A Lady Reviews: Brave

I recognize that I may be coming to this party a bit late.  Nevertheless, it behooves me to write a review of what very well may be the most ‘lady-oriented’ movie of this summer.

A lady is a lady regardless of whether she
acts as a diplomat...

For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, the story of Brave is set in the wilds of Scotland, and focuses on the turbulent relationship between a local king’s daughter, Merida, and her mother, the Queen Elinor.  Elinor wants Merida to be the stereotypical ‘proper’ lady (or so it seems on the surface), while Merida wants to be free to live her own life.  When their desires clash in the middle of a tournament for Merida’s hand in marriage, things get thoroughly out of control and, through one thing and another (spoiler alert!) Elinor is transformed into a bear.  The rest of the film focuses on Merida and Elinor rebuilding their mother-daughter bond and returning Elinor to her rightful shape, which involves a fair bit of humor (and even some horror) along the way.

I suspect anyone who has seen even the trailers for this film can tease out the lady related conflict that crops up in Brave:  Merida is wild and independent, while Elinor is ‘proper’ and dignified.  Each initially views the other as misguided and either uncivilized (in the case of Merida) or stuck up (in the case of Elinor).  Over the course of the film, however, one comes to realize that both sides of this coin are necessary for a woman to be successful in her life.  Merida’s physical prowess with a bow and on horseback allow her to live comfortably regardless of location and take care of herself.  Elinor’s social skills, however, prove to be just as important, as she is able to bring a group of brawling Scottish clansmen to a standstill with one cold look or talk them back from open warfare.  Both women discover that the other’s point of view is still valid over the course of the film, even as they grow closer as mother and daughter.

....or wields a weapon.

Any woman hoping to call herself a lady should take heed from their lesson.  A lady should be skilled in any number of ways, so as to give her the advantage regardless of the situation.  And no skill should be viewed as somehow off-limits.  Combative or athletic pursuits do not diminish one’s womanhood, and being polite and well-spoken does not prevent a lady from wielding great power of her own.  Instead, one should seek to find and cultivate a balance of mind and body, action and diplomacy, the exuberance of youth and the wisdom of old age.  All will serve you well in your life as a lady.

So, in the final assessment, go see Brave.  It’s my favorite movie of the summer, hands down, and a great example of all the virtues a lady should hope to have for herself. 

P.S.  Brave also has awesome, awesome music.  I dare you not to feel happy after listening to it. 

A Lady Reviews: Snow White and the Huntsman

So, what does ‘How to Live Like a Lady’ think about Snow White and the Huntsman?  Quite frankly, I, for one, like it (reviews from other writers of the blog may differ).  I feel that while there are definitely issues with aspects of it (yes, I will address the Kristen Stewart aspect), the inherent premise, the look of the film, and the ultimate execution are all more than satisfying if you are willing to accept the basic tenants of fairy tales and their un-ironic use in a film. 

First and foremost, let’s deal with the downsides (i.e., Kristen Stewart).  And, in my opinion, Kristen Stewart is not necessarily one of them.  Now, please do not misunderstand – I have a hatred of the Twilight Saga that burns as bright as a supernova.  That however does not extend to my inherently hating the actors (though Robert Pattinson still looks like a foot in my opinion).  They were hired to do a job and I will not allow my dislike of a film to ruin my opinion of them.  As such, Kristen Stewart, in my opinion, while not the world’s greatest actress, is well suited to play Snow White.  Kristen’s flat facial effect serves well as the naïve yet noble Snow White, much as Keanu Reeves’ flat effect works in his portrayal of cold hard badasses and/or stoners.  There is one moment on film where her performance is genuinely painful (the coronation scene, look for it), but that hinges on bad script writing that leaves both actress and audience hanging as to the appropriate facial expression.  Aside from her (and she is a highly polarizing aspect of this film, with some praising and some damning her performance), there honestly isn’t much to pick at for flaws.

As such, once one gets past Kristen’s (debatable) performance, one finds a film that, ultimately, is a well rounded retelling of a fairy tale that holds to its roots while simultaneously delivering a fresh new tone to the story.  The inherent plot is exactly the same as virtually every version of the Snow White tale.  Snow White’s mother wishes for a daughter, Snow White’s mother dies after said daughter is born, her father remarries, the Queen becomes rampantly jealous of Snow White’s beauty, Snow White is forced to run for the hills where she meets up with a bunch of dwarves, almost winds up poisoned by her stepmother’s apple, is revived by a kiss, and returns to seek revenge on said stepmother.  What makes Snow White and the Huntsman differ from the usual tale is the extensive character building received by all the characters (but especially the evil queen, Ravenna,) as well as the fleshing out of the bare bones of the story from a basic fairy tale to an epic film. 

Thus, while the acting of Kristen Stewart may be up for question, Charlize Theron’s performance as Ravenna is beyond reproach.  Rather than functioning as the average, vain evil queen, Ravenna is a near primal force, crazed with a need for immortality, control, revenge on men, and maintaining her beauty.  She conquers and kills with chilling impunity, a woman on the warpath who is still human even as she is never presented as anything less than outright deadly.  To maintain her beauty and power she devours the youth of young women (how Elizabeth Bathory of you, Ravenna), and discovers, upon consultation with her magic mirror, that she can gain unfading strength in both areas by ingesting the heart of Snow White, which she proceeds to go about doing so by any means necessary.  Her madness and sorrow are palpable things, and her power as queen is enough to make you get down on your knees and swear fealty in the movie theater.

Besides Ravenna, one has the titular Huntsman, (whose name is Eric though I don’t think that it’s ever mentioned), who, as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, is by turns gruff and sweet, and, for the ladies of the audience, most certainly attractive even when covered in mud.  For the ladies who prefer more clean cut men, however, do not despair:   There is also Snow White’s childhood sweetheart, the prince, who doesn’t serve much purpose other than to be a foil to the huntsman and jump around shooting a bow and being cute.  The dwarves, meanwhile, are amusing to a man, and the rest of the cast does their job quite well.  It’s an all-around win. 

Ladies going to war in full plate armor. 
HELL YES.

The unabashed strength of the women is perhaps one of the most surprising and surprisingly well handled aspects of the whole film.  Ravenna and Snow White are never relegated to the position of damsel in distress, and on the rare occasion where that may seem the case (such as when Ravenna is first introduced), they turn the tables on their would-be rescuers in seconds.  And when the last fight scene rolls around, Snow White and Ravenna rally their troupes and lead their soldiers into battle, culminating in one-on-one combat between both women.  Without needing to scream their independence to the rafters both women are leaders and, Ravenna’s madness aside, well worth tipping one’s hat to as ladies of a high order.

Finally, there is the appearance of the film, which is drop-dead gorgeous.  Sweeping landscape shots of Germanic looking mountains are punctuated with lush enchanted forests, spooky marshes, and Ravenna’s palace, located on the coast and surrounded by an ever roiling ocean.  The costumes are equally lovely, with Ravenna’s outfits being some of the most jaw dropping pieces of work I’ve ever personally seen (one, which wasn’t used in the film unfortunately, was trimmed with umpteen iridescent beetle wings).  If nothing else, this is by far the most aesthetically pleasing film I’ve seen this summer. 

So, to go see it or not to go see it?  That depends on whether or not one is fond of fairy tales that take themselves seriously (and whether you do or do not mind Kristen Stewart).  It is a common trope that films based on legends or folk stories tend to take a more sarcastic or excessively gritty tack on the plot.  Snow White and the Huntsman, however, skirts the line of gritty without ever crossing over it excessively and completely ignores the cynical aspect.  As such, if you don’t like the idea of fairy tales where a woman is referred to un-ironically as ‘the one who will bring balance’ (and no, she is not bringing balance to the Force), then look elsewhere.  If that doesn’t bother you, (and neither does Kristen Stewart), then you should love the film. 

P.S. Florence & The Machine’s song ‘Breath of Life’ is used in the credits, thus making this lady a very happy panda. 

Ladies of Fiction: Lisbeth Salander

Lisbeth (and Mikael) surrounded
by adoring fans

Lisbeth Salander, a lady?  I hear you cry in confusion.  How does a surly, piercing studded hacker chick deserve to be called a lady?! 

Simple, I reply, Lisbeth possesses the raw power and determination that any lady should be proud to call her own.

One of the most vital points of being a lady is learning not to judge simply by appearances.  Lisbeth may not wear the elegant gowns or comport herself in the manner we tend to associate with a lady, but what she lacks in overt appearance she makes up for in her internal fortitude.  Lisbeth’s life, from the start in the novels, is a harsh one, in which she is branded insane and thrust into the uncaring maw of asylums and foster homes.  She regularly is mistreated and/or outright abused, and generally has her life made a living hell.  It has damaged her, without a doubt.  Her withdrawn personality and spike riddled appearance serve as armor against a world that has proven itself utterly untrustworthy. 

That being said, however, Lisbeth does not lie down and die.  She does not give up.  Every time someone tries to destroy her, she rises again with a vengeance worthy of the Furies themselves (notably, my friends and I have recently introduced the term ‘Lisbeth’ as a unit of measurement for female rage).  Given all the suffering she has been through, Lisbeth could be forgiven for shutting herself off completely from the world.  Instead she takes her gifts and fire-forged determination and uses them to fight against those who would hurt her or others.  In spite of everything, she overcomes her obstacles and, in her own, asocial way, manages to develop friendships and even romantic relationships.  It isn’t easy, and at the end of the novels it is clear that Lisbeth is still in many ways her ever prickly self, but Lisbeth’s determination never wavers through it all. 

Every life is touched by suffering to some degree.  Sometimes that suffering is great, sometimes small, but the exact size or degree aside, it can make us want to shut down, curling in on ourselves against the world.  What we can learn from Lisbeth is how not to do that.  Obviously, we can’t (and in most cases shouldn’t) lash out at the source of our suffering as Lisbeth does, but we equally cannot allow whatever tragedies occur in our lives to bind us, blind us, and shut us off from the world.  It may seem impossible, and in some cases perhaps the trauma really cannot be overcome, but if a person does not try, how can one ever find out?  Better to take a note from Lisbeth and fight against that which seeks to damage us, rather than meekly lying down and allowing it to rule us.