All Film Reviews – Page 2

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

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Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Released: July 2018
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin
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Not being a massive action film fan myself, I was more in favour of waiting to see Christopher Robin instead. But in the back of my mind I figured Winnie the Pooh may not live up to my expectations as I was convincing myself it would be as magical as the Beatrix Potter biopic, Miss Potter. Whereas the new Mission: Impossible film is a little less risky, as you know exactly what to expect.

We were right – this film is everything you’d hope for in a Mission: Impossible movie.

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It follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team, which includes geeky Simon Pegg as Benji, as they embark on another seemingly impossible mission to save the world. This time, Ethan is trying to get his hands on some plutonium that is in the wrong hand as it’s intended for nuclear bombs. Meanwhile, he is being flanked by an unwelcome CIA agent (Henry Cavill), hindered by a former flame (Rebecca Ferguson) and shadowed by his former wife.

Ethan’s unwavering loyalty to his friends and team are frequently mentioned, making him the wholesome, invincible, all-American hero (not unlike Superman) that we’ve come to know and love.

Just like the franchise promises, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is outlandish, comedic at times and action-packed. Getting electrocuted by lightening and surviving major helicopter crashes are just a couple of the ‘impossible’ twists and turns in this movie.

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The film tip-toes the precipice of making fun of itself, almost becoming what Deadpool is for the superhero genre. But despite teasing the stereotypes of the action genre (making me expect Tom Cruise to turn and wink at the camera at every gun fight) it never quite holds a mirror up to itself, which keeps the integrity of the film.

I am a big fan of Tom Cruise – despite his quirks – he does all of his own stunts including the helicopter flying where he spent two years acquiring the qualifications, and he seems like a really nice guy. But I did feel a little bad for him during some parts of this film:

I’m sure everyone is aware of his accident on set where he practically snapped his ankle when jumping from one building to another, which caused production to shut down for six weeks until he healed. But if you’ve got a keen eye, you’ll notice that he is limping at random points throughout the movie. He also looks quite stiff in many of the physically-arduous scenes.

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Now, I’m not talking him down. But I’m just saying you can’t disguise the fact that you’re ageing if you’re running about in an action film – Botox can only do so much!

I was convinced that crew members from Inception had worked on this film as the music was very Hans Zimmer and the locations paralleled Inception as they both begin in Paris and end in snowy mountains – which are filmed in New Zealand! (After a quick Google search I have discovered that the composer for this film is Lorne Balfe who has a studio at Hans Zimmer’s company.)

As a general action film avoider, I was entertained by this movie. It was fun, and the gun fights and car chases were not dragged out too long. So despite the length of the film, it holds your attention.

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It didn’t make fun of itself so much that you lost respect for the franchise. (Although I wouldn’t have been surprised if Jason Bourne, James Bond and Bryan Mills casually walked into a scene to team-up with Ethan Hunt during a fight.) But it also didn’t take itself too seriously.

It was snappy, easy to follow and entertaining, which is exactly what you hope for in a Mission: Impossible film.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Incredibles 2

incredibles

Director: Brad Bird
Writer: Brad Bird
Released: June 2018
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk
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I recently wrote that I was excited to see this film, but I do wonder if I was perhaps influenced by other people’s enthusiasm because I was never really a massive fan of the first film. I liked it of course, but it ain’t no Toy Story.

Nevertheless, I do love a Pixar animation, and I am very interested in the voice acting scene, so I was more then happy to see Incredibles 2.

This second instalment picks up exactly where the first one left off where the Incredibles are attempting to save the city from a giant mole super-villain. Unfortunately despite their best efforts, they do not catch the culprit and superheroes are condemned and remain illegal.

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The movie predominately follows the story of Helen Parr/Elastagirl (Holly Hunter) who is hired by a man named Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) who hopes to make superheroes legal again by showing conflicts from her perspective. Meanwhile, Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) has to stay at home with the children – including baby Jack-Jack who is proving difficult.

Just like most other animations that have been released over the last couple of years (including Brave and Maleficent), the feminist movement is a major theme in this film. It features a gender role swap where Bob reluctantly takes over family life at home while Helen enjoys the action-heavy job of being a paid superhero.

Helen thrives at work, which shows how well-rounded she is at being a mum as well as an employee. But Bob is said to be ‘too messy’ to accept the superhero position and struggles to cope at home with the children, painting him as incompetent.

While it was refreshing to have a female hero, I did think this movie swung a little too far away from ‘gender equality’ into the sticky territory of ‘man-hating’, as it showed the male characters failing (including but not limited to Bob) and female characters excelling (including but not limited to Helen). In addition to this, the script was peppered with plenty of derogatory language from female characters toward male characters. (I will include the exact quotes I’m referring to once they become available online.)

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I’m going to say it – if Bob spoke Helen’s script, there would be protests in the street. I believe this highlights that this isn’t a movie promoting gender equality, it’s displaying bitterness toward men by putting them down. Feminism isn’t about revenge, please.

Eesh… Enough of the heavy.

Thankfully, everyone’s favourite characters are in the sequel including Edna Mode (Brad Bird) and Lucious Best/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson). They are sure to make you giggle!

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The supervillain in this film, Screenslaver, has some pretty philosophical lines if you listen out for them. The character talks about staring at a screen all day instead of actually getting up and doing something, quite insightful considering the audience.

Screenslaver: Superheroes are part of a brainless desire to replace true experience with simulation. You don’t talk, you watch talk shows. You don’t play games, you watch game shows. Travel, relationships, risk; every meaningful experience must be packaged and delivered to you to watch at a distance so that you can remain ever-sheltered, ever-passive, ever-ravenous consumers who can’t free themselves to rise from their couches to break a sweat, never anticipate new life. You want superheroes to protect you, and make yourselves ever more powerless in the process.

Overall, you can look as much or as little as you want into this film. It’s certainly fun, but not hilarious. It’s a solid family film and easy to watch, but nothing ‘incredible’.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Top 12: Best Movies About Journalism

Some of these films were a larger influence on me choosing to study journalism at university than I care to admit. Morning Glory was the main reason for me deciding to take a television journalism paper, and The Pelican Brief was responsible for introducing me to the world of investigative journalism.

Here are some of the best journalistic films:

Spotlight (2015)
“If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one.”
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation, Spotlight follows the journey of a group of investigative journalists unearthing the child abuse within the Catholic Church. Despite the heavy and disturbing subject matter, it is such a moving film. Just watching the trailer gives me chills; it is so well made.

The Paper (1994)
“A clipboard and a confident wave will get you into any building in the world!”
A comedy/drama directed by the brilliant Ron Howard shows Michael Keaton’s journalist character who is considering a job offer with better pay when a big scoop lands in his lap. It’s a race against the clock to meet the deadline to get the true story printed. It’s a very exciting movie and a great snapshot of how a 90s newsroom looked.

The Pelican Brief (1993)
“If this thing reaches this deep and goes as high as we think it does, these men will do anything not to be exposed.”
Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts), a law student, writes about the assassination of two Supreme Court justices and her theory behind it. Her work turns out to be totally correct, but soon gets into the hands of the wrong people who are determined to keep the truth under wraps. Darby soon finds herself running for her life until an investigative journalist (Denzel Washington) helps her get the truth out. I love this film, we studied the editing and use of sound at high school, but it was John Grisham’s captivating storyline that really captured me.

Nightcrawler (2014)
“Do you know what fear stands for? False Evidence Appearing Real.”
Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), is searching for a job he’s really good at. He soon discovers the media industry where freelance camera operators use police scanners to find newsworthy content such as car crashes and shootings to film and sell to local news outlets. Bloom dives into this career and quickly makes a sweet sum. This film is by far one of the creepiest films I’ve seen. It’s not so much scary, but it does put you on edge and makes your skin crawl.

Morning Glory (2010)
“Okay. Is Daybreak a shitty show? Yes! But it’s on a network, and not just any network. This is one of the most legendary news divisions in the entire history of television.”
A bit of a twist to my list, Morning Glory is a comedy. 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. It is a brilliantly funny story, particularly Harrison Ford’s character who was an investigative journalist before being ployed on to the morning show as an anchor.

The Help (2011)
“Careful, Hilly. That’s chapter 12. Don’t give yourself away now.”
Based on true events, this is 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. A brilliant movie.

Capote (2005)
“Sometimes when I think of how good my book is going to be, I can’t breathe.”
If I’m including The Help, then it’s only fair to include Capote. Also a Southern-based true story, this is about Truman Capote who interviews a murderer in 1959 to write a book about him. Along the way, he develops a relationship with the criminal who is now on death row. While a slow film, it does follow the journey of a writer who conducts interviews for publishing, which is journalism at its core.

State of Play (2009)
Cal: “I heard a young woman was murdered.”
Police officer: “Who told you that?”
Cal: “…you just did.”
Two seemingly unrelated deaths occur, but reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) can join the dots. He discovers a mass conspiracy to be uncovered, but he soon has to decide if it’s worth risking his life for the story. Admittedly, I don’t think I’ve managed to watch this film from beginning to end, but the parts I’ve seen are certainly enjoyable.

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
“Funny thing, Freddie, every time you light a cigarette for me, I know you’re lying.”
This story is set against the backdrop of television journalism during its infancy of the 1950s. It chronicles the real-life story of television newsman Edward R. Murrow and his team of researchers who aim to scrutinise every political story with good quality journalism, while resisting corporate and sponsorship pressures for fear-mongering. I’ve only seen bits and pieces of this film, but I’m looking forward to watching it in full.

Network (1976)
“I’m mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
Set to the backdrop of journalism more than it being about journalism I suppose. It follows a frustrated news anchor who goes on a massive rant and threatens to kill himself live on air after being fired. A producer notices how the television rating spike because of his outlandish reaction and takes advantage of it by deciding to keep the anchor on air. It explores how television is ratings-driven and profit-driven, with little consideration for moral or authentic work. Quite interesting. I’d imagine this film was inspiration to Morning Glory.

All the President’s Men (1976)
“This whole thing is a cover-up and it’s right under our nose.”
Based on the true story of the two Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) who uncovered details of the Watergate scandal. I’ve only seen bits and pieces, but the bits I’ve seen I’ve enjoyed.

The Post (2017)
“Do you know what my husband said about the news? He called it the first rough draft of history.”
Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) is the publisher The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), they expose a massive cover-up of government secrets. The unlikely duo overcome their differences to bring the truth to light, while risking their jobs and freedom. While I thought this film was dry and dragged out with a ton of unnecessary dialogue and lack of emotional tension, this must be included in the list because I’m sure journalism-lovers will enjoy it regardless.

I appreciate that I should probably include Citizen Kane. I have seen it and studied it at school and I am aware that it’s a classic. I feel this movie is the equivalent to Michael Jackson’s music – you can quietly dislike it, but you can’t deny the genius behind it. So, while I appreciate it, I honestly wouldn’t purposely watch it again. But if you haven’t seen it, you probably should.

Top 18: Best Coming-of-Age Movies

I love coming-of-age films. It’s the perfect mix of dark drama and bright comedy, against the backdrop of real-life circumstances and down-to-earth characters. Here are a few of my favourites:

American Graffiti
“I’m getting out of this turkey town! You can’t stay 17 forever.”
My number one favourite film forever. The night in the life of 1960s teenagers who have just graduated high school. They have one last night before they all go their separate ways. Some are moving away for university, some are hoping to settle down and others are wanting their high school career to continue by day along with the iconic culture of ‘cruising’ in their candy-coloured scream machines on the roads by night. To tie everyone in is radio personality Wolfman Jack. Legend.

Brooklyn
“I wish that I could stop feeling that I want to be an Irish girl in Ireland.”
“Homesickness is like most sicknesses. It will pass.”
Another one of my absolute favourite films – it’s so humbling. Saoirse Ronan is a brilliant actor whose character, Eilis, moves from Ireland to Brooklyn during the fifties. She grows from an innocent and naive girl into an independent young woman out of necessity who creates a life for herself. The lady Eilis lives with in Brooklyn is played by Julie Walters, who is essential to keeping this deep movie very funny.

Good Will Hunting
“How do you like them apples!”
This is a beautifully touching film about a genius who refuses to reach his potential. Coming from a rough neighbourhood, Matt Damon’s character is quick to get into fights and back into handcuffs. But Robin Williams’ character is soon able to crack his mask to reveal a scared and unhappy boy.

Dead Poets Society
“…medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
It follows the internal struggles of boys at a private boarding school who are wrestling between being themselves while pursuing their dreams and pleasing their prestigious fathers. Again, Robin Williams’ character acts as a mentor to these students, but he’s not able to save them all.

The Skeleton Twins
“I can’t wait to be the creepy gay uncle.”
“You’re hired!”
This film is about Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as suicidal siblings Milo and Maggie. Yeah, it’s a bit of a downer but weaving through the tragedy are sarcastic come-backs that will make you belly-laugh. While coming-of-age films are typically about teenagers growing up, I think this movie can be included because they’re twins who are rediscovering themselves and each other, delving into their childhoods and overcoming their troubles.

About a Boy
“Oh, no… it’s just I thought you had hidden depths.”
“No, no, you’ve always had that wrong about me. I really am this shallow.”
This is my favourite Hugh Grant film because while he still plays the self-obsessed a-hole, he does so in a comedic way with a three-dimensional character. It’s a traditional coming-of-age story for the young boy Marcus, but it’s also about Hugh Grant’s character growing up and realising that being part of a family isn’t a bad thing. They both grow together and learn from each other.

driving lessons.jpg Driving Lessons
“To wit, I leave you with this quote penned by my dear friend, William Shakespeare: ‘When the shit hits the fan, get a tent’.”
Such an underrated coming-of-age film – I doubt many people have ever heard of it. It features Rupert Grint and Julie Walters and follows a storyline similar to that of About A Boy and Scent of a Woman (as explained in my blog post One Story, Six Movies) where an older person and a younger person bond and learn from each other. But I love Driving Lessons in particular because it’s so funny – classic English humour. Julie Walters is brilliant.

scent of a woman.jpg Scent of a Woman
“Oh, where do I go from here, Charlie?”
“If you’re tangled up, just tango on.”
Forever a favourite of mine. It’s quite dark in places as it follows Al Pacino’s blind character, Colonel Slade, who is struggling with depression. He is an experienced soldier and a wise man, who has a story to tell. Chris O’Donnell’s character is young Charlie who is hired as Colonel Slade’s aid for a thanksgiving weekend, he is kind but very naive. He is reluctantly dragged to New York with The Colonel, but learns a lot along the way. They both help each other out profoundly.

The Commitments
“The success of the band was irrelevant… Sure we could have been famous and made albums and stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way it’s poetry.”
The Commitments is about a group of teenagers who all have troubles at home, but come together to make incredible music. While they don’t ‘make it’, their trumpet-player is quick to remind them that they may not have created history, but they’ve created poetry.

Sing Street
“This is life, Conor. Drive it like you stole it.”
Sing Street is similar to The Commitments as they’re both Ireland-based movies about a group of teenagers forming a band. This film is about a new boy at school who starts a band to impress a girl. Meanwhile, he tries to deal with his parents’ divorce with his brother being his only emotional support.

Little Miss Sunshine
“A real loser is someone who’s so afraid of not winning he doesn’t even try.”
A family are trapped in an old yellow Volkswagen van as they drive across the country. The family consists of a dad who is a failed motivational speaker, a mother at the end of her tether, a grandad drug-addict, an suicidal uncle, a son who refuses to speak and a little girl who is just wanting to enter a beauty contest. It is a light-hearted storyline about a family overcoming their obstacles and coming together for the sake of family.

About Time
“…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.”
Such a beautiful film. About Time is one of the best feel-good comedy/dramas out there. 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. It follows his life and the decisions he makes along the way, which touches on love, death and birth. It truly is a lovely almost auto-biographical film.

The Breakfast Club
“We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.”
A day in the life of 1980s teenagers who have ended up in detention for various reasons. Starting the day out as enemies they end the day with an acceptance of each other. The bully, the jock, the nerd, the popular girl and the goth grow over the course of the day through various funny and serious scenes as they begin to work together to gang up on the teacher.

The Way, Way Back
“There’s a whole world out there for you, Duncan. Don’t settle. Not yet.”
Duncan is a 14-year-old boy who is forced to go on a summer holiday with his mum and her boyfriend. But her boyfriend is an utter dick, and just an overall bully to him so Duncan gets a job at the local water park where his boss becomes a bit of a mentor. The water park because his escape while he figures out what to do with his life.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“C minus, ladies and gentlemen! I am below average!”
The trailer portrays this film as a fun-loving and laid-back, but it’s actually got very dark undertones. The three main characters (Sam, Charlie and Patrick) are all hiding dark secrets – bulimia, child molestation and being gay. Their friends around them are all struggling with certain issues too – stealing, struggling with academia and popularity. The three main characters all help each other through their difficult stages in their lives as they grow up and mature.

Whip It
“So, what are you, like, alternative now?”
“Alternative to what?”
A teenage girl called Bliss is trying to break away from her mother’s 1950’s-style parenting. She straps on roller skates and joins a roller derby team, where she finds security and support in her teammates. She slowly matures as she embraces the culture of the roller derby scene – surrounded by misfits and the unwanted.

Juno
“No, this is not a food baby all right? I’ve taken like three pregnancy tests, and I’m for shizz up the spout.”
A carefree 16-year-old tomboy gets pregnant with her best guy friend, they decide to adopt the baby out to a couple who can’t have children. It sounds kinda icky and lame, but Juno is so funny with her immature comments and how she gives a reality check to adults. While Juno has found herself in a very adult situation, the potential adoptive father is rediscovering his youth and becomes reluctant to adopt. I guess it’s about never wanting to grow up.

13 Going on 30
“I like your dress.”
“That’s because I have these incredible BOOBS to fill it out!”
While this is a coming-of-age film in the most literal sense, it’s far more light-hearted than my other selections. There’s no themes of suicide or drug-use, the tragedy isn’t as dark and the characters aren’t as relatable. Nevertheless, Jennifer Garner does a brilliant job of playing a 13-year-old in a 30-year-old’s body.

Just realised how many of the same actors are in coming-of-age movies. Kristen Wiig, Ellen Page, Julie Walters, Robin Williams and Toni Collette are regulars of the genre, maybe because they’re so ‘real’ and relatable.

I guess the common themes of the coming-of-age genre include characters who are in the process of growing – typically growing from a teenager into an adult, but it also includes characters who experience profound change or growth well into their adult years.

Coming-of-age storylines carry dark tragedy as well as light-hearted comedy, which is why they’re so relatable and enjoyable. They reflect real life with flawed characters and unsatisfactory circumstances, with a lot of inner-turmoil to be sorted out.

They also include a young naive character and an older mentor. Both have flaws and both help each other to grow.

Spotlight

Director: Tom McCarthy
Writer: Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci
Released: November 2015
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Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation, Spotlight follows the journey of a group of investigative journalists unearthing the child abuse within the Catholic Church.

Despite the heavy and disturbing subject matter, it is such a moving film. Just watching the trailer gives me chills; it is so well made.

I think the writers did a remarkable job of giving a lot of detail about the case without slowing the pace of the movie down. It moves at a steady pace where you are deep enough into the emotion without it being too overbearing.

The cast is brilliant, featuring one of my favourite actors Rachel McAdams who has been in journalistic-based films before (Morning Glory and State of Play). Stanley Tucci, Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton are absolutely brilliant too.

Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams): I’m here because I care. We’re going to tell this story, we’re going to tell it right.

The year-long investigation takes the team through many difficulties, including the realisation that this is not a Boston-bound issue but a global one. That the church pay lawyers off to settle the child abuse cases unofficially and out of the public eye. Their uphill struggle through a thick web of lies and secrets leads them to the victims who have all been emotionally scarred by the abuse.

Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson (Michael Keaton): We’ve got two stories here: a story about degenerate clergy, and a story about a bunch of lawyers turning child abuse into a cottage industry. Which story do you want us to write? Because we’re writing one of them.

This film is very moving and is a brilliant documentation on what really went on in the Catholic Churches. Every character is brilliant, the script is remarkable and the subject matter is important.

Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci): If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one.

I am so inspired by the characters – these are all based on real-life journalists who persisted at digging deeper and deeper into finding the truth. It puts the ‘click bait’ online media of today to shame. This is real journalism.

Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo): They knew and they let it happen! It could have been you! It could have been me! It could have been any of us!

Spotlight is a meaningful, important and inspiring story and I’m so pleased they made a film about it because I never would have known this happened otherwise. That’s what I love about films; they educate and inform people using a medium of entertainment that is easily consumed. And the makers of Spotlight have certainly used film to portray this story impeccably well.

Mike Rezendes: Mitch, are you telling me that the Catholic Church removed legal documents from that courthouse?
Mitchell Garabedian: Look, I’m not crazy, I’m not paranoid. I’m experienced. Check the docket. You’ll see. They control everything.

The script is brilliant – I keep finding more and more quotes I want to include in this review but I’ll end up with the entire script on here if I don’t stop now.

You must watch this.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The Post

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Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Liz Hannah, Josh Singer
Released: December 2017
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys
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The Post comes across as a film with similar emotional impact to the likes of Spotlight (a highly recommended investigative journalism movie), but it sorely missed the mark.

It follows the real-life story of the Washington Post in the 1960s, a paper passed down to Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) who is struggling to keep the company financially afloat. Then, a big story breaks as government secrets relating to the Vietnam war are leaked – this massive story could make or break the paper.

But with the New York Times already being threatened with legal action for publishing only part of the information now available, Katherine is reluctant to allow editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) to publish the story for fear of bankrupting the paper. Meanwhile, she is fighting the emotional turmoil of being a woman in a man’s world.

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The movie opens with a scene of the Vietnam war, which was definitely not required and I believe it was only included to pay homage to Stephen Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan success. So that kicked this film off poorly.

Then it was about an hour of long, dry dialogue, which I struggled to pay attention to. So I’m not entirely sure if they explained what the government secrets were specifically, but I’m pretty sure the gist was that the government knew the US would lose the war but continued to send troops for fear of being embarrassed. But I don’t see how that could have taken an hour to explain… Maybe I missed something.

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The second half of the film focussed on gender inequality and women’s rights as it follows Katherine, who slowly becomes more self-confident as she learned the ropes of running the paper after her husband’s death. She is spoken down to by colleagues, which makes the decision of publishing the leaked information or not even more difficult to make.

The cast was great of course. Meryl Streep is amazing and Tom Hanks is his usual great self, but did come across as more ‘family man’ than ‘tough editor’. I do wonder if Bryan Cranston was considered for this role due to the amount of Breaking Bad actors featured (Bob Odenkirk and Jesse Plemons). I think his darker domineer would have come across well.

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Overall, the exciting, fast-paced and emotionally-charged storyline that I was expecting was not there. Just a ton of unnecessary dialogue and a story that didn’t portray the risk and stress of the situation very well.

Oh well. Perhaps it needs a second viewing.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Brave

Directors: Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Writer: Brenda Chapman
Released: June 2012
Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson
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I was so certain I had written a review on this film…

Anyway, it’s a medieval, Scottish-based Disney Pixar animation film about a young fiery red-headed princess named Merida (Kelly Macdonald). Her youth and freedom is threatened when her parents organise suiters to win her hand in marriage. She rebels and enlists a witch to change her mum (Emma Thompson) in order to change her fate.

While the dodgy witch (Julie Walters) did make her mother change, she changed her into a bear. This did change Merida’s fate but not in the most ideal way. Therefore, Merida has to find a way to break the spell.

Princess Merida: [narrating] There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.

My favourite scenes all include Angus, Merida’s shire horse. She frequently rides him bareback as they gallop across the Scottish countryside – it’s so dreamy! I spoke about him being one of my favourite animated horses here.

There are a lot of firsts for this movie: Merida is the first princess to not have a love interest, she’s the first to have brothers, and Brave is the first ever Disney film to be entirely set in a historic past.

The lack of romance was probably to set a tone with the equal-rights and gender equality movement of today. Brave shows a strong, independent young woman who ‘don’t need no man’ and can make her own life decisions. It is one step up from Frozen‘s theme of only needing love from family and not necessarily romantic love, I suppose.

While I appreciate we should be shifting our attitudes with gender equality, I really hope the classic Disney love stories don’t die out. I feel like there is a movement shunning princess movies and ‘happily ever afters’.

I saw a video recently where the gender roles were swapped in Cinderella, called ‘Cindefella‘. The story shows a peasant boy who goes to a ball and falls in love with a princess, who then tries to find him after he bails at midnight. Just like in the traditional fairytale, they both marry in the end and live happily ever after.

This video was used as an example of gender inequality: ‘we wouldn’t read this to our sons so why would we read it to our daughters?’ Quite frankly, I don’t think the story was all that bad for girls or boys, gender swaps or not.

Anyway.

While I did enjoy Brave, it wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would carry the tone of the first half of the film where Merida is fun and free and exploring the world right to the end. But it quickly turns into a far more unrealistic tale about turning people into bears, which I found to lack entertainment and relatability. It just took a weird and unexpected turn for me.

Overall, it had some comedic moments and I did enjoy the first half of the film, but it’s not my favourite.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Sing Street

Director: John Carney
Writer: John Carney and Simon Carmody
Released: May 2016
Starring: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Aidan Gillen, Jack Reynor, Kelly Thornton
—

I was dubious about this film at first, I was thinking ‘any second now it’s going to take a turn for the worse’. But it didn’t! It was actually a very uplifting film from beginning to end.

I love movies about a likeable and naive underdog – like About a Boy or Driving Lessons – but coming-of-age films with a great soundtrack like this one is even better. The songs are so catchy!

It’s very similar to The Commitments as it follows the story of a band of young Irish musicians in the 1980s/1990s. But Sing Street has a more definitive love story and protagonist. I really enjoyed it!

Darren: What does “happy-sad” even mean? How can we be both things? It makes no sense.
Conor: It means that I’m stuck in this shithole full of morons and rapists and bullies, and I’m gonna deal with it, okay? It’s just how life is. I’m gonna try and accept it and get on with it, and make some art.

Protagonist Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is sent to a new school as a result of his parents breaking up. It that wasn’t bad enough, he is already getting picked on by students and teachers at school. Conor soon meets a young, aspiring model (Lucy Boynton) hanging around the school, who he tries to impress by saying he’s in a band. As a result, he immediately tried to recruit people to be in his band.

Brendan: This is life, Conor. Drive it like you stole it.

The band is a bunch of misfits and underdogs, which I just love! It’s so funny.

Sing Street would particularly appeal to those who love 1980s pop or who love stereotypical 80s fashion. But even if you don’t like either of those things, you’ll love the humour in this film. It’s Irish humour like in Black Books or Calvary.

An easy-to-watch film about people who win at life by not giving up, and continuing to pursue their dreams. A real pick-me-up.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Jerry Maguire

Director: Cameron Crowe
Writer: Cameron Crowe
Released: December 1996
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O’Connell, Jay Mohr, Bonnie Hunt
—

Show me the money!

You had me at ‘hello’.

They’re quotes that everyone has heard, but I’m not convinced everyone has actually seen Jerry Maguire.

It probably has a similar reputation as A Few Good Men where everyone knows the “You can’t handle the truth!” line, but not as many have seen the film it’s from. (Coincidentally they’re both Tom Cruise movies.)

This film is about a sports agent called Jerry Maguire who has an epiphany that results in him sending a late-night mission statement to everyone in the office. An inspired letter about perceived dishonesty in the industry and how they should work toward quality over quantity. However, in the morning that all too familiar, overwhelming warm wave of regret hits him.

Management don’t like his new way of thinking, and organises a co-worker called Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr) to fire him. Suddenly, it’s a race against each other to secure all their clients – will they follow Jerry Maguire away from the company, or stick with Bob Sugar?

Along with a small handful of sports stars, the only co-worker to supports him is single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger) who leaves the company with him to start their own sports star representative company.

Jerry: [after having been fired] But if anybody else wants to come with me, this moment will be the ground floor of something real and fun and inspiring and true in this godforsaken business and we will do it together!

It’s fast-paced and hilarious, particularly when Jerry dwindles down to only one [very enthusiastic and loyal] sports star: Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.). He. Is. So. Funny. (Jamie Foxx auditioned for his part, but surely he would have been too serious to play Rod Tidwell?)

Usually Tom Cruise carries the film, but oh my Lord, Cuba Gooding Jr. is absolutely, undeniably the reason why this film can be watched on repeat.

Tom Cruise was a brilliant decision. Apparently the part was written for Tom Hanks, but he was too old by the time the script was finished. It was then assumed that Robin Williams would play the part, but I wonder if that would have been too much energy in conjunction with Cuba Gooding Jr..

I think Renee Zellweger was a solid choice because she looks so much more ordinary than a lot of women often cast as the love interest – I’m pleased they picked her over Winona Ryder! Apparently Renee was broke when she was cast and was very relieved to be working again.

While the romantic storyline is nice, I’m not convinced it’s essential and does occasionally put the breaks on the film.

Nevertheless, Jerry Maguire is a genuine must-watch. It’s romantic, it’s inspiring, it’s funny – a brilliantly smart drama that is perfectly cast. I love the themes of overcoming the odds despite being the underdog, I love how the film is about a failure while still having a dream, and the inspirational language all the way through it.

Particularly the cut-aways to interviews with a character called Dicky Fox, who parallels Jerry Maguire’s struggle with business advice.

Jerry : [Lying in bed one morning when suddenly the radio comes on and wakes him up with a jolt after having slept with Dorothy the night before]

[flash to Dickey Fox in his office]

Dicky: I love the mornings! I clap my hands every morning and say, ‘This is gonna be a great day!’

[flash back to Jerry Maguire who accidentally steps on a toy]

Jerry: [mutters] I don’t believe this. How’d I get myself into this?

Such an uplifting movie that really picks you up if you’re going through a rough patch. Similarly to Up in the Air, this film gives you a pat on the back if you’re struggling professionally and gives you a warm hug if you’re struggling romantically.

It’s a film that tells you ‘everything is going to be okay, and here’s why’.

Dicky: Hey, I don’t have all the answers. In life, to be honest, I failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my wife. I love my life. And I wish you my kind of success.

Exploring frustration, desperation and acting on impulse, this is a highly satisfying film that you must watch. It’s about standing up to ‘the man’, it’s about doing what you want to do, it’s about staying positive and keeping your dignity and morals along the way.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

beauty and the beast.jpg

Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Linda Woolverton (Disney film), Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (story)
Released: March 2017
Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson
—

The 1991 Disney animation of Beauty and the Beast is a movie that I love dearly. So while I had major reservations about this remake – mostly because of Emma Watson – I was quietly optimistic about it. Perhaps today’s technology will enhance the magic…

But no. It doesn’t. This remake was appalling, and my reluctance to watch it was proven understandable.

The casting was totally wrong. Right off the bat Emma Watson – or should I say Hermione Granger – was a problem. While she fits the physicality of Belle, her same-old expression of open-mouthed, furrow-browed facials were tiring to say the least.

beauty and the beast2.jpg

I personally would have cast another semi-unknown actress like Lily James who played Cinderella in the 2015 remake, or Mia Wasikowska as Alice in the 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland.

Not only was the protagonist the wrong choice, I also found that Emma Thompson had a really harsh voice, which didn’t fit the part of the warm motherly character, Mrs Potts. I think Julie Walters would have done it better.

I love Stanly Tucci, but I’m not sure how he stumbled into this film either. However, Josh Gad as LeFou was perfect. (He played the snowman in Frozen.)

I don’t think the horse Philippe should have been a dapple grey. What’s wrong with keeping him bay?

Fun fact: Ryan Gosling turned down the role of the Beast for the lead role in La La Land. Emma Watson turned down what became Emma Stone’s role in La La Land for this film. (Thank the stars above for their decisions.)

The storyline strayed a little too far from the fairytale for my liking. It went into how Belle’s mother died and how it put a strain on her relationship with her father. It was an unnecessary deviation. Because of these added sequences, I found the rest of the film to be condensed and rushed. (In the 1991 film, I swear it takes longer for Belle to fall in love with the beast.)

I wonder if Emma Watson influenced the story? Because it has far stronger feminist themes through it now, where Belle is forever in control and smarter than the rest. Which made me dislike her. Especially because of the very poignant moments where Belle would make it exceptionally clear that she is a strong independent woman who don’t need no man… She may as well have turned to camera and say ‘#timesup’.

The songs are lengthened, which was also unnecessary and I honestly started daydreaming a bit.

Beauty and the Beast was trying too hard. Trying too hard to make it better than the animation, and all the unusual actors that were cast seemed to be desperately trying to prove themselves too. Over-theatrical acting turned it into a stage play rather than a live-action movie.

No, no, no, no and no. I shan’t be your guest and I disagree entirely with the casting decisions and with messing-about with the story.

Jodie’s rating: 3/10

Sorry Roberta, thank you for lending me the DVD though :) x

Seven Pounds

Director: Gabriele Muccino
Writer: Grant Nieporte
Released: December 2008
Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Michael Ealy, Barry Pepper, Octavia Spencer, Woody Harrelson
—

Seven Pounds is the film you watch when you’re depressed and have no intention of wanting to feel better. It’s heavy and tells a story of an absolute tragedy.

It’s about an IRS agent Ben (Will Smith) who is overwhelmed and broken with guilt after accidentally killing seven people – including his wife – when driving recklessly. He was wealthy and had everything, he felt indestructible and took what he had for granted.

Ben: In seven days God created the world, and in seven seconds I shattered mine.

After the accident, he can’t enjoy life anymore so he goes about finding seven worthy people to save for the seven he killed. Not in a superhero kind of way, more like in a charitable kind of way.

Ben: It is within my power to drastically change this person’s circumstances, but I don’t want to give him a gift he doesn’t deserve.

It’s about the journey to forgive oneself, and allowing to love again. It’s also about how relentless guilt is; how nothing can turn back time or undo a mistake, and how heartbreaking it is to watch bad things happen to good people.

The writer of Seven Pounds, Grant Nieporte, was inspired by a man he met whom he described as the saddest man on earth. Grant later discovered he was responsible for a national tragedy.

The soundtrack is what makes this film so emotional; it supports its misery perfectly.

The casting was perfect too – I think Woody Harrelson will pleasantly surprise you. Apparently Tom Hanks auditioned for Will Smith’s role. While I don’t doubt he would have done a good job, I can’t imagine anyone but Will Smith playing the role now.

Seven Pounds is like a sad song you can’t help but listen to on repeat. It’s a film designed to make you feel the full impact of a man who lost it all.

You need to give into the story’s power of despair and allow it to consume you – don’t resist the urge to cry as you will burst a blood vessel and the movie won’t be the slightest bit insightful.

You walk away wanting to be more careful with your life, and basically never wanting to leave the house for fear of losing those precious to you. Seven Pounds gives you a bit of a reality check as it makes you thankful for the more mundane problems in life.

It’s well-made, well-cast, well-scored but holy Jesus it’s depressing and is not one to watch frequently. You will feel devastated afterward, but I think that shows that the story has been successfully told, rather than it being worthy of a low rating.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Parental Guidance

Director: Andy Fickman
Writer: Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse
Released: December 2012
Starring: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett, Scott Bailee, Madison Kyle, Harrison Breitkopf, Joshua Rush
—

Previously titled Us & Them, this is a whole-heartedly, all-American family film. Therefore, you will either laugh from beginning to end, or you won’t be able to avoid cringing at the cheese.

I personally enjoyed Parental Guidance – I could appreciate the family-fun.

It’s about grandparents Artie and Dianne (Billy Crystal and Bette Midler). Artie has just lost the job he loves because he’s too ‘old-school’ and not up to date with social media.

Drayton: We’re looking for guys who Tweet.
Artie: I’ll tweet, I make any kind of noise you want.

With him being in a depressed state, Dianne accepts their daughter’s plea for them to babysit their grandchildren at short notice. Dianne is keen to be more involved in her daughter’s and grandchildren’s lives, while Artie is preoccupied with chasing his dream to broadcast.

Diane: You know what we are? We’re the OTHER grandparents.
Artie: Well we can’t be all four.

Comedy ensues as they learn how they are to treat their grandchildren – they are never to say ‘no’, feed them sugar, or have winners and losers in sports games.

Eager to please, they try to help with their grandchildren’s problems – Harper’s (Bailee Madison) ‘high achievement syndrome’, Turner’s (Joshua Rush) stutter, and Barker’s (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) imaginary kangaroo friend Carl.

Barker: You should’ve used your exit shoes.
Artie: My what?
Barker: Exit shoes, to walk away and not use a red voice.
Artie: And a red voice is…?
Barker: Super-mad sounding. You shouldn’t use it… That’s why you have a cool toolbox. It’s where you keep your cool blue voice, your exit shoes and your repair squares.
Artie: …All right, so I am taking a repair square out of my cool toolbox to say in my blue voice, that I am sorry.

But their more relaxed and traditional parenting techniques are not encouraged by their daughter Alice (Marisa Tomei).

Alice: For instance, where you would say “No”… we would say, “Consider the consequences.” Or where you would say, “Don’t”… we would say, “Maybe you should try this.” Or where you would say… “Quit your whining, you’re giving me a headache”… we would say, “Use your words.”

I personally found a lot of parts funny, mostly thanks to Billie Crystal’s sarcastic comments. But found the older grandchild Harper irritating because the actor overacted tremendously.

While not getting a brilliant reception, I think it’s a perfectly entertaining family film. No swearing, no offending, just an overly-sweet and cheesy movie!

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

You’ve Got Mail

Director: Nora Ephron
Writer: Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron
Released: December 1998
Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, Steve Zahn, Greg Kinnear
—

A classic 1990s rom-com! Featuring the mum and dad of 90s rom-coms – Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

It’s from the writer/director Nora Ephron – the brain behind When Harry Met Sally, the similar 90s story of Sleepless in Seattle, and Julie & Julia. (She must have really loved Meg Ryan – I wonder if Nora considered her for Julie & Julia because she has a striking resemblance to Amy Adams.)

You’ve Got Mail is the ultimate feel-good film. It’s everyone’s daydream; realising the love of your life has been in front of you the entire time. In this movie, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) owns a quaint book shop, until a giant book-selling conglomerate – owned by Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) – moves right up the road from her.

Kathleen: [writing to “NY152”] People are always telling you that change is a good thing. But all they’re really saying is that something you didn’t want to happen at all… has happened.

This threatens her family business, so Kathleen takes comfort in a stranger online – known as NY152 – whom she confides in. Developing feelings for the stranger, and vice versa, they decide to meet and you’ll never guess who NY152 turns out to be.

(Meanwhile, Kathleen is dating a complete arse (Greg Kinnear) who I absolutely adore hating.)

Kathleen: [in an email to “NY152”] The odd thing about this form of communication is that you’re more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.

It’s got just the right amount of cheese for this outlandish twist of fate to be believable and enjoyable. It reminds me of Serendipity in that way.

I love the nonsense that Kathleen talks about. She really does have her head in a book even when she’s not reading:

Kathleen: [writing to “NY152”] Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one! It got on at 42nd and off at 59th, where, I assume, it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake, as almost all hats are.

It’s the perfect rainy Sunday watch. Its happiness and joy will make the sun come out in your life!

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Kathleen: I love daisies.
Joe: You told me.
Kathleen: They’re so friendly. Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flower?

I agree! ❤️

The Truman Show

Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Andrew Niccol
Released: June 1998
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Ed Harris
—

I don’t know how I have gone this long without reviewing this remarkable movie.

The Truman Show is about Truman (Jim Carrey) who lives a humble life in a suburban town with a solid job and a perfect wife. But he can’t stop thinking about a woman he fell in love with at university. He soon begins to reflect on his life and missed opportunities, before expressing his desire to travel.

Truman: And all the way around here… Fiji. You can’t get any further away before you start coming back.

We soon release that his world is a lie. He is the main character in a reality television program that films him 24/7. His wife (Laura Linney), his best friend (Noah Emmerich) – everyone around him are all actors and the town is a massive stage, which appears inescapable.

I love the innocence of Truman – who knew that Jim Carrey could be such a perfect casting choice. Apparently Robin Williams was considered, but Jim Carrey was keen to show his dramatic side.

The story is brilliant and it was executed so well. The Truman Show puts you on edge, it makes you laugh, it makes you despair, and it sticks with you well after watching it. Similar to The Matrix, you begin to look around and reflect on the sincerity of your environment.

Mike Michaelson [presenter]: Christof, let me ask you, why do you think that Truman has never come close to discovering the true nature of his world until now?
Christof (Ed Harris) [producer]: We accept the reality of the world with which we’re presented. It’s as simple as that.

The script is brilliant, and the details of the film are so well done that after the 10th watch, you will still see new things. Such as the people in the background wanting to get a good look at the ‘star’ of the show when they are supposed to be professional background artists. It’s funny when Truman unexpectedly interacts with them, because their improv skills are awful.

Bus Driver: [unable to get the ferry moving] I’m usually the bus driver!
Production Assistant: [into his radio] Bottom line is they can’t drive the boat. They’re actors!

I love how well thought-out this movie is. Especially how adverts and product placement is intertwined with the ‘everyday life’ of Truman.

Meryl (Truman’s wife): [holding up a jar of cocoa, slipping into advertising mode] Why don’t you let me fix you some of this Mococoa drink? All natural cocoa beans from the upper slopes of Mount Nicaragua. No artificial sweeteners.
Truman: [looking around] What the hell are you talking about? Who are you talking to?
Meryl: I’ve tasted other cocoas. This is the best.

I like the theme of fate, and certain perceived coincidences that dictate our lives. The producer (Ed Harris) of The Truman Show plays God with Truman – something that some people believe to be true in their own lives. That their lives are out of their control, and in the hands of a higher being.

In that respect, Truman trying to escape this controlled environment is like people moving away from religion or considering a life without God. It’s scary taking responsibility for their own decisions and fate, but you’re rewarded with freedom.

Within this theme, is how fear controls people – touching on the media and advertising. The producers of The Truman Show ensured that Truman grew up being scared of water so that he would never want to board a boat and realise the town is a set. As a child, he was discouraged to becoming an explorer so that he would never want to board a plane and leave. He grew up on air, trapped by fear in order for him to stay put, spend money and consume products.

Fantastic, philosophical, almost coming-of-age kind of film. I love, love, love this film.

Truman: In case I don’t see you… good afternoon, good evening, and good night.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

Paul

Director: Greg Mottola
Writers: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
Released: March 2011
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, John Carroll, Lynch Sigourney, Weaver Seth Rogen
—

From the director of Superbad, and the creators of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, comes Paul.

A story about a laid-back alien called Paul (Seth Rogan) who is on the run from the government across the States before getting picked up by a couple of geeky tourists, Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost). Graeme and Clive attended Comic-Con before travelling to various locations where UFOs have been sighted in an RV, until they get a closer encounter than they expected!

A concept that was thought-up on the set of Shaun of the Dead, but was not to be a part of the ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ with Edgar Wright. Looking into it, Pegg and Frost decided on an American director instead of their usual collaborator to keep an American tone.

Paul is a fun film, but can become a bit of a drag to watch because it feels like a never-ending chase without enough funny moments along the way to sustain your attention.

It’s an epic road trip film, which is entertaining enough with it being neither hilarious or a total write-off. Because of the writers’ previous epics – Hot Fuzz in particular – I was expecting a faster-paced script with cooler moments. But I guess the humour was tailored for an American audience.

Nevertheless, Pegg and Frost are brilliant writers and the casting was great. Seth Rogan was a good choice to be the voice of the CGI alien, whose attitude is severely laid-back, even in the most stressful of situations.

The cast is quite large for a relatively simple storyline, and I wonder how many of the characters were necessary.

Paul is essentially a love letter to the science-fiction genre, and Steven Spielberg in particular whose voice makes a guest appearance over the phone in one scene. So if you’re a science-fiction fan, you’ll probably enjoy this more than the Cornetto Trilogy fans would.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Top 10: Highest-Grossing Films of 1993

Well. It’s official. As of June 20, I turn 25 years old and I’m experiencing what can only be referred to as a quarter-life crisis. So I have found comfort and inspiration in successful 25 year old films.

Here’s a list of the highest-grossing ones that were released in 1993:

Jurassic Park
$914,691,118 (worldwide gross)
June 1993
—
With special effects unlike anything seen before (at the time of release), Jurassic Park took the cake by a mile – look how much they made! These dinosaurs recently made a return to the big screen for the fifth time with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Just goes to show how obsessed we are with the franchise – even 25 years later.

Mrs. Doubtfire
$441,286,195
November 1993
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A family-friendly film that still lives on today. A Robin Williams classic, with Forrest Gump’s mother and little Matilda featured too. Mrs. Doubtfire recently made my Top 10 Best Dads in Film list, so it’s certainly a film that we still think about today. I imagine there are a lot of people who reminisce fondly about this movie.

The Fugitive
$368,875,760
August 1993
—
I do believe I have seen this before; my dad probably owns a copy. Got to love Harrison Ford! What a guy. A classic suspenseful action about a fugitive and his journey to remain hidden while figuring out a way to prove his innocence.

Schindler’s List
$321,306,305
December 1993
—
We studied this film in Media Studies class at high school, so even though I’ve seen it a thousand times I’m afraid I can’t say I remember a huge amount of it. But I know it’s an iconic film that wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs. I appreciate it’s an important film about a particular person in the holocaust, but I’d like to never watch it again please and thank you. It’s just too realistic and too heavy.

The Firm
$270,248,367
June 1993
—
I have never seen The Firm before, but I’d never pass up a Tom Cruise thriller! It’s about a high-flying lawyer who begins to uncover murders in the company he works for. It seems his salary is being paid by criminals, and he might be the next to die if he doesn’t fall in line.

Indecent Proposal
$266,614,059
April 1993
—
Demi Moore’s character is married to Woody Harrelson’s character, but Robert Redford’s character offers them a million dollars in exchange for sleeping with Demi Moore’s character… Bit raunchy isn’t it?

Cliffhanger
$255,000,211
May 1993
—
A heist gone wrong results in various people scouring a snowy mountain range in search for the cash. The trailer didn’t do a lot for me, but it’s an action/adventure film that may peek the interests of some.

Sleepless in Seattle
$227,799,884
June 1993
—
This is my kind of film! Although, I forever get this mixed up with You’ve Got Mail, which also stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks – and is also about falling in love with a total stranger. Nevertheless, it’s one of those heartwarming 90s rom-coms that is easy to watch.

Philadelphia
$206,678,440
December 1993
—
Another Hanks film, and one I’ve seen too. It’s about a lawyer who is fired from a very successful position because he is a homosexual diagnosed with AIDs. He hires an excellent lawyer (Denzel Washington) to take his employers to court. I remember being disappointed because I was expecting more lively courtroom scenes like in A Few Good Men. It had the potential to be heart-racing, but lacked smart courtroom tactics and intensity.

The Pelican Brief
$195,268,056
December 1993
—
Another personal favourite of mine – we studied this film relentlessly at high school. It’s cleverly made, featuring Denzel Washington, an investigative journalist, and Julia Roberts, a law student who is being targeted for digging too deep into a case that powerful people want buried. If you can stay tuned into the slower pace of 90s thrillers, you’ll find it’s a brilliant film with lots of twists.

—

I guess 1993 was big on legal thrillers – we’ve got three films that feature a lawyer as the main character! (Although, two of those are based on John Grisham novels.) Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington were popular actors this year, who are still going strong today.

I am relieved to see that 25 year old things are still cool today. I hope to take a page out of these quarter-century-old films and also be successful and make a ton of dough.

Ocean’s Eleven

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Ted Griffin (screenplay), George C. Johnson and Jack Golden Russell (story)
Released: December 2001
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Julia Roberts
—

After hearing about Ocean’s Eight coming out, I decided it was time to watch the first instalment.

Actually, Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of a 1960s movie called Ocean’s 11 (number instead of word) featuring Frank Sinatra as the protagonist. I had no clue!

Ocean’s Eleven is a fun, shallow film about a star-studded cast who rob a casino. Why? Because Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has just got out of prison and doesn’t accept that his ex-wife (Julia Roberts) has moved on with a wealthy casino-owner.

oceaneleven2

Hence why him and his former colleagues rob the casino, in order to try and win Danny’s wife back. How romantic.

It’s harmless fun, really, which is what the director wanted; enjoyment without embarrassment or cheese. It looks like everyone on set had a good time – and apparently their chemistry is all completely genuine! They hung out together, played pranks on Julia Roberts and even gambled together outside of shooting.

This is a short review because although I enjoyed it, I was hoping for a bit more comradery, a bit more comedy and more deep-and-meaningful moments. To be honest, I was expecting The Parole Officer featuring cool Hollywood superstars.

Oh, and Don Cheadle as Basher was a terrible choice; his English accent was cringe-worthy. Otherwise, they should have just allowed him to be American! (Apparently Ewen McGregor was considered for his part initially.)

It’s a classic and I enjoyed it for what it was, but maybe it’s simply more of a man’s man film.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

War of the Worlds

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Josh Friedman, David Koepp (screenplay), H.G. Wells (story)
Released: June 2005
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins
—

Firstly, ‘yes’ I am a massive fan of War of the Worlds. I studied film at high school and university, where H.G. Wells’s original story The War of the Worlds and the 1953 film of the same name were frequently picked apart.

Also, one of my favourite childhood memories is going to see Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds musical in Auckland during 2007.

I had always been obsessed with Jeff Wayne’s 1970s musical interpretation of the story. I listened to his soundtrack on repeat before I went to bed most nights as a teenager, as did my father before me. It’s a masterpiece and it can not be improved upon.

Therefore, for the first time ever, I was disappointed to hear Morgan Freeman’s narration on Spielberg’s film version. In my mind, it was an insult to change Richard Burton’s spoken word on Jeff Wayne’s soundtrack.

Nevertheless, I definitely love this film interpretation despite it not reflecting the musical masterpiece that came before it.

It is a sci-fi horror about Ray (Tom Cruise) and his two children Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) trying to escape the alien invasion. The aliens are relentless and terrifying as they displace millions of people.

There’s no where to run, there’s no where to hide and there’s no way to kill the aliens and their machines.

Horrifying!

Ray soon finds a safe haven with a man named Harlan who takes them in. But Harlan begins to lose his cool and Ray realises that with the pressure on, it’s survival of the fittest – the aliens are no longer the only danger.

Steven Spielberg aced the art of suspense, but so has Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning – they are both incredibly talented no matter what you think about them on a personal level. They’ve done well to capture the essence of our most primal fears and created a blockbuster film out of it.

Although, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg do turn this global disaster into a very American hero, nuclear family sort of story. I think it would have been a little more raw and real if it was English-made. Or maybe I’m just being too patriotic.

To me, this film is a classic in many ways. I can see the essence of Signs in this retelling of War of the Worlds, and I have seen War of the Worlds echoing in many sci-fi invasion films since.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Signs

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Released: August 2002
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin
—

What a shame.

I love The Sixth Sense. I love The Village. I love Split. Unbreakable was pretty cool. But how has Signs not kept up with the Shyamalan grade?

I love a good sci-fi thriller as much as the next person, but this had all the potential and none of the thrills.

It’s about Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson – I guess Bruce Willis was sick that day) who has lost faith in God after his wife was killed by a driver, Ray (M. Night Shyamalan), who fell asleep at the wheel. If he had fallen asleep and veered off the road at literally any other point during his journey, then Graham’s wife would still be alive. This fact haunts both Graham and Ray.

Ray: I’ve never fallen asleep while driving before. It had to be at that right moment. That 10-15 seconds when I passed her walking. It’s like it was meant to be.

This theme of fate and destiny plays a large part in this film.

Graham: People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance…

Meanwhile, what is supposed to be the main plot point takes a back seat thanks to all the internal conflict: Graham has bloody great big crop circles appearing on his land. Then, unidentified intruders begin to appear on his property.

His younger brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and Graham’s two children Bo (Abigail Breslin) and Morgan (Rory Culkin – Haley Joel Osment must not have been available) hide in the basement when the aliens begin to attack.

Now I see what helped inspire the Tom Cruise film War of the Worlds. Especially with the whole single dad and smart-ass children thing going on. Cruise’s character is even call Ray in War of the Worlds – just like Shyamalan’s character in this movie!

Unfortunately, the Morgan character was such a little know-it-all that he’d basically tell the audience exactly what was going to happen, just before it happened. So by the time the aliens did invade, you already knew what they’d do and why anyway.

In addition to his over-shares, was that we are shown the aliens in broad daylight – big mistake. It’s far more scary when you don’t know what the monsters look like.

If that wasn’t enough, the lack of music did not work in the film’s favour at all. Isn’t that rule number one of filmmaking? It’s the music that sets the mood, but the lack of if in vital scenes during this film meant that there were many points where it fell flat instead of making you jump.

Bo: There’s a monster outside my room, can I have a glass of water?

Very flat. To the point where the story of alien invasion ground to a halt while Graham reflected on his faith and internalised emotional conflict.

The story was trying to be more complex and more philosophical than it needs to be, with jarringly comedic dialogue to snap you out of any suspense that may have been growing. It drags the film to a crawl and you no longer feel afraid – which, I’m certain was the opposite effect they were going for.

Graham: Everybody in this family needs to just calm down and eat some fruit or something.

There were too many monologues and too many over-layered scenes for me to really get stuck in.

I’m so disappointed because I can see this story had so much potential, I just think it was executed in the wrong way. Which is doubly-disappointing because the genius M. Night Shyamalan is behind it all.

What happened?

Jodie’s rating: 3/10

Cloverfield

Director: Matt Reeves
Writer: Drew Goddard
Released: January 2008
Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman
—

Cloverfield is basically The Blair Witch Project but set during an apocalypse in a city, rather than a witch hunt in the woods. I thought it would be an easy watch, and perhaps even a good film as I’ve always heard it being referenced to.

(Not to be confused with 10 Cloverfield Lane, which is the second instalment.)

But it was not entertaining, exciting or scary. I was hanging on by a shoestring the whole time I was watching it, holding on to the possibility that it might get better. But then it ended.

I felt incredibly deflated. But kudos for keeping me hooked just enough for me not to turn the film off.

Basically, a guy called Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is leaving America and going to Japan and all his friends and work colleagues throw him a surprise party. Rob’s camera is given to a friend called Hudson (T.J. Miller) who is in charge of filming the party and testimonials. One woman, Beth (Odette Yustman) , speaks to camera and it’s revealed that she is the ex-girlfriend who is clearly still in love with Rob. Rob feels the same way, shown by the regret he expresses when she leaves the party – just before the lights go out in the city.

Suddenly, buildings are falling and everyone scatters into the city streets. Hudson is still filming everything and he sticks close to Rob who is hell-bent on finding Beth, who he decides is the love of his life. In the distance a large shadow can be seen – a monster who is smashing up the street.

It reminded me of Godzilla meets War of the Worlds in that respect. But a far more simplified and cheesy version.

I appreciate there are many qualities in this film that would make it ideal to study at school: A small group of characters on a quest despite the uphill struggle and imminent danger posed by a monster. Simple film techniques and good use of sound effects in the place of music. It’s a relatable environment, and the storyline plays on our fears.

But quite frankly, it was boring. Without giving away too much, the open-ending was incredibly unsatisfying and way too many of the core characters get killed off, which is a let-down because most films need a hero in order for the audience to feel content at the end.

I would say it was a brilliant, if not predictable, film if you told me it was made by a group of self-funded film school students. But surprisingly, Paramount Pictures is behind this.

All in all, you’ll find yourself scoffing and eye-rolling rather than watching through sweaty fingers at the end of your seat.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10

Maleficent

Director: Robert Stromberg
Writer: Linda Woolverton (screenplay), Charles Perrault and Disney (story and characters)
Released: May 2014
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville
—

I had disregarded Maleficent as a boring and unnecessary retelling of a well-known fairytale. But I asked around and heard such positive reviews about it, so I decided to give it a chance especially because Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourites and Maleficent is about the ‘baddie’ of that tale.

Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is a powerful fairy who lives in a land adjacent to a town. One day, she meets a human man called Stefan (Michael Higgins (child), Jackson Bews (teen)) and they fall in love. Unfortunately, they drift apart because Stefan is all like, ‘I want power, money and control; I’m going get a job in our local castle’. But she’s like, ‘oh no, I’m heartbroken’.

Years later, Stefan returns to Maleficent’s land as an adult (Sharlto Copley). He pretends to be in love with her still, but actually he’s their at the request of the king to kill Maleficent in order to govern her fairy land. Stefan doesn’t have the heart to kill her, but he does burn her wings off.

She’s pissed about this.

So she enlists the help of a crow (Sam Riley) to watch the castle as Stefan eventually becomes king, gets married and has his first child: Aurora. And the rest is history.

What I love is that Maleficent turns into a jealousy-fuelled, hardened bitch, just like any human would if they were heartbroken. I love this about her character; it’s quite comical. It reminds me of the resentment carried by Charlize Theron in Young Adult.

This story is full of feminist themes and ‘girl-power’ – specifically the part where the spell is no longer broken by a handsome prince’s kiss (very similar to Frozen actually). While I get that Disney is trying to move with the times, I would like to make it clear that as a woman I would not be offended by a princess falling in love with a handsome man and living happily ever after.

In addition to this, while I’m happy for films to have feminist themes, I don’t think that should necessarily mean that men in the story should be demonised as a result. Not only is King Stefan’s actions the sole reason behind Maleficent’s curse, but the handsome Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites) is powerless in this version of the story.

Prince Phillip: I’m looking for a girl.
Maleficent: Of course you are.

Nevertheless, I appreciate this is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the enemy. Which, is an inspiring tale – there really are two sides to every story.

The film looks very much like a stage show with unrealistic landscapes, which I personally didn’t like because I couldn’t lose myself in the story.

But the casting was well done. Angelina Jolie’s cheekbones were the star of the show, and her portrayal of a vengeful woman was brilliant, even funny at times.

[Maleficent is magically healing damaged trees in the woods]
Aurora: Hello.
[Maleficent turns around to see a smiling toddler Aurora]
Maleficent: Go away.
[Aurora walks closer to Maleficent]
Maleficent: Go. Go away.
[Aurora hugs Maleficent]
Maleficent: I don’t like children.

Sharlto Copley is still playing the most terrifying characters in film. And, Aurora (Elle Fanning) was annoyingly perfect, but the three fairy godmothers did bestow her with permanent happiness and beauty, so I guess that’s not the actor’s fault for having zero emotion.

I love the idea of having the story told from the baddie’s point-of-view. I hope to see more fairytales told in this way. I’m looking forward to Cruella de Vil actually. It’s in pre-production and stars Emma Stone as the famous villain.

But overall, I found the fake environment difficult to accept, and the large step away from the traditional storyline was a bit disappointing… I’m still in love with the love story of the 1959 Sleeping Beauty.

Also, the horses didn’t play a large enough role for my liking.

Let’s keep an eye-out for Maleficent 2 though! It’s currently being filmed.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10

Sex and the City 1 & 2

sex and the city.jpg

Director: Michael Patrick King
Writer: Michael Patrick King (screenplay), Candace Bushnell (story/characters)
Released: May 2008, May 2010
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon
—

Sex and the City has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary since the TV series of the same name was aired. Coincidently, I watched the Sex and the City movies for the first time ever merely a week ago (and have only just learnt it was based on a book and a TV series!).

Basically, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I always hear references to it, but was never entirely sure what it was about so I watched both movies in one sitting. (While drinking wine and eating vegan fish fingers.)

The reason why I’m combining the reviews of Sex and the City and Sex and the City 2 is because I found them to be very similar stories, with neither one more enjoyable than the other.

These films are all about the characters: Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon). Therefore, your first task is to pick your favourite.

sex and the city2.jpg Mine is Charlotte because she’s happy in her relationship, has a solid family around her, she tends to worry a lot, and I love how elegantly she dresses. So I found her the most relatable and aspirational. She is also a very sensible person who ‘mothers’ the rest.

sex and the city3.jpg Carrie is a lot of people’s favourite as she has an on-again, off-again relationship and is stumbling through her love life not knowing which way is up. While many would find this scandalous and entertaining, I found her storyline with her long-term partner, Big (Chris Noth) (I don’t want to know why everyone calls him Big), irritating. I feel like she requires a good, hard slap to snap her out of her dizzy, juvenile daydream.

sex and the city4.jpg Samantha is the eldest and is pretty much a sex addict, so even though her storyline is hot and happening with lots of young, fit men, she was a tad too brash and screechy when she spoke for my liking.

sex and the city5.jpg Miranda has an unfortunate haircut. She’s also very pale and sinewy. I don’t like it. I think Nicole Kidman or Marcia Cross would have been better casting choices. (In fact, was Nicole Kidman’s character in Big Little Lies based on Miranda?)

The first film is about the girls going to Mexico after Carrie’s fiance, Big, ditches her at the alter. The honeymoon to Mexico was already booked, so they all jump a plane to enjoy it and to recover from heartbreak.

The second film is about the girls’ trip to Dubai. Samantha gets a free-of-charge, all-inclusive luxurious getaway for them all, but things start turning sour when Carrie bumps into an ex-boyfriend in the markets of Dubai – then kisses him! Even though she has a man back home. Bitch.

sex and the city6.jpg

Sex and the City is the film that excuses you from your sad, poor-person life and gives you a doorway to the life of luxury. It’s an escape into a world that is filled with money, men, scandals and branded bags.

I was personally expecting more scandal and more bitchiness; I think the movies could have done better to live up to their reputation. But it was okay. They’re movies are about extravagance and glamour, so I enjoyed them for what they were.

While there are rumours for a third instalment, I’m not convinced this will happen. Partially due to the apparent ‘feud’ between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall.

Jodie’s ratings: 4.5/10

The Sixth Sense

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Released: August 1999
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Haley Joel Osment
—

The Sixth Sense is another Shyamalan creation that everyone must see. It’s about a psychiatrist called Malcolm (Bruce Willis) who tries to help a traumatised and anxious child named Cole (Haley Joel Osment).

Cole reminds Malcolm of a patient he failed to save back in the day, the patient killed himself and Malcolm became adamant that he will never fail another patient again. Therefore, he persists in helping Cole despite his reluctance, and eventually Cole confides in him: “I see dead people.”

In conjunction with The Village and The Others, The Sixth Sense has a massive twist. While I’m sure many of you know the twist whether you’ve watched it or not, I’m hoping the younger generation are yet to experience the brilliance of this film. I wish I could watch it for the first time again!

Malcolm: Do you ever talk to your mom about how things are with Tommy?
Cole: I don’t tell her things.
Malcolm: Why not?
Cole: Because she doesn’t look at me like everybody else, and I don’t want her to. I don’t want her to know.
Malcolm: Know what?
Cole: That I’m a freak.

I remember my dad said that when it first came out in the cinema someone said ‘I saw that twist a mile off, it was so obvious.’ But I’m quite certain that this pompous movie-goer was lying. The script is genius and makes for a brilliant watch.

Cole: Grandma says hi.
[His mother (Toni Collette) looks up sharply]
Cole: She says she’s sorry for taking the bumblebee pendant. She just likes it a lot.

I think everyone in this film is an outstanding actor. But Toni Collette, who plays Cole’s mother, is absolutely incredible. I adore her so much – she’s so realistic. You can see the desperation in her eyes, trying to figure out what is wrong with her child. When she cries, I cry.

Lynn: Look at my face; I was not thinking anything bad about you.

The Sixth Sense is a particularly scary thriller, there are certainly several horror-heavy scenes that scared me when I was younger. However, I would encourage you to be brave and watch it anyway because it’s a touching and thought-provoking film. Definitely a must-watch!

As usual, Shyamalan has a guest appearance so keep an eye out for him!

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

I’d advise avoiding the below trailer. It’s an old-fashioned trailer, so it’s not that great and I think it over-shares the plot.

The Village

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Released: July 2004
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson
—

The Village is my favourite M. Night Shyamalan film ever. I must have watched it at an impressionable time, because I still catch myself daydreaming about it.

It’s about a 19th century village surrounded by woods. It is said that there are dangerous creatures – The Ones We Do Not Speak Of – in the woods who will attack if anyone goes into their territory. The elders of the village are in charge of keeping the rest of the community safe, ensuring nobody wanders into the woods.

village2

However, when Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) becomes ill, Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard) volunteers to brave the woods in order to retrieve medicine from the towns beyond. Plot twist: Ivy is blind (that is definitely not the only plot twist).

Mrs. Clack: How could you have sent her. She is blind.
Ivy’s Father: She is more capable than most in this village. And she is led by love. The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.

Despite being a thriller, The Village is such an honest, romantic and innocent film that delves into the fundamental human connection between lovers Ivy and Lucius. It strips life right back and reveals what is important to people, and how far we would go to save the ones we love.

The script writing is divine. I’d like to have my house covered in quotes from these characters. I think Shyamalan’s writing overshadows his talent for directing.

Ivy: Sometimes we don’t do things we want to do so that others won’t know we want to do them.

What makes this film spectacular is the music. It really sets it apart from other thrillers. Hilary Hahn is a fantastic violinist and without her solos The Village wouldn’t have that tender and hopeful feel to it. It’s so emotive that it gives me shivers just listening to it on its own:

I would recommend this film to everyone. You don’t have to like thrillers to appreciate the beauty of this movie because the storyline is so pure and touching.

The most beautiful scene is the one below. Ivy proves Lucius’s loyalty and love during a raid on the village by Those Who We Do Not Speak Of. She stands with an out-stretched arm on the porch, knowing Lucius will not let her fall to the monsters who are on the hunt through their village. He saves her, and the use of slow motion and the frantic violins brings tears to my eyes!

At first I didn’t think Bryce Dallas Howard was a convincing blind person. However, after multiple watches, I realised that she can see faint colour and shadows. Which makes more sense.

Ivy: I do long to do boy things. Like that game the boys play at the stump. They put their backs to the woods and see how long they can wait before getting scared. It’s so exciting. I understand you hold the record? It will never be broken they say.
Lucius: It’s just childish games.

It’s a must-watch. If you get bored through the first half, which I hear some people do, please do persist because it’s well worth it.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The Devil Wears Prada

devil prada.jpg

Director: David Frankel
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (screenplay), Lauren Weisberger (novel)
Released: June 2006
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Adrian Grenier, Simon Baker
—

This film is so underrated. It is funny, sensitive, sassy and stars Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt.

It’s about Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) who is an aspiring journalist, but can only land a job as an assistant at a fashion magazine. While ‘millions of girls would die’ for this position, it’s a far cry from the journalism job she was after.

At the fashion magazine, Miranda (Meryl Streep) is a terrifying boss and manipulates people well. Andrea soon finds herself desperately trying to keep up with Miranda’s impossible standards, with no help from fellow assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), and her family life is soon neglected.

devil prada1.jpg

Andrea: She’s vicious!

Ethics and morals come into play, with the question of whether it is possible to be successful without stabbing others in the back. How far would you be willing to go to achieve your dream?

I adore the cast in this film. Emily Blunt is unrecognisable, and plays the woman you love to hate. Quick fact: Stanley Tucci, who plays a fantastically sassy and passive-aggressive employee named Nigel in the film, married Emily Blunt’s sister.

Emily: …I’m on this new diet. Well, I don’t eat anything and when I feel like I’m about to faint I eat a cube of cheese. I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal weight.

Meryl Streep is her usual perfect self, and does an amazing job of being so intimidating! How anyone else was considered to play the part of Miranda is beyond me. Apparently Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Gwenyth Paltrow were considered among many others.

Miranda: By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me.

However, I think I know why: Meryl Streep threatened to leave production for not being paid enough. Meryl eventually agreed to being paid double than the original offer. She also cost too much to fly to Paris for the Paris-based scenes, so her parts are shot in America.

Miranda: Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl – stylish, slender, of course. Worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be – I don’t know – disappointing and stupid. … I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl…

Anne Hathaway… Well. I don’t actually like her very much, but she plays the part well, and is realistically the perfect choice. I applaud her for going from a size 6 down to a size 4 in real life, just like her character does in the film.

devilprada3

Andy: She’s not happy unless everyone around her is panicked, nauseous or suicidal.

If you love the fashion industry, then you’ll love this film. Equally, if you are striving for your dream, want a bit of a giggle, or if you worship Meryl Streep, then you’ll love The Devil Wears Prada too.

It’s a fun film with a funny and clever script and a fantastic cast. Although, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt carry the story entirely on their shoulders. Without them, it wouldn’t be the successful film it has become.

I think it would be an enjoyable film for everyone – fashionista or not.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10