to have died at around 50).

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

She sounds fascinating, honestly. I want to do research on her and not just see a movie about her now.}:P

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The wikipedia article gives the "facts" but doesn't go beyond them and seems relatively unsympathetic to her life. The movie brings her to life (whether accurate or not) and provides context for her behavior (and she does little that's scandalous compared to her husband's behavior and most men of that era).

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

All the more reason to do our own research, yes? }:P

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Let me know what else you find :-)

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

Will do.}:)

There are a couple of bios

[asyouknow-bob.livejournal.com]

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman, for one. I think it's out of print.

Re: There are a couple of bios

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

That's the one the movie is based on. I'm surprised that it hasn't been brought back in print for the movie release.