What I loved in February

 

I honestly don't know where this month has gone! I know that February is the shortest month of the year but it seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye - probably because I was on bed rest and then in isolation for more than half of it! It wasn't all bad though - my husband & I celebrated 23 years together early in the month and had a nice date. It's so hard to believe that it's been that long because. it feels so fresh in some ways and also like we've always known each other at the same time! Anyway, on to what I've loved this month....

Cinema:

The Fabelmans: This is based on Steven Spielberg's childhood/teenage years - his family dynamic, which was Science VS The Arts. His mother was a pianist and very much interested in the arts, whereas his father was an engineer. Spielberg and his mother were very close, given their common interest. He began making movies as a child and even then showed a talent for creating scenes. His mother encouraged his interest whereas his father was hesitant about him spending so much money 'on a hobby". The film shows how the family moved due to his father's employment, and his father's best friend always moved with them. It was during one of his home videos from a family camping trip that Spielberg realised his mother and the "best friend" were having an affair. He never told his father that he knew. It was obvious that his mother struggled in many ways and did sacrifice a lot so that his father could pursue his career and when his parents decided to split up, his father took the blame. The film also touches on the anti-semitism shown towards him and he was even physically attacked at one point, Overall, I really enjoyed the film and am surprised that it didn't last very long in the cinema and hasn't been a big thing on the awards' circuit.

A Man Called Otto: This is based on the book A Man Called Ove, which I read a few years ago. Ove/Otto in the film is a grumpy, yet lovable old man who likes everything to be just so. To the outside world, he's somebody with nothing better to do than look for trouble but of course, everybody has. a story. He likes order in his life and always has done. He does his morning rounds - checking if anybody is parking in the wrong spot, or without a permit, if the bins are in the correct position etc. He sees it as a a service to the neighbourhood, yet they don't necessarily see it that way. The book gives a lot more detail on his younger years, but in the film we know that his wife is no longer alive and without her, it doesn't seem like there is a lot left for him. Some new neighbours move in and whether he likes it or not, they change his world and his life. What may start out as a bleak film is ultimately life-affirming and shows the difference that we can all make in another person's life and that we never know what's going on behind closed doors. I don't want to say too much more, but it's worth watching. It's rated as 12A, and when we went there was a family with two kids younger than 12, but I personally wouldn't recommend it for under 12s as some scenes are harrowing.

TV:

Pamela, A Love Story (Netflix): I've never been a big Pamela Anderson fan (or critic), and I didn't watch her sex tape and at the time, I thought it was a grotesque invasion of her privacy. This documentary shows her side of the story, and the reality behind the headlines, I know that some people justified watching/buying the video as she had done Playboy, but this was so much more intimate and was never meant for public viewing. People think that she and her husband made money from the video, but they didn't. She had a tough childhood with being molested at a young age, a father who drank a lot, and being further objectified in her teens. She came from a small town and was naive when she moved to L.A. after being invited there for a shoot. In this documentary, she gives a look into her personal diaries from throughout her life. She absolutely loves her two sons, and despite marrying five times, she said that ultimately she would still love to be married to the father of her sons as she is traditional in that sense and doesn't feel that she has ever loved anybody else in the way that she loved him, however she couldn't actually be with him after what he did to her and his behaviour. It's curious how her mother apologised to her for her choice of men, saying that because she stood by her father, Pamela didn't really know any different. Her parents are still married despite things that her father did. I found it refreshing to hear her story in her own words and see her bond with her sons. I found her to be a very warm, loving person who only wants the best for everyone around her. I didn't watch the Pammy & Tommy series last year and have no interest in doing so.

Ginny & Georgia (Netflix): Finally, I got around to starting this series (am currently on season two), when I was isolating. So many people have raved about it so I knew I had to give it a go. There are several characters in the show, but it's mainly based around the mother-daughter relationship of Ginny (daughter) and Georgia (mother). Georgia had s difficult childhood, and left home, met some people who she became friends with, ended up pregnant at 15 and was fiercely protective of her baby as soon as she got a positive test result. Obviously, being a parent at such a young age brought its challenges, and she did some bad things, which Ginny is only learning about now and is both condemning and questioning, however I think that she understands why a little more as time goes on. It's what I'd call a humorous show, rather than a laugh out loud comedy, but I'm enjoying it!

I don't have any standout beauty products to share with you because with being so ill, I wasn't focused on makeup or any major pamper sessions. However, while on bed rest I decided to buy a few bikinis and a few summer tops for our holiday to Rhodes in late May. I'm so looking forward to getting some heat into my bones!

How has your month been?

Thanks for reading!

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