Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

Julie Andrews plays Millie Dillmount, a young woman who comes to New York in 1922, with the sole intention of getting a job and marrying her (rich) boss.  However, when she meets happy-go-lucky Jimmy Smith (James Fox), she has to decide where her priorities lie.  And then there’s the issue of the women at Millie’s hotel being captured and forced into slavery.

While I had some doubts about the tastefulness of using sex slavery as a comedic plot point, I must admit that I very much enjoyed this film.  There are a couple of scenes showing some of the girls who have been sold into slavery, and they did cause a bit of a jolt, as it is so unexpected in a frothy musical comedy.

The film is intentionally farcical, and did cause me to dissolve into giggles on occasion.  In a nod to earlier silent films, Andrews often breaks the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera at the viewer, and her thoughts are then shown on screen in the form of title cards.  There are also some very funny musical interludes (such as the ‘Haaaaaallelujah!’ when Millie first lays eyes on her handsome boss Trevor Graydon).  As it set in the 1920s, the costumes are as lovely as you might imagine, and Andrews herself is just adorable.  Equally endearing is Mary Tyler Moore as Millie’s friend Miss Dorothy, and James Fox and John Gavin provided excellent support as Jimmy and Trevor respectively.  Carol Channing pops up as a rich widow who befriends Millie, and certainly makes her mark with a hilarious song and dance routine!  It is only because the cast as a whole is so strong, that Beatrice Lillie did not steal the entire film as the evil Mrs Meers, manageress of the hotel, and the main villain behind the slavery business.

This kind of film isn’t for everyone and I can imagine that some people might find it an irritant, but I really enjoyed it.  As long as you can abandon all sense of logic and realism (and the film is really not meant to be realistic), I would say that this is a treat for fans of musicals.  Needless to say, Julie Andrews is in excellent voice.  Recommended.

Year of release: 1962

Director: George Roy Hill

Producer: Ross Hunter

Writers: Richard Morris

Main cast: Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, James Fox, John Gavin, Beatrice Lillie, Carol Channing

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Amazing Grace (2006)

Well.  You know how sometimes you watch a film, expecting that you will quite enjoy it – it might be a nice way to pass a couple of hours – and it totally exceeds your expectations, and eats into far more than a couple of hours, because you can’t stop thinking about it?  This is what happened to me when I watched this film.

It tells the story of politician William Wilberforce as he moved through Parliament in a determined effort to get the British slave trade abolished.  While he had some loyal friends and colleagues, they faced an uphill struggle as many politicians favoured the slave trade and considered it a necessity.  Together with his friend, prime minister William Pitt the Younger, Wilberforce never gives up in his efforts.

I cried throughout much of this film, because it was so incredibly moving, and ultimately uplifting to see people determined to create a kinder and better world.  Wilberforce was played brilliantly by Ioan Gruffudd, who perfectly captured the man’s intelligence and integrity.  Benedict Cumberbatch was also excellent as Pitt, and the supporting cast contained many acclaimed actors.  I liked Rufus Sewell as abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, and Albert Finney and Michael Gambon both showed off their extensive skills as respectively, John Newton who used to be involved with the slave trade himself, and was now filled with guilt; and Charles Fox, a politician who initially disagreed with Wilberforce, but subsequently came to support the abolition.  Romola Garai played Wilberforce’s wife Barbara, and was lovely in the role.

I keep finding myself thinking about this film – it was beautifully filmed and very emotional.  The scene when former slave Olaudah Equiano, played by Youssou n’Dour, shows Wilberforce around a slave ship, and Wilberforce sees with his own eyes the mistreatment and abuse that the slaves suffer, stunned me.  Although I knew about Wilberforce’s campaign, and the eventual outcome prior to watching, I still found myself on the edge of my seat at parts of the story.

I would highly recommend this film (in fact I almost want to insist that you watch it!)  It tells such an important story, and if anyone ever doubts that they can make a difference, or thinks that their efforts aren’t worth it, this film tells the story of a man who can remind us just what can be achieved with hard work and determination.  Wonderful.  (And I have ordered an autobiography of Wilberforce – this is the kind of film that makes me want to learn more.)

Year of release: 2006

Director: Michael Apted

Producers: James Clayton, Jeanney Kim, Duncan Reid, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Terrence Malick, Ken Wales, Edward Pressman, Mark Cooper

Writer: Steven Knight

Main cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Benedict Cumberbatch, Youssou D’Nour, Albert Finney, Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon, Nicholas Farrell

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‘The Various Flavours of Coffee’ by Anthony Capella

It is London 1896, and young bohemian poet Robert Wallis accepts a job from coffee merchant Samuel Pinker, to compile a guide to the various flavours of coffee.  Robert finds himself working with Pinker’s daughter Emily and despite their very different lifestyles and attitudes, they find themselves attracted to each other.  However, Pinker then sends Robert to Africa for five years, to manage a coffee plantation.  While there, Robert meets Fikre, a slave girl owned by a wealthy Arabian coffee merchant; she awakens desire in him such as he has never known before, and makes him question everything he thought he knew about life, love and himself.

This book, which takes place at the end of the 19th century, tells the story of Robert’s journey from London to Africa and back again, but it is also a story of his metaphorical journey – from that of a selfish, foppish, irresponsible (but still rather endearing) young man, to a man with morals and concerns about social issues.  It also touches on subjects such as fair trade, slavery and suffrage (the last issue becoming a bigger theme in the latter part of the book).  There are numerous and lavish descriptions of various types of coffee; and if you think this sounds like it might be boring, think again!  It was actually fascinating, and made it almost a necessary requirement to drink coffee while reading. 

Robert narrates the book himself, so perhaps is portrayed in a more sympathetic light than if another character had narrated the book.  At the beginning of the story, he is superficial and blase about life, he lives well beyond his means, and spends most of his nights frequenting the whorehouses of London.  Despite all of this, it’s hard not to like him, and I could see how the serious minded and intelligent Emily could be attracted to him.  Emily herself was one of my favourite characters – her passion for politics and in particular, campaigning for women to be able to vote, made for an interesting sub-plot, and provided interesting details about the abuse of process which went on, and how certain people tried to stop women having any independence at all.  It made me eager to find out more about the subkect and was one of the most interesting parts of the story for me.  The book was less than 500 pages long, but certainly packed a lot of story into those pages! 

The ending was unpredictable (to me at least), but satisfying nonetheless, with the very final chapter finishing the story off perfectly.  This was the first book I’ve ever read by Anthony Capella, but I definitely intend to read more.  I’d definitely recommend this book.

(Author’s website can be found here.)

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‘Soul Catcher’ by Michael White

This novel is set in America in the years leading up to the American Civil War.  Augustus Cain, a Southern man and a veteran of the earlier war with Mexico, is a ‘soul catcher’ – that is, he hunts runaway slaves and brings them back to their owners.  He wants to give up the profession, but has lost his way in life, and spends his time and money on alcohol or laudanum, women and gambling.  When he can’t pay a gambling debt to a wealthy businessman, he reluctantly agrees to track two of the man’s slaves, which have run away.

The journey will take him into the northern states, accompanied by a group of men who he is not sure he can trust.  The terrain and bitter conditions make the journey tough, and the danger he faces from the abolitionists in the north make it even tougher.  But that is nothing compared to how difficult he finds things when he locates the slaves – and in particular the young female slave named Rosetta.  Cain finds himself questioning his beliefs and his way of life, and wondering if any amount of payment can be worth bringing Rosetta back to the south for.  Suddenly, he has a big decision to make – and faces mortal danger whichever path he chooses…

I really enjoyed this book.  It felt a little slow to start off with, but before I knew it, the story had pulled me in and I was eager to know what would happen to the main characters.  It was some feat on behalf of the author to make the reader feel any sympathy whatsoever for a main character who believes that slavery is, if not desirable, certainly acceptable.  However, despite the distaste I felt for Cain’s beliefs, I did feel that he was a character who most readers would end up rooting for.

The descriptions of the the different parts of America which Cain and his companions (other employees of the businessman Eberly to whom Cain owed money) crossed in order to find the slaves were rich in detail, and very evocative, and the book blended character, plot and description very well.  The famous abolitionist John Brown also appeared in the book as a lesser – but important – character, reminding the reader that although the main characters are fictional, the struggles and bids for freedom made by many slaves, were all too real.

It isn’t perfect – Cain is something of a stereotype, and another character Preacher is a typical ‘baddie’.  My favourite character was Rosetta, who displayed incredible dignity and strength of character, despite the dreadfully unjust hand that life had dealt her.  I certainly felt that Rosetta was a beautifully drawn character, and very easy to care about.

Overall, this was a hugely readable book.  It might not be for everyone – parts of it moved slowly, particularly in the first part, and the subject matter can be disturbing – but I ended up becoming absorbed in it, and would certainly seek out more work by this author.

(Author’s website can be found here.)

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