What's on in the pictures?

em You obviously didn't make The Ides of March. I wouldn't worry too much. Did anyone else see it? I missed Contagion, was it any good? Hoping to see The Awakening this week. The trailer looks good, but scary. Any teenage Gransnetters out there waiting with bated breath for Breaking Dawn? Comes of having a teenage GD!

Having a bit of a sabbatical at the moment, as we seemed to be at the cinema all the time a couple of weeks back. Going to the Ken Loach talk on Wednesday. The Awakening does look scary; I have to be careful with things like that as I live on my own for most of the week. Wuthering Heights soon. Got loads of dvds to watch; bought Water for Elephants the other week; a bit chickflickish I imagine, but I love elephants! May see the American Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but only because I found the second and third films in the Swedish version a bit disappointing.

Have been to see "We need to talk about Kevin" at The Kino Cinema in Hawkhurst recently. Fantastic film (although not something I would recommend if you wanted to see a light hearted film) and a fantastic venue. I have read the book twice and found it really good. The film is certainly worth seeing.

bensnana So glad you liked Kevin, I did too. crimson The Awakening was very scarey, not to say highly convoluted. I don't think I ever quite understood the toings and froings between the past and the present. It did look wonderful though. I wish I had waited u til the end of the credits to see if they told you were it was filmed.Amazing house and grounds. I didn't go for Dominic West in The Hour, but thought he was good in this. Have always liked Rebecca Hall, ever since The Camomile Lawn. Maybe don't go on your own! Clever use of spooky dolls' houses, quite sinister.

Breaking Dawn next week, that looks quite scary too in its way, not to mention gynaecological!

I Love cinemas in the afternoon nearly empty complete escapism. Watched Australia New Years Day just us 2 friends in front row by radiator.

I have missed Cave of Forgotten Dreams it is filmed in caves in France now closed to public because paintings vanishing with breathing. Think need cinema rather than small screen to appreciate hope it is on again somewhere.

Can't wait to see "My week with Marilyn", I think it is out to day. DH and I went to see Arthur Christmas,without Grandchildren, and we loved it, go with or without the kids.

I missed Cave of Forgotten Dreams; it's in 3D but my cinema doesn't do 3D.. a film I'd like to see in 3D. Warner Herzog was it [the guy who made the 'bear' film].

Went to see The Awakening this week - with some trepidation as I am a bit of a wimp! There were some scary bits but it didn't give me nightmares or keep me awake, so I would say the fear factor was fairly low.

GoldenGran Did you get to see Marilyn? Took my DH, who is not a great film goer, unlike me, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. We have such marvellous actors in this country, it is always fun trying to spot who is playing who. Michelle Williams for an Oscar, a nomination at least? Guess she will be up against Meryl Streep.

Fieldwake I do so agree. I like to go to the first screening of the day if possible. I take a banana and a muesli bar, and that is lunch!

Has anyone seen the new Wuthering Heights? We have to go tonight as it finishes today but I'm not sure if the reviews have been very good.

Oh, let me know what you think about it crimson. I'm waiting for it to do the rounds over here and am looking forward to it.

Oh, do go crimson I'm dying to hear about it, but it's well into next year before it comes to our arthouse cinema.

Yes, you do need to see Forgotten Dreams in 3D. It was marvellous, but Ihave to confess Idrifted a bit. It was Werner Herzog, chap who made Fitzcarraldo, one of my top ten all time greats.

Don't know what to say, really. Described as a 'council estate film set on the moors'; maybe the director should have re set the story on a modern council estate [a la West Side Story/ Romeo and Juliet]. Some people walked out. Not tempted to do that, but didn't feel any emotion watching it, and didn't feel any chemistry between the actors playing the young and older Cathy and Heathcliff. Very Meeks Cutoff, in that it gave you a sense of what it was like to be around at that time [wet, cold and dirty], but not sure that I want to spend 2 hours feeling, wet, cold and dirty. Unlike Meeks Cutoff I don't regret going to see it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone [except you ladies, because I want to know what you think!]. I've not seen Fitzcarraldo..didn't someone take a pot shot at Warner Herzog when Mark Kermode was interviewing him?

Oh dear, it doesn't sound good....

Ganja we saw Marilyn last night, absolutely loved it. A sweet charming film very evocative of the fifties, and crammed ful of cameo parts of almost every British actor you can think of, anyone else out there who hasn't seen it -go, it's fabulous.

GoldenGran If you enjoy star spotting try HUGO, it's a lovely film anyway and has lots of small cameos. Trouble is I think my star spotting faculty is going into decline. I watched the boy playing Hugo for a bit, then thought Oh yes of course it's Jake from Outnumbered, and the more I watched the more convinced I was. Has anyone else commented on the resemblance? Mind you, I also felt sure that the French policeman was the one from Hallo Hallo! rather than Sacha Baron Cohen.

Thank you also for recommending Arthur Christmas, I don't think I would have bothered to go and see it without the DGC, but I loved it. We are all huge Aardman fans in my family. [fsmile fsmile fsmile]

crimson Sorry to have put you through what sounds like a pretty depressing evening. I will go when it gets to Tewkesbury and report back. How did you enjoy Water for Elephants? That at least was drenched in glorious golden light!

I never did really "get" WH as a novel. All a bit Jerry Springer maybe?
Is Heathcliff meant to be black? Is he black in film?
Still I guess it was a bit torrid in Haworth with all that TB and brother off the rails. Wasn't Mr Bronte Irish? (an awful lot of eng lit written by Irish writers...)
Was Heathcliff Irish?
Must get to see Marilyn...
And looking forward to seeing Streep play Thatcher!
I don't suppose we will got to see Hugo though as it 3d I believe and DH has no binocular vision. He is miffed that the latest technology is not accessible to his brain.
Thatcher in 3D... now there's a thought.

Ganja; don't worry, I was going to go anyway! Heathcliff being black was meant to show his sense of alienation. However, as Olivier once said to a co actor who was a 'method' actor [I belive that's the correct term?] 'Dear boy, why don't you just try acting?' Arthur Christmas sounds interesting..just going to google it. Not got round to seeing Water for Elephants yet as would like to read the book first.

I just wonder if Bronte thought of him as black and hence alienated. She describes him as very dark doesn't she.
Jean Rhys explored this idea re Mrs Rochester, in The Wide Sargasso Sea with Mr R married off to an mixed race, West Indian girl, for financial gain by the family.

Was he not meant to be of gypsy stock? That is the impression I remember. That accounts for the dark hair and complexion.

I think you're right, Elegran. I always thought that EB might have had her Irish ancestry in mind too.

The Black Irish ...........small, dark, hot-tempered. Very early settlers, driven further and further west by successive waves of invaders?

JessM Don't miss HUGO, it's in 2D as well. I am sure you will enjoy it just as much, and it's cheaper!

JessM WH is my "book of shame" - the book an English graduate would be expected to have read, and hasn't! I tried and tried, and just hated it.

I do love "The Wide Sargasso Sea", though. Read it ages ago without looking at the blurb, and had that moment of dawning comprehension...

They were talking about Hugo on the World Service earlier on. It sounds so good. Was wondering if you can get it on dvd yet.