Simple Man Entertainment

Welcome to Simple Man Entertainment. I'm back with another interesting movie review, and instead of something funny (which is my movie of preference) I'm going to talk about a movie that delves into some history - The Other Boleyn Girl.

I've been planning to watch this movie for months. I don't even remember how long it's been there on my DVR waiting for me to watch it, but finally, my husband and I got the chance to watch it, so I thought I'd give it a review.

Who's Who?
The Other Boleyn Girl stars quite a few names that you'll definitely recognize. Playing the two main roles, as the Boleyn sisters are Natalie Portman (Anne Boleyn) and Scarlett Johansson (Mary Boleyn). Playing the king, Henry Tudor, in the movie is Eric Bana, and he definitely does it well. Some of the other names you may recognize include Jim Sturgess, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morrissey, Ana Torrent, Eddie Redmayne, and Mark Rylance.

Kid Rating:
For you parents, you may be wondering if this is a movie to show the kids. Personally, I don't think so. Yes, this movie is definitely historical, but remember that history isn't always very pretty or family friendly. This is a movie with adult themes, and although it is rated PG-13, it's not one I'd show the kids. Of course, you can view it and decide for yourself.

The Story Line:
If you remember your history lessons at all, I'm sure you've heard the Boleyn name. This movie tells the story of the Boleyn family. Since Catherine of Aragon, the current queen of England, is not able to have a male child to be the heir to the thrown, The Duke of Norfolk along with his brother in law (father of the Boleyn girls) decides to try to get Anne in as the mistress to the king, trying to gain riches and political power for themselves. This doesn't go according to plan though, and King Henry ends up being infatuated by Mary, who was already married. The king gives Mary's husband an offer of a court position, which means Mary must go to court as well, and she is basically forced into being the mistress to the king. Although not put in this position of her own will, she falls in love with him along the way.

Anne of course is angry that she didn't get the king, and runs off with another nobleman, who happens to be already betrothed, and they are secretly married. The family is afraid that Anne is going to ruin the family reputation, and she is exiled off to France.

Mary gets pregnant with the kings child, but ends up becoming bedridden for most of her pregnancy. So once again Anne is called back to gain the attention of the king so he won't stray to "greener pastures" ( now there's a stretch…). This time Anne is able to seduce the king, withholding herself from him and convincing him to never speak to her sister and never to sleep with his wife. Although Mary has a son, the king will not speak to her, and she is sent away, heartbroken by betrayal by the king and her sister.

Even though he sends her sister away and refuses see his wife, Anne demands more. She wants the queen divorced and sent away so that she can legally become the king's wife. During this time, the news of Anne's previous marriage to the nobleman comes to light, but Mary assures the king that it was not consummated, which ends up reconciling the two sisters, so Mary stays in court with Anne.

Finally Anne is married to Henry, she gets pregnant, but has a daughter. Then she miscarries her second pregnancy and things that her brother should impregnate her, to avoid the wrath of the king, although they both cannot go through with it. The only problem is that her brother's wife sees them together and goes on to testify that they did have incestuous relations with each other. Both Anne and her brother are found guilty, even though they weren't, and are supposed to be executed. Marty comes back to plead for the life of her sister, since she misses her brother's execution, but she is not successful and is warned not to come back to court. Mary leaves taking Anne's daughter with her and raises the girl with her own son.

In the end, it becomes ironically clear that it is actually Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne, that does take over the throne.

My Thoughts:
The Other Boleyn Girl was definitely an interesting movie, and based on historical facts. It found it a tragic story and was horrified to see how an entire family was torn apart, and ultimately two of them killed, all because of greed and pursuit of power. The father of these girls was willing to basically sell away his daughters to get more money and political power, which actually is quite sickening.

As I mentioned, this is not really one for the kids, but it is an interesting historical movie that was well done. It's not one I'd watch again, but definitely one I won't forget!

We're back with another movie review here on Simple Man Entertainment. Over the weekend I got a night to kick back with my husband and watch a movie - Fool's Gold. After I watched the movie, I definitely thought it was worthy of a review, so here it is.

Who's Who?
There are a lot of names you'll recognize in the movie Fool's Gold. The leading man, Benjamin Finnegan is played by Matthew McConaughey and the leading lady, Tess Finnegan, is played by Kate Hudson. This isn't the first time these two have been in movies together, and they do a great job once again. Playing Nigel is Donald Sutherland, another big name, and playing his daughter Gemma is Alexis Dziena. A couple other names you may recognize are Ewen Bremner, Ray Winstone, and Kevin Hart.

Kid Rating:
Is this a movie you want to show the kids? Well, that depends on the age of the kids. It's not really a kids movie, although it is rated PG-13. If you have younger kids, this isn't a movie really for them, not because it's a bad movie, but more because the story plot is more adult. So is this a family night movie? Probably not, although some older kids may enjoy it. My advice…watch it first and then decide for yourself.

The Story Line:
The story line is exciting, with Benjamin Finnegan looking for treasure in the sea, only to have his boat blow up. He finds something he thinks is important, only to be captured by the henchman of a man he owed money too - Big Bunny. Meanwhile Tess, his wife is trying to get a divorce. He escapes, only to arrive seconds after the divorce is final, in which she is awarded everything. The only problem…the boat, the only thing they owned, was blown up. She gets so mad she smacks him with a cane - truly hilarious.

Benjamin is still convinced there is treasure out there to find. While Tess is working for a multi millionaire on his yacht, Ben spots the yacht, and thinking about the fact he needs money, comes up with a plan to get on that boat. He ends up on the boat after a chivalrous deed, shocking Tess as she serves dinner to the yachts owner and his daughter. Three smashed plates later, the two end up telling Nigel, the millionaire (played by Sutherland) about the search they have done in the past and the likelihood that they know where the Spanish treasure, known as the Queen's Dowry, is located.

Nigel is willing to fund the adventure, and off they go to explore the sea to find the treasure. Along the way, newly divorced Ben and Tess begin to reignite their old love. As they search for treasure, they are thwarted at every turn by Big Bunny, surviving capture more than once, and eventually finding the treasure in a dangerous place. Do they get the treasure? You'll have to watch it and find out.

My Thoughts:
Personally, I found Fool's Gold to be an exciting and fun movie to watch. It has plenty of humor, and a love story back dropped by search for treasure - what could be better? This is definitely what I call a feel good movie, and it's not so sappy that the guys won't like it. My husband actually enjoyed it too, so this is one that is great for both the guys and the gals. This is definitely a movie I'd recommend.

Hi there and welcome to Simple Man Entertainment once again. Through the summer Saturday nights have sort of turned into family movie night, and once again we had an interesting movie to watch this past Saturday night. The choice for the night was Johnny English, and I though I'd share a bit about this movie with you all.

Who's Who?
In the Johnny English movie, there are quite a few names that you will probably recognize from other movies. Playing the lead character, Johnny English, is Rowan Atkinson, who you may have seen in the Mr. Bean movies. The leading lady in the movie is played by Tasha de Vasconcelos. Ben Miller is another name you'll probably recognize, playing the sidekick to Johnny English. The main villain in the movie, Pascal Sauvage, is played by John Malkovich, whom you no doubt have seen in other movies like Eragon, Beowulf, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Of Mice and Men.

Kid Rating:
This movie is only rated PG, and is perfectly fine for most kids. However, younger kids may not really get the humor in the movie. Our kids are teens, and they really got a good laugh out of the movie, so you'll probably find this one a better movie for older kids.

The Story Line:
Johnny English is a secret service agent in England, and he never has much of a place in the country, being a bit of a bumbling sort of guy. Early in the movie all the other agents in the country are killed, and he is the only spy/agent left in the country. Since he is the only one left, it is his job to protect the British Crown Jewels, but at the party to show them off after being redone, the jewels are mysteriously taken when a power outage occurs.

As English and his sidekick begin to investigate, the investigation seems to lead to Pascal, a slippery Frenchman. Along the way, he meets the beautiful Countess Alexandra, who is also investigating the case from the French side. They soon uncover the fact that Pascal plans to take over the English throne and turn the entire country into one big prison. In patriotism for his country, English and Alexandra set out to stop Pascal, in a hilarious series of events.

While I won't spoil your fun and let you in on all the hilarious parts of the movie; let's just say that in the end English gets the girl, only to accidentally eject her from his high tech spy car as he leans in to kiss her.

My Thoughts:
As for my thoughts about Johnny English, I feel that it is stupidly funny. The main character is such a stupid guy that it makes you laugh. Of course, while there are laughs throughout the whole movie, the last 15-20 minutes of the movie is the best part. If you need a movie to lighten your mood or you need a good laugh, this is one I'd recommend