The Crimson Field: Nurses Bring Scandal & Smarts to the Battlefront

It's WWI. Yea, I seem to be on a nurses in WWI kick. (I've been watching Anzac Girls too, more about that later.) A group of British nurses are treating the wounded on the front (France). We not only get to know them, but also the surgeons they work closely with, and with this group comes lots of secrets and tensions. A six-hour series, it comes on two DVDs.

There's the matron, with a soft heart for her patients, but not so much at times for her volunteers. There's a huge debate over how much the volunteers should be allowed to do. There's a secret engagement, secret babies, possible love affairs. Resentment, jealousy, fear. Each episode brings up something new to think about: the trials of nursing, how very difficult it can be for a young lady in those times to see a man's body. Cowardice. Should they be shot? Not every man is cut out for war...yet should they shot for their weakness?


There's Irish/British tensions, and even more fascinating to me was the experimental procedures the surgeons perform. I'm not a medical expert, but though brief, the side story involving a wounded patient being put through a painful routine every two hours rather than losing his leg was intriguing.

While the first episode was slow and I had my doubts the series would improve, by the third episode, I was hooked. I became engrossed in everyone's lives and scandals. I found myself shouting at people, especially the wife who tells her husband she doesn't want to hear his war stories. What a shocker of an episode. I dare not say what happens, but I will say it raised a lot of emotion in me.

The secret engagement turned into a shocker of epic proportions bringing the issues of treason. Right man, wrong time... I was happy with the way this resolved. It was realistic and yet could have been worse. I must say though, I am not pleased with one sidestory's resolution...Kitty. Fascinating woman with hints of a scandalous past...but yet we never get the full story. I wanted the full story there and I didn't care for her love interest. I'd have chosen the other guy.

I bought this DVD set on Amazon.

The House of Eliott, Season One: Two Strong Women Start a Fashion House in the 20s

I actually bought the entire three season, the collection, but golly, that'd make a long post. And after watching 13, 14 episodes, I'm taking a break to watch some other things before I start season two.

First of all, the story is about two sisters whose father passes away, leaving them--they think--destitute. Despite all kinds of barricades put in their way--from money to naysayers to greedy relatives--the two woman start their own tailoring business, which leads to a fashion house, the House of Eliott.

I've heard it said that the clothes are amazing. Having watched all five seasons of Downton Abbey, I'm not convinced these clothes are all that great. I liked the clothes on DA better, but I certainly preferred the head pieces they wear in this.

I have a feeling, however, that the clothes will be even better in seasons two and three, as the women cultivate their talents and we get deeper into the twenties.

Something I noticed that may not have worked in the clothing's favor is the lack of camera angles. It could be because this was filmed in the early 90s and in 2015 we've grown quite spoiled with our TV, but there weren't that many camera angles and I think this hurt the show at times, especially the clothing. Either it's the time it was filmed or it was a low-budget production.

There's a couple of side stories: A handsome aviator who claims he's their brother. A playboy photographer with bad finances who loves the older sister, Beatrice. With him we learn about the new "frivolity" moving pictures. There's a cousin dabbling in illegal activities in a speak-easy. An aunt obsessed with society who finds herself OUT of it. A woman named Penelope--who got on my nerves something AWFUL and I'm so glad she seems to be leaving before season two--who is deeply involved in charity work. And I already said I couldn't stand her, but she did have some food for thought. And yet, some of work hard for our money, lady.


In this season, we not only see HofE starting up but we also see Evangline grow from a somewhat spoiled (personality wise, not money_ child into a young woman with grand ideas. It was interesting to watch Beatrice struggle to step back and let Evie be an adult and also to watch their disagreements about clothes. There's a 13-year difference and it shows. The acting is superb. I was really quite lost in the story.

I'm liking it so far. If you're seeking a historical about strong women and have a preference for the twenties--while this doesn't hold a candle to the scandalous Phyrnne Fisher--it's worth the time and money.

Cairo 678: Sexually Harassed Woman Becomes Vigilante

Incredible movie. I didn't know what to expect when I watched this on Amazon Prime. It's a powerful tale of how three different women handle the growing sexual harassment in Egypt.

Woman one is harassed on a daily basis, on every bus, on the streets she walks. She dresses as dowdy as possible, covers herself head to toe. Unfortunately Egypt's bus system has men and women crowded extremely close together and some men seem to think it's a sport to grab women standing near them. Some of the men go so far as to unzip their own pants.

We see how her low opinion of the men around her in general begins to affect her marriage.

And then one day, she decides no man is going to touch her and get away with it again...and she becomes a vigilante, stabbing stabbing the perps in the crotch.

Her path crosses with that of two other women. One is a wealthy one who was (I think) raped at a football game. Her husband didn't handle the situation well, so hers is a story about emotional abandonment as well. About how, whether people intend it or not, they can punish us for being assaulted.

The third story is a the first woman in Egypt to file a sexual harassment claim. If she continues the claim, she will lose her fiance.

To avoid spoilers, I'm not going to get into further detail about what they do. The movie follows them, their troubles, their emotions, their families' reactions, their everyday life as well as that of a detective as he tries to track down the vigilante on the buses. I was pleasantly surprised by him and his actions.

Long review short, this is an empowering movie, about the different ways women can take action and seek justice. It's also extremely enlightening about the situation women in Egypt face on a daily basis. Though this occurred (this is based on a true story) in 2009, when you think about it, it wasn't that long ago.

The Theory of Everything Shows the Evolution of Love

When I first contemplated watching this movie, I thought to myself, "But how can it be a romance when we already know they get divorced later in life?"

But I was intrigued...and I watched it...and I must say despite the fact that Jane and Stephen get divorced later, that this is a story about love. There are many different kinds of love and you can love someone one way and later find you love them another way. You don't stop loving them; your love just changes. I think this movie should have been called The Evolution of Love. I do.

The movie starts in 1962(3?) Cambridge and we meet a young student Stephen who is working on his PhD and Jane who is majoring in some kind of poetry. I saw something special in Jane right away. This is a girl/woman is one tough cookie. The girl Jane does not take no for an answer. When she finds out her boyfriend has only two years to live, when Stephen's own family warns her she should walk away now, she sticks to her guns. She's going to marry the man she loves and enjoy what times she has with him.

Woman Jane is amazing. She has to juggle small children as well as an invalid Stephen, so it's like having a grown kid on top of the little kids. I don't mean this in an insulting way, but she has to dress him and feed him and all that, and it's obvious she has her hands full and for many years her husband refused to hire outside help.

And you can tell at times that she's unhappy but she's hanging in there. And she's faced with some difficult choices. And she never breaks down.

She does not walk away until Stephen basically tells her to. And then finally she's permitted to find her own happiness.

And yet she still loved him; her love just evolved into a different type.

There are parts of the movie dedicated to Stephen's theories. I didn't understand much of it. It confused me, to be honest. If you are proving your theory from a few years ago wrong now...what makes this theory right? And why are theories so applauded when they're constantly proved wrong? It's all very confusing to me. Thankfully the movie didn't expand on that stuff too much. I may have blown a brain fuse.

But I really enjoyed this movie, the settings, the acting...omg, the acting was something. I applaud them all, especially the actor who played Stephen. And I walk away from the sofa now with a new thought planted in my head...as long as there is life, there is hope.

I bought this movie expecting a romance or a dramatic biography about the famous physicist, but I think Jane's strength stole the show.

Wadjda: A Look at the Lives of Saudi Women

If you read the blurb provided on IMDB for this movie, it's very simple and non-detailed. A Saudi girl wants a bike. Her mother and others say girls can't ride bikes. There's a variety of reasons for this, namely that it could hurt her virginity and then she'd never get married.

But, oh my, there's so much more going on here. So much more. Through Wadjda, we see the lives of Saudi women, the superstitions, the lack of rights, the people with control issues.

We see a woman abandoned because she can't "give" her husband a son. We see the control men exert over their wives (What does it matter how he prefers your hair when he's never around to see it?), even when they aren't around. And the school...how quick the adults are to assume the worst of young ladies, how fast to expel and destroy the lives of young, misunderstood women. Did I mention the girls aren't supposed to laugh or be heard by men? Nor are they permitted to have different shoes from everyone else.

And that scene I mention there...has me docking a bike. There's a situation Wadjda witnesses. Actually, it's not a situation. Something is misunderstood and two girls' lives possibly ruined. Wadjda has a chance to speak in their favor and yet she doesn't do it, very unlike the Wadjda we come to know throughout the movie otherwise and I can only guess it was because she was either 1. tired of being picked up on the principal herself and wanted in the lady's good graces or 2. had to do with the contest for the money.

And yet we never see Wadjda learn anything from this. There are no repercussions from her lying, no lesson.

I'm not sure either if the Koran story line was intended or not, but I felt there was a side issue with Wadjda pretending to be a devout person with the Koran thing, when really, all she wanted was to win the money for a bike. And yet, this really showed us how very easy it is to fool others, especially when they are seeing want they want to see.

I thought this was a terrific movie. I'd love to know what becomes of Wadjda in the future. I hope her spirit does not get trampled. (Yes, I know this is fiction but when I watch a movie, it feels real to me, especially movies like this.)

I think my favorite scene was when she added her name to the family tree. That moved me.

I bought this DVD on Amazon

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

This movie is like a cross between a historical Laura Croft and the movie Night at the Museum, and I loved every second of it.

I didn't expect to. It was with some reservations that I rented this French movie on Amazon. You see, it's got a dinosaur in, one of those flying dinosaurs, and mummies, and I don't normally go for fantasy stuff. And frankly, even though much of this movie is preposterous, it was great fun and I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, the heroine. She's wonderful! She curses at camels, has no patience for dumb-butts, and has a witty retort for nearly every situation. I think my favorite was when she kicked a villain in the nuts and told him, "Whenever you use it, you will think of me," or something like that. LOL You have to see it to "get it" but I guarantee you'll get a kick out of it.

And she dresses fabulously. The year is 1911 so it's a bit Steam Punky.

She's a journalist/author who treks the globe fearlessly. For this movie she heads to Egypt to raid a tomb--not for the gold, but for a mummy she believes is a doctor whom if he comes back to life, he can heal her sister. But the man she needs to bring the mummy back to life is on death row because of this drama with the dinosaur...and so she must get him out of that situation first...and that comes with its own set of laughs.

Laughter. This movie made me laugh quite a few times. The police officers are hilarious; her failed attempts to get the professor out of jail; the mummy...the witty quips, there's a lot of funny moments and while one may think a talking mummy is silly, the movie isn't overdone or cheesy. It's just the right balance.

I wish there was a sequel. The ending leaves one in suspense. I thought perhaps it was a new adventure starting, that would be finished in another movie...and I'm not going to reveal anything more than that. Having watched this incredible, tough, feisty woman ride a Petrodoctyl (sp?), curse at a camel, and fend off bad guys, I have no doubt she'll get herself out of the mess the ending puts her in. But another movie would be nice.

If you want a kick-butt female, a little fantasy, and a lot of humor, this one is for you.

Thousand Pieces of Gold Features Feisty Female from China Making Her Way in the American West

I had no idea this was based on a true story and a book with the same title penned by Ruthanne Lum McCunn. It only crossed my radar at all because it was recommended to me on Amazon Prime.

Released in 1991, this is a gem that is still worth watching today. It follows the story of Lalu as her family falls on hard times in 1880 China, forcing her father to hand her over one day to a slave trader/wife seller, who then sends her off to gold-mining San Francisco where she's purchased and then taken to a saloon in Oregon.

It's there that things go from bad to worse. Her "owner" Hong King uses her badly and plans to sell her to the rest of the town, but a man named Charlie says he won't have slavery on his property. This made me think. The woman has been enslaved longer than anybody, haven't we? Almost twenty years after the battle against slavery was fought and won, women were still being enslaved, bought and sold, raped and beaten.

She brandishes a knife more than once to keep an unwanted "customer" at bay and refuses to lie down for any man but her "husband" Hong King, even though she loathes him. 

Circumstances finally take her away from the awful Hong King and when presented with the opportunity, Lalu immediately attempts to make her own path in the American west whether by taking in laundry or running a little boarding house of sorts. I laughed out loud and with glee when Lalu brandished a knife at the breakfast table. "You don't like my pancakes?"

We also see the hostility and deportation of the Chinese in Oregon. And romance lovers will not be disappointed either.

Long story short, this is not a woman who sits back and accepts whatever crap fate hands her. She makes her own fate, against all odds. Def a historical western movie worth watching. I thought the story, acting, settings were all marvelous. I'd watch this again.

Someone Knows My Name Comes to Television as The Book of Negroes

The original book was The Book of Negroes. The edition I read in 2009 was called Someone Knows My Name.

It was a heart-wrenching story and my review went on Goodreads back then. 

Fantastic historical fiction!! One of the best. I found this novel engrossing and emotional and I hated to put it down. I had to remind myself that I needed to sleep, thus had to set it aside here and there. It is a very unbiased look and recollection of the slave trade. By unbiased, I mean this novel shows the flaws and the wrongs of everybody involved. The blame does not sit on one group or country. The story follows Aminata, an incredibly likable and wonderfully sassy young girl that is captured and stolen from her family in Africa by fellow Africans and then sold to white men from America.

Readers get an appalling and emotional ride on a slave ship and learn about the foul conditions and ill treatment that was dished out to the captured people everyday. Following the ship, the story takes us to a South Carolina plantation and Aminata learns to read and finds love while at the same time, dealing with a cruel, sometimes abusive "owner".

From there, the feisty heroine makes it to New York City and the world of Black Loyalists and then Novia Scotia and finally, London. Aminata leads a hard, tough life and deals with good and bad from every race. From the Africans who sold her to the Americans that bought her to the British that betrayed her and back to the Africans who attempt to enslave her yet again. What a story! And during all this trauma, Aminata still finds love and joy in her life and makes friendships. I felt like I really knew her and sometimes I had to stop reading to collect myself. My only complaint about this novel is sometimes there was too much information about bowel movements. Otherwise, it was perfect and the ending brought tears to my eyes.

That being relayed, I'm excited to announce this wonderful book has made it to the "little" screen. You can watch or set your DVRS to record The Book of Negroes Feb 16th on BET. And it's got Cuba Gooding Jr in it, so some eye candy indeed. 

It's not clear to me, however, just how many episodes there are. I see two different episodes on the TV, but a channel named CBC seems to have 4, 5 episodes, so I'm a bit confused. You'll have to figure that out for yourselves! And if you miss it Feb 16th, it will be available on DVD on Amazon April 7th.

Post WWII Female Secret Agent TV Show Coming to ABC In January

No, I'm not being paid for this. As someone who watches only period dramas, an occasional documentary, and sometimes a Mysteries at the Museum, my TV pickings are really low. Matter of fact, because I seem to only watch PBS on Sundays, and nothing else, my husband has been threatening to get rid of cable.

"You can't do that!" I screech at him. "You never know when something really awesome is suddenly going to air on like, History channel or something."

Well, even if he takes that leap and cancels our Direct TV packages, thankfully a period drama is coming to ABC in January. I figure some of you would like to know about it. I only found out about it because my husband heard of it somehow.

So, to get to the point, Marvel's Agent Carter is premiering on ABC January 6th. I was already able to set my recorder to record the series. You should be able to as well. If not, mark it on your calendars or put a note/reminder in your phone.

And here's the 411 as well as a trailer:

From Wiki:

"Marvel's Agent Carter, or simply Agent Carter, is an upcoming American television series created for ABC by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, inspired by the films Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the Marvel One-Shot short film of the same name. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise.

The series features the Marvel Comics character Peggy Carter, with Hayley Atwell reprising her role from the film series, as she must balance doing administrative work and going on secret missions for Howard Stark while trying to navigate life as a single woman in 1940s America. Several characters from Marvel Cinematic Universe films appear throughout the series. It is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television, with Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas serving as showrunners.

The series was officially ordered on May 8, 2014, and is scheduled to debut on January 6, 2015, during the season two mid-season break of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

9 to 5: Comedy With a Burst of Feminism

"I got a gun out there in my purse and up to now I've been forgivin' and forgettin' because of the way I was brought up, but I'll tell you one thing, if you ever say another word about me or make another indecent proposal, I'm gonna get that gun of mine and change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot."

I first learned of this movie whilst watching Makers: Women in Hollywood. Actually my mother says we watched it when I was kid, but I don't remember. In the doc, Jane Fonda grows quite emotional as she talks about this film, the third made by her own production company. Believe it or not, this was one of the first movies that made really "made it" aka grossed a LOT of money that was geared toward women. As a matter of fact, Ms. Fonda said something about going around asking women office workers, "If you could do anything to your boss, what would it be?" and getting some amazing answers! It was also revealed that the theme song became the Women Office Workers' anthem.

So now you have some background. I suggest watching Makers to get the real accurate 411 though. Ms. Fonda's passion and love for this one movie really resonates.

Though a comedy, the movie shows us the plight of women office workers--how their ideas are stolen by the higher ups, how they're passed over for promotions they deserve in favor of men with less experience, how they're relegated to serving coffee whether they're secretaries or not, how they're sexually harassed. And at first, these women seem to be "taking it". They need the job to support their four kids, to help them after a divorce, etc. But everyone has their limits.

And though this film was made in 1980, that crap still happens today. We may have more laws in place, but many women live in fear of actually utilizing those laws. There's the still the issue of workplace hostility...but I digress.

The beginning shows us their plight, how horrid their boss is. The middle shows them sharing a joint and their fantasies as to what they'd do to him. The end shows them standing up for themselves--with guns, S&M (or m&m, as Jane's character calls it)-like devices, rat poison, and of course words. And it's not all about bosses either. There's a philandering husband who thinks he can just walk back into his ex-wife's life after his mistress dumps him... Will the woman fall into his lecherous clutches again? Or stand up for herself against her ex as well as her boss?

They become feminists! Feminists who steal dead bodies, tie men up, send busybodies on language-learning trips, and who also renovate the workplace for women.

And while my summary may come across as crude or vulgar, I assure you the movie is absolutely NOT. I feel everything was done tastefully and that the folks who created this one--from the writer to the director to producer to actors--did a superb balancing act. The comedy never overshadows the seriousness of the women's plight, the plight never overshadows the comedy. As soon as you grow angry, the movie throws in a laugh, keeping the viewer in a good mood while still making them aware that being a woman in a 9 to 5 job has its frustrations.

Have you seen it already? Watch it again! Born after 1980 and never heard of it? Watch it now!

Island at War Shows What the British Channel Islands Endured During German Occupation

I went through a range of emotions whilst watching this 6-hour TV series on Netflix. Shame, sympathy, shock, elation. I shook my head, cheered, gasped, cursed people's stupidity, nodded...

The show follows 3 different families and a handful of German soldiers. Though a fictional island, it's based on the happenings during the real Channel Islands' invasion. Due to its low population, England has abandoned it, rid it of all military occupation, and left it for the German clutches. It's too close to France...

Normally I'm all about the women, be it a book or a movie, but this time I was taken more with the men in this show. Wilf, the police officer who finds himself tested repeatedly. He must protect his family, maintain his dignity when the Germans seem too eager to bring him down, and he visibly battles with what he feels is wrong and right. He toes the line very carefully between outright disobedience and doing as he's told. He does this in such a manner that I was cheering for him even when he was "taken down a few pegs".  He manages to do his job while at the same time, making it clear where he stands: with the island.


The Senator. At first I found him cowardly, but in the end, I loved how he tells the people, "We must must keep our humanity." I also loved how he fought for his wife. I didn't expect that.

And there's another man, he seems bad at first; he's playing both sides, but in the end it's not necessarily what goes in his pockets. Though fond of money, without his special "powers" he wouldn't be able to help the local spy. It becomes very clear where his real loyalties lie. Artfully done.

I did not like any of the women, and that's a big flaw. The producers/directors/whoever really did us wrong in this one. While I admired the Jew for hiding in plain sight, at the same time I disliked her socializing with a German soldier. While she kept spurning his advances, at the same time, why did she go out with him at all? And the two sisters, declaring these Germans were merely human too....singing and dancing and kissing them after they executed a man. I'm afraid I didn't care for the young pilot and his declaring "You're stupid." There's a mother whose staunch refusal to serve Germans in her store evaporated into a business requiring her to meet a German in his room and profiting off her own people...and more that I shan't mention. The only remotely admirable woman is Wilf's wife.

Regardless, I became very wrapped up in all their lives. There are plenty of touching moments of rebellion too, such as when the town stands in silence, facing German rifles, to honor the executed man. And of course, there's the story of war, a reminder that it's not glamorous, that it's brutal and cruel, and in the end, there are no true victors. I don't appreciate being left hanging as to the complete outcome of these people's lives though. The war wasn't over when the series ended. If you aren't going to make a second season, at least wrap everything up the first time. Grrrr!

Carve Her Name With Pride: The Heart-Pounding Story of Agent Violette Szabo

I didn't realize until I started watching this that's it's based on the biography and life of a real woman. Violette Szabo. She went from daughter to wife to mother to widow to FANY (In the movie, being a FANY officer is a cover) and finally, secret agent. The time was WWII.

In the beginning of the movie, we see her briefly as a shopgirl and we travel along with her as she meets her French soldier husband and he woos her with poetry. After a mere three days, they wish to marry, and she declares she will, with or without her family's blessing. That's only the first of many scenes in which viewers see her rebelliousness, her spunk.

I enjoyed watching her punch out a CO, learn to sky dive, and attempt her first assignment in France: blow up a viaduct. And though she'd rather stay home with her daughter, she's talked into a second assignment--the goal not quite clear. The last half hour is extremely intense and heart pounding though as she runs through France, gun in hand, with German soldiers chasing her and her companion. And darn it, I gotta wonder, why didn't they take the motorcycles?????? Huh? Not very smart agents... *smh* But we're merely human and we all make errors.

And then there's the inevitable capture...and you can say Violette's luck runs out. But she sure gives them what for beforehand...

Anyone who reads up on the real woman will know what happens in the end, but frankly I didn't see it coming. I didn't look up her real-life data until I finished the movie.

The life of the real Violette:

The real Violette

-During the war, she also served in the Land Army, an armaments factory, as a switchboard operator, and in the ATS as well as an aircraft factory. This was a woman who grew restless quickly.
-Like in the movie, she met her husband whilst attending the Bastille Day parade, where her mother had sent her to "pick up" a French soldier to bring home for dinner. It seems Violette took the term "pick up" literally! LOL
-They had only one week's honeymoon before he shipped out again and a total of 42 days together. The movie quickened up their romance a bit.
-Her second mission to France saw her captured, tortured, and thrown in a concentration camp, where it's said she save the life of Belgian resistance courier.
-She endured much brutality before her execution. The movie, thankfully, did not show even a quarter of what she probably endured.

An exciting movie, full of romance, action, suspense, and sadness. A fabulous tribute to a brave woman.

I watched this on Netflix.

The Iron Lady

"A man should be encouraged to stand on his own two feet. For those that can do, they must just get up and do. And if something's wrong, they shouldn't just whine about it. They should get in there and do something about it, change things." 

"I will never be one of those women...who stays silent and pretty on the arm of her husband. Or remote and alone in the kitchen."

I knew very little about Margaret Thatcher before watching this. I knew she was Britain's first Prime Minister. That's it. Thus, I found this movie not only entertaining and educational, but a learning experience.

It's done in a very unique manner. The modern-day Margaret is very old and one could say, "losing her mind". But honestly? I sort of see it as spending her remaining days on earth where she wants to be: in the past with those she loves, her dead husband, her son who is in South Africa... and of course she reminisces and through these memories we watch the younger Margaret rise from shopkeeper's daughter to a member of Parliament to Secretary of something (I forgot) and finally, to her own shock, PM.

(I can see why fans of MT are offended by the version of her going "batty", but as I said above, it didn't bother me because I saw her mind going where she wanted to be. I also think some of this was guilt. While she seemed convinced she'd done what was right for her country, she didn't seem convinced she'd been a good wife. I would have, however, have preferred they cut back on the modern scenes a bit to make more room for her rise to PM.)

And despite her husband's complaints, I don't think a thirst for power drove her. I think she honestly wanted what was best for England. She became PM in a turbulent time, when there were strikes, no electricity, garbage all over the street...

And she also battles with motherhood. We see a touching scene in which she's driving away from her children...in more ways than one. The sixties and seventies were a time when women hadn't quite figured out how to master it all. I wonder at times, have we still?

I enjoyed watching this version of MT, her speeches, the way she stands up to the men who question her. I cried with her daughter as she realized MT wasn't all "there" at times. I can't imagine watching one's mother lose her memory. I laughed the moment she said her twin pearls were non-negotiable. I cheered when she spoke to the U.S. Secretary of State about Pearl Harbor...

But where was the queen in all this? Did she never assist the PM in any decisions? Funny that we never even see a meeting btw the two.

Meryl Streep...she did superb. Incredible acting. I was completely convinced.

I watched this on Netflix.

What's the Truth About Women?

I had to think on this movie for an entire night and day before deciding it was review worthy. Oh--I liked it, very much. It was extremely enjoyable. I just didn't--at least right away--"get it".

It took me a bit to realize there is no truth about women. Like men, women are all different. And why not? We come from different walks of life, different cultures, religions, households, countries. None of us are going to be the same. We'll perhaps have some things in common and we, each and every one of us, can drive men batty, as witnessed in this movie directed by Muriel Box.

The main character in this movie is a man, an older gentleman who sits down with another man (less likable and needing a good wallop upside the head) and tells this younger man about his past with many different women. It then goes back in time, to Victorian? England or Edwardian and we meet all these different women who have influenced his life.

There's the suffragette who doesn't believe in hunting and wants to live with him a year before they marry. Imagine that! Back then! Needless to say though, I loved her. This relationship goes awry due to a bit of a misunderstanding and some bad luck. From there we go to India or a country similar (I can't remember the name) where we meet a lady who goes to the Sultan's harem and I had a hard time seeing why this bit was added to the movie at all. But I appreciated the conversation the Sultan has with the hero, about just who was barbaric in their treatment of women--the Sultan with a woman "per job" or England who has one woman to do it all. You have to watch it. Seriously.

Then we go to France where the women marry for money and have affairs. And there's an absolute mess and this had me shaking my head, saying, "Well, Muriel, you didn't do us any favors with this bit here. You made us women look horrid", but in the end I realized this story shows our loyalty--not to men, but to each other.

Then we go to America where we see both happiness and sadness, a combination of love and disappointment. A woman becomes a wife and mother and seems overjoyed with her lot in life, but at the same time has to quit painting. This was moving. I didn't know whether to be happy or sad for the woman and I think that's what Muriel was going for here.

Muriel Box

And the last woman...a nurse in WWI...takes us to the English courts, where a price is put on her head. How much is a wife worth? Should a man sell his wife? At this point in history, were we still considered mere property? And here we see yet another woman sacrifice her dream for a man.

So what is the truth about women? We're all different, but we all have hearts, dreams, and experience love and passion. Some of us will do anything for those we love, even give up our own happiness. Some of us are careless with our hearts; some less so. But there is one thing every single woman has in common in this movie: they all sacrifice something. I guess the question is, is it worth it?

Directed in 1957 by a feminist film director, The Truth About Women is worth watching. It's enjoyable, goes all over the place, and introduces us to some interesting and remarkable ladies. It also has adventure. In the end we're no closer to the "truth" about women, but it sure is a fun romp getting to that conclusion.

I learned of this movie whilst reading a biography about ten successful women in the fifties. In it, Muriel Box is quoted as saying, "Unable to chain myself to the railings, at least I could rattle the film chains." She was intrigued by the suffragettes and wanted to make a feminist movie.

I watched this free on Amazon Prime.

From Housewife to Helicopter Pilot: The Concetta Hassan Story

"I guess what they say is true. If you let the bird out of the cage, it may not be happy stuck inside four walls."

I loved this movie. It's so inspiring! It brings home that saying, "It's never too late" and you're never too old. And us women can certainly carry the load and take care of business. 

Long story short: It's the late seventies and Concetta (this movie is based on a true story) is happily married with three children (one a baby. In real life the baby had a heart condition. In the movie, she doesn't.) When her husband has a heart attack and can't work anymore, they lose everything, and it's up to Concetta--despite her husband's protests and the damage to his pride--to get some money coming in...STAT.

After a failed gas station job, she joins the Army...at 32 years of age!

For a while there, I didn't think she was going to survive Basic, not under that bad-ass "John Wayne". (FYI, I loved this "John Wayne" lady. Watch the movie and check her out for yourself.)

She not only makes it, surprising everyone but her husband who knew she could do it all along, she strives for even more and four years later, decides to be a helicopter pilot, enrolling in flight school in which she's the only woman in a barracks full of men. And sometimes she's patronized...etc.

But we also see how her home life is, how the daughters have strife with their father, as he's the one home all day, and yet he's the one they turn to when they have a bad dream or whatever. And this hurts the working mother. It was also interesting to watch what it's like for a stay-at-home husband as he goes from shame to hurt pride to acceptance and telling people off for judging him. From anger at his wife to being proud of her.

Truly a great movie with so much to it. I wish they'd explained the man's heart condition better though. I mean, why couldn't he get a desk job at least? Seems to me being home with screaming girls all day is more stressful than sitting at a desk or selling insurance. And if he could have relations, why couldn't he climb a ladder? But I'm not a doctor...and don't understand. I also think the movie could have showed us just what kind of discrimination she faced besides a patronizing teacher. I know there had to be some. She mentions it in the newspaper articles.

Fabulous movie, terrific heroine. Remember, ladies, no matter how old you are, no matter how long you've been at home if that's the case, it's never too late to prove anything to yourself. It's always your TIME TO TRIUMPH.

The real Concetta flew helicopters in the Army way into her sixties. She was a flying grandma. 

I watched this via Amazon Prime.