Henry Cavill

The utmost best reason to have watched The Tudors, Henry Cavill.

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The Tudors

The Tudors amused us through some seasons with fantastic period clothes, a history lesson of sorts and graphic sex. No wonder it was so popular. The story had been told before and the ones who know their English history knew what was going to pass, but as everything else in the world it's all in the packaging. And The Tudors was packaged like it was a Sex and the City but with kings of the 16th century.

Wouldn't it be yummy if we today could walk around like the noble men of the 16th century. That would be a jaw dropper, wouldn't it? To see a man walk down the streets of Paris or London or the alike in full regalia. To go all in would be to go far I presume, but of course there must be details that we can adopt to present day of dressing. I think it would be quite fun to try at least.

It is a bit mind blowing to think that my ancestors walked around in such clothes. That my ancestor Erik XIV courted for the hand of Henry VIII's daughter, Elizabeth. That two of his siblings, Johan and Elisabet spent much time at the English court, and that The Virgin Queen became the godmother to Elisabet's son, Erik XIV's nephew.

The intrigues of those times were magnificent, and of course written by the victors to put themselves in the best of lights. No wonder that it lends itself so well to television.





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Thor - Chris Hemworth

Yesterday I finally watched the film Thor. Since I as a child was an avid fan of the Marvel universe I am well aquainted with all of its characters. What Marvel has done is so intricate that it is impossible to put on film but they make a good effort, mostly. Thor was quite good, and mostly because of the beauty of Natalie Portman and Chris Hemworth. Hemworth looks a bit cartoonish with his bleached hair and huge muscles.

Look at those arms. He has been at it at the gym quite alot, hasn't he?

Almost a bit too much, but impressive nonetheless considering the work that has gone in to it.

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Zilli

French company, Zilli, offers luxury goods to the ones who can afford them. The prices are steep and can give most wallets an extreme migrane. Even so, the goods are coveted and why not. What gets my juices flowing are the bags. They are totally delicious!



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Absolutely Fabulous

When I lived in London in the glorious 1990s BBC started airing Absolutely Fabulous. We sat there religiously in front of the screen every week and since we all were students of fashion, journalism and art this was right up our alley. Created by Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French with Saunders as one of the lead characters, Edwina Monsoon. It was a big hit and we got live through quite some seasons of design and decadence.

Joanna Lumley who through her career usually had played cool upperclass ladies got a huge break from the type casting and a huge success playing the lush, Patsy Stone.

It was over the top and twisted to the hilt in a comic fashion that only the British can master. Designer labels flew through the air like bullets from a machine gun and Lacroix got mentioned so often that the free publicity for his label was enormous.

Absolutely Fabulous was about two crazy, funloving women who would have been hilarious to party with, had they existed in real life.

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Beastly

I'm house sitting and I came home late from work to two cats and a dog. I zapped through the channels and ended up in the end of a film called Beastly. A modern version of Beauty and the Beast. A film that we know that every teenage girl will swoon over. That in fact every person will swoon over even if they wouldn't in a million years admit it to anyone, not even themselves.

Don't we all want to be loved for the one we are behind the mask we portray out to the world? Don't we all want to be loved for the one we are on the inside, not for the symmetrical beauty of our faces or lack there of? That is what the film Beastly is about. When two souls connect and find a love that defies time, space and reason. I thank the higher powers that I got to experience that love if only for the briefest of moments.



Love is never ugly .....


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Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey. My favourite pastime at the moment. I just love it!! This series created by ITV and written by Julian Fellowes has become a smash hit. As in every other English production we get quality and heaps of it. Great actors like Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith, who could put almost any other actor to shame. The scenery with the magnificent mansion. The clothes that are spectacular and I feel the same about the style of the upper class as well as that of the servants.

And there are so many other things that are there for the taking. The political climate of the beginning of the 1900s. The role of women in society and how it started to change with the first world war. The upper class and the lower class. Upstairs and downstairs. Technical advancements. Fashion. The list can be made as long as my arm.

And to top it off, real life problems. Things we as an audience can relate to. Hardship as broken hearts and miscarriages. Death and deceit in those we thought were our friends and allies. Finally family, friendship and love and all the intricate emotions of joy and pain that all of these entail.

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