favourite – NZ Film Freak

My Favourite Scene: Good Will Hunting

I adore Good Will Hunting, particularly because of Robin Williams’ performance as a shrink named Sean. He has many lovely quotes, but this speech is my favourite. It’s about living life and having first-hand experiences. I think how Robin Williams encapsulates the depths of sadness that Sean has after losing his wife is tear-jerking.

Sean: So if I asked you about art, you’d probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life’s work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right?

But I’ll bet you can’t tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You’ve never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that.

If I ask you about women, you’d probably give me a syllabus about your personal favorites. You may have even been laid a few times. But you can’t tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman and feel truly happy.

You’re a tough kid. And I’d ask you about war, you’d probably throw Shakespeare at me, right, “once more unto the breach dear friends.” But you’ve never been near one. You’ve never held your best friend’s head in your lap, watch him gasp his last breath looking to you for help.

I’d ask you about love, you’d probably quote me a sonnet. But you’ve never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable. Known someone that could level you with her eyes, feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you. Who could rescue you from the depths of hell. And you wouldn’t know what it’s like to be her angel, to have that love for her, be there forever, through anything, through cancer.

And you wouldn’t know about sleeping sitting up in the hospital room for two months, holding her hand, because the doctors could see in your eyes, that the terms “visiting hours” don’t apply to you. You don’t know about real loss, ’cause it only occurs when you’ve loved something more than you love yourself. And I doubt you’ve ever dared to love anybody that much.

And look at you… I don’t see an intelligent, confident man… I see a cocky, scared shitless kid. But you’re a genius Will. No one denies that. No one could possibly understand the depths of you. But you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine, and you ripped my fucking life apart. You’re an orphan right?

[Will nods]

Sean: You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally, I don’t give a shit about all that, because you know what, I can’t learn anything from you, I can’t read in some fuckin’ book. Unless you want to talk about you, who you are. Then I’m fascinated. I’m in. But you don’t want to do that do you sport? You’re terrified of what you might say. Your move, chief.

Top 5: Forgotten Music Videos

Forgotten music videos from the 90s These may have slipped your memory because they are from the late 90s/early 2000s. But for some, they are embedded in childhood brains.

Here It Goes Again by OK GO
Don’t tell me you weren’t mesmerised by their choreography using treadmills. Or at least fascinated by their costumes.

Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim
A favourite of my parental’s. Played on repeat throughout my impressionable years.

Praise You by Fatboy Slim
A favourite of mine. Their dancing reminds me of my current style of expressive dance that I like to impress people with at nightclubs. I actually didn’t realise Praise you and Weapon of Choice were by the same artist until just now…

Freestyler by Bomfunk MC’s
My brother’s favourite song, played on repeat in the car. Everywhere. Great video though.

Sophie by Goodshirt
From us Kiwis comes ingenuity. One shot. Straight through. Who can be bothered with editing? So why not just… Let the camera roll. Well done, guys. A humble and funny video.

What do you reckon? Basically, I like quirky videos.

Oh! Weezer’s Say It Ain’t So video was narrowly cut out! I love how the singer pauses to take a sip of milk. That’s it. Fantastic moment.

Jodie.

My Favourite Character: Elaine Benes

Sassy, smart, cynical, silly and hysterical! Seinfeld‘s Elaine Benes is just the coolest. She’s confident and crazy, yet successful and feminine.

Seinfeld is my favourite TV series because it is based on nothing. It’s just four people going about their lives, focussing on the odd things that happen from day to day. From these occurrences comes addictive catch-phrases that I’m sure you’ve heard before. “Serenity now!” “Festivus for the rest of us!”

Please refer to this extensive list for the full collection of Seinfeld phrases.

Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is my favourite character because she’s one of the guys, without compromising her femininity. She’s independent, a successful writer with a thriving social life.

Yes, she’s promiscuous, but she always ends up with the upper-hand in every relationship. I don’t think there’s an episode where she is genuinely upset when a relationship ends.

I love her because she is so negative about everyone and everything, yet she still manages to make hilarious, witty remarks about every situation without making herself appear egotistical.

“I had to take a sick day, I’m so sick of these people.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays her SO well. I can’t imagine anyone else doing a better job. She’s versitile and does comedy so well.

Have you seen some of the weird faces she pulls? Or even Elaine’s dancing! Louis-Dreyfus is so talented, and so hilarious.

Also, her hair is spectacular.

I love Seinfeld. I love Elaine. *Sigh*

Jodie.

My Favourite Character: Jocelyn

I’ve reviewed The Jane Austen Book Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I did write a short bio of the characters in my review. But I wanted to expand on my favourite character, Jocelyn.

Maria Bello plays Jocelyn.
Jocelyn has never fallen in love, but she says she’s happy with that:

“…alone is not the end of the world. For as many years as you’ve been married I’ve been quite happily unmarried… I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind falling in love, but it just all seems like fiction to me, anyway.

She’s a dog-breeder, and if you catch onto her mannerisms early enough, you’ll notice she treats men like dogs – she’s strict, short-tempered and dominant with them. Her use of language when speaking about people is similar to how she would talk about dogs.

“No one I’m interested in. He’s young, compliant, said he might enjoy being in a book club… Do you think Sylvia responded to him?”

Jocelyn is drawn to ‘Grigg’ because he’s “eager to please” and “tries hard”… Sort of like a dog.

Jocelyn is known as the ‘match-maker’, always on the look-out for who she can pair people up with. She partnered her best friend Sylvia up with a guy who is now Sylvia’s husband.

I think Jocelyn is super cool because she’s independent and lives by herself in the country doing exactly what she wants. She dresses quite casual (except for the final scene), in knitted shrugs, jeans, long skirts and turtle-necks.

a19bc551-7228-4b74-915a-b81733a21fe0_detail — Jocelyn and Grigg

In the movie, she hesitantly opens up to change. Starting by reading a book Grigg suggests, which Jocelyn is sure she won’t enjoy.
“I think at my age I should know what I like”
But the more she relaxes and allows him to be a friend – rather than a person to direct – the more she changes into a calmer and happier person.

I love Jocelyn. She’s so pretty (I want her hair), and confident in herself.

Jodie.

My Favourite Character: Louise Sawyer

I recently reviewed Thelma and Louise, which is my favourite movie of all time.

Out of the two main characters, I connected with Louise more because I admire her more than Thelma (who is ditsy, and reminds me too much of myself!).

“Suspect: Louise Elizabeth Sawyer. Red hair, brown eyes, five-foot, seven inches tall, on hundred and twenty pounds…”

Louise is so sassy. In the bar scene at the beginning of their road trip, I love how she doesn’t even give Harlan (a guy at the bar who is hitting on them) the time of day.

At that point, Harlan seemed like just a confident gentleman who approached the pair. But she saw right through him.

Harlan: Hey! Now what are a couple of Kewpie dolls like you doin’ in a place like this?
Louise: Mindin’ our own business. Why don’t you try it.

Despite her straight-up-and-down character, she has a generous side. Like when she left the waitress “a huge tip” at a bar. Sawyer is a waitress by day, so I think she completely understood how far a bigger tip would go.

She drives a green/blue T-Bird convertible, wears well-fitted jackets and western-style boots.

Susan Sarandon does a spectacular job portraying her as a motherly, yet, fiercely independent woman. Louise seems like somebody who you could rely on.

Jodie.

There’s not a lot out there, so this trailer will have to do. However, this is the original 90s trailer which portrays the movie as a straight-laced comedy, which isn’t accurate at all.

My Favourite Character: Miranda

I. Love. Miranda.

Not only do we share the same last name and similar place of origin, but we share the awkward and embarrassing everyday situations. The only difference being, the actress who plays the character of the same name, has made her life into a comedic series… While I simply digest my cringe-worthy days on my 40 minute bus journeys home…

Bear with… Bear with…

Miranda is the slightly more casual and relatable version of Bridget Jones. She makes my everyday situations become not an “embarrassing moment” but a “Miranda moment”. Which simply means my life is television-worthy. In my mind.

Miranda Hart has the ability to find sexual innuendos in most conversations, yet the inability of saying certain words.

I also give myself freely to others… I don’t mean ‘s-x-ally’.

A great series, a fantastically comical actress and an awesome character!

Such fun!

Jodie.

My Favourite Scene: Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan (1998) “…and I find that marvellous.”

I had first heard of Edith Piaf when I saw Inception (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien). She is a famous French singer from the twenties through to the sixties, and I adore her music.

Since learning about her songs, this scene in Saving Private Ryan jumped out at me. It is a bonding scene between the soldiers that begins with a conversation about Piaf’s song (Tu es Partout), like most of my other favourite scenes, it’s slower paced and one of the quieter moments of the movie.

I just really enjoy one of the more sensitive soldiers translating the song to the others.

Jodie.

My Favourite Scene: Sherlock Homes A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011): Running through the forest

This is where the characters are running in slow motion while being shot at. It captures every tiny detail and the sheer panic. Throw in some Inception music and you got the most epic scene in the whole shebang.

Jodie.

My Favourite Scene: The Pianist

The Pianist (2002): Playing piano for a soldier

In this scene, a German Soldier, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann), discovers Władysław Szpilman’s (Adrian Brody) hiding place. Instead of killing him, he helps him survive.

But before leaving after their first encounter, the German Soldier asks what he will do after the war is over. “Play the piano again” he answers. “Show me” the German soldier replies.

After two years of not being able to do the one thing he loves, Władysław does so, happily. He looks like he is healing himself after the battle to survive the war, which is slowly coming to an end.

I think this scene intrigues me because I believe the soldier just wanted the hurt of the war to end. After watching the whole film showing the destruction German Soldiers brought, he makes us remember that they are only human too. He seems to be thinking about the actions of his soldiers, what is right or wrong, perhaps his loss of faith in fighting… Music can provoke many feelings.

Wilm Hosenfeld did in fact make a habit of helping Jewish people survive in labour camps, before dying in a POW camp himself, possibly after being tortured.

I think, in this scene, both parties are united by music; healing together and making peace.

Jodie.

My Favourite Character: Bridget Jones

What do you think of when somebody mentions Bridget Jones?

“A verbally-incontinent tragic spinster who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish?”

Yes, although a somewhat blunt description of the Bridget Jones’ character, I do feel like that she is also a role model. She represents a group of women in their thirties with a career but no partner, with bad habits and frequent input in their love life from “vulgar mothers”.

Suddenly I realised that I was going to live a life where my major relationship was with a bottle of wine…

Sure, I can’t really relate to Bridget’s generation or situation… Yet. But like many young women, struggling to succeed in life, Bridget Jones acts as a role model. Particularly when making the right decisions in relationships, in Bridget’s case, between tempting (Daniel Cleaver) and sensible (Mark Darcy) choices.

“[I like you] just as you are”? Not thinner? Not cleverer? Not with slightly bigger breasts or a slightly smalls nose?
-Bridget’s friends discussing Mark Darcy’s comment.

If anything, watching/reading Bridget Jones’ Diary makes you feel better about making a total arse of yourself in public. It’s sort of comforting in a weird way knowing that a lovable and fun character also does stupid things and everything still tends to work out fine her anyway.

…you seem to go out of your way to try to make me feel like a complete idiot… and you really needn’t bother. I already feel like an idiot most of the time anyway.

The film adaptations were convincingly played by American Renee Zellweger whose English accent was flawless. The dreamy Colin Firth played Mark Darcy, and quite appropriately, the stuck-up and smug Daniel Cleaver was effortlessly portrayed by Hugh Grant.

A down to earth, bog standard, nothing-special woman who makes every painfully average woman feel a little better about themselves. It’s okay to be ordinary, clumsy, chubby and single, thanks to Bridget.

Jodie.

My Favourite Character: Juno

Not only do I adore this movie and Ellen Page, but I think the character is the bee’s knees.

Juno is a typical bored suburban teenager who gets into a spot of bother with her best friend, Bleeker, a stringy-looking track runner who gets Juno pregnant… Or how she says “I’m for shizz up the spout”

Despite the tragic circumstances of the sixteen year old, she is so up beat and totally hilarious with her choice of language.

“Quiet, Banana. Hey, shut your gob, okay” (to the barking dog)
“Silencio old man! I just drank my weight in Sunny D. and I have to go, pronto.”
“I’m already pregnant, what other shenanigans could I get into?”
“I thought I might, you know, nip it in the bud before it gets worse. Because I heard in health class that pregnancy often results in an infant.”

And many more genus lines – obviously thanks to the brains behind this character, Diablo Cody.

I love Juno because of her confidence, her boyish style and sense of humour in everything, even when “dealing with stuff way beyond [her] maturity level”. It is literally impossible not to respond to people without Juno’s sarcasm after watching this movie.

She is inspirational because makes every bad thing seem like it’s no big deal.

And if anybody knows where to get brown tartan Chucks, let me know. They look wicked.

Jodie.