Do you like watching sad movies?

I love crying whilst watching movies. Well, love heh, isn't 'zactly the right word to describe it. It's just that, when a movie makes me cry, it means it has touched me inside and normally those movies are the ones I can't forget, even if I want to. Those kinds of movies kind of live inside me for a long time.

I have to admit, my favourite movies are not ones that really make me cry, though. My favourite movies are the ones that are beautiful and most-part happy and British and Jane Austen-y. They have their fluttery parts, but they aren't usually handkerchief-y. Movies such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Wives and Daughters and Anne of Green Gables have made me cry but they aren't, in my opinion listed under the title 'sad movies.' They are movies that make one happy. Movies that one watches to get cheered up. Cosy-hours-movies. Perfect.

But then I have seen sad movies which have managed to reach my 'favourite' list, so I do enjoy the sad ones. 

Of course, different people define different movies as sad (for instance, Little Women. Many people say it's a 'sad movie' - but I think it's rather cosy and happy-feelsy. Although OF COURSE it has a sad bit or two. I cry my eyes out at Beth's death. But I wouldn't call it a 'sad movie'. I don't know, there's more to Little Women than sadness. It's a cosy, happy family story.) And of course, there are several kinds of sad-movies I just can't watch. 

For me, sad movies must have...

1. A re-assuring ending. I need HOPE. 

It doesn't have to be all rosy and happy and sparkly and golden (although I have to admit I like those too) but it needs to have an ending with hope. Not one of those 'Oh goodness, how am I going to ever get over that' endings. Ugh.

'Testament of Youth' was a brilliant movie, but the ending didn't have as much hope and 'happy feeling' as I would have liked. Still, I just about tolerated that, and I love 'Testament of Youth' because it's so gorgeous and pretty. But I wish they would've made the ending more hopeful.

'Miss Potter,' for instance is, in my opinion, a rather sad movie, but I absolutely love it - it has a good ending. Beatrice finds another guy and you can finish the movie with a smile on your face and a happy feeling inside, despite all the sad feels and tears.

2. The sad movie has to be my kind of sad. 

I know, that might sound weird. But there is a 'my kind of sad' and a 'not my kind of sad.' Let me sit down and clear my throat and explain. (Thank you for letting me. You really are too kind.)

'Not my kind of sad' movies are the gruesomey kind of sad. Like, I can't CANNOT watch Holocaust movies. I tried once and I had nightmares even though I stopped before half of the movie. It was just too BLACK and GRUESOME. Like, I was trembling with the horrid sadness. That is so not my kind of sad. Goodness, reading books about the Holocaust make me snag for breath in anguish. Of course I can't watch Holocaust movies.

And Les Miserables is not my kind of sad either. I couldn't watch it. One sad thing after another. Endless shots of miserable, raggerdy, blood-smotched faces - so. much. vivid. misery. I just didna like it, I didn't.

The only movie with slightly 'gruesome' and 'vivid' sadness I love is 'North and South.' Oh, and I like most of the Dickens movies. But really, most sad movies with the 'scary, violent sadness' are so not for me. No thank you.

Movies that are my kind of sad can make me cry and even leave me with misery-feelings. Testament of Youth made me feel absoblumelootely miserable, but I also absoblumelootely love it. It's a vivid movie, but it not one-thing-after-another-gruesome. Miss Potter, as I mentioned earlier, is SO my kind of sad. It's quiet and twinkley sad. Umph, it's so good.

I have a question for you. Two, in fact.

1. Do you like watching sad movies?

2. Do you know some my-kind-of-sad Period Dramas you think I would like?

(Because I obviously need to lengthen my to-see list. Haha.)

By the way, isn't that picture from 'Sense and Sensibility' gorgeous?!! I have a serious love affair with pretty Period Drama pictures. Ahum, perhaps you noticed.

Belle 2013 // Review

I SAW BELLE 2013!!!

I rarely go to the movie theatre, so when I go it is always a big treat. But my father took me and my fifteen-year-old sister, as a kind of 'reward' for getting through all our odious exams (yes! I finished!) and, although our prior plans were to see 'Cinderella', we went and watched Belle. (The reason I changed my mind is because the cinema only played Cinderella in French, so I didn't think it worth the money. But I *do* plan to watch Cinderella as soon as possible. Just probably on DVD.)

I'm SO, so, so, so, SO glad I saw Belle. It was AMAZING.

Seriously. AMAZING.

Reasons why Belle 2013 is an amazing movie? You want reasons? Goodness, all I can say for the time being is watch the thing, for goodness' sake. I mean, just DO. You should. If you're built up like I am, you will cry, and you will laugh, and you will squeal when you recognise actors and actresses. It's just... wow. I haven't enjoyed a movie that much for a long, long time. I LOVED IT, OKAY?!!

Reason number #1 as to why 'Belle 2013' is an amazing movie.

Dido was a lovely character. The acress who played her did an immensely good job. She was so beautiful (goodness, how suitable is her third name? Belle. That's just her.) and sweet (seriously, that smile of hers) and also feisty, independant and a loyal, good friend. I loved her. She's a lovely heroine - a heroine that stays with you. Not my favourite heroine in movie history, I have to admit, but she's a lovely person. I felt for her deeply.

Reason number #2 as to why Belle is an amazing movie:

HIM. I'm so in love, readers! Of course, not as in love as I am with Matthew Crawley or Mr Knightley, but really, I'm having ISSUES. John Davinier was such a gentleman. It bugged me like anything that Dido was so harsh towards him in the beginning, but it tickled me that she changed her opinion super quickly - she realised he was a kind, humble, clever man with right moral opinions and an amazing willingness to stride to what is good, very quickly. And then couldn't get enough of him.

Reason number #3 as to why Belle is an amazing movie:

Dido and Mr Davinier were just so cute - wait, cute is a very unflattering way of describing it - what's the right adjective? Creamily darling, painfully shippable, kerfloppingly gorgeous, handsome, SWEET, good. That's better. They were that kind of couple. I melted when they (finally!) kissed (no, no, don't take that literally) and my insides creamed when they were so cosily tucked inside the golden shades of the carriage, talking together, sharing business secrets, like a real loyal couple.

Reason number #4 as to why Belle is an amazing movie:

John Davinier's words, 'Yes! I love her! I love her with every breath I breathe.' Please, don't say I was the only one who cried when he said that. Okay, maybe I was a little extra emotional because of the amazing big cinema screen and the vivid sound effects, but it just got me. I love it when heroes show their affections like that. :-D

Reason number #5 as to why Belle is an amazing movie:

The kiss. I love movies where the kiss is in the end - where the couple doesn't share several scattered throughout the movie, starting, perhaps, with the first one in the middle. There were several times before I thought they would perhaps kiss - and, while I secretly screamed 'Go on!', I'm so happy they made us viewers wait till the very end. It was beautiful. I loved that little happy tear rolling over Dido's beautiful cheek. :'-)

Reason number #6 as to why Belle is an amazing movie:

That lift-y-up hug in the end! Perhaps you didn't notice it - but at the very end of the movie, when John and Dido hug after their epic kiss (ha), John Davinier hugged her so tightly that he lifted her up from the ground. I JUST LOVED IT.

Reason number #7 as to why Belle is an amazing movie:

Elizabeth! I loooooved Elizabeth! And played by Sarah Gadon, who plays another Elizabeth in the most burning-to-watch movie on my to-see list, 'A Royal Night Out.' She was that kind of common character we have in Period Movies - an outspoken, wanting-to-marry, lively, flirty, but very, very kind pretty young girl. She was a joy to watch and I love how she just said things she thought. Characters like that are plain awesome.

Reason number #8 as to why this is an amazing movie:

Elizabeth and Dido's friendship was lovely. They reminded me a lot of Emma and myself - giggling together, crying together (don't worry, Emma and I haven't (fortunately) had any reason so far in life to have cried together) and talking to each other continually. They were lovely. I really appreciate movies and books with good girlie friendships like that. It doesn't always have to be an Anne-Diana-kind-of-thing, but it just has to be a good friendship, and Belle gave me that. Lovely.

Reason number #9 as to why this movie is amazing:

All the recognisable actors! I spotted Penelope Wilson (Downton Abbey, Wives and Daughters) immediately (actually, I knew she was going to be in it for ages already, haha), Emily Watson (War Horse, Miss Potter, A Royal Night Out), Miranda Dickinson (Young Victoria), Tom Wilkinson (Martin Chuzzlewit, Sense and Sensibility), the Mr Wickham-guy in Death Comes to Pemberly, Pastor Hutton from Cranford, and others. It was super fun. I hope my dad and I didn't annoy the other people in the theatre by often whispering about who was who.

Reason number #10 as to why this movie is amazing:

It's suitable, I would say, for all ages. There are no bedroom scenes, no major violence. Of course, slavery being an issue of the movie, things are talked of. Necklines are really low though, Dido gets (minorly) touched by someone, and there is mention of Dido's parents not being married, but apart from that, it's fine. I know my parents would feel okay with the whole family watching it and not skipping any parts.

Reason number #11 as to why 'Belle 2013' is an amazing movie:

The COSTUMES. Mannnnn. I cannot even talk right now - they were all so BEAUTIFUL. As I heard (yes, totally heard) Emma say in one of her comments in the blogging sphere, you want to EAT these dresses. They are creations of visual art - stunning pieces, cupcakes of glory. Frills, bows, textures, colours, embroidery - it was all in the finest, perfectest manner. I SANK in the beauty of those costumes. Wow. (As I did mention earlier, though, unfortunately the necklines are low. It kind of the only thing I didn't enjoy about the movie. Can't complain.)

Reason number #12 as to why this movie is amazing:

It's so BEAUTIFUL. It's the kind of screencap-able, every-shot-is-pausable-worthy, every-cap-would-be-a-treat-to-the-eye movie. It's just divine. I found it so glamorous and beautiful and gorgeous and everything. Seriously, I had such a hard time narrowing down the amount of pictures for this post!

Reason number #13 as to why this movie is amazing:

The music! Let me cry. Rachel Portman is officially my favourite soundtrack composer. Or just composer in general. This movie soundtrack was everything - tinkly, sprinkly, weaving, streaming, thrilling, soothing. HOW DID SHE DO IT?!!! It touched the inner me. I think that in the cinema, the music does ever so much more to you than music does when watching a movie at home (I sometimes don't even notice the music when I watch a movie). The music was so beautiful.

Reason number #14 as to why this is an amazing movie:

I cried. In my opinion, I cannot dislike a movie that makes me cry. And, during 'Belle' in didn't just cry. I really bawwwled. During the last ten minutes in particular - man, I had it bad. I had wipe away teas and I was able to like my palm and taste saltiness. It was bad. My dad cried as well, just in case you think it was just me. :-) I also heard some other people sniffing, especially in the end. It really GOT me. Again, I think the fact that it was on a huge big screen, with vivid and almost 3D noise affects, made it more real and emotional. I really cried a lot, let me just say that.

Reason number #15 as to why 'Belle 2013' is a movie you PLEASE must watch:

It's based on a true story! I had no idea until I saw it popping up on the screen. Based on a true story. It made the story ten times more real, ten times more vivid and beautiful and heart-wrenching. I don't know, perhaps I'm exaggerating about the goodness of this movie, but I seriously LOVED it as much as I have just stated. I hope you did, or will (because you WILL) too!

Have you seen 'Belle'?

What did you think of it?