Movie Review: Brooklyn

Title: Brooklyn
Author: BBC Films, Parallel Film Production
Release Date: 2015
Genre: Historical fiction, romance, drama
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: PG-13 (for a scene of sexuality and brief strong language)
Age Group: 18+

Summary
Eilis (A-lish) is stuck in Ireland with no prospects. Her mother stays at home, her sister works, and Eilis works too--at the general store down the street run by a crabby middle-aged lady. Rose, Eilis' sister, writes to Fr. Flood in America and soon enough Eilis finds herself on a boat to Brooklyn with no indication of coming back.
Brooklyn's nice enough, and full of Irish people, but Eilis misses home. And life in America isn't as easy as everyone says.
We hope Eilis can make it America, but making it isn't everything. Hopefully she can thrive.

Word of Warning

• Eilis is very non-combative. This is fine, except it leads to many misunderstandings because instead of explaining or defending herself, she just remains silent and deals with the issues herself.
• We see a sea sick young woman sit on a bucket since the bathroom has been locked. Later, she pukes in the same bucket.
• Language: f*ck. There were others that were less problematic, but unfortunately I don't have a list of them.
• A dead cold body is shown, found by the mother of the dead character. It can be very hard to see because it's so heartbreaking.
• Eilis struggles with being homesick and lonely.
• Eilis neglects to tell her mother about a significant development in her life. This causes all sorts of complications later on.
• A young woman accidentally leads a young man on, then eventually this becomes less of an accident but something she just doesn't bother to clear up.
• Two characters make love the day before they're to be married in a civil ceremony. While we don't see much as far as skin, the scene is very awkward and there is no question about what is going on. It isn't a long scene and easily skipped.

My Thoughts
It was a simple movie that you need to be in the right mood for, and honestly I don't think any of my brothers will ever sit through more than five minutes of it. But my sister and I enjoyed it. The movie moves slowly, simply, and feels honest and quiet. It feels like Eilis.
Somehow, they capture in film how she's feeling even though it involves no voice overs or camera tricks. This is just the story of an Irish immigrant in the 1950s. There is little to say about it, to be completely honest. It's just good and well done. It's not one of those films that exposes some tragedy or terrible thing that happened.
It just looks at the truth in an honest and simple way, and ends honestly and simply, and worth watching.

Movie Review: Schindler's List

*******MATURE CONTENT WARNING*******

Disclaimer: I watched this movie for a theology class titled "Christian Faith in the Management Professions." Basically, it's a class about theology in the business world (and a fantastic class at that!). Because of this, I was paying close attention to the business aspects of the story. I realize there is more to the story than that, and I have tried to highlight it in my review, but if I miss anything, or say something hurtful or offensive, I apologize. The Holocaust was a horrible event in history, so horrible movies and books cannot begin to address it, but we need to start somewhere.
With that said, I humbly present my review of this stunning movie.

Title: Schindler's List
Author: Steven Spielberg, Liam Neeson
Release Date: 1993
Genre: Drama, true story, historical, WW II
My Rating: ****
Official Rating: R
Age Group: 18+

Summary
World War II opens up a whole new world of business for eager entrepreneur Oskar Schindler. Finding that he can hire Jews much more cheaply than any other workers, the man makes a serious profit off Jewish labor while the Jews are kept in a Ghetto. His accountant/manager Itzhak Stern (also a Jew) takes the opportunity to make "essential workers" of people otherwise considered by the Nazis as useless. A one-armed man. Older people. A teacher. A little boy. The list goes on.
Slowly, Schindler starts to see the horrors that are happening around him and his little business. During the scene titled "Liquidation of the Ghetto" he finally sees reality and has no idea what to do.
Eventually, Schindler creates a good business that keeps Jews safe. When the camps begin to kill the Jewish people living in them, Schindler makes a list of all his workers. They are essential, he says, and he doesn't have time to train new ones. The little girls' fingers help clean out the shells of bullets, he argues, and they must come too. He pays the camp officials for his list of Jews and brings them to his home town where they work in a factory.
None of this, however, happens without struggle.

Word of Warning
 I'm going very general here. Let me say this: the movie is rated R and it has every reason to be. Personally, I regret seeing some of the scenes of this movie. It was very intense.

• Death. People die all the time. Most are shot in the head. A head blows to pieces, blood spurts from wounds, etc. Most of the violence is non-graphic and almost calm in an utterly disturbing way.
• Most memorable and painful death moments: a young child is killed and more young deaths are implied; the man's head being blown off; a whole "cabin" of men is lined up and every other man is shot; about five men are lined up and shot with one bullet, those remaining standing are shot individually; a man is hanged; a hospital shooting where everyone there is shot (the nurses killed the patients beforehand secretly); little boy shot while being held up by soldiers; the random killings by Goeth which are shown from affair but sudden an unexpected
• Nudity. Both Schindler and Amon Goeth (camp official) have mistresses. Goeth's mistress is seen completely topless more than once, but as far as I can remember not in a purposefully sexual way. It's usually just morning and she is lounging in bed. Jews are told to remove all clothes and forced to run about the camp for a physical evaluation--men and women are shown completely nude. This is non-sexual and usually brief. Women are shown completely nude going into a giant shower house. Again, non-sexual.
• Schindler is a player. He has a wife but is not at all faithful to her, and she spends most of the movie living elsewhere. He has a regular mistress in addition to flirting with other women and, in one scene, kissing a whole bunch of different women.
• An official mocks a young women who is barely dressed, beats her, and leaves her for dead.
• Drinking. One character is shown drunk.
• Burning of dead bodies.
• Language is an issue, but not to the point where it detracts from the movie. Considering how, when, and who uses it, I think it makes sense. It's just not appropriate language for younger children, but they should not be watching this movie.
• This movie is considered a relatively accurate representation of the Holocaust.

My Thoughts
This is a horrific masterpiece. I'm not sure how to describe it. The music, the acting, the black and white film, the dullness and simplicity, everything. It all adds up to show a beautiful story in the midst of something utterly horrific.
In the midst of it all, Schindler is oblivious at first, just as the girl in the red coat. But as he watches the girl, he comes to a realization: he can't be clueless anymore. She remains so, and dies. Schindler decides to live purposefully--and not just for money.
Money isn't the greatest good anymore--people are.
My heart broke more than once as I watched this movie. I don't regret watching it, but it was very very painful--as it should be.
Wonderfully done. Beautiful horrible story.
Praise God for giving us people like this in our times of need, to rescue the few they can.
And praise God for giving us film makers like this who can share the story and touch hearts all over again.

Movie Review: October Sky

Title: October Sky
Author: N/A
Genre: historical, true story, science, biography, family, drama
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: PG for language, brief teen sensuality and alcohol use, and for some thematic elements
Age Group: 12+

Summary
Homer saw Sputnik fly through the night sky in the small town of Coalwood. He knew then that he wanted to do something big like that. That it wasn't about accomplishing such a feat before another country could. That it was something so much bigger.
So the boy who refuses to work for his father's coal mining business and is a failure at football sets off on a rather strange quest: to build a rocket. He and his friends have the encouragement of their kind teacher. Slowly, as their determination becomes clear, they gain the support of the entire town.
When success seems to be right around the corner, things fall apart. There is a mining accident. There is a terrible sickness. When one thing after another adds up against the boys, they start to lose hope.
Still, Homer ends up working for NASA. This is the story of how he first got started.

Word of Warning
Honestly, I think this movie walked the line between PG and PG-13.

• Joking mention of sucide
• Kid is brutally tackled a few times during football tryouts
• Words: a** d*** it, son of a b****, h***
• Cave in at the mine. one man has a bandage on his head but he is fine. Later, another cave in and fire results in the death of one man and the near-death of the father figure in the movie
• Kid demonstrates how to put your arm around a girl's shoulder to his friend (also a boy)
• Rockets explode more than once. One explosion knocks viewers off their feet. A few more almost skewer those watching. No one is actually ever hurt.
• The father yells at his son in front of a bunch of men. The father in the story is, in general, rather mean to his son. He does not support anything the boy does except mining. Even in the end, it's not entirely clear he is siding with his son.
• Kids shoot at an old car for fun. One kid grabs the gun and throws it aside. It's not the gun that's the problem here, it's the reckless use of it with no consequences.
• One of the boys has a stepfather who is a drunk. In fact, this allows them to buy pure alcohol (to power their rockets).
• Boys fight (punching, kicking, etc)
• Boys steal wood and tools from local businesses. They steal steel from the railroad for money. They also do things one boy's parents have implied they do not want done.
• An accidental explosion of flames in a science lab (no one is injured)
• The boys run directly at a train.
• There is a scene where teens are seen in a bar of sorts with music and apparently drinking (that part is unclear).
• The joking mention of losing one's virginity
• Stepfather beating a boy. The boy has a cut on his lip and bruises on his face.
• "Screw you and your d*** union!"
• Older brother steals/dates his younger brother's crush
• Teacher is sick and dying.
• A man shoots at the father figure (no one is injured)
• A woman threatens to leave her husband.

My Thoughts
It was a good movie. There wasn't much wrong with it aside from the language and the father figure. Honestly, the father figure aspect was painful to watch. It was truly heartbreaking to watch the son seek his father's approval over and over, finally giving up everything he wants to save the family and only then gaining approval--for doing something he had always wanted to avoid. Then, even when he succeeds in his dream, even on his birthday, even when the rest of the two is proud, the son is scoffed at by the father.
Other than that it was a good movie. It was fun to watch the boys try to figure out how to build a rocket. There wasn't a whole lot of excitement or romance, but it was a good adventure-type story that followed the friendship of four teen boys who built a rocket.
And really, what beats that?

Movie Review: Quiz Show

Title: Quiz Show
Author: N/A
Genre: Historical, TV
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: PG-13 (for some strong language)
Age Group: 18+

Summary:
"It's the getting away with it part he couldn't live with," Dick Goodwin reveals while talking about his uncle's revelation of an affair that had happened eight years ago.
Indeed. Now, with thousands of dollars on the line, big TV men angry, and contestants claiming they were forced to "take a dive," Goodwin (an investigator from Washington) decides he's going to take TV to court, so to speak. He's sure he can prove TV is all a big scam, using evidence gained from the quiz show "21." Just when things line up, when Goodwin finally gets proof that it is indeed a big scam, he befriends one of the contestants: Charles Van Doran. And Van Doran isn't too happy about being caught in the middle of such a scam. Can he get out, and can Goodwin bring TV to court without involving his friend? Moreover, can Goodwin actually win this case?
This is TV, for goodness sake! It's entertainment!

Word of Warning:

• I apologize if this is incomplete. The movie was well done, but the actors tended to mutter and mumble some of their lines (convincingly and exactly when necessary), mixing in a thick New York accent, as well as some others, and it ended up being challenging to hear everything. I did re-watch questionable lines until I could hear what they were saying, but I may have missed something.
• Most of the problems rest in the language of the men the movie focuses on. Unfortunately, the "good guys" and "bad guys" both have problems in this area. A brief list of words used: d*** it, s*** (2x), f***ing, bulls*** (2x), Godd*** (4x). Someone also chuckles "God" while making a joke/laughing at someone, in upsettingly good humor.
• A brief shot of a televised passionate kiss (we're quite aware it's meant to be passionate, but we barely see more than a few seconds of it).
• A wife briefly mentions the word "sex" to her husband before kissing him, though it doesn't seem like she's suggesting that particular course of action at the moment. Hard to tell with their accents and her whispering.
• An angry Jewish character mutters, "Put me in an isolation booth and pump cyanide into it."
• The film rests on a big moral dilemma which puts money up against honesty (not cheating in the quiz show), or value for education against honesty. Characters struggle with this along the way. The one character who remains true to his values is Goodwin, though he does toe the line when he decides to keep Charles out of the spotlight.
• An angry Jewish character mutters, "A big uncircumcised putz is on the cover of Time magazine."
• In an attempt to explain preparation, someone says, "You don't go hunting in your underwear."
• A brief shot of a man's wife with her shirt unbuttoned, showing her bra. They are apparently alone (son upstairs practicing his drums) and when a visitor stops by she shrieks, hastily buttons up, and offers to serve them. We do not get any indication that there was any sort of sexual interaction between the wife and the husband before the visitor stops by, and as we enter the scene with the visitor, the time the woman spends in her bra on camera is very brief. (Had it not been for this scene, I might have given the movie with a 16+ age group)
• Men wear boxers in their homes.
• Goodwin is well aware that Charles was fed answers for the quiz show, just like the other contestants, but decides to keep this a secret and out of his court case.

The Good
I'm turning into Stacy, only not nearly as philosophically deep :) Honestly, this movie had some good points that just can't go unmentioned.

First, fatherly support. Charles' father is a very famous man, and Charles seems to find this almost suffocating, wanting to make a name for himself that is not his father's ("Are you related to Mark Van Doran?"). When Mark finds out what his son did (cheating on the quiz show), he is visibly shocked and horrified. Still, he supports his son's decision to come clean, accompanying him to court to give him support when Charles requests it.

Charles spends the entire movie struggling with his moral dilemma. Finally, he does manage to do the right thing. Consequently, he tears his entire life apart, but, he says, he feels "relieved." His testimony to the court is one focused on the soul searching he has been forced to do as a consequence of his actions, and it is very touching.

Goodwin sticks the whole thing through, refusing to give up even when everyone is pretty sure they've thrown him off the trail. He doesn't take "no" for an answer, fighting on to find out the truth. He says he doesn't want to point fingers or bring any one person down, he just wants the truth. At one point, he waivers in his dedication, struggling with his friendship to Charles. Goodwin's wife yells at him for this during an argument, saying that he's twice the man anyone (including Charles) is, and he should stay that way.

And last, but far from least (is that not the most cliché phrase possible?) is Goodwin's little story about his uncle. He tells the story to Charles when Charles is struggling with his moral dilemma. It turns out Goodwin's uncle revealed to his wife he'd had an affair with another woman--eight years ago. Yes, while they were still married, but eight years ago. Charles is confused, wondering why on earth the confession if the uncle got away with it. Goodwin explains, "It's the getting away with it part he couldn't live with."

My Thoughts
I admit I usually find movies like this boring. I like action, a bit of romance thrown in, and if it's fictional, I don't care. Factual stuff does catch my attention from time to time, and I admit I do like the occasional documentary.

This, however, was different. This was the true story of an investigator taking on TV because of how it scams the viewers. The contestants of "21" would be given the answers ahead of time (that is, only the contestants that the producers knew would bring up ratings and product sales), then coached in how to deliver them for the best possible show. The innocent Americans watching "21" had no idea this was happening and Dick Goodwin decided to take on "21," as well as TV as a whole, for the great big scam it was running.
He failed. "21" was beaten, sort of, but the rest of TV got away. That's easy to see in the shows that we view now.

But the journey Goodwin took to prove "21" was a scam and his own personal struggle, along with Charles' personal journey, was incredibly interesting to follow. I found myself completely hooked by the movie and unable to look away.

It also made me wonder: what would happen if we took TV to court today? Would anybody even care that it was all a big scam?

Author Alcove: Homer

Homer is assumed to be the author of The Iliad and its sequel The Odyssey. Legend has it that he was blind. We do know Homer was a Greek poet who sang his epic poems from memory, probably while playing the lyre as accompaniment. These are extremely long poems, and having them memorized is incredible. Reciting them would have taken days. Homer's work is some of the oldest we have left today. It has been translated left and right, but to really get a feel for its beauty (without learning Latin or Greek), one should read a translation which keeps his work in poetic form and does not change it to narrative.

Homer treats the Greek mythological stories like any other Greek of the time did. They are matter of fact, not glossed over, and full of al the scandal they are known for. Homer does not avoid the parts of Greek mythology that push it toward a PG-13 or even R rating. There are prostitutes, married people having children with those they are not married to, characters who are the children of both god and human, and more. Enter the world of Greek mythology. It was, and still is, a huge mess.
As he sings of great wars and conquests, glorifying heroes in a warrior culture, Homer does not stay away from including as much gore as humanly possible. If the man-woman relations do not push his work to an R rating, the gore certainly does. On the battlefield, the fighting is brutal and disgusting and Homer describes it with all the eloquence that a Greek poet can muster. People lose their insides even as they are still alive, teeth are knocked out the back of a man's head, bodies are mutilated, and that's just the beginning. There seems to be no end to the gore he includes.

Homer sang in what is called the dactylic hexameter, a type of meter for poetry. This results in the repetition of phrases such as "swift-footed Achilleus" and "rosy-fingered Dawn", phrases the author was aware would help him keep the meter. There is no rhyming, but if one pays attention, there is a sort of beat. He is incredibly clever. In the original Greek, he made all sorts of clever moves with words meaning two things. I know these are noted in Penguin's translation of The Odyssey by Robert Fagles and I do recommend you skim the notes after each chapter to really get the most out of the story.

Homer also happens to be a classic author. Not only has his work been read since he wrote it (a good long time ago!), but it teaches the reader about the culture he was living in. Reading his work is valuable as an introduction to Greek culture, Greek literature, history, mythology, epic poetry, and so much more. In addition, because he is so classic, other classics make hidden references to his writings and Greek mythology in general. If these references are missed by the reader, the full power of the story is lost.
While his writings may be particularly gruesome when it comes to their content, when the reader is old enough to encounter such things, it would be a great loss not to read at least one of his works.

Movie Review: North & South

Title: North & South (TV mini-series - 2004)
Author: BBC
Genre: Period Drama, Romance
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: None, but probably either PG or PG-13
Age Group: 14+

Summary -
The Industrial Revolution in England brought about many changes in city life: the streets were dirtier, the people poorer, and the employers more anxious than ever to make as much money as they can.
Margaret Hale is thrown from her beautiful home in the southern English countryside and forced to move to Milton, an industrial town, with her father and mother when her father defected from the Church of England. She finds herself thrust into the society of Mr. Thornton, a cotton mill owner, and immediately dislikes him, while he, in turn, begins to take interest in her.
But as Margaret befriends the factory workers, and Thornton attempts to keep his company afloat through a union strike, the two equally-stubborn people seem unable to conquer their differences. The tragedy surrounding Margaret only strengthens her resolve against Thornton.

The Bad -
This is a dark and sad story, but there is very little that is objectionable, and most of it is violence:

• We see Thornton beat a man for smoking in his factory (a very dangerous thing in a cotton mill.)
• The strikers were originally peaceful, but under the leadership of a desperate man, they threaten violence, and wound Margaret with a rock.
• The union leader knocks around the man who betrayed the union. This man eventually goes mad and dies. We see his dead body.
• Margaret is slightly bullied by factory workers, who tease her for fun.
• Margaret hugs her brother, and is seen by Thornton. Thornton doesn't know that he is her brother, and so assumes the worst about Margaret. This is never clearly stated, but it is obvious, especially when Thornton's pushy mother confronts Margaret about the situation.
• We see various images of absolute poverty.
• Margaret lies in order to cover up her brother's presence in their home, for her brother is a fugitive from the law.
• Thornton's father is said to have committed suicide.

The Good -
Margaret wishes to help the poor, and often brings them food and money. She tries to convince Thornton to let up on the strikers and give in to them, for most have starving families.
Margaret is also a very moral and upright person, always trying to do what is right in every situation. She makes some innocent mistakes, and learns from them. She rarely makes big mistakes, and when she does, she immediately is sorry for them and apologizes.
Thornton truly believes that he is doing what is best for himself and his workers when he resists the union. He is very conscious of his duties to his family, and does everything in his power to keep them from poverty. Despite his eventual dislike for Margaret, he aids her in her time of need.
Thornton comes to realize how horrible the living conditions of his workers are, and begins to show compassion to them.
Nicholas, the union leader, stands up for his rights, but when forced to choose his family or his pride in his union, he chooses family. He charitably adopts six orphaned children, even though he can barely afford to keep his own from starving. He cares deeply for his very sick daughter and does everything possible to help her condition.

My Conclusion -
North & South is a story about people. There is no "bad" guy or "good" guy; every character is trying to make their way in a crazy world as best as they can. They all make mistakes, some of them pretty serious ones, but they atone for them when they realize what they have done. Their motives are never malicious, and they love each other, whether for good or for ill. The beauty of this movie lies in the utter humanity of the characters, and how they struggle against the stark reality of the Industrial Revolution.
This movie is a BBC adaptation of an Elizabeth Gaskell book, which basically means that the plot is utterly beautiful, the characters are well-rounded and realistic, and the cinematography is astounding(quite frankly, I would recommend any BBC movie in this particular genre). It is a very sad story, but a very good one, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of it. North & South certainly isn't for everyone - it is a period drama, after all - but I think that if you take the time to watch it, you won't be disappointed.

Movie Review: Emma

Title: Emma
Author: Miramax (staring Gwyneth Paltrow)
Genre: Romance
My Rating: ****
Official Rating: PG
Age Group: 12+
Summary:
Enter the world of high English society, when there was little to do and the trivial matters thus became exceedingly interesting. Parties are, it seems, everything. Then add a cast of characters. Emma, a girl who likes to make couples, Mr. Knightly, her friend since childhood, and a woman whose birth is unknown and has fallen into Emma's hands. Emma decides Ms. Smith needs a husband, and Emma is going to find her one. But along the way, various other couples are made that Emma did not plan for. As Emma's plans fall down on her head, she stumbles about blindly wondering where to turn.

Word of Warning
The characters are concerned with everything trivial.
Emma constantly gets involved in others' affairs and tries to manipulate things. She insults one woman (but is very sorry and tries to make amends) and is very opinionated about other people. Still, she is aware she has this fault and tries hard to stop it. She does make progress, but I believe this will be her struggle for life.
People are looked down upon because of their place in society.
One man leads Emma to believe he loves her in order to cover up his engagement to another woman.
Emma and some of the other ladies were dresses with low necklines.
There are four kisses, but they are chaste and don't even take place until the end of the movie.

My Thoughts
This is one of those movies that leaves you laughing, cringing, and then, at the end, sighing and staring at the screen because you simply can't think of anything better to do. It's stunning. The dress, the countryside, and the buildings are beautiful. The acting is wonderfully done and we do feel drawn into this society where people clearly have little to do and are seeking entertainment, but never in immoral ways.
For much of the movie I disliked the character of Emma. But, as it progressed, I was impressed to see her struggling to mend her ways. Honestly, the only character who kept me watching until she did so was Mr. Knightly, a true gentleman. And, of course, all the comic relief characters.
It's a charming movie, very different from the usual ones I watch. There's no drama, no excitement, no high speed anything, and happily nothing scandalous. It's just a very good rendition of the reality in which characters of this society lived.
Wonderfully portrayed.

Movie Review: Bright Star

Title: Bright Star
Author: BBC
Genre: Romance, Historical
My Rating: **
Age Group: 16+
Official Rating: PG

My Summary:
Fanny Brawne is a sharp-tongued woman of fashion, and despite the frequent and loud criticism of Mr. Brown, she isn't afraid to own it. But when Mr. Keats moves in with Mr. Brown and introduces her to the beauties of poetry, Fanny is taken off guard. She is intrigued by Keats, and by his poetry, which, quite frankly, is beyond her. So she unabashedly asks for poetry lessons, which inevitably lead the two closer together. Their relationship changes drastically, however, when Keats becomes sick.

The Good:
Fanny is self-centered and quick-tempered at the beginning of the movie, and although she doesn't completely reform, her relationship with Keats eventually softens her enough to be somewhat likable.
Keats has an idealistic but absolutely beautiful concept of romantic love. At one point, when Mr. Brown teasingly sent a letter to Fanny (during this period, sending a woman a letter was pretty much asking her to marry you), Keats, who most definitely has feelings for Fanny, emphatically tells him that he has no respect for the sacredness of love. Later on, after Keats and Fanny are engaged, Fanny offers herself to him. Keats looks at her for an instant, then turns away, stating "I have a conscience." His love is completely self-giving.

The Bad: SPOILER WARNING
The main problem with this movie is Mr. Brown. He's a ladies' man, and although there (thankfully) isn't too much focus on this, there are a few scenes that should be mentioned. Keats' health starts to decline, and Brown tells him to "bed [Fanny]" to cure himself. Keats lets this comment slide. We see Brown flirting openly with a maid, and are later told in a (much too long) scene that the maid is "with child". We see the maid pregnant, and later with a baby, while Brown tags dutifully along. He does not seem particularly ashamed of his actions.
In a comment which Fanny meant as innocent, she asks Keats if he slept in her bed at their summer home. Keats seems taken aback by the comment until Fanny explains what she means.
Keats is actively dying, and Fanny, in utter desperation, tells him that she will give him anything. He refuses the offer.
Fanny and Keats kiss frequently. Most kisses are innocent, though one or two go on much longer than needed.
At one point, they lie down on a bed (fully clothed) and discuss the future.
Fanny wears dresses that reveal cleavage.
When Keats has not responded to one of her letters, Fanny breaks down and demands a knife so she can commit suicide. She tends to have a very emotional relationship with Keats.
Fanny utters one d**n. I believe they might have taken the Lord's name in vain a few times.
When Keats becomes sick, we see a very bloodstained cloth which has come from the sickroom.

My Opinion:
 I had been looking forward to this movie for quite some time, mainly because I am a huge fan of Keats' poetry. Unfortunately, the movie was poorly made: the characters were incredibly uninteresting (except for Keats. And Brown, because he was a grumpy Scot), Fanny was a whiner through most of the movie, and it seemed as though BBC had made the movie for people who already knew everything about Keats (they didn't explain ANY back-story on the characters). Although they did an excellent job with the cinematography, they cut the scenes at all the wrong places so that the whole story seemed choppy.
On the other hand, the romance was absolutely beautiful. Fanny almost ruined it, but the passion and selflessness of Keats made up for everything lacking in her. Plus, the character of Mr. Brown, especially in the beginning, was quite fun to puzzle out. I liked him, despite his quite obvious flaws. Also, they quote Keats extensively, which is awesome.
I did enjoy the movie just because I'm a Keats fangirl, but I don't think anyone else would like it. This was definitely not one of BBC's crowning moments.

P.S. Although my "Bad" list is quite extensive, the movie was actually relatively clean except for the Brown issues, and even those were ignorable for the most part. I recommended this movie for 16+ because I didn't think anyone younger than that would actually enjoy watching it.