The Bartered Bride the plot [...] is taken from village life and demands a national treatment." According to his biographer John Clapham, Smetana "certainly felt the pulse of the peasantry and knew how to express this in music, yet inevitably he added something of himself." Historian Harold Schonberg argues that "the exoticisms of the Bohemian musical language were not in the Western musical consciousness until Smetana appeared." Smetana's musical language is, on the whole, one of happiness, expressing joy, dancing and festivals. The mood of the entire opera is set by the overture, a concert piece in its own right, which Tyrrell describes
Bride Wars when Kermode included "Terminator Salvation" and "Couples Retreat" on his list by popular demand, "Bride Wars" still finished eighth, allowing him to keep his job. In one of the few positive reviews of the film, "Time" critic Mary Pols wrote, "At least, and this is something to be grateful for, "Bride Wars" deviates from the usual wedding-flick routine of maids of honor who should be the bride (or groom). And even though the catfighting goes over the top, the notion that a passionate female friendship can turn ugly in a heartbeat is, sadly, realistic." Apart from negative reviews, the film