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LadyCinema
A theater graduate from the National University of Theater and Film in Bucharest, (the most prestigious and hard to get into school of its kind in Romania with alumni such as Andrei Serban, Liviu Ciulei and Christian Mungiu) and a resident of New York City since 1998, Alexandra Ares knows both sides of the fence, her native country Romania and her adoptive country, USA, very well.
As a writer, Ares was published in US and in Europe, and she brings the lively and humorous way of creating characters and situations from her novels to a very entertaining screen story in Man Heaven.
Her works feature strong female characters, but also males, either in exile or in strange surroundings. People with keen sense of humor, unusual points of view, who are daring, quirky and sensitive, yet often their worst enemies.
Alexandra Ares is the Award Winning Finalist of Best Books USA, 2011, for My Life on Craigslist: A novel. She is also the Winner of the Best Novella Award by Next Generation Indie Awards, 2012 and the author of Dream Junkies a best seller in Europe. Her work was featured in all the national newspapers in Romania and in many glossy magazines including Elle Romania and Cosmopolitan Rpmania (both September Issue 2012).
As a television director, she has experience directing cultural documentaries, working as associate producer for sitcoms and teleplays, and producing news for Network News Service/Entertainment Partners and Romanian Public Broadcasting Corporation (TVR).
Alexandra Ares was born as Alexandra Grigorescu, the daughter of Dinu Grigorescu, an acclaimed Romanian comedy playwright and of Despina Grigorescu, a French Teacher. She has a brother, Darie Grigorescu. Ares is the name of her ex husband.
More on www.alexandraares.com
Reviews
Harry & Meghan (2022)
A very interesting human story
Like it or not, this is a very interesting life story and the Netflix doc did an excellent job, especially in ep. 1, 4 and 5. It is measured and careful, I would have been interested in many more details. While I understand people have a hard time paying bills to care about the struggles of Harry and Meghan, this is not the point. Nobody forces you to watch only only to spew hate. I respect Harry for marrying a self-man woman, 4 years older than him, and not a rich 21 girl from the British highlife born with a silver spoon. Harry too chose to become a self-made man than to cut ribbons all his life in his brother's shadow. One of the rules of power is neve outshine the master(s). Harry and Meghan did just that, outshone his brother William and his wife, and they were squished, just as Diana. I found it very disturbing that paparazzi are allowed to hunt their targets with helicopter and drones. We need stronger privacy laws.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
What a disaster! Steamy as an ice-cube....
This Netflix dud ruined my favorite novel. First of all, I hated the camera work. Cold hues of blues throughout, in a story about sensual love? Then it was wildly miscast and mis-directed. Corrin was too skinny, neither she nor Mellors exuded any sensuality, and had no chemistry. A young anorexic filmed in hues of blue in a story of sexual passion? Very misguided. No buildup of tension between Connie and Mellors at the onset of their relationship. Then, when they go at it, Connie looks like she is 14 and Mellors like he is 16. Clifford is a cardboard character.
The wit of the novel was put in the grinder. The costumes were too modern and 'on the nose' (see the red day dress). The dialogues mediocre, the sex scenes either cringing or just dull. So the directing was just terrible - and I am surprised at the high ratings offered by the supposed critics. Even more surprised with the fact that a team of Creative Execs at Netflix greenlit such a dud on the basis of the well-known actors.
And what is the matter with all the anorexic young British actresses? In the Crown season 5, the new Diana (played by Elisabeth Debicki is also anorexic and about 20 pounds skinnier than the rea Diana). When Corrin takes off her top and looks at herself and her naked breasts in the mirror she looks like freshly out of Auschwitz. I imagine the casting directors are pressuring young actresses to be so skinny, but someone should stop this fad.
So, no emotion for story and characters until like the last 15 mins.
The Crown: Queen Victoria Syndrome (2022)
Terrible casting for Charles and Diana
Prince Charles (Dominic West) was made 10 times more attractive (physically and otherwise) than in real life, without any resemblance and needlessly romanticized. Diana was made 10 times less attractive than she used to be, downright a caricature of a vacuous anorexic (Elizabeth Debicki). That was downright offensive to viewers. Quite a letdown after the great portrayal of Charles and Diana from the previous season. Enough to ruin my experience completely and drop the episode before it ended. It looks like the creators have tried hard to curry favor with the Palace. John Mayor (Jonny Lee Miller) and Princess Margret (Lesley Manville) were good. Camilla, just like in the previous season when she was prettier than Diana (really?) was ridiculously embellished compared to the real character (Olivia Williams.) Imelda Staunton likable as Queen Elizabeth II but Jonathan Pryce terrible as Prince Philip. Overall, after all this wait, a great disappointment.
Ares (2020)
A dark, satanist, and depressing series
If you want to fill up with negative energy and negative images this is you show. Also if you are a psycho or want to become one.
It is really depressing that Netflix Originals produces such negative shows targeted at young people. I was excited to see a show set in Amersterdam, which is a city I love. Not excited that the series bears my last name. I felt sullied.