MireilleR

I actually am quite a big fan of most shows on HGTV, but really can't stand this one. I have tried to determine what it is exactly that bothers me so much. Is it the cheap, in my opinion often ugly styling in every house? Is it the fake and boring conversations between the hosts or the fact that he doesn't seem to have an opinion and contributes little more than "I agree"? Is it her squeeky voice or terribly fake hair and makeup that just doesn't seem to warm me up? Is it the suggestion that they do everything in the houses while that couldn't possibly be true? Whatever it is, it is too fake and shallow for me. Even for Vegas standards.

One of the first times I 'm not afraid to say I'm Dutch while reviewing a Dutch movie. Was it amazing, mindblowing or lifechanging? No. But is was entertaining, relatable, witty.

This is actually how Dutch people talk, how they interact with one another, how people are in general. Not perfect, not one dimensional. The character flaws were not too predictable and supportive of the story. Sometimes a little over the top, but that was okay in this type of movie.

There was some good acting going on with the main characters and even the supporting characters. Knowing there are a lot of cameos you don't expect too much on the acting skills part from them, but that was okay, because their parts were small enough to just enjoy seeing them. Nothing pretentious.

Especially the dialogues were surprisingly good. Not every detail needed to be explained through dialogue which is a breath of fresh air in a Dutch movie. The dialogues were mostly quick, witty and quite original.

The children's characters even were a good addition. They really added to the story and weren't just supposed to be cute.

So I enjoyed watching this movie more than expected.

It took me a while to open up to this version of Anne. I grew up with Megan Follows' version. I was about the same age as Anne of Green Gables was when I first saw it on television and I kind of fell in love with her and all the other people in Avonlea. Even though our lives didn't look alike I could relate to her and I even wanted to be like her.

Anne with an E is different. I am different. I am at a different stage of life obviously. And Anne is also portrayed differently. For me personally I liked the way Megan's version was written better. She was quite a character, funny, emotional, fighting for justice, full of ambitions, but not too extreme. Fiery and rational.

The way Anne's character is portrayed in this version is a little bit too much for me, although it grew on me. I certainly do have to admit that Amybeth is a wonderful actress. She truly was this version of Anne. She gave it all and that's the only way this role could be played.

Marilla and Matthew grew on me as well. I started out comparing too much, but fortunately I managed to put that to the background. Especially Marilla was amazing. And Diana was just perfect in both versions.

I found the casting of Gilbert a bit off. To me he was too much of a boy and not enough of a young man. His ability to convey a range of emotions wasn't convincing to me.

Story wise it was more of a conventional series than a coming of age series as Anne of Green Gables was. Anne with an E combines so many storylines. I'm usually quite into that, but I missed the bigger picture, the big life choices and events that I liked so much in Anne of Green Gables. Some of the story lines seemed quite farfetched. Especially Gilbert's adventures at see and the whole storyline around the boggs just seemed to be out of place.

The scenery was amazing in both versions as was the staging. In some ways it makes me want to go back to those times where some things were more harsh, but also simpler and purer.

Anne with an E was really nice to watch and dream away with. But Anne of Green Gables captivated me more.