Marlborough Sounds Familiar;) + Tolkien:"Over the Misty Mountains Cold"(adventure begins) + Movie Recommendation: 'Coco Before Chanel' + Scientific Analysis of RA's Gait *cough,cough*

            

Time for all good li'l girls to have their nite-nite story read by a lovely gentleman.  The reader has apparently developed a history with dragons.  Get your mug of hot chocolate or other beverage of choice, crawl into your snuggly bed and enjoy....(honestly, how could any child under 10(it's a rather scary story:) or any female over 19(not exactly the same reason) actually fall asleep after listening to...

                              

Tolkien Poem from THE HOBBIT:

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.
On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.
Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves. The pines were roaring on the height, The winds were moaning in the night. The fire was red, it flaming spread; The trees like torches blazed with light. The bells were ringing in the dale And men looked up with faces pale; The dragon's ire more fierce that fire Laid low their towers and houses frail. The mountain smoked beneath the moon;

The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon. Far over the misty mountains grim To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day, To win our harps and gold from him

                                

Example #1:  You'll need to be especially attentive for the first few frames to catch Lucas North walking directly towards you...as if you need to be reminded to keep a keen eye on Mr Spy-candy himself;)

MsG mentioned the coincidence of RA doing a voiceover for a Marlborough NZ wine(thank you Sue for the link).  Have discovered there's something more prominent in NZ which sports the same name as John Thornton's mill..it's Marlborough Sounds -- apparently a nature preserve with many campsites:

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/marlborough/sounds-area/marlborough-sounds/

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/03/18/42749-hall-of-fire-chats-the-hobbit-tomorrow/

#2: Great example as Sir Guy struts, about mid way through, behind RA's original hobbit--the sheriff

                

This one never actually shows RA‘s feet therefore not exactly useful for current analysis - ah,,,what the heck! Yummy is never useless;)

                               

Different topic -- A Movie Recommendation:
It was almost bedtime and for some unknown reason my usual nite-nite program was unavailable.  Decided to check the 20 movie channels we have on trial for Encore and STARZ.  Many weeks ago I'd pretty well partook of those few movies that appealed to me, so expected to find nothing and thereby would get a full night's sleep for a change.  Of course, once that's your plan you can be sure the fate gremlins will have some fun...which they did;)  Somewhere between channel 360 and 380 a familiar face popped unto the screen.  No not him this time--instead it was a french actress whose name I did not know until today -- she's Audrey Tautou -- the star of 'Coco Before Chanel.'

I'm recommending the film after enjoying her interesting portrayal of the fashion icon.  It seems the namesake of the House of Chanel had a sad beginning to her eventful life - she was an orphan.  As if that handicap wasn't enough for an individual to learn to overcome, she was struck with evermore tragedy as an adult.  The love of her life was killed in an auto accident - Gabrielle spent the remainder of her life without really recovering from that loss.  She threw herself instead into her designing career and never married.

The final scenes of the film show Mademoiselle Chanel sitting on the staircase that spills unto her fashion house runway, as dozens of gorgeously clothed models descend.  The couturier inspects each garment with the careful eye mothers usually use to make certain their young childrens' appearances reflect her tender, loving care. 

p.s. The love of Coco's life - Englishman Arthur Capel - is played by Alessandro Nivola.  Never noticed him before this film...nice indeed...and I rarely find moustaches attractive;)

Here's an interview with the charming Ms Tautou.  She's very gracious and apologizes for her English to what sounds like a heavy-handed, clod-footed interviewer.  Her acting technique is interesting - says she doesn't over analyze her character - simply draws on the necessary emotions in herself and attempts to magnify them in her portrayal.  She really is a refreshing actress - not affected in any way.  You might recall some scenes from one of her earlier films posted here a few mos back--believe it was titled Amelia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLdGywfuH5s

MsG doesn't seem to have any hope that Richard would ever agree to appear on one of the dancing shows(US or UK); although, there's little doubt her enthusiastic appreciation for the Argentine tango will help her envision a different couple(herself & our fav actor:)  as substitutes for this version...