Birdsong

Directed by Philip Martin, Birdsong is the BBC adaptation of the novel of the same name by Sebastian Faulks. Wikipedia tells me it's part of trilogy of novels set in France involving some of the same characters and war stuff. This one involves war, pretty dresses, and Eddie Redmayne sobbing.

Good thing I was only in it for the pretty dresses.

Pretty dresses on picnic

Pretty dresses by the lake

Fleur Delacour by the lake

Fleur Delacour and a not crying Marius

The movie was fine. It was shot well, evoked proper emotion, was well acted. But it was missing something. I'm really not sure what. The best I can say about Birdsong is that it's one of those movies you enjoy while you're watching it and forget as soon as you aren't. There are easily a good ten movies I could list along the same theme. Love and PTSD with a side of fashion. I have to believe the fault is with the screenwriter. This is supposed to be Sebastian Faulks's best work and yet one of my favorite movies is Charlotte Gray, another novel in the trilogy. I wouldn't have known they were related were it not for the internet.

Bottom line, unless you have a love of Edwardian fashion, go ahead and skip this one in favor of Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup. Those two are prettier, Billy does less blubbering, and you'll actually care what happens to everyone.

But if you're a Game of Thrones fan and you're still wondering what happened to Benjen Stark, it might be worth your time.

And what do you know? There's Robb. He's not much smarter in this one either. Those poor, dumb Starks just can't catch a break, can they?