Cold Fires: Half Light; Dr. Zhivago

So, last night, I watched a movie that looked kind of dumb, but since I liked Demi Moore in The Scarlet Letter, I figured I would give it a try (I was bored). And I've never been more conflicted about a movie. There were so many promising things about this film, and so MANY flaws. In Half Light, you get Scotland, the gorgeous theme of isolation, an intriguing ghost story (NOT the one involving her kid...though her dreams of him felt realistic and freaky), some really beautiful shots, all good things. With the appearance of Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond from the tv show Lost)...and the re-discovery of Hans Matheson. What is it about dark haired men with blue eyes?

But there were too many laughable things about this movie too. Some of the lines were really strange. The main character felt so real sometimes, but most of the time was so stiff and awkward, like unto Padme and Anakin in Attack of the Clones. Her reactions and decisions didn't feel legitimate for a successful writer (her character's profession), for someone who has a brain. God, such terrible lines!

But you gotta admit, Demi Moore has an amazing look. I need to look up more of her films.

Anyway, here's one track I loved from the film. Ugh, the soundtrack was another terrible thing about this movie. It made it all sound like some cheesy Lifetime film. But not this track, thank God. The only redeemable song in it.

I have seen Hans Matheson in an older version of Les Miserablés playing Marius, and in the recent Tess of the D'Urbervilles, playing the manipulative Alec. He's good at what he does. And even though I didn't understand the character he plays in Half Light very well (at least, by the end--he goes back to get the mother-of-pearl? What? Why?), I was really interested in seeing anything else he's done. So, tonight, I watched Doctor Zhivago on Netflix.

I once saw an older version of Doctor Zhivago back when I was ten and eleven, and didn't care much for it. But this 2002 adaption was interesting. It, too, had laughable moments (all the slow-mo started to irritate me after a while), and the motives of the characters were confusing at times, or else infuriating, leaving so many unanswered questions. But daaaaang, Hans is lovely. It also stars Keira Knightley, before the making of Pirates of the Caribbean (she was only sixteen!). And she did really well as Lara! Such gravity! I have a love/hate relationship with her acting, but she was wonderful in this.

It's long, obviously, and probably too slow for our wonderful ADD-addled generation, but I enjoyed it. Set in Russia, during the civil unrest and taking us through the revolutions of the early 20th century, and how it affected these interconnected characters.