The Duchess

Cast
Keira Knightley
Ralph Fiennes
Dominic Cooper
Hayley Atwell
Screenwriters
Jeffrey Hatcher
Anders Thomas Jensen
Saul Dibb
Director
Saul Dibb
Running Time
110 minutes

Long before the concept existed, the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer, was the original “It Girl.” Like her direct ancestor Princess Diana, she was ravishing, glamorous and adored by an entire country. Determined to be a player in the wider affairs of the world, she proved that she could out-gamble, out-drink and outwit most of the aristocratic men who surrounded her. She helped usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. But even as her power and popularity grew, she was haunted by the fact that the only man in England she seemingly could not seduce was her very own husband, the Duke. And when she tried to find her own way to be true to her heart and loyal to her duty, the resulting controversies and convoluted liaisons would leave all of London talking. (Paramount Vantage)

It was very well done but I wasn't as moved by it as I guess the makers intended because although she suffered it was a genteel suffering. The ordinary folk had hard lives too living in servitude without the trappings of luxury she enjoyed, which tempered my sympathy for her.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Cast
David Thewlis
Vera Farmiga
Rupert Friend
Richard Johnson
Sheila Hancock
Jim Norton
Asa Butterfield
Jack Scanlon
Screenwriter
Mark Herman
Director
Mark Herman
Running Time
94 minutes

When his father (Thewlis) is made commandant of a concentration camp, eight year-old Bruno (Butterfield) finds himself listless and alone. Then, after an exploration, he meets a strange boy who seems to be wearing pyjamas, sat behind a wire fence. A meeting that will have terrible repercussions...

I thought it was good. Having the Germans speak english with english accents seemed odd.

December Comics

Newsarama has the new Marvel and DC solicitations for December.

This is the stuff I'm thinking about in addition to my regular pull list.

THOR: GOD-SIZED #1
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE, DAN BRERETON & MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
His name was Skurge, and men and god alike knew him as Executioner...and the legend of his life and death reverberate across the walls of Heaven itself. In Asgard, though...no one can quite remember WHAT happened to him. How did he live? How did he die? And why does everyone in Asgard remember it differently? There's trickery at hand so vile even Loki joins Thor in trying to unravel it. Some comics are giant-sized. Some are king-sized. Only THIS comic can be called GOD-SIZED! By Matt Fraction (THOR: AGES OF THUNDER) and a roster of all-star artists including Doug Braithwaite (SECRET INVASION: THOR), Dan Brereton (IMMORTAL IRON FIST ANNUAL) and Marko Djurdjevic (THOR #7-8)!
64 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

For the Dan Brereton art.


INCOGNITO #1
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Art & Cover by SEAN PHILLIPS
From the creators of Criminal and Sleeper comes the most insane and evil super-villain comic you’ve ever read!
What if you were an ex-super villain hiding out in Witness Protection... but all you could think about were the days when the rules didn’t apply to you? Could you stand the toil of an average life after years of leaving destruction in your wake? And what if you couldn’t stand it? What would you do then?
INCOGNITO – a twisted mash-up of noir and super-heroics – by best-selling creators Ed Brubaker (The Death of Captain America) and Sean Phillips(Marvel Zombies) with Val Staples on colors.
And continuing Criminal’s single issue tradition, each issue of Incognito has more pages of story content, as well as articles on pulp and noir and behind the scenes looks!
32 PGS./Mature Content/No Ads ...$3.50

Given how good Criminal is how could I not get this.