Movie Time For Mom

This summer, I've been fortunate that the hubby has had some quality Dad-Son time to spend with the kiddo. So, I'm using my newfound leisure time to catch up on movies on Netflix, declutter the house and research more young adult fiction for me (and kiddo) to read. Decluttering is going well. I tend to declutter often whenever I can but this time, I finally managed to find a few hours to clear up a larger portion of the garage and also consolidate more books to sell. I've managed to sell enough of used homeschooling materials to save up for a tidy sum in Amazon giftcards. Hurray!

I have a what we're-doing-this-summer post to write but till I can gather enough inspiration to write it, here are two movies I wanted to quickly blog about.


Princess Kaiulani (PG)

Billed PG but if you're watching with a young one, do be aware that there're lots of kissing scenes and some disturbing moments involving rifles and a young man being killed in battle. I loved the whole period-piece setting and of course, the gorgeous Hawaiian natural scenery (not that there was a lot of it). Acting was good but I'd have liked it better if they'd chosen a truly Polynesian young lady to play the titular role. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie wholeheartedly and was inspired to read about the true Princess Kaiulani afterwards.

Battle of the Brave (PG-13)

Original title: Nouvelle-France

This one was a bit of a tearjerker and I woudn't suggest watching it with a child younger than 12 or 13. I watched it alone and loved every minute of it. But I will try to remember to choose a romantic comedy the next time. Let's just say the movie was too romantic and sad for one of my sentiments to sleep at ease.

The movie is set in 18th century Quebec at the time when the English were taking over French-Canada. The movie features strong female leads but the one who captured my attention the most was Juliette Gosselin who plays young France, daughter of Marie-Loup. The bond between mother and child, wow, it was beautiful to watch and I found myself tearing up very often. At the heart of the story is the love affair between Mari-Loup (Noémie Godin-Vigneau) and Francois (David La Hay). Very well cast! The chemistry between the actors was palpable.

Both movies are available for instant streaming on Netflix!