Greta Garbo, left and Carice van Houten, right Amsterdam, NL —Let me begin by confessing my fascination for beautiful elegant European women.  They know how just to dress, walk, talk, flirt and dazzle my imagination.   I was first exposed to them when I was drafted into the Army and sent to Germany long ago.  They still ring my bell today more than ever. Legendary Swedish film siren Greta Garbo was the epitome of glamour, grace and sexy hot.  She was a natural for films that are still shown today.  A few years ago I discovered a woman with all of Garbo’s attributes when I saw Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film Black Book .  The female lead was Dutch actress,  Carice van Houten .  In Black Book she sang, danced, swam, and acted in four languages in the World War Two thriller.  I instantly fell in love with van Houten’s talent.  I also know that van Houten is destined to begin gathering Academy Awards as she ha...

Los Angeles, CA —Okay, I’m a fan of the musical play having seen it three times and because I own the original London and Broadway cast CDs.  I’m jaded and skeptical that a filmmaker could do justice this this project. I saw it yesterday and I have one word to describe the singing, acting, costumes, set, direction and cinematography.  Wow is that word! Victor Hugo wrote about the plight of his rich characters during the period of an insurrection preceding the French Revolution.   The French Government back then was oppressive, out-of-control and conditions were harsh.   Hugo’s novel became so popular during our own Civil War   an incredible amount of Confederate troops carried copies of the best seller in their saddlebags and the the Union troops called them Lee’s Miserables. The storyline is about so many heartbreaking events with conflicts everywhere.  Cameron Macintosh and Alain Boublil along with their talented asso...

Los Angeles, CA—Les Miserables is a book written by the late Victor Hugo . This classic novel was published during our own Civil War.  It’s about 19 years of events and a political climate that ended in an insurrection in in France in 1832.   The story unfolds around, a man Jean Valjean who burglarized a bakery for a loaf of bread. Times were tough for this man who was arrested and imprisoned at hard labor.  His five-year sentence was lengthened considerably after numerous failed escape attempts. Valjean is finally released and briefly returns to crime breaking parole. Soon Valjean sees the error of his ways and established a new identity and undergoes a dramatic change for the better managing to become a wealthy manufacturer and benevolent town mayor.  Along the way Valjean winds up with a victimized and orphaned little girl, Cozette to care for and to raise as his own.  In the middle of this mess a revolution is going on and all Hell breaks loos...