Frock Flicks - Costume Movie Reviews

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The Great, Episodes 9 and 10 Jul 23, 2020

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We review the ninth and tenth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. We have mixed opinions about the finale, make some hopefully interesting digressions, and give season one a solid B grade for absurdist history.

The Great, Episodes 7 and 8 Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

We review the seventh and eighth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Beautiful textiles and excellent fitting abound, but we are getting bored of all the repeats and want more from the court dress.

The Great, Episodes 5 and 6 Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

We review the third and fourth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Not much new happens in the costume department but we discuss it nonetheless.

The Great, Episodes 3 and 4 Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

We review the third and fourth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. The designer's departures from historical accuracy work well with the show's comic tone and only loose relationship to history.

The Great, Episodes 1 and 2 May 22, 2020

Show notes

We review the first two episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. The series is similar in tone to show runner's Tony McNamara's The Favourite. Costume designer Emma Fryer's work is close enough to Catherine's era, and most importantly, it is well-made and well-fitted.

Celine Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire May 08, 2020

Show notes

We review this late 18th century-set French, female-focused film. We agree it is a beautiful movie, with well-done, if non-specific, costumes. We also discuss what we are watching during quarantine.

Downton Abbey - The Movie Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

We review the Crawley clan's jump from TV to the big screen. Fans of this historical soap opera will delight in seeing the aristocratic family and their servants again. While we adored the glorious 1920s costumes by Anna Robbins, we have some issues with the predictable plotting.

Josie Rourke's Mary Queen of Scots Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

We review this attempt at a biopic about the famous 16th-century Scottish queen. This movie weirdly wastes time on a reductionist view of Elizabeth I of England at the expense of Mary's story. With costumes designed by Alexandra Byrne, whose designs feature denim, saddlebags, and a whole lot of WTF, we end up asking WHY a lot.

Yorgos Lanthimos's The Favorite Dec 10, 2018

Show notes

We review this tale of court intrigue set in the early 18th century. Two women (Sarah Duchess of Marlborough, played by Rachel Weisz, and Abigail Masham, played by Emma Stone) vie for the attention of English Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman). With costumes designed by Sandy Powell and a historically accurate view of female power and sexuality, we find a lot to praise!

Jamestown, Gunpowder, London Nov 09, 2017

Show notes

We discuss the Association of Dress Historians conference in London and give you an inside peek at what's coming up with costume movies and TV as well as what's in the works for the blog. Next, we do in-depth reviews of the TV series Jamestown, which has aired in the UK, as well as Gunpowder, which stars Kit Harrington and is coming soon to HBO. Get your snark on for a monthly or twice monthly romp through historical costume movies and TV.

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