Daniel Deronda

M: Enjoyable BBC version of a George Elliot classic. Different from many BBC romances, because the female love interests are so very flawed, but enjoyable still. I give it 3 stars.

V: I was excited to watch it at night. These BBC miniseries are a little addicting. I found Deronda's character intriguing - though there wasn't much Deronda in "Deronda" at first. Ultimately, M & I were happy with how it was resolved - though I wasn't totally convinced. A little too Dickensian, intricately interwoven fates and all, for my liking, but still pretty enjoyable. 2 1/2 stars.

The Jane Austen Book Club

M: The movie had its share of downers, particularly in the beginning of the film. And not a single explosion or car chase, so not for everyone. But the characters grew on me and I found myself liking them and enjoying their little book club adventure. You wouldn't think you could do much with a movie about a book club, and at times the movie took itself too seriously with mega cheesy lines meant to inform the viewer that Jane Austin's books are really, really, deep and important. Nevertheless, in spite of myself, I enjoyed the movie. Highly recommended to some. Moderately recommended to many. To which club to you belong? 3 stars

V: This movie had a lot of charming, refreshing things about it. The cast is good, particularly Amy Brenneman, Hugh Dancy, and Emily Blunt. (Emily Blunt is really good, she really can take you wherever she wants - her character is great in this.) It's a nice little journey the characters take together, as they read all the Jane Austen novels together. They change and grow and learn to understand each other better. Lots of fun lines and quirky things - (like the pan to the robot on the couch - hee, hee!) Do not think squeaky clean, just because Jane Austen is in the title. I could have done without a few parts. The final scene was a little disappointing (cheesy). But otherwise, I enjoyed this movie. 3 stars