The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (series)--Maryrose Wood

Recently I have sort of stumbled upon a new favorite (by favorite, I mean one of my favorite) book series. This is quite a pleasant turn of events, and since that Hardly Ever happens, I thought that I ought to spread the word! Most of you know that I work at a local library, and I happened to pick up this children's book out of curiosity, read it, and immediately fell in love, so to speak! 

The series name is The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood; comprised of six books following the Adventures of Miss Penelope Lumley, the governess and graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, as well as her three highly unique students. 

I was expecting something along the lines of Mary Poppins or maybe children with special powers or something like that. However, I was delightfully surprised! But before I let my excitement run away with the post, let me organize and categorize my opinions....

"A well-organized stocking drawer 

is the first step toward a well-organized mind." 

-The Mysterious Howling

Writing Quality//Overall Goodness: 

Absolutely wonderful! Mrs. Wood has an excellently quirky and unique voice and tone in her writing which makes it enjoyable to read; it doesn't sound like every other children's book out there. She throws in bits of historical "Easter Eggs," and writes in a way that is both intelligent and fun. I absolutely love the main character, Penelope. Her sensible and practical character is one that I, as an oldest sister with four little siblings, can sort of relate to as she basically takes care of her three wards. There is so much value placed on education and reading, "book learning" of the classical sort that studies art, Shakespeare, mathematics, and poetry! As someone who grew up with a "classical" education, I really appreciate it...there is some truth to the saying "if you can read, you can do anything," and this series would seem to support that. It also is in support for present parenting and critiques silly, fluffy people whose entire personalities are based around wanting to simply have "stuff" and look good. 

The writing puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of being able to think critically, interact with people politely, and "Don't Panic." There are also lots of fun, pithy little sayings from the founder of Penelope's Alma Mater which are, many of them, quite memorable and will stick around in your brain helpfully always. Basically, I felt that this book was so worth reading that I have been recommending it left and right. I also appreciate how Mrs. Wood seems to be quietly supporting the idea of homeschooling small groups of children (I believe she was a homeschool mother at one point, though I could be mistaken). She has discussion guides and educational resources on her website and a new project called the Swanburne Academy, which, if I remember right, is an online resource for parents and children, a resource of the educational sort, which is actually really cool! 

(Also the artwork is adorable and fun!) 

"Nothing good was ever learned from eavesdropping, 

so mind your business and let others mind theirs." 

-The Mysterious Howling

Reading Level//Age Range//Content: 

The reading level itself is suitable for anyone from fifth grade level and up. Like I said, it is written intelligently, but not in a stuffy, academic way. I don't think there is any content to caution against; any language mentioned is mentioned as "language very unsuitable for a young governess" or something like that. Just about anyone old enough to understand what is going on will enjoy these books (and possibly benefit from them as well). 

"This practice of overstating the case is called hyperbole. 

Hyperbole is usually harmless, 

but in some cases it has been known to 

precipitate unnecessary wars as well as 

a painful gaseous condition 

called stock market bubbles." 

-The Mysterious Howling

Parting Thoughts: 

I usually don't give books such shining reviews. But these books are definitely new favorites. I would recommend them to anyone, really! And with that, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! 

"Feeling one ought to apologize is 

not quite the same thing 

as saying 'I am sorry' " 

-The Hidden Gallery

"There is power in words used accurately and well, 

and tragedy and missed train connections in words used carelessly." 

-The Unseen Guest

"Busy hands and idle minds have knitted many a sweater;  Busy minds and idle hands have knitted many a brow."  -The Unseen Guest

Holy Mackerel, I'm Married

I'm assuming the title of this post says it all...

Yes, folks. That is me in the white dress. On July 13, 2019, a bit after 11:30 a.m., I became a married woman. 

And let me tell you, I have been TOTALLY out of the blogosphere for these past few weeks. (Naturally.) Me and my husband (!!!!) have been exploring Michigan's lovely upper peninsula, learning how to do chores around the house together, and generally figuring out what is "normal" in order to get our lives "back to normal." It would take far too long to tell you about all the adventures and long drives that we have encountered, but here is a list of Interesting Things that have happened during the wedding week(s).

1. Discovered that wedding dresses, even short-sleeved ones, are Exceedingly Warm in the summer sun. 
2. Smelled lavender oil before the ceremony that my wonderful and irreplaceable maid of honor brought (we don't know if it actually relieves stress, but it was something to do other than worry). 
3. Did NOT have a weeping breakdown at any point during the wedding stuff (which was excellent because I'm really bad with crying...once I get started there is no stopping me). 
4. Went to our car and discovered it plastered with sticky notes, full of balloons, and with an air horn rigged up to scare us half to death (thanks to my brother and the other groomsmen). 
5. Drove for...a long, long time. Well, I rode mostly, but I did some driving too. 
6. Ate, between the two of us, six 1/2 pound slabs of fudge from Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City ('twas delicious) 
7. Swam in the Straits of Mackinac, in the shadow of the bridge, in frigid waters with rocks bashing up our feet
8. Took a 2 hour detour over a one-lane seasonal dirt road filled with craters and sandpits, to a very poorly marked lighthouse (which was very pretty but not worth the hour long drive there and back off the main road). 
9. At the poorly marked lighthouse, an older couple asked us if it was our honeymoon. When we said it was, they were adorably excited and told us that they had honeymooned in the area 43 (or something close to 43) years ago.
10. Strolled at Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point, and neither of us were very good at skipping stones. 
11. Got horribly sunburned on a Pictured Rocks cruise (it was supposed to rain so we didn't bother with sunscreen...then lo and behold the sun came out ten minutes into the boat ride)
12. Read through the book of Jude together and discussed it
13. Hiked 5-6 miles in the Porcupine Mountain wilderness, over mud, rocks, tree roots, and rivers, while being attacked by swarms of mosquitoes and accidentally taking a wrong turn which took us for quite a detour (it was still quite a fun adventure though!) 
14. Were so exhausted that we turned on the TV at our hotel after our hike and watched a part of a Spongebob movie, until we got so fed up with the awful commercials for the Dora The Explorer movie that we turned it off and just ate more fudge instead 
15. Drank Subway lemonade
16. Laughed a WHOLE LOT at each other--me at his inexplicable misreadings of signs and billboards, he at well...just at me
17. Listened to sermons (mostly by Voddie Baucham, who I wholeheartedly recommend), to Mariel of Redwall on audiobook, and to an eclectic selection of music. 
18. Realized that we (well, *I*) am a cold-hearted Michigander who does not understand how to small talk with friendly people like the kind you find up north and anywhere else that is not Michigan.
19. Enjoyed the 65 mile per hour speed limits (hehe) and were thankful for the passing lanes. 
20. Met my parents and siblings at their vacation spot to stay one night with them. We slept in a tent and it was FREEZING cold, but a worthwhile adventure. 
21. Went swimming in a much warmer and sandier spot, where they had a ginormous water trampoline, splash mat (I think that's what it's called), and other such things that were a blast. 
22. I read (and am reading) an excellent series by Maryrose Wood called The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, and it has become a new favorite--very clever, well-written, and with its own certain "quirk" that I very much enjoy. 
23.  Organized my new closet (soooooo much better than sharing a space of an even smaller capacity with my two little sisters)
24. I was "banned" from doing kitchen work or most of the cooking, and was at one point told to avoid watching the kitchen because there was a "special project." It ended up being Irish soda bread (two kinds), and it was absolutely delicious. I ate a lot of it. 
25. Went to see Spiderman: Far From Home. It was good...but no spoilers. ;) 
26. Also saw the new Lion King, which was also pretty good. Then I was serenaded for the next, well, it's ongoing whenever we ride in the car, by "Hakuna Matata," and other old Disney songs.
27. Caught up with our families and went to church again, which was very nice. 

And now? Now, we are both heading back to work (he's at work right now, actually) this week, and are getting into the new "swing of things." I know this is a cliche statement, but it really has felt "like a blur." Here I am with a ring on my finger (a really pretty one too, he has excellent taste in jewelry), in our own place, an old, married woman! 

I don't have anything else to say, really...this post is just to, well, announce the occasion, and because I plan to keep blogging! I'm definitely not leaving. 

And now I shall say goodnight (it's evening where I am as I type this, so...), after I share a few more photographs with you. (Huge round of applause for my photographer, Stacy Brackins from Moments to Remember Photography...as well as a phenomenal photographer, she is a dear family friend and I am so glad that she was able to be there taking our pictures!) 

Goodnight!! (Oh, yes, and my last name has changed...maybe we're still working on the legal bit of changing it, but you know...it has changed from Holmberg...to Black.)

The Star Wars Character Tag!!!

Well, as you can probably tell, this post is a filling out of the Star Wars Character Tag, for which I was tagged by the lovely MiddleEarthMusician a while ago! According to rule #4, the "Sorta Rule," I need to treat her to a pizza dinner at my favorite pizza chain, so here are some Lego stormtroopers delivering your dinner, Mem!!! 

(photo from Pinterest)

Now here we go! 

The rules…

1. THERE ARE NO RULES.
2. Refer To Number 1.
3. There is one absolute rule: You MUST use your own characters (OCs) for this tag. (Brownie points if you add pictures of your characters.)
4. The Sorta Rule: Scream a huge thank you to whoever tagged you for this whilst treating them to a pizza dinner at your favorite pizza chain. 
5. The Kinda Rule: Include This Link In The Post So That The Penny Can Read Everyone’s Answers To This Smol Strange Tag: https://asouthernbellewithstoriestotell.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/the-star-wars-character-tag-i-made-my-own-tag-halp/
6. The Rule That’s Not Really A Rule But It Would Be Great: Include The Graphic and Tag at Least Three Jedi or Sith Lords.

#1 Who’s your Obi-Wan Kenobi? (sassy, a great mentor, but can be a bit strict)

Lehye'ahl, I think...he's a little more of a jerk (okay, a LOT more of a jerk) than Obi-Wan, but  he's definitely sassy and strict. He would also be a great mentor (if he had anyone to mentor, that is, most of the people he could have mentored died, hehehehe). 

#2 Who’s your Leia Organa? (feisty, incredible comebacks, does their own thing)

Dehmatthir...he totally fits all of those categories.

#3 Who’s your Finn? (overeager, adorable, cinnamon roll)

Lutea Coggins (who I have a picture for but have not officially "cast" yet). She is a small person filled with the cheeriest personality ever and can also be TOO bubbly at times...however she will not hesitate to Fight You to defend her friends or family. 

#4 Who’s your Padme? (kind, loving, but also kickbutt)

Jorgen, a young and gentle dwarf who smiles a lot but has excellent skills. He hates fighting but does it when necessary, and is also a great cook.

#5 Who’s your Count Dooku? (deliciously evil, extra, and sick burns)

Well...I don't know...none of my villains really fit that category. None of my characters at ALL fit that category....*frowns* I need more villains, apparently. *making a note to work on that* 

#6 Who’s your BB-8? (too cute, everyone loves them, can do no wrong)

Darot...now, this little fellow experienced a great deal of emotional and psychological trauma at a young age and never really recovered from it (that sounds super insensitive and rude to say, but it's true). He has remained a living ray of sunshine and childlike happiness in all of his friends' lives. 

#7 Who’s your Yoda? (underestimated, extra, wise)

Amris...this elf...is too smart for his own good. He knows something about everything and is always ready with some sort of an answer for any question. 

#8 Who’s your Anakin Skywalker?  (bratty, rebellious, whiny)

Eyellyn. This character is a female dwarf who is somewhat the guardian and parent figure to her younger siblings. She can be extremely grumpy, rebellious, and isn't much for giving her companions explanations or information. She doesn't Whine so much as Complain, but you know, it's close enough. 

#9 Who’s your C3-PO? (always worrying, gives depressing information, constantly wailing)

Colderan, definitely! He doesn't MEAN to be a Nervous Nellie, but he has a very soft heart and doesn't want anyone to get hurt. This of course means that warnings come very often from him and he has to make sure that everyone knows the odds. 

#10 Who’s your Luke Skywalker? (hero, has been through a lot, has their share of flaws)

Prince Rhondin!! He is one of my favorite main characters, a young man who....well...he goes through a lot. But somehow he still stays cheerful and bright throughout it all. :) :) 

Bonus #11 which I have made up to add since my answer for #5 was pathetic: Who's your Han Solo? (calls people "kid," has traveled, "I'm making this up as I go" planning)

Ateke, who is an elf and a great friend (and brother-in-law) of the aforementioned Lehye'ahl. However, they are totally different personality-wise and it's kind of surprising that they get along...(oh also I've decided that he would be excellent played by Elijah Wood)

Well, that was fun! :D Thank you so much again, Mem!!!! Ah yes, and as far as tagging goes...hmmmmmmmmm....literally anybody who wants to do this tag. If you own a toy lightsaber, consider yourself tagged!!!!! 

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Writing Quality//Overall Goodness: 

Wow. I picked this up at the library while I was waiting for my next book to come in, and figured that since The Great Gatsby is no more than an inch thick (or even less, I think), I could manage that in the time I had. 

I had never read this before, and, since it is a "classic," I was determined to read it. I've heard many times of how fantastic the story is, and boy, it did not disappoint. 

The story is mainly about Nick Carraway, the narrator (it is in first person, if you care about that sort of thing), and his experiences with Jay Gatsby, his neighbor, Daisy, Nick's cousin, and their friends and relations. It deals with the 1920s "Jazz Age" in New York (I think I'm right about that, at least, this is My Personal Opinion, apart from any articles or teaching about the book) and all the social and relational issues that that culture's mindset caused. Fitzgerald did not shy away from portraying these difficult issues, and neither does he paint them in a positive light, but rather in Nick's dissatisfied, unable to fix anything resignation to the world in which he lives. I would almost even call the story "bleak" or "dark" at some times, though the characters are always laughing and joking. That darkness hidden under partying is maybe what the book tells us about that era in the United States? Though I'm no literature professor, that is the impression that I am left with. 

The writing is just lovely, as well as the story and the "theme" well-planned. Fitzgerald's voice is a very thoughtful and concise one, and his writing is laden with beautiful images, almost in a poetic way. It is very poetic prose. And the last line is, I believe, one of the most poignant in the book, almost summing up the entire story in one sentence: 

The writing is beautiful and I definitely recommend this to any reader of "classics." 

Reading Level//Age Range//Content

It isn't very hard reading, but this book does deal with a lot of heavy topics. I'm pretty confident that a 7th or 8th grader could tackle the reading itself, but as far as the deeper meanings and content go, I would feel much more comfortable having an older high-schooler, maybe 11th grade, reading this. The characters swear a few times, but never over-the-top. There is a violent description of a car accident, which could be disturbing and is very sad. And there is some suggestive-ness that only older people will understand--Fitzgerald never talks about anything explicitly, but there are various people having affairs with other various people, and definitely an implication of lots of that behavior going on in that era. In addition, there is lots of partying and drinking going on. So, yes, I would recommend this book, but only to an older student or person, at least 16 or 17 years old. 

An interesting quote...people seeking the love of other people as their ultimate fulfillment. 

Parting Thoughts: 

Did I like this book? Yes, I did. It is a brilliantly painted snapshot (because it is a painting of a book, not a photograph, if you know what I mean) of the roaring 20s in Eastern America. 

2019 So Far: Wedding Plans, Final Exams, And What To Do When Someone Buys You An Egg Cooker

Sorry about that really long title, folks. But it kind of sums up what I've been doing for the past several months, and I think it's time to give you a "lately" post...I'm about due for one.

Life has been....a little bit crazy over the past few months and let me tell you, planning a wedding is...well, it's more work than it sounds like. Or at least, more work than I thought it would be. But it's all good work, so that's the important thing! Since that's probably the most exciting thing that has been going on for me, I'll talk about wedding planning and such first:

Me when trying to plan decorations for my wedding

No, I shouldn't complain. Things are actually going quite well! The whole event is coming together slowly but surely, with LOTS of help from my family and my squad of girls who are always there to help out. :) It's crazy, but all of a sudden May is almost done and there are less than 2 months till the actual wedding! How did that happen? I sound like an old woman, but wow, time is going really fast. Plus, I don't actually know how to plan a wedding...I'm the first in my family to be married, so we've never done this before. *nervous laughter*

I did have a couple of lovely showers thrown for me, which was great! I am a terrible introvert, which makes me DETEST being the center of attention at a party, which, well, at a bridal shower, you can't really avoid. But, thankfully, I am blessed with lots of great friends and family who are Much More extroverted than I am and who can mediate between me and...*ominous pause*...socializing.

But it actually all went very well, I'm pleased to report. And I added a new and excellent possession to the list of kitchen supplies that were gifted to us...it's called an egg cooker, and it looks something like this: 

I know, I know, I had my doubts too. It kinda looks like a spaceship or something...like from Jimmy Neutron. We were so curious about how it worked that we tried it out the evening of the shower, actually!! And it works! It works very well, cooks a great hard-boiled egg. We still aren't sure what the spaceship's cockpit is for other than a handle to open up the lid, but hey, it's still a great and newfangled contraption. I approve. 

ANYWAY, in things mostly unrelated to showers and wedding planning, I have successfully finished my 2nd year of college, halfway to being done with my bachelor's degree. (Woop woop!) Nothing VERY exciting happened, and exams are over. I'm very thankful to have a few months off. Though I did have one class held in Meadowbrook Hall, the old estate that was owned by the woman who founded my university. Now THAT was pretty cool. 

Meadowbrook Hall, as I approach for my class...

I have been working two days a week at our local library and still enjoying it immensely--it's a great job for me I think; it fits me well. I found this Absolute Gem of a DVD while I was shelving one day. 

Isn't that just the coolest and most up-to-date thing you've ever seen????? 

As far as writing, reading, and movies go: 

I have finished the final edit of my second book, and am working on formatting stuff, hopefully to be able to self-publish through Amazon this summer (however, I plan to wait till after I'm married so I can publish it after my name is changed). I wrote this flash fiction mainly for my creative writing course at school. 

I went to see Endgame the night after it opened, and we finished basically all the movies in the MCU (here's my post about that) before seeing that. I also reviewed The Greatest Showman, saw How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (which I'm planning to review after I see it once more), and finished up the Pirates of the Caribbean series (which I hope to review sometime in the future as well). 

Reading? Well, ha, I have discovered that now that I don't have to go to school and do homework, I have SO MUCH free time!!! It's great...I've already read the Ascendance Trilogy (by Jennifer Nielsen, and maybe I'll review that eventually), The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I'm working on The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. 

Anyhoo. that has been my life lately...just thought it was about time for a "recently" post. I hope that everyone's springtime is going well! :D If you all have any ideas for posts that you would like to see me write this summer, then please let me know! :) I'm hoping that I'll have some time this summer to post a few things that aren't just wedding pictures! :P 

And now, I shall leave you with an inspiring quote from Pooh Bear: 

#don'tspoiltheendgame

Is that how the hashtag works? *whispers* I'm actually not very social media savvy...

This post is a review/reaction to Avengers: Endgame, which I saw a little over a week ago. Me, my brother, my fiance, and a group of our friends all went to see it together, which was a lot of fun...despite waiting in line for like two hours! Anyhoo, it was...pretty much what I expected. Not all of it was what I expected. But the basic gist was exactly what we knew was coming. 

Now, I'm going to TRY MY HARDEST not to give you any spoilers, so if this review seems somewhat vague, then that's why! Here we go: 

Plot: 

There isn't a whole lot about the plot itself I can say without ruining everything for those who have not seen the film. I guess I can say this much: it's an Avengers movie.  The team (the original six who were left after everybody got dusted in Infinity War) is setting out to save the world, as is their habit. Now, I'm not going to tell you if they succeed or not. But overall, this film's plot serves to end an era that has lasted about 11 years, and to "pass the torches" on to the next generation of superheroes, so to speak. It was a well-woven and well-executed plot that pulled everything together neatly. 

Characters: 

These are the characters that we know and love. Arcs are completed, time goes on, and really, these people are the reason that moviegoers (myself included) love the films so much and are so invested in the story. Robert Downey Jr. was (as always) stellar, and will always be my favorite as Iron Man/Tony Stark. Steve Rogers finally got rid of that beard he had in Infinity War, which I appreciated, and his character was an excellent, worthy leader of their "army" against Thanos and company. Thor...was great.  He was not what I expected (no spoilers!) but still great. And probably the most lighthearted of the three. 

As far as those outside "the big three" go, I really liked Natasha/Black Widow more than I have before in other movies. I think her character, as well as Clint/Hawkeye's, was developed a lot and made perhaps less shallow. Bruce/the Hulk was his scientific, soft-spoken self. All of our other friends in this film are great, but nothing different than they always are. 

Now, here's an unpopular opinion...I was irritated by Carol/Captain Marvel. SUPREMELY irritated. I mean, sure, she has cool skills, sure, she's powerful, sure, I'm FINE with her joining the team--it's her flippant, stuck-up attitude and utter self-centered-ness that I simply cannot stand! I believe that the basic gist of her attitude is this: "You all better be glad I came to help, cause you would have died without me. Yeah, Thanos would never have happened if I was here, but I'm going back to space because I have other responsibilities back there." *puts nose in air and screams about feminism*

Okay, okay, I could be overreacting. I haven't seen Captain Marvel so I could be completely wrong. But, as a woman myself, I can honestly say that the amount of pure radical feminist agenda that emanates from Brie Larson's acting of her character makes me want to throw up. Sure, go ahead and fight, be a strong woman, but don't be all trying to make a point! I don't care if you've got other responsibilities in space, but there is NO CALL to treat the old team, the team that has won their places in our hearts and has reached a bar of achievement that you never will, the way that you do??? How RUDE! To quote Mr. Knightley, "That woman is so full of herself I'm surprised she can stay up on that horse!" 

Okay, enough ranting. On to the next category. 

Film Quality/Aesthetic: 

Excellent as always. Produced wonderfully, good acting, good music...just a very enjoyable thing to see and listen to. There are lots of little visual and mentioned references to the past movies, and picking up on those was really fun to do! Well done. 

Content:

This is, content-wise, about on par with all of Marvel's other movies. I'd check the IMDb page (which I linked to up earlier in the post) for very specifics, but I'd just say that there is some language comparable to their other films, as well as the violence level. It is much more emotionally heavy than a lot of the MCU movies, as I learned from the girl violently sobbing behind me in the theater (which conveniently made me laugh, therefore preventing me from crying...because it WAS very sad!), and there are many moments of hopelessness or grim helplessness. 

There is one moment when Steve is sitting with a group of dudes, maybe talking about life after the snap, and one man mentions going on a date with another man, which makes Steve start a big spiel about "baby steps" and putting their lives back together. The gay dude was totally just thrown in there for the company to be lauded for showing it, but it is there nonetheless. A lot of people thought it was Bruce Banner, but have no fear, it is not.

All in all, I would recommend age 16+ to view this movie without any Clearplay or skipping or what-have-you. 

Overall: 

Personally, I enjoyed this movie. I thought it was a fitting end to a saga, and even though it marks that end, there is no other way that it should have ended, in my opinion. It's kind of the same feeling as the end of Lord of the Rings (not quite as fantastic, of course, but similar to that), when everything is over and done, Frodo is sailing away, and we know we can never come back. It's a terrible, heartbreaking feeling, but at the same time, one of content and perfect satisfaction with the ending that we have. 

An era has ended. There is no post-credits scene. And the torch has been passed. 

Part of the journey is the end. 

The Greatest Showman (2017)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1485796/

By all of my usual standards, I should have hated this movie. In fact, I have a list of reasons that I normally would hate it: 

• Predictable
• Somewhat cheesy at times
• Repetitive music style
• I don't usually like musicals
• There were some moments that felt kinda feminazi (with Lettie, the bearded lady) 
• Barnum left his wife and kids and went on a tour with the Jenny instead
• A little historically inaccurate
• Very unrealistic

So many reasons that I should have been disgusted and thrown the film in my pile of "well I'm never watching that again" movies.

AND YET....

There's something about it that is captivating. There is so much pure ENERGY and EXCITEMENT that just exudes from the screen to the audience. This movie is full of SOUL, and you can tell that it was made with lots of genuine effort and enthusiasm. It's exhilarating, in a way, to watch. As a musician, it makes me "feel" the spotlight, so to speak. That adrenaline, heart-racing, thrilling moment that leaves you breathless--you're terrified beforehand, shaky and relieved afterward, but in the moment? In the moment, all you feel is that pure and un-defiled ENERGY coursing through you. That's what this movie felt like. Now, on to the actual reviewing: 

Film Quality/Aesthetic:

Stunning. The group dance numbers and all the choreography was beautiful. The visual aspect of the movie was, overall, very lovely and well done. It was unique and lovely, in a really exciting way. (Also how can you Not Like the amazing song and dance skills?) 

Characters:

Not too complicated, not too simple. They were easy to like and sympathize with, and all well-portrayed. 

Content:

Not too much to warn against, actually. There is one song that uses a repeated expletive but you can pretend that they say "now" instead--it sounds basically the same. There is some drinking, but it is mainly used as a percussive effect in a couple of the songs. Naturally, there are leotard-wearing women in the circus, but nothing seems gratuitous or over-the-top. 


Plot:

It is very predictable at times, and not the deepest or most profound plot, but it's still decent. I mean, it's a musical, what do you expect, a Charles Dickens plot??? As far as musicals go, it was good. 

Overall Impressions: 

Like I said, I should have hated this movie. But there was just something very strong in the way that it was presented that made me not discard it as just another old musical. I really don't know how to summarize it.  It's almost as if I have logically weighed my opinion and decided that I don't WANT to like this movie, but I would still like to watch it again. I'm reluctantly captivated.