anne hathaway – NZ Film Freak

The Devil Wears Prada

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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
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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.

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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.

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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

What Are You Like, Rosamund Pike?

I wanted to make a quick post regarding the fantastic English actress, Rosamund Pike. [EDIT: it’s not a quick post at all. I lied.]

I had one idea in my head about who she is, naively based on her characters in Made in Dagenham and The World’s End, but since seeing Gone Girl my image of her has been completely crushed.

Haven’t seen Gone Girl? Read my review here.

It’s like listening to an amazing song and having an idea of who the singer looks like, and what they are like in person. But then you find their photo, then you watch an interview… And then your whole perception of who you think they are is SCREWED.

Lisa - Made in Dagenham film In an interview I watched, Pike talks about how she was so happy to be given the chance to prove she wasn’t a fragile English girl who was “afraid to get her hands dirty.”

Rosamund Pike is clearly willing to push the boundaries in her career. So, good on those directors – like David Fincher – who give actors like her a chance to break out of their mold. That must be difficult to do.

I wonder if actors like Jack Black find a variation of jobs hard to come by. Or perhaps, like Ricky Gervais, they’re not looking for variation.

Gervais says he doesn’t believe actors should feel the pressure to be versatile. Gervais plays the same character in every film and tv show, and he thinks that’s perfectly fine for an actor to do. He reckons actors should do what they’re good at.

What’s Up, Shia LaBeouf?
From the outside, this change in [our perceived] celebrity’s identity seems jarring, as though they are acting out. Which, in LaBeouf’s case at least, perhaps is true..?

Or at least he went about his change of image in a more confronting way than Pike.

He was part of the Disney franchise, and now he’s doing everything he can to detach himself from that brand – getting into all kinds of nonsense, and taking all sorts of controversial jobs.

I wonder if this identity whiplash is common with actors. I can’t find the YouTube video now, but I’ve heard psychologists talk about actors (particularly after Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Williams died) being a troubled people who want to escape themselves. As though acting is a way to distance themselves from themselves.

So, maybe changing directions in their career is a chance to show the public that we don’t really know them at all – which of course, we don’t. It must screw with you a bit, having a distinct public image to compete with.

Just thought it was interesting, how easily actors can change our perception of them, as Daniel Radcliffe and Anne Hathaway have.
We do have clear ideas of who these celebrities are, and I think actors are in a prime spot to frequently distort that based on what acting roles they take – intentionally or not.

Now, before this turns into an essay, let’s not forget: they are only human beings pretending to be other people for money!

Sorry, this was originally about Rosamund Pike but I got carried away. Also, I just really wanted a rhyming title… What are you like, Rosamund Pike. Ha.

Jodie.

Interstellar

Interstellar film poster

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Released: November 2014
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon
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If you loved Gravity and Inception, you’ll love Interstellar.

Interstellar movie - watching Earth The time travelling concepts in this movie are easy to grasp if you’re familiar with the sci-fi genre. If you can keep up with Doctor Who, you’ll keep up with this.

It’s set in the future where scientists are aware that crops are failing and the end of the world could be near. NASA is attempting to find another planet so that the human race can continue.

I would love to tell you more, but I’m worried I’ll ruin something! (For the record, the trailer makes it out to be an average film… It’s not.)

Anne Hathaway in Interstellar movie — Anne Hathaway in Interstellar

Gravity movie is similar to Interstellar film — Sandra Bullock in Gravity

I love this movie. I think Matthew McConaughey did a fantastic job, and I have a new found respect for Anne Hathaway.

It did make me wonder if Anne Hathaway was considered for Sandra Bullock’s role in Gravity though. Because the characters are very similar, physically and characteristically.

There are some gorgeous scenes in this movie. Which isn’t surprising, because Interstellar is a Nolan film.

Insterstellar film review My favourite scene is when they are on another planet, a water planet. Rather than regular waves, there are tsunamis that arrive every so often. And every one hour spent on this planet, is seven years on Earth.

There was just one thing I was disappointed about: the ending. It was a little too perfect. I think if it ended with a similar feel to Gravity‘s final scene, which was open-ended but with a feeling of hope.

Whereas, Interstellar ended like a Hollywood drama, the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed, wrapped in glossy paper with a bow.

Despite that, it is worth a watch if you’re fascinated with worm holes, time manipulation, outer space and strong characters.

Loved it.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Director: Chrisopher Nolan
Written: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Characters created by Bob Kane
Released: July 2012
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
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Perhaps my expectations were simply too high. I loved the 2008 The Dark Knight so much that I expected this film to be equally as captivating and shocking… Just in a different way due to the obvious absence of Heath Ledger… *sigh*.

Bane Joker — The Joker was way more scary, more funny and much more shocking than ‘Bane’.

Of course it was epically shot with fantastic sets, lighting, special effects, stunts and characters – kudos to Mr. Nolan who is a fantastic film maker with Inception and The Prestige being my two of my favourite movies of his…
It’s just the storyline of The Dark Knight Rises sucked a bit…

Now, I know many people who have seen the film will be up in arms about what me thinking badly of this Batman film, and the people who haven’t seen it will be gob-smacked and shaking their heads. But seriously, if you just ignore all the “10 out of 10” and “better than the previous film” comments and take away your high expectations that will probably blind you into thinking that it is epically incredible… You will see that it wasn’t – at least not in every way. This is why:

I go to see superhero films because I like to see super people acting heroically. However, I found that for the majority of the film, Batman was in a spot of bother with no foreseeable way of escape. It just got depressing watching Batman being defeated right until the end pretty much… I mean, it’s called a three-act structure because there are ups and downs that keep the audiences’ attention. It just seems that the hero’s journey was going increasingly downhill from the beginning.

Also, Batman’s enemy, Bane, is a masked man who sounds like he has an amplifier attached to his belt which, although it was creepy, his voice kept distorting and I missed quite a few lines.
Plus, the fact that his name was “Bane” began to sound like “Wayne” (as in Bruce Wayne) and they were talking about being in ‘pain’ a lot too, so the rhyming didn’t help the understanding of the characters. Christian Bale’s Batman voice gets on my nerves too… Sometimes I just couldn’t take him seriously.

I have to say I was extremely concerned about Anne Hathaway being Catwoman! However, she certainly stole the show – the Cat Burglar was incredible. Good on Anne Hathaway for her performance.

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were obviously flawless, that barely needs to be mentioned; they’re both very well established and respected actors for good reason.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was terrific too – I’m sure we will see more of him in the following Batman films.

I only know people who thought this film was fantastic. Having said that, every one of them could think of at least one major thing that they would change in film.
I’m afraid I will have to break the mould and not give full marks to this very well made film.

It’s worth seeing, but don’t get your hopes up.
Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

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Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Linda Woolverton (Based on Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol)
Released: March 2010
Starring: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska
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What a trip!

Despite numerous films portraying Lewis Carroll’s tale of Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton’s gothic varnished tale of being lost in Wonderland hit the nail on the head. Burton’s magical story turned Disney’s musical cartoon into a 3D adventure of mystery and excitement for the whole family.

After Alice (Mia Wasikowska) abandons a surprise engagement party thrown for her, she accidently re-discovers Wonderland or ‘Underland’ as the residents call it. Burton made sure that Alice was down-to-earth and neutral enough for the audience to relate to in the unfamiliar land and out-of-this-world characters throughout the film.

Alice encounters our favourite characters from the Tweedles (Matt Lucas) to the classic Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) who were included in our unforgettable journey through Wonderland.

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Every character was brilliantly portrayed with the most memorable being Johnny Depp’s witty character, The Mad Hatter, whose maddening personality seemed to be the heart of Wonderland.

Depp’s performance was undoubtedly convincing with the audience’s emotions changing as the Hatter’s did. From being sympathetic toward Hatter’s loneliness and despair over the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) destruction of the land, to the aggressive and spooky Scottish man he frequently became throughout the film.

The Red Queen’s head was enlarged which was very well done; it portrayed her big-headedness physically, which matched her selfish acts.

The fantastically convincing post-production effects and the use of green screens created a trippy and fantastical trip to and through the land. (Although one may wonder if it would have been a load easier and cheaper to do the entire thing animated).

Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen

The music composed by the incredible Danny Elfman was the cherry on top for this captivating movie. Elfman, who has composed for most of Burton’s films including Edward Scissorhands and Big Fish, stuck to his very traditional/stereotypical mix of choir, horror based music and melodic stringed instruments, which matched the visuals perfectly. Elfman has never failed intertwining contrasting ideas, such as the innocence of Alice and the strange jungle of Wonderland, into nothing less than a masterpiece.

Tim-Burtons-Alice-In-Wonderland

The overall storyline of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was the perfect addition of Lewis Carroll’s story and Tim Burton’s signature techniques of story-telling. However, the secret world of Narnia and the evil Queen came to mind throughout the film, which didn’t give Alice in Wonderland a very unique or alternative storyline like Burton’s films usually have.

The White Queen, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, was obviously instructed to be the fairytale, almost stereotypical princess which unfortunately did not quite translate as it appeared fake and cringe-worthy. I felt like I was thrown out of the fantastical world with reality hitting like a slap to the face.

Anne Hathaway as The White Queen

The director, Tim Burton, can always be relied upon for the best dark, fantasy-themed movies, and he has lived up to his reputation once again. Burton mentioned that he had not been satisfied with a version of Alice In Wonderland since the book. I agree, and I think this film will most likely be the final version we will see.

Tim-Burtons-Alice-In-Wonderland-alice-in-wonderland-2010-13698617-1360-768 The cast were fantastic and the post production techniques are impressive and live up to today’s high film expectations, especially since the release of Avatar. Burton’s film, Alice in Wonderland, is a recommended view.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10