Category Archives: Fashion

2020, 2021, Acceptable for teenagers, British Drama, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Dancing, Drama, Erotic Tension, Family Conflict, Family Secrets, Fashion, Father-son relations, Fatherless child, Flirting, Fraud, Gambling, Hopeless Love, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Period Piece, Prostitutes, Regency Era Britain, Remarkable Costumes, Romance, Sex Scenes, Soap Opera, Social Class Inequality, Too Long, Unhappy Marriage, Unloved Child, Unmarried mother, Unwanted Pregnancy, Verbose

Bridgerton (2020)

From IMDB:

Wealth, lust, and betrayal set against the backdrop of Regency-era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this Regency-era serial soap opera.  Each season consists of 8 episodes, each episode lasting roughly one hour.

During the American revolution George III was king of England. Because he suffered from periodic madness due to porphyria (disputed), his son acted as regent and later became George IV. For this reason this period of history is called the Regency era.

Among the wealthy London aristocrats of the Regency era, social competition and ambition centered around gossip,  fancy apparel, and above all else finding suitable husbands for one’s daughters. “Suitable” here means wealthy and hopefully titled, as in prince beats duke beats lord.  Bridgerton in it entirety is about gossip, fancy apparel and husband pursuits.  And what fun it is to watch!

SLIGHT NEGATIVES:

  • Do not be put off by the very beginning in which we see a bare-assed Anthony Bridgerton copulating with his lower class lover against a tree.  Although there are plenty of sex scenes, this is not a trashy production.
  • Talk, talk, talk and more talk.  There is much repetitious talk.

NOTABLE FEATURES:

  • As far as being “woke”,  irregardless of any particular role, parts are mixed between races. For example: Simon Basset, Lady Danbury, and Queen Charlotte are black;  members of the Sharma family are from India; most actors are white.
  • You may not recognize her, but the voice of Lady Whistledown reading her gossip column is none other than Julie Andrews.
  • Underlying all the husband and wife hunting is the motivation for the main protagonists Daphne and Anthony Bridgerton and the Sharma sisters that despite all the imposed societal ambitions,  true love is the oft scorned but most desired quality of a good marriage.

SEASON ONE

Season One is devoted to finding Daphne Bridgerton a husband. After much  pretending and maneuvering,  Duke Simon is the one.  As far as difficulties are concerned, Simon has taken a vow against his much despised father to never produce an heir to the title.

As an extra major distraction, the search is on the discover the identity of Lady Whistledown, the weekly publisher of a gossip paper that more or less rules society.  My lips are sealed.

One further theme is the friendship between Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.  In reality the Featherington family is penniless, meaning that their daughters MUST marry well in order to rescue the family from its gambling induced poverty.

SEASON TWO

Season Two is devoted to finding a suitable wife for Anthony Bridgerton and a suitable husband for Kate Sharma.   Along the way Anthony misguidedly proposes marriage to Kate’s sister Edwina.

We learn the identity of Lady Whistledown while Queen Charlotte threatens Eloise Bridgerton with ruin if she fails to discover the true identity of Lady Whistledown.

Season Two does not end happily ever after for all. Will there be a Season Three, dear reader?

2020, Abduction, Action sequences, Art appreciation, Bloody scenes, Clever Plot, Corruption, Crime thriller, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Dutch, Dutch detectives, Erotica, Fashion, Fist Fight, Flirting, Forensics, Government cover-up, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Murder Investigation, Nuns, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Physical fighting, Police Culture, Religious Theme, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Torture, Unbelievably smart detective, Violent

Van der Valk (2020)

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From IMDB:

A Dutch detective takes on criminal cases in Amsterdam using insightful human observation and his natural street smarts.

From PBS Passport you can stream 3 episodes of this Dutch detective series. Each episode lasts about 1.5 hours.

Episode 1: Love in Amsterdam and episode 2: Only in Amsterdam are clever,  engaging, and develops the characters well.  Although the story line in episode 3: Death in Amsterdam is not so interesting, still the episode continues to develop the characters and has an exciting gun battle at the end. We also finally get to see what is preventing Van der Valk from forming a permanent relationship.

One thread that is compelling and annoying is Van der Valk’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge the talents of the newcomer Job Cloovers.  That theme has a satisfying conclusion in the third episode.

If you only watch the first two episodes, I still say

DO NOT MISS!

2021, AIDS, Alcoholism, Based on true facts, Blackmail, Character Driven, Cocaine, Drama, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Emotional abuse, Explicit sex, Fashion, Gay Prostitution, Gay theme, Jealousy, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Promiscuity, Revenge, Sexual promiscuity, Vulgar

Halston (2021)

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From IMDB:

It tracks Halston as he leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire that’s synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame, literally defining the era.

From Netflix you can stream the 5 episodes of this series. Each episode lasts between 44 and 53 minutes.

You need not be one bit interested in fashion to enjoy this acting tour de force.   Ewen McGregor at 50 years of age puts on one of the best performances of his long career. Just take a look at his resume.

If there is a theme here, it is the often typical “rise and fall”  of a public personality (e.g. Senator McCarthy,  Jeffrey Epstein, hopefully Donald Trump).  We can only trust that the details are true to life.  Before this film I personally never heard of Halston, but I do vaguely remember Jackie Kennedy’s pill box hat.

Notice the actor Bill Pullman who plays the business man David Mahoney.  He played Harry Ambrose in the creepy three season series called The Sinner which was reviewed earlier in this blog and strongly recommended.

Hopefully you will not find McGregor’s pitch perfect effete  portrayal and the explicitly strong gay theme too off-putting.  Just admire the acting.

2020, Accidental Death, Addiction, Adopted child, Alcoholism, America of the 1960s, Based on a Book, Chess, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, Failing Marriage, Fashion, Friendship, Husband leaves wife, Mother-daughter relations, Netflix Streaming, Orphanage, Paris in the 1960s, Redemption, Sexual promiscuity, Unhappy Marriage

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

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From IMDB:

Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price.

Nine year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she’s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Based on the book by Walter Tevis.

From Netflix you can stream the 7 episodes of this  remarkable drama. Episodes vary in length from 46 minutes to 67 minutes.

You need not understand anything about chess to appreciate the tension of a chess match and to enjoy this story.  Although there are an awful lot of chess matches and much discussion about the game,  Beth and her personal life remain the center of attention. Watching the obsessive inhabitants of the world of chess can be a revelation. Granted that a person can obsess over just about anything, nonetheless the hold that chess has on some players is remarkable. Indeed that hold is the core of Beth’s ultimate problem: exactly what is her life about?

Anya Taylor-Joy,  the British/Argentine actress who plays Beth, is as perfect for the role as she is beautiful.  When she says “I like clothes”, consider that an understatement.   Where did she get the money for all those clothes?

DO NOT MISS!

 

2018, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bisexual theme, Brother-Sister relations, Comedy, Eccentric cast of characters, Exaggeration Comedy, Fashion, Gay theme, Improbable details, Lot's of Fun, Love Story, Netflix Streaming, Often downright silly, Outrageous Behavior, Quirky, Remarkable Costumes, Romance, Witty dialog

Schitts Creek (2018)

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From IMDB:

When rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose and his family suddenly find themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt’s Creek.

From Netflix:

After their business manager loots their family fortune, the Rose family relocates to the town of Schitt’s Creek, which they once bought as a joke.

From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons of this nutty series. Each season has 13 episodes. Every episode lasts for 21 minutes except that in season 4 episodes 7 through 12 last 22 minutes and episodes 13 (the finale of the 4 seasons) lasts 25 minutes.

Only for special streaming offerings do I apply the category “Barely Acceptable Trash”.  If ever there was a series that deserved such an accolade, this series hits the target. Of course, the title probably is a bit of a hint.

In addition I have invented the category “Exaggeration Comedy” to prepare you for utter and fun nonsense. Guarantee: you will either love or hate (i.e. probably be offended by) this offering.

All the actors are well chosen. Consider a few of the regretfully  unforgettable characters:

  •   Father Johnny Rose is a suited, never wrong, oblivious bungler.
  •  Mother Moira Rose never wears the same outfit twice (just as does the villain in “What/If”). Each outfit she wears is purposely an exaggerated, outrageous spectacle. Also in each appearance she wears a different wig from her wig wall. Ignore the fact that the family has supposedly lost all their money, are living in two rooms, and yet Moira has some 52 different outfits (in addition to her wig wall)!
  •  Daughter  Alexis Rose minces her way through all the series. There is hardly a moment that she doesn’t speak and move in an affected, cutesy way.  Probably at first you may find her constant mannerisms annoying.
  •  Son David Rose, as far as his mannerisms go, is a carbon copy of his sister. David is bisexual although he spends most of the series being gay.
  •  Patrick Brewer and David open a store selling pampered people personal products. Eventually they are gay lovers. Patrick is the perfect sensible, open, sincere, normal foil to David’s personal style.
  •  Roland Schitt is the mayor of Schitt’s Creek. He is played by Chris Elliott. Just in case you can’t place his face, recall that in “Everybody Loves Raymond” Raymond’s brother marries a girl whose parents are religious fundamentalists and whose brother Peter MacDougall is a total annoying loser. Chris Elliott played that brother in “Raymond”. Is that paunch which Chris sports in “Schitt’s Creek” for real?

Why on earth would I waste my time watching this dysfunctional family at work?  Well, at the end of day, lying in bed, and not wanting to think a single rational thought, these episodes are a hoot. And you must remember:

I LOVE TRASH!

2019, Abuse of Women, Acceptable Trash, Bad high school, Career Competition, Child abuse, Cold Cases, Complicated, Corny at times, Dancing, Detective, DNA, Drama, Emotional child abuse, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Fashion, Gay theme, Illegitimate Child, Mediocre, Melodrama, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Narcissistic Personality, Netflix Streaming, Psychopath, Sex Scenes, Sociopath, Suspense, Uncategorized, Unscrupulous drive to power, Violent, Womanizing

What/If (2019)

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From IMDB:

An anthology series which tackles a different morality tale, and the ripple effect of a single decision that changes the trajectory of an entire life.

From Netflix you can stream 10 episodes of this soap opera. Each episode lasts between 40 and 60 minutes.

Anne Montgomery is the villain and most prominent feature of this acceptable trashy melodrama. She is played by Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones) who looks awfully good for her 50 years. Of course it does not hurt her appearance to wear not only tons of makeup but to wear in each new appearance an astounding designer creation. Best of all you can hear her lisp for all ten episodes.

Harlequin Books, the leaders in trashy bodice-rippers, will send you a story plot and will pay you to fill in the details. Suppose, in similar fashion you want to write a Netflix Original screenplay. What should be in the plot to be current in 2019?  Here are some suggestions (where we were motivated by this marvelous series):

  • In each couple, one of the partners must be hiding some terrible, guilty secret which prevents that person from being truly open with the other person.
  • One of the couples must be a gay couple. They should engage in least some filmed threesome sexual activity.
  • For each couple there must be a third party who has some destructive relation to one of the partners.
  • Some character must be a homicidal sociopath.
  • Financial dealings must complicated by the fact that you can never know whom to trust.

Probably I could extend the list, but those selling points should be enough to tempt you to watch almost 10 hours of acceptable trash. As a further inducement to wasting all that time, I am happy to reveal that by the end of episode ten, all problems have been resolved. Moreover, the plot leaves an opening for another thrilling set of trashy episodes.

Thanks to former colleague Kellie Trainer for suggesting this binge-worthy series. She and I have a motto:

WE LOVE TRASH!

2018, Abuse of Women, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, British History, Coarse manners, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Dancing, Drama, Fashion, Grungy, Horses, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Masturbation, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Personal Betrayal, Rape, Remarkable Costumes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sexual Harassment, Strange Ending, Vulgar

The Favourite (2018)

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From IMDB:

In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.

Based on historical facts,  this two hour film set in England in the early 18th century presents a battle between Lady Sarah and Abigail for the affections of Queen Anne.

Olivia Coleman, who played D.S. Ellie Miller in Broadchurch, portrays the sickly Queen Anne as a somewhat repellant and incompetent Queen.  Rachel Weisz plays Lady Sarah Churchill who was the Duchess of Malborough. Lady Sarah is portrayed as Queen Anne’s lesbian lover and the real power behind the throne. At one point her impoverished cousin Abigail appears on the scene looking for employment. Through clever personal competition and intrigue Abigail, played by Emma Stone,  rises to eventually replace Sarah. Since this is history I am not spoiling the plot here. In fact the entire point of the story is how Abigail tricks her way to the top.

WARNING: Although I started by disliking the film and then found it disgustingly fascinating, Kathy did not enjoy watching.  If there is any historical accuracy in the film then the English nobility were debauched and imperious lechers.  Brace yourself for nudity, sexual assaults on servants, and continuous use of the C  _ _ T word.

In its favor, the photography, the costumes, and the palace rooms are feasts for the eyes. Never mind the vomit.

 

2006, Bullying, Corny, Fashion, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Musical, Transvestite theme

Kinky Boots (2006)

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From NetFlix:

After inheriting a shoe factory, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) aims to take the fashion world by storm with help from a flashy cabaret dancer named Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who helps him design a racy line of men’s boots, in this whimsical comedy from British director Julian Jarrold. But on the eve of the Milan Shoe Fair — just as Charlie’s about to introduce the world to his signature shoes — everything falls apart.

Sometimes maudlin, sometimes almost preachy, “Kinky Boots” has enough originality to provide a decent evening’s entertainment. Think of this British film as part of the tradition of films such as the American version of “La Cage aux Folles”: singing and dancing and a sermon here and there about acceptance, tolerance, motherhood and apple pie. Tell the children what a transvestite is and even the children can watch.

Give it a B and just enjoy the fun!

2009, Cooking and food, Drama, Fashion, Gay theme, Italian, Love Story, Nudity, Sex Scenes

I Am Love (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Oscar winner Tilda Swinton shows off her multilingual skills in this Italian melodrama, in which family dissension, unbidden desire and other tensions bubble to the surface during the patriarch’s birthday party. When the seemingly picture-perfect Recchi family gathers at the family manse to celebrate the great old man, the veneer of civility falls quickly away in director Luca Guadagnino’s lush, atmospheric film.

To really enjoy this Italian eye candy set in Milan, you should see this film on a big screen. Admittedly I have a prejudice, I am an Italophile. Except for 5 minutes in English and brief shouting in Russian, the film is spoken in an easy Italian accompanied by subtitles just for the Italian. You may also choose subtitles for the hard-of-hearing.

Cooking and food are central to the film, especially since Swinton falls in love with a young cook who is her son’s friend. Some of the film’s plot might strike you as unlikely. Just suspend disbelief and enjoy the parade of beautiful scenery, beautiful homes and furnishings, beautiful food, beautiful clothing, and many beautiful (but always very “skinny”) women. And yes, there are some prolonged nude sex scenes set in the lush Italian countryside.

Viva l’Italia !

2008, Biographical, Documentary, Fashion, Gay theme, Italian, Love Story, True Story, Unusual

Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Tracing Valentino’s life from his 70th birthday to his final couture show, this fashionable documentary captures the spirit of the legendary designer’s influence on the style and substance of the way we look. Highlights include an intimate, behind-the-scenes peek at his relationship with longtime business partner and lover Giancarlo Giammetti, as well as an up-close and personal look at the designer’s creative process.

"Tony, I want to see 'Valentino: The Last Emperor"
"Kathy, you mean that fashion film ?"   "Yes"
"Why would anyone want to watch an hour and a half about a fashion designer ?"
"You get all those NetFlix DVDs that I don't even care about, and I really want to see this one"
"Ooooooookay, if you insist"

Had this fashion documentary not been made, we would have lost some notable moments in a part of the world’s culture that I certainly did not know even existed. It’s a bit like a tour of Machu Picchu or seeing the exquisite terracotta army of the first Qin Dynasty ruler Shihuangdi. Who knew ?

One of the dominant themes of this documentary is the 50 year relation between Valentino and his life partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Kathy’s comment is “Giancarlo must be some kind of saint”. It was fun watching the two bicker about trivia, as in “you have applied too much tan today”. But what came through loud and clear was that they truly love and need one another. Valentino is the impractical dreamer, the creative force, but without Giancarlo’s gentle guiding hand, Valentino would have gone nowhere.

In fact the minutiae involved with fashion must be daunting. There are an awful lot of unsung heroes. In a certain sense everything depends on the skill of the seamstresses. It’s a lot like computer programming: omit a semi-colon and the program stops working. Today it would be impossibly costly to sew by hand thousands of sequins on a gown. I buy my clothes at Target (pronounced “Tar-jay”).

Every now and then I see a fashion photo of some female model. Quite often they are made to look like freaks. Not so with Valentino. Of course, all his beautiful models are stick thin (dare I say anorexic ?). But his trademark was long flowing gowns that really made the models beautiful.

I copied the following paragraph from the internet:

Produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine, Valentino: The Last Emperor provides a first-time glimpse into Valentino’s world of bygone glamour. Filmed from June 2005 to July 2007, the crew shot over 250 hours of footage with exclusive, unprecedented access to Valentino and his entourage. The resulting non-fiction film is a portrait of an extraordinary partnership, the longest running in fashion, and a dramatic story about a master confronting the final act of his celebrated career.

Indeed the film leads up to Valentino’s sensational farewell celebratory show and party in Rome. It’s fun seeing how many celebrities you can recognize (Princess Di, etc). But the circumstances are not entirely happy. Valentino’s company is purchased by a giant corporation in which only the bottom line is important (sound familiar ?). His world has changed so much that Valentino retires. Little by little his former group of loyal workers are replaced.

And don’t miss his five pugs!