MOVIES – MUSIC – TV – BOOKS
Yes Man (2008): I got blisters on ma fingers!
This scene jumps out from the otherwise somewhat average comedy as Jim Carrey’s character, Carl, talks down a reluctant suicidal jumper via sing-song. A song called, rather appropriately, “Jumper” by Third Eye Blind (jump to the start of the song at 1.17 in you’d like).
Jodie.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006): “Life is just one big beauty contest after another”
Just a fascinating moment of reflection by a character who is longing to become a pilot despite being colour blind, and a writer who attempted suicide.
Jodie.
Directed by: Peter Farrelly, Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, Patrik Forsberg, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, Will Graham and Jonathan van Tulleken
Written by: Steve Baker, Will Carlough, Tobias Carlson, Jacob Fleisher, Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn, Claes Kjellstrom, Jack Kukoda, Bill O’Malley, Matthew Alec, Portenoy, Greg Pritikin, Rocky Russo, Olle Sarri, Elizabeth Wright Shapiro, Jeremy Sosenko, Jonathan van Tulleken, Jonas Wittenmark
Released: January 2013
Featuring: Dennis Quaid, Greg Kinnear, Seth MacFarlane, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gerard Butler, Johnny Knoxville, Stephen Merchant, Halle Berry AND the rest of Hollywood.
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Short review: It sucks. Don’t bother seeing it.
So it’s pretty much a series of skits, all directed and written by different people. The story line is how a crazed writer blackmails a producer to get his movie comprised of a series of short skits made. The finished product is the movie that is in the cinemas now, Movie 43.
I mean, obviously this film was not going to be good, you could tell that from the trailer.
I can’t say I actually laughed at all in this movie… The funniest scene was the first short with Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman but even so, I only giggled a little.
The scene where Halle Berry is dared by Stephen Merchant to blow out a blind kid’s birthday candles before he does would have got a bit of a laugh too, if I hadn’t already seen the trailer and knew it was coming. Oh, and Merchant’s plastic surgery results were chuckle-worthy too.
If y
ou want to be grossed out in a way where you also feel targeted and creeped out, skip the horror movie and watch Movie 43 by all means. But if you want to laugh at something… See an actual comedy.
I would like to take this moment to ask Kate Winslet and Emma Stone: “WHY!?”
There were many things that made me cringe, like in the homeschooling scene where the parents want to give their son every high school experience including his “first kiss”, or the entire “iBabe” sketch, or the superhero speed dating sketch. It’s not that I was necessarily offended, it just… Wasn’t funny.
Like, I understood where I was supposed to laugh and why it should be funny… But it just really wasn’t. Like when you watch an episode of Dora the Explorer and she makes a joke, you know why it is technically ‘funny’ but you don’t laugh because the jokes are simple and lame. Obviously the lame jokes in Movie 43 are R-rated humour though.
If you want to see a TON of famous people making fools of themselves, I’m sure you will enjoy this movie.
But it is rude, crude with lots of nude.
Jodie’s rating: 1.5/10 (.5 per time I chuckled)
Up In The Air (2009): “I stereotype, it’s quicker”
A story about the lives of people who have been made redundant during an economic crisis, told by the man who is hired to fire them on behalf of their bosses. A very comedic look by Ryan (George Clooney) regarding people in airports:
“Everybody needs a co-pilot”
A heavier scene about the point of life, with quite an insightful answer by Ryan.
Jodie.
Scent of a Woman (1992): “An amputated spirit, there’s no prosthetic for that!”
Al Pacino plays a blind Colonel who stands up to the system. I love this scene because he is shaking this deep rooted college by the shoulders, waking them up! It gives you chills! He says that schools need to teach the practicality and values that are important in real life and for your soul, not necessarily reputation or how much money one has. That won’t always help you in life.
“If you get all tangled up, you just tango on!”
This scene is incredible! I put this scene on repeat after I first saw it. It’s a metaphor for life, to just try things! Donna is a beautiful and elegant woman who I think is such an awesome character, even though she does not appear in it for very long. A beautiful piece of music too.
Jodie.
Director: John Hughes
Writer: John Hughes
Released: February 1985
Featuring:Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason
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Probably the best high school based film. Openly addressing and mocking their stereotypes and the pressures each one of them are under by their associated peers.
It is a very well made film because it is entirely based in one place during one day, with a tiny cast. We are sitting in on a Saturday detention with five completely contrasting students who soon find out what they hate and what they love about each other and themselves. Very human, very emotionally rooted.
The Characters:
The cheerleader type referred to as ‘the princess’ named Claire (Molly Ringwald).
The jock referred to as ‘sporto’ named Andrew (Emilio Estevez).
‘The brain’ named Brian (Anthony Michael Hall).
The kook or ‘the basket case’ named Allison (Ally Sheedy).
The messed up ‘criminal’ called John (Judd Nelson).
What is great about these characters, is that we can see qualities in ourselves in all of them. They are a mirror image of the teenage audience. We all know somebody with qualities like them, we all find some of them in ourselves and we all find characteristics in them that we want to possess.
Despite being about five typical stereotypes, by the end of the movie, you realise that they are a group of misfits who don’t want to belong to a group who tells them who to be.
I think if there was an extended version of this movie, it would be how each one of them over came the pressure of their groups and openly hung out with other cliques, because they’re all strong characters who would become role models. Well, that’s what I would like to think would happen anyway.
Made in the eighties and it certainly looks like the eighties! I swear I am transported to that era every time I watch it. Great eighties music too, including one of my favourite songs Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds. If you want to listen to some eighties music on the go, this site has some great eighties music.
It’s true, high school really does suck. But this movie will make you feel better about it.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
I would just like to say that they have excluded all of the funny bits in this trailer, so if you like the look of this, you’re going to love the film.
Made In Dagenham (2010): The beauty of doing something unexpected of you
Okay, I can’t believe it took me so long to write about this movie! This is based in the sixties (which obviously gives it an instant thumbs up from me) about women getting equal rights in the workplace. These are two of many clips that I could have chosen that really inspires me in this film.
In the first one, I love how Lisa (Rosamund Pike) is such a beautifully elegant woman who is socially acceptable in this era, until her opinion is asked of her. Instead of smiling and nodding, she blurts out exactly what she means even though it is totally unacceptable for her to do so. It is true, knowledge really is power. I just love the reaction of somebody doing something unexpected, it’s a fantastic way of demanding respect and getting attention from others. Lisa uses her knowledge as if she’s giving society the middle finger. She’s such a heroine!
“Please, keep going! Don’t give up.”
In this second clip, I love how Lisa is Rita’s (Sally Hawkins) beam of light reminding her that although she is personally very low, she is actually making history! Lisa, clearly my favourite character in this movie, tells Rita who she really is, which once again shocks another character. She is so empowered and is able to empower others.
Jodie.
The Boat That Rocked (2009): The meaning of life = Rock n Roll!
You know that feeling of just wanting to get up and dance? A song where you just can’t sit still listening to? This is a scene about that feeling.
This is actually a deleted scene from the incredible film, The Boat That Rocked which shows the deeper meaning of the effects of music. Rock and roll just makes sense to people.
Jodie.
Directors: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
Writers: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
Released: January 1999
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I literally did not sleep last night.
I remember seeing snippets of this film when I was about 11, but I had not remembered how effective the horror aspect of it was! It is the best horror/psychological thriller I have seen in a very long time.
Three film makers go missing in the woods while covering the legend of the Blair Witch that supposedly haunted the area. The film makers were never found again, but their footage was, which makes up this film.
Pretty simple plot line with amateur filming which is very convincing! The idea of this horror is that the less you see the more your imagination runs a riot. You never actually see any witch or any sort of witch craft or supernatural beings, but the sounds and supposed actions of the Blair Witch is more than enough to keep you on edge.
Reading a bit about the making of this film is quite interesting. 2000 actors auditioned and the three actors with the best improvisational skills got the parts. The actors got a very loose script to work with, and to get into to character the cast were taken hiking and camping in the woods, depriving them of food and harassing them at night by the crew.
The acting is well done, with Heather being the main character as she uses the camera (and talks) the most. She is certainly an annoying character who is a total know it all, but apparently that was intentional – perhaps to keep the audience in a false sense of security as she seems convinced that at no point are they ever lost. The other two actors are fantastically convincing and natural too.
A scary story to say the least. The further toward the end it gets, the more terrifying it becomes. The final shot is still freaking me out. Considering this was all done with handy cams and mostly improvised, makes this film a more effective horror.
So awesome!!
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Stranger Than Fiction (2006): You miscreant!
I love Ana Pascal’s (Maggie Gyllenhaal) vocabulary and anarchist values expressed rather articulately. This entire movie was filled with many scenes that are fantastically written and performed. But I have to say, this first encounter with Ana was uplifting and inspiring. A character I certainly adore, and this scene is her best one.
Jodie.
Directors: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Writers: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Released: April 2010
Starring: Emily Watson, Ricky Gervais, Ralph Fienes, Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes
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Based in the early seventies, this film follows the lives of three boys in their early twenties whose lives consist of “boozing”, partying and “getting birds”. However, after one of the boys, Freddie (Christian Cooke), meets an old friend, Julie (Felicity Jones) who is bursting to leave town and travel the world, he decides that he wants more in life too.
They both realise that they are both being held back by conservative parents and living in the regimented town of Cemetery Junction. The film follows these two characters as well as their friends and families, as they come to terms with climbing out of the armpit of a town, despite Julie being engaged and their ideas beyond the town are frowned upon.
This movie is fantastically well made! Bright colours from the swinging sixties that reminds me of The Boat That Rocked and Made In Dagenham. Fantastic songs from the sixties and seventies too, including Bowie, Slade and Elton John. I bet the soundtrack would be worth getting.
The characters are (according to my parents) quite accurate of the time. The older generation racist and with plans of keeping in the same job and staying in the same town, but with a growing proportion of the younger generation wanting more than being in a 9 to 5 job, marrying and having children, but wanting to explore and move away.
It is a refreshing plot line that is beyond an aesthetically perfect rom-com, but an inspiring story of escape in search of adventure. The feeling of being trapped experienced by some of the characters who are trying to break free are well communicated in the film. It’s a very human story of breaking the mould and being independent.
Cemetery Junction is convincing and very well made, apart from the frequently questionable language. It is extremely funny, exciting and makes you long for that era with the fashion and majestic clubs with live music booming. The characters are relatable and realistic who encourage the feeling of moving away from all that is familiar just for the sake of the journey.
A fun easy-to-watch, yet deep movie of lovable characters living in an increasingly exciting time.
Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10
This song and music video are ah-may-zing! The drone of a life that has you on the “Karma payroll” leading you to lose sight of what is good in the world. It is easy to shut off and become a zombie in life when things never seem to go right for no reason of your own, perhaps causing you to snap.
For a minute there, I lost myself
The music video is pretty straight forward. Chasing down a seemingly average man for the apparent wrongs that he needs to be punished for by Karma. The car is in a studio from the black-out windows (no reflection) and the mechanical camera that has a set speed and movement that it can repeat identically, which allows an easy cut between the outside of the car and the inside of the car.
This is what you get when you mess with us
Very well done lightning too. The actor looks like a working man – not a Hollywood actor… Which he may or may not be… But very convincing in any case.
Enjoy!
Jodie.
I mentioned this song in my review of Django Unchained in which this song was featured.
It is an amazing song with awesome voices! The slow pace of the song and the drawn-out lyrics represents the struggle of moving forward and finding freedom.
Life hasn’t been very kind to me lately…
…in time the sun’s gonna shine on me nicely
Fantastic singers! The drums are solid and sturdy with little in the way of ‘busy’ instrumentation.
Worth a listen!
Jodie.
Moulin Rouge! (2001): Roxanne dance
Roxanne! This is the clash of all negative emotions performed through the incredibly perfect song Roxanne by The Police. A theatrical version that parallels the heartbreak and betrayal that is occurring.
It is an absolutely incredible scene. The best song on the soundtrack, the best dance in the movie, the best performance, the best lighting. Amazing.
Jodie.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Released: December 2012/January 2013
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson
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Django.
The D is silent.
Well, I got to say, the first quarter of the movie is incredible! Django (Jamie Foxx) being freed by a strange man named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and the show-down that occurred between Schultz and the Speck Brothers who were transporting Django and other slaves to a plantation. This is where Django and Schultz become a team and continue the journey as Bounty Hunters (killing criminals and selling their corpses for rewards).
Dr. King Schultz: My good man, did you simply get carried away with your dramatic gesture, or are you pointing your weapon at me with lethal intention?
Ace Speck: [cocks shotgun] Last chance, fancy pants.
It was a fantastic start to another incredible Tarantino film… Or at least that’s what I thought… Let me tell you, the idea of “less is more” is not something that Tarantino agrees with.
It slowly (and boy do I mean slowly!) unravelled to reveal a story that consisted of long scenes of dialogue with very sudden outbursts of bloody gunfire that would last an eternity. Particularly the final fight.
Well you think it’s the final fight until another scene of dialogue and another fight follows. By the time it reaches the actual final gun fight, you’re so over the blood and gore that you’re immune to the tragedy of it all and the impact of the violent film has subsided.
If you’re worried that this film is going to be too sadistic… Don’t worry. It’s not. I’m not going to lie, I did flinch when a slave was ripped apart by dogs, and when a horse was shot in the head… But it is essentially a black comedy – it ain’t no Saw. It is seriously more comedic than violent, especially with the scene featuring Jonah Hill.
Christoph Waltz was absolutely hilarious too. Actually, this guy is going to get a whole paragraph dedicated to his acting. He is totally incredible! Did you know that he can speak three languages fluently!? English, French and German, which he speaks in Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. His way of acting is unlike any other… you can’t even tell if he is acting or not because he is just so natural. *Sigh*. Maaaan… He needs a hi-5. His character had some wicked quotes too.
You silver-tongued devil, you.
Unfortunately, some things were unintentionally funny. Like Quentin Tarantino’s cameo… Yeah. That was… Weird. Especially since him and another character were speaking with an Australian accent. That literally came out of nowhere, so confusing! It was kind of disturbing.
I have to make a quick point about the horses. They were SO well trained! Incredible stunt horses. Being a horserider myself, I tend to get really picky about how the horses or riders are doing something wrong, like if the horse-doubles look very little alike or how the actors can’t ride or how sometimes I notice that one of the riders is totally out of control of their horse.
But I couldn’t fault any of the horses or riders in this film! Particularly Jamie Foxx when he was riding a horse with no bridle or saddle… Actually that was yet another left-field occurrence. It was kind of pointless, unexpected and weird.
I had read somewhere before seeing Django Unchained that there is a part where Leonardo accidentally slams his hand down onto a wine glass while in character. I looked out for it, and it makes the scene a hundred times better because for a split second you see the shock on his face, but he carries on. Throughout the scene he picks glass out of his hand, even smearing his own blood over another actor’s face. Awesomely grotesque, I have got to say! Good on you, DiCaprio. He played an mildly insane and overpowering man very well!
Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention.
The music was pretty cool. My favourite song was one called Freedom by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton. But out of nowhere a hardcore rap song blared against while a group of horses and riders walked from one end of the screen to the other… The mood of the movie was sort of ruined by odd little choices like that.
It wasn’t as sadistic or gory as I was expecting it to be. Also, the story line did not involve as many personal details about many characters, like there was in Inglourious Basterds. It made the entire movie seem distant, making it difficult to lose yourself in the movie.
I reckon Quentin Tarantino was just having fun in this movie. I reckon it would have been much more entertaining being on set every day rather than sitting through a Lord of the Rings-length Western/Black Comedy/Romance/Action movie.
Still confused by what I just watched…
Jodie’s rating: 6/10
You need to watch this trailer to listen purely to Christoph’s voice! His use of inflection is perfection!
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.
Directed: Nigel Cole
Written: William Ivory
Released: October 2010
Featuring: Sally Hawkins, Rosamund Pike, Miranda Richardson, Bob Hoskins, Geraldine James
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This movie is based in the late sixties during a time when women were treated unequally in the work place. They were degraded and given less pay than the men, simply because they are women.
The leader of the movement Rita O’Grady, played by Sally Hawkins, a worker in a Ford factory in Dagenham, organises the rallies. Based on a true story, these women made history in their success in getting equality in the workplace – even meeting Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson)!
Rita carries the guilt of others’ personal issues such as dealing with the after effects of war on her friends as well as keeping everybody united in the struggle against the workplace. This adds another very human dimension to the film.
Rights not privileges, it’s really that simple.
My favourite character is by far Lisa, played by Rosamund Pike. She is beautifully elegant, and posesses a fantastically strong sense of right and wrong. Her opinion is generally unwelcome, but I just adore everybody’s faces when she speaks out A look of utter shock. She is strong, intelligent and an amazing woman.
I’m Lisa Burnett, I’m 31 years old and I have a first class honours degree from one of the finest universities in the world, and my husband treats me like I’m a fool…
It’s based in the sixties, so naturally the music and fashion is absolutely to die for! The dresses, the hair, the dancing *gasp* …so amazing.
This is a movie that will inspire and move you. It is entertaining and funny with an amazing cast! This is not a preachy feminist film either. This is based on true circumstances adding so much integrity to the script.
The front cover of the DVD and poster is very inaccurate. It looks like it is a happy-go-lucky rom-com. It is far from it. It is a drama based on humanity and personal triumphs.
An incredible journey by heroines based in a time of total change.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1 (2010): Hermione & Harry dancing
In this scene, Hermione and Harry dance to a very emotive song called O’ Children by Nick Cave and the Black Seeds as they mourn Ron’s absence and the bitter situation that they have found themselves in during the war and the search for Voldemort’s horcruxes. It seems to be the quiet time before the storm, but after much destruction, loss and heartache.
Jodie.
Hey guys!
I love music as well as movies, so I would like to share a site that I have discovered with you.
The Pleasure Dome offers a convincing throw back to the 1980s era. Great ’80s hits played in the format of a radio show that you can listen to in the background while working.
Check it out at: thepleasuredome.co
And their Facebook Page.
Where it’s summer all year long!
Hope you enjoy it!
Jodie.
Director: Lasse Hallström
Writer: Screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs. Based on the novel by Joanne Harris.
Released: December 2000
Starring: Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Carrie-Anne Mos
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A mysterious and magical fable-like tale about an eccentric, colourful and embracing 
chocolatier named Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and how she brightened up a deeply rooted traditional French village. Her provocative clothing, illegitimate child and outspoken values made her unwanted in the village, being outcast as an evil influence. Despite this, her Chocolaterie brings hope and perspective to the guilty customers. Amongst this, there is a compelling love interest between Vianne and a free-spirited Irish traveller, Roux (Johnny Depp).
I love the lead actress, Juliette Binoche, but I do wonder if they chose her because Marion Cotillard was unavailable. In any case, they are two gorgeously elegant and talented French women.
This film is about depriving ourselves of things purely for the discipline, particularly pressured by religion or the expectations of society. With everybody being up tight about keeping a perfect front for others, it seems easy for the important things in their lives to crumble in the background. Perhaps marriage, not pursuing new love, staying in dangerous situations from fear of persecution, or not allowing themselves to try new things.
The Chocolaterie represents freedom and indulgence. It is a moral that allows people to make mistakes, to not feel guilty about taking pleasure in something or feeling damned or frowned upon. They begin to give into desires, discover new feelings and acting on them.
The soundtrack is authentically French! Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli makes you want to get up and dance, with other classical songs that bring out the essence of the town. Lots of guitars and drums that gets your feet tapping. Fantastic songs.
This is a movie set in the year of 1959. The women wear dresses and hats and the men in suits. Everything seems black and white until the woman with pink shoes and bright coloured dresses arrives. The costumes are absolutely to die for. The shoes, the belts the make up… So beautiful!
I have to say, the first few times I watched this, I was expecting it to be a bit more mystical with a Chocolatier who is very wise and knowledgeable, helping people in every place that she moves to. 
But she is only human who makes mistakes and questions life like the people in the village opened themselves up to do. Now that I’m older, I can see that this was purposeful. Vianne is flawed too which just makes this fable a much more down to earth film.
For all the chocolate lovers, Johnny Depp lovers, romantics, dreamers and free thinkers. This is a personable film that is easy to watch and brings hope to people, particularly to anyone who feels a little different or who questions society’s morals, or the things that we are influenced by.
An uplifting, soulful journey of how a little sweetness in life can bring people together.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Released: October 2006
Featuring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie
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David Bowie is in it… I don’t think anything more really needs to be said…
Act one: “The Pledge”
Are you watching closely?
The Prestige is an incredible movie with real mystery and thrilling themes, like nothing you have ever seen before. Its dark and haunting aesthetic with the ruthless, deceitful, cut-throat and competitive characters makes an extremely intense film.
It is the story of strong-willed magicians who guard their incredible tricks of illusions with their lives resulting in sacrifices way beyond their expectations 
as their hunger for dominance of rival magicians runs riot.
Of course, I can’t forget to mention the era that this movie is set in, the late 1800s. I wouldn’t mind living in those times… Only if I was very wealthy of course. Beautiful dresses, old school showmanship, horse and carts and the thrill of newly discovered electricity.
With the complexity of Nolan’s Inception, the grungy look of The Dark Knight, but with a hint of total tragedy, this is just another of Christopher’s incredible creations.
Act Two: “The Turn”
I’m sure it will be compared to The Illusionist… But that doesn’t come anywhere near to what The Prestige delivers, nor does it deliver as much mystery, heart-break or violence. The Prestige is truly a one of a kind movie that makes you feel scared, desperate, amazed and sit mesmerised at the end trying to figure out the wild twists and turns in the story.
The trailer for The Illusionist, a second class film in comparison, but a pretty decent film nonetheless.
This film makes you gasp, cry, feel a sense of desperation and total awe as Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale’s characters go to extreme lengths, bending moral judgment to the expense of their loved ones, as they attempt to steal each other’s secrets of their most breath-taking, and threatening, tricks.
With such unexpected twists and turns, it is impossible to guess the ending. Unfortunately, knowing the ending can spoil the magic of the film for future viewing, sort of like in the second or third viewing of The Others.
Act Three: “The Prestige”
There really is no thrill in knowing the secret behind the magic. “The secret impresses no one”.
So incredible.
Jodie’s rating: 9/10
Director: Tate Taylor
Writer: Tate Taylor (screenplay), Kathryn Stockett (novel)
Released: August 2011
Starring: Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard
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The first thing that attracted me to this DVD was, quite shallowly, the dresses that the characters were wearing on the cover. This was a story based in the sixties, also, it has Emma Stone in it.
So I decided to [wait until the price came down and] buy it.
In the back of my mind I was expecting it to be either over-emotional and depressing such as the film Precious (which I still haven’t brought myself to watch). Or, I was expecting it to be a little too cheesy… But I was gladly wrong.
This is a story about a strong-willed and moral young woman named Skeeter (Emma Stone) who interviewed African-American maids in Jackson, Mississippi despite it being very dangerous and very much against the law.
With many struggles and an immense amount of courage from all involved, she wrote a book anonymously based upon the accounts of the Help who serve white families for little money and humiliating conditions.
Although I am not overly well-versed in American Civil Rights history, it is not hard to feel sympathetic and emotionally moved by the stories of the Help, or incredible remorse for the way that many of the white population viewed African-American people.
Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) plays the ‘villain’. It’s easier to pity her more than despise her, and she is still accessible enough to guess why she acts the way she does.
Skeeter was the most inspirational character of course. Maybe because she is about my age. But I also find her an inspirational character because she refuses to fit into society.
She doesn’t just want to get married, live in a house in the suburbs or pay a maid to raise her children. Instead, she wanted to change the world around her for the better. Skeeter graduated as a journalist and bravely took on a huge project for the greater good, giving the ignored maids a voice.
Minny (right) and her new employer, Celia (Jessica Chastain) is a happy go-lucky woman who is impossible to dislike. She is excluded from the white community, probably because of her acceptance of everybody – no matter the colour – and finds friendship in her new maid, Minny Jackson.
I am reluctant to give too much credit to the author that this film was based on, Kathryn Stockett, because I’m not incredibly sure she was completely honest and pure in her intentions (my theory based upon a few interviews I have seen her in).
There was a lawsuit filed against her by Aibileen, the author’s brother’s maid, saying that Stockett had stolen her life story without her knowledge. Although Stockett was found innocent, it did take the honour out of the story a bit.
The novel is in fact fiction, with bits and pieces drawn from Stockett’s life experiences as a white child growing up in the South with a family maid. But, it is essentially a story that is worth being told to remind us of how it was, with themes of friendship, adversity, desperation and success.
This film is a people film. It follows characters who have flaws and struggles, triumphs and strength. It follows the lives of various people and from their points of view which reminds me of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Big Fish and other stories that accurately follow the path of interesting, yet believable, people.
Triumphant and inspirational.
…Also, their accents and way of talking is so awesome. I’ve watched this movie so many times, my thoughts are now in a Southern accent.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Can’t say that the movie is quite as upbeat as this trailer makes it out to be, but it gives you chills nevertheless.
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writer: Will Beall (screenplay),Paul Lieberman (novel)
Released: January 2013
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn
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Wow! I was so looking forward to seeing this and boy was it worth the wait!
It certainly reminded me of Public Enemies (featuring Johnny Depp) for obvious reasons; both based on a true story, both take place in the forties involving Los Angeles gangsters. However, the stories are clearly different.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling reunite again since Crazy, Stupid, Love. Both of them are fantastic together once again. Two of my favourite actors, for sure!
A very appropriate choice of lighting (or lack of) on the director’s behalf which made the feel of the movie accurate. It was rough and dangerous, yet still attractive. I am sure that the amount of people who smoked in that era was not exaggerated in the movie, too. Every interior scene was smoky, which was not only historically accurate but very artistic as it diffused the harsh lighting within the dim rooms.
I remember mentioning that I thought that there was not enough car chases in the incredible forties vehicles in Public Enemies… Well, it is safe to say that there are plenty in this movie. At least 60% of the movie are car chases or gun fights.
Unfortunately, I have to mention that the gun fights began to go on for a bit too long within some parts, stopping and starting all over the place with very few people ever getting hit by bullets. Perhaps taking the attention away from the more personal stories that could have been developed further, meaning that attachment to the characters was not quite as possible as they could have been. I think to make the gun fights more attention grabbing, some more slow motion action would have been effective.
Overall, a very exciting film set in one of my favourite time periods. A time with incredible fashion, immaculate cars and terrifyingly powerful gangsters.
Loved the wicked fists fights and sadistic criminals!
Jodie’s Rating: 7/10
Directed: Rich Moore
Written: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston and Jim Reardon
Released: November 2012
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman
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Not knowing that this animation was in fact aimed at a younger audience, I was rather disappointed/bored. I know what you’re thinking, of course it’s a childish movie – it’s animation about video games.
But let me draw your attention to the likes for Ice Age (the first one), Toy Story (1, 2 and 3) and Brave. Wreck-It Ralph was in no way on par with the likes of these animated features.
Wreck-It Ralph is a ‘bad guy’ in a standard arcade machine, always out-shined by the Ned Flanders-like figure, Fix-It Felix. Ralph does not want to be the demonised figure and escapes into an arcade machine adjacent to his to win a medal and feel the sense of reward that Felix gets. But, if Ralph is killed in a game that is not his own, he will not get another life and it’s game over forever.
However, I must say, this setting has not really been done before. The mixture of nostalgic arcade games (for the parents) and the fun, colourful and exciting characters to appeal to the kids, this moral-drenched story is a fine cartoon for the holidays.
Very clever graphics that keep it ‘accurate’, such as the much more basic games having very basic graphics.
I thought it was quite a long movie which would be a draw back for children… Especially being in a cinema where we were surrounded by children, trust me, they let you know a movie is too long after about an hour…
So, Wreck-It Ralph was not quite what I expected, the target audience was not that clear, perhaps. But I can appreciate it nevertheless.
Perfect for the school holidays. A “high score” for many children and some older people too, I’m sure. A bearable film for parents.
Jodie’s rating: 5/10
Writers: Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi. Based on The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Released: 2004
Starring: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams
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If you haven’t watched this movie, it is basically about a wealthy girl, Allison (Rachel McAdams), who fell in love with a poor country boy, Noah (Ryan Gosling), whom her parents did not approve of. She was taken away and after a few years was engaged to marry a more ‘appropriate’ man of wealth and status.
That is until Noah comes back into the picture which forces Allison to choose between a respectable, kind young wealthy man or a free spirited, kind young poor man.
As I have mentioned many times in previous posts, romance is not my cup of tea. I don’t enjoy the predictability of them, the smooching, the overly-perfect and much-too-good-looking characters, as well as the either typically happily ever after or tragic endings.
OR the mamsy-pamsy emotional blubbering characters who through the fog of their infatuation are unable to reach logical decisions.
For example, when Noah writes to Allie every day for 365 days after she leaves (he could have just said ‘one year’, but he kept having to make a point of saying “365 days” – for effect I suppose).
Surely, after two weeks maximum, he would have rung her, visited her or at least double checked the address. I. Mean. Seriously! You silly love drunk people…
The Notebook is no exception to my lack of support for the romance genre.
Although I do think that Rachel McAdams is what many women want to look like, and Ryan Gosling is the pin-up boy for Hollywood’s ideal.
He’s not me though; apparently he waxes his whole body on a regular basis because he doesn’t like body hair. Also, he’s too muscley, like, to the point where he looks uncomfortable to hug. Like a rock would be.
I know what you’re thinking; “but Jodie, you gave Moulin Rouge! – the most romantic film – 9.5/10. Isn’t that hypocritical?”
Well, no, because Moulin Rouge! has integrity making it more believable with various other themes other than love. Plus, its whole basis of ‘the denial of true love’ is ironic since the Bohemian era that it was based in promoted that very thing!
The Notebook and Moulin Rouge! are two very different story lines that are portrayed completely differently with various depths and convincing content. Although their genres overlap, they are apples and oranges.
The Notebook is a Nicholas Sparks story, who has written romance novels including Dear John and The Lucky One. I am lead to believe they all strive to follow very similar story lines with similar characters.
Admittedly, for a romance genre it is a tasteful portrayal of the characters falling in love – it’s no 50 Shade of Grey! It’s more intimate than a chick flick but still tame enough for most people to enjoy.
I can definitely agree that the era that The Notebook was set in was pretty awesome. It was based in the 1940s so the dresses, shoes and hair-dos were rather spectacular! I love all of Allie’s wardrobe for sure.
The sets are beautiful, from the house referred to as the “Labour of Love”, to the incredible dream-like lake. The town looks like it is straight out of the forties too.
However, the ridiculously short war scene let the authenticity down. The director obviously forgot to take down notes from the shocking war film Saving Private Ryan. But I guess romance films don’t like having accurate fighting scenes as it may loose their audience who want to be taken away to a land of perfection.
I like having to think about story lines and The Notebook is two dimensional and too simple/predictable – almost cringe-worthy at times.
But, if you love romance, I’m sure you’ll love The Notebook too. It plays out very idealistic love interests with people who are certainly easy on the eye.
Jodie’s rating: 5/10
NZ Film Freak