Series Review – The Indian Doctor (2010-2013)

I adore British historical series and am always on the lookout for ones I’ve not yet seen. So, it was by happy accident that I recently discovered The Indian Doctor streaming on Prime and Acorn TV.

SUMMARY

Still recovering from a personal tragedy, Dr. Prem Sharma and wife Kamani decide to leave their home in India. Kamani encourages Prem to apply for a post in London. Instead they find themselves assigned to a small mining village in Wales.

The culture shock is immediate, both for the Sharmas and the villagers who are not expecting a foreign doctor. Nor do they expect the Sharmas to be so cultured and highly educated. Prem is content to stay in his new position. But the wealthy and well-connected Kamani has no desire to stay in a back-water town which has no appreciation for the finer things. Continue reading “Series Review – The Indian Doctor (2010-2013)”

Top Ten Tuesday – Pops of Red

Today’s Topic: Books I’d Give Different Titles To

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m terrible at choosing titles. I know a good one when I see it, but can’t say the same for a bad one. Not to mention I’m not any better at creating titles. So, I’m going off topic this week.

I’ve noticed a trend lately for book covers with pops of red. This always draws my eye in and I find myself wanting to read these books. So today I’m featuring covers not titles. Oops sorry, not sorry.

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Pops of Red”

Classic Film Review – Cleopatra (1963)

SUMMARY (Spoilers)

This film condenses almost two decades of Cleopatra’s life into it’s four hour run time.  In 48 BC, Julius Caesar arrives in Rome to mediate between the Egyptian queen and her co-ruling brother.  Cleopatra persuades Caesar to help her regain the throne as the sole monarch. In the process, the two begin an affair which produces a son. The birth of Caesarion  encourages Cleopatra in her ideas of building a world empire.

Eventually she travels to Rome where she is very unpopular with the people due to her influence with Caesar. She meets Marc Antony, the general of Caesar’s army, who helps her return to Egypt after Caesar’s assassination.

Even though Caesar named Octavian as his successor, the Roman Republic is split among Octavian, Lepidus and Marc Antony. Octavian and Marc Antony eventually neutralize Lepidus’ power. Their power struggle forces Marc Antony to turn to Egypt for support where he meets Cleopatra again. The two fall in love and begin an affair which is ultimately the downfall of them both. The film ends with their deaths in 30 BC.

For my full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

 

September 2019 Quickie Reviews

Since my recent move, I haven’t had cable television, so I watched fewer classic films. But that’s okay. It just gave me more opportunity to view other movies and series that I might not otherwise have had time for. To be honest, I didn’t really love the few classic films I did see in September. And would you believe, I didn’t have any re-watches this month?

SEPTEMBER 2019 BREAKDOWN
  • 24 films/series total
  • 7 new classic films
  • 7 foreign films/series
  • 5 TV series
  • 1 in theater

Favorite Discovery: Ooh, this month gave me a lot of options to choose from for this honor. Among the contenders were Ladies in Black, Jericho, The Professor and the Madman and of course Downton Abbey. But my choice is Blind Date. It is going on my list of all time favorites, hands down.

Biggest Disappointment: Except for Heartbeat, pretty much every classic film this month left me feeling meh…

Continue reading “September 2019 Quickie Reviews”

Book Review -Mr. Rochester

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mr. Rochester is a book of three parts. It begins with Rochester’s emotionally desolate childhood, his education and his distant relationship with his brother and father. It follows him into adulthood and his years in Jamaica where he meets Bertha Mason and manages his father’s business interests there.

Others only get the best of us when they sense a weakness. One can never hurt a man who refuses to be hurt.

Eventually, we see his return to England and Thornfield with his now insane wife. When her presence taints the only place that feels like home, he heads to Europe where he encounters Celine Varens. Finally, he returns to Thornfield and an encounter with a plain little governess which will change his life.

Even now, when I think of Thornfield-Hall, I choose to remember what it was then—the playground of my childhood—and not what it was to become: a place of secrets and threats, of angers and fears.

You may think you know the story, but do you? Because this one belongs to Edward Fairfax Rochester not Jane Eyre. If you expect this book to be a re-telling of Jane Eyre from Rochester’s perspective, you might be disappointed. Though that part of the story doesn’t change, Jane’s presence does not arrive until the last quarter of the book. Instead, this is a comprehensive character study of a man’s life.

For my full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.