NZ Film Freak

Top 10: Best Wedding Films

As I am in the wedding spirit, I decided to indulge in some wedding films. But which ones are worth watching, and which ones are simply too cringe? As it turns out, most of them aren’t worth watching.

With intentions to watch every wedding film in the movie industry, I unfortunately failed after seeing five wedding film fails in a row. It was torture. So instead of my original idea of writing a wedding film directory, it has now been split into two posts:

Top 10 best wedding films, and Top 5 worst wedding films. (I couldn’t endure watching anymore bad movies, hence the shorter list.)

So here we go, welcome to the land of Jennifer Lopez and Julia Roberts. Here are the wedding movies that I say ‘I do!’ to:

Bridesmaids (2011)
The best wedding film, not to mention best comedy of all time. I can not stop watching this movie. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong in the lead up to Lillian’s (Maya Rudolpf) wedding, mostly at the expense of poor Annie (Kirsten Wiig), Lillian’s best friend. It is absolutely hilarious and a movie you could watch on repeat. Forever.

The Wedding Singer (1998)
One of my favourite comedies of all time with a brilliant soundtrack! Don’t let Adam Sandler put you off either, this is one of his few good films. It’s about a hopeless romantic Robbie (Adam Sandler) who is a wedding singer. But after his bride-to-be ditches him on his wedding day, he falls into a downward spiral. Meanwhile, Julia (Drew Barrymore) is looking for a wedding singer for her upcoming wedding and befriends Robbie in his time of need.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
This is such a scandalous film actually. Probably a bit underrated. Unlike most rom-coms, the protagonist (Julia Roberts) is the baddie! Trying to break up her best friend’s wedding so that she can confess her love to him. It’s quite an exciting film.

Bride Wars (2009)
Sassy, catty and shrew! Bride Wars is about two best friends (Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson) who are both desperate for the same venue. The claws soon come out and the cracks begin to show in their friendship. It’s an easy watch and I love the vengefulness of the bridezillas.

Wedding Crashers (2005)
While it’s crudely about John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) crashing random weddings to get lucky, it’s certainly a very funny film once everyone’s put their boobs away. What begins as just another wedding to find a fling, ends with John developing a genuine crush on Maid of Honour Claire (Rachel McAdams). Meanwhile, Jeremy is trying to convince John to escape the wedding early as Claire’s wildly intense and immature sister Gloria (Isla Fisher) forms a strong attachment to Jeremy.

The Proposal (2009)
The Proposal is about a successful book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is no longer able to work at her job in the USA because she’s Canadian. However, she manipulate her secretary Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) into marrying her so that she can keep her job. However, if Andrew’s going to get married, he’s determined to do it on his terms – she must meet the parents. It’s nice to see a female protagonist in a strong role, but imagine if the gender roles were reversed. Could you imagine the backlash?

The Wedding Planner (2001)
Revenge is served cold. Or in this case, rather sweetly. The Wedding Planner is about J-Lo’s character Mary who finds herself as the wedding planner of the man she’s been dating (Matthew McConaughey). He’s been cheating on her this whole time, but she doesn’t let the bride-to-be know and continues with the wedding plans, taking every opportunity to embarrass the groom-to-be.

27 Dresses (2008)
I’m not totally in love with Katherine Heigl, so I would prefer it if a different actor played her part, but it’s an enjoyable enough film anyway. It’s about always being the bridesmaid and never the bride. It’s a fun and easy watch for sure.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
I refreshed my memory of this film recently, and I have to say that while it is quite funny, I’m not really sure what the storyline even is. There’s no ‘absolute low’, or major conflict that the hero has to bounce back from. It’s quite a dry story, really. But it is funny in a lot of scenes.

Monster in Law (2005)
Monster in Law is about an over-bearing mother in-law who tries to break her son and his fiancee (Jennifer Lopez) up. But the mother in-law is so over theatrical that it’s quite difficult to watch without cringing. J-Lo is an odd choice, but it stars Wanda Sykes so that makes up for it. It’s a tad too Americanny for my taste really, but it’s pretty funny anyway.

Keep an eye-out for the sequel to this post – Top 5 Worst Wedding Films.

Don’t forget that Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding is this Saturday (19 May)!

Life of the Party

Director: Ben Falcone
Writers: Ben Falcone, Melissa McCarthy and Chris Henchy
Released: May 2018
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs, Maya Rudolph, Julie Bowen, Matt Walsh, Molly Gordon, Stephen Root, Jacki Weaver
—

I love Melissa McCarthy, but I lowered my expectations after reading a fair few below-average reviews about her new film Life of the Party.

This didn’t deter me though, so my brother-in-law and I went to the cinema. Within ten minutes we were choking on our popcorn during fits of laughter, and getting stitches as we tried to stifle our chortles! Almost every scene was hilarious. By the end of the film, I had mascara streaked down my cheeks and a mild headache from trying not to laugh too loud.

It is by far the funniest film I’ve seen so far this year. (Although, as the only film I’ve seen so far this year is A Quiet Place, Darkest Hour and Split I guess that’s not saying much.)

It’s about a kind and sweet mother called Deanna (Melissa McCarthy), whose husband suddenly tells her he wants a divorce. Within a week, she picked herself up and decided to finish her archeology degree at the same college/university as her daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon).

Deanna: I’m down to clown.

Life of the Party is co-written and directed by McCarthy’s real-life husband Ben Falcone (AKA Air Marshall John), who tends to have a cameo in her films. (This movie was no exception, so keep an eye out for him.)

It must have been so hard for him to write and direct his wife doing kissing scenes… I watched an interview about it and he said the love scene was shot on their tenth anniversary. But it was okay, he said. They seem so down to earth as a couple! I love them.

Quick fact: McCarthy and Falcone’s fathers feature in the film as the racquetball guys.

What makes this movie great is how wholesome and lovable Deanna is, and how the majority of characters love her too! There’s always a couple of mean girls at uni of course – Jennifer (Debby Ryan) and her side-kick – but Deanna takes them in her stride and has some very cheesy come-backs.

But the real ‘bad-guy’ is her husband’s new wife, Marcie (Julie Bowen, AKA the mum from Modern Family). She does an incredible job of being evil, and the story becomes rather revengeful. Which, is extremely entertaining.

There are a couple of scenes in particular that made me lose control in thick fits of giggles. One of them is the infamous presentation scene where poor Deanna gets so nervous that she sweats profusely. After reaching for tissues to dab her face with, she turns around to reveal her cheeks covered with white fluff where the tissue stuck to her. I lost it.

The other scene to look forward to is the dance-off where Deanna goes to a 1980s themed party and has a dance fight with horrid Jennifer. I died.

And in between these scenes is Maya Rudolph’s character, Christine! Holy Jesus, she was so so funny. She was brilliant! I want a best friend like Christine.

Christine: THAT’S MAH GIRL! THAT’S MAH LADY RIGHT THERE!

With limited swearing and rudeness, Life of the Party is a feel-good film. There are a couple of characters I’d change up, but for the most part you will be grinning in between fits of laugh-out-loud hysterics. You’ll leave the cinema with a page out of Deanna’s book of being super friendly, motherly and kind to everyone.

In fact, I went to Sainsbury’s after this film and I was still channeling Deanna’s positivity. I must have traded my ‘resting bitch face’ for a grin because a lot of people were smiling back at me. Not sure if this was to do with my panda eyes though.

My advice is to ignore the below average reviews, take this sweet film at face value and have a laugh. It’ll make you feel better.

I’m so keen to see this movie again.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

Father of the Bride

father of the bride.jpg

Director: Charles Shyer
Writer: Charles Shyer, Nancy Meyers, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett
Released: December 1991
Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams, Martin Short, Kieran Culkin
—

As part of an upcoming post about the ‘top 10 wedding movies’, I realised I had a lot of research to conduct.

I had originally disregarded Father of the Bride, but a few people told me it’s actually worth a watch. It’s based on a film of the same name, which was made in 1950. All in all it’s an enjoyable enough film, but unfortunately it’s also my worst wedding nightmare come to life.

It’s about a father, George Banks (Steve Martin), and his comedic journey of organising a wedding for his daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams). A lot of unfortunate yet funny things happen, particularly when the in-laws meet for the first time and when George has a break down in a supermarket.

[at a supermarket]
George: I’ll tell you what I’m doing. I want to buy eight hot dogs and eight hot dog buns to go with them. But no one sells eight hot dog buns. They only sell twelve hot dog buns. So I end up paying for four buns I don’t need. So I am removing the superfluous buns. Yeah. And you want to know why? Because some big-shot over at the wiener company got together with some big-shot over at the bun company and decided to rip off the American public. Because they think the American public is a bunch of trusting nit-wits who will pay for everything they don’t need rather than make a stink. Well they’re not ripping of this nitwit anymore because I’m not paying for one more thing I don’t need. George Banks is saying NO!
Stock Boy: Who’s George Banks?
George: ME!

father of the birde5.gif

But from the perspective of a soon-to-be bride, Father of the Bride becomes a terrifying movie.

As parents of the bride, George and his wife Nina (Dianne Keaton) pay for the entire wedding, but the cost of 500+ guests threatens debt and money troubles for the modest Banks family.

To George’s relief, his beloved daughter chooses to have the reception at home, which he hopes will save money. But the money saved is promptly spent on an elaborate wedding cake and a flamboyant wedding planner named Franck Eggelhoffer (Martin Short).

(At this point, I wish George would put his foot down but Nina encourages him to keep paying out for everything.)

father of the bride3.jpg

I’ve heard the wedding planner is many people’s favourite character because his accent is funny. But I think it’s so over-done, to the point that I could understand even less than the other characters could.

By the time the wedding day comes, the father doesn’t even get to try the food, see the cutting of the cake or the first dance because he is running around like a headless chook keeping everything in order.

Annie took advantage of her dad, and didn’t even say anything on the wedding day when he went missing.

father of the bride2.jpeg

While the ranting of George and his emotional turmoil is comedic and light-hearted, I found it a bit upsetting. Putting my parents through that much stress is my worst nightmare, and I’m sure many parents and brides would feel the same.

Not only did George lose his daughter, but the final scene shows him and his wife in a large empty home with rubbish and broken glasses littering the carpet.

Father of the bride4.jpg

Maybe I shouldn’t look so deeply into this family film.

The sequel came out in 1995, but I’m not in a hurry to see it.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Imagining My Man – Aldous Harding

aldous harding review

A blend of Joanna Newsom’s folk style and Kate Bush’s theatrical tone makes New Zealand’s Aldous Harding.

I had never heard of her before, but apparently one of her songs is on an advert back home at the moment.

The melody of Imagining My Man makes you melt; the soft keyboard and guitar relaxes you completely. The gentle clarinet (?) at the end is the cherry on top.

I’m going to answer, protecting
It can be so hard to forgive
It’s not what I thought, and it’s not what I pictured
When I was imagining my man

Her style of singing is certainly unique; I thought she was Swedish at first. But her distinctive voice is brilliant and full of emotion.

I love the rawness and honesty of Harding. I’ve watched a few live performances and she doesn’t hold back with exaggerated facial expressions. I heard her apologise ‘for what you’re about to see, but it’s all for the good of the song’ in the Tiny Desk Concert – I assume it was regarding her expressions. Nevertheless, I hope she doesn’t make a habit of apologising.

All my life (hey!) I’ve had to fight to stay
You were right, love takes time, hey, hey

I have since graduated on to another one of her songs, Horizon, which I love too.

Looking forward to hearing more of her!

Jodie

Black – Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi ft. Norah Jones

I heard this song on the epic TV show Breaking Bad and it gave be chills immediately.

Its melancholic, dreamy sound is amazing – Norah Jones’ voice was perfectly matches the tone. Choosing her to feature in this song was a brilliant decision.

Until you travel to that place you can’t come back
Where the last painting’s gone and all that’s left is black

I think it’s about hitting rock bottom, not being able to see anything good in the world – all you see is black.

At last those coming came and they never looked back
With blinding stars in their eyes but all they saw was black

It reminds me a little of a song that’s featured in Stranger than Fiction called La Petite Fille de la Mer, but Black is far heavier and darker… No pun intended.

Thank you Breaking Bad for a lot of things (don’t do drugs, kids!) but most of all for introducing me to this song, which features in season 4.

And when you follow through and wind up on your back
Looking up at those stars in the sky those white clouds have turned it black

Hard Times – Paramore

Hard Times-bg

I can’t stop listening to this brilliant song!

I stopped being a fan of Paramore a long time ago, but I stumbled across this song during a busy day at work creating a new-found love for Hayley Williams’ freakishly talented vocals.

Hard Times is on Paramore’s most recent album After Laughter, and it’s distinctly influenced by 1980s pop. It’s so catchy! I’ve had it on repeat for 72 hours straight. It sort of reminds me of Kiesza’s style (Hideaway).

Hard times
Gonna make you wonder why you even try
Hard times
Gonna take you down and laugh when you cry
These lives
And I still don’t know how I even survive
Hard times. Hard times.
And I gotta get to rock bottom!

Top 5: On-Screen Lovers Who Disliked Each Other Off-Screen

After finding out that Kathleen Turner and Nicholas Cage weren’t the best of friends in Peggy Sue Got Married, I decided to find out what other on-screen romances were less than genuine. Apparently there are a few!

It’s a shame that our favourite on-screen couples turn out to be played by people who strongly dislike one another. But from their point of view, what an awful situation to be in! It’s hard enough working with annoying or difficult people, but imagine having to pretend to be in love with them. Ugh. I guess that’s why actors are paid so much.

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton in The Notebook (2004)
Arguably the most romantic film out there. (I would personally argue against this.) But according to the director, Nick Cassavetes, these lovebirds got into a massive argument on set. Ryan Gosling even asking the director to get a different actress to read Rachel McAdam’s lines off camera. But apparently once the two hashed it out, they got on with it. Then later started dating. Hollywood, eh!

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as Christian Grey and Ana Steele in 50 Shade of Grey (2015)
A raunchy romance (which I can honestly say I have not watched or read) with this erotic pair was reportedly not a very convincing one. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson’s lack of authenticity resulted in multiple retakes, and off-screen they are apparently very cold toward each other.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Allegedly these star-crossed lovers were anything but. Although if true, I’m not entirely surprised. Claire Danes – 16-years-old at the time – apparently simply got fed up with 22-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio, who was constantly playing pranks on set. Seems like a bit of a playground spat to me.

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey as Johnny Castle and Baby Houseman in Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancing is a favourite for many (although, not mine). While the on-screen romance seemed authentic, apparently Patrick Swayze got fed up with Jennifer Grey’s ‘silly moods‘, and Grey needed convincing to work with Swayze again. (They had worked together before, and didn’t like each other much then either.)

Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts as Peter Brackett and Sabrina Peterson in I Love Trouble (1994)
I haven’t heard of this film before, actually. But the lack of on-screen chemistry between Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts is apparently obvious. They clashed on set, resulting in many scenes being filmed separately. Allegedly, Roberts called Nolte ‘disgusting’, and Nolte said Roberts is ‘not a nice person’, and they have never made-up.

Looking Forward to: Incredibles 2

I thoroughly enjoyed Incredibles. I wouldn’t say I’m a die-hard fan, but I’d definitely like to see this sequel when it graces our cinemas on June 15 – a mere five days before my birthday. A coincidence? I think not.

Incredibles 2 features all our favourite characters – Edna Mode being our favourite of course. But there is a vast array of new characters too, including ‘Winston Deavor’ voiced by Breaking Bad‘s Saul Goodman (AKA Bob Odenkirk).

However, there are a couple of actor swaps. One is Breaking Bad‘s Mike (AKA Jonathan Banks) who is now voicing ‘Rick Dicker’ after Bud Luckey passed away in February 2018.

Also, 10-year-old Dash who was voiced by Spencer Fox in the first film has been replaced by Huck Milner because Fox’s voice had since deepened.

The characters have not aged in the sequel, in fact, the plot of Incredibles 2 begins exactly where the first film left off, with a giant mole super villain causing trouble.

According to Wikipedia, the storyline follows the petition for ‘Supers’ to become legal crimefighters once again. But until that happens, the Parrs continue to fight away from the public eye. Meanwhile, baby Jack-Jack discovers his powers.

Who else is excited? Here’s the first official trailer:

Good Morning, Vietnam

Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Mitch Markowitz
Released: January 1988
Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker
—

A unique tale about the Vietnam war, seen through the eyes of an extraverted radio presenter, Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams), who has been hired as a DJ on the Armed Forces radio station in Vietnam.

Adrian: Goooooooood morning Vietnam! It’s 0600 hours. What does the “O” stand for? O my God, it’s early!

Cronauer is an outlandishly hilarious DJ who keeps the troops’ spirits up while serving in Vietnam. While most love him, Lt. Steven Hauk (Bruno Kirby) certainly doesn’t. Hauk’s dry, wooden ‘humour’ (or lack thereof) is hysterical, and he believes he can do a far better job on air. So the rivalry begins.

Lt Steven Hauk: I understand you’re pretty funny as a dee-jay and, well, comedy is kind of a hobby of mine. Well, actually, it’s a little more than just a hobby, Reader’s Digest is considering publishing two of my jokes.
Adrian: Really.
Lt Steven: Yeah. And perhaps some night we could maybe get together and swap humorous stories, for fun.
Adrian: Oh, why not? Maybe play a couple of Tennessee Ernie Ford records, that’d be a hoot.
Lt Steven: That’s a joke, right?
Adrian: Maybe.
Lt Steven: I get it.

It’s based on a real life DJ of the same name, but he explains in an interview (on the DVD extras) that the film is only loosely based on his experiences in Vietnam.

Lt. Steven Hauk: Sir, in my heart, I know I’m funny.

Robin Williams was the only possible choice to play Cronauer. His improv is unlike any other. Apparently there was too much footage to know what to do with once Williams let loose on the microphone! Imagine being the editor of Good Morning, Vietnam, I bet it was all comedy gold! His impersonations are absolutely hilarious!

Adrian as Camp Fashion Consultant: I want to tell you something. You know, this whole camouflage thing, for me, doesn’t work very well.
Adrian: Why is that?
Adrian as Camp Fashion Consultant: Because you go in the jungle, I can’t see you. You know, it’s like wearing stripes and plaid. For me, I want to do something different. You know, you go in the jungle, make a statement. If you’re going to fight, clash. You know what I mean?

Cronauer soon ventures outside of the station and into Vietnam, and that’s when we see the destruction of war. The contrast is shocking and it takes a toll on Cronauer as he can’t believe the amount of things the station isn’t reporting. The news is filtered and censored.

Adrian: RIGHT! In… in Saigon today, according to official sources, nothing actually happened. One thing that didn’t officially happen was a bomb didn’t officially explode at 1430 hours, unofficially destroying Jimmy Wah’s cafe.

The film is a constant blend of comedy and melancholy. About making the best of a bad situation, and keeping perspective. The sadness of the Vietnam war is tangible in this film, but so is the light at the end of the tunnel, which is Cronauer.

Despite a few parts that lag, Good Morning, Vietnam is a brilliant film. I’d say it has a great script but it’s actually Williams’ improv that takes the cake. It wouldn’t be a memorable film if it wasn’t for his talent as a performer. It’s so impressive.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

Top 10: Actors Who Regretted Their Iconic Roles

I never considered it before, but some actors genuinely regret roles they have accepted. I guess it’s quite difficult to tell if a film will be good or not when all you have to go on is a black and white script. I suppose there’s a lot of trust involved in accepting a role.

Some of these actors regret the roles because the film was a flop, and some of them resent their character because it made them internationally famous.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars
The late Carrie Fisher said she had no idea how big the Star Wars franchise was going to be. According to Today.com, she said: “I would never have done it. All I did when I was really famous was wait for it to end.” She accepted the role in the most recent Star Wars because she said it’s tough getting work in Hollywood when you’re the wrong side of 30.

Sean Connery as James Bond
In 2004, Sean Connery told The Guardian: “I have always hated that damned James Bond, I’d like to kill him.” He was fed up with it after nine James Bond films. While he swore he’d never play James Bond again after Diamonds are Forever, he did do one more: Never Say Never Again. Ironically.

Kate Winslet as Rose in Titanic (1997)
Not only did Kate Winslet regret doing the infamous nude scene, she also despises her acting in the film. According to Hollywood, she found her acting to be cringe-worthy: “Every single scene, I’m like ‘Really, really? You did it like that? Oh my God.’ Even my American accent, I can’t listen to it. It’s awful. Hopefully it’s so much better now.”

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
On the third Bourne film, Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon was not happy with it. He called it a “career-ender” according to Indiewire. “I don’t blame Tony Gilroy (the screenwriter) for taking a boatload of money and handing in what he handed in. It’s just that it was unreadable.” While Matt Damon refused to feature in the fourth film, The Bourne Legacy, he did return in 2012 for Jason Bourne because Paul Greenhouse returned to direct and co-write it.

Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in Twilight Saga
I don’t blame him. This is the kind of franchise that you’ll never be able shake. Zac Efron will always be that guy from High School Musical, Jennifer Lawrence will always be that chick from The Hunger Games, Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter and Robert Pattinson will be that dude from Twilight. Speaking with Empire in 2008, Robert said: “The more I read the script, the more I hated this guy, so that’s how I played him, as a manic-depressive who hates himself. Plus, he’s a 108-year-old virgin so he’s obviously got some issues there.” (I can’t actually find the article where he says this, but a lot of website say he did.)

George Clooney as Batman in Batman & Robin
In 2015, George Clooney spoke on the Graham Norton show about always saying sorry for his performance as Batman: “I always apologize for Batman & Robin. Let me just say that I’d actually thought I’d destroyed the franchise until somebody else brought it back years later and changed it.” Apparently Clooney keeps a photo of himself as Batman in his house to remind himself what happens when you do something purely for the money. Yeesh. (PS. Why did Clooney’s Batman costume need to have nipples?)

Katherine Heigl as Alison Scott in Knocked Up (2007)
Anne Hathaway was originally cast in the role of Alison in the film, but dropped out due to creative reasons. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kate Bosworth auditioned for the part after Hathaway dropped out, but ended up losing out to Katherine Heigl. Despite the fight for the role, in 2008 Katherine Heigl told Vanity Fair that Knocked Up was “a little bit sexist” and didn’t like how her character came across as a kill-joy. Seth Rogen said he had no idea she felt that way, and had a great time making the movie with her. Their feud was very public and Heigl regrets that her comments are all anyone can remember about the film.

Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Shia LaBeouf said at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival that his acting let the film down: “You get to monkey-swinging and things like that and you can blame it on the writer and you can blame it on (director) Steven (Spielberg), but the actor’s job is to make it come alive and make it work, and I couldn’t do it. So that’s my fault.” He maybe went a bit far in telling Vanity Fair that he “[didn’t] like the movies that I made with Spielberg. The only movie that I liked that we made together was Transformers one.” Ouch.

Matthew Broderick as Walter Kresby in The Stepford Wives (2004)
Actually, it wasn’t just Matthew Broderick, it was much of the Stepford cast including Nicole Kidman who didn’t like how the film was turning out. Kidman almost walked away from the film entirely. Broderick was reported saying he didn’t find the filming fun (partly because his mum was sick at the time) and he didn’t play a particularly interesting character. The Stepford Wives had massive rewrites according to IMDb, and director Frank Oz said he regrets how many mistakes he made on the film.

Cher as Tess in Burlesque (2010)
Not only did singer Cher say Burlesque wasn’t a good movie, she also said she wasn’t happy with how her character was portrayed. “It had a few good moments, but I didn’t even like my performance that much… What, I don’t have a brain? I’m old but I’m still pretty on top of everything.” I have to say, I agree with her entirely.

The Couple Next Door – Shari Lapena

Writer: Shari Lapena
Genre: Mystery/crime
Released: 2017
Blurb: You never know what’s happening on the other side of the wall. Your neighbour told you that she didn’t want your six-month-old daughter at the dinner party. Nothing personal, she just couldn’t stand her crying. Your husband said it would be fine. After all, you only live next door. You’ll have the baby monitor and you’ll take it in turns to go back every half hour. Your daughter was sleeping when you checked on her last. But now, as you race up the stairs in your deathly quiet house, your worst fears are realized. She’s gone.

—
I’ve heard this book is considered to be the next best thriller since The Girl on the Train. While it is most certainly a page-turner (I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel this quickly before), I don’t think the storyline or mystery is on par with The Girl on the Train.

Of course, the money’s in the bag within the first couple of chapters. Playing on everyone’s worst fear of having their child go missing is a gripping basis for a novel. But there were a few major flaws to this story that meant that what began as a brilliantly horrifying story soon turns into an un-mysterious tale.

The main reason for this is Detective Rasbach, who is investigating how Anne and Marco Contis’ baby was kidnapped. While it’s good to have a wise and experienced person in charge, like a Miss Marple/Hercule Poirot kind of character, it is not ideal to have a character who is always right. Regretfully his ‘suspicions’ are always proved to be correct within a couple of chapters, giving the game away too early before every twist and turn.

We shouldn’t be inside Rasbach’s head as frequently because his thoughts reveal the mysteries prematurely. It’s like watching a horror film with someone who commentates it: ‘I bet they die’ or ‘I bet there will be an explosion’, then having them promptly proved correct every time. It spoils the surprises.

Secondly, the entire backstory of Anne is rendered unnecessary and useless. I don’t want to give anything away, but her issues are irrelevant and the conclusion to her part of the story wasn’t needed. Yes, it was twisted and scary, but it didn’t actually have anything to do with the main storyline.

While the story is more crime than mystery, it is a novel that will hook you in from the very first page, which I loved.

Ditch the idea of it being an Agatha Christie mystery, and think about it more as a twisted Gillian Flynn-inspired tale about desperate characters risking it all. Appreciate The Couple Next Door for Lapena’s writing technique, brilliant construction of the story and emotional development. But don’t expect much from the storyline itself (thanks to a certain character giving it away all the time).

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Peggy Sue Got Married

Continue reading “Peggy Sue Got Married”

Wedding Crashers

Director: David Dobkin
Writers: Steve Faber and Bob Fisher
Released: July 2005
Starring: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Jane Seymour
—

While it’s crudely about John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn) crashing random weddings to get lucky, it’s certainly a very funny film once everyone’s put their boobs away.

What begins as just another wedding to find a fling, ends with John developing a genuine crush on Maid of Honour Claire Cleary (Rachel McAdams). However, Jeremy is trying to convince John to escape the wedding early as Claire’s wildly intense and immature sister Gloria (Isla Fisher) forms a strong attachment to Jeremy.

While there is a lot of swearing, there is also a ton of very funny one-liners.

At the end of the wedding, Gloria demands that Jeremy come to her family’s summer home for the weekend. While John jumps at the chance with the hopes of getting to know Claire better, Jeremy finds himself trapped by the scary nutcase that is Gloria.

From here, I thoroughly enjoy the Claire/John half of the story, and not so much the Jeremy/Gloria storyline. Purely because I like a plain old love triangle, and am not such a fan of the crude humour that is typically associated with Vince Vaughn.

Owen Wilson plays the classic ‘good guy’ character as usual, which I adore! He goes out of his way to sabotage Claire’s cheating boyfriend to keep him out of the picture for as long as possible.

[Playing football]
John: Oh, *you’re* gonna cover me.
Claire: Like white on rice.
John: All right I like my odds here. Let me give you a little warning, I’m going downtown.
Look for me in the endzone after this play, I’ll be the guy holding the ball.

John’s love interest is Claire who is played by Rachel McAdams, who conveniently happens to be my love interest because she is so upsettingly pretty. How does she do it? I don’t know whether to be pleased or angry when she’s on screen because I’m so jealous of her beauty. I could cry it’s so unfair.

Anyway. Be that is it may.

Vince Vaughn’s character experiences some pretty freaky situations with the Cleary family, which leaves you cringing but ultimately in fits of giggles. Isla Fisher’s character is really scary. She’s everyone’s worst nightmare of an ex.

Gloria: Jeremy, you’re amazing!
Jeremy: I think you’re amazing…
Gloria: Don’t *ever* leave me.
Jeremy: Ever.
Gloria [in sing-song voice]: Good… Because I’d find you!

Nevertheless, it is very funny watching Jeremy and John keep up their aliases in front of Claire, Gloria and their posh but highly inappropriate family.

It’s cheap and dirty, but with an unexpectedly wholesome storyline in parts. Ultimately, it’s an entertaining summer comedy!

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

Why I Love the Harry Potter Franchise

“Merlin’s beard! You must be Harry Potter!”

Harry Potter has been a name I have been familiar with since the age of six. My uncle in Scotland rang my mum to ask if she had heard of a series that’s rising in popularity, a series about a magical boy with glasses. She hadn’t. None of us had really, not down here in New Zealand where we were simply surrounded by Ringers (Lord of the Rings fans).

Despite the first Harry Potter book being released in 1997, we got our first copy from my uncle in 2000. But it wasn’t until my eighth birthday that I really became familiar with Harry Potter, as I was gifted the VHS of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I remember being so excited that I tried to watch it before school, and I couldn’t wait to get back home to finish it.

That’s when I knew, yes, it was that day when I released that I would grow up, not to become a Gleek (Glee fan), nor a Twi-hard (Twilight fan), nor a Trekkie (Star Trek fan) or a fully fledged Whovian (Dr. Who fan). No. I was destined to be a Potterhead.

Despite never receiving my Hogwarts acceptance letter by Owl Mail on my 11th birthday, I still retained my love for the magical world and my increasing boredom with the muggle world.

THE DETAILED WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

I’ve read the Harry Potter books, and continue to reread them. I’ve watched every Harry Potter film and continue to re-watch them. I find them to be the perfect form of escapism; it’s easy to get lost in a world when it is so well thought through and detailed.

The dialogue

But what really keeps me hooked, is the language. It’s authentic and entertaining to say the least.

“…by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!” – Professor McGonagall

The language incapsulates emotion in the magical world.

“What’s got your wand in a knot?” – Hermione

At other times, it’s enlightening:

“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Dumbledore

The magical language is not just reserved for spells, it’s a part of everyday dialogue for the characters without alienating the audience. Which, as naff as you may think it is to make up wizarding words, is pretty clever.

The names

Even down to the character names; they perfectly suit their personalities. They give a hint to their characteristics immediately: Rita Skeeter, Argus Filch, Snape, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Rubeus Hagrid… They all ‘conjure up’ accurate assumptions to the characters’ personalities.

The house names have the same incredible representations and familiarities to the personalities of its members too:

Hufflepuff: A fluffy name. Makes me think of air-heads and kind, friendly students
Slytherin: Sly, sneaky, mean and untrustworthy students
Ravenclaw: Wise, clever and knowledgeable students
Gryffindor: Brave leaders, helpful and courageous students

The creatures and magical objects

All the different bits and bobs of the wizarding world like Butterbeers and remembralls and time-turners.

Or creatures like Hippocrates (who are vain part-horse, part-bird creatures) and thestrals (who are skeletal, leathery, winged horses that can only be seen by witches and wizards who have witnessed death), along with cruel merpeople (mermaids), cheeky pixies, dangerous trolls and friendly ghouls.

Spells and potions

The spells and potions at Hogwarts are unfathomable. How much thought has gone into make them so unquestionably natural and perfectly believable?

Polyjuice potion, amortentia (love potion), Felix Felicis (liquid luck)… The list goes on.

“By your age, he could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing you the time.” – Alastor Mad-Eye Moody

All of these things have created a watertight world, which has attracted a mass of Potterheads. I think it’s at the very least, an environment to gain inspiration for budding writers, and a safe place for dizzy daydreamers.

Considering it all began in a small cafe called The Elephant House in Edinburgh – where I have visited in order to be inspired by a multi-million pound story idea – Harry Potter is not just about the boy who lived. But about JK Rowling – a single mother who was grieving the loss of her own mum while living on benefits. She’s the woman who made it.

POTTERMORE

Did you know there is a place on the internet just for Potterheads? It’s called Pottermore. The website will sort you into a house, work out your Patronus Charm, and a wand will choose you. For example:

I was placed in the house of Hufflepuff, which I think was well-suited because it’s for kind and gentle people who are a bit dim and not particularly brave. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule like Cedric Diggory and Nymphadora Tonks who are both brave Hufflepuffers.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” (Translates to English as “I AWAIT A GUARDIAN!”)
My Patronus Charm is of a St. Bernard dog:
Despite its large and intimidating size, the St. Bernard is known to be kind, loving, and gentle. Great with families and very loyal, the St. Bernard will always be by your side. They are quick to protect family members who may be in danger and often act as a guardian for those around them. Strong and powerful due to their size, the St. Bernard will fight off Dementors and stand by you, come what may.

I believe this to be ill-suited because I think I should have had a horse, like Ginny Weasley’s Patronus.

The wand that chose me is made of alder wood with a Unicorn hair core, it’s 11 ¼” long and has a surprisingly swishy flexibility.
“Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable.”

Of course if you’re not a massive Potterhead, you can always enjoy the memes it has produced. I recommend following @HogwartsLogic on Twitter and Facebook.

There has been an extraordinary amount of Harry Potter-inspired gifs and memes, which will make you giggle.

And a few ‘dad jokes’ too.

Groundhog Day

Director: Harold Ramis
Writer: Harold Ramis, Danny Rubin
Released: February 1993
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
—

Groundhog Day is one of my favourite comedies by a long shot.

Bill Murray is perfect for the role of sarcastic weather man Phil Connors who finds himself reliving the same day over and over again.

Radio DJs: Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today. It’s coooold out there every day.

It’s not his favourite day to relive, in fact it’s one of his least favourite days of the year. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in USA and Canada whereby a groundhog is pulled out of a hutch in front of crowds of people and ‘predicts’ when the first day of Spring will be.

Phil Connors’ day is reset every morning to relive Groundhog Day repeatedly, so after a few days of confusion, he throws himself into doing exactly what he’s always wanted to do knowing tomorrow will never come. This film lives out our fantasy of living a life without consequences.

Phil: Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?
Mrs. Lancaster: I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.

He drinks, he flirts, he lies, he eats only doughnuts and even learns piano. After getting bored, he begins to wonder how to escape this loop.

Piano Teacher: Not bad… Mr. Connors, you say this is your first lesson?
Phil: Yes, but my father was a piano *mover*, so…

He soon stoops to an absolute low of depression through this entrapment in a small town in a blizzard on corny Groundhog Day. So Connors kills himself. Again. And again. But he still wakes up unharmed the next morning. He concludes he’s an invincible God.

Bill Murray was the perfect choice, because his glum, dark humour is perfect for the brutish and egotistical, but hilarious, Phil Connors.

Phil: I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank piña coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. *That* was a pretty good day. Why couldn’t I get *that* day over, and over, and over…

The script, if I remember correctly, was massively controversial before they began filming. Because who would really want to watch a character go through the same day over and over again? While the first few scenes are boring for me to watch now that I’ve seen the film about 103 times, luckily they went ahead with the film because the first watch will be sure to make you chuckle.

If you’re not laughing at Connors’ comments and insults, you’ll be laughing out of sheer frustration for the character.

This comedy soon turns into a philosophical drama/romance, which actually makes you contemplate a little about what you’d really want to do with your life. Treating every day as though it’s your last, or even worse, as though today is going to repeat for eternity. That’s a scary thought.

Phil: Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.

Groundhog Day is a classic, and is frequently referred to in films and in every day conversation to describe a monotonous and uneventful day.

It’s easy to watch, is family-friendly (for the most part), and a little less shallow than the average comedy.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Serendipity

Director: Peter Chelsom
Writer: Marc Klein
Released: October 2001
Starring: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale
—

Sara: [Serendipity is] such a nice sounding word for what it means: a fortunate accident.

This is our Christmas film because it’s set at Christmas time in snowy New York – so magical!

It’s a fantasy romance film about fate, and whether you should act on impulse or allow life to take the wheel. When Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) meet on Christmas Eve by chance, Jonathan falls in love with her straight away, but Sara believes they must leave it to fate.

If they are meant to be together, then fate will bring them back together. So, Sara leaves after a beautiful night together in hopes of seeing him again.

Ten years on, fate couldn’t have directed them further apart. But, they can’t stop thinking about each other despite not having been in touch since that one magical night. They go about trying to find each other again, and a comedic adventure ensues!

It’s an easy-to-watch romance with a ‘too good to be true’ magical storyline. Which, I am in no way complaining about. I love magical romances.

John Cusack has a brilliant comedic energy about him, and Kate Beckinsale has a wonderful elegance to her without being too ‘perfect’.

I love how both characters have philosophical sidekicks (Jonathan’s friend Dean (Jeremy Piven) and Sara’s friend Eve (Molly Shannon)) to put their ridiculous missions into perspective.

Eve: And if you’re smart enough, you learn from your mistakes. You figure it out. You… you think. You realize that life isn’t some elaborate stage play with directions for the actors. Life’s a mess, Sara. It’s… it’s chaos personified.

I love the deep and meaningful nature of this film. The underlying tone is one of strength and empowerment to do what you want, and to get what you want.

Eve: You see, that is what happens when people get hooked on the new-age life. They end up sitting at home burning candles for mister right, when mister good-enough-for-right-now is waiting at the corner bar!

You’ll walk away feeling nothing but happiness with a new-found faith in love, and a new-found sense of power over your life.

Dean: You know the Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: “Did he have passion?”.

It’s one of my favourite rom-coms, even though you need a decent amount of suspension of disbelief! The only thing missing was an inspirational soundtrack, I think.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

My Favourite Advert: Lloyds Bank – Black Horses

I’m a sucker for brilliant television adverts. I know they’re only doing it to sell us something, but you can’t deny the talent behind them. Therefore, I’m embarrassed to say that I am writing this review on a bank’s TV advertisement by choice, and sadly not being paid.

My favourite advert at the moment is the Lloyds Bank advert with the black horses running up the beach. Not only because they’re beautiful horses (I love horses), but because the perfect song they have matched it to.

If you haven’t seen it, this is it. Turn the sound up, and don’t be afraid to cry a bit. A lot.

Before this most recent one, there was their advert showing their iconic black horse running through the lives of people just as they’re making the next big step in their lives. Having a baby, proposing, funerals – special moments that require money.

I was concerned for the horse’s feet as they were running on concrete. I assumed it must have all been green screen, but actually the horses are running on either rubber matting or they are wearing rubber horse shoes to provide cushioning.

Here’s how they made it:

(While the horses are very well trained, they don’t always stick to the director’s notes:)

However, my favourite Lloyds advert will forever be this one. Mostly because of the final scene of the horse hacking it up the beach with school kids racing after it. I think I love it partly because it looks like a New Zealand beach, but it’s actually a beach in Wales – Rhossili Bay in Swansea.

I like emotional, melancholy adverts that are a bit nostalgic. I guess it’s pretty easy to get this effect though – slow motion footage against touching music. Still a brilliantly choreographed set of adverts.

PS. I’m proud to say that I have met one of these beautiful black horses in the flesh. It’s the one cantering through the forest in one of the commercials above. He’s an Andalusian and visited Dorset last year at the Dorchester show.

Top 10: Actors Who Stopped Getting Typecast

Ricky Gervais loves being typecast, he says that actors should do what they do best and not feel the pressure to play different parts.

However, this is clearly not the view of a lot of actors who seem to be trying to shake their ‘character’. Some have not been successful, such as Jack Black and Adam Sandler, who forever play the School of Rock and Happy Gilmore type characters.

Jennifer Aniston is still being typecast as her Friends character Rachel in various rom-coms, despite the attempts to ditch it such as in Cake or The Good Girl.

Will Ferrell ditched his ‘mean but dumb funnyman’ character in Stranger Than Fiction, Robin Williams played a very serious role in Good Will Hunting, and Owen Wilson almost detached from the funny guy persona in Midnight in Paris.

For other actors such as Daniel Radcliffe and Robert Pattinson, I don’t think their iconic roles as Harry Potter and Edward Cullen will ever be able to be shaken, sadly. That is despite their clear acting ability.

Meanwhile other actors have been successful in breaking free from their typecast, and are in all sorts of films now.

I think the top five female actors (are we allowed to say actresses anymore?) who narrowly escaped being typecast are:

Rosamund Pike
I wrote about Pike’s change in public perception in my post What are you like, Rosamund Pike. Just when we thought she was forever going to play the smart, elegant and beautiful lady-like characters in films like Pride & Prejudice, Made in Dagenham and The World’s End, she goes and does something like Gone Girl! Which, I’m sure surprised us all. She’s certainly shown Hollywood what she’s capable of. Having said that, have we seen her in anything big since..? Eek.

Emma Stone
She was the rough and ready comedy support actress, and I think that’s where we thought she’d always stay. The Superbad, The House Bunny, Zombieland, Friends with Benefits kind of girl. But then The Help came along, showing her dramatic and compassionate side, then Spiderman, then La La Land, which turned her into an all-singing, all-dancing serious actress! Love her.

Kate Winslet
Sense & Sensibility turned into Titanic, and Finding Neverland turned into The Holiday. Kate Winslet remains a brilliant dramatic actress who sometimes showed her comedic side (like in Extras). But if you look closer at her career, you’ll find some gems that shows a totally different side to Kate Winslet. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind being one, where she plays an eccentric woman. The Dressmaker being another, where she plays a flamboyant Australian. I guess she is still typecast in a way, but she has shown that she can do so much more.

Reese Witherspoon
I wrote her off, because she’s always played ‘the blonde’. The Legally Blonde airhead, then Sweet Home Alabama and Little Nicky. But then Walk the Line happened, and suddenly Reese Witherspoon was a genuine and talented dramatic actress who could sing beautifully. THEN, there was Wild. And I was sold. I’ve heard she’s amazing in Devil’s Knot too.

Jennifer Lawrence
At first, I thought she was going to forever remain as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, then I thought she’d be typecast as a sci-fi blue thing in X-Men (I haven’t watched the X-Men series). But each time she managed to escape the typecast hold! With movies like Silver Lining, American Hustle and Joy keeping her not only out of reach of typecasting, but also the highest paid female actor of 2015 and 2016.

The top five male actors who narrowly escaped being typecast are:

Jim Carrey
He may have been typecast during the ’90s as the goofy, outlandish comedy actor of Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and The Cable Guy, but there was a sudden turn closer to the naughties. There was Liar, Liar (a personal favourite), and then The Truman Show, which showed a far more serious side. Man on the Moon showed yet another angle, then the biggest leap of all in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In this film, he was a nervous, serious introvert. (It’s joked that Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet swapped their typecast roles in this film.) He was made for the part. He returned to children’s films after that (Dr Seuss and A Christmas Carol), but is sadly slowly riding the curve back to being typecast in cheap and dirty comedy sequels.

Bryan Cranston
This actor was forever Malcolm in the Middle‘s dad. But actually, I think he was born to be a dramatic actor in serious roles. It seems he was accidentally made famous in comedy roles instead! He could have easily stayed on that road of comedy, but he escaped. First came a small role in Little Miss Sunshine, then Drive, then Argo… But suddenly, there was a TV show that no one could stop talking about. Breaking Bad. And now we look at Bryan Cranston a little differently and with a little more respect than we did when he was Malcolm’s dad.

Steve Carell
In his early career, Carell was credited as a ‘Mailroom Guy without Glasses’ in a 1998 film called Tomorrow Night. He soon found himself climbing the ropes in the comedy genre. Bruce Almighty, Anchorman and 40-Year-Old Virgin were quick to follow. Then out of nowhere was Little Miss Sunshine, where Carell played a reasonably serious role of a suicidal, gay scholar. In between his typecasting, serious roles keep cropping up, like The Way Way Back, where he plays a really mean dick of a stepdad. Then Foxcatcher, which I really need to watch. These brilliantly serious roles in his career have acted as a red flag to Hollywood, telling them that he has the ability and the power to resist his comedic typecast.

Jonah Hill
It all began in the massive Hollywood comedies – 40-Year-Old Virgin, Click, Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek… Then he stepped up a notch and did 21 Jump Street and everyone was like ‘whaaaaaat, is that the same guy?’ because he lost a ton of weight. Not only had his look changed, but so did the kind of work he got. He began to get into more serious roles like The Wolf of Wall Street and Django Unchained in between sequels to successful comedies and animation films. Go Jonah!

Bradley Cooper
Does this guy have the same agent as Jennifer Lawrence? Because he’s in a ton of the same films as her now. He began in comedy, the Wedding Crashers being a memorable feature, Yes Man and The Hangover of course. I thought rom/coms was where he’d stay, but somewhere along the way he got into a bit more action, like Limitless. Then that progressed to The Place Beyond the Pines, American Hustle and Joy. This has extended into superhero films! I personally don’t like the guy because he seems a bit pompous, but he sure can act in a variety of roles!

There are lots of all-rounders or ‘chameleon’ actors who could never be typecast! They show how talented they are in every genre and in every role. These include:
Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Leonardo DiCaprio… The list goes on!

Everybody’s Fine

Director: Kirk Jones
Writer: Kirk Jones
Released: December 2009
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell
—

“Frank’s travelling light but carrying excess baggage”

It’s a film I’d never heard of, but bought at a second hand shop on a whim because it featured Robert DeNiro.

It’s advertised as a drama and marketed around Christmas time because of the family themes in the story. However, I think it would have brought a dark cloud over the holidays if you were to watch this film during December! The marketing is incredibly misleading:

It’s not funny. It’s not happy. It’s not carefree.

Everybody’s Fine is a remake of an Italian film of the same name. It’s about recently widowed Frank Goode (Robert DeNiro) who organises a family reunion, but all of his adult children cancel on him. So, he packs a small suitcase and sets off on a journey to visit each one unannounced.

Hoping to be a part of their wonderfully successful lives, he quickly finds that his children aren’t doing as well as they say they are. They have been separated from each other by geographical and emotional distance, and are all experiencing hard times one way or another.

It’s a hard-hitting and overall sad journey, certainly not an uplifting festive film. It’s about family drifting apart, and protecting each other with secrets. It’s upsetting seeing DeNiro’s character’s disappointment and helplessness.

I think if all the pain and upset led to a more cheerful conclusion, or if there was more relief, then it would have been worth while. But unfortunately this story of broken families and damaged people is far too common, and it comes across as more of a disastrous series of events, which will probably hit a little too close to home for many.

I planned on donating this film back to the second hand shop, but it’s still on my desk at work. I didn’t realise how much the storyline got me – it’ll give you a lump in your throat for sure. But ultimately, it’s a film that will bring you down to earth and take the spring out of your step for a while.

So, I’ll probably never watch it again if I’m honest. Kind of like the movie Seven Pounds. It’s a powerful, but hopelessly depressing one-time watch.

If anything, the film portrays the emotional journey of Frank very well. But despite having comedic/light-hearted actors cast (Robert DeNiro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell…), it’s not a funny film. I think it was supposed to be a ‘Christmas dramaedy’, but it definitely missed the mark.

Not terrible, but also not something you’d want to gift to anyone.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

A Quiet Place

quietplace

Director: John Krasinski
Writer: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck
Released: April 2018
Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski
—

I was expecting a lot from this movie because I had heard and read incredible reviews.

Without reading up about what the film was about – as I correctly thought this may giveaway too much about this thriller – I went in with optimism and excitement. I was about to be thrilled by my favourite actress, Emily Blunt.

It’s about a family who is living in the year 2020 among blind alien beings who hunt using only sound. Therefore, everyone must be silent if they are to survive. This dystopian future was brilliantly thought-out as the way of life changes significantly, from not eating with noisy knives and forks, to walking barefooted on sand rather than stones.

A Quiet Place sets the story up quickly, explains the world and what is at stake within the first 15 minutes or so. Despite the silence of the beginning, your attention is held fast. The story grows in suspense quickly, accelerated by the fact that you don’t actually see the monsters in the flesh until a lot later. They only show extreme close-ups and flashes of them in the distance. Classic The Blair Witch Project technique, whereby your imagination makes it a lot scarier than it is.

I’m struggling to say much more without giving the game away because the trailer gives away next to nothing – and rightly so! Because the less you know about this movie, the better it is.

quietplace2

What I loved about this film is that it is unlike anything I have ever seen before. If I had to choose a likeness, I’d probably say War of the Worlds is the closest because of the alien invasion story line with a family in the centre of it.

However, A Quite Place focused heavily on the unspoken – for obvious reasons. This meant that the emotional tension was very high because the rocky relationships between some of the family members was amplified by the silence.

It is a genius concept that was so well thought-through and executed.

The actors did particularly well with not over-acting, which would have been easy to do as they had very little dialogue to rely on, compounded by them using sign language in the film. They were essentially in a silent movie and would have had to go back to basics.

I was thinking who else could have played Emily Blunt’s role and I couldn’t think of anyone who could have done better. The character was strong, warm, modest, maternal and brave. So I understand why Blunt’s action and romance background would have been appealing.

Of course, the real reason she was chosen is because her husband in real life, John Krasinski (from US series The Office), played her character’s husband in the movie (he looks an awful lot like Shia LeBeouff with that beard). He also directed and co-wrote the film. Nevertheless, I don’t think there was anyone who could have played the role better.

Their children in the movie were brilliant. The daughter is deaf, and the actor who played her is deaf in real life. She didn’t look much like either of the parents in the movie, but I can see why they cast her anyway. She was faultless.

quietplace3

While this movie is certainly a horror/thriller, its dramatic story line is extremely emotional indeed. I was sobbing all the way through it. There is so much at stake and this family love each other so much – they won’t let anything happen to each other. But in this dangerous environment not everything is within their control.

From a ponsy scholarly point-of-view this movie will be dissected and studied in film school for years to come. They used sound, or more appropriately the lack-of sound, really well. Particularly the shots from the point-of-view of their deaf daughter where the sound is muted completely.

However, from an average audience member’s point-of-view, this film is Blu-Ray-worthy and a brilliant watch… Until the final scene.

Up until the final scene, this movie was a strong 9/10. Only losing marks due to a couple of disagreements I personally had with the story line, and a couple of pointless scary moments that were included just to make you jump. While I expected that from cheap and dirty Hollywood horrors, I didn’t expect it from A Quiet Place. Having said that, it only happened once or twice.

So yes, the ending. The ending didn’t conclude as I expected, nor did it wrap up the family’s problems satisfactorily. This 90-minute film needed an extra 10 minutes to show what we all assume happened. (I’m struggling not to give too much away here.) Therefore, A Quiet Place is a strong 8/10.

I highly recommend watching it, even if you’re not a horror fan. Yes, it is certainly scary, but more than anything, it is full of hope and strength and an emotional family bond. You will cry more through admiration and sadness than you will from being terrified.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

About Time

Director: Richard Curtis
Writer: Richard Curtis
Released: June 2013
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie
—

From the brain behind The Boat that Rocked, Notting Hill, Love Actually and Bridget Jones comes a warm and fuzzy, all-nice, all-good, hot chocolate and cuddles on a rainy day kind of story. It’s called About Time. (If you loved Driving Lessons, I think you’d enjoy this film.)

I love coming-of-age films, there’s nothing better than seeing bog-standard, everyday man-on-the-street kind of characters on the tellie accomplishing the extraordinary and telling you that everything will be alright in the end.

About Time is one of the best feel-good comedy/dramas out there, partly because it’s to do with time travel. It’s about an innocent and quiet boy called Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) who at the humble age of 21 is told by his father (Bill Nighy) that, like every man in his family, he can travel back in time.

While his grandfathers before him used time travel to make more money, and his father went back to read as many books as he could, Tim decides to use time travel to improve his love life. He soon begins to learn some harsh lessons.

Tim: Lesson Number One: All the time traveling in the world can’t make someone love you.

After a few of life’s trip-ups, a twist of fate and a lot of laughs, Tim finds Mary (Rachel McAdams) and goes about to win her heart. But that’s not the end of the adventure, as life intervenes and reminds Tim that he may be able to time travel, but he’s still going to experience hard times.

Tim: There’s a song by Baz Luhrmann called Sunscreen. He says worrying about the future is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life will always be things that never crossed your worried mind.

To match the emotion and tone of this film is a fantastic soundtrack, including Nick Cave’s Into My Arms and At the River by Groove Armada. It’s a great soundtrack, which supports Tim’s emotional journey throughout the backdrops of London and Cornwall.

I would watch anything Bill Nighy is in, and Domhnall Gleeson is pretty cool too. But I adore Rachel McAdams, I’m so pleased she was cast. Although she is so annoyingly beautiful, which they didn’t do a good job of hiding! I don’t think the bookworm character of Mary was supposed to be quite so attractive…

Mum: Mary! Good Lord, you’re pretty.
Mary: Oh, no. It’s just… I’ve got a lot of mascara and lipstick on.
Mum: Let’s have a look… Oh, yes. Good. It’s very bad for a girl to be too pretty. It stops her developing a sense of humor. Or a personality.

I love how, despite Tim’s efforts, things still don’t work out perfectly every time. Because life always interferes – just like with everyone else. It rains on the wedding, family members get hurt, people die, and things don’t always happen in an ideal order. In fact, life or fate is a character of its own in this film.

About Time is full of solid advice, the ‘what-ifs’ explained, and the strength of family. You will laugh, you will cry, and you’ll want to hug your favourite people a little harder.

Tim: And in the end I think I’ve learned the final lesson from my travels in time… I now don’t travel back at all, not even for the day. I just try to live every day as if I’ve deliberately come back to this one day, to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life.

It’s a beautiful script and despite its slow pace, was executed into a film brilliantly. It’s one of my favourite films and perfect for a family movie night. But you will cry. So, you’ve be warned.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Top 5: Favourite On-Screen Duos

I was thinking about Ant and Dec, and the unfortunate circumstances that led to Dec having to do the Saturday Night Take Away on his own. I thought, without taking away from their obvious talent, how one can’t do much without the other. You always see them together, and they are at their best together.

It’s the same with the Australian equivalent – Hamish and Andy. They bounce off each other and their energy is great together. But something’s missing when they’re on their own.

I guess these television duos are contractually obliged to stay together now for the good of their careers and pay-packet, but I get the feeling that they love being with each other off the screen too.

That got me thinking about film duos – the actors we always see together on-screen, but get the feeling they hang out off-screen too.

Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller

Good-guy Wilson and funnyman Stiller are always working together! Ever since the 1990s actually. It almost seems weird seeing one but not the other in movies. Sometimes they include their third wheel Vince Vaughn, which is cute.
The Cable Guy
Permanent Midnight
Meet the Parents
The Royal Tenenbaums
Zoolander
Starsky & Hutch
Meet the Fockers
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Little Fockers
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Zoolander 2

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

I feel like these two were the smart-cool guys at school. Like, if Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller were the ones who screwed around in class, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were the ones who knuckled down in class, getting good grades, while winning American football games on the weekends. If they’ve written the movie (i.e.: Good Will Hunting), it’s definitely going to be a good one!
School Ties
Glory Daze
Good Will Hunting
Chasing Amy
Dogma
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
The Third Wheel
Jersey Girl

Nick Frost and Simon Pegg

Carrying on the school student theme, these guys would be late for school because they were staying up all night playing video games and writing their own comic books. Nevertheless, they are involved with some of the best comedy/action films ever.
Shaun of the Dead
Hot Fuzz
Grindhouse
Paul
The Adventures of Tintin
Ice Age: Continental Drift
The World’s End
The Boxtrolls

James Franco and Seth Rogen

At school, these would be the party animals. But probably not the super-cool kind, but the kind who are super funny and get invited because they’re a laugh. I can’t help but think many of their films are based on personal experience?
Knocked Up
Pineapple Express
The Green Hornet
This is the End
The Interview
Neighbours/Bad Neighbours
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising/Bad Neighbours 2
The Sound and the Fury
Zeroville
Sausage Party

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

The brothers from another mother! These guys are the classic angry man-children that we all love. Strangely, they haven’t been in as many films together as I thought they had. But they seem to stick to together like white on rice. I feel like if they were at school, they’d pretend to be the teacher and be sent home for hitting the other children.
Stepbrothers
Anchorman 2
Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie
Holmes and Watson
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

I know I said ‘top five’, but here is a sixth… But they’re not ‘our favourite’ duo so they don’t really count…

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter

At school, these guys would be in art class or in a dark drama room somewhere. They don’t tend to do anything without Tim Burton. I used to loved all their movies but I feel I’ve grown out of my gothic phase, and I can’t relate to them as much anymore. Nevertheless, their films are entertaining, if not a tad samey.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Corpse Bride
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Alice in Wonderland
Dark Shadows

Who’s your favourite on-screen bromance? Who would be your best friends at school?

Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth (Based on All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka)
Released: June 2014
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton and Brendan Gleeson
—

Having recently reviewed Source Code – a sci-fi film starring Jake Gyllenhaal – I realised how similar that film’s concept is to Edge of Tomorrow. It was then that I realised that I have never reviewed Edge of Tomorrow! So here it is.

Disclaimer: The following plot you’re about to read may well put some people off of the movie because of the mention of ‘alien invasions’, ‘time travel’ and ‘war’. But the storyline is so gripping, that even the sci-fi and action film haters will enjoy watching the movie. (I promise!)

Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is sent to the front lines of war despite his lack of training. As soon as the troop land on the beach* (resembling Normandy), Cage is attacked by the opposition – the aliens. The alien’s blood causes Cage to have the ability to restart the day again and again.

He tries to tell authorities that landing on the beach is a suicide mission, but no one believes him until he meets Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). She had the exact same thing happen to her, and they work together in a long Groundhog Day-like sequence to figure out how to win the war.

Rita: You don’t talk to anyone about this but me. The best-case scenario is you’re gonna end up in a psych ward. Worst case, you’ll get dissected for study. Are we clear?

I love Emily Blunt. Did you know she was pregnant during some of this film? Gosh. She’s so perfect, and great in this film. Have I mentioned that on at least two occasions people have said I look similar to Emily Blunt?

I was told that if I didn’t have crooked teeth or many of my current facial features, that I would look JUST like EMILY BLUNT! 🤪 *so proud* pic.twitter.com/VVF3u5Vy0T

— Jodie (@NZFilmFreak) 28 July 2017

One of very few drawbacks to this film is how Emily Blunt’s character has permanently perfect make-up and hair. A pet peeve of mine that I explain in this post here.

With a little sprinkling of comedy throughout the script, this action/sci-fi film is a fantastically entertaining watch. You’re on the ‘edge’ of your seat the entire time. Every time Cage dies – and he dies a lot and in all sorts of ways – you relive the day over with him, trying to figure out how to save the day.

While it does sound repetitive, the film develops quickly keeping you on board.

The problem with futuristic stories is of course the confusion and the problem of the audience’s suspense of disbelief, but information is drip-fed constantly to explain everything in a natural way.

Edge of Tomorrow has a somewhat complex concept, which makes a change to the boring combat-heavy action films where everyone’s shooting but no one gets killed. (In this film, everyone gets killed. A lot.) But it is a great watch for family movie nights for sure.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

*Um, I’d just like to say as a side note that I have visited the beach that they filmed some scenes for this movie. It’s Saunton Sands in Devon. I’m basically Emily Blunt, I know.

Source Code

Director: Duncan Jones
Writer: Ben Ripley
Released: April 2011
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
—

I love time travel films! This is a brilliantly simple story combined with the mind-bending possibilities of time travel.

‘Source Code’ is a top-secret military experimental operation where injured pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is given the ability to repeatedly relive the final eight minutes of a man’s life. The man is Sean Fentress who dies in an explosion on a train.

Each time Stevens relives the final eight minutes of this man’s life, he is given the opportunity to seek out the person responsible for planting the bomb on the train in an attempt to stop it from ever happening.

But, time travel being the way it is, can he really stop it happening? Or will he only stop it happening in that alternate version of life.

(Watch Back to the Future if you need an explanation on this theory.)

The story line reminds me of the Tom Cruise film Edge of Tomorrow, where he is able to relive the same day over and over until he figures out the solution. Except, Source Code is a intelligently simple film (in other words, clearly had a far tighter budget). At it’s core, it’s basically three location and four characters. So smart! Maybe it could be developed into a stage play.

It’s intense and brilliantly written. I looked it up, apparently the guy who wrote it really struggled to get his script to see the light of day. The director hadn’t had much experience either, while the cast is star-studded.

Source Code is an easy-watch, and despite its action/sci-fi themes, is actually quite an emotional film where the main character contemplates death and family a lot.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10