British Man Candy, continued

A couple of weeks ago I watched Under the Greenwood Tree. You remember I'd been worried about this one since it was written by Thomas Hardy. I didn't want to watch some movie where the bodies of disenchanted, disenfranchised villagers get piled up under the greenwood tree. (Side note: during a Study Abroad we went to Thomas Hardy's house in the countryside and I wondered how anyone who lived in such a beautiful place could write such depressing things. But it turns out that he can do light romantic comedy as well, so that's something.)

The movie is relatively short at 90 minutes and it's more a sweet story about village life & intrigues than grand big passions. The pretty schoolteacher moves into town and three men fall for her. That's about as complicated as it gets. But there's lots of fun local flavor. Also, there's this one part where the hero is shirtless, which, like, never happens in these movies! So that was kind of awesome if only for the novelty of the thing.

Anyway, moving on.

Ever since watching North & South I've had a thing for Richard Armitage. So when I found out he's in the BBC's new series "Robin Hood" I ordered it for the library. And then took it home. Because that is what is called perks, madame. Anyway. Armitage plays the broody bad Guy of Gisborne. And ohhhhh, does he play him well.

It's just too bad that he isn't in a better show. It's pretty cheesy, and the actual Robin Hood kind of bugs me. A lot. He looks like he belongs in a boy band rather than in Sherwood Forest, and he's way too "Oh look how cute and cheeky and smirky I am with my 12-year old self!" You know it's bad when you wish that Robin could just die already so that the evil Guy can drag Marian off into the woods.

Posted in: Anglophilia,men I love,reviews,Sumptuous Literary Adaptations