Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

 2007 Fancy Daye comes back to her village to care for her dying father. Immediately three men fall in love with her.  Richest man in town; the parson; and Dick Dewey, laborer. Fancy is educated with aspirations.  All three men offer something.  Wealth, intellectual life and travel, and love. Fancy opts for love and marries the laborer, but the film does a great job of making this choice not so obviously correct.  The parson, were he not a prig of sorts, does offer her a fuller life. Well acted  . . . charming in the best way

 BBC version. First two hours were very good; third hour less so; last hour didn't work for me. Jane Eyre is taken in by cruel aunt who hates her.  Evil child. Sent away to a boarding school where she is mistreated.  Her one friend dies of flu? She is a good student in spite of it all, advertises for a job as governess, and is hired by Edward Rochester of Thornfield Hall.  He's gruff, older, etc., but love blooms.  Mysterious noises at night.  Fire at night in ER's bedroom.  Grace, servant, responsible. The crazy woman in the attic is too well known for any mystery to work, but they give it a try. Wife backstory.  He marries her in Jamaica, sultry beauty who turns out to be promiscuous. Back in England she goes crazy, attacking people, gets hidden away. ER wants to marry JE, almost does, but crazy wife's brother shows up and exposes the fact he has a living wife.  JE goes off for a year, inherits a ton, of money, hears her name called. Return...

 Strong ending.  Daughters read the screenplay.  Father, in alcoholic stupor, is frail and vulnerable in hospital  Daughter takes the main part.  Younger daughter's son is also in the movie. Final scene "looks" like a suicide . . . only when the word "cut" is shouted does the viewer realize it's actually a scene from the movie Dad has been wanting to make (though there are hints earlier).  About 20 minutes of cuts would have made this a very good film.

 Lots of fanfare about this movie, but it's a bore.  Film director (Norway) with two daughters whom he has neglected desires to make a final film in his own home, based on suicide of his mother.  He wants one daughter--most estranged--to take role of his mother.  She refuses.  He hires American actress, Elle Fanning, instead.  He is unhappy with her efforts; she senses it.  Daughter still refuses.  Mother was in resistance movement against Nazis . . . second daughter does research on her imprisonment and torture. Acting is solid . . . scenes just go on too long. Static as well in development.  

Lorna wins her case.  Security guard is the real murderer, some stuff about jamming Glock. Biofuel introduced into M. case.  One more episode.  decent, not great 

 Mickey with Maggie ex-wife take on Dana.  Dead body in M. trunk. M. threatened the guy.  Somehow a biodiesel deal is involved.  M. ex-girlfriend chef from another book testifies against him for vengeance.  Maggie shoots her down with letters vowing vengeance that she sent.  Former intern testifies against poor M too. She's shot down . . . no job, bitter, out to get him. Cisco serves subpoena on a guy who immediately is murdered . . . biodiesel again.