The Other Bennet Sister

It is a question universally asked by all Jane Austen lovers and the very first words out of my mouth at the end of the mini-series; What About Mary?  Well, wonder no more fellow Pride & Predj fans, the answer to whatever happened to The Other Bennet Sister is here and it is most satisfying.

While living in England during my university years, I was fortunate enough to befriend two darling English girls who insisted that we have a weekly get together to drink a glass of wine, catch up on the week's goings on and watch an episode of the BBC's 1995 iteration of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  Having never read any Jane Austen and at that point only having seen Clueless and the Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma (widely panned by all my British friends as being "too American"), I agreed to go to this weekly meet up out of a desire for friendship more than a love for the subject matter, but that would soon change.  At the end of the series I was a fan for life and have now read practically everything Ms. Austen wrote and seen most of the television and film versions, but I always felt that Mary Bennet's story was...unfinished.

I can't say that I necessarily related to Mary Bennet, but after watching this continuing story starring Ella Bruccoleri as Mary, I found her experience to be not only relatable but entirely endearing.  Living her life in the shadow of her sparkling, vivacious sisters, Mary needs to be set apart, to find her own way in the world and her own way to shine.

Beyond telling her story with fairness this story humanizes even the most loathsome of villains (I'm looking at you Mr. Collins and Caroline Bingley).  Ok, so she can't be the pretty one, and she's not interested in being one of the flirts, Mary decides she'll be the smart one.  Reminds me of this post about my own youth.  And the best part of all, for Mary Bennet, is that unlike so many of the stories about girls coming of age, there is no glow-up.  Mary doesn't go from duckling to swan.  She goes from being herself, to being more herself, being confident in herself, and finding someone who values her just as she is.

Whether you are an Austen fan who has long wondered if Mary ever found love and happiness, or just someone who enjoys a charming story well told, The Other Bennet Sister is delightful and well worth a watch.

Songs of Love; Songs of Loss: Music Review

I have never done a music review on the blog, but a couple of new releases have me extremely impressed, so I wanted to share.  I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift, but I don't hate her either and it seems like (or at least the media wants us to believe) that all people must fall into one of those camps.   I loved Blank Space, video and song, still do.  And I wouldn't skip it if Style came up in the shuffle.  Shake It Off wasn't a favorite, but it was catchy and I did like the message.  My personal opinion of Swift is that she is beautiful, talented and she works very hard.  I'm happy she's happy and I hope it lasts.  I've heard people slam her for repeating lines across multiple songs, but that's what happens when you write your own music; You repeat yourself.   Have you ever watched some pop-whore like Katy Perry or Beyonce try to explain what a song means?  They stumble because, they didn't write it.  They just sang the words with no feeling behind the voice.  I admire that Swift did or does write much of her own material.  And, yes she's taken criticism for releasing albums directly after break-ups, but strong emotion tends to need an outlet. 

By strong contrast, her new album, Life of a Showgirl, has just released with a solid love song entitled The Fate of Ophelia, which I really liked.  It was lovely and intelligent, well written and well performed.  The videos for this album were really wonderful, well choreographed, employing a host of talented dancers and fellow singers like Sabrina Carpenter (again, not a fan of her music per say, but Please, Please, Please was smart, stylish, and catchy)  and each one is filled with beautiful scenes.  I can't say I enjoyed any of the other songs on the album as much, though I did like the fact that not all the songs are love songs.  The title song itself is a correspondence between an up and coming showgirl and one on the decline.  It wasn't world shattering, but it was a refreshing move away from all the love and hate songs out there.  It's like people have forgotten there are other things to sing about.  So, I'm giving kudos to Swift for a shift away from the break-up music, and truly, she's stepping down as the break-up queen just in time.

Lily Allen's new album, West End Girl, has just released and if it's not the most brutal work of (please pardon my language, nothing else would do) fuckoffery  in existence, I owe you a coke.  Growing up, I remember hearing Carly Simon's, You're So Vain, and thinking it was a rather scathing anti-tribute.  I even sang it in the mirror a few times to the junior high boy who broke my heart.  So, Taylor Swift didn't make this mold, but Lily Allen definitely broke it.  Simon's song doesn't even hold a candle to what Allen has created here.  West End Girl is a thorough walk through pain and loss: Allen's husband asking for an open marriage, lamentably in consenting, feeling that laying ground rules would help, and the utter implosion that followed after.  She doesn't hold back and it is achingly beautiful.  

Quite honestly, I wasn't a fan of Allen's either.  I only knew her as the woman who was with David Harbor after Alison Sudol (whom I am a fan of), and I used to love watching Architectural Digest, so had seen the tour of their home.  As the new season of Stranger Things is set to release (David Harbor plays Hopper in the show) I only looked into this album out of a shameful curiosity, like browsing through a People magazine.  What I found instead was something so raw, so viciously honest that I truly was moved by the work as a whole.  Even the accompanying videos portrayed a woman stuck in a slow-motion hell on repeat, and if you've ever experienced any sort of deep grief from the loss of a relationship to the death of a loved one, you know that's exactly how it feels as you struggle to cope. 

These amazing ladies are sharing their love and loss in such touching ways.  I recommend you at least give them a listen.  Their stories are worth hearing.

Movie Review: Frankenstein

A recent date night took us to the theater to watch Guillermo del Toro's new iteration of Mary Shelly's 1818 classic book, Frankenstein (or A Modern Prometheus).  I am a fan of the book and a fan of del Toro's, so I had reasonable hopes for their creative pairing.  Just when you think this story has been done to death, it gets resurrected (pun most definitely intended).  Shelley herself released a second version in 1831 and as far a visual productions, an generic internet search there are to date 423 movies, 204 short films, 78 tv series and 287 television episodes that mention or refer to Frankenstein, not to mention characters like Lurch from the Addams family that are obvious references.  Plus there are at least 60 film versions of the story itself.  

How was Guillermo del Toro going to breathe new life into this story?  Del Toro has an artistic and story telling style that have always stood out from the crowd, so I was interested to see his fresh cuts through a well worn path. The result?  A touching story about obsession, humanity, forgiveness and the redemptive power of a father's love.  Wow.  This is hands down the best version of this film I have ever seen.  Even among Del Toro's own body of work I would rank it near the top.  

The performances of one and all were superb, including from actor's I thought were just so-so in other works...about Star Wars.  Mia Goth is rapidly rising on my list of acting talent.  I've just enjoyed her in Marrowbone and she truly shines in the role of Elizabeth as a person who struggles with her own desires, integrity, purity, and humanity.  Instead of just being the beautiful, vapid doting female of the story, her character brings depth and intelligence to the story that is usually overlooked in this role.

The sets and costumes are beyond gorgeous with stunning art concepts and direction.  Color symbolism abounds -Red for Victor and his mother; blue for his sweet brother and Elizabeth dons both blue and green.  Also note the details in Victor's vest are reflective of the pattern of the Lymphatic system.  Likewise, Elizabeth's clothing is vibrant with nature patterns similar to those of butterflies and beetles that she loves so much.  Lots of thought went into the clothing in this film and that's something I can definitely appreciate.

Although there were some changes to the story from the original, I would say they were well done and the story from start to finish is a delicious feast for the mind and the eyes.  

My Three Draculas: Movie Review

Another movie review?  Didn't she just do one of these two weeks ago?  Yes.  Yes, she did.  However, October is the month for great movies in my opinion, and I've just watched a new vampire movie that's inspired a post comparing some of the latest and the greatest.  So, feast your eyes on my movie reviews just as Dracula feasts on virginal neck meats.  

3.  Nosferatu (2024).  This movie is a remake of a 1922 rip off of Dracula written by Henrik Galeen.  The story is as vapid as the ether where Ellen (the Mena character) and Count Orlock (obviously Dracula) meet.   It's clear in the 1922 version that they weren't really concerned about good writing, as all of their edits to Bram Stoker's work only worsened the story.  Bram Stoker's widow wasn't fooled by the changes either and won a lawsuit for copyright infringement against the film makers.  As a result, the judge ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed and only a few copies survived.  I have watched the 1922 version and loved it as a beautiful work of early film making.  However, there were a few cheap draws in it, namely the infamous boob grabbing scene, but this was pre-censorship and they were pushing the envelope. 

Flash forward 100 years and all of the changes in the 2024 release were big improvements!  This film has superb performances delivered by an all-star cast including Aaron Johnson and Lily Rose Depp.  Bill Skarsgard has established himself as one of the best creature/monster actors of all time, rivaling greats such as Doug Jones.  The cinematography also exceeds all expectations with truly breathtaking scenes from brilliant director Robert Eggers.  Heavy on gore and the creep factor, also there are a number of envelope pushing scenes as well.  This film has so much going for it and is in many ways superior to the others in my list, sadly there's only so much all this talent can do with such a flimsy story, and not every envelope needs pushing, which is why I ranked it last.

2.  Dracula: A Love Story. 2025. Directed & written by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), I truly did not expect a fresh take on a story written nearly 130 years ago, but Besson delivered a touching and elegant retelling of the classic story.  Unlike other iterations, this story is fairly low on the sex and gore aspects so frequently overused in vampire flicks, instead focusing on the devotion of a husband for his wife.  I always found it hypocritical that Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula claims to love Elisabeta more than any other while simultaneously keeping a harem and though making the journey to London specifically to find Mina, he shamelessly pursues and violates Lucy (which Mina walks in on).  Seems like he moved on from Elisabeta pretty well.  In Besson's version however, Vlad remains faithful to his wife, waiting for her reincarnation, creating female vampires only as agents of access to the closed off female world to help him search for Elisabeta.  Now this is a man who has crossed oceans of time (unfortunately, that lovely phrase never gets used) to find his beloved and redeem them both.  

The Van Helsing character, played by Christoph Waltz, is truer to Bram Stoker's original character in that he is a perfect blend of faith and science.  At one point he tells Count Vlad that God has not damned him to immortality,  but rather has extended his life in order that he may repent and reconcile with God.  Waltz is well established for his acting chops, but the rest of the cast, though relatively unknown, also deliver solid performances and the film is true to Besson's directing style.

1. Bram Stoker's Dracula. 1992. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. This movie in my opinion remains the best.  What would drive a man to become a monster?  Betrayal, plain and simple.  Count Vlad loved his wife, but his love for God drove him to war. While he is fighting in the name of God, his enemies send false news of his death causing his wife, Elisabeta to take her own life.  Victorious in battle he returns to find his beloved is dead.  In his deepest moment of despair the priest (Van Helsing is an earlier life) tells him that her soul is damned because she took her life.  His devotion to God is rewarded by being separated from his true love in life and the afterlife? This gives rise to the bitterest feelings of betrayal.  He rejects God, curses him, and well, you know the rest.

This film uses only practical effects and has aged well.  The acting?  Gary Oldman always brings it, in fact I would say he carries this film.  Anthony Hopkins is solid though as the priest and the vampire hunter he always seems mad compared to Waltz's stoic steadiness.  The rest of the cast is just decent, and I truly question Keanu Reeves being cast as a Victorian dandy. The costume design was revolutionary and overall that combined with a higher creep factor is why this film narrowly beat out Besson and Eggers newer releases.

Cinema with Style: Penelope

Halloween is nearly upon us and if you're not much into the darker side of this holiday, then allow me to recommend a heart warming story with some serious style.  One of my favorite films of all-time is delightful 2006 romantic comedy, Penelope, starring Christina Ricci, Catherine O'Hara, and James MacAvoy does have a bit of a Halloween theme, so I think it's totally appropriate to make it a fall selection alongside other such non-murder and gore classics as Hocus Pocus and The Addams Family. 

Penelope, played by Christina Ricci, is a girl like any other...except for the fact that due to a family curse, she is born with a pig nose.  The only way to break the curse is for her to be accepted by one of her own kind.  Locked in her tower by her over-protective mother, played by the always delightful Catherine O'Hara, her family is determined to hide her away until they find a man who will marry her and break the curse.  And you thought your dating life was complicated!

In true Rapunzel fashion, Penelope sets about making everything in her home and wardrobe as beautiful and interesting as possible.  There is not a blank space to be found, everything is so charming, detailed, and rich in color.  She makes a dream world around her.  I don't want to ruin this flick for you, so suffice to say, she meets lots of interesting people like James MacAvoy and Reese Witherspoon and has quite a few misadventures along the way.  Now to the fashion!

This movie has some serious style that even 20 years later I am still gaga over.  Prints, textures, colors and fabrics are all masterfully combined to make a film that is as much a feast for the eyes and it is a treasure for the heart.  The costumes are the work of designer Jill Taylor who also worked on films such as Me Before You and My Week With Marilyn.

Check out the buttons on this coat, mismatched and yet perfectly composed.  Everything in this film is so well thought out that it truly comes as close to a real-life fairytale as any movie ever could.

As is the case in every single one of his movies, you will see James MacAvoy stare intently into the camera as his huge blue eyes tear up and Peter Dinklage is in fine form as well in this movie. So, if you're looking for something a little less bloody and a little more heartwarming this Halloween, you won't regret an evening with Penelope.  

Movie Review: Weapons!

My birthday month is the hottest, driest, and most miserable of the year.  It also happens to be the time of the worst movies.  With summer vacation wrapping up, all the money making blockbusters have come and gone, and August is the time when studios dump whatever is left at the bottom of the barrel into theaters because no one is really going to see them anyway.  I make these connections between my birthday, the weather, and the cinema to explain why I rarely go to the movies as part of my birthday celebration.  However, this year, I heard from a movie critic whose reviews I trust about 80% of the time that a film called Weapons had just released and was surprisingly good.  I stopped the review right there, determined to go into this movie knowing absolutely nothing and come out totally blown away.  Mr. Bleu likewise said his favorite critics had liked the movie, so we loaded up for my birthday celebration of dinner and a movie.

First of all, let me just say, there will be no spoilers here.  I'm going to say very little other than I;m super glad that Amy Madigan, (a beloved 80s actress who starred as Chanice in Uncle Buck and Annie Kinsella in Field of Dreams )  is in fine form in this movie and is also hands down the most stylish dame on the block.

Justine, played by Julia Garner is the close second and also the last as far as fashion to fawn over in this film.  She has the perfect teacher-cute vibe with her short curls, lots of stripes, and hearts, and very tasteful jewelry.

There are a few acting all-stars such as Benedict Wong and Josh Brolin and to a lesser degree Justin Long (Galaxy Quest and He's Just Not That Into You) and Alden Eherenreich (Solo) who along with all the other talent deliver solid performances and pull together an interesting story that kept me guessing til the last second of the early part of the end.  Over all, this was an extremely enjoyable film and in a world full of boring remakes of already boring remakes and phoned-in sequel after sequel after sequel, something new, well told, and enjoyable is all I'm really looking for.

Road Trip Movie Night

We're off on a cross country family road trip this week.  It's been years since we've been anywhere as a family, so I'm both exicted and nervous.  In honor of this undertaking, I thought today's post should be a feature list of my favorite road trip movies.  (Just a heads up, the text decided to double space under a few of these and I cannot figure out how to fix it)

1.  Paper Moon (1973)

Admittedly an all-time favorite of mine.  Addie and Moze embark on a trip across the midwest to get the recently orphaned Addie back to her relatives in Missouri, but Moze sees an opportunity to make a little money along the way selling Bibles to widows.  They meet colorful characters and get into a few scrapes in this is the wickedly funny and heartwarming tale of a grifter and his young apprentice.  This role won Tatum O'neal a well-deserved Oscar.

2.  True Grit (2010)

I'm a fan of the book and both the movie adaptations, though I believe the 2010 version stuck closer to the original story.  Young Maddie Ross loses her father and sets out to avenge his death, hiring Marshall Rooster Cogburn to help her bring the murderer to justice.

3.  Zombieland  (2009)

The world descends into chaos and four strangers become unlikely friends while traveling across the country and surviving the zombie apocalypse.  The story is charming, undead gore aside, and the casting is absolutely perfect.

4.  Green Book  (2018)

A world class African American pianist travels through the deep South performing concerts during a time when racial tensions are high and segregation is still enforced.  He hires Italian American driver/bodyguard to accompany him and the two become unlikely friends.

5.  Dumb & Dumber (1994)

    I went to see this movie with a boy-girl group of friends in the eighth grade.  It was a pretty big deal.  Of course, no one could drive, so our parents took us and then stayed to watch it with us...so, it was awkward and embarassing, but none of the boys were interested in me, so it hardly mattered.  But, I digress.  

    I actually really hated this movie at the time.  The humor was just too avant-garde for me.  It would be years before I recognized the brilliance of the story and the performances.  Much of Jim Carey's work was improvised and having watched an unedited version of this film, I can confidently say that they made some amazing cuts, to really create the best version. Harry and Lloyd are friends and, well...their lives aren't going great.  One day a bag full of money falls into their laps, thanks to Lloyd's chance encounter with a beautiful stranger.  Now they're on a mission to return her bag, spending all her money along the way.  

6.  Lord of The Rings (2001)

I mean...do I really need to say anything about the most epic road trip story ever written?  If you haven't seen it or read it, maybe it's time you asked yourself what you've been doing with your life.

Cinema with Style: Companion

Why yes, it is another movie review post, and thank you for noticing.  Anytime I find a movie in which I enjoyed the fashion just as much as the story, I feel the need to share.  As you can imagine, there are only a couple such posts.  I also feel the need to warn others if there happens to be a movie that I truly hate.  So far, only Oppenheimer has made the blog for bad movies. Today we're keeping it positive by discussing Companion (2025) starring Sophie Thatcher (Heretic & Yellowjackets) and Jack Quaid (what you get when you cross Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, also he was in The Boys), and Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows).  I went into this movie almost totally blind.  (I say almost, because I vaguely recalled seeing a teaser trailer for this movie a few months ago, but I didn't realize it until the scene in the movie that I had watched in the trailer actually played out) and I think I actually enjoyed it way more because I had no idea what to expect.

Because I want to preserve that element of surprise for you, I won't give anything away in my post and will keep all plot-talk very vague.

In a nutshell, Iris (Thatcher) is in the wild desperate throws of new love and going to spend the weekend with her boyfriend's friends.  She is desperate for them to like her and nearly overcome by anxiety when she feels she won't measure up...but she loves Josh (Quaid), so she puts her fears aside and soldiers on. Iris has loved Josh since their perfect first meeting and she is consumed by the bliss she feels around him.  His friends are dismissive; she can sense it.  Josh is dismissive of her as well, but she loves him, so she decides to not dwell.  Then some stuff happens and by the end, a good time is most definitely not had by all.  I'll leave it at that.

Everyone else's style is utterly forgettable:  Josh is schlumpy,  Cat is trying to hard to seem edgy and the list goes on, but Iris is nothing if not a beautiful blend of all my favorite 50s and 60s Hollywood trendsetters such as Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot in classic styles such as petal pusher trousers, gingham shorts, headbands, thick eyeliner, and plenty of cardigans and ballet flats.

Naturally, Iris' style starts out with lots of pastels, florals, and ginghams, which I personally prefer, but Iris is a work in progress and by the end, she's done a lot of emotionally maturing, so naturally her style should reflect that as well by shifting to darker colors and bolder prints.  She also loses the dresses and cardigans in favor of a leather jacket and jeans.  

Companion wasn't life changing, but it was really enjoyable, well-paced storytelling with some great acting and of course, some really great style.  It's definitely worth a watch if you have a couple of quiet hours to fill on a rainy Saturday afternoon or as a good way to kick back and unwind at the end of a long week.  No matter what's been stressing you out, it can't be worse than Iris' day.

A Dress Lover's Movie Night

    I hope things are looking Spring-y where you live but that is sadly not the case for me.  With the weather outside still looking rather frightful, I like to plan a few themed movie nights to share with my family.  Two years ago I was on a roll that tragically ended in an ill-conceived Martin Short Movie month, in which my family and I watched campy hits such as Captain Ron, Pure Luck, Inner Space, and Treasure Planet, at the end of which my family announced I would no longer be trusted to plan our movie themes and then burned Mr. Short in effigy.  

    After a brief 24 month hiatus, just long enough for them to heal and forget (forgiveness may be too much to expect), I'm back and better than ever.  I've picked myself up, dusted myself off, and I've learned from my mistakes.  This time I'm going to stick to what I know, and what I know is: dresses.  So, pop some corn, crack open a bottle of the fizzy stuff and let's enjoy and evening at home with some Best Dress-ed Classics!

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1.  Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. (2022.) 

Love at first sight, this movie is a delightful gem, a feast not just for the eye but for the soul.  Follow the story of the dependable and kind Mrs. Harris, who waits for beyond all hope her husband's return from war while sacrificing her own dreams.  She then embarks on a marvelous journey, touching lives along the way to purchase her dream dress from Paris couture fashion house, Dior.   Costume design is by the very talented Jenny Beavan.  Remember that name, you're going to see it again.

2.  The Dressmaker.  

This one is actually on my to-watch list.  That's right, I haven't seen it yet, but it's got all the elements I'm looking for: Pretty dresses, Kate Winslet, and a 66% postive rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.  So, this one's been requested and is on the way to my public library as we speak.  The story in a nutshell is that a fashionable woman goes back to her small town and seeks revenge for the past, but I'm hoping along the way she does some good too.  

*UPDATE:  No, she doesn't.  This movie took waaaay too long poorly telling a story we've all heard before but with the twist that this time it was written by a self-absorbed 6th grader.  This movie sucks!

3.  Ever After: A Cinderella Story.  (1998).  

With an all star cast, a brilliant story revamp and stunning costume design of Jenny Beavan, who you may remember did my No.1 pick, this retelling of a children's classic has always stood out as my personal favorite.  Suddenly the characters have motivation, they have depth, no more mere good and evil.  Cinderella has dreams and opinions, the stepmother has trauma, and the prince wants more than just arm candy, he wants intellect.  Although one look at her in that marvelous dress and it's safe to say he gets both.

4.  Cruella.  (2021). 

Ok, ok, I know the storytelling is pretty weak on this Disney prequel, but cinematography and the brilliant actors, Emma Stone & Emma Thompson,  do make up for some of what the story lacks.  If you're in it for a fun girls' night of oogling pretty dresses then this movie fits the bill.  Oh, and once again, the costume design is the work of Jenny Beavan, because that lady knows how to make a beautiful dress!

5.  Troop Beverly Hills (1989).

This movie has been a favorite of mine since its release in 1989 and has featured in more than one movie night since then.  A few years ago while living in Japan I had a friend who also loved the movie and suggested that we introduce our daughters to it together with a very girly movie party.  Since then my daughters and I have watched many times together.  The story has all the heart warming 80's charm you could want combined with plenty of celebrity cameos and of course fabulous dresses as Shelley Long's main character, Phyllis Nefler, would say.

Cinema with Style: No One Will Save You

There are so many streaming services out there and it seems like they are all offering their own movies only available on their platforms that unless you have a subscription to everything it's impossible to stay all caught up with the latest silver screen gems.  It was actually Mr. Bleu who brought this movie to my attention and quite frankly the majority of movies released in the past 10 years or so have been so predictable and unimaginative that I rarely get my hopes up for anything being good.  Most things are just something to watch, but as we were in the mood for "something to watch" and nothing else sprang to mind we decided to give No One Will Save You a try.  So, I went into this experience with very low expectations and was delighted to find myself enjoying this movie.

In the vein of Signs and Cloverfield, No One Will Save You is an alien invasion movie that follows an ordinary individual coping with extraordinary circumstances.  I enjoyed this movie and the others like it because it seems so much more realistic when an average person responds in an average way rather than rising to the ranks of unlikely hero.  Now, to be fair, Mr. Bleu did not enjoy this movie as much as I did, and my girls found it to be fair to middling, enjoyable but not earth shaking.  I think the real reason I liked it so much was two fold.  1.  The beautifully and thoughtfully styled home, wardrobe, and life of main character Brynn played by Kaitlyn Dever as she lives a life of an outcast in a forced seculsion.  2.  I can relate to her in many ways.  *At this point, let me just apologize for the potato quality of these photos.  Because this isn't a blockbuster, there are basically no studio released photos available. 

Brynn has evidentally spent her years of alone time creating a magical world for herself and building an enviable wardrobe.  (Check out that vintage Canyon Group Wedding Cake Robe!)  She wants everything to be lovely and good.  And yet, she is rejected by her community at every turn.  While her community has every right to be a little standoffish (really trying not to give anything away here)  I think to some degree every introvert feels this way about themselves and their place in the world as always being on the outside looking in and eventually just trying to make the outside as wonderful as possible since there seems to be no hope of ever getting inside while simultaneously continuing to try to get in.  Case in point, on her way into town to run errands, she spends time trying to decide which dress to wear and opts, in my opinion, for the safer less standout choice of a green floral.

In spite of her attempts, we see Brynn rejected and struggling until this Alien Invasion thing changes everything.  Because Brynn is so rejected she is unable to warn others, and so isolated we only see events unfold from her perspective.  This is the area in which Mr. Bleu took issue.  A movie like this typically offers some sort of self-sacrifice that leads to saving the world and redeeming the main character.  Not so with this movie, but again, this is where I found it more endearing.

 

Ok, so the more I talk about the movie, the more I am giving away and I would really rather let you watch it with as little info as possible, so let's get back to the clothes.  I love that everything Brynn wears is just so.  It's clear that she has put a lot of thought into her wardrobe by choosing elegant vintage pieces that she incorporates into her everyday life rather than having them be part of an untouched collection.  This is always the struggle I face when it comes to vintage things.  I fear that using them will tear them up, but what's the point of having them if you're not going to use them?  Brynn gets it, life is for the living and everyday should be beautiful.  Check out this extra ruffley powder blue peignoir set.  After watching this film I decided to invest in some vintage nylon nightgowns and they are so comfortable and pretty that I can't believe I ever lived without them!

Even her casual wear is filled with delicate details.  This outfit was hard to capture with screenshots because this is when the action really picks up, but this top is hardly a basic floral.  The print and design remind me of heirloom brand, Doen.  It's such an intricate pattern and the sleeves have some puff to them and some ruffle at the cuffs.  The trousers have a high waist and belt and the shoes even have lots of personality.  So, although this is still quite an understated look, it once again shows us that Brynn puts a lot of thought into every area of her life.  In fact, her time spent in reflection, perhaps over thinking to the point of being unable to esacpe her past, is a main theme. 

 

Later in the film, Brynn's personal style has evolved to bolder/larger floral prints, brighter colors, lipstick, and genuine smiles instead of desperate attempts to fit in.  This is reflected in outfits such as this embroidered folk blouse (which costume designer, Natalie O'Brien, had custom made for the film) and her party dress which you can see below.  Her hair has more volume and she wears lipstick once again as a way of saying she is Ok to standout and be herself.

So, was No One Will Save You a timeless classic or a solid gold hit?  Probably not, but I did really enjoy for reasons I can't discuss without ruining it for you and the art direction and costumes alone were enough to make it one of the most enjoyable movies of my year.