The Scandalous Lady W: A Review

Blogger's Note: The proper name for this post should probably be: "The Scandalous Lady W: A Review by an American Pretending to be a British Reviewer For Class." 

But that's a tad too long, I think. So I'm leaving it. 

Anyways, for my Contemporary British Broadcasting class, I had to select something to watch or listen to from BBC's iPlayer, where you can stream content previously broadcast. Since I'm an absolute sucker for period pieces, I gave The Scandalous Lady W a shot. 

My thoughts? I've posted the review below. But here's a tl:dr: Loved it over all, but there was too much sex. Don't show this one to the kiddos.

The assignment was to write it in the style of a British review, and I'm not sure I pulled it off, but I did the best I could.

The Woman who Took 27 Lovers: BBC’s The Scandalous Lady W

It took me a while to select a film to watch from the BBC’s selection on their iPlayer, but as I scrolled through the pages and pages of content, a picture of a woman and two men in matching red riding outfits immediately caught my eye. The title under the picture introduced the film as “The Scandalous Lady W.”

I shall begin by saying that I am an absolute sucker for period pieces, so I clicked on the link to watch it on the double. Of course, this was right when I noticed the word “scandalous.” Oh dear, I thought. There’s going to be some sex in this, I bet.

Well, I wasn’t wrong. There was a lot of sex. Lady W did take a lot of lovers, after all.

After a notice explaining that the film was based on a true story, the film begins with a flashback of the Lord Richard Worsley (Shaun Evans) sending his wife, the titular Lady Seymour Worsley (Natalie Dormer) into exile against her will. “Why do you complain so?” he asks her.

“I have lost everything,” she replies in tears.

The film then speeds into the present, where Lady Worsley is fleeing a manor at nighttime, hand-in-hand with an unknown man, who as the sun rises on their carriage escape is revealed to be her lover, Captain George Bisset (Aneurin Barnard). As the morning dawns, Lord Worsley, realizing his wife isn’t in bed with him, storms angrily into the next room, where their infant daughter, Jane, has been left alone with a maid.

An elopement has taken place, leaving Lord Worsley’s name in scandal. In anger, and determined to get the woman he believes he rightfully owns back where she belongs, he vows to take her and Captain Bisset to court, suing them for twenty thousand pounds, which would leaving them in bankruptcy.

However, he had underestimated the cunning and determination of his woman scorned, Lady Seymour Worsley, who, even though she is but a woman in a world of man, is determined to show the world the who the man she married truly is, putting all that she has on stake in one of the most famous trials in eighteenth-century England. Unfortunately, this forces her to reveal the secrets behind her lovers, her life at home, and the kind of woman she is to the world, and this comes at a great cost indeed.

Director Sheree Folkson’s adaption of the book by Hallie Rubenhold was a marvel to watch. I was instantly drawn to the spunk of Lady Worsley, as right from the start, she wanted to marry for love, even if it marrying below her rank. I grew to admire her as she dealt with the wishes that her husband forced upon her, and her bravery to speak out in court. The acting was excellent, the dialogue wasn’t too shabby, and I absolutely adored the setting.

A couple of objections, though. My major one was the sex. Just because Lady Worsley had 27 lovers doesn’t mean that the film needed to show all of them. It was also easy to see Lady Worsley’s discomfort during each of those awkward scenes as well. The other glaring flaw was how quickly the scenes jumped from flashback to present and back again. I was often confused what part of the story’s timeline that particular event had taken place. It was a little easier to keep involved with the tale once I got used to it, but those dastardly quick jumps drove me crazy at first.

But all in all, I enjoyed my experience. And the best part of the whole thing was the note at the end. When Lady Worsley married her final husband, she didn’t take his name. He took hers. 

Would you watch this film? For those who love a good historical flick, I definitely recommend this one. 

Infinite Airplane Rides and First Impressions

The flat is quiet, even though I hear voices echoing from the halls and late night flights cruising overhead.

I am in London at last.

Today began with a rush out the door of my aunt and uncle's house to the airport. There, I hugged my parents for longer than necessary, except it really wasn't, given that I won't see them until Christmas.

The flight itself was, well, infinite. I watched a couple of movies, but I wasn't able to sleep. I sat there in the darkness, waiting in anticipation, waiting for the plane to just land already.

Gosh darn it, plane.

Today, having to go a full day without sleep, never seemed to end. Not that I really wanted it to. Oh wait. Yes I did. I wanted to sleep.

To an outsider, the teams of students shuffling up and down the streets to check in, go shopping for groceries, and go on tours probably looked like a G-rated episode of the Walking Dead.

Right now, as I'm typing, most of my eleven flatmates (you read correctly) are out to dinner. A few of us stayed to chill and head to bed early for orientation tomorrow. I'm actually munching on a Caesar salad and sipping some pineapple juice at the moment.

But how is London, you ask?

Here's the answer: I am already in love with the little I have already seen.

And here;s why:

1. The houses we saw on the way to our flat from Heathrow Airport are just the cutest. Winding narrow streets lined with small houses with miniature backyards and quaint chimney tops. It's perfect.

2. Sainsbury's is the equivalent of Walmart here. They seriously have everything ever. It may be a 15 minute walk from my flat, but I got an excellent deal on juice. I ain't even mad.

3. I live in a quad room. This is going to be killer for me as a mega introvert. But somehow I'll manage.

4. The lady who picked us up from the airport, Sarah, was so bright and cheery this morning that it was hard not to grin, no matter how tired we were.

5. I have the hugest booklet for my internship this fall. I'm not sure I'm capable of this.

6. MY TEXTBOOK ONLY COST EIGHT DOLLARS WHAT IS LIFE

7. I paid for that textbook with Scottish money, and the staff worker had to go check with her supervisor to see if they could take it. I didn't know what I did, but a few seconds later, a Scottish woman dashed into the room and wrapped me in a bear hug, almost knocking me to the ground. She was so happy that I had paid with Scottish money, because it was uncommon around FIE.

8. I've never been tackle hugged by a Scot before. I'd do it again, but maybe when I'm more well rested.

9. Shopping bags can be pretty heavy. Space out your trips well.

10. The Yemen embassy is down the street. Diplomats are our neighbors. We have a castle a few minutes away. What am I even doing here.

And a bonus one for you:

Traffic rules are more like guidelines. They like their high speed road adventures over here.

Last but not least, as I'm sure you are expecting with me being a photographer and all, here are some of my first glimpses of this amazing city.

This is Really Happening

I have filled out enough forms to last me a a lifetime. 

22 days.

22 days until my journey begins. 22 days until I board a plane to Europe to study and work abroad in London, England this fall. 

These 22 days will fly by before I know it. Much of my shopping is already done, my visa has been accepted, and all my papers and forms are in order. 

At this point, all I really have to do is go. 

Everyone asks me if I'm excited, and I hear all the time about what a great opportunity this is for me. 

It is. And I'm excited. Very, very excited. 

But I'm scared too. 

All the worries and fears about my adventures abroad shoot through my brain like a meteor shower. What if I fail my classes? What if I hate my internship? What if everyone hates me? What if I do something really wrong? 

Each of these "what ifs" can become positive though: "What if I absolutely love my classes, internship, and make the best friends I've ever had?" 

What if. What if. What if. 

What if this is the best thing that ever happened to me? 

I really want to believe that one. It's my favorite "what if" so far. 

Most of all, I'm just excited to go on a new adventure. Not only that, but my family and I looked up my neighborhood on Google Maps. And it's absolutely beautiful. 

These days are just going to fly by, and I need to remember to enjoy every single one. 

One day at a time.