We’ve watched some interesting movies lately, so I thought I’d share as much with you. Maybe you haven’t seen these ones.

Byron – this was a lovely period piece by the BBC. I think it was made originally for television as it is in two episodes. As always with the BBC, the period details are exquisite. It’s a biography of Byron, the poet who was said to be “mad, bad and dangerous to know”. Here’s his bio on Wiki. The interesting thing about Byron is that his life is essentially the inspiration for every Regency romance you’ve ever read – he’s the dangerous rake, but he marries the sweet intellectual who adores him to bits. (He called his wife Anne Isabella Millbank “the princess of parallelograms”.) The difference in this Regency romance is that in real life, there was no HEA. Their marriage worked out very badly – her goodness, according to Byron, didn’t make him better but made him worse. A bit of a sad piece, but interesting all the same.

Bright Star – another story of another poet, another period piece. This one was directed by Jane Campion and is the story of John Keats, the romantic poet who died so very young. He died at 25, believing himself to be a failure. What’s interesting is how much of his poetry is familiar – some of it is recited in the film and though I’ve never studied 19th c English poets or read Keats (to my recollection) I knew lines of his work. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Here’s the Wiki on the movie. It was quite beautifully filmed and very evocative of the period. I really enjoyed it, although (again) it wasn’t particularly upbeat.

Woman in Black – another dark little story. This one is a ghost story set in (presumably) the Victorian era in what looks like Northumberland. It’s shot in colour but very close to black and white, and is quite atmospheric. Daniel Radcliffe stars in this one, having made an escape from the Harry Potter movies, and he does a very good job. Here’s the Wiki on the movie. The movie is based upon a book written by Susan Hill – and here’s another good way to find new authors. I’ve ordered a couple of her books to read as a result of seeing this movie.

How about you? Have you watched any interesting movies lately?