Where is Chris Brown?!?!!?!? Justin Bieber Hooked Up With Rihanna While With Selena Gomez We’ve heard some really crazy hook up claims over the years, but perhaps the most ridiculous is that Rihanna and Justin Bieber hooked up in February 2011 when he briefly split with Selena Gomez. Via EntertainmentWise reports: Biebs would have been just 16 at the time of the alleged fling with 22 year-old Rihanna but according to Life & Style magazine it happened. “It has devastated her,” an insider reportedly told them, “It really cut like a knife because it happened in February 2011, when Selena and Justin had been dating for months and were falling in love. It’s caused Selena to question their entire relationship.” The alleged flirtation took place when Justin partied with Rihanna at her home in Los Angeles and at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills and according to the source Gomez even suspects, “they’ve been hooking up all along,” even as recently as last November when they both performed at the Victoria’s Secret Show in New York. “During breaks they’d sneak away to hotel Giraffe,” a source claimed. “They were alone, their security made sure of it. Hotel staff blocked off the entire floor for them.” But with Justin’s reputation already going down the pan, he’s said to be desperate the claims don’t come out. “He would never tell anyone he messed around with Rihanna because it would make him look like a dirty dog,” the insider added. Wow, we’re pretty shocked at these claims, especially as Riri is clearly loved up with Chris Brown, the insider claimed nothing “physical” happened between them – what does that mean? Looks like JB perfers the dark meat now-a-days ….
There are two back to back weekends of 2012 that I will never forget. This is my fifth time meeting Justin. My best friends, Nicole (@nicolecampea), Vanessa (@belieberbabes) and I bought tickets for the Ottawa show for November 23. I was so excited because I’ve never met Justin at a meet and greet before and I wasn’t sure what to expect or how it would be. After waiting a long time in line, I met Justin and got a photo with 5 other people in the picture. This was amazing. Justin was so sweet, I introduced myself and told him I was from Toronto and ran the Toronto buyouts with Nicole & Vanessa. I wasn’t with them at the time. At first he couldn’t hear exactly what I said so I had to repeat myself and say it again. After he heard me he said, “Really, that’s amazing. Thank you so much for everything.” Alfredo was also in the tent area where we were taking pictures and standing beside Mike. He kept making funny faces to me while we were talking and taking the picture with Justin. It was pretty rushed and his security pushed me out as Alfredo was trying to say hi to me. Luckily, I recorded it as a voice note on my phone so I always have that to listen to. Then I had the most fun time at the concert, sitting front row and Justin even touched my hand half way through the concert and I melted. It was actually amazing. This was a perfect day and I wouldn’t want it any other way. DJ Tay James and Kenny saw us after the show and said hi to us and ask us how we liked the show. It was really fast though because this was as we were leaving the venue. The morning after the concert, my friends and I went on a train back home. We heard Tay was a guest DJ at Muzik night club back in Toronto that night, so we decided to go for a night out since we were heading there. We saw Tay, then all the dancers and Justin’s crew came too. After quite a while, we saw Jeremy, Alfredo, and Justin with Chaz come in and they had their own booth near the DJ up top. No one could really access Justin’s booth because it was blocked by lots of security. We saw Justin dancing and having lots of fun with his friends, and we danced with some of his dancers and they talked to us because they were on the floor level of the club. It was a fun night! We didn’t take or try to take any pictures of Justin because we wanted to respect him while he was out and didn’t wanna ruin it for him or anyone else. It was cool being in the club when ‘Beauty and a Beat’ came on and Justin was dancing right above us. This fun-filled weekend came to an end and within the next week of my concert, I was expecting to have my meet and greet photo posted on BieberFever’s website. Every single photo was posted but mine! The other 5 people in the picture with me were also wondering where our photo was. We knew we took a picture with Justin and we weren’t sure where it went or how it got lost. I tried tweeting everyone that I possibly could, asking for some help to find my picture or access the photos or have it e-mailed to me. So far, no one has found our picture with Justin. Meeting him was amazing, but I wanted my picture to remember it and have forever. Everyone that saw about it missing on Twitter was freaking out and asking how, why and who could have lost my photo. Thanks to the meet and greet, I met a fan from San Francisco, who I have been able to get to know really well and became friends with her. Unfortunately, she was one of the girls in my photo as well with Justin, so she doesn’t have our photo either. A week went by and it was the Toronto show at the Rogers Centre! We saw tons of camera crews filming for the Believe 3D movie and we had to line up for our meet and greets in an extremely long line up. A lot of Justin’s family and friends were at this show. It was crazy! We waited for over 2 hours to meet Justin and finally it was our turn! Vanessa, Nicole and I walked into the room and Nicole was pretty much pushed into Justin by his security guard. I went on the other side of him. He said “Hey sweetie, how are you?” to me and I replied and said hi, I think… I don’t really remember what I said. I wish we recorded it. Right before we were all ready for our picture, Nicole told Justin who Vanessa was, telling him she’s My Bieber Experience and Justin like lit up and shouted out “OH MY GOD, MY BIEBER EXPERIENCE IS A SICK SITE” and again repeated, “A SICK SITE, YOU’RE INCREDIBLE!” Yup, he loves it . After the picture, Vanessa went in to give him a high five and of course, his security guard tried blocking her from him. Then Justin ignored his bodyguard and went over his arm or something to give her a high five. I don’t like how rushed both meet and greets were, but still, meeting Justin was absolutely AMAZING. The excitement continued as the concert started and I moved up to the front row of the catwalk. It was awesome seeing Drake and Cody Simpson as special guests. I saw the film crews running around the stadium all night, filming fans, doing interviews and capturing all the best moments of the show. This was the best concert I’ve ever been to in my whole life. It was the most fun experience and crazy how everything happened. I’m so blessed to have gotten the chance to meet Justin again at this sold out show. I didn’t think it would be possible. Toronto went crazy for Justin and I was able to get such good pictures and videos. Honestly, I know a lot of you think things like this won’t happen to you but if you’re patient and you just go with the flow, good things can happen and yes some day you will meet Justin and have your own Bieber experience. December 1st was my fifth time to meet Justin and was perfect. Like I said, best night of my life. Thank you for everything Justin, I love you so much. Jon Chu was also there to film Believe 3D, and he interviewed Vanessa about MBE and then I told him how we never actually got a decent picture together… so of course, we took a nice one! Such an amazing and eventful two weekends in a row. This was all thanks to Justin and his amazing crew who actually do so much for us fans! Thanks for taking the time to read this. -@juliaaa_xo See the original post: There are two back to back weekends of 2012 that I will never…
Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton has been laying very low since announcing she is pregnant, but not so low that she’s cut out her morning Starbucks run. With little fanfare, she exited Kensington Palace for a very hush-hush walk through Kensington Gardens with dog Lupo followed by a trip to the coffee chain! Escorted by a security guard, the 31-year-old Duchess “looked beautiful,” according to an onlooker … to the surprise of pretty much no one on Earth. “Her hair was done nicely and she had a scarf, lovely long coat and boots on … she was wrapped up warm, so I couldn’t see the bump,” the observer adds. It’s unclear just how much she’s showing at this stage, but don’t expect a lot of splashy celebrity gossip magazine photo shoots or Instagram updates. Anyway, as the security guard waited outside with Lupo, Prince William’s wife went inside and placed her order herself: Her decaf drink, plus a cookie. Thus armed with provisions, the expectant royal took Lupo’s leash back from the security guard (the pooch is “so cute and well-behaved,” the spy says), and carried on. “She’s a regular,” a Starbucks staffer says of the Duchess. “Kate was smiling,” the observer continues. Sadly, no Kate Middleton photos were taken, but she “paid with a Starbucks card, which she swiped herself.” Royals. They’re just like us.
This may sound cliché but I can honestly say that I never ever thought that I would ever get the chance to write my own Bieber experience. I have tried everything to meet Justin and I just knew that 2012 was going to be the year that it was going to happen. I got tickets to the Believe Tour in May and was so so so excited. As the concert got closer, I heard about a contest that BieberFever was having. I have entered so many contests and never win so I was not expecting anything at all. The night before the concert I checked my email and I could not believe my eyes when I saw an email from BieberFever saying “Congratulations Gaby!” I screamed so loud and started crying for the longest time. I called my friend and we were freaking out. I only got like 2 hours of sleep that night because I kept thinking about what I was going to say to Justin. I was in DC all morning the day of the concert. I went to go pick up my M&G’s at 4:30. We got put into groups of six which was annoying because of course we wanted our own picture with Justin. We waited in line for what felt like forever and then I saw the black curtain and it had not hit me until then that I was meeting Justin. I was so nervous and so many things were going through my head. I was talking to Kenny and he was so nice. Then Kenny put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Okay go ahead.” I was the first one to walk in and I opened the curtain and saw Justin standing there waiting for me. I was surprisingly calm and said “Hey Justin!” and he was like “HI, how are you?” Then my friend walked in and he said hi to her. She told him she liked his tattoos and I was like, “I like your necklace” and he said, “Aw thank you.” My friend is kind of short so Justin said, “Sweetie can you bend down a little bit so that she can see?” to the little girl in front of him. Before we took the picture I just kept my eyes on his face. Pictures can’t even show how flawless he actually is. After we took the picture I asked Justin for a hug and the security guard was telling him “No hugs” but Justin said “No it’s okay” to the guard and said “Sure!” and gave me a hug. I had my whole world in my arms for that one moment. Then he hugged my friend and we were all talking at the same time and I said, “Thank you so much for everything” or “I love you” or something like that and he looked into my eyes and said, “Thank you so much!” It all happened so fast and I didn’t want to leave him. I was crying so much and to this day, I still can’t believe that happened to me. It doesn’t even seem real because it was all too perfect. After 4 years of supporting him, trying, failing, and people doubting me I finally met my idol (& the whole Bieber crew but that happened at separate times). November 5 th 2012 was the best day of my life. This sounds really corny but believe Justin when he says never say never. If you haven’t met Justin, don’t give up. I never thought any of this could happen to me and it did. I am so grateful and thankful I got to meet my idol even though it was only for like a minute. -Gaby @Gabyper3z See the rest here: This may sound cliché but I can honestly say that I never ever…
I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing a MBE right now. I’ve dreamed about meeting Justin for quite a few years now and I never thought in a million years I’d be so lucky to get the chance to meet him. I’ve been a fan since early 2009 and I can honestly say being a belieber has changed my life, for the better. Supporting someone as kind-hearted and down to earth as Justin has opened my eyes a lot. I can’t thank him enough. Re-typing my experience is going to bring back so many emotions, but here I go! My friend and I bought tickets to see Justin on the second night at Madison Square Garden. We had no expectations of meeting him whatsoever, but we went into NYC Wednesday night to do some lurking after the first show. We got to see Justin come out of the back entrance and he waved to us and that was that. A week earlier I had entered the BieberFever best collection contest , but I had very little hope. Around 12 a.m. on Thursday, I received an email from Bieberfever: “Congratulations Alexandra! You are…” I just got the BIGGEST smile on my face. No, I didn’t cry or scream, I just smiled so big and then called my friend to tell her. We were both so excited and we didn’t sleep at all that night. We just kept saying, “Wow we’re so lucky” and “No way is this happening.” Since we were so excited, we ended up being at MSG around 7:30 in the morning. It was cold, but so worth waiting around to see Justin. We went to the box office to pick up our wristbands a little later, and then headed to where we would be meeting him. We were the first people at the door waiting. We walked up the stairs and waited for about an hour while Justin met with the Make-A-Wish kids. He’s such a good person. Around 5:15, it was time. Justin was behind the curtains waiting and the meet & greet got a move on. I walked and I was like “Hi Justin” and he was like hey! I looked him right in the eyes and I was like, “Oh my gosh your eyes are GORGEOUS,” and he blushes and goes “Hahaha thank you!” and then we posed and took the picture. I was like, “Good luck tonight I love you!” and he looked right at me and goes, “I love you too!” I can’t even express to anyone reading this how normal Justin actually is. He literally is just a teenage boy living his dream. You could tell he appreciates the fact I could talk to him like a normal person, not just sit there and cry and scream in his face. Then as my friend and I were walking down the stairs, literally the two happiest girls in the moment, we realized we still have our wristbands on. We got the crazy idea to go in again, so we did . We ran over to the security by the door and pretended we were late, and they let us in again. We hopped back in line to see him again. The second time I walked in and we took the picture. Then he looks at me and goes, “Wait didn’t I just take a picture with you!?” and laughed. All I did was “Shhhh” and Justin had the cutest smirk on his face. I walked out and that was just the start of the best night of my life. Watching Justin perform at MSG was something I’ll always remember. I love you Justin! I know I’m lucky for getting this opportunity and for anyone reading this, DON’T GIVE UP. You WILL get a chance. Justin is worth it, I promise you. This could happen to anyone, and one day it will be you. Never say never. -@allieferdenzi Read more: I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing a MBE right…
My name is Alex and I’m 16 years old. This is my Bieber experience. Woah wait, what did I really just say that? I’m still in complete shock I actually met my idol. On October 2nd, I saw the ‘Best Collection’ contest on BieberFever. I immediately called my dad and asked if I could sign up for an account. He said yes because he knew that if I had a chance to meet Justin, I would take it. I signed up and put all of my merchandise together. I sent my picture in to BieberFever and waited a long 5 weeks. On November 9th, the day before the concert, I checked my e-mail about 20 times every hour, hoping that I would get an email. By 9:00 PM, I hadn’t gotten an email so I gave up all of the hope I had left. I went to bed only thinking about the fact I was actually seeing my idol in concert tomorrow for the first time! By some weird instinct, I woke up at 1 AM and checked my email. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I saw the email. The email that changed my whole life. It was from BieberFever and said, “Congratulations Alex! You are officially invited to the attend the photo meet and greet TOMORROW NIGHT, November 10 in Boston!” I started crying, knowing that I would be meeting my inspiration the very next day! I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night and ended up only get 2.5 hours of sleep, but it was ALL worth it. I took the train into Boston and went to Faneuil Hall to have lunch. I got to the arena around 2 PM and met up with a few of my friends from Twitter. We all stood near the gate and hoped Justin or a crew member would come out to say hi. After about an hour of waiting Dan finally walks out! We all started screaming his name and sang ‘The Dan Kanter Song’ to him and he waved to us! By the time, I looked at my phone, it was almost 4 PM so I had to get my wristbands from the box office. I met so many nice Beliebers while waiting. I got my wristbands and then got in line. While waiting in line, I met Nick Demoura! Fast forward to when I was near the front of the line, I saw Kenny so me and my friend started screaming his name and he walked over to us. We asked if we could get a picture with him and he said he couldn’t take any because of all the people. He was so cute though and so sweet about it. I had written Justin a 3 page letter, basically pouring my heart out to him and letting him know how much he has impacted my life. I also wrote Alfredo a letter and gave him an Oreo cookie bar! I gave those to Sully (one of the security guards) and he was like, “Ya I’ll get these to our man!” I walked through the curtain and saw the most beautiful guy standing in front of me. I couldn’t speak, I was frozen. I got pushed next to one of the ladies in the group we went with and we posed for our picture. Right when we were leaving, I turned to Justin and asked, “Can I have a hug?!” He smiled and said, “Sure!” After our hug, security pushed me out and I broke down crying. I could not believe I just met Justin Bieber. I met up with two of my other friends from Twitter who had also won the contest (@swaggiebeliebs & @forev3rjustin ) and we all just basically cried and screamed with each other. The concert itself was AMAZING. The lights, the dancers, him, everything was perfect. I didn’t have the best seats for the show, but I still had the time of my life. I didn’t care what anyone around me thought. After the concert, I ran out to the tour buses and was right by the fence. The security guards came out and were yelling, “YOU GUYS ARE WAITING HERE FOR NOTHING! HE LEFT 20 MINUTES AGO!” Of course, Beliebers wouldn’t take no for an answer and we stayed. Every time they would kick us out, we would just move to another spot. After they lined the fence with security, we met up with my dad and walked to our car. I tweeted Fredo and said, “Some security guards just kicked us out..#rude” and a minute later I got a tweet and it said ”AlfredoFlores: @BostonBelieberx you shoulda turned around and said “ya people can’t hold me back!” and then run!” I can easily say that November 10, 2012 was the best day of my life and I will never forget it. Never doubt yourself when it comes to meeting Justin. It will happen when you least expect it! -Alex (@BostonBelieberx) See the original post here: My name is Alex and I’m 16 years old. This is my Bieber…
On June 15, 2012 my dream had finally come true. I was front row at one of Justin’s performances in New York City at the Today Show. My best friend’s dad is the head security for NBC and since he knew that I’m such a huge fan he brought me and my best friend . As soon as we got to our spots I started crying hysterically because I realized that in a few minutes my idol would be right in front of me. Although Justin had not come out yet, his dancers were there rehearsing and they all saw me crying and were being so nice to me! At about 6:30 a.m. Justin finally came outside and everyone was freaking out! He went on stage and greeted the hosts of the Today Show and started talking to them. The section that I was standing in decided to scream Justin’s name on the count of three so thats exactly what we did. “1, 2, 3 JUSSTTIIIINNN!!!!” I had only expected him to wave at us but he walked over and started to sign posters and shake people’s hands. I had my phone out taking pictures of him as he was getting closer and closer. He finally got up to me and I had nothing for him to sign but I grabbed his hand and literally screamed in his face “I LOVE YOU SO MUCH OH MY GOD!!” I can still remember the look on his face when I yelled, it was priceless! My friend Emily who was standing right behind me yelled at him, “SHE’S YOUR BIGGEST FAN” and he gave her a little nod and said, “Here let’s get a picture.” Then he TOOK MY PHONE OUT OF MY HANDS and he turned it around and looked at my Justin Bieber phone case and smirked. I thought he was going to sign the back of my phone but he turned it back around (I don’t even know what was going on in my head as this was all happening) and I watched him go to my camera app and press the button that switches the way the camera is facing so that it was facing us. I just remember thinking to myself “Okay Claire he’s going to take a picture of you two, so lean in and smile.” I honestly don’t even remember actually taking the picture with him because I think I was in so much shock. Then he handed me my phone back and was about to walk away and go back to the stage but then he hesitated when he realized that he still had a marker in his hand so he gave me his marker that he was using to sign autographs. By the way – I have it hidden in secret spot in my bedroom. The rest of his performance was amazing and he held my hand three more times and Avalanna aka Mrs. Bieber was there. When the show was over, my friend’s dad took us outside of Justin’s dressing room and there was a line of about 20 people waiting outside. They would all go in the dressing room in groups but then Justin came outside to take pictures with everyone. Emily’s dad told us to get on the back of the line so we did. I COULD NOT CONTAIN MYSELF. Emily kept telling me to calm down but I couldn’t help it. There got to be about five people left in front of us and I couldn’t wait to run up to Justin and hug him and take another picture with him but all of a sudden I saw him sprint right out of the room with Scooter and everyone and one of the security guards told me that he was late for something. I felt so bad for the people that were waiting on line in front of us because I was lucky enough to get a picture with him earlier. Not only am I thankful for that but I have also seen Justin nine times (interviews, cd signings, concerts, etc) and I know that there are still so many people that haven’t seen him/met him and I can honestly say that I have the WORST luck and I didn’t think that my dream would ever come true but NEVER GIVE UP because it will happen! I always used to come on this website and read people’s stories but it never crossed my mind that I would ever be able to write my own Bieber Experience one day! The rest is here: On June 15, 2012 my dream had finally come true. I was front row…
Somebody has been watching too much “Twilight.” Megan Fox recently revealed that during her first trimester she feared she might give birth to a monster. Via US Weekly reports : The last time Megan Fox appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in February, the 26-year-old actress was hiding a small baby bump. “I was about two months pregnant. I was really sick,” the star of This Is 40 said when she returned for the Dec. 17 episode of the NBC talk show. “I was very nauseous. I had really bad morning sickness.” Fox continued, “It was so bad for me. . . I was convinced that I was, like, maybe birthing a vampire baby like the one in Twilight — you know what happens to Bella, where she’s in cold sweats all the time — and I felt like that was happening because I had no vitamins and nutrients and I was just nauseous.” “Something not human was happening!” she added. Luckily, Brian Austin Green’s wife of two-and-a-half years didn’t suffer for long. “The first trimester was really rough and then I got to about 12 weeks and then it was fine,” the actress said. “It was really a perfect pregnancy after that.” Fox — already stepmom to Green’s son Kassius, 10, from his previous relationship with actress Vanessa Marcil — also opened up about giving birth Sept. 27 at L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. (Coincidentally, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth welcomed a son, Tennessee, at the same hospital that same day.) “I thought I was going to be tough and the nurses would be like, ‘She’s a warrior princess! She doesn’t need an epidural! She’s amazing! We’re such big fans!’” Fox admitted. “As soon as I got out of the car I was already crying for an epidural. I was asking the security guard for an epidural!” All that sounds extremely painful. We wonder if Megan wants more kids now that Noah is here and he’s human? GSIMedia
I’m Brittany and those of you who know me or follow my Twitter know how long I’ve been trying to meet Justin. My dream finally came true. On November 23rd I attended the Ottawa Believe tour and YES it was hella good. I was lucky enough to get VIP M&G tickets for my birthday from my mom. I was counting down the days, it felt like forever! I was always told I was too young to enter contests, I didn’t live in the right area, I was always too young to see him at Much Music etc., but this time I finally got the chance to meet him. I waited in line for the M&G and got one of his tour picks! They let us walk in and we had to walk down about 100 stairs. When I was waiting I saw Alfredo. He winked at me and waved! At this point I was already planning my funeral because ALFREDO winked at me . I walked in and there he is. My idol, my inspiration, the person who changed my life, my everything. Justin grabbed my arm and said, “Hey sweetie!” and hugged me. I had planned to thank him for many things because he honestly did change my life. If Justin wasn’t around I wouldn’t be the person who I am today and that’s very true. I was like, “Thank you, uh thank you for everything. You’ve really changed me,” and he looked at me and said, “You’re welcome cutie.” JUSTIN DREW BIEBER CALLED ME CUTE. (I didn’t look cute either, I looked like shit from waiting outside in the rain for 6 hours lol) I bursted into tears and he was like, “No don’t cry! It’s okay!” and I just looked at him in awe. Did he really think it was okay? I WAS DYING. Then the security said it was time to go and I just looked at Justin and we stared into each others eyes. He hugged me again and said bye. Then I walked out. Yes this was about 2 minutes. Yes it was the best two minutes of my life. Yes I will never forget it and I’m very thankful for it. After I sat 3rd row at his show which was perfect. I literally cried most of the time. I sang my heart out and cried.. a lot. Pattie, Jeremy, Fredo, Jazzy, Jaxon, Bruce and Dianne were about 1 METER from me! While I was crying Pattie looked at me and said ‘It’s okay!’ How embarrassing eh. Oh well, I will never forget this day ever. Thank you Justin for everything! Don’t ever give up beliebers. Your dream WILL come true! -@bieberholic101 (I’m on the right) Read the original: I’m Brittany and those of you who know me or follow my…
A dismal misfire, Hyde Park on Hudson could have been a spoof of a period prestige film, had it a little more energy and humor. Consider this scene: Daisy ( Laura Linney ), a poor distant relative of Franklin Delano Roosevelt ( Bill Murray ), has begun getting summoned to the house the President shares with his mother (Elizabeth Wilson) to provide him with company and distraction from his work. The two go for drives in the countryside, while Daisy intones in a plummy voiceover about the Depression, her lonely life taking care of her aunt and her growing closeness with FDR: “I helped him forget the weight of the world,” she says around the time that the president shoos his security away, pulls over in a picturesque field and pulls her hand toward him. The camera retreats to a decorous distance, the breeze blows over the wildflowers, FDR’s custom-built convertible begins a-rocking, and it takes a second to realize…why yes, FDR just got his spinster cousin to give him a handy. Directed by Roger Michell ( Notting Hill , Morning Glory ) and based on a radio play by Richard Nelson, Hyde Park on Hudson is an arthritically stilted production that looks even more rickety when measured against the ranks of the awards contenders to which it aspires. It’s half an unconventional and underdeveloped romance and half a recounting of the 1939 visit King George VI (Samuel West), aka Bertie, and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) paid to FDR at his Dutchess County estate to firm up the relationship between the UK and the US in the lead-up to World War II, the first time a reigning British monarch did such a thing. With the exception of FDR’s rural interlude, neither of these two tales unfolds with any momentum or satisfaction. (The latter story actually centers around whether or not Bertie will loosen up enough to eat a hot dog at a picnic.) In combination, they’re even more awkward, however. Overlapping without really interacting. the two stories are like strangers who’ve been invited to the same weekend getaway but not introduced. Presumably because of the nature of the source material, the film relies heavily on Daisy’s narration for large swaths of story. Instead of being shown the growing connection between her and FDR, we’re baldly told that’s what’s happening. And we know she’s fallen in love with him because she says “How I longed for him.” Daisy has little personality or purpose other than to serve as an observer on the outskirts, but there are major portions of the film for which she isn’t present and couldn’t be serving as the point of view, as Bertie and Elizabeth debate in their room about whether or not they’re being made fun of and how best to approach their social engagements. The pair were the focus of 2011 Oscar winner The King’s Speech , but are made a little stuffier and more ridiculous here — “Hyde Park is in London, it’s so confusing,” Elizabeth says as they travel to the house, and the two discuss the meaning of the humorous prints on the wall of Bertie’s room and who in the house is sleeping with whom (an issue well worthy of speculation). Murray is the movie’s main attraction, but he turns in a deflatingly one-dimensional impression-as-performance, twinkling with all his might as he charms Bertie over cocktails and seduces Daisy with his stamp collection. His FDR comes across as everyone’s blithe uncle, seen mainly through the admiring eyes of our narrator, so that even the earthier side that leads him to instigate their affair and to indulge in others she learns about later (to her dismay) is laboriously sublimated into something that uncomfortably recalls a lord and his concubines. Daisy’s main qualities are to be accommodating and to have not done anything in her sheltered life, giving Linney little to do except gaze worshipfully at Murray. “My husband loves the adoring eyes of young women,” laughs a brusque Olivia Williams, playing an Eleanor characterized with a delicacy that falls just short of having her stomp around in a Carhartt jacket and fauxhawk bellowing that she likes the ladies. Hyde Park on Hudson is a sort of high-stakes comedy of manners, but it’s one in which the extremely mannered are placed in contrast with the merely very mannered. Its instances of culture shock deal with less than naturally dramatic decisions, such as whether it’s appropriate to serve cocktails or hot dogs to royals. The film allows that FDR had an unconventional personal life — with multiple mistresses and a wife who lived apart from him — but it treads around these most interesting speculative details, with a fussy decorum, preferring to dwell on shots of vintage wallpaper. There’s one moment in which an emotionally wounded Daisy imagines screaming at FDR that “You’re not getting off that easy, you son of a bitch!” She never says it out loud, though, and the other characters in this film never say what’s on their minds either. They’re just pale shadows of real people who were probably far more interesting and complicated than this film allows them to be.
