Costume in Cinema: 20th Century

Costume designer: Shay Cunliffe

Wooo boy!  I knew this looked absolutely terrible, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I’ll see anything with costumes!  Luckily this one was a rental… Luke Wilson plays a modern-day author who dictates his novel to stenographer Kate Hudson.  The novel, scenes from which are played out by the same actors, is set in the 1920s and features a love triangle between Wilson, Hudson, and Sophie Marceau.  It’s pretty gosh darn terrible — bad script, bad story, the costumes are only VERY marginally interesting.  Skip it.

My rating:  1 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jane Robinson

This is a TV movie that I saw back when I was, oh 12 or so, and which sparked my interest in the real story behind Anastasia (the daughter of the last Czar of Russia).  I rented it a few years back and while it is admittedly VERY cheesy (Susan Lucci is in it!), I actually really like the early 1920s costuming.  Weird, I know.  Oh, and FYI, this is only VERY LOOSELY based on the real life of Anna Anderson.

My rating:  2 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jacqueline Durran

I was disappointed in this, mostly because after all the hype, I expected to REALLY love it. Instead, I just felt underwhelmed; mostly, because the plot is very jumpy and you see snippets of time that aren’t always well connected. I can see how it would be a much more interesting book than film! The costumes were quite nice but not overwhelmingly so – Keira Knightley’s much-discussed green evening dress is lovely, but not anything for the history books.

My rating: 3 (out of 5 )

Costume designer: Catherine Martin

I was surprised, after all the negative things I’d heard about this movie, to actually enjoy it! I’m not saying it was the best movie ever, but for those of us into costumes/history/etc., it’s not the tediousness it was made out to be. The film is very much in the style of a 1930s melodrama, which in the first half worked for me but by the end was veering into cheese. I’m personally quite fascinated by Australian history, so the clash of cultures portrayed in the film was interesting (if not terribly nuanced). I finally get why people think Hugh Jackman is hot, but Nicole Kidman, while a lovely clothes hanger, has had enough botox that it’s impairing her ability to act. The costumes were gorgeous and the hair was fab, predictable given the time period (costumers love being uber-authentic about 20th century costumes – why is that?).

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sandy Powell

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Howard Hughes, the movie producer and aviation pioneer.  On the one hand, this reads as a standard biopic, although well done (directed by Scorcese) and interesting. But much more importantly:  THE COSTUMES!  THE HAIR! THE SHOES!  HELLO!  So so so gorgeous, especially Cate Blanchett in an Oscar-worthy performance as Katharine Hepburn and Kate Beckinsale slightly miscast but still gorgeous as Ava Gardner.  Go.  Watch.  Now.

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sheena Napier

A BBC adaptation of the Noel Streatfield book (which I loved when I was young). The three Fossil sisters (all orphans) study and perform in ballet, theater, and film in 1930s London; Emma Watson plays the eldest. A nice adaptation with only a few tweaks from the book plot (adding a romantic subplot) which don’t detract from the story. The costumes are, predictably, very nicely done (the BBC always does this era well).

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Frances Tempest

A mildly interesting fictionalization of the lives of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum).  James Wilby is really quite good as Bertie/George VI, and Juliet Aubrey does a great characterization of Elizabeth even if physically she is totally unlike her.  However, this falls into that oh-so-familiar trap that biographies often do of trying to cover too much time, so that you’re not sure whether it’s the next day or five years. Interesting to see the abdication of Edward VIII from a totally different perspective.  I mildly liked it — it makes good background if it’s on tv, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to rent/buy it.

My rating: 2 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Linda Bogers

A Dutch production, but with dialogue mostly in English, that takes as its jumping off point the true story of various Dutch brides who immigrated to New Zealand aboard the flight that won the London to Christchurch air race in 1953. It’s told in flashbacks, between the modern era when the characters are elderly, and the 1950s when they first arrive, and as their lives develop, in New Zealand. There’s Ada, who is married to a religious conservative but is in love with a hot young farmer she meets on the plane; Esther, the Jewish woman who has a secret to hide and becomes a fashion designer; and Marjorie, who starts off gloriously in love but becomes very saddened by her inability to have children. The relationship between Ada and Frank is particularly passionate and touching. The costumes are nicely done, with some particularly flashy stuff on Esther. The final ending is a little too quickly wrapped up, but I really recommend this nonetheless!

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jane Robinson

A really well-told story of nostalgia set in the 1920s-1940s, with Jeremy Irons as the man who becomes emotionally entangled with an aristocratic family.  My only quibble was that Diana Quick didn’t seem to suit the role of Julia, but that was more than made up for by beautiful sets, lovely costumes, and a mini-series that takes its time telling the story.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh

I was surprised to like this as much as I did. Overall, it’s probably not as great as the 1981 mini-series (which hey, has Jeremy Irons and a whole lot more time to tell the story), but I thought the acting was great, I liked that they got a little bit more into the sexual aspects of the story, and Hayley Atwell was so much more right for her part. The costumes were absolutely stunning, including perfectly tailored suits on the men. It was fun to see Atwell go from the 1920s through the 1930s, with gorgeous dresses and perfect hairstyles; and Thompson was the picture of elegance in her age-appropriate dresses and hair.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Nic Ede

A nice adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh novel Vile Bodies. The story follows Adam, who runs with the Paris Hiltons of 1930s London — rich, young, drugged out.  While parts are fun, it’s mostly sad as you see most of the main characters descend into drug addiction etc.  Emily Mortimer gives a great performance as Nina, Adam’s love interest, but it’s hard to get stressed about what will happen to their relationship when you realize how shallow she is.  There’s a nice bit with Harriet Walter (Fanny Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility) as a snobby society matron. The costumes are well done but nothing to die for.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jeffrey Kurland

A hilarious Woody Allen film (with the benefit of him only directing, not acting!) set in the 1920s. John Cusak stars as an up and coming director who manages to get his play financed when moll Jennifer Tilly’s gangster boyfriend puts up the finances. Just about everyone is hilarious in this, especially Diane Weiss as the older but glamorous leading actress. Nice 1920s costumes, with a range (for women) from Tilly’s tasteless glitz, to Weiss’s dramatic glamour, to Mary-Louise Parker’s (as Cusak’s girlfriend) regular girl clothing; male costumes span from Cusak’s regular guy to Chazz Palminteri’s gangster outfits.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Johnetta Boone

An ensemble story of Chess records, with Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Etta James, and many more characters intertwining into a reasonably well done, interesting story.  My only complaint is that Beyonce as Etta James has a small part that is given far too much reverence — you can tell that everyone is thinking, “It’s BEYONCE!” (Note: I love Etta James, but Beyonce is given the star treatment when she’s on screen).  Nice 1960s costumes!

My rating: 3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Caroline de Vivaise

Not all I wanted it to be, but cute and visually interesting nonetheless.  Media mogul William Randolph Hearst invites a bunch of Hollywood people, including girlfriend/starlet Marion Davies (Kirsten Dunst) and Charlie Chaplin, onto his yacht for a weekend.  Someone gets murdered, and things start to unravel. Nice 1920s costumes.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Frances Tempest

Yet another fabulously sprawling, multi-character story from the BBC, this miniseries tells the story of the well-to-do Cazalet family, from the late 1930s through World War II. Based on the novels by Elizabeth Jane Howard, the story follows family members of each generation. Highly entertaining if you like this kind of thing, with gorgeous costuming (particularly in the pre-war years).

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Janty Yates

It’s really too bad that this film wasn’t better, given that I loved the book and Cate Blanchett is amazing.  Nonetheless, the filmmakers managed to cheese-ify the story (oh, and change the ending).  Blanchett is beautiful as the title character, if just a wee bit unbelievably well-dressed and well-made-up for an English secret agent hiding out in France.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Colleen Atwood

Yet another film that EVERYONE seems to have freaked out over and I just sort of liked.  It’s a fun musical, and Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are both quite good at their roles.  The costumes on the main characters were good, if 1960s-derived — really good hairdos. But what was up with all of the background/chorus dancers?  They were all straight out of 1988 with long hair (and bad perms) etc.  See it, but don’t actually base any of your knowledge about 1920s costumes on it.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Isis Mussenden

More of a fantasy film than historical, but here we are nonetheless. This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I thought the adaptation was quite good if not excellent.  A good translation of the characters and action (altho what was with making Susan such a wimp?).  The actress who plays Lucy was just great, and it was fun to see Narnia come to life.  The few bits of 1940s costumes that we get are quite well done and very wartime influenced.  Now onto the fantasy:  the queen was not all I dreamed she could be, even leaving aside my gripe about them recasting her look.  I read a bit about the costumer’s desire to make her look alien, but I still felt that her weird structured bodies just didn’t work.  However, her first appearance swathed in white fur was great, as was her chain mail dress.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Anushia Nieradzik

I like this way more for the movie that it is than for the costumes, which are very standard average-person wear.  Set in Ireland during the 1950s, it’s about a young country girl (and her two best friends) who goes to college in Dublin and learns about life and love and herself.  Really heartwarming and touching, and I love the main character — she’s a girl after my own heart.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Catherine Leterrier

A very well made, nuanced view of Coco Chanel from her humble origins as a seamstress and vaudeville performer, through some complicated relationships, until right before she becomes “Chanel.”  My only quibble would be that as a costumer, I’m more interested in Chanel as a designer, so I guess I would have liked more Coco During Chanel!  Audrey Tatou’s performance is great. The costumes are NOT the least bit shiny — a big point is made of contrasting Chanel’s modern, simple sensibility with the Edwardian milieu in which she lives — but they are very well done.

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Alison Byrne

If the idea of a psychological thriller set in a pre-war English boarding school sounds as good to you as it does to me, you’re really going to like this. A delicate balance between Eva Green as the diving coach and a group of young female students, led by Juno Temple in a mesmerizing performance, is upset by the arrival of a new girl from Spain.  I don’t want to give anything away! Most of the girls wear typical boarding school uniforms; Eva Green is “artsy” and so has a very lovely wardrobe.

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Amy Roberts

Movies just don’t get any better than this.  This is a hilarious movie based on a hilarious book, about Flora Poste (played by Kate Beckinsale) who, when her parents die, goes to live with distant relatives in the country and proceeds to tidy up their lives.  Great 1930s costuming, especially nice tweedy day wear and some great evening gowns as well.  There’s really not a thing wrong with this movie.

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Janty Yates

A musical biopic detailing the relationship between Cole Porter and his wife Linda.  Kind of a hit and miss — not knowing anything about Porter’s life, I really enjoyed the first half (as he meets and marries Linda, his career takes off, and they deal with his sexuality) but not so much the depressing second half.  Also, the use of modern singers to perform some of Porter’s songs was jarring — Elvis Costello worked, amazingly so did Alanis Morissette until they put her into the most god-awful red and white polka dot dress; Sheryl Crow was completely terrible. The costumes, however, were GREAT and Ashley Judd has some fabulous 1930s gowns and great Marcel-waved hair.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Isis Mussenden

Not as bad as you might think… but not great either. A “reimagining” of the original, this time set in 1950s Cuba. Okay, I’m an American female of a certain generation so of course I saw the original… this is very different in tone. Romola Garai is a straightlaced American, who moves to Havana with her well-to-do family during the lead-up to the Cuban Revolution. She meets a boy who works in her hotel, who teaches her how to dance — and in the process she learns to loosen up and to fall in love. Selma Ward as the mother has some really nice 1950s dresses (great evening wear especially); Romola Garai in the lead role wears very normal teenager wear.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Charlotte Walter

A well done adaptation of a Noel Coward play – fun, light, and goes exactly where you think it will go.  Jessica Biel works surprisingly well as a fast living 1920s American invading a conservative British family. The costumes are pretty deco wear, with Biel having some very glamorous outfits.

My rating: 4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Odile Dicks-Mireaux

This is deserving of all the rave reviews it received! A very well done story of a precocious English high school-age girl who thinks she’s ready for more than she is.  Surprisingly bittersweet, and the plotline surprised me.  Carey Mulligan was really mesmerizing in the main role.  The costumes were well made and designed to suit the story and the era — early 1960s.

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sheena Napier

A really beautiful story about four English women who rent a villa in Italy for a month, as they rediscover joy and love. Pretty 1920s costumes.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Ann Roth & Gary Jones

On the one hand, it’s two beautiful intertwined stories: doomed extramarital love and sweet cross-cultural love, set just before and during World War II.  On the other, it can be a bit heavy handed, especially with the whole doomed part, and switching between the two stories frustrates the emotional impact of each.  Nonetheless, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche both wear some great outfits.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Shirley Russell

I found this story of love and secrets surrounding British codebreakers during World War II to be quite interesting.  The costuming is well done, with Saffron Burrows giving us the glamorous side of the 1940s and Kate Winslet the more everyday.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Ann Roth & Michelle Matland

Based on a novel (written by the same author as The Hours), this film stars Vanessa Redgrave (and Claire Danes as her younger self) as an elderly woman who looks back on specific events that happened in her youth — centering on the wedding of her best friend in the 1950s. Tries a little too hard to be important, and some of the plot devices feel wooden, but still relatively entertaining in an “I saw this with my mother” sort of way. The 1950s costuming is nice.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Penny Rose

There are many good things about this movie, not the least of which is Antonio Banderas is easy on the eye and Madonna looks FABULOUS (hair, makeup, clothing, etc.) as Eva Peron.  Unfortunately the music and musical aspects are just too dated, and while they’ve updated the very 1970s/80s musical to include some more Latin sounds, it would have been much better as a biopic than as a musical. Still worth a watch just for the visuals.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sandy Powell

A wonderful reinterpretation of 1950s Douglas Sirk films, with Julianne Moore giving an amazing performance as a woman who confronts the secrets and myths in her life.  Beautiful 1950s costumes in vibrant colors.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Phoebe de Gaye

I liked this sequel to the 2002 Forsyte Saga miniseries much more than the original, I think because of the downplaying of the Irene storyline.  A nice look at early 1920s costumes, with a brief flashback to 1909.  Good in a period soap opera way.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Elizabeth McBride

While it has its cheesy aspects, this is still a great story of the relationship between two sets of women, one set in the modern era and one in the 1930s.  Some great 30s costumes, especially on Mary-Louise Parker, which show non-glamorous everyday wear.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Alexandra Byrne

The fact that this took years to find a distributor should have told me something, but it’s based on my favorite Hemingway novel, so I had to take a chance. Set in the 1920s, it’s the story of newlyweds David and Catherine, who has some seriously repressed issues that she’s trying to work out by involving Marita in their relationship; this story is intercut with the novel David is writing, which is very classic Hemingway “son and dad track and kill an elephant while in Africa, which has Great Symbolism.” Sadly, while the novel really captures some interesting elements of the 1920s, and particularly the south of France, the movie is just cheeseball. While the elephant story-within-a-story is semi-interesting in the book because of Hemingway’s writing, it’s just plain boring in the movie, to the point where I started fast-forwarding through those scenes.

My rating: 1 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Annie Symons

A suspenseful mystery set during the very outbreak of World War II. The fabulous Romola Garai plays the eldest daughter in a Fine Old British Family who learns some increasingly uncomfortable truths about said family. It gets increasingly suspenseful and dark and twisty and sad and and… I recommend it! The costuming is REALLY fabulous — nice day wear, but there are some particularly glorious late 1930s evening gowns. Oh, and David Tennant has a small part – yay!

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: John Bloomfield

This was so much better than I thought it would be, given how it came and went from the theaters!  Scarlett Johansson and Helen Hunt star in this adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play. Johansson really works as a rich, naive young newlywed staying among expats in Amalfi, Hunt works less so as the man-eating scandalous woman newly come to town.  Aside from Hunt (who isn’t THAT bad), the acting is quite good, they managed to avoid being heavy handed with the Big Reveal, the scenery is gorgeous and the costumes are STUNNING.  Set in 1930, it perfectly captures the transition from the 1920s to the 1930s in the women’s dresses, and there are so many good dresses, hats, and hairdos that it’s just total eyecandy.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jenny Beavan

A great Robert Altman — who is known for his meandering, five billion character movies — that does a fabulous job of portraying life above and below stairs in a 1930s English aristocratic mansion. Everyone looks fabulous, especially Kristin Scott Thomas as the mistress of the house and Geraldine Somerville as her sister.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Nicoletta Massone

You probably didn’t need to me tell you that this TV miniseries was pretty darn terrible, but in case you did, here you go: pretty darn terrible.  Mira Sorvino totally doesn’t work as Daisy Buchanan, although she has some good hats.

My rating:  1 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jane Robinson

Kristin Scott Thomas stars as the wife of a wealthy Englishman (James Wilby); the movie chronicles her affair with Rupert Graves (from Room with a View — rrrr) and the end of her marriage in 1930s England.  It all trucks along quite nicely until the last 15-20 min. or so, which (I assume follows the plot of the novel) is totally incongruous with the rest of the film. Based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh (Brideshead Revisited). Lots of REALLY beautiful bias-cut satin charmeuse gowns and great hairstyles.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sheena Napier

Helena Bonham Carter and Olivia Williams star as sisters in 1930s London who love the same man (Paul Bettany). The first part does a good job exploring the love triangle, and Williams especially has some great dresses and hairstyles; the second half gets a bit TOO tragic and over the top. Still, worth a rental.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Barbara Lane

A nice early Merchant Ivory production, about the wife (Greta Scacchi) of a British army officer in 1920s colonial India who becomes involved with the local Nawab, and her great-neice (Julie Christie) who travels to India in search of herself and information about her great-aunt.  The period pieces play better than the modern day scenes, which are pretty dated, but all of the acting is great and there are some wonderful 1920s outfits.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Shirley Russell

A wonderful, funny, and heartwarming film about a boy coming of age in England during World War II.  Lots of nice 1940s print dresses etc. on mom and his older sister.

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: James Keast & Joan Wadge

Normally I can’t stand pre-mid-1990s British TV miniseries for one reason — low production values.  That makes it all the more significant when I say that in spite of the fact that this is shot on video, I REALLY loved it!  Two upper-middle-class sisters left destitute by their shmuck of a dead father during the 1920s must make their own way in the world, and happily for us they do so by starting their own fashion house!  I enjoyed both the nice 1920s costuming as well as the soap opera-esque stories of their lives and loves.  My only real complaint is that there were three seasons of this show and only ONE is available on VHS (and nada on DVD)!  Bastards! Update: It’s now available on DVD!  Hurray!

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Charlotte Walter

Too few people have heard of this movie (or the original book), both of which are FABULOUS, FABULOUS, FABULOUS.  The book is hilarious and romantic, and the movie is nearly as good although a bit sadder.  Cassandra (an intelligent teenager and budding writer) lives in a dilapidated castle in the country in 1930s England with her sister Rose (who is desperate for money), father (a writer suffering from major writer’s block), and step-mother (an ex-artist’s model who likes to commune with nature in the nude).  The plot thickens when two American brothers arrive to take possession of their inheritance, the local landowner’s mansion.

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Caroline Harris

This HBO mini-series recounts the 1910s suffrage campaign led by the National Woman’s Party. Hilary Swank plays Alice Paul with Frances O’Connor as Lucy Burns. The filmmakers were DEFINITELY going for the young market with this, as the editing and soundtrack are very MTV (modern pop/r&b songs, for example — the final climactic scene of a movie about women’s rights is overplayed with a song that keeps repeating “You are beautiful” — umm….). They also really girl-ify Paul and Burns and the other suffragists, giving Paul a love interest and adding a whole lot more lipstick etc. than was probably involved. Nonetheless, I found it an entertaining (if shlocky) watch, and I’d definitely say it’s worth a rental. But if you’re really interested in the history of the suffrage movement, please find a more reputable source! Some cute clothes showing the real changes going on in this decade, as costume became more recognizably modern.

My rating: 3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Lyn Avery

A nice soap opera-y (in a good British way) look at the Channel Islands during World War II, when they were invaded by the Germans. We follow three very different Channel families as well as various German characters, and the series takes its time, which I loved. There was a nice range of plots and characters, who were very well rounded (no English-are-all-perfect or Germans-are-all-evil). I thought they did a good job making the story personal and immediate, yet bringing in some of the larger issues around war and the Holocaust. Nice 1940s everyday wear.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Terry Ryan

Not really a costume movie, but as it’s set in the 1930s, here it is!  A really really enjoyable film if a tiny bit too long.  It has the benefits of stunning visual effects and really humanizing both Kong and the other characters.  I was most impressed by the digital recreations of 1930s New York City, which were jaw-dropping.  Most of the nice costumes are on Naomi Watts in the first and last parts of the movie. She has some great early 1930s wool cloche hats, and a really  ice overcoat with great sleeves (look for the buttons and cuffs). Considering taking a bathroom break when the giant bugs come on screen, tho.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Trysha Bakker

Another movie based on an American Girl doll, this one tells the story of an aspiring child writer experiencing the 1930s Depression. It’s exactly what it should be – cute, fun, certainly aimed for children but enjoyable. The production values are high, and there are many character actors (not the least of which is Joan Cusack) doing what they do best.

See photos at Cinema Blend.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Lyn Harvey

A typically well done BBC miniseries, not to be confused with the feature film of the same name. This series follows four girls who join the Women’s Land Army during World War II in England.

My rating: 3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: John Bright

A beautiful and sad look at the autumn of the Anglo-Irish. The plot centers around Lois’s (Keeley Hawes) coming of age during the Irish civil war, with great acting by Hawes, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, and Fiona Shaw.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Ralph Holes

I was so charmed by this series that I can’t recommend it highly enough.  It’s the story of the working class Moss family – primarily three sisters in their late teens/early 20s – and their life in Liverpool in 1920-21. Iris, the eldest, is the surrogate mother of the family; May, the middle, works as a maid for a wealthy couple; and Ruby, the youngest, becomes a corset saleswoman. Also involved are their fabulously cranky Dadda and brother Billy (suffering from PTSD following fighting in World War I). The story is one that stays very true to life and takes its time, and you’ll be surprised by the various plot twists and turns. The costumes are very well done, and capture perfectly the transition from teens fashions to the “modern” 1920s; while the Moss family is a bit behind in fashion as befits their class (the daughters wear what looks like very 1918-19 styles), various minor upper class characters wear more cutting edge styles. Some of the most fun comes from Ruby’s corset selling, as you’ll see lots of them plus much discussion of their relative merits and disadvantages.

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Mike O’Neill

Yet another charming British miniseries set between the wars, this one tells the story of three friends from their debuts through marriage and its complications. As always, lovely costumes from the 1930s through the 40s. I love these!

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Evangeline Harrison

A quite explicit BBC miniseries of the D.H. Lawrence novel, with Joely Richardson as the title character as Sean Bean as her lover. Only a little bit cheesy with some gorgeous early 1920s costumes.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Lindy Hemming

I can see how this film wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea — directed by Sally Potter (Orlando), it doesn’t follow conventional plot structures, and the ending was rushed and anticlimatic. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it, mostly for the characterizations, the beautiful cinematography, and Johnny “Shagadelic” Depp. Christina Ricci plays a Russian Jew who in the 1920s is separated from her family and raised in England. Most of the film takes place in 1930s Paris, where she works as a dancer, befriends another Russian dancer (fabulously played by Cate Blanchett), and becomes involved with a hunky Gypsy — all as World War II looms. Blanchett wears some great gowns and has REALLY good hair.

My rating: 3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sonia Grande

While you will be totally aware that this film makes some really obvious choices, you will nonetheless LOVE this movie! I love Woody Allen movies when he’s not in them (okay, 1970s/80s Woody is good; 1990s-200os, not so much), so it’s fabulous that he has the hilarious Owen Wilson playing the “Woody” character. Owen is a writer who is visiting Paris with his fiance, who – SPOILER ALERT!!! – finds he is able to travel in time back to 1920s Paris and rub elbows with all kinds of famous Lost Generation writers and artists. There’s lots of hilarious interactions, love interests, and reflections on the whole idea of a past “golden era.” See it!

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Michael O’Connor

I absolutely adored this film, from the plot (very reminiscent of 1930s-era screwball comedies), to the acting (Frances McDormand is just fabulous, Ciarin Hinds is dashing as always, and Shirley Henderson does evil so well), to the costumes (gorgeous dresses and fabulous hair), to the set design (amazing deco styling – wow!). There’s nothing to complain about – go see it!

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Michael Dennison

Julia Roberts is only semi-painful as a progressive professor at Wellesley College; Kirsten Dunst, Julia Styles, Maggie Gyllenhal, and Ginnifer Goodwin are all great as the students whose lives she touches.  Nice preppy 1950s costuming on the students and more bohemian styles (“oooo she’s wearing turquoise!”) on Roberts.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Sandy Powell

Judi Dench stars as the title character, an eccentric (aren’t they always?) rich widow who buys a theater in late 1930s London; she hires Bob Hoskins to manage the theater. Over the course of the war they end up turning the theater into a nude revue. The story focuses on the relationship between the title characters, as well as the show performers. It’s cute and entertaining, and Dench brings some real feeling to her role — but it is definitely aimed at the mum crowd (not that that’s a bad thing! My mother loved it!). Designer Sandy Powell’s costuming is, as always, stunning, with really great pre-war and wartime styles (Dench’s well-to-do late 1930s wear is particularly stunning, and I’m always a sucker for 1940s hairstyles).

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Isabelle Boiton & Sylvie de Segonzac

(Released as “Les Blessures Assassines” in France). Not really a “costume movie” per se but as it’s period, here it is.  This movie is an attempt to narrate and understand he story of two French chambermaid sisters who murdered their employers in 1930s France; the crime was hugely shocking at the time.  Set in the 1930s, with nice average person wear and some good Marcel waves.  Warning:  not only is it gory (not in a horror movie sort of way), but there are also incestual/lesbian elements.  Sorry if that’s a spoiler, but if that sort of thing really bothers you, skip it altogether.  This version really captures the mindset of the sisters and the horror of the crime; see it instead of the English-language 1994 version. In French.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Mitzi Haralson & Michael Kaplan

EXCESSIVELY cheesy, soap opera-y, melodramatic, nationalistic, teen-y, etc. etc. look at the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Ben Affleck is painful, Josh Hartnett is cute, and Kate Beckinsale is fabulous.  The upside?  Great 1940s costumes.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Ruth Myers

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Naomi Watts is the well-to-do wife of Edward Norton, a doctor in China. Things in their marriage go very wrong, and the two hash it out in a rural town where they go to help with a cholera outbreak. Nice 1930s costumes!

See photos at IMDB.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Judy Moorcroft

An early Merchant Ivory film about an English couple (one half of which is Maggie Smith) living in 1920s Paris who become enmeshed with a local woman (Isabelle Adjani).  Nice costuming, with boy day and more glamorous evening wear.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Ann Roth & Donna Maloney

A thoughtful adaptation of a controversial book that explores the difficulties for later generations to reconcile the Holocaust in Germany. Kate Winslet gives an impressive performance in the lead role. The costumes are nicely done, although they aren’t the least bit spangly (as in appropriate). This one will leave you thinking for a while!

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Albert Wolsky

My respect and admiration for Kate Winslet only grows as she takes on challenging and interesting roles like this one, in a story of a married couple (the husband played by Leonardo di Caprio) who deal with stifled ambitions in 1950s suburbia. Sad, interesting, subtle, dramatic. Lovely 1950s costumes.

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Shuna Harwood

A really well done adaptation of the Shakespeare play with a great cast.  Reset in 1930s England with some REALLY great costumes.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky

Definitely the story of some men and a horse, which works well in that “struggling against the odds” kind of way.  Marcela Howards (the wife of the owner) wears some nice 1930s costumes.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Tony Phillips & Terry Ryan

A little bit on the fluffy side, this is nonetheless a good movie, worth watching both for its exploration of female sexuality and for some good 1920s outfits.  Hugh Grant is quite charming and Tara Fitzgerald is great.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Lindy Hemming

Not really a “costume movie” per se but as it’s period, here it is.  Joely Richardson and Jodhi May star as two French chambermaid sisters who murdered their employers in 1930s France; the crime was hugely shocking at the time.  Set in the 1930s, with decent but not exciting costumes.  Warning:  not only is it gory (not in a horror movie sort of way), but there are also incestual/lesbian elements.  Sorry if that’s a spoiler, but if that sort of thing really bothers you, skip it altogether. This version is relatively shallow and not terribly illuminating; see the French-language 2000 version instead.

My rating:  2 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Stephanie Collie

A sad yet heartening story of a young woman who returns to 1930s Yorkshire to become the headmistress of a girls’ school. She works to inspire the students to greater achievements and has some romantic and personal complications. Anna Maxwell Martin is a really talented actress, and she has some surprisingly smart outfits!

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Jenny Beavan

This is a tough one to review!  On the one hand, this is definitely an oversimplification of Nazism in late 1930s Germany and an overemphasis on teenage resistance to the movement, and yet… the dancing is just FABULOUS.  I don’t think I’ve seen a better dance movie!  Plus the costumes are quite well done, especially the late ’30s suits on the male characters. If you can accept that they’re pitching to a young audience and ignore some heavy handedness, you’ll quite enjoy it for the dancing alone.  Plus Christian Bale is too cute.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Amy Roberts

I admit it — I’ve never been able to watch this series, as I have a hard time getting past bad 1970s videography. So color me thrilled that the BBC has come out with a new season, set in the 1930s and starring Keeley Hawes as the lady of the house, Eileen Atkins as her mother in law, with Jean Marsh reprising her role from the earlier seasons as the housekeeper. This series goes very interestingly into pre-WWII English fascism. The costumes are, of course, beautiful… and the art deco set design is just fabulous!

My rating: 5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Ann Roth & Gary Jones

A dark, disturbing movie about a man who will do just about anything to be someone other than himself.  Great 1950s costumes and great acting.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Madeline Fontaine

WOW.  SO GOOD.  Not only a wonderful, magical, sad story from the director of Amelie, but the costumes were Spot On Perfect.  We move between 1917 and 1920 as Mathilde searches for her fiance Manech, who went missing during World War I. So many things made me happy I can’t list them all.  Mathilde’s wardrobe moves from late teens to proto-1920s, with those perfect natural-waisted suits, beautiful sheer blouses with wide collars and tucks/embroidery/trims.  I also really liked that Mathilde’s aunt (an older and larger woman) in the 1920s scenes sticks with a late 1910s silhouette.  Go!  See it!

My rating:  5 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Michael O’Connor

An ITV (UK TV) drama about the romance between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (the American divorcee for whom he abdicated the throne), told very much from Wallis’s point of view. I found this entertaining, although I did wonder how factual it was. It has the fabulous costuming (set in the late 1930s) so typical of British mid-20th century period productions, including a gorgeous repro of Wallis’s wedding dress.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Arianne Phillips

An entertaining look at the life of Johnny Cash, with great acting by Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter. The down side is that the film focuses much more on Cash’s drug addiction and relationship with June than it does on him, and you come away with the impression that he was a bit feeble minded (he wasn’t) and that his success was all about her (it wasn’t). Both lead sang their own songs; Witherspoon sounded great, too great for the sometimes off-key Carter — Phoenix sounded okay when he had lots of reverb and a backing band, but he’s no cash and he sounded LAUGHABLE in his big audition scene.  The costumes were great, spanning the 1950s and 1960s, with lots of circle skirts and beehive hairdos.

My rating:  3 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Consolata Boyle

A witty and funny revenge story — I don’t want to tell you too many details, but basically Natasha Richardson plays the new addition to a rather exclusive community of widows (played by Joan Plowright and Mia Farrow, among others).  Nice 1920s costuming.

My rating:  4 (out of 5)

Costume designer: Diana Cilliers

Major caveat: I have never read the 1920 novel this is based on!

So, DH Lawrence sure thought he knew a lot about women, eh? Two sisters try to find sexual fulfillment and love in a painful, overly intellectual way. Rosamund Pike and Rachael Stirling are both great actresses, and they do a great job in their roles. However, they’re constrained by the plot, which goes through some weird twists and turns, and is full of people doing very stupid things if their goal in life is to be happy — of course, if they like despair and suffering, then they’re totally on track! The costuming is well done, with Gudrun in some particularly nice artsy 1920s gear.

Sorry, apparently I’m not Lawrence’s target market!

My rating: 2 (out of 5)