Sunday, September 21, 2008

Well here's one I missed

A solitary weekend. Larry is on Cape Cod at a Springfield College reunion clam bake.
And, I am having a lovely quiet long weekend.
A nice prelude to an early autumn vacation from school.

I borrowed some films from the library that I missed first time around and settled in this evening with a mug of darjeling tea and a plate of cookies .....

.... to watch
Mona Lisa Smile - Julia Roberts (2003)

The film is a little slice of the early 1950s, the manners and mores of the upper classes, the elite post-secondary schools and impossibly constricting role expectations of woman.

Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) is a bright, earnest, free-thinking,feminist who comes to Wellesley from California as a first year art history instructor. She is seen as bohemian and non-conformist by her colleagues who refer to as
"subversive" when she strays from away the sanctioned syllabus, teaches too much modern art, is relentless in her demand for excellence from students, and openly challenges the prevaling attitude that a woman's college is a holding place for making a good marriage. Katherine Watson believes she came to teach future women leaders of America -- not the wives of future leaders.

The cast of art students are a fine supporting cast and all together hold the film together well.

The film is pretty; its light and fluffy; it held my interest; I loved the music and costuming.
BUT
If 10 = the best film I ever saw,
then I guess I'd rate this film a 7.


(truth to tell: I liked the film better than my cookies)

No comments: