Susan Marlowe CPA Starts Cooking

News from Susan Marlowe CPA February 18, 2012

Greetings from Susan Marlowe CPA! Welcome back to the site! I am trying to figure out what delicious food I should serve at my movie club. What goes well with Roman Holiday? My niece, nicknamed Kimi Peck, has suggested that we make something Italian. I think that is a good choice but I think even more fun would be Italian food as it was viewed in the 50’s. So, a sort of naive mix. Spaghetti a la Susan Marlowe will be offered. I am thinking meatballs and shredded pork in the sauce. Yum!

Read my cooking blog at:

http://susanmarlowecpablogs.wordpress.com/

There you will see my true love of cooking. It is also where I will post all the Susan Marlowe recipes I come up with. I am also going to bake a cake I am calling Beverly Hills Surprise. What’s the surprise? You’ll have to wait and see!

Thanks from Susan Marlowe CPA and her niece Kimi Peck, movie reviewers!

Children of Heaven (1997) | A family film review from Susan Marlowe CPA

Children of Heaven (1997)

Hello from Susan Marlowe CPA. Today, we are going to take a Persian detour. When you think “family film”, a nominee for the  Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award is probably not on the top of your list. To many viewers, foreign language equals something fairly adult in content. The 1997 Iranian film Children of Heaven is not your cliched foreign film. It is a simple story about two young siblings who are trying to deal with their life in poverty as best they can. However, rather than being a depressing meditation of the poor, it is a celebration of the sweet, childish view of life that they share.

Even though this film is subtitled, there is minimal dialogue, which makes it an ideal film to introduce younger children to foreign movies. The young actors are excellent, their story is sweet and moving. Children may be surprised by the abrupt ending but there is nothing sad or depressing to worry about. The film is beautifully shot with a slow, dream-like pace. The slower pace may be difficult for some children who are used to bright colors and things that go boom. My nephews complained at first but they soon became interested in this lovely little film.

I would say that children as  young as 7 or 8 may enjoy this film. It also provides an ideal opening for parents to discuss different cultures, how we are both similar and different. It also gives an opportunity to talk about how poverty is relative in different parts of the world. All in all, a lovely film not to be missed.

La belle et la bête (1946) | A family film review from Susan Marlowe CPA

La belle et la bête (1946)

Greetings from Susan Marlowe CPA! I am going to be reviewing the 1946 French version of Beauty and the Beast.

One of the first things that struck me when watching this film is how heavily the Disney cartoon was influenced by it. The look, the feel, even the appearance of some characters… This is a great movie to start a discussion with older kids about artistic influence and inspiration. It also means that the familiar look and feel will make it easier for them to relate to the characters.

Because of some darker scenes and because of the subtitles, I would say that the minimum age for enjoying this film is about 10. Of course, if you are willing to help younger children read off the subtitles, the minimum age would be less. The beast in this tale is fairly beastly but the creepiest elements are the living statues in the beast’s castle. These may be disturbing to some children.

All in all, I would say that this is an excellent film. I think that even though it is a fairy tale, it is interesting enough even for boys and tomboys to enjoy. It is certainly worth renting for your family movie nights.

Thanks from Susan Marlowe CPA!