drama – Page 3 – NZ Film Freak

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Director: Francis Lawrence
Writers: Simon Beaufoy, Michael Arndt and Suzanne Collins. Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins
Released: November 2013
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci
and Donald Sutherland
—

What a total disappointment!

The first movie was INCREDIBLE! A breath of fresh air. A new and exciting concept – different to the usual slog. Themes of anti-corporation, anti-government and shining a light on the absurdity of focussing on reality television rather than the actual reality.

But the second movie barely mentioned these themes. And if they did, it was literally one line of dialogue which summed the whole idea up, causing an originally important theme to become meaningless and redundant. It is pretty much leaving the best parts for the third movie. Catching Fire is just a set-up for Mockingjay.

“Yes” I have read the book, which was incredible. The first movie covered the book well, the second didn’t. I know one shouldn’t compare the book to the movie because they are very different mediums. But quite frankly, the makers left out all of the good parts and focussed on the Twilight-esk star-crossed lovers storyline. Which I felt was a mere footnote in the novel.

However, if you haven’t read the book, I will expect you to find the movie slow-paced, underwhelming and lacking action. The movie spends WAY too much time outside of the arena trying to set up the situation of district rebellion, which isn’t done convincingly anyway.

When you FINALLY make to the arena, it’s literally like you’re being shown one problem after another with no time to catch your breath or analyse character development. There is very few battle scenes too. Very disappointing.

The actors were well cast and the acting was very good. Particularly Jennifer Lawrence who is equally as convincing as she was in the first movie… Despite the inexhaustible crying.

In terms of shots and visuals, there is one impressive birds’ eye shot, and the fire on Katniss’ dress is more realistic. But I can’t say it was worth the hype I’ve heard recently.

I’m so upset. The movies are expected to make a lot of money, to ensure this, the deep themes and interesting ideas have been ditched for a cheap love story to cater for a wider audience. Which goes against the entire point of the actual Hunger Games story! Anti-corporation and anti-consumerism.

I reckon a small independent film company would have done a far better job; staying true to the ideas of the story, rather than aiming for a cheap buck.

…the musical score were average. But perhaps the soundtrack will be different.

What a sell out. Going to go have a fat cry now.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

The Jane Austen Book Club

Directed: Robin Swicord

Written: Robin Swicord. Based on the book of the same name written by Karen Joy Fowler

Released: September 2007

Starring: Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Hugh Dancy, Kevin Zegers, Marc Blucas, Jimmy Smits and Lynn Redgrave

—

This film is up there with Bridget Jones’ Diary, I reckon.

I got this DVD because there was a ‘buy two, get one free’ deal on. Since the choice was limited, I thought I’d give this a whirl.

I was concerned because I had no interest in any of Jane Austen’s romance novels and had little knowledge of the stories and characters. So I wondered if a film about people discussing these books would be confusing…

Not the case, surprisingly!

The first time I watched it, I was just like ‘meh’, better than a chick flick… But kind of average. So it gathered dust on my shelf until one day, boredom and exhaustion from watching my DVD collection five times over resulted in me indulging in The Jane Austen Book Club once again.

I have to say, I really love this film now. The six main characters are empowering and strong, they all relate to at least some part of your own personality or life experiences. I could literally write an entire in depth essay of each character if necessary, they are that ‘real’!

I’m loathed to say they are ‘very human’, but you get where I’m coming from… They are likeable and relatable.

This is a character-based film where each character has some sort of hurdle to overcome, or growth.

Maria Bello as Jocelyn

Jocelyn is my favourite! She’s never fallen in love, which she says is “all like fiction to me anyway”. She’s a dog-breeder, and if you catch onto her mannerisms early enough, you’ll notice she treats men like dogs – she’s strict, short-tempered and dominant with them. Jocelyn is known as the ‘match-maker’, always on the look-out on who she can pair people up with. She’s drawn to ‘Grigg’ because he’s “eager to please” and “tries hard”… Sort of like a dog.

“Alone’s not the end of the world. For as many years as you’ve been married I’ve been quite happily unmarried.”

Emily Blunt as Prudie

Prudie gets on my nerves SO much! But I can’t help but admire her. She is so elegant, controlled and feminine. Her mother was a hippy, so she has a systematic and professional lifestyle to distance herself from her past. However, she is falling for a rebellious student…

Prudie: Trey, you really shouldn’t come on to me.

Trey: Why? Because you’re a teacher? We’ll go back to my place…

Prudie: Let’s not and just wish we did.

Kathy Baker as Bernadette

I would love to have a best friend like Bernadette. She is optimistic and loves people. Bernadette is a free spirit and probably doesn’t think things through very much, she has been married and divorced six times. But she is totally in love with the idea of love and brags about her previous husbands like they are trophies – not regretting any of them.

“My first husband was a politician. He was embarrassed by every move I made. He said I was rude and loud. “Stop pointing your breasts everywhere,” he’d say to me. I was 17… I married the first man who looked at me… But I’d like to get married again, maybe just once more.”

Hugh Dancy as Grigg

Aww, Grigg! You almost feel sorry for him because he is so excitable and happy all the time. You just want to take him under your wing and look after him. He stumbled into the Jane Austen Club because Jocelyn was trying to set Sylvia up with him.

“Hi! Well, I’m excited. Never read anything by Jane Austen before. What is it? I went to the bookstore to buy a copy of each one of the novels, and I saw this. And I thought, ‘Well, maybe they’re sequels’. So, I figured it might be a good idea to keep them all together in one book, in case I needed to refer back…”

Amy Brenneman as Sylvia

Sylvia is a woman who is an amazing mother and best friend. Her husband who she has been with since highschool recently asked her for a divorce and she is devastated. However, toward the end of the film, she realises how much she has grown and changed – perhaps something she was never able to explore in her younger years.

“I don’t want to meet someone [else]. I wanna pull the covers over my head and read novels. And eat. I’m starving. Allegra, go get me a dozen eggs. I’m gonna make a flan.”

Maggie Grace as Allegra

Allegra is the daughter of Sylvia. She is a fresh-faced, alternative, out-doorsy young lady who immediately clashes with the tightly-laced Prudie. Allegra falls in love and trusts “too quickly” causing her strife. She is close to her mother and quickly becomes a strong component to the book club.

Bernadette: How’s Sylvia doing without Daniel?

Allegra: She’s still stuck in the wounded stage. When she’s ready for anger, I’m so there.

Each Austen novel has a curious relevance to each character’s life. The details are subtly interwoven into the story, so even if you haven’t read any Austen, you can guess pretty easily. If you are an Austen fan, you’ll relish the tibits they reference all through the script!

This ‘review’ is more of a character bio, so please excuse that! However, I have to say, the film relies on these characters so heavily, they really ARE the story.

I am so buying the soundtrack! Amazing songs! Particularly “Save Me” by Aimee Mann.

As a side note – I am such a fan of Robin Swicord now. She’s worked on Matilda, and even collaborated with the writers of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!

Awesome watch! But obviously not for everybody.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Now You See Me

Director: Louis Leterrier
Writers: Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt
Released: July 2013
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Mélanie Laurent, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman
—

Um. Yeeeeaaaah. So the reviews I had been reading before I went to see Now You See Me, basically stated that it was over-complicated and so layered that one would need to watch it more than once.

This is quite simply, not the case.

It is so clichéd, so typical, so obvious, that the ending could be guessed half way through the film.

The ‘twist’ is… Barely even a twist. It wasn’t shocking or unforeseen at all. My reaction was more like, “oh yeah. Hmm. I’m not surprised”.

So, it really is nothing like The Prestige. The magicians are superficial and unlovable, as are the other characters who are all underdeveloped. For the most part, they were unbelievable – despite the epic cast!

I usually love Woody Harrelson’s and Michael Caine’s work, but they really weren’t given the chance to shine. Their characters were brief and shallow. But oh my God, Jesse Eisenberg just got on my nerves! I can’t stand the characters he plays, who are usually very similar.

The story was like something seen on a long-running TV series like CSI or what not. It was so… Average.

The only cool parts were when they explained how the tricks were performed. That was quite effective.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of major jump-cuts that became jarring. Leaving out a lot of footage, although kept the pace, did make you feel disconnected from the film.

I am quite disappointed in this movie. Despite hearing negative reviews on this film I still went into the theatre expecting to be thoroughly entertained and mystified… Yeah.. Nah.

Meh! It’s okay. Nothing special.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

The Great Gatsby

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Writers: Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Released: May 2013
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke
—

Visually, this film was MIND BLOWING! This is Moulin Rouge! on steroids.

The party scenes are phenomenal! The lights, the atmosphere, colours, fashion, music… It is ground breaking. Just beautiful sets, like we’re being sent to another world.

1368216172936.cached

The overall feel of the movie is very similar to the likes of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Edward Scissorhands (the garden scenes) and of course, Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet. I think it’s because all of these movies are fantastical and out of this world.

The actors were very convincing, Leonardo DiCaprio gave another ground-breaking performance. Although his accent was a little confusing on occasion, his dialogue was incredible! I feel like speaking formally, like an upper class person from the 1920s now.

Gatsby: Come on, old sport!

I wasn’t expecting much from Toby Maguire, and for a while believed that Ewan McGregor could have done a better job, until it was mentioned to me that his “pluckiness” was what made his character convincing. Which, I thought was a good point.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Carey Mulligan, but I have to say she did a pretty decent job in this film – her eyes are incredible! Like, she plays such a depressed character, and her eyes tell you that from the first scene. Carey Mulligan has since become one of my favourite actors.

carey-mulligan-as-daisy-buchanan-in-the-great

The music was perfectly selected. Florence + the Machine’s Over Your Love is my new favourite song at the moment. But, the coolest track was Lana Del Rey’s 1920s Jazz version of the popular Young and Beautiful.

However, there were some major disappointments.

This is a film that is based strongly on characters. They fuel the story almost conclusively. Therefore, it was so disappointing that I did not become attached to any of the characters. I was not rooting for or against any of them – I didn’t feel like I had gotten to know them properly.

People are complicated, these characters were not, considering it was such a ‘people story’. Too many of their thoughts and emotions were not portrayed clearly. Most of the time there was a lot of emotion without obvious reasoning behind them.

I was forever looking too deep into the plot, expecting complicated and unforeseen twists. When in fact, the plot is too easy to figure out. I think it is supposed to be very mysterious, which was not portrayed in this film.

They should have kept the audience one step behind – like in the Sherlock Holmes films – until the end for a huge “I did not see that coming!” moment.

I wish the character development was more insightful, and the plot line more curious and unexpected.

Nevertheless, as I said at the beginning, the aesthetics were simply candy for the eyeballs. It enforces the idea that Baz Luhrmann was the ideal director for the film; the parties, grand interior shots and wonderland-esk exterior shots, simply gorgeous.

Oh, I bet Baz Luhrmann could have done an amazing version of Alice In Wonderland…

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Director: Stephen Chbosky
Writer: Stephen Chbosky
Released (in NZ about a million years after every other country): March 2013
Starring: Emma Watson, Ezra Miller and Logan Lerman
—

Okay, it was NOTHING like I thought it would be like.

This is not a happy-go-lucky, up beat and freeing movie like the trailer makes it out to be. In fact, it has a lot of very serious themes, making this high school drama rather dark, and not at all light hearted.

Despite the totally unexpected storyline, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a very emotional journey – you laugh just as hard as you cry in some parts. So it evens out into a humbling story.

We accept the love we think we deserve.

C minus, ladies and gentlemen! I am below average!

The main character, Charlie (Logan Lerman) and both of his friends Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), each go through massive emotional roller coasters. Huge changes to their lives that are developed incredibly well. Feelings and emotions are messy, unexplainable and complicated. We battle between how we feel and who we really are, with what society says we should be, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower accurately represents this.

The acting by everyone was quite simply ground breaking. I don’t think I am over-exaggerating either.

Emma Watson has lovers and haters. The haters say her accent sucked, the fans say she was faultless. I say that her American accent was well done, but perhaps her articulate way of speaking let her down. I didn’t see Hermione at all in her performance of the outgoing Sam, which I think is something that Emma Watson should be applauded for.
Amazing.

Ezra Miller plays Patrick, a fun, loving, loyal guy who is the stepbrother of Sam. What I adore about this character is how well written he is – he’s not a stereotype by any stretch! This is such a breath of fresh air because he is homosexual, yet this does not define him. He stands up for himself and does not accept being victimised. Patrick is my favourite character because he doesn’t take life too seriously… I want him to be my best friend.

Shop teacher: …Are you proud to be a senior having to take freshman shop, Patty-Cakes?
Patrick: Look, my name is Patrick. Either you call me Patrick or you call me nothing.
Shop teacher: Nothing, why don’t you read first?
Patrick: Alright, Chapter 1: Surviving your fascist shop teacher who needs to put kids down to feel big. Oh wow! This is useful guys, we should read on!

The tunnel song - Heroes by Bowie — The tunnel song – Heroes by Bowie

The music is very well picked. Some of my favourite songs are included: David Bowie’s song Heroes, which is affectively used. I discovered Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners via this film – it is such a happy song with a great scene to go with it. Oh! And oh my God the Cocteau Twins’ incredible song Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drop! I hadn’t heard of them before this film either. These contrasting sounds and genres mirror the emotional tones of the movie.

This is not a typical high school drama at all! I think its genre would be similar to the likes of Seven Pounds.

Not what I was expecting, but not a disappointment by any stretch. It is thought provoking and intense. Just like life, there are huge ups and downs.

This movie is a realistic account of three teenagers and their relatable high school/college experiences .

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The trailer of a very alternate idea of the movie… It is literally nothing like this.

Morning Glory

Director: Rodger Mitchell
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna
Released: November 2010
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton
—

I love this movie. This is my happy movie.

Rachel McAdams plays Becky Fuller, a workaholic who is made redundant. She eventually gets hired by a breakfast show that’s going down the pan. The story follows her struggles to rebuild herself, and the show.

There are some fantastic lines! Harrison Ford is so dry with his delivery. It’s so perfect!

Mike: Why do we have to mention that first cup of coffee? Why not just say, “Watch Mike Pomeroy before your morning dump?”

I love Becky because she has arms flailing all over the place, her hair is messy and she’s so intensely dedicated to her job. Rachel McAdams was reluctant to take this part because she said she’s not funny enough to be in a comedy. But I disagree! McAdams is so natural in this, she makes it funny in a Bridget Jones sort of way.

Morning Glory‘s morals are sort of similar to The Devil Wears Prada… Well, it’s written by the same person, so I guess that’s why. But they’re basically about how important a career can be to someone, treating it like a relationship. In fact, when Becky discusses her job, it sounds like she’s talking about a person.

I guess although I understand why the reviews of this movie are average, I personally love it because I can relate to the industry having studied television and journalism. Becky is a character who I would love to be! I want her hair, wardrobe, confidence and success.

Becky: Why haven’t they bumped you up [to executive producer]?
Lenny: It’s not for me. I did it for a couple of weeks once, but they put me back at Number Two. Apparently, the crying was distracting.

Keep an eye out for how Becky’s hair and clothes change as she grows and becomes more secure. It’s the attention to detail that makes this movie fun.

A very funny film, particularly if you’re familiar with the news industry!

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Dead Poets Society

Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Tom Schulman
Released: June 1989
Featuring: Robin Williams
—

Imagine Good Will Hunting + Scent of a Woman… and with a touch of The Ron Clark Story. That pretty much gives you Dead Poets Society.

It is a great story about breaking the mould. Not being what your father wants you to be, not giving into the black and white versions of education, but finding the creativity in it and allowing your imagination to run riot.

Tradition. Honour. Discipline. Excellence.
Travesty. Horror. Decadence. Excrement.

Robin Williams plays John Keating who is an English teacher with unorthodox teaching methods in a private all boys school. The tradition and formality of the school keeps the students as a uniform with little individuality. But Keating is able to bring out the strengths in them and encourage creativity.

It is one of the most inspiring movies, particularly because Robin Williams is so brilliant.

There are so many amazing scenes in this film, but I think this one below is my favourite. Keating brings out the best in a painfully shy student, showing him what he’s capable of by pushing him to open up:

I thoroughly enjoy these philosophical films, especially with the quirky Robin Williams whose improvisation skills are beyond any I have seen. He is amazing.

His character is everybody’s favourite teacher. Somebody who recognises the students weakness and strengths and getting the best out of them using methods that are best for them, even though they may not be necessarily typical of a prep school environment.

Lookatthingsdifferently — Look at things from a different perspective.

Dead Poets Society is uplifting and inspiring but also shocking and morose. It delves into the worst of humanity as it explores the desperation of students trying to escape the clutches of tradition.

Jodie’s Rating: 8.5/10

Walk the Line

Director: James Mangold
Writer: James Mangold and Gill Dennis
Released: November 2005
Featuring: Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon
—

I thoroughly enjoyed this biopic about one of the best country rock n roll singers of the sixties, Johnny Cash.

Joaquin Phoenix did an incredible job of becoming Johnny Cash. His natural intensity was perfect for the really heavy and dark life of Johnny Cash. I didn’t know much about Johnny Cash until I impulsively bought this movie. I had a few of his songs and enjoyed them, but assumed that he was just a country singer for geriatrics.

walk-the-line-folsum — Performing in Folsom Prison

It turns out that Johnny Cash’s life and the people he rubbed shoulders with is incredible. The stories he has are inspiring. I am not sticking up for everything that Johnny Cash did, but I have to say that it was so unfortunate that he was married with children just before he reached his dream of being a musician. He let that old life go, hurting his family, and continue on following his dreams and the new life that come with it.

A lot of ups and downs which can become exhausting to watch, however, that just proves how convincing the film was; it really put you in Cash’s shoes.

Reese Witherspoon, having not enjoyed her performances for almost all of her movies, pleasantly surprised me in Walk The Line. She was very convincing as June Carter and I have a new found respect for her.

Joaquin and Reese both did their own vocals… I’m afraid that I enjoyed their vocal performances more that the original Johnny and June performances! I feel bad for saying that, but their sound is so upbeat and their voices are quite similar to Johnny and June’s. Very well done indeed!

I love the sixties – as I am sure you are aware – so seeing Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and a few of my other favourite rock n roll stars was awesome! The clothes, the atmosphere that was so convincingly authentic was beautiful.

Can you name all of the rock and roll stars?

A gorgeously filmed biopic with fantastic actors and characters.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Water For Elephants

Director: Francis Lawrence
Writer: Richard LaGravenese. Based on Sara Guen’s novel of the same name
Released: April 2011
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz
—

I bought this DVD as a bit of a whim. After stumbling across the trailer on YouTube I thought that the look of the whole film resembled the circus scenes in Big Fish.

It is the story of the dark side of the circus during the early 1930s, with a forbidden love story between Jacob (Robert Pattinson) and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) intertwined. Jacob runs away with the circus and poses as a certified vet to continue travelling with them, but discovers that there’s much more to performing that the magic the audience sees.

On the way, he experiences the control and under handed acts that go on in order to keep the circus from failing during the depression. Staff would go missing in the night if the boss and husband of Marlena, August (Christoph Waltz), was unable to pay.

horses_water_for_elephants — Beautiful animals and amazing stunts

The climax did have me holding my breath, but the over all story seemed somewhat watered down, with the lack of suspense throughout most of the heavier scenes.

Of course, my terrible habit is that I hype movies up before I’ve even seen them. I did think that Water For Elephants was going to be more dramatic and horrific, perhaps I would have been right if it was an R17 rating or something like that. But, it wasn’t a bad story by any stretch and it was an enjoyable romance drama – despite there being more romance that drama for my taste.

However, it was very well shot! The director, Francis Lawrence shows his talent for lighting in previous films including I Am Legend and has carried it through to Water For Elephants. I am excited to see how he portrays The Hunger Games sequels!

The acting was great for the most part! Christoph Waltz… Need I say more? He was amazing as usual, and one of the most compelling reasons to buy this movie, he was convincingly intense. Robert Pattinson was pretty decent too, possibly a little monotone..? Reese Witherspoon was AV-ER-AGE to say the least. Shallow acting.

A cool tale that explores the fantasy of running away with the circus.

Jodie’s Rating: 6.5/10

Burlesque

Director: Steven Antin
Writers: Susannah Grant. Screenplay by Steven Antin and Diablo Cody
Released: November 2010
Starring: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Kristen Bell, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher, Stanley Tucci, Dianna Agron
—

So, Burlesque is pretty much a lighter, chick flick version of Moulin Rouge. It is an upbeat, modern story with back to back songs that make you want to get up and dance.

Christina Aguilera is a singer who I admire for her talent, yet if I am honest, I do not enjoy her music.

Amazing costumes, with themes ranging from the classic 1940s to the 1960s. She does an amazing job during the scenes where she is performing on stage. However, for the most part her acting is much to be desired. Her squeaky voice gets a little on nerves considering she has such a deep, powerful singing voice.

The same goes for Cher, her acting was average… But so was her auto-tuned voice. I’m not convinced that she should really be classed as “a legend”…

I swear Life After Love is the only successful song of hers that I can think of.

But Stanley Tucci is one of my favourite actors – he is great in this movie as usual!

Burlesque-tucci

I don’t love the songs enough to buy the soundtrack. But there are a couple that are pretty catchy! Unfortunately, Christina Aguilera’s voice is so distinct that sometimes her improvisation during the songs can become irritating. Hence why I have never bought an album of hers.

burlesqueCA

Following a typical chick-flick structure, the ending is no surprise. Over used morals of “do what you love”, “just do it” and “don’t give up” drowns this movie. But it is a film that is not supposed to be much more than enjoyable.

Looking for a pick me up? I think this high-energy, fun film will do the trick!

(Moulin Rouge + Glee = Burlesque)
Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Midnight In Paris

Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Released: June 2011
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody
—

When I first watched this film I was disappointed because I had hyped up the plot of Gil (Owen Wilson) travelling through different time eras of Paris. The artistic, fashionable, sophisticated and elaborate times of the 1920s, as well as the ceremonious, coming of age times of the 1890s. But after letting my great expectations subside, I really enjoyed the watch.

The plot is about the Golden Age. That is, longing to live in a time before your own. For example, mine is the early 1960s. Rock and roll music and amazing fashion, with the huge liberal movement against war and for free will.

Paul: Nostalgia is denial – denial of the painful present… the name for this denial is golden age thinking – the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one one’s living in – it’s a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.

However, Midnight In Paris attempts to shroud my Golden Age in contempt, trying to convince me that few are content with the current times and to get over it. It dampened my comfort of believing I would be happier in a different time, because the reality is – as Gil discovers – that you would simply find another time that you would believe to be better.

There is a lot of magic in this film, which I love. Gil goes through a wormhole of sorts, where at the strike of midnight every night a 1920s car picks him up and takes him to parties with his literary heroes. It’s a beautiful “what if” storyline that lives out everybody’s dream to travel through time to experience a life not meant for them.

I think that the decision for Gil to be transported to different era via transport appropriate for that time was perfect. It seems like a small, obvious detail, but I’m just glad that there was no CGI, special effects or sound effects to make the transition obvious.

midnight-in-paris-carload-of-literary-types

This magic does not last throughout the film, however. “The grass is always greener on the other side” is a phrase that has been converted into the moral of this story – the cold, harsh light of day is not welcoming.

Gil sees that the beauty of every era can still be inspiring without having the ability to experience it first hand. Which is disappointing since it seems that he is throwing away his idyllic time era of 1920s Paris for an average life in 2010 Paris. He could have continued to live his dream, but chose not to for no convincing reason.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS marion

On the other hand, I loved how his heroes gave him advice and support, which ultimately builds his confidence to improve his life in the present.

Gil: Would you read it?
Ernest Hemingway: Your novel?
Gil: Yeah, it’s about 400 pages long, and I’m just looking for an opinion.
Ernest Hemingway: My opinion is I hate it.
Gil: Well you haven’t even read it yet.
Ernest Hemingway: If it’s bad, I’ll hate it because I hate bad writing, and if it’s good, I’ll be envious and hate all the more. You don’t want the opinion of another writer.

Instead of taking the easy option of staying in his dream, he takes the tough road of building his life into what he really wants. I guess he shook of the security blanket of living in the past – an easier place to live because you know what’s coming for you.

Gil: Adriana, if you stay here though, and this becomes your present then pretty soon you’ll start imagining another time was really your… You know, was really the golden time. Yeah, that’s what the present is. It’s a little unsatisfying because life’s a little unsatisfying.

Gertrude Stein: We all fear death and question our place in the universe. The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.

The beautiful French music was glorious! Seriously considering buying the soundtrack.

The acting was very well done. I really hated Rachel McAdam’s character. Like, it got to the point where I was starting to think that she must be a total bi-atch in real life because she played evil Inez so convincingly. So, kudos to her acting ability.

Owen Wilson was pretty much the same character he is in everything. I’m not totally sure why he was cast. Perhaps to keep the film upbeat.

midnight-in-paris-rachel

It is an uplifting tale of something that many of us dream of doing. The ending was rather disappointing, at first. But I have come to terms with it, and I think it works well for Gil.

Worth a watch, but don’t expect it to be a deep and meaningful movie – you will be disappointed! Look at it as a quirky drama/rom-com. Although, I do think that it would have been a very moving film if it was heavier with more drama and emotion.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Easy A

Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Bert V. Royal
Released: September 2010
Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci
—

This is quite a different version to the typical high school chick flick that drowns the market. Easy A is about how rumours can make or break your reputation. But also how you can take insults and use them to your advantage.

It has a funny script with some catchy insults from the witty and very sarcastic Olive (Emma Stone) – similar dialogue to Juno.

Her best come backs are usually toward the “Jesus Freak”, Marianne (Amanda Bynes), who was responsible for spreading the false rumour of Olive losing her virginity.

Marianne: There’s a higher power that will judge you for your indecency.
Olive: Tom Cruise?

This movie covers everything that one would come across in high school; self expression, religious beliefs, hypocritical people, assumptions and rumour-spreaders. Of course, Olive uses all of this to her advantage.

She sassed up her wardrobe “just like they asked” and becomes her alter ego of the ‘whore’, despite being a very respectable 17-year-old. Just goes to show that what you may see on the outside is not always what is on the inside. And vice versa.

Emma StoneEASY A.

Nina: Perhaps you should embroider a red A on your wardrobe, you abominable tramp.
Olive: Perhaps you should get a wardrobe, you abominable twat.

I really enjoyed this movie because it is a huge, gigantic middle finger to society. You can’t change what people think of you, but you can choose not to be a victim to it.

People rumoured that Olive was a bit of a “skank”, so she began to dress like one! They didn’t whisper about it behind her back after she started wearing corsets and high heels to school, making the scandal-filled rumour less shocking.

It is a fun movie with references to eighties high school movies such as The Breakfast Club which I thought was really smart and made it a story that seemed more human because everybody wants to be in an eighties high school film.

The music is pretty awesome, too. Jessie J’s Sexy Silk is a fun song, with a modernised version of We Go Together (from Grease) by I Heart Homework. But with my personal favourite being from The Breakfast Club called Don’t You (Forget About Me) originally by Simple Minds, but covered by AM.

Oh, and since watching Easy A, Natasha Bedingfield’s Pocket Full of Sunshine has not left my mind for the past few days. You should expect the same thing after watching the film.

Mr. Griffith: I don’t know what your generation’s fascination is with documenting your every thought… “Roman is having an OK day, and bought a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof.”
Olive: He got a Coke Zero AGAIN. Ah, that Roman. Incorrigible.

Easy A is a fun and easy watch. The script enables viewers to look into it as far as they wish with layered themes and slightly more complex characters than usual. Obviously not a film for everyone, but it’s definitely my favourite movie at the moment – up there with The Breakfast Club! A 2010 version of a 1985 chick flick. tumblr_mhbirb1bNm1s1wtnqo1_500

Actually, I would say that it is on par with Pitch Perfect.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

The Breakfast Club

Director: John Hughes
Writer: John Hughes
Released: February 1985
Featuring:Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason
—

Probably the best high school based film. Openly addressing and mocking their stereotypes and the pressures each one of them are under by their associated peers.

It is a very well made film because it is entirely based in one place during one day, with a tiny cast. We are sitting in on a Saturday detention with five completely contrasting students who soon find out what they hate and what they love about each other and themselves. Very human, very emotionally rooted.

The Characters:
The cheerleader type referred to as ‘the princess’ named Claire (Molly Ringwald).

The jock referred to as ‘sporto’ named Andrew (Emilio Estevez).

‘The brain’ named Brian (Anthony Michael Hall).

The kook or ‘the basket case’ named Allison (Ally Sheedy).

The messed up ‘criminal’ called John (Judd Nelson).

The Kook and the Princess — The Kook and The Princess

What is great about these characters, is that we can see qualities in ourselves in all of them. They are a mirror image of the teenage audience. We all know somebody with qualities like them, we all find some of them in ourselves and we all find characteristics in them that we want to possess.
Despite being about five typical stereotypes, by the end of the movie, you realise that they are a group of misfits who don’t want to belong to a group who tells them who to be.

I think if there was an extended version of this movie, it would be how each one of them over came the pressure of their groups and openly hung out with other cliques, because they’re all strong characters who would become role models. Well, that’s what I would like to think would happen anyway.

Made in the eighties and it certainly looks like the eighties! I swear I am transported to that era every time I watch it. Great eighties music too, including one of my favourite songs Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds. If you want to listen to some eighties music on the go, this site has some great eighties music.

It’s true, high school really does suck. But this movie will make you feel better about it.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10
I would just like to say that they have excluded all of the funny bits in this trailer, so if you like the look of this, you’re going to love the film.

Cemetery Junction

Directors: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Writers: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Released: April 2010
Starring: Emily Watson, Ricky Gervais, Ralph Fienes, Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes
—

Based in the early seventies, this film follows the lives of three boys in their early twenties whose lives consist of “boozing”, partying and “getting birds”. However, after one of the boys, Freddie (Christian Cooke), meets an old friend, Julie (Felicity Jones) who is bursting to leave town and travel the world, he decides that he wants more in life too.

They both realise that they are both being held back by conservative parents and living in the regimented town of Cemetery Junction. The film follows these two characters as well as their friends and families, as they come to terms with climbing out of the armpit of a town, despite Julie being engaged and their ideas beyond the town are frowned upon.

This movie is fantastically well made! Bright colours from the swinging sixties that reminds me of The Boat That Rocked and Made In Dagenham. Fantastic songs from the sixties and seventies too, including Bowie, Slade and Elton John. I bet the soundtrack would be worth getting.

The characters are (according to my parents) quite accurate of the time. The older generation racist and with plans of keeping in the same job and staying in the same town, but with a growing proportion of the younger generation wanting more than being in a 9 to 5 job, marrying and having children, but wanting to explore and move away.

It is a refreshing plot line that is beyond an aesthetically perfect rom-com, but an inspiring story of escape in search of adventure. The feeling of being trapped experienced by some of the characters who are trying to break free are well communicated in the film. It’s a very human story of breaking the mould and being independent.

Cemetery Junction is convincing and very well made, apart from the frequently questionable language. It is extremely funny, exciting and makes you long for that era with the fashion and majestic clubs with live music booming. The characters are relatable and realistic who encourage the feeling of moving away from all that is familiar just for the sake of the journey.

A fun easy-to-watch, yet deep movie of lovable characters living in an increasingly exciting time.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

Made In Dagenham

Directed: Nigel Cole
Written: William Ivory
Released: October 2010
Featuring: Sally Hawkins, Rosamund Pike, Miranda Richardson, Bob Hoskins, Geraldine James
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This movie is based in the late sixties during a time when women were treated unequally in the work place. They were degraded and given less pay than the men, simply because they are women.

The leader of the movement Rita O’Grady, played by Sally Hawkins, a worker in a Ford factory in Dagenham, organises the rallies. Based on a true story, these women made history in their success in getting equality in the workplace – even meeting Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson)!

Rita carries the guilt of others’ personal issues such as dealing with the after effects of war on her friends as well as keeping everybody united in the struggle against the workplace. This adds another very human dimension to the film.

Rights not privileges, it’s really that simple.

My favourite character is by far Lisa, played by Rosamund Pike. She is beautifully elegant, and posesses a fantastically strong sense of right and wrong. Her opinion is generally unwelcome, but I just adore everybody’s faces when she speaks out A look of utter shock. She is strong, intelligent and an amazing woman.

I’m Lisa Burnett, I’m 31 years old and I have a first class honours degree from one of the finest universities in the world, and my husband treats me like I’m a fool…

It’s based in the sixties, so naturally the music and fashion is absolutely to die for! The dresses, the hair, the dancing *gasp* …so amazing.

This is a movie that will inspire and move you. It is entertaining and funny with an amazing cast! This is not a preachy feminist film either. This is based on true circumstances adding so much integrity to the script.

The front cover of the DVD and poster is very inaccurate. It looks like it is a happy-go-lucky rom-com. It is far from it. It is a drama based on humanity and personal triumphs.

An incredible journey by heroines based in a time of total change.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Chocolat

Chocolat-Movie

Director: Lasse Hallström
Writer: Screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs. Based on the novel by Joanne Harris.
Released: December 2000
Starring: Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Carrie-Anne Mos
—

A mysterious and magical fable-like tale about an eccentric, colourful and embracing chocolatier named Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and how she brightened up a deeply rooted traditional French village. Her provocative clothing, illegitimate child and outspoken values made her unwanted in the village, being outcast as an evil influence. Despite this, her Chocolaterie brings hope and perspective to the guilty customers. Amongst this, there is a compelling love interest between Vianne and a free-spirited Irish traveller, Roux (Johnny Depp).

I love the lead actress, Juliette Binoche, but I do wonder if they chose her because Marion Cotillard was unavailable. In any case, they are two gorgeously elegant and talented French women.

Despite looking like a model village, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is in fact a real village located in Burgundy, France.

This film is about depriving ourselves of things purely for the discipline, particularly pressured by religion or the expectations of society. With everybody being up tight about keeping a perfect front for others, it seems easy for the important things in their lives to crumble in the background. Perhaps marriage, not pursuing new love, staying in dangerous situations from fear of persecution, or not allowing themselves to try new things.

The incredible Judi Dench playing a foul mouthed, strong willed landlord

The Chocolaterie represents freedom and indulgence. It is a moral that allows people to make mistakes, to not feel guilty about taking pleasure in something or feeling damned or frowned upon. They begin to give into desires, discover new feelings and acting on them.

The soundtrack is authentically French! Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli makes you want to get up and dance, with other classical songs that bring out the essence of the town. Lots of guitars and drums that gets your feet tapping. Fantastic songs.

This is a movie set in the year of 1959. The women wear dresses and hats and the men in suits. Everything seems black and white until the woman with pink shoes and bright coloured dresses arrives. The costumes are absolutely to die for. The shoes, the belts the make up… So beautiful!

I have to say, the first few times I watched this, I was expecting it to be a bit more mystical with a Chocolatier who is very wise and knowledgeable, helping people in every place that she moves to. But she is only human who makes mistakes and questions life like the people in the village opened themselves up to do. Now that I’m older, I can see that this was purposeful. Vianne is flawed too which just makes this fable a much more down to earth film.

For all the chocolate lovers, Johnny Depp lovers, romantics, dreamers and free thinkers. This is a personable film that is easy to watch and brings hope to people, particularly to anyone who feels a little different or who questions society’s morals, or the things that we are influenced by.

An uplifting, soulful journey of how a little sweetness in life can bring people together.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The Prestige

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Released: October 2006
Featuring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie
—

David Bowie is in it… I don’t think anything more really needs to be said…

Act one: “The Pledge”

Are you watching closely?
The Prestige is an incredible movie with real mystery and thrilling themes, like nothing you have ever seen before. Its dark and haunting aesthetic with the ruthless, deceitful, cut-throat and competitive characters makes an extremely intense film.

It is the story of strong-willed magicians who guard their incredible tricks of illusions with their lives resulting in sacrifices way beyond their expectations as their hunger for dominance of rival magicians runs riot.

Of course, I can’t forget to mention the era that this movie is set in, the late 1800s. I wouldn’t mind living in those times… Only if I was very wealthy of course. Beautiful dresses, old school showmanship, horse and carts and the thrill of newly discovered electricity.

With the complexity of Nolan’s Inception, the grungy look of The Dark Knight, but with a hint of total tragedy, this is just another of Christopher’s incredible creations.

Act Two: “The Turn”

I’m sure it will be compared to The Illusionist… But that doesn’t come anywhere near to what The Prestige delivers, nor does it deliver as much mystery, heart-break or violence. The Prestige is truly a one of a kind movie that makes you feel scared, desperate, amazed and sit mesmerised at the end trying to figure out the wild twists and turns in the story.

The trailer for The Illusionist, a second class film in comparison, but a pretty decent film nonetheless.

This film makes you gasp, cry, feel a sense of desperation and total awe as Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale’s characters go to extreme lengths, bending moral judgment to the expense of their loved ones, as they attempt to steal each other’s secrets of their most breath-taking, and threatening, tricks.

With such unexpected twists and turns, it is impossible to guess the ending. Unfortunately, knowing the ending can spoil the magic of the film for future viewing, sort of like in the second or third viewing of The Others.

Act Three: “The Prestige”

There really is no thrill in knowing the secret behind the magic. “The secret impresses no one”.

So incredible.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

The Help

Director: Tate Taylor
Writer: Tate Taylor (screenplay), Kathryn Stockett (novel)
Released: August 2011
Starring: Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard
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The first thing that attracted me to this DVD was, quite shallowly, the dresses that the characters were wearing on the cover. This was a story based in the sixties, also, it has Emma Stone in it.

So I decided to [wait until the price came down and] buy it.

In the back of my mind I was expecting it to be either over-emotional and depressing such as the film Precious (which I still haven’t brought myself to watch). Or, I was expecting it to be a little too cheesy… But I was gladly wrong.

This is a story about a strong-willed and moral young woman named Skeeter (Emma Stone) who interviewed African-American maids in Jackson, Mississippi despite it being very dangerous and very much against the law.

With many struggles and an immense amount of courage from all involved, she wrote a book anonymously based upon the accounts of the Help who serve white families for little money and humiliating conditions.

Although I am not overly well-versed in American Civil Rights history, it is not hard to feel sympathetic and emotionally moved by the stories of the Help, or incredible remorse for the way that many of the white population viewed African-American people.

Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) plays the ‘villain’. It’s easier to pity her more than despise her, and she is still accessible enough to guess why she acts the way she does.

bryce-dallas-howard-as-hilly-holbrook-in

Skeeter was the most inspirational character of course. Maybe because she is about my age. But I also find her an inspirational character because she refuses to fit into society.

She doesn’t just want to get married, live in a house in the suburbs or pay a maid to raise her children. Instead, she wanted to change the world around her for the better. Skeeter graduated as a journalist and bravely took on a huge project for the greater good, giving the ignored maids a voice.

Minny and Celia

Minny (right) and her new employer, Celia (Jessica Chastain) is a happy go-lucky woman who is impossible to dislike. She is excluded from the white community, probably because of her acceptance of everybody – no matter the colour – and finds friendship in her new maid, Minny Jackson.

I am reluctant to give too much credit to the author that this film was based on, Kathryn Stockett, because I’m not incredibly sure she was completely honest and pure in her intentions (my theory based upon a few interviews I have seen her in).

There was a lawsuit filed against her by Aibileen, the author’s brother’s maid, saying that Stockett had stolen her life story without her knowledge. Although Stockett was found innocent, it did take the honour out of the story a bit.

The novel is in fact fiction, with bits and pieces drawn from Stockett’s life experiences as a white child growing up in the South with a family maid. But, it is essentially a story that is worth being told to remind us of how it was, with themes of friendship, adversity, desperation and success.

This film is a people film. It follows characters who have flaws and struggles, triumphs and strength. It follows the lives of various people and from their points of view which reminds me of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Big Fish and other stories that accurately follow the path of interesting, yet believable, people.

Triumphant and inspirational.
…Also, their accents and way of talking is so awesome. I’ve watched this movie so many times, my thoughts are now in a Southern accent.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Can’t say that the movie is quite as upbeat as this trailer makes it out to be, but it gives you chills nevertheless.

Gangster Squad

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writer: Will Beall (screenplay),Paul Lieberman (novel)
Released: January 2013
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn
—

Wow! I was so looking forward to seeing this and boy was it worth the wait!

It certainly reminded me of Public Enemies (featuring Johnny Depp) for obvious reasons; both based on a true story, both take place in the forties involving Los Angeles gangsters. However, the stories are clearly different.

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling reunite again since Crazy, Stupid, Love. Both of them are fantastic together once again. Two of my favourite actors, for sure!

A very appropriate choice of lighting (or lack of) on the director’s behalf which made the feel of the movie accurate. It was rough and dangerous, yet still attractive. I am sure that the amount of people who smoked in that era was not exaggerated in the movie, too. Every interior scene was smoky, which was not only historically accurate but very artistic as it diffused the harsh lighting within the dim rooms.

I remember mentioning that I thought that there was not enough car chases in the incredible forties vehicles in Public Enemies… Well, it is safe to say that there are plenty in this movie. At least 60% of the movie are car chases or gun fights.

Unfortunately, I have to mention that the gun fights began to go on for a bit too long within some parts, stopping and starting all over the place with very few people ever getting hit by bullets. Perhaps taking the attention away from the more personal stories that could have been developed further, meaning that attachment to the characters was not quite as possible as they could have been. I think to make the gun fights more attention grabbing, some more slow motion action would have been effective.

Overall, a very exciting film set in one of my favourite time periods. A time with incredible fashion, immaculate cars and terrifyingly powerful gangsters.

Loved the wicked fists fights and sadistic criminals!

Jodie’s Rating: 7/10

21

Director: Robert Luketic
Writer: Peter Steinfeld, Allan Loeb and Chris Kalyvas (screenplay) Ben Mezrich (story)
Released: 2008
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey, Liza Lapira, Aaron Yoo, Jacob Pitts
—

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

21 clan Inspired by true events, this exciting and high-energy journey follows Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) as he discovers the world of counting cards and the game of blackjack in Vegas. The huge financial rewards and glamorous way of life that was supposed to be a means to an end for Ben, became an addictive and extremely risky and dangerous lifestyle choice.

Ben: You know, I’m only really doing this just to pay for medical school. You know, $300,000 and then I’m out.

Jill: That’s what they all say.

Mickey and Ben This is a fast paced film of high-rollers and well-educated characters, some with intimidating power and control. A once conscientious student becomes wrapped up in the underworld of counting cards which jeopardises his future as a Harvard Medical student as blackjack team member, Professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey), turns on him.

Mickey: You didn’t do your job. You weren’t counting, you were gambling!

The genius who pushes away a possibility to change his life with a mentor with questionable motives sort of reminds me of Good Will Hunting. But 21 is a more modern, less philosophical version with much more risk to keep you on your toes.

The lighting and quick-cut editing is quite incredible. The shadows and gold lighting of the casinos reflect the mood and how well – or tragic – the circumstances are, while the editing puts you in the shoes of the counters who’s lives are rushing past at a 100 miles an hour. The disguises that they all use on each Vegas visit is a fun addition to the work that they do.

We used hand signals, too. Folded arms, the table’s hot. A touch to the eye, we need to talk. And a hand running through perfect flowing hair meant only one thing. Get out. Now.

21 casino The soundtrack to 21 is a mixture of popular artists such as Rihanna and MGMT, classic artists such as The Rolling Stones, plus some more of the middle-of-the-road artists like Peter Bjorn and John and Unkle. There are a few R&B songs that I don’t really like, but the best parts are used in the film effectively.

I thoroughly enjoy this movie. It has action, twists, intellect, good-looking people and the life that many dream of having; fortune but with exhilarating danger and the freedom that no [average] student would ever come close to having.

I would recommend this movie to anybody.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Edward Scissorhands

Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Caroline Thompson and Tim Burton
Released: 1990
Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest
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You’ll either love it or hate it. I happen to love it.

JD as ES Tim Burton’s quirky and off centre idea of normalcy is shown in Edward Scissorhands which is about a man who was created by an inventor who died before he could complete him – hence the scissors for hands. Edward finds himself embraced into suburbia which challenges the belief system of the small, gossipy population, before everything goes wrong and Edward finds himself in a more confused state than ever.

It does seem like a crazy storyline. A man with scissors for hands? Imagine trying to pitch that to a production company…

“Hey, I had this idea about a guy who was created by an inventor out of leather. But the inventor never finished him so he gave the Frankenstein-like character scissors to compensates for his lack of hands… He can’t pick anything up! And sometimes he accidentally hurts himself and others around him… Like a metaphor really… Yeah. So, we need twenty million dollars.”

Anyway! Burton did get it made, with the actors considered to play Edward Scissorhands including Tom Cruise and Michael Jackson. Thankfully, Burton decided to give the teen idol, Johnny Depp (Alice In Wonderland and Public Enemies), a chance to break his type-cast. Nobody could have played the awkward Edward character any better.

Speaking of casting, one of my favourite actresses, Dianne Wiest, (The Lost Boys and The Horse Whisperer) was the perfect choice to play Peg Boggs, the Avon lady and motherly figure to Edward. She is so sensitive and plays the part of a kind suburban house mum very well.

Caroline Thompson was the screenwriter and collaborated with Tim Burton to come up with the story originally. She has written the screenplays to the likes of The Secret Garden and Black Beauty. She is a genius! One of my idols, for sure.

Scissorsuburbs The sets look like a model set because of all of the pastel colours and cookie-cutter, two dimensional looking houses, especially in contrast with the black, gothic castle that Edward Scissorhands hides out in. It is actually a spectacular set which is an exaggeration of suburbia’s claustrophobia, uniformity and lack of individualism or creativity, which is what Edward Scissorhands inadvertently changes when he is introduced to the neighbourhood.

edward_scissorhands_kim_dancing_in_the_snow It is a comedic view on the insanity of normalcy. An entertaining watch – unlike anything you have ever seen before. It is a typical Burton film so if you’re not a fan of his work usually, you may not enjoy the weirdness of Edward Scissorhands. However, the love interest between Edward and Kim (Winona Ryder) as well as the snowy Christmas scenes makes it a great festive movie (despite the somewhat sad ending which Tom Cruise disliked).

A great movie! A fantastical change to the ordinary chick-flicks that flood the market. This is a magical, feel-good fable with a twist that will be appreciated by the whole family.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10
I’m not overly convinced that either of these trailers give the best feel of what the movie is really like, but here they are…

Big Fish

Director: Tim Burton
Writer: John August (Screenplay), Daniel Wallace (Novel – Big Fish: A Novel of Mythical Proportions)
Released: 2003
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Helena Bonham-Carter, Billy Crudup, Albert Finney and Ewen McGregor
—

I have mentioned this movie in quite a few other posts, relating it to Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button because of their similar stories about an average man on his adventure through life.

Big Fish is directed by Tim Burton, so already you have probably got an idea of what the feel of this film is. A little bit quirky with gothic undertones, but don’t be fooled, this is not a cookie-cutter Burton film (although it does include the incredible Helena Bonham-Carter), this is an amazing tale about Edward Bloom’s (Albert Finney/Ewan McGregor) life.

circus The protagonist is a storyteller although he is known to exaggerate and embellish the story of his life with fantastical metaphors and unbelievable occurrences. Just like Forrest Gump, Edward is a Southern man who finds himself on a road of various adventures, finds love and goes to war.

But Big Fish is a more light hearted and fantastical version where you’re not quite sure what to believe to be true. Edward Bloom’s stories take up most of the film, but it also tells the story of his son, William Bloom (Billy Crudup).

spectre1

He goes on a journey of his own, retracing his father’s footsteps to find out the real story behind all of Edward’s fabricated tales. The contrast between reality and fantasy makes the story more believable. The facts would have made uninteresting tales, whereas the elaborate stories are entertaining and unbelievable.

I love this piece of dialogue where William’s fiancé Josephine (Marion Cotillard) speaks to William Bloom about how he met is wife, Sandra (Jessica Lange/Alison Lohman). I love Bloom’s way of speaking!

Edward Bloom: Your mother-in-law was never supposed to marry me. She was engaged to somebody else.
Josephine: I never knew.
Edward Bloom: Will never told you? Probably just as well. He would have told it wrong, anyway. All the facts, none of the flavor.
Josephine: Oh. So this is a tall tale.
Edward Bloom: Well, it’s not a short one.

This clip should give you a good idea of the feel of the movie:

The music is fantastic in Big Fish. There is Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Pearl Jam as well as the compositions by the infamous Danny Elfman (who incidentally cannot read music!)

witch Fate, destiny, time, love and death. From real life giants and lion tamers to mermaids and witches, Big Fish is a fantasy/adventure/drama movie, but with a make-believe glaze over it.

It is a story of great imagination which you will want to watch over and over again and read further into the details. It’s entertaining but also pulls on the heart-strings.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Just noticed they have used the same piece of music from Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands… and another piece of music I recognise from Black Beauty in this trailer! All of these movies have the same composer though; Danny Elfman.

Forrest Gump

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Screenplay by Eric Roth. Based Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
Released: 1994
Starring: Tom Hanks, Sally Field and Robyn Wright
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I love these films. The kind of stories that are based on a character’s life adventures are the most inspirational because the scripts tend to be quite philosophical. Forrest Gump is, of course, a very innocent story of a man’s journey through his life. The hurdles and the triumphs are all narrated by the protagonist Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks).

Forrest Gump is a film that shares the genre with the likes of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Big Fish and perhaps Driving Lessons. It’s those life stories that remind you of the stories that your grandparents’ would tell you. The morals, meanings and journeys that are motivational and inspirational make great films because they are believable and fascinating.

forrestjenny — Forrest (Hanks) and Jenny (Wright) take two very different paths in their lives, but their paths frequently cross as if they are drawn together.

Tom Hanks is an amazingly talented actor, so it’s no wonder that he makes a fantastic Forrest Gump – the innocent, yet dim, Southern man who only has three important things in his life; his Mother (Sally Field), his love, Jenny (Robyn Wright – incredible actress!) and God. His simplistic life takes many strange turns as he brushes among some of America’s major historical occurrences from the Vietnam war to exposing the Watergate scandal. As well as meeting the likes of President John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley – ending up influencing Presley’s dance moves – and John Lennon; consequently helping to inspire his hit song “Imagine”.

Sorry it’s a bit out of sync.

Forrest is such a likeable protagonist because of his lack of prejudice or anger toward others. This movie is based in the fifties and sixties in the South during the height of racism, but Forrest Gump has no part of it. He literally treats everybody the same, completely ignorant of their look, their race and beliefs.

There are some very sad scenes, but that is what makes Gump’s story so real. Although there many mockeries and memes at Gump’s expense, you can’t deny the script has many pearls of wisdom. Analysing fate and the existence of God, life and death – represented by a feather blowing in the wind. So deep!

Considering that this film was made in the nineties, the technology-use is absolutely fantastic! It has been made so incredibly well – I don’t see how it could possibly be improved by today’s technology… And ‘no’ making it 3D does not necessarily improve a film.

I have the soundtrack that I thoroughly enjoy. Alan Silvestri is the composer who has captured the feel of Forrest Gump very accurately. On the soundtrack are many popular sixties songs and artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvis Presley, The Youngbloods and Joan Baez. Incredible compilation!

It’s great that the drama and philosophical self-reflection is balanced out by the comedic scenes involving Forrest’s naivety, and the heart-warming moments between Forrest and Jenny. At almost two and a half hours long, this is not a film one would watch to chillax and unwind. However, it is certainly a fantastic film to have in the DVD collection at home. It is easy to get emotionally invested in as the characters are so animated and realistic.

Jodie’s Rating: 9.5/10

Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger-than-Fiction-will-ferrell

Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Zach Helm
Released: 2006
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah and Emma Thompson
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I. Love. This. Movie.

I first watched this in Media Studies class to study the narrative structure, and ever since then I have been able to watch it numerous times and never get bored… I know the entire script almost off by heart now.

Stranger Than Fiction is about a man – Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) – who can hear a voice narrating every event in his life, but it becomes sinister when the narrator casually mentions his approaching death.

Narrator: Little did he know that this simple, seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death.

Harold Crick now has to try and find the author to get her to stop writing before she completely writes him out of existence.

haroldcrick

I guess the first awesome thing about this film is the cast. Will Ferrell was never really an actor that I thought too much of until his versatility was shown in this comedy drama. He plays a very mundane and dry person, yet Ferrell’s subtle comedic value turns his character into a convincing yet entertaining person as he discovers his purpose in life is more than just being an IRS agent.

Emmathompson

Emma Thompson shows her insane abilities as a struggling author, yet without becoming a drag. She makes her character, Kay, so comedic yet so believable – as with all of her characters that she has ever played. You totally understand where she’s coming from. She has a lot of great come backs with no hesitation or concern for other’s emotional feelings.

Penny: And I suppose you smoked all these cigarettes?
Kay: No, they came pre-smoked.
Penny: Yeah, they said you were funny.

stranger_than_fiction-dustin

I can’t go without mentioning Dustin Hoffman. His acting is SO accurate for his character – spot on! He acts as Harold’s mentor and does so in full confidence that Harold is telling him the truth, and takes it very seriously. Professor Hilbert has many little habits that I would expect to be accurate for his career and character, such as excessive coffee consumption and loud eating.

Harold: You have to understand that this isn’t a philosophy or a literary theory or a story to me. It’s my life.
Professor Jules Hilbert: Absolutely. So just go make it the one you’ve always wanted.

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Ana Pascal

My favourite character is the baker; Ana Pascal played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is a rebellious yet respectable woman who brings Harold to life. I wanted to own a cookie store after I watched Stranger Than Fiction. She’s just such a cool character with strong morals.

Ana: Mr. Crick, it was a really awful day. I know, I made sure of it. So pick up the cookie, dip it in the milk, and eat it.

This movie is not a light chick-flick at all (even though it has my favourite romance storyline of all time). It is about identity and real life – the characters are not stereotyped or perfect by any stretch.

It’s about feeling out of control of your life, but with determination, focus and the right people, you can change your life to make it what you want it to be. You only have your life’s outline written for you; but you can always change it if you really want to.

The music is amazing – it goes so well with every scene – and I am most definitely going to put this on my Christmas list… *Hint hint*. My favourite song is Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric and Bottles and Bones by Califone.

The structure is perfect, and once it gets going you realise how emotionally attached to the characters you are. Because they have won you over with their subtle comedy, and lines that you will end up trying to find the perfect conversation to drop them into. My favourite line is by Ana: “You. Miscreant.”

I haven’t been able to drop that into a casual convo as of yet though.

If you enjoy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you are likely to enjoy this trippy story. However, it is a tragic comedy that everyone will enjoy.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Twilight

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Writer: Stephanie Meyer (novel) and Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay)
Released: 2008
Starring: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
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This is a rather delayed review of the first film of the Twilight Saga. But it has won the poll with an impressive 221 votes! It’s a much longer review than usual, so to keep you interested, I have put in a lot of pretty pictures. So here is my take on it:

First of all, I think we need to ignore our prejudices – whether it’s from the Twihards or the Twilight haters, and watch the film as if we have never heard about it before.

The first thing that I can comment truthfully on is the music. If anything, I do enjoy the music very much, so much so that I have bought the soundtrack. Researching into it further, the music supervisor was Alexandra Patsavas who also worked on the famous soundtracks of Grey’s Anatomy. She picks unknown and indie songs along with well-known musicians and their more unheard music. If anything, the emotion comes from the music in this film.

Emotion, however, is not something that would be seen throughout the protagonists. Bella (Kristen Stewart) and her vampire boyfriend, Edward, (Robert Pattinson) are predominately absent of extreme feelings or overall facial movement. This makes me feel awkward throughout the whole film because I can’t relate to Bella’s lack of action or opinion in anything she does

kristen_stewart_1173804060 — Kristen Stewart and Jodie Foster in the amazing thriller Panic Room. An awesome film – with surprisingly great acting on Stewart’s behalf… Where did it all go wrong?

(who would have thought that this is the same actress who played the girl in Panic Room alongside Jodie Foster!?).

Bearing in mind that she is in a house full of vampires… I’m just saying, if I were in a situation where I was hanging out with vampires for the first time, I would not have a blank appearance… I would either be totally fascinated and asking them a ton of questions, or I would locate the nearest emergency exit.

However, lets be honest, these vampires are not the traditional sort.

zurial-30-days-of-night — The type of vampire from 30 Days of Night directed by David Slade (who also directed Twilight: Eclipse)

Although it could be applauded to go outside the box and stay away from the tall, pale, black-haired, cloaked, haunting figure who has fangs and sleeps in a coffin. But I don’t think that Twilight’s Hollywood-moulded type of vampire really works for me.

Vampires are/were my favourite super-natural fantasy creature, with the likes of The Lost Boys and 30 Days of Night being just a couple of my favourite interpretations of the blood-sucking killers.

edward_sparkling-1 — “Vampire” of a different kind…

But now, every time a vampire is mentioned in casual conversation, the first thing that pollutes our mind is Meyer’s lustful image of a certain Mr. Edward Cullen, and not the fearless, sadistic killers that would once come to mind.

But the 25 year old-looking high schoolers who glittered in daylight and are transformed into sexualised and attractive killers… Well. It just doesn’t go down well for me. I think that vampire + sparkles = evil fairy… Not a pin-up highschool boy, like Hollywood has portrayed Edward Cullen to be. It makes nobody scared or nervous, but practically asks the internet to make numerous memes about him.

I would also like to note that the vampire Cullen family drive a Volvo. A Volvo. Not a dangerous motorcycle. But the immortal beings who can not be harmed drive a safe family vehicle… I… I can not fathom this peculiar choice of automobile. If I could not be hurt or killed, I would not only drive a dangerous and rebellious-looking motorbike, but I would drive it at great speeds… Without a helmet on too! What kind of vampire drives a Volvo? Aren’t they one of the safest cars on the road? Made for safety-conscious families who can in fact be injured..? But, I guess fantastical one-hundred year-old creatures with skin as cold and clammy as a rock on a chilly winters day, who would not sustain a mere scratch in a severe car crash, would also be attracted to the top safety ratings and efficient air bags… Makes sense. -_-

I also have a huge problem with how Bella is portrayed. It just seems like she is happy to throw away her entire life for a boy. She’s seventeen and runs away with some guy she just met – a guy who she knows to be a predatory killer. It just seems crazy. She was going to go to university and everything.

Plus, we are frequently reminded that she is totally vulnerable and in danger of being hurt all the time – she has to be looked after and looked out for. It just feels like she’s a pathetic and battered down “pet” – which is in fact how she is referred to in Twilight: New Moon. I always prefer a female lead to be strong, like Trinity in The Matrix and Katniss in The Hunger Games. Why would I want to be put in the shoes of a weakling?

Having had a rage at the characters and the actors, I can say that I do like the filters that were used. The ice blue filter that makes you feel cold whenever there is a vampire in the room. The accented green in the woods to show the intimidation yet fascination around Edward Cullen.
I only wish that this filtration was continued throughout the sequels because it does not show the collection of films as a uniform, but jars the relation between each addition. I can only contrast this to the Harry Potter movies where the feel of each film is similar or only enhanced with each sequel, not necessarily changed.

I would also like to comment on the use of special effects and stunts, despite some of the directorial decisions being questionable, I do think that the stunts are simple, yet effective (although perhaps not always particularly believable). Especially with the fight between Edward and James in the mirrored dance hall where the camera work was done quite well, despite the use of wires being obvious.

To end this positively negative review on a high note, here is a funny video:
Bad lip reading of Twilight...

keifer-sutherland-vampires — Keifer Sutherland is the best [looking] ‘teenage’ vampire. And at least The Lost Boys didn’t take themselves too seriously; it was a black comedy after all.

I think that there is a lot of hype over nothing, but also a bit of shame among those who secretly enjoy the film. I don’t think it’s “bad”. It’s just… poor. It could have been done better if the cast was re-thought. But, even so, the characters were pretty pathetic too… It should have become a film that faded into the background; a one-hit wonder.

I don’t think it really deserves the hype – or the hate – that it has attracted. The appreciation would have been more appropriate if the movie came and went. It would have done much better as a fantasy horror – not a fantasy highschool chick-flick.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10