Tag: Colin Firth

‘The Secret Garden’ doesn’t quite bloom

Jeff Mitchell

“The Secret Garden” – After a prolonged, winding political road, India gained independence from Great Britain in 1947. This historical moment scooped up Mary Lennox (Dixie Egerickx), a 10-year-old girl living in India at the time.  This young Brit – nestled in the lap of financial luxury as a child ex-pat – suddenly lost her parents.  She also gained her independence, but in the most unwanted way.   Now, this newly orphaned girl baths, sleeps, and eats on her schedule, but she soon discovers that proper sustenance, direction, and boundaries become…

‘1917’ is a must-see on the big screen

Jeff Mitchell

“1917” – “I wanted you to feel like you were there with the characters, breathing their every breath, walking in their footsteps. The best way to do that is not to cut away and give the audience a way out, as it were.” –  Sam Mendes, Variety, Dec. 5, 2019 One military order. Director Sam Mendes’ “1917” can be summed up as one military order carried out by two British lance corporals through No Man’s Land and beyond at the height of WWI.  On the surface, this seems like a…

‘The Happy Prince’ sheds light on Oscar Wilde’s cheerless years

Jeff Mitchell

“The Happy Prince” – “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde Rupert Everett (“My Best Friend’s Wedding” (1997), “The Importance of Being Earnest” (2002)) wrote a screenplay about Oscar Wilde and shopped it around, but he could not find a director willing to bring his work to the big screen.  Well, he took control of his own destiny and decided to film it himself, and this first-time director delivers a troubling and tragic portrayal, and in the process, Everett delivers a most absorbing performance. The film’s title…