Ugly Betty

The new TV show that rocks...UGLY BETTY!!!


Brilliant, well written, smart, funny, great actors....do not miss this show inspired by the Colombian telenovela "Yo soy Betty la fea".


Betty, a young New Yorker from Queens, has always dreamed to work for Meade publications. To her biggest surprise she is hired to be the the editor in chief's assistant for Mode magazine. But Betty is not what you can call sexy or beautiful especially in the fashion industry. Her first days in this superficial world of fashion are not easy for Betty. But Betty is smart, gifted and truly devoted to her work and her boss, Daniel Meade the new editor in chief who, as Betty, tries to find his place and to prove he deserves the job given by his father.



Betty and Daniel are going to be a fantastic duo, helping and understanding each other. Betty is not just Daniel's assistant but a true ally in moments of crisis. Those crises are often the cause of Wilhelmina Slater who wants Daniel's job so bad. She has a mysterious ally...maybe Fey Sommers, the former editor in chief of Mode who allegedly died in a car accident?

Many mysteries, set ups, manipulations are what Betty has to deal with as well as her own problems, whether concerning her family or her love life.

Philippi

ROME- Episode 18 "Philippi"


An end for a new beginning...


The "heroes of the republic" Brutus and Cassius are defeated by Octavian and Antony's army. Even if you don't like these characters, you can't help but feel desperately sad for Cassius and Brutus. The actors' perfomance was brilliant, it was all very well done. Of course death was their only way out and that is what was fantastic with Brutus and Cassius in this episode. They know the battle is lost but they don't give up, they fight till the end. The scenes were very intense and Brutus ceased to be this coward and manipulated character, he doesn't want to run anymore and he dies with dignity, and the scene of his death reminds us of Ceasar's death. A tragic destiny for this character, I think in the end you don't blame Brutus for what he has done because Servilia is the actual cause of all this.
Now we are waiting for the clash between Octavian and Mark Antony...


Back in Italy and before the battle at Philippi, Vorenus and Pullo receive orders from Octavian to murder Brutus' allies. Pullo has to go to Toscana to kill Cicero, a good occasion for him, Eirene who is "preglant", Vorenus and Cie to spend a nice and refreshing moment in the country.

The scene between Pullo and Cicero was weird. It was very calm, the atmosphere was peaceful...They both understood each other, they knew what they had to do...Strange...not awkward, it's hard to describe what I felt.

ROUQMOUTHS!!!

Dédié spécialement à Hélène qui raffole des British et des ROUX!


Le match parfait! On peut pas faire plus British!

Aaaah...Simon Woods....comment rester insensible....


Guy Roux....Cherchez pas à comprendre...

Heroes of the Republic

EPISODE 17 "Heroes of the Republic"

The most horrible episode of Rome...I couldn't sleep after watching it...
I know I can get carried away and it is just television but it has really hurted me. I mean, poor Vorenus!!! This is so unfair!!!
Let's sum up quickly: Vorenus and Pullo come back to Rome with the children safe and sound, but it seems that the children hate their father. During the episode they plan to escape because they blame their dad for all the terrible things they have been through (their mom's death, the curse cast on them by their dad, slavery, prostitution). But they are stopped by Lyde who tells Vorena, the elder one, that they have to stay with their father if they want to have a chance in their lives because they will never survive on their own. So at the end of the episode the whole family is gathered for dinner and the children look all sweet and kind...except that the last shot shows Vorena cursing her dad...that was just horrible. Vorenus does not have a clue of what is happening, he doesn't suspect that his children truly hate him! My God I feel so sorry for him...OK he's made many mistakes and he lost his mind and was very brutal, he cursed his children after Niobe killed herself. And that's the whole misunderstanding, the children think their dad killed their mom, another reason to hate him more. I wish they knew the truth. Moreover he spared little Lucius' life. Now he is trying to start over and I am afraid his daughter's hatred is going to have tragic consequences on Vorenus...*criiiies*
If only they could talk openly and then forgive him..but that'd be too good to be true!
I am just so disgusted of what the writers have done to Vorenus:(
The only positive point is that Pullo is still on his side. They are back together. The scene Pullo/Eirene was quite funny, Eirene being jealous of Vorenus, she thinks Pullo loves Vorenus more lol. Of course Pullo denies it and his joke was awesome "If both of you were drowning in a lake I would save you first.....you're half his weight". Eirene doesn't get the joke and come on...of course he would save Vorenus! lol... When they are all having dinner Pullo looks at Vorenus with such tenderness...and they are both joking and no one else thinks it's funny...
Well to conclude there's still hope for Vorenus as long as Pullo is near him...
I promise, if Vorenus loses Pullo's friendship (and love) I will scream, yell, cry to death...I'm so worried about that...Why can't Vorenus be happy after all he's been through for Christ's sake!!!

The other events:

Vorenus has sex with Gaia.
First orgy of the show.
Octavia gets high.
Atia goes back to her son crying, begging "forgive me" (ooh Atia..she knows how to solve problems;))
Cicero hasn't changed a bit: "I go where I can get some of the power..." and sends his greetings to Brutus.
Marc Antony receives Atia's visit and a surprise....Octavian...sorry, Caesar and his troops. Let's make peace. Who are you kidding guys???

Petition

Si vous aimez Rome et que vous ne souhaitez pas que la série s'arrête au bout de seulement deux saisons vous pouvez signer la pétition pour qu'il y ait une saison 3! Envoyez tous vos encouragements à cette fabuleuse série!

http://www.petitiononline.com/rome_hbo/petition.html

Testudo et Lepus

****SPOILERS****
ROME, EPISODE 16 "TESTUDO ET LEPUS"


What an episode!!! I mean woooowww!!!

First of all ,and the most important thing, is that Vorenus and Pullo are getting back together!!!
Well actually they've not been the best buddies in the world in the episode since they had a good fight in the last episode. But eh, they cannot be apart! Pullo goes and finds Vorenus among Marc Anthony's troops and tells him that his kids are alive. No sooner has Vorenus learnt the big news that he is back on Pullo's side and both of them go looking for the kids who have been enslaved. That's when one of the best and most intense scenes of the show takes place: Vorenus and Pullo finding the children, Vorenus holding the little Lucius in his arms, Vorenus killing the slave merchant...awesome!...with a great final: Pullo and Vorenus leaving the creepy place with the kids in their arms, and the theme from the show as music background.
Pullo and Vorenus forever! The best dads ever (eh Liz?! ;))!!!



What about the other Romans....?

Let me reassure you, Atia has not been poisoned! As I expected, it is the slave girl who tastes the meal before Atia, so unfortunately she turns out to be the victim and dies in front of her domina. Atia is furious, and Duro having been captured by her men, she tortures him -well Timon is doing the job for her as usual...- and she then has the confirmation that Servilia is behind the conspiracy. Not really a surprise for Atia! The young Duro ends up murdered by Timon after he has confessed it all. Servilia is captured and tortured by Timon on Atia's orders, but quickly Timon has enough of it. Suddenly he refuses to torture Servilia any longer and yells at Atia "I'm not an animal!!". It was a very intense scene and the torture scenes were very disturbing also.

Now....the new Octavian has finally arrived!!!
He's all grown up now, a man indeed!
It is strange to have another actor playing Octavian but I think Simon Woods is doing a pretty good job, anyway Max Pirkis was too young to play Octavian as an adult.

I will repeat it again and again but Rome rocks!!!
Right now I think I like it better than Six Feet Under! Anyway there is no comparison to make between the two, I think they are both the best series ever!!! Ave!

PS: Liz and I have reached the point of no return: our mental illness or obession concerning Vorenus cannot be cured, we are definitely under his charm. Unbelievable, how can you let Brutus down??? lol jokin'. It's all the fault of Bedroom and Hallways, it has damaged us good, and what is terrible is that we haven't seen this film yet so things can only get worse!!! And I like it!!;)))

Little Children

It was one of these evenings that I particularly enjoy. I went to the movies alone last Sunday. I saw Little Children, a movie I really wanted to see because it seemed to me kind of creepy and it is the kind of films I prefer. Yep I love creepy, I love movies depicting the characters' psychology and the relationships between one another, and all the bad stuff happening to them. What is the most important to me is what is going on in the characters'mind and especially when it has to deal with creepy situations and the various issues told in the story. Ok I'm sorry it is not very clear but I think Little Children is the perfect example of the movies I really like.

Indeed, in a nice and quiet neighborhood, two stories are happening.

Sarah, a "desperate housewife", is attracted to a stay-at-home dad who often comes to the park with his little boy. Both married on their own side, the first to a man who is obsessed with pornography on the internet, the latter to a woman who is obsessed with her job. Those two unhappy married parents are going to find each other and feel intimately linked by their own desperation.

The other "event" is the release of a pedophile. Ronny has some issues concerning his sexuality and is desperate but his mother is here to help him. The problem is that the inhabitants are terrified and pretty unhappy to have a pedophile living in their nice and quiet neighborhood full of children.

The movie was just so right in the actors'performance and situations. Everything looked pretty right to me in the development of the movie except the end concerning our two lovers. And I was in the end touched by Ronny and Larry. I like how things end for the two of them.

Also I really loved the performances of the two main actors, Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson.

To conclude ,2 hours with mixed feelings and apprehension but in the end satisfied, and touched by the characters.

These being the words of Marcus Tullius Cicero

Rome. Episode 15.

***SPOILERS***

Here we are, back in Rome!
Things are more and more exciting...

Mark Anthony asks Cicero to give him Gaul instead of Macedonia. The senator says the Senate will refuse but MA threats him well... MA goes to the Senate and thinks the deal is done but for once I gotta say I was well pleased and surprised by Cicero! He leaves Rome and is now on Octavian's side! Jesus, MA was furious.... Well done Cicero! For once you've done something right!

Atia is not in a great shape...she receives the visit of Agrippa who tells her and Octavia that Octavian has raised an army. Atia says "I have no son". That must be terrible for her, to have the man she loves and her own son as enemies...and things will get worse, for sure! And poor Atia is still Servilia's prey...with the help from a slave or I'd say a spy-killer-slave who works for Servilia and who has to kill the dear Atia. Servilia/Atia the fight continues....Will Servilia's devilish plan will come to its final and fatal result? Surpise, surprise...

Brutus, Brutus, Brutus...eh eh...well he is at the bottom...he sinks...in total despair...he purges himself in a lake...spiritual dimension...OK i'm sorry what I'm saying is not very clear but just watch and you'll see.

Vorenus/Pullo.....
The loves of my life!!!
Things are not going well between the 2 of them. Vorenus is still in total despair, he has become brutal and thinks Pullo f***ed his wife...so he has left the Aventine and is now on MA's side. Pullo is desperate too because he is losing his friend.. They are like soul mates. It was touching to know that Pullo cares so much about Vorenus. There's no word to describe their relationship. It's just beautiful and I really really hope they will be reunited soon because I can't imagine them to be enemies! There's a little hope at the end of the episode...when Pullo finds out that Lyde and Vorenus' daughters are still alive.
Come on guys! Do not disappoint me!

So to conclude on this episode, I think almost every character is in deep despair. It is more and more exciting knowing that Octavian has raised an army. He is gonna be back soon, the whole new Octavian, all grown up!
Fuckin Vorenus, why have you joined MA!?

To be continued...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vorenus!!! Last Friday I watched the very first episodes of the show and I am more and more touched by this character. I am all nostalgic and amused of the beginning of Pullo and Vorenus' friendship.
And funny story that Liz told me yesterday: Kevin McKidd (Vorenus) and James Purefoy (MA) were lovers in a British film called Bedrooms and Hallways in 1999!

Das Leben der Anderen

Jeudi soir j'ai vu un film magnifique au cinéma avec ma mère.
Das Leben der Anderen, film allemand, se passe en 1984 en RDA. La Stasi envoie un de ses agents, Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) espionner un couple d'artistes, l'écrivain Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) et l'actrice Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). Leur appartement est mis sur écoute et peu à peu Wiesler va être touché par ce couple. Il entend tout, il sait tout, il prend des notes, il est absolument fidèle au parti...jusqu'à ce qu'il ait enfin la preuve que Dreyman lui ne l'est pas, il suffirait d'un coup de fil pour mettre fin à l'opération "Lazlo" et que ses supérieurs, notamment le ministre de la culture, puissent le coincer. Mais voilà Dreyman sans le savoir a profondément touché Wiesler. Il voit enfin ce que c'est l'humanité. Il cache les preuves qui pourraient compromettre l'artiste, il est dégoûté par ce que fait le ministre de la culture à Christa, il devient en quelque sorte l'ange gardien du couple, lui qui au début était cet homme fidèle au parti, intraitable avec les détenus, n'hésitant pas à durcir les interrogatoires.
Ce film est vraiment magnifique, wunderbar, toll, schön usw... Le jeu de Ulrich Mühe est tout en finesse. C'est une belle histoire d'amitié qui s'ignore en quelque sorte. Et aussi une belle histoire d'amour entre Dreyman et Christa.
C'est un véritable plaisir de voir que le cinéma allemand continue à nous offrir des films magnifiques après Good Bye Lenin, La Chute ou Les Particules Elementaires. Et c'était aussi génial pour moi de réentendre de l'allemand, finalement il me reste encore du vocabulaire, tout n'a pas été perdu! J'aime énormément cette langue quoi qu'on en dise, je la trouve belle et agréable à entendre. Je suis aussi très touchée par l'histoire de l'Allemagne et j'aime comment les Allemands ont jeté leur regard sur leur passé douloureux avec le cinéma.

Un petit voyage un Berlin s'impose, non? Je eher, desto besser!

With a little help from my friends

Thank you Liz for your post.
Don't worry I'm not giving up my dreams, otherwise how can you move on and be motivated? It's just hard sometimes when you feel stuck and don't know how to escape. I try to be optimistic, we're young, not even 20 so I guess, when time is right, leaving France for a year will become reality. It's just a question of tiiiiime as Depeche Mode sings. But I can't help feeling angry towards the RI, they are so not helping...Anyway let's get over with.
At least I'm glad I've found such good friends as you! I really love you girls! College is much more bearable with you, I mean we always have a great time, I feel I can talk to you freely without being judged, and we're acting like crazy giving one another nicknames (to our teachers too!;)). I know that when I feel low and that I see you girls, I feel better.