Revisiting

I saw the movie remake of Brideshead Revisited last night with my friend Judy, and loved it. Not unreservedly I must say, but then I have such fond (and distant) memories of the tv series that this poor film is always going to suffer by comparison. Second Boyfriend syndrome, in a way.

I did enjoy it though, and I especially though they captured the style of the era so beautifully.



OMG. I have whittered on about vintage clothes and the 1930s before, so it's a given that this movie was already halfway to being my BFF. The fact that they captured it so well though makes me want to tongue kiss it too. (OK, agreed. That's weird, but you get my drift.) I like.



The clothes. The vintage bathing costumes! OMG, the knitwear! I missed the entire dialogue from one scene because I was so entranced by Greta Scacchi's hat. Such is the power of good millinery. Every time Charles appeared on screen in another Fair Isle vest I was thinking Wait a second! Slow down! Give me a look at that pattern! Le sigh. Definitely a DVD purchase coming up.



I enjoyed the performances. Sebastian is more doomed and less jolly than in the tv series, Charles is still a bit of a tit (albeit one that stirs my nethers, yum) but cast a little less as a potential social climber I thought, and Julia still needs smacking, hard etc. Greta Scacchi and Michael Gambon add some much needed warmth. That Matthew Goode (far right) is a stunner, and I later realised he was the handsome guy I had been so taken with in the other period piece My Family & Other Animals about Gerald Durrell and his family.



But I think I need to see it again to get past the distractions of millinery and really watch the story.



While I was exercising my Google-fu looking for pics I found a fab blog called The House In Marrakesh, about a couple who lived in a 500 year old house in Marrakesh. After seeing the movie they realised that the hospital scenes in Morocco were shot at the crumbling Bahia Palace, which they had taken many pics of. It provides a nice bit of backstory to the locations, and even though they are no longer in Marrakesh the archives make for a great read.

So. This morning was Haircut Day and I decided to jump in and do something I've been thinking about for a while. Given further impetus by the film, I'm changing my Generic Short With A Kicky Fringe style and going for something a bit more retro. Short back and sides, with longer floppy layers on top and the option of a side parting. I let it go 7 weeks between cuts, so the top is already quite long but it will probably take one more cut before the layers are really long enough to fill in the shape properly. I already love it though, and once it grows in properly I might post some pics.

No matter how hard I try, even with a fair isle vest and swishy linen scarf, I won't be a Charles Ryder... but I can dream.

[Updated: OK, I decided to share a pic of it after all. The new haircut, a work in progress.



Once the layers on top get a little longer I'll be able to side part it if I want, and hopefully get some floppy haired retro action happening. At least that's the plan!]