Movies

The Princess Diaries 2--I thought it was an excellent movie. I've never read the books and from what I saw on wikipedia, I doubt that I'll ever read them, but maybe I will...not sure yet. Anyway. The movie was extremely cute. I've only watched the 1st one once and I thought it was nice, but a bit...outlandish, I guess. I mean, what else can you think about the story where a girl with no importance turns out to be a real princess? So I treat it as being totally removed from 2, which makes them both the better movie, I think. But the second movie is the tale of a princess fighting the oppressive law that states that she must marry if she wishes to be queen. The storyline is great (many of my favorite fiction novels have had a similar plot) and the choice in cast is amazing--I love Julie Andrews and her chemistry with Anne Hathaway as her granddaughter is awesome--much like my grandmother with myself. I highly recommend this movie whether or not you've seen the 1st one, and I think the letter 2 following the title is a bit misleading.

The Queen is a very good movie describing the royal family in the days following Princess Diana's death. I love the way Queen Elizabeth II is portrayed, as the private woman who's 1st priority is her grandsons and maintaining the decorum of the royal post. I don't remember 1997 much myself, but I think I do remember the whole privateness of the situation...how the queen was slow to react and reluctant to bend to the public will. Which is her right as a human. The queen is a woman who was given a title with her birth. Her life is a private thing. Just because she was forced into the spotlight doesn't give the public the right to pry. And that's what the movie tries to show, I think. We complain about young hollywood basking and abusing the spotlight and abuses committed by the paparazzi, but when it comes to the queen we expect total openness. The same is true of America's president. We forget that when it comes down to it they are made of the same flesh and blood that we all are made of and deserve the same courtesies that we demand in the private sphere.