awesome – Page 3 – NZ Film Freak

Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger-than-Fiction-will-ferrell

Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Zach Helm
Released: 2006
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah and Emma Thompson
—

I. Love. This. Movie.

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

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

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

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

haroldcrick

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

Emmathompson

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

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

stranger_than_fiction-dustin

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

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

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Ana Pascal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Whip It

Director: Drew Barrymore
Writer: Shauna Cross
Released: 2009
Starring: Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page
—

First of all, don’t be put off by Drew Barrymore as the director… Your preconceptions are invalid.

Whip It is certainly a fun and enjoyable film based around the exciting sport of Roller Derby. Since watching this movie, I really wanted to go to a Roller Derby bout which I was lucky enough to do this year. Boy, the violence portrayed in the movie is clearly through the eyes of Hollywood – it is so much more brutal in real life. Or maybe our Kiwi players are just more violent…? It was awesome nonetheless.

So, Whip It is about a seventeen year old girl called Bliss (Ellen Page <3) who discovers the world of Roller Derby and sees it as a way of setting herself free from her mother’s “50s womanhood” household.

EllenPageAliaShawkat — Pash (Alia Shawkat) and Bliss (Ellen Page) at their day job in the “bustling metropolis know as Bodeen, Texas”.

It explores friendship, change and rebellion. It is truly a cool film which makes you want to become a Roller Derby player after every watch; the energy is contagious! By the end of the film you will be picking our your derby name!

Ellen Page has always been one of my favourite actors (Inception, Juno…) and every female character has such a strength about them – almost androgynous – similar to the

LandonPigg — Bliss (Elen Page) and Oliver (Landon Pigg) make a fantastic pair, with Landon Pigg being a musician in real life, his band’s songs were included which were fantastic.

likes of Trinity from The Matrix. It’s very empowering.

I guess because Bliss (who becomes Babe Ruthless) is an “alternative” girl from a misfit town who beats all odds and becomes her own hero. A powerful message that is portrayed is that you should do what makes you happy at that moment – it doesn’t matter if it is not your career path or that you do it forever; just that you experience it and live in the moment is what matters.

Musically it transforms the potential chick-flick feel into a deeper and more emotional journey. My favourite score being “The Road To Austin” by the Section Quartet. As well as Jens Lekman’s “Your Arms Around Me” which is best heard with the scene that it is used with. They go together perfectly.

Drew Barrymore has really made a reputable name for herself behind the camera as well as in front, for sure. A fun and easy-watch but also an inspirational story that captures a vivid snapshot of Bliss’ life in a way that includes the realistic ‘ups and downs’ of life.

A feel-good comedy-drama. Worth a watch!

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Written: Screenplay: Eric Roth, Short story: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Directed: David Fincher (Fight Club, Panic Room, The Social Network…)
Released: 2008/2009
Starring: Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt
—

So, I have owned this DVD for a while now and I really love it. Although I do remember the hesitation I had toward it because it was a deep and meaningful movie with… Brad Pitt in it.

Unfortunately I had not seen Fight Club and 12 Monkeys before I saw Benjamin Button, so I had no idea of his acting capabilities. I only had the handful of average movies he had starred in and gossip columns about the latest child he had adopted to judge him by.

Brad Pitt was certainly impressive, though. I’ll be the first to admit that he is in no way on my list of favourite actors. However, it did make me realise that if you ignore the publicity, the personal information that is blown out of proportion by the media, and his ridiculous long hair that screams “I DON’T WANT TO GROW UP!!”, he definitely has some talent in there!

But ultimately, this film is thought-provoking and fantastic! It is in no way a light-hearted or an easy watch, but certainly one that you should see when you have a night to yourself.

If you love Forrest Gump (screenplay also written by Eric Roth) and Big Fish, you’ll enjoy this. Just like those films, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an insightful biographical recollection of a fascinating character, whose life stories and moral outlook is inspirational to say the least.

big-fish-Sandra-Edward — Sandra and Edward

Benjamin Button is about a man who physically ages backwards but still ultimately grows up like any ‘normal’ man. Which does remind me of Forrest Gump; “What is normal anyway?” and Big Fish; “My muscles and my bones couldn’t keep up with my body’s ambition…”. It explores the life skills and influences that mould one’s character into who they fundamentally are.

ForrestJennyForrest — Forrest Gump and Jenny

The saying “an old soul” comes to mind what talking about Benjamin Button.

Of course, who one turns out to be ultimately depends on the sort of experiences that they encounter, and Benjamin Button turns out to be a very average kind of guy – just like Forrest Gump and Edward Bloom – it’s just that their amazing life stories make them admirable and interesting.

benjamin-button-Daisy — Benjamin Button and Daisy

Just like listening to a grandparent’s war stories; ordinary people in unordinary situations.

I think although parallels can be drawn from the likes of Forrest Gump and Big Fish, the innocence has been extracted from Benjamin Button’s story. Perhaps this make it more realistic. Although it is certainly a darker tale.

The special effects are certainly something to marvel at. Because it is about a man who ages backwards, the physical look of each stage from an elderly baby to a youthful man is remarkable and realistic.

This movie explores personal identity, beliefs, motivations and pressures that makes people who they are. There are constant references to fate which I find intriguing; “you never know what’s comin’ for you”.

A great and inspirational story to say the least.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Pitch Perfect

Director: Jason Moore
Writer: Kay Cannon. Based on Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin
Released: September 2012
———-

Okay, this movie was actually pretty funny! I felt like I needed to suppress my laughing fits so that nobody thought I had such a weird sense of humour – which this movie kind of does.

I really enjoyed it – perhaps more than I would care to let on since it is just a chick flick… But it’s not your typical “boy gets girl”, “random dudes stripping off”, “getting drunk and hooking up”… Okay, well that’s a lie, there was all of the above, but the movie tended to make fun of these stereotypical characteristics of the genre, which set it apart.

Beca – the protagonist – is played by the awesome Anna Kendrick… I reckon Ellen Page would have suited this character too…

Also, the fact that it certainly focussed on the music more than anything – you should see the list of songs in the credits! Plus, I liked how Pitch Perfect had a ‘point’ despite being just a fun, entertaining film. It emphasised diversity and non-conformity while either avoiding stereotypes, or blatantly stating them.

I guess I’m missing out on the main point of the movie, which is that it was all about the competitive world of acapella. I thought “Glee + Bring It On”, but it was actually a thousand times better than either of those. Competitions between numerous groups of dudes and girls who battle for the best performance of any song using nothing but their vocal chords. They all sounded fantastic… Even though their voices were obviously perfected in post. Almost too flawless actually…

Fat Amy has to be everybody’s favourite character, just because she is so freakin’ hilarious. I was so disappointed that they didn’t include the “pirate dancing” scene though… They replaced it with the “mermaid dancing” scene. So, here is the pirate dancing clip since you won’t see it in the movie (25 seconds in):

But the character who made me laugh the most was actually Lilly aka “The Quiet One”… I shan’t give away too many details – but look out for her!

My favourite thing about the movie? Probably that it was set in a university and not a High School! I’m so fed up of 20-something year old actors playing 16 year olds… Also, the love story took a major back seat! So refreshing!! There were also a lot of rather funny one-liners. Most of them being puns… Which were really quite “punny”… Ha.

The worst part? The pointless and really weird idea of having a character that has a tendency to vomit… A lot. Not only does it take you by surprise, but it makes one ponder the reasoning behind why this addition was actually required.

Over all, a very funny film that is worth seeing!

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10
(Omg, higher than Looper!)

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
—

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

The Dark Knight (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Characters created by Bob Kane
Released: July 2008
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
—

Oh. My. God. What a spectacular film! Well made – as per usual – with incredibly talented actors from the late Heath Ledger to Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. The epic music made shivers go down my spine! The total lack of humanity that Batman’s enemy, The Joker, had put me on edge. This is by far, the best superhero film I have seen.

Bruce Wayne has Iron Man’s wealth and ingenuity, James Bond’s gadgets, Superman’s intelligence… and he is nothing like Spiderman. Batman is the ultimate hero – especially since he really doesn’t have any super powers.

the_dark_knight_joker — Heath Ledger as The Joker, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes

He certainly has the scariest enemies too. The Joker has the best lines in the film with the constant feeling that one would not be able to reason with him. This film is pretty freaky with no time to catch your breath! It’s fast paced with tongue in cheek humour. You will frequently catch yourself laughing nervously – particularly when The Joker is speaking.

Here is one of many fantastic scenes with Heath Ledger’s character:

The cinematography is absolutely flawless! The dim lighting is certainly taken advantage of, with eerie shadows and silhouettes being used so well that every shot could be paused and it would be good enough to frame and hang on your wall. The look of the film is just as if it is a moving comic book.

This film isn’t worth seeing once, it’s worth buying. Because you will catch fantastic lines that you missed before, and see things that you didn’t see before in the detailed shots.

Without a doubt, this film was way beyond my already high expectations.

Jodie’s Rating: 9/10

Zombieland

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writer: Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese
Released: 2009
—

So this is pretty much the American version of Shaun of the Dead, except they adopted the typical chick-flick style of the unlikely love interest blah blah blah… That was sort of disappointing because the balance was a bit off in regards to the romance, comedy and horror ratio. (A Rom-Com-Zom film)

But I did like it enough to buy the DVD, I’m not going to lie I do love Zombie films, so Zombieland was a must for my collection. The best part of this film is definitely the ‘rules’ that the main character, Columbus (Jese Eisenberg) basis his survival on during the zombie apocalypse.
He “always follows the rules” in his life, and during the apocalypse, these were some of the rules he mentioned:

Cardio
Beware of Bathrooms
Wear Seat Belts
Travel Light
Get a Kick Ass Partner
Always carry a change of underwear
Opportunity Knocks
Don’t be a hero (later crossed out to be a hero)
Limber Up
It’s a marathon, not a sprint, unless it’s a sprint, then sprint
When in doubt Know your way out
Zipplock
A little sun screen never hurt anybody
Double-Knot your Shoes
Pack your stain stick
Check the back seat
Enjoy the little things

I was disappointed when I realised that Abigail Breslin played Little Rock (sister of Wichita/Krista (Emma Stone) because I totally didn’t even recognise her! I wanted Breslin to stay Olive Hoover from Little Miss Sunshine forever…

Overall, this film is pretty random. Like, they spend a while hanging out with Bill Murray, and the main character’s ‘side kick’ Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) has a Twinkie obsession and spends most of the film hunting down Twinkies…

So, this is an entertaining film for everybody to enjoy. Yet… Not as funny as the unbeatable Shaun of the Dead… Nor is the storyline as intricate… But it is a great film nevertheless.
The rule of thumb is to watch Zombieland before watching Shaun of the Dead. That way you can appreciate Zombieland more, rather than comparing them all the time.

It was a worth while purchase, but I did wait until it went on sale. I don’t think it’s worth paying the full price of when it was first released.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Your Arms Around Me – Jens Lekman

I found this song on the film Whip It. I didn’t like it at first, but the harp sounds so magical against the solemn strings…

Hope you enjoy it too!

Jodie.

West Coast – Coconut Records

So a friend recommended that I listen to this incredible indie pop song. It’s super uplifting. But even if you don’t love the song, you’ll love the video!

A great ‘easy listening’ song… An even better road trip song too. Particularly if you’re going to the West Coast.

Jodie.

A Minor Incident – Badly Drawn Boy

So I found this dude’s music from the film About A Boy and I fell in love with this song in particular. It is a sad song… Yet, a song that almost puts things in perspective on bad days.
Loving the bridge with the harmonica :).

His other songs that are worth a listen are “About A Boy (Something To Talk About)” and “Silent Sigh” which is a song that I will probably blog about soon since it is equally as awesome as A Minor Incident.

Enjoy!!
Jodie.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Director: Rupert Sanders
Writers: Based upon Snow White by Brothers Grimm
Released: June 2012
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin
—

I don’t think you can really read too much into this film. At the end of the day it is based on a simple fairytale, but it is an action-packed and exciting take on it. Quite a bit of violence, which was more realistic than I thought it would be, with battle scenes that were very captivating.

I know everyone, including myself, went to see it secretly to criticise Kristen Stewart’s performance. It wasn’t bad, but it was obvious that she was not the ideal Snow White. She had very little dialogue, and when she did speak, her typically emotionless facials were replaced by concentration, probably focussing on her English accent.

I have to say, I thought Snow White would have been more feminine and smiley… I don’t know if she wasn’t because of Stewart’s portrayal of her, or because the makers wanted to portray a more dark and gothic version of Snow White.

This kind of Snow White reminded me of Katniss from The Hunger Games – a strong, feminine warrior. But every production company has got to make their money somehow, right? And what better way than to use the Twilight star.

I thought they would choose a more unknown actress for Snow White (like Tim Burton did for the protagonist in Alice In Wonderland). Turned out I was right, this was considered at the beginning. I hadn’t heard of Felicity Jones before the likes of Cemetery Junction, but after seeing this photo of her… wouldn’t it have been an no-brainer to cast her!?

Queen

The evil stepmother/Queen played by Charlize Theron was another casting decision I don’t think was a bad choice exactly… But she was a tad theatrical at the beginning, which don’t get me wrong, is probably appropriate. But it was almost too much.

It reminded me of Anne Hathaway’s sickly sweet performance as the White Queen in Burton’s Alice In Wonderland.

The seven dwarves were great. Although I do wish their names were like the well-known Disney version (Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful and Grumpy, which became Beith, Coll, Duir, Gort, Muir, Nion, and Quert).

The-Dwarves-in-Snow-White-and-the-Huntsman

However, it did dawn on me during the film that the genre of this interpretation is totally different, therefore the less comedic angle was adopted.

Having been so critical so far, I have to say that I did enjoy this film. The visual effects were incredible. The Mirror Man leaked out of the mirror like metallic silk… It was solid yet liquid, which was super cool.

The dark forest was pretty awesome too which was convincingly contrasted with the sanctuary where the dwarves lived.

This is a film worth seeing. The stunts (and stunt horses) were fantastic, the animation was insane and yet, the original Snow White story was still there.

My expectations of a flailing and weak Snow White with a strong love story was totally not what the film was. It is The Hunger Games meets Alice In Wonderland (2010) with strong characters, violence and action. A fairytale for the modern tween.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

PS: I can’t help but say that if you look closely at the close ups of Kristen riding the grey horse bareback, you can tell she is sitting in a saddle with her dress draped over it.
PP.SS: As my friend mentioned to me during the movie, I was also disappointed that the dwarves were not riding miniature horses.

The Dictator

Director: Larry Charles
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer
Released: May 2012
—

I love Sacha Baron Cohen’s work (for the most part), Ali-G and Borat as well as his amazing performance in the musical Sweeney Todd, where we discovered that he is a half decent singer!

I went into the cinema with admittedly low expectations, since I quietly thought that perhaps Sacha had sold out after Bruno was released… Which although I did not see, I was sort of put off by all the grossed-out people I knew who did see it…

So The Dictator is basically about… A dictator… who fights against Democracy being introduced into his country. He picks on America, describing how great their country would be if their Government ditched democracy and adopted dictatorship, “the leader could help out his friends financially, forget about the poor, give 1% of the population 99% of the money…”

The Dictator was different in the fact that it was not a mockumentary… It became a Hollywood version of Borat, with Anna Faris as the love interest and a recycled character of Ali-G + Borat as the protagonist; Admiral General Hafez Aladeen with the accent slipping in some places.

But! It was certainly an enjoyable film! There were some pretty hilarious parts – despite them all being extremely racist… But why would that be a surprise?? I would mention some of the funniest lines but… I won’t.

Anna Faris played Zoe who owns the vegan/fair trade/organic/non-racist/feminist/sustainable… store that the Dictator works at whilst in America. Those scenes are pretty funny, I’m not going to lie…

Just like every Sacha Baron Cohen film, this isn’t for everybody. But if you go in with low expectations and an open mind it is a good laugh for sure – especially if you watch it with friends.
However, I think Baron Cohen should probably think of a totally new character and stick to mockumentary style.

Not bad, not bad.
Jodie’s rating: 5/10

This isn’t the trailer, but it’s an extended clip which is more funny to watch than the official trailer to be honest… 4:07 is where the most hilarious facials are at…

The Wedding Singer

Director: Frank Coraci
Writer: Tim Herlihy
Released: February 1998
Starring: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore and Christine Taylor
—

This film is the eighties equivalent of the sixties-based The Boat That Rocked, so it is very funny and has an awesome soundtrack!

Adam Sandler plays Robbie Hart the wedding singer who is very talented and loves his job until he loses faith in love. ‘Love Stinks’ is probably the most memorable song in the entire movie, which is covered by Sandler who has a surprisingly good voice!

The Love Stinks scene is my favourite scene, not because he is at the depths of heartbreak, but because his anger becomes pretty hilarious…

I think if Sandler had carried on doing the more tasteful films like The Wedding Singer, I would be a fan of more of his movies… It’s a shame that this is the only film I own with him in it.

Julia is the sweet girl-next-door type played by Drew Barrymore. Julia is such a cool character who is marrying the wrong guy; Glenn Gulia who is arrogant and rude.

That is until she starts “spending more time with this other man… Robbie Hart” who is, to her mother’s disappointment just “the wedding singer”.

Drew Barrymore has never looked more innocent with short blonde hair, this character shows her versatility as an actress since I always imagine her to be a bolshy and over-confident person in real life.

This film is probably my favourite rom-com of all time because it has a dry sense of humour, but above all it has a soundtrack that I absolutely love! Literally the best of the eighties.

Like all classic rom-coms, stereotypes and inevitable story lines fall into place, but the incredibly accurate fashion trends and set designs – at the very least – will keep you entertained and/or reminiscing!

I am now on the hunt for blue mascara…
Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Six Month Anniversary!

2nd June: Yes, I take every opportunity to celebrate the survival of my blog – let’s just be thankful that I’m not doing one every month… But I won’t make any promises.

So thank you for all of your support! Especially America; you guys are always reading my blog. New Zealand… I am ashamed. You’re like… Sixth on the “countries that read my blog often” list. Jeez!! Thanks a lot. I was hoping to be a Kiwi icon along with the All Blacks, Pavalova and Marmite.

…You guys would call me “our Kiwi film freak”. But then Australia would try to steel me like they tried with the Pineapple Lumps. So then both countries would fight over my personal items between the museums… Ah… I could go on…

But I won’t.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please continue to comment, too!! I love reading the comments. Especially the criticism. I find it very entertaining. Sure, I cry inside. But, it is still very exciting to read. I shall continue to approve your criticising comments.

Unless they’re really pointless like that dude who wrote a comment saying “Harry Potter sucks” about 200 times… Yeah… Nah. I did not approve that. Because if you really hated Harry, you wouldn’t have wasted about 5 minutes of your life telling me so… THRICE! So go tell J.K Rowling. I just write about the films… But I still laughed out loud so all good! :-D

You may have noticed that we have extended my menu of film reviews, political rants and random thoughts with ‘cool-ass songs’. Yay! I hope you enjoy.

So, happy six month survival, NZ Film Freak!

Jodie.

I’ll Be Seeing You – Billie Holiday

I adore this song – it’s relaxing and very reflective of the 1940’s sound.

This song is used in The Notebook as a very romantic song, yet also in Misery as an uneasy tune. It just has a feel about it that fits for the two opposing genre of film, which is unusual.

I hope you enjoy listening, singing and dancing to it as much as I do!

Jodie.

Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan

Do you want to be inspired? Lifted up? Be given a ray of hope?
Do you want to hear one of the best protest songs ever written..?

Well. This is it. This is the key to your hopes and dreams. Bob Dylan’s song is like Imagine by John Lennon and Blowin’ In The Wind by Joan Baez combined. Just as inspiring, just as awesome, just as timeless.

Depending on what mood you are in, this song could make you just totally despise what our world has come to, and make you want to make your own protest outside parliament listing all the reasons that you hate their selfish ways and that you are finally fed up with feeling fristrated and powerless against their blatant lies and flip-flops.

You could feel at peace knowing that times really are changing, and that the great peace warriors are on your side.

Actually, I decided to liberate your minds with this song because Michael Moore covered it for the Occupy Movement album :) Look it up!

Peace out, dude-faces.

Jodie.

Misery

Director: Rob Reiner
Writer: Stephen King (novel)
Released: 1990 (It seemed like late 90s though)
___

It has been a long time since I felt uneasy going to bed after watching a horror film.

Actually, this psychological thriller isn’t that horrific (for the most part..), it’s just when it finishes that you realise how disturbed you feel…

I haven’t read the book, but it’s pretty common knowledge that Stephen King’s work translates to film very successfully (The Shining, The Green Mile, Secret Window…) so I knew that I was in for a spectacular treat.

In a remote town, the popular author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) checks out of the hotel where he stays every time he writes a novel. On the completion of his new book, he begins his drive home until he gets caught in a blizzard. His car flips out of control and lands out of sight buried in snow.

But somebody is there to save him – his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes.

She treats him at her isolated house, which is fine until Paul realisees that he is actually being held captive.

Annie Wilke’s mood swings on a dime, yet she is not easily fooled! Her use of language is so freaky… Yet sort of funny… Which makes you feel very uneasy when laughing while watching this film.

“…he didn’t get out of the COCKADOODIE CAR!”.
“You’re just another lying ol’ dirty birdy.”
“…you just better start showing me a little appreciation around here, Mr. MAN!”

misery-1 — Kathy Bates plays Annie Wilkes. This scene being the most memorable… For all of the wrong reasons…

With the famous novelist being bed-ridden in Wilke’s home, he has to find ways to reach the outside world. Still reliant on his capturer for medicine, he needs to play along to ensure she doesn’t get suspicious whilst thinking up plans to alert the outside world.

Kathy Bates will always be the Unsinkable Molly Brown (Titanic) to me. (As well as being an uncanny resemblance to my year 13 English teacher…). So to see her as a controlling, deceiving and deeply unsettling person was quite a shock. Bates really was incredible in this role!

The cool thing is that James Caan’s character is one step ahead of you, but Annie is two steps ahead of him.

The music imitates the mood very well. In fact I honestly didn’t notice the music because it added to the scenes so perfectly. In the credits “I’ll Be Seeing You” was played… I can’t listen to that song in the same way any more. So creepy.

This film is full of anticipation and anxiety – but not with the usual frustration you get when the victim is just not getting away fast enough, it’s much smarter than those gags.

“Book’s almost finished, your legs are getting better. Soon you’ll be wanting to leave… I have this gun. Sometimes I think about using it. I’d better go now. I might put bullets in it.”
– Annie Wilkes.

The shots and lighting have to be kept interesting as the film is more-or-less based in one room (King’s novel was made into a stage play first). So check out the extras on the DVD if you’re interested.

The low angles make Annie’s innocent exterior look distorted which reflects how she is on the inside, and the lighting gives you hints as to if and when to feel hopeful. Very clever when you take notice of it.

This film is not a blood-bath, but has graphic violence. But not for the sake of being graphic (like all seven Saw films…). It really keeps your attention strongly from start to finish. A fantastic watch!

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

The original trailer:

Little Miss Sunshine

Directors: Jonothan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Writer: Michael Arndt
Released: January 2006
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin
—

If you adored the humour of Juno, you will fall madly in love with this film! It was full of that dry, black humour where you don’t know if you should laugh or cry.

It has that ‘typical family’ quality where you can relate to every character because we all know somebody like them. Sort of.

26suns.2.600

Olive (Abigail Breslin) wants to compete in a beauty pageant, which is a good one-and-a-half day’s drive away. With an unpredictably suicidal uncle (Steve Carell) who can not be left by himself, the whole family decides to go.

You automatically adore Olive, who brings an innocence to the family who are full of ‘failures’. Her brother refuses to talk, her grandfather is a heroin addict, her uncle is suicidal, and her father is a failed life coach. Meanwhile, her mother is struggling to keep the family together.

arts-graphics-2007_1175871a

Despite me making it sound like a total downer, it’s actually a beautifully triumphant film where everyone slowly makes peace with themselves and each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures and internal conflict with a lot of deep and meaningful messages throughout the film.

A film that will make you laugh, cry, and reconsider your priorities in life.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

The Horse Whisperer

Director: Robert Redford
Writer: Nicholas Evans (Novel)
Released: 1998
Starring: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Cooper
—

I am a sucker for any great horse film – such as Black Beauty, but unlike War Horse.
And The Horse Whisperer is certainly way up there in terms of lack of soppiness, being accurate in the training and horse terms as well as having a strong sense of realism.

So it begins in the most idyllic farm blanketed in thick snow. Grace (the young Scarlett Johansson) puts her riding boots on and tip toes out of the house. She sees he friend over in the next field and yells “HELLO!!” with steam coming from her mouth and her voice echoing. “HELLOOO!!” her friend replies and they run toward each other, then make their way to the stables.

This is my idea of paradise which is why this film starts out on an instant high.

Unfortunately during their ride, Grace’s friend and her horse get hit by a truck and die. The accident was filmed so well! And when I say that it was filmed well, I mean insatiablely exquisitely well! I can’t even put my finger on how they did it… Perhaps they really did get a horse to do all of the stunts or perhaps they got away with realistic dummies due to the many quick-edited shots. Anyway. I almost don’t want to know because it was so convincing.

The accident leaves Grace and her horse Pilgrim physically and mentally injured so Grace’s mum (Kristin Scott Thomas) takes them to a ‘horse whisperer’ called Tom Booker (Robert Redford) in order to help them both recover.

The thing that stood out for me was the acuracy in the training techniques. The Horse Whisperer is based on a training system called Natural Horsemanship where the rider asks the horse for submission, acceptance and softness.

Obviously the reactions of the horse are not always particularly realistic, nor would the lack of time spent on Pilgrim result in the horse becoming totally cured. However, I think we are all grown up to accept that this is a film that has certainly taken the horse’s reactions into consideration, without it becoming an instructional video of how to train your horse.

The epic music is as incredible as Titanic and Black Beauty. I blame the music for my constant blubbering throughout the entire film…

I remember when I last watched this and I felt like there wasn’t enough of the horse’s story in it. However, this was about ten or so years ago and I am rather thankful that a parallel storyline of how humans interact and accept each other was weaved throughout. The love story is strong and does not take from the overall story of the horse’s journey through recovery.

You kind of get to know how cruelly we treat each other, how trauma affects people differently and how we listen and communicate with each other through the recovery of the horse. It’s really quite deep.

The end of the story is unexpected… But I can’t decide if it was in a good way or not. Everything is concluded except for the love story which I was eager to know more about.

After watching this I wanted to buy a ranch in Southern America so badly! Get a horse and go out riding for days. It made horseriding look incredibly natural – which I suppose it isn’t really – with big western saddles, loose reins and calm canters over the endless hills. A fantastically jolting contrast between the uncontained farm land and the claustrophobic New York City show within the film.

A fantastic watch for any horse lover or lover of deep emotion-driven films. I enjoyed the culture of the farm in the south.

Robert Redford has style! So keep an eye out for the use of shadows and colour.
A film that is very well done.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

Pop Star Sings like Family Guy’s Herbert

Herbert-Family-Guy — Herbert does a little more than the occasional song on Family Guy – turns out there is a sound alike in an Indie rock band!!

You never guess what I stumbled across!!

Herbert the Pervert (voiced by Mike Henry) off of the hit cartoon series Family Guy has an accidental sound-alike!

The band is called Sleeping At Last and the song is called Turning Page with the sound alike singer named Ryan O’Neil.

If you’re a Twilight fan, you’ll know it from the Breaking Dawn Soundtrack.

I couldn’t stop giggling at the similarity. Just close your eyes and picture Herbert singing…
Go right ahead and skip 35 seconds in…

Jodie.

The Down Home Shake Down! – Big Mama Thornton

I AM ABOUT TO LIBERATE YOU WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!

Holy crapolahs peoples! Big Mama is back!! It’s got harmonicas, a beat and a strummin’ bass and it makes you want to get moving. The flat-footing days of the south have been preserved for our era… And I’m loving it!

I tell you what, if I could go back in time, I would go back to the days of this kind of music! So freakin’ awesome.

I love this Down Home Shake Down because of Big Mama’s voice in the background – it makes chills go down your spine.

If you want to feel like dancing, I strongly shove you in the direction to watch this:

You don’t have to thank me. Thank the Mama, Dr. Ross, Shakey Horton, John Lee Hooker and the other AMAZING musicians of this genre and time for making incredible, outstanding and really, really cool music.
Jodie.

Twilight Saga VS Roswell TV series

Wow! So guess what I’ve been watching and totally thought it was extremely similar to a certain film series…

That’s right! After watching the Twilight Saga films which were written by Stephanie Meyer during 2005-2008 (which has created multi-millions in recent years) I realised that it is rather similar to the Roswell series which debuted in 1999 with the final episode airing in 2002.

Let me explain further. I am no “twi-hard”, nor am I a “twilight hater”. I do not enjoy the storyline, the actors or characters within the Twilight films. However, I do watch them because I enjoy the fantasy element and the behind the scenes of how the films were made – as I believe they are made rather well.

I have also enjoyed the Roswell series… Or at least the first series when the storyline is introduced. I have recently returned to the Roswell DVDs I own (post-Twilight) and the similarities are staggering.

Not only are both series set highschool, but their characters have a remarkable likeness. Bella and Liz are both smart, biology-loving, emotion-lacking highschoolers who stumble upon a ‘being’ previously thought to be fictional.

It was quite a shock after I watched Roswell and realised that Twilight is not such a unique idea after all…

For example:

Roswell’s protagonist: Elizabeth (Liz) Parker
Twilight’s protagonist: Isabella (Bella) Swan

Both brown hair brown eyed.
Both enjoy science.
Both meet their freaky boyfriends in BIOLOGY CLASS.

Bella_Swan_in_Eclipse — Bella (Kristen Stewart)

Liz (Shiri Appleby)

Freaky alien boyfriend: Max Evans
Freaky vampire boyfriend: Edward Cullen

Both monotone, intense and emotionless.
Both have brown hair and brown eyes.

The-four-aliens-roswell-36975_485_606 — Max (Jason Behr)

Max Evans has a blonde ‘sister’ named Isabel Evans
Edward Cullen has a blonde ‘sister’ named Rosalie Hale. Both have a chilly disposition against the protagonist. Both are sassy, strong and take care of their looks.

Both have a family or clan of similar beings.

Vampire clan of teenagers Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper
Alien family of teenagers Max, Michael and Isabel
All of whom are not believed to be blood related and each have individual powers.

315px-Newmoon_cullens — Twilight characters

So, what am I saying? I am saying that there are similarities. I’m saying that a lot of money has been made out of something that is not wholly original. I’m not saying Twilight is bad. Just unoriginal. Which is a little disappointing considering the amount of money that has been made from it.

But will there be original work anymore? Really.
I mean Harry Potter is remarkably like Star Wars. I’m sure you can think of more.
But perhaps I’ll blog about that one another day.

Is this worth getting worked up about? Or should we just enjoy it?
Just because you can’t be first at something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Otherwise you’ll never do anything. (Wise words… Thanks Dad.)

Hmmmm…

Jodie.

Jodie’s take on the first of the Twilight films:

Twilight

About a Boy

ABout A Boy Poster

Directors: Chris and Paul Weitz
Writer: Nick Hornby
Released: 2002
Starring: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult
—

I am in no way a fan of Hugh Grant. He seems to only play one character and that character appears to be exactly what he is like in real life. Having said that…

He is in some pretty wicked films like Bridget Jones, Notting Hill, but the most impressive being this one: About A Boy.

about-a-boy It’s about Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) who has never needed to work and is a professional womanizer. The parallel story is about poor Marcus (Nicholas Hoult) and how he deals with his mother (Toni Collette) who is suffering from depression, all the while having a tough time at school.

Will thinks that having no family and friends is liberating until he meets the friendless Marcus who is looking for family.

It’s such a breath of fresh air because Hugh Grant keeps his typecast role of the ‘handsome’ Englishman yet it is intermingled with Toni Collette’s role as an incredibly sad and hopeless character.

This film is another melancholy coming-of-age film with sparks of comedy through it. If you enjoyed Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, The Way Way Back or Scent of a Woman, you will adore this movie for sure.

This is my new favourite!

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

Por una Cabeza – Carlos Gardel

This is a fantastic classic.

After watching this scene (tango scene in Scent of a Woman) I wanted to take tango lessons! Yet, I don’t think it was the visuals, but the song that made me fall in love with the scene.

Por una Cabeza (“By a Head”) was written in 1935 by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera. Originally with lyrics, it tells a story about a gambler who compares his love of women with his addiction of betting on race horses.

I think it’s the whining instruments that makes the piece sound like it’s yearning for something, like the song is telling a story of losing somebody… I don’t know. It’s awfully touching though!

This is the best version I have found, I think it’s the French accordion that completes it.

I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

You can read my review to Scent of a Woman here. Including the trailer.

Jodie.

Scent of a Woman

Director: Martin Brest
Writer: Based on Ibuio e il miele by Giovanni Arpino
Released: 1992
Featuring: Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell
—

Getting this film in a “two for $20” sale I was cautious, particularly because the front cover showed a rather dated looking image and the title sounded a tad creepy. However, the name ‘Al Pacino’ gave me hope.

Scent of a Woman is an incredibly fascinating film to watch repeatedly because of the script, which is deep and meaningful to say the least.

Al Pacino’s character – referred frequently to as The Colonel – is a blind man who appears to be as mad as a dog at his first screen appearance. But he is such an interesting character I almost wish he were real. He is an experienced soldier and a wise man, who has a story or two to tell.

Chris O’Donnell’s character is Charlie who is hired as Colonel Slade’s aid for a thanksgiving weekend. He is dragged to New York with him, but learns a lot along the way.

There are a couple of incredibly memorable scenes. One is where Colonel does a very moving speech at Charlie’s school. I wrote all about it here. There are some brilliant quotes, and by the end you have total respect for this flawed character.

Scent of a Woman

Colonel: There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these. Their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There’s no prosthetic for that.

The other memorable scene is the tango scene. Colonel and Charlie are sitting in a restaurant when Colonel senses a woman sat by herself behind them and he asks her to dance the tango with him. It sounds creepy, but it’s actually beautiful.

Colonel: There are no mistakes in the tango. If you get all tangled up, you just tango on!

Scent of a Woman reminds me a lot of Driving Lessons (and many other films including The Intouchables and You’re Not You): Where an old person drags a young person somewhere. The young person doesn’t know jack about life, and learns a lot from the old, wise person. Then, the young person finds out that the old person has big secrets. So they help each other out. I’ve written about this in my post One Story, Six Movies.

scentofawoman15

I love these kind of films though, even if the story isn’t original anymore. I guess they’re coming-of-age films. Films such as Driving Lessons, The Way Way Back, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno and Up In Air. They’re funny but thought-provoking too.

Colonel: “Are you blind?!”
Charlie: “No of course not”
Colonel: “Then why do you keep grabbing my arm? I take YOUR arm.”

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

In case you’re interested – the speech.