Author Archives: NZ Film Freak
My Favourite Advert: The Marmite Gene Project
This advert made me laugh so much that I had to find the advert on YouTube to send to my parents in New Zealand – they loved it too!
It’s about families taking a test to find out if they love or hate Marmite. The test results come through the post as though it’s a serious medical condition and the reactions are hilarious!
Please find enclosed the results of your family’s Marmite gene test. These show if you were born a lover or a hater.
I love the reaction around the posh dinner table between the older couple.
Man: “I prefer jam.”
Woman: “Have you ever done it here… In this house? On this table?”
I especially love when the man takes a bite out of the crumpet with Marmite on it to please his wife and to show her that he could like it if he tries, but he basically gags and spits it out.
I love it! Haven’t seen it broadcast on the telly very much though, but I thought it was hilarious.
PS. I’m a lover.
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
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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
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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
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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
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“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
Director: John Krasinski
Writer: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck
Released: April 2018
Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski
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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.
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.
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
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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
Hot Fuzz
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Released: July 2007
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent
—
A brilliant action-comedy from writers Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. It’s one of my favourite films, and I can’t believe I’d never gotten around to review it.
Hot Fuzz is the second instalment of what is referred to as the ‘Cornetto trilogy’ by Edgar Wright fans (due to the ice cream’s frequent appearances). Shaun of the Dead being the first, The World’s End being the third.
This is my favourite film of the three because it is so cleverly written and very funny. It follows the story of goody-two-shoes London policeman (rather “police officer. Being a man has nothing to do with it.”) named Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) who gets transferred to a small, rural village against his wishes.
Sergeant: …we’re making you sergeant.
Nicholas: I see.
Sergeant: [mumbles]
Nicholas: In where, sorry?
Sergeant: In Sandford, Gloucestershire.
Nicholas: But that’s in the country…
Sergeant: Yes! Lovely!
The straight-laced Sergeant Angel is frustrated by the Sandford police who prefer to turn the other cheek rather than causing a fuss when someone breaks the law. He soon discovers there is a reason for this.
So, with amateur officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) as his sidekick, Angel’s love for the law is put into full swing as they begin a full-on investigation into what is going on in the village.
Inspired by stereotypical action films, the writers have made fun of the genre by including all the sorts of characters you’d usually see in an action film. They even go as far as re-enacting popular action movie scenes, or quoting them. They’ve studied the genre very well!
Danny: Where’s the trolley boy?
Nicholas: In the freezer.
Danny: Did you say “cool off?”
Nicholas: No I didn’t say anything…
Danny: Shame.
Nicholas: Well, there was the bit that you missed where I distracted him with the cuddly monkey then I said “play time’s over” and I hit him in the head with the peace lily.
Danny: You’re off the fuckin’ chain!
This entertaining and fast-paced film is littered with hilarious one-liners and nods to action film tropes and quotes. The script for this movie is so clever – it must have taken ages to work out how it was all going to piece together.
The script has a lot of fore-shadowing all through it, weaved through an intriguing mystery of murders and outrageous characters. My favourite being two officers, both named Andrew – AKA ‘The Andes’ played by Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall.
The editing is incredible, which is classic Edgar Wright. We studied his work for an entire year at high school; I can see his influence a mile off now, even in his most recent film, Baby Driver.
If you love gun fights, car chases and a good belly laugh, then this is the perfect film! A classic date night movie too, I think. Just like Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, it’s a great blend of genres to keep everyone happy.
For me, some of the action scenes were a bit long-winded, and just when you think the film is finished, it doesn’t. But maybe that’s because I don’t actually like action films all that much.
Danny: Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?
Nicholas: No.
Danny: Have you ever fired one gun whilst jumping through the air?
Nicholas: No.
Danny: Ever been in a high-speed pursuit?
Nicholas: Yes, I have.
Danny: Have you ever fired a gun whilst in a high speed pursuit?
Nicholas: No!
I love films that make fun of themselves, and this is the king of them all. I can recite the whole film, I think – I’ve watched it so many times!
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Top 5: Best Come-Backs
Do you ever think of a really good come-back days later, and wish you could go back in time just to put that person to shame? (Reminds me of a certain Seinfeld episode.)
It’s so irritating, but we can live out our come-back expectations through the witty characters in movies who get it right first time.
Here are the top five come-backs that I can think of at this moment in time (expect regular updates to this post):
Ben: I think it’s best I stop working for you.
Evie: Oh, why? So you can take up being pompous professionally?
Theresa: Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here…
Erin: That’s all you got, lady. Two wrong feet in fucking ugly shoes.
Jo: He told Kendrick to order the Code Red.
Daniel: He did?! Why didn’t you say so!? That’s great! And of course you have proof of that.
Jo: I uh –
Daniel: Oh, hah, I’m sorry, I keep forgetting. You were sick the day they taught law at law school.
Mike: I’m not saying the word “fluffy” [in a live news broadcast]. It’s bad enough I have to do these ridiculous stories.
Colleen: You know what, buddy? Guess what? Last week [during an official news broadcast], I had to use the words “rectal” and “moisture” in the same sentence.
Mike: Well, first dates can be awkward.
Len: Go to your room.
Freddie: What for?
Len: Talking back to your elders.
Freddie: What is this, a Navajo village?
But I guess even in the movies, come-backs don’t come out as they were supposed to:
Carol: Your car is uglier than I am! …that didn’t come out right.
Brenda: “Oh… Go fly a kite!”
Those were just the come-backs that I thought of off the top of my head, but just like real life, I’m sure I’ll remember some better ones after I’ve published!
Remind me of some more great come-backs in the comments section below, or on my Facebook page.
Jodie
Dark Places
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Writer: Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Based on Dark Places by Gillian Flynn)
Released: August 2015
Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Chloë Grace Moretz
—
Why do I do this to myself? I read the book, then watch the movie. Of course I’m going to be disappointed.
As per the Gillian Flynn book of the same name, this is a story about a seven-year-old girl, Libby Day, who witnessed the massacre of her family. She testifies against her 15-year-old brother, who gets jail for life.
Libby is still emotionally scarred by the murders 25 years on, and is struggling with depression, to pay bills, to even get out of bed in the mornings. When one day, some random (Nicholas Hoult) gets in touch to explain there is growing belief that her brother is innocent.
With the motivation of getting a bit of desperately-needed cash by speaking to this man, she begins to question what happened that day. Did she really see her brother killing her family?
Basically, what was a layered and intriguing mystery in the book, becomes a simplified one-watch film. It’s really nothing special. It’s just a good-looking woman skulking about, and figuring out the mystery with very little effort.
Beyond this basic storyline, is my annoyance at the casting of Libby Day. Libby is a big-breasted, short, red-haired woman with a temper. She is not a tall, athletic, beautiful pixie-haired woman… In other words, Charlize Theron should not have been the main character. But she produced it, so she cast herself despite the obvious physical differences. She don’t care. #richpeoplelife
It’s just so annoying! The integrity of the story is weakened by this obvious disregard for the main character. Then again, have you ever heard of an average-looking Hollywood actor getting a main part in a movie? I guess there’s a bigger force at play here.
I was able to watch Dark Places while simultaneously doing multiple other things and still felt like I experienced what little impact there was to experience.
Overall, it’s an easy-watch (even though it’s not supposed to be).
Jodie’s rating: 5/10
Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
Writer: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Mystery/crime
Released: 2006
Blurb: When two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family’s mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows – a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.
—
Gillian Flynn’s first novel, Sharp Objects, is a medley of haunting and distressing themes, which frequently give-way to Flynn’s budding talent for telling crime stories.
Like many first-time authors, Flynn draws on a subject she knows about for her first novel; journalism. The main character, Camille, goes back to her creepy hometown to cover the story of preteen murders. Camille also has to confront her over-bearing mother and manic half-sister, all the while, battling with self-harm.
Not going to lie, for the most part, Sharp Objects is sadistically dark for no good reason. It’s more of a horror story about mentally-ill characters, rather than a cleverly-told mystery.
It’s clear Sharp Objects is Flynn’s debut novel, as her tone seems to be in development; it’s slower in pace and is a bit more padded out. It feels like Flynn is trying to be a bit too smart, which makes the crime seem more layered than it really is.
But, her quirky descriptions of characters are featured, which I love. Particularly regarding Camille’s step-father, Alan:
Now he sat, needly legs jutting out of white safari shorts, with a baby blue sweater draped over a crisp oxford. He sweated not at all. Alan is the opposite of moist.
Very rarely did Alan and I talk outside of my mother’s presence. As a child, I’d once bumped into him in the hallway, and he’d bent down stiffly, to eye level, and said, “Hello, I hope you’re well.” We’d been living in the same house for more than five years, and that’s all he could come up with. “Yes, thank you,” was all I could give in return.
It seems like this novel was a great starting point for Gillian Flynn to develop her style of writing, and a place to kickstart her career as an author. However, it certainly isn’t her best work, and not my favourite of hers.
It’s simply too sadistic for no good reason, whereas her novels later on down the line – Dark Places and Gone Girl – are both genius, mysterious thrillers that are brilliantly told. They’re more thought-provoking and complex.
Everyone has to start somewhere though! Flynn’s novels get better and better.
Keep an eye-out for the TV series that is to be released soon, based on Sharp Objects. The director of the series Big Little Lies is behind it!
Jodie’s rating: 5/10
Big Little Lies (TV series)
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée (He directed Wild)
Writer: David E. Kelley (Based on novel by Liane Moriarty)
Released: February 2017
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling and Laura Dern
—
I was expecting ‘Desperate Housewives‘, chick-flick kind of show on steroids… But Big Little Lies was so much darker than that.
It begins with a murder. We don’t know who died, and we don’t know who did it.
Big Little Lies follows the backstory leading up to the murder, and all the secrets and shocking circumstances leads you to believe that everyone is a suspect, and everyone is a victim.
It’s sort of like reality tv series The Real Housewives but as a thriller. It’s shocking, scary, haunting and mysterious, featuring beautiful (and seemingly flawless) characters against the fashionable backdrop of Monterey, California.
It is all about the characters:
Reese Witherspoon is the stand-out performance for me; she’s fascinating to watch. Her character, Madeline, is also my favourite. Actually, her character reminds me of Tamra from The Real Housewives of Orange County – both in terms of looks and storyline. Overall, Madeline will make you laugh, and you’d want her to be your best friend.
Laura Dern takes a step away from her sweat-pant-wearing motherly roles, and into the role of a posh and wealthy, but pushy ‘bulldog’, CEO called Renata. She reminds me of Vicki in The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Nicole Kidman’s role as Celeste is the scariest and most difficult storyline to watch. In fact, I wanted to turn the show off a couple of times because of the horrific scenes depicting her abusive husband. Nevertheless, she does well despite her American accent slipping a bit at times – as it always does. There’s an online debate regarding whether her hair is a wig or not… What do you reckon?
To bring it all down to earth, Shailene Woodley plays the role of Jane. Jane is a little bit in awe of the glamorous people, and cherishes the kindness of Madeline while she makes a new start here in California. She isn’t as wealthy or as fancy, but does have one of the most anxiety-driven storylines.
Then, there’s the husbands, who go to show not all the drama comes from the women!
My favourite thing about Big Little Lies, however, is the soundtrack. Oh my goodness. I could listen to the soundtrack on repeat! Brilliant.
Overall, this was a much darker thriller than I expected, but for the sake of watching Reese Witherspoon’s character again, I will certainly watch series two!
Jodie’s rating: 7/10
According to Nicole’s Instagram, series two is being filmed and Meryl Streep is in it! Aaaaaahh!
Dark Places – Gillian Flynn
Writer: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Mystery/crime
Released: 2009
Blurb: Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas. She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. The unimaginable truth soon emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.
—
After finishing Murder on the Orient Express on holiday, I moved on to Dark Places; a natural choice as I loved Gone Girl so much.
Dark Places is a story about a seven-year-old girl, Libby Day, who witnessed the massacre of her family. She testifies against her 15-year-old brother, who ends up in jail.
Libby is still deeply emotionally scarred by the murders 25 years on, and is struggling with depression, to pay bills, to even get out of bed in the mornings. When one day, she receives a phone call from a man explaining that there is a growing belief in the community that her brother is innocent.
With the motivation of getting a bit of desperately-needed cash by speaking to this man, she begins to question what happened that day. Did she really see her brother killing her family? Or was this man right, in that Libby was just a confused seven-year-old, guided by police and councillors to testify against her big brother?
She goes on a rocky, dark quest to discover the truth. Previously buried memories are remembered, and hidden clues are found.
This was certainly a very dark story. More horror than thriller in parts, particularly due to the satanic themes. So it’s not really a novel I would whole-heartedly recommend to everyone.
I certainly don’t think Dark Places should have a ‘if you liked Gone Girl, you’ll love this‘ kind of review. Because they’re both rather different.
However, it still has Gillian Flynn’s genius way of writing. You’re bouncing all over the place, between different characters’ points of view (which I LOVE), from before, during and after the murders, and not once are you lost or confused. How does she do it??
What I have learnt from Flynn’s writing is that she loves flawed characters. Same with Gone Girl; there’s no goodie and baddie, really. They’re all bad and all good in one way or another. Mostly bad. But still human enough to relate to them in some ways.
Prepare yourself for the bitter self-loathing you’ll endure because Gillian Flynn is such an amazing writer. So amazing that it seems totally unattainable to ever become half as good as her. It’s very annoying.
She has a talent of describing exactly what she means in such few words. From memory, a line that stood in my mind was when a character was trying to get another character’s attention in an intimidating way, and Flynn uses the word ‘needled’ to describe the sharp annoyance of the character’s persistence. Who would have thought to use that word? You get the whole picture in just one word! Genius.
I thought I couldn’t enjoy a book if I didn’t like the main character. Turns out, I can. I was hooked! It’s a classic ‘who dunnit’ mystery, laced with terror, gore and fear.
Overall, yes, you must read this. It’s fantastic. Gillian Flynn is a remarkably talented writer. But just prepare yourself for satanic sacrifices and horrific descriptions. It’s a bit full on.
Now that I’ve finished the book and started Googling about it, I realised there was a 2015 movie based on this book! Dark Places, the movie, features Charlize Theron (totally wrong casting right off the bat), which I will be watching this week. I’ll let you know if the poor reviews are accurate!
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Murder on the Orient Express
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writer: Based on Agatha Christie’s novel. Screenplay by Michael Green
Released: November 2017
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley
—
‘Um. No.’ – My review in brief of both the film and book.
I read the book then immediately watched the film, but ultimately they were both disappointing. (The film, more so.)
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and have read a fair few of her books, but despite its fame, Murder on the Orient Express is by far the biggest disappointment – mostly due to the ending.
CHARACTERS
Basically, in regards to the film, there are far too many characters to keep track of and far too many details to ponder for it to be an enjoyable murder mystery film. Whereas in the book, it is an intriguing and baffling mystery – because you have time to think about everything and consider all the possibilities before the conclusion.
In addition to this, I’d like to add that there are many big names in this film, who seemed to have been cast despite their obvious lack of similarity to the characters in the book.
For example, Mrs Hubbard is described as a plump, humorous, brash, loud and excitable woman, but also motherly and thinks highly of her daughter. Quite clearly, I imagined Kathy Bates would play the role (with her performance of Molly Brown in Titanic in mind), who is the opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer who played Mrs Hubbard in the film as a flirtatious cougar:
Several characters that are included in the book are excluded in the film, or are merged into one character, which became somewhat confusing and disappointing. I was quite attached to the sobbing, ‘sheep-faced’ Greta Ohlsson, who was totally removed from the film.
“She’s like a sheep, you know. She gets anxious and bleats.”
The detective, Hercule Poirot, gets things wrong in the film and accuses people too early. He comes across as a bit of an amateur, which is absolutely not accurate. Totally unlike the calm, level-headed, particular Hercule Poirot who knows the answers long before he says so.
DIALOGUE
In the film, there is a few action scenes that echo Sherlock Holmes. I felt this was jarring and unnecessary (and are not in the book, I might add!).
I was disappointed by this tone of the film because I was expecting a The King’s Speech kind of feel. Where the dialogue becomes a character of its own, where it is so captivating that you find yourself totally lost in what the character is saying – looking for clues in the way they choose their words. Where the dialogue is isolated by extreme close-ups and static camerawork during dry, but captivating monologues.
It’s a shame really! I can see so clearly what I would change about this movie. There is so much important dialogue, but its treated as a nuisance that is rushed through and forgotten about and interjected with pointless action scenes.
ENDING
The ending was the biggest let-down – in terms of the book and film. Without giving it away completely, I will say that if ‘…and he woke up and it was all a dream‘ is the worst ending to a story ever, then the ending to Murder on the Orient Express is the second to worst ending ever. It was a massive deflation after a long, climactic, uphill hike.
In regards to the film, it was more than just the ending that was disappointing. It was the film in its entirety. Basically, there are around 15 main characters in this story, and all of them need to be given almost equal attention as they are all suspects and they all need to be interviewed.
So, as you can imagine, this means there is a lot of detail that needs to be told to the audience in a very short amount of time!
I don’t mean to do the cliche thing of saying ‘it was not as good as the book’, because although this is true, I think Murder on the Orient Express is a story that is simply unsuitable for the screen. It just doesn’t work – there’s too much information that needs to be conveyed.
Basically, if you haven’t read the book, you’re probably going to be quite lost in the film because they skim over the dialogue – which is all disguised in heavy accents anyway. So even if you do catch some important detail, you probably won’t be able to decipher the meaning of it anyway.
MY CONCLUSION
Overall, not Agatha Christie’s best ending, and not an enjoyable film. Too confusing and without the ‘gasps’ and intrigue of the book. Perhaps if Kenneth Branagh picked between playing the main character or the director, instead of doing both, then perhaps more time would have been spent on the script.
I know no one intends to make a bad film… But y’all made a bad film.
Jodie’s rating: 3/10
Denial
Director: Mick Jackson
Writer: David Hare
Released: September 2016
Starring: Timothy Spall, Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Andrew Scott and Jack Lowden
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A shocking account of David Irving (Timothy Spall), a Holocaust denier, who takes Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) to court for speaking out against him. At its very core, its about free speech, and the abuse of it.
Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson): This case is happening to you, but it’s not about you.
While I knew there was a theory of the Holocaust never having happened, I wasn’t actually aware there was a specific Holocaust denier, and court case about it.
As I mentioned in my reviews of The Darkest Hour and The Founder, Denial is another good film-alternative to watching a documentary on the issue.
I did find the film interesting. I enjoyed finding out about the theories and what happened. While it seems rather obvious that sadly, the Holocaust did certainly occur, going about proving this 50+ years after the fact in a court of law proved difficult. The Germans ensured that much of the evidence was destroyed just before the end of the war.
Richard Rampton: We know what it is, it’s how we prove what it is.
I also didn’t realise how different the justice systems are between USA and UK. Irving took Lipstadt to court in the UK because Lipstadt would have to prove why Irving is wrong in order to be found innocent. Whereas in USA, Lipstadt would have been innocent unless proven otherwise by Irving.
Deborah Lipstadt: In the US there is the presumption of innocence.
Anothony Julius: Yeah. Not in the UK.
I was expecting it to be a gripping court drama, like A Few Good Men, where the outcome depends on what questions are asked and how they are answered, with loopholes and twists and gasps. I thought Lipstadt’s lawyers would trip Irving up and drill him on his theories.
Unfortunately this is only shown in a couple of scenes. In between, it’s mostly showing Lipstadt – a very loud American from Queens, being overbearing and shouting at her lawyers, telling them what they should and shouldn’t do. Despite her being an intelligent and well-read writer, these scenes portrayed her as a headless chook in a state of panic.
Either way, this isn’t where I wanted the conflict to be. The conflict should be in the courtroom with Irving.
Deborah Lipstadt: Freedom of speech means you can say whatever you want. What you can’t do is lie and expect not to be held accountable… Slavery happened, the Black Death happened. The Earth is round, the ice caps are melting and Elvis is not alive.
Timothy Spall did a good job, as always. Although, he wasn’t as much of a prominent character as I think he should have been. (I wonder how Spall felt about taking this role of a very controversial man, about such a sensitive subject.)
Overall, it is an important story that I am so pleased has been told, but it had the potential to be told with more punch and gall and courtroom-based drama. Sadly, the movie didn’t stay in the courtroom, where I think it should have stayed. The movie was watered down and dragged out because of this.
Jodie’s rating: 6/10
Unbreakable
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Released: November 2000
Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Robin Wright Penn
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Did anyone else not realise that Unbreakable is a prequel to Split?
As soon as we found out, we got our hands on the DVD since we loved Split so much.
You can tell it is an M. Night Shyamalan film immediately. The looooooong shots, the reflections in televisions and glass… The list goes on – it’s very Shyamalan-y.
Unbreakable is about David (Bruce Willis) who discovers he’s invincible. He’s essentially a superhero. So this is the story about him coming to terms with this, and discovering his arch enemy – something ever superhero must have.
Doctor: To answer your question, there are two reasons why I’m looking at you like this. One, because it seems in a few minutes you will officially be the only survivor of this train wreck, and two, because you didn’t break one bone. You don’t have a scratch on you.
The film is an arduous journey. It’s a long, slow arch that takes you on an epic journey, very… very… very… slowly…
I thought, because of this, Unbreakable must have have been made well before The Sixth Sense, as Unbreakable felt a little less complex, and it looked a bit ‘basic’.
Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson): Do you know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world, to not know why you’re here. That’s – that’s just an awful feeling.
The casting for The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are very similar – I can only assume Hayley Joel Osment was not available, because Shyamalan found his doppelgänger, Spencer Treat Clark.
Just like every other Shyamalan film, he makes an appearance – keep an eye out for him!
If you’re a comic book fan, you’ll probably enjoy the nuances of the comic-inspired characters, and will be happy to endure the long pauses and dialogue-heavy scenes.
Elijah Price: It’s alright to be afraid, David, because this part won’t be like a comic book. Real life doesn’t fit into little boxes that were drawn for it.
It was good, but not great. I like Bruce Willis, and I like Shyamalan films, but this wasn’t their best work. (The Village is still my favourite film by this director.)
Nevertheless, it’s an interesting backstory to Split. It fills the holes in a bit.
Keep an eye out for the third instalment: Glass.
Jodie’s rating: 5/10
Their Finest
Director: Lone Scherfig
Writer: Based on Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evens. Screenplay by Gaby Chiappe
Released: April 2017
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, Helen McCrory, Eddie Marsan, Jake Lacy, Rachael Stirling and Richard E. Grant
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Well. That was a pretty enormous disappointment.
After seeing the trailer, I thought, ‘this is my kind of film’. During 1940, a female protagonist, Catrin (Emma Arterton) proves herself to be a talented screenwriter for propaganda films (created to inform, and to lift the spirits of the public). Bill Nighy – a fabulous actor – plays an egotistical has-been actor called Ambrose, and everyone looks beautiful.
‘Brilliant’, I thought, ‘a coming-of-age drama based around film and writing – both things I love – with a sprinkle of comedy and a touch of tragedy against a wartime backdrop.’
How wrong I was.
The first part is entertaining enough, Catrin is living with her husband who is basically a failed artist and not earning much money. She lands this great writing job where she writes the ‘slop’, or female dialogue.
Tom Buckley (Sam Clafin): Don’t confuse facts with truth… Film is real life with the boring bits cut out.
She soon becomes more successful in a male-dominated world, and warms to a fellow writer. Among this, everyone is dodging London bombings. At the end of every raid, someone else she knows has died.
The story carries the standard structure of any drama. But unfortunately my suspension of disbelief is totally destroyed during the ‘absolute low’. Without giving too much away, after a particularly devastating bombing, the protagonist loses everything.
Afterwards, the story is supposed to take a turn for the better, with a happy ending. However, the protagonist doesn’t ‘win’ at the end, and the story falls off a cliff. I’ve seem this film described as a ‘bittersweet, uplifting romance-drama’. It’s not. It’s an unnecessarily devastating war film.
I was disappointed to say the least. Why tear our hero down so far? Where’s the inspiration in that? This was supposed to be a story about an underdog who succeeded despite the war, despite being a woman in a man’s world, despite being downtrodden and disrespected. (Her lack of ability to stand up for herself is frustrating to say the least.)
In fact, it’s a story about an underdog who, with a lot of hard work, succeeds professionally and personally despite everything – until the rug is pulled from under her and she ends up worse-off than ever. Who the hell wants to watch a film like that? It just made me feel bad.
I enjoyed how the story was about a writer, who in some scenes is shown to be rewriting how her day turned out, or rewriting a conversation she had where she wished she said something differently (something I sometimes do!). I also liked the exploration into why people love films.
Tom Buckley: Why do people like films? It’s because stories are structured. They have a shape, a purpose, a meaning; and when things go bad they’re still a part of a plan; there’s still a point to them. Unlike life.
I like how she had professional success and that she was proud of herself, but overall, I walked away with the message ‘give it a go despite the odds. Try really hard. But you’ll fail and end up with no one and nothing anyway’.
What the hell, Bill Nighy. I trusted you.
Jodie’s rating: 4/10
The Founder
Director: John Lee Hancock
Writer: Robert D. Siegel
Released: January 2017
Starring: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, B. J. Novak and Laura Dern
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I’m sure there’s a documentary or two out there about the history of McDonald’s. But if you’d rather watch a snappy film about it, choose The Founder.
It’s an account of Ray Kroc’s (Michael Keaton) greed, and the sadness and destruction he left in his wake.
I knew Ray Kroc was a bit of a wheeling-dealing businessman, but I didn’t realise what an underhanded tyrant he was until I watched this film. He completely swindled the actual founders of McDonald’s – brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald (John Caroll Lynch and Nick Offerman) – out of the success and profit of the company.
Ray Kroc: If I saw a competitor drowning, I’d shove a hose in his throat
He not only hijacked the business, he took every shortcut available to him. For example, real milkshakes made from real ice cream, became powdered milk, emulsifiers and flavourings in order to cut costs and increase production. The personal touch that the McDonald’s brothers gave to the business, was tarnished.
Dick McDonald: If phony powdered milkshakes is your idea of progress, you have a profound misunderstanding of what McDonald’s is about.
I don’t know if it was my imagination, but the film began with bright lighting and sunny skies. But as Ray Kroc got his hands into the business, I swear the overall lighting got dimmer. Which I liked, because it reflected the amount of stress he inflicted on the brothers.
I’m not surprised McDonald’s has become the controversial empire that it has become today, when you see how the humble, family business was manipulated by Kroc.
Michael Keaton did a terrific job. He portrayed the manic and flippant, money-hungry man that is Ray Kroc very well indeed. Money came before family, ethics and genuine products.
Ray Kroc: You know what – contracts are like hearts, they are made to be broken.
It’s sad tale, really, because although McDonald’s is undoubtedly a successful brand, it’s not without blood on its hands. I can see how that came to be the case now, as the foundations of this business is a greedy one. But, as stated on the front of the DVD cover: ‘you can’t start a fast food empire without getting a little greedy’.
It’s an upsetting film because I unfortunately know that these people walk among us. The kind of business person who does anything possible to make money at any cost. But, maybe that really is the attitude you need to have to become successful… I hope that isn’t true.
Ray Kroc: …persistence. Nothing in this world can take the place of good old persistence. Talent won’t. Nothing’s more common than an unsuccessful man with talent.
As I said, it’s possibly a more entertaining way to learn about how the Gold Arches started out. But it does leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth.
Circling back to the film itself, it does lack a climax and is a bit of a flat film in some parts. But overall, worth a watch for the educational enlightenment.
But don’t expect to feel okay with the world afterwards. Especially during the credits when they show clips of the real Ray Kroc.
Jodie’s rating: 6/10
NZ Film Freak 