jodie – Page 2 – NZ Film Freak

Julie & Julia

Julie and Julia film poster Director: Nora Ephron
Writer: Julie Powell, Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme. Screenplay by Nora Ephron
Released: August 2009
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond and Jane Lynch
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I can NOT believe I haven’t reviewed this! I was so certain I had because this movie was the inspiration behind me starting this very blog!

Julie and Julia film - scene with Meryl Streep So! Julie & Julia, it is a typical rom-com drama, with a twist! The twist being the gorgeous, wonderful, classic Meryl Streep.

It follows two story lines – both of them based on true stories:

One is about Julia Child (Meryl Streep), an American living in France during the 40s. (That means trilling accents and beautiful dresses). She is struggling to adapt to French culture, so we follow how her love of food provided a comfort, and her plans to write a cookbook.

The second story is of Julie Powell (Amy Adams) in the modern day, a government worker by day who starts a cooking blog as an outlet. She uses Child’s cookbook as a guide: 524 recipes in 365 days.

(But if you look hard enough, you’ll find edits of Julie & Julia online without Julie Powell’s storyline at all!)

The intertwining stories mirror each other. Despite being worlds apart, Julie and Julia have much in common. Their love of food, and their journeys to become ‘unlost’ is the main point. However, their strong, supportive husbands is the other. (Julia’s husband Paul is played by the wonderful Stanley Tucci. I love him.)

My favourite person is Meryl Streep’s character. I’d love to have her as a best friend. She is so forgiving, embracing, loud, positive and reminds me of Beatrix Potter’s Jemima Puddle-Duck.

And what a gorgeously charasmatic person Julia Child really was! Meryl Streep impersonated her perfectly!

Julia makes me titter to the point of chortling in this movie. The way she speaks is like she’s stretching and kneading her words on her tongue. Goodness! I’m a poet.

Julia’s sister: From the beginning, you just don’t fit in. Literally. So then you don’t!

Now, I am not a foodie. I don’t enjoy food. I don’t look forward to meals. I don’t like cooking… I eat toasted sandwiches. Julie and Julia - scene with Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci And microwavable things. So, the fact that this is a story about cooking is not attractive to me.

I hate how noisy this film is. Every smack of their lips, every slurp and slap. It makes me cringe. Nevertheless, after every viewing I become starving, and crave things my eight-year-strong vegetarian diet strongly forbids.

Paul: What is it that you really like to do?
Julia: Eat. It’s what I like to do!
Paul: I know, I know, I know. And you’re so good at it! Look at you!
Julia: I am good at it… I’m growing right in front of you!

But ultimately, I love this movie. I love the relationship of Julia and Paul Child, and Julie’s courage to not only begin a blog, but to stick with it.

I think it’s the lovable characters and inspirational passion that I love about this film.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Invert – Origin Of The Telepathic Hero

Invert - Origin Of The Telepathic Hero This is a sci-fi, action, superhero film that is looking for funding.

This movie is about a neuroscientist whose experiment backfired, and equipped him with the ability to manipulate minds.

An action-packed feature with Inception-esk scores. I have now noticed that the director/writer, Joseph Mbah, is a fan of Christopher Nolan which explains that similarity.

I’m impressed to see how young the director is – only 24!!

Invert - Origin Of The Telepathic Hero In order for the feature film to be completed, they need $250,000USD. Depending on how much an individual donates, depends on what prize you get – and some of the prizes are pretty decent!

I think the quality of this film is up there, and it could be a strong movie with the financial support.

I’m a superhero nut too, so I’m keen to see how this one turns out.

If you want to donate to the making of their film on Indiegogo, click here. Check out the footage they’ve got so far in their promo here.

Jodie.

My Idol: Karl Pilkington

Karl Pilkington - head like an orange Yes, we all know he has a head as round as an orange and we know he’s not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. But he certainly comes out with some very interesting views of the world.

“Parrots have gone a bit quiet since pirates have gone.“

He’s really funny on The Ricky Gervais Show. But my favourite video of him is when he talks about the fridge he has to replace here:

You may have seen him in Idiot Abroad. He’s so comically underwhelmed with everything.

“I came face-to-face with a gorilla which was quite good, but it was a 10-hour trek in bad weather, up hills, covered in mud, with mosquitoes everywhere and when we got there the gorilla’s just sat there doing nowt.”

Bullshit man - Karl Pilkington And he comes up with pretty amazing superhero ideas… Like Bullshit Man (check it out on youtube):

I’d be bullshit man. There’s so many meetings going on where, you know people are bullshitting. I’d just like to walk in. I wouldn’t need a special costume, just dressed like this and I would fly in and I’d go, “Bullshit. He’s talking bullshit.” And they’d go, “Oh. He’s Bullshit Man.” And I’d go, “Yea. It is Bullshit Man. You’re talking bullshit.” And eventually, people would stop talking bullshit. Anything that’s going on in the world: A bloke selling a car that’s knackered, and he’s going to say it’s a great one, and it’s – *whoosh* – “Bullshit!”

You won't get anything done by planning - Karl Pilkington I like him because on the surface, you could say he’s dim. But, I actually think he’s interesting. Plus, he makes me feel better about saying stupid things. He’s taught me that you can get away with saying anything if you’re committed and keep a straight, gormless, emotionless face.

“If you keep talking, your mouth will come out with stuff.”

I like Karl Pilkington. He makes me feel happy. I just want to hang out with him for a coffee. And stare at him while he talks about his ideas and perceptions of the world. He seems like a kind and genuine person.

Jodie.

PS. Here is a photo of my uncle. I can see some resemblance. And before you ask, ‘yes’, he is holding a bag of cheese.
Karl Pilkington lokkalike

Her

joaquin phoenix in Her film poster
Director: Spike Jonze
Writer: Spike Jonze
Released: October, 2013
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde and Scarlett Johansson
—

(Prepare to see a lot of screen grabs with quotes from this film around. The script is so poetic.)

Her is a sci-fi romance, drama hybrid that premiered at the 2013 New York Film Festival.

It’s set in the near future where rather than keeping one’s head down – staring at a phone screen – people now have an ear piece that respond to voice commands.

joaquin phoenix in Her film The operational system – or OS – that performs the requests now have personalities, and for all intense and purposes, are a personal assistant with feelings and emotions equal in complexity to humans.

This new update is something that the main character, melancholy and lonely Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), becomes immediately interested in.

By day, Theodore is a professional personal letter writer, which is an occupation where people who feel unable or unwilling to compose heart-felt and genuine letters to loved ones pay letter writers like Theodore to do so on their behalf.

joaquin phoenix in Her film (I’m really hoping this job gets invented soon. I’d be on that like white on RICE!)

I think his job is an example of how emotionally distant we are becoming as technology becomes the middle-man in human interactions.

It’s also the perfect job for this introverted character, who clearly expresses his emotions best when done so indirectly. I think this is a characteristic that allowed him to get so attached to his personalised OS, named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

Before long, Samantha and Theodore have bonded and their relationship grows.

Considering Samantha isn’t a physical character yet still a main character in the movie, Her is fantastically written and shot.

Amy Adams - Her movie OS/human relationships become a common phenomenon, and certainly makes the viewer question what makes a relationship, and what love is.

If you think about it, meeting people online was frowned upon not too long ago. I think the OS relationship story parallels the shift in society’s thinking about online relationships.

Or, a colder interpretation of this story is how we are avoiding personal relationships by hiding behind screens all the time. Where people are ‘being in love with their lap top or phone’. But I don’t think this is the writer’s ambition, according interviews I’ve seen.

I found Her a really thought-provoking film. I enjoy movies that focus on characters, human behaviour and social development, and I think this is quite an accurate depiction of what the future could look like.

Her is an interesting insight into the future of romantic relationships, an interesting reflection on what relationships fundamentally are, what the most important components are, and what the common obstacles are.

It’s a fascinating and compelling analysis of the human heart and its complexities.

Sorry, I know I’m babbling on – I could say a lot more – but my final point is about the clothes. I bet this is accurate of what we will wear in the future. No silver jump suits, but a mix of old fashioned pants and bold shirts.

Oh wait! This is my final point: the music by Arcade Fire is AMAZING.

Her may be a little too abstract or boring for some watchers. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Young Adult

Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Released: December 2011
Starring: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser and Collette Wolfe
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Another classic Diablo Cody script! I love the dialogue she writes for characters who are (for lack of a better word) ‘real’. Jason Reitman is the director of this comedy-drama, who is responsible for the likes of Juno and Up in the Air.

Young Adult is about a ghost writer, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), who returns to her home town to try and get back with an old flame, Buddy. Buddy, however, is married and has just had a baby and is in no way interested in what Mavis is so obviously implying.

Mavis’ mum: That new baby of his is just darling.
Mavis: Have you seen it? …up close?

Her pessimistic and delusional outlook is something that [unfortunately] I love about her. She is rude, aloof and doesn’t care what people think of her.

Her language is just great though. The way she talks about marriage and children is like she’s talking about a disease that needs to be avoided. Mavis tells Buddy that ‘we can beat this thing together’ referring to his family. I’m tickled by that. This really isn’t a typical comedy at all.

Thankfully, during her crisis, Mavis meets a guy who she also used to go to high school with, Matt (Patton Oswalt).

Matt was severely attacked during high school resulting in him being disabled. But they bond over hating the same things. Mavis projects her hatred outwardly, and Matt eventually realises he has nothing to lose by expressing his anger around her too.

Mavis is such a lost soul though. She tortures herself by forever reminiscing about her high school days, when she was popular. It doesn’t help that she writes a ‘young adult’ series about popularity in high school, which becomes her diary disguised as a fictional teenage novel.

I love this movie because it’s character-based. It’s not fast-paced, just like real life, and hangs on to every emotion of the unstable Mavis, which makes you squirm. She’s so immature… But entertaining because she’s so expressive.

It’s not a movie for everyone. But I enjoy analysing behaviour, and I find the subtleties in this film interesting. She’s entertainingly perpetually disgusted with everything.

Check out my favourite scene in the movie here. It’s when Mavis Gary loses the plot at Buddy and Beth’s (Elizabeth Reaser) baby shower. It’s oddly empowering. Although I feel like I’m doing the wrong thing by taking her side.

I suppose this is a movie where the protagonist is the ‘bad guy’, and you can’t help but support and relate to her.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Top 7: Best Movie Meltdowns

Disclaimer: Contains frequent bad language!

I’m sure everybody has fantasised about flipping out. Here are some characters who release their wrath on our behalf.

“I didn’t get to try this F***ING COOKIE!”
I’m sure you all remember Annie’s (Kristen Wiig’s) flip-out in Bridesmaids. I can so relate. So hilarious.

“What is WRONG with you people!?”
Young Adult is a wicked film by the same director who did Juno. Charlize Theron plays her delusional character so convincingly.

“That’s all you’ve got, lady! Two wrong feet and f***ing ugly shoes!”
Erin Brockovich is scattered with sassy one-liners. I love this scene though. Julia Roberts is fantastic in this.

“You were HITTING ON HER!”
Prudie’s (Emily Blunt’s) emotional break-down is so well done in The Jane Austen Book Club. (You’re never gonna get me to shut-up about this movie.) I can’t find the scene on YouTube, but those of you who have seen the movie will know what I’m talking about.

Prudie’s break-down is just after her mother’s funeral where she thinks her husband was flirting with a girl she went to high school with. Just imagine Prudie punching you in the face with emotion as you read the script:

Dean: I talked to her… I talked to her for like five minutes.

Prudie: Longer. Longer, Dean. And with those ridiculous plastic boobs. Is that what you go for?

Dean: Prudie, you know, I was just trying to be nice to your friend. Okay.

Prudie: Chloe Baher is not my friend, Dean. Chloe Baher came to my mother’s funeral to gloat. “Ha-ha! Your mother’s dead.” And you hit on her! You hit on her!

Dean: I was not hitting on her.

Prudie: You know, when I was in the 10th grade, I wrote an entire paper on Julius Caesar in iambic pentameter. And Chloe Baher removed it from my locker and she read it aloud to the whole class. And everyone laughed at me.

Dean: Baby, high school’s over.

Prudie: High school’s never over.

“No dad, what about you!?”
Of course I couldn’t leave out The Breakfast Club. Finding out what it’s like in the Bender family household.

“I’m in the dark, here!”
I love Al Pacino’s character, Colonel Slade in Scent of a Woman. He’s blind and “can’t chew the leather any more.”

“A human life doesn’t mean as much to them as it does to us!”
You know what. 12 Angry Men is one of my favourite movies of all time. Don’t write it off because it’s old or black and white. It’s so powerful. Look it up! This is a great scene:

I’m sure you can think of more. But these are a few of my favourites.

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 Idol: Paloma Faith

I have always been a fan of Paloma Faith because she was funny on chat shows, and her singles I heard on the radio were catchy. However, I have since become a slightly more dedicated fan.

I have done my research: Paloma Faith Blomfield is 33 years-old and she grew up less than an hour away from where I grew up in England. She also has an overbite like I do. So I’m clinging on to the idea that if I had stayed in England, and despite my crooked teeth, I would have become a pop star. Just like Paloma.

*Heavy breathing*

She seems so humble and so much fun to be around! If I could party with any star, it would be Paloma.

Paloma’s always done what she wanted. I don’t think she’s ever had a boring job, from a magician’s assistant to a trained cocktail waitress. And she never even meant to be a pop star! She wanted to be a movie director.

Yes. We are both huge film fans.

Her voice is spectacular. She almost sounds gospel-like and is influenced by 50s and 60s music. She’s like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Florence Welch and Adele mixed into one.

Yes. We are both huge 50s/60s music fans.

Paloma loves fashion and always wears bold outfits (like a conservative Lady Gaga). Therefore, I have bought a 40s style hat. That I now wear.

I love her confidence and how witty she is. Also, she sounds like my nan so I just feel a warm wave of nostalgia every time she talks.

I hope to go to one of her concerts one day!

Also, I’m pretty sure we would be best friends.

I feel like I’m sounding like a creepy stalker.

Jodie

My favourite song of Paloma’s at the moment:

Hideaway – Kiesza

This is such an amazing video!

The choreography is spectacular, the costumes are awesome and the four and a half minute video is all done in one shot.

My dad actually pointed this out to me because he likes the song (which was written and recorded within an hour and a half), but the video is twice as cool.

Kiesza danced in this despite having a broken rib! She said she couldn’t move for a month after shooting it.

Kiesza’s brother shot the video in Brooklyn, and it was choreographed by Ljuba Castot. It received an MTV Music Award nomination for best choreography.

Check it out! It’s very 90s.

Jodie.

If you liked that, you’ll LOVE this parody. It has been very well done indeed!

High – Shid Latta

Right. So I’m not used to this genre of music, so admittedly I had to do my research. I listen to 50s and 60s music, so the popular names of the hip hop scene go right over my head a lot of the time (I’m embarrassed to say)!

So! This song that I was asked to reviewed is called High. It is by a rap artist named Shid Latta, and it features Tove Lo and it’s produced by Hippie Sabotage. So this is a remix of a remix basically.

The original Tove Lo song was remixed by Hippie Sabotage into this song (which I think is pretty awesomely done). And Shid Latta recreated it by replacing the versus with his own.

This is Shid Latta’s first single on his upcoming album: Love + Other Drugs due to be released on 24 November.

Although the lyrics are for the most part quite rude, it certainly matches the subject matter of getting high. His contribution to the song basically frames Tove Lo’s chorus. In all seriousness though, it’s actually quite a sad song when accompanied by the original music video. It reminds me of Requiem for a Dream.

Shid Latta (AKA Rashid Latta) is a hip hop artist from Baltimore. He prides himself on not being a ‘typical rapper with tales of money, drugs, sex and streets’.

I don’t really identify with this music, but I can certainly appreciate the skills Shid Latta has for writing an rhyming. I know it’s not something everyone can do, nor be successful at doing. So I say, good on him!

For those hip hop lovers out there, I think this will be your jam. It’s damn catchy.

Check it out on soundcloud.

Jodie.

Here is Shid Latta’s Facebook, Twitter and website.

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.

Interstellar

Interstellar film poster

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Released: November 2014
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon
—

If you loved Gravity and Inception, you’ll love Interstellar.

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

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

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

Anne Hathaway in Interstellar movie — Anne Hathaway in Interstellar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Loved it.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Thelma & Louise

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Callie Khouri
Released: May 1991
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Brad Pitt
—

I can’t believe I haven’t written about Thelma & Louise. This is my favourite movie of all time.

In 1991, Ridley Scott made the genius decision to direct a cinematic breakthrough with two strong female characters, essentially playing traditionally male roles.

Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon were stupendous. Absolutely the perfect actresses to portray Thelma, the naive housewife, and Louise, the hardened but streetwise woman.

If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s about two women who needed a break from their respective husband and boyfriend, and took a weekend away. Except, after getting caught up in a major kerfuffle, the women find themselves on the run from the law. They have never experienced such freedom, and use the lack of rules to their advantage by going on a crime spree. But, they do take moral responsibility for everything they do. They are able to fully explore who they are without the moulding of a man in their lives.

I love films about the characters. Like The Jane Austen Book Club, where you can see a piece of yourself in every character, and the clear development of them.

I’m drawn to this honest movie because Thelma and Louise break through their fears. They learn hard lessons, but ultimately become exactly who they want to be. Reminding me of the The Secret Life of Walter Mitty where he takes off to Iceland and discovers how freedom can shape you. Perhaps part of the same runaway genre.

It’s a road trip film with gorgeous scenery and music that perfectly fits. It’s based in the South as the pair are heading for Mexico. However, the film was actually shot in rural California and Utah – even the Grand Canyon scenes.

On the road in their blue/green T-Bird convertible, the women evolve physically too. Thelma Dickinson, the housewife, starts out with flowing dresses and long hair. By the end, her hair is tied back, she’s wearing a trucker’s black shirt with sleeves rolled up and jeans. Louise Sawyer, the surly, controlling character, starts out wearing an outfit that is ‘just so’. By the end, she’s wearing a loose tank top and jeans.

They strip off their make up and steal men’s hats and clothing. The denim jacket from Brad Pitt’s character is altered by the women by making it sleeveless and using parts of it for neck ties and such. Almost as a way to tear the layers of control and weakness away, and rebuild their characters in the ways they want.

I also see this as their way of dismembering authority. In the same way that a hunter kills fierce animals for its fur, and taking it as a trophy.

The men in this movie play important parts but take a back seat to the development of Thelma and Louise. Sometimes literally. I read that some found the movie to be ‘man-hating’. But I think it’s just unusual to see two strong women convincingly portrayed in films.

Thieving men (Brad Pitt), rude truck drivers, controlling husbands and flaky boyfriends, Thelma and Louise find ways to rebel, and use the men to their advantage. They stop relying on men for protection, and start standing on their own two feet.

I’m so inspired by these characters. They are so independent and fearless, yet they are so carefree and fun despite their situation.

I think everyone can see the naive, open and scared ‘Thelma’ in themselves, and the logical, unwavering and powerful ‘Louise’. Which is why these characters are so relatable and ‘real’.

Thelma & Louise is a profound, freeing and exciting journey. I love this film so much because the women are doing what every woman wants to feel capable of doing. Being in control of their future, going wherever they want, and nobody is getting in their way! Everything is on their terms right to the end.

I’m going to steal what Susan Sarandon said in an interview; it is a comedy and a tragedy with a surprise ending, and political significance.

This is a pretty long review so I’ll stop here. Believe me, I could make it longer!

This is a timeless film that makes my imagination run wild. It’s adventurous and always makes me feel happy and inspired at the end of every watch. However, I don’t want to give it full marks because it is for quite a narrow audience.

Jodie’s rating: 9.5/10

Sunshine (short film)

Director: Michael Tracy
Writers: Michael Tracy
Released: 2014
Starring: Rebecca Hanssen, Colin MacDougall and Julie Martis
—

This is an independent short film by Scottish filmmaker Michael Tracy, who also wrote and produced it.

It’s a horror-drama, which, based on the trailer looks like it could certainly be a thrilling watch about an affair that has shocking a twist.

It is a struggle to make a film independently, so there are a lot of things you can forgive. However, it’s a shame the darkly-lit scenes were a tad grainy. If the filmmaker had shot it with more light and then put a dark filter over the scenes in post, I think the final product would have looked higher quality.

Judging purely by the trailer, the acting seems pretty top-notch though – making it pretty creepy and compelling!
I think the best thing independent filmmakers can do is keep cast members low, keep the sets few, and keep the production short. I think Sunshine has ticked the boxes there, so I think this short film has decent foundations to be a scary watch.

I haven’t seen the film, but I am certainly intrigued.

Jodie.

Check out their Facebook page, and trailer:

Tissue (Short film)

Director/writer: Stuart Wahlin
Featuring: North Roberts and Anita Boska
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A six minute film made in a 60 hour film competition about a drinker with a writing problem.

A one-character show with little dialogue, but a compelling voice over script making it seem almost Sin City-esk.

I actually quite enjoyed it. Showing the struggles of somebody who finds a 9-5 job utter hell. The only thing this character enjoys is writing, despite never finishing his projects or having anything published.

With a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, the writer finds himself to be the biggest hindrance. Even more so than the power cuts and constant distractions.

I’ve found that many of these amateur/self funded films with limited dialogue reflects badly on the actors who tend to over-act to fill in the silence. I didn’t finds this was the case in Tissue though. The acting was subtle and believable.

A perfectly entertaining short film.

Jodie.

Check it out on Youtube by searching for “Tissue Stuart Wahlin”

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Love Thy Neighbor (Short Film)

Director: Mika Boorem
Writer: Mika Boorem
Released: 2014
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A short film exploring the dark effects of grief.

We follow a teenage boy, Jonah (Slade Pearce), who has become obsessed with his neighbour. The neighbour (Jaclyn Ferber) is a widow whose husband died in the war. She is grieving and begins to take a liking to Jonah.

Certainly mature subject matter and probably not material I can really relate to.

However, on a technical level, Love Thy Neighbor is fantastically made. The lighting and set design reflects the characters very well.

I think the director/writer, Mika Boorem, achieved her goal of making the story seem ordinary on the surface. That is until you scratch the surface to discover the intricate, dark and twisted lives of the neighbourhood.

I think the best accomplishment was how well the crew has done on limited means. Having a main cast of three, and one location was a great way to take advantage of what they had. It can be easy to let the imagination run wild, but keeping it simple allowed the deeper storyline to take centre stage.

A fantastic production. An example on how high quality a short film can be.

Jodie.

Book me to independently review your favourite song, music video or film here.

Deliver Us from Evil

Director: Scott Derrickson
Writers: Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman (screenplay), Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool (story)
Starring: Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris and Joel McHale
Released: July 2014
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Was this supposed to be a black comedy?

I had been told Deliver Us from Evil was on par with The Conjuring. But I honestly can’t say this was the case. It was a suspenseful, supernatural thriller, but not something that would keep you up at night.

Apparently based on ‘true events’ of a New York cop Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) who encounters demonic forces. The mysterious cases quickly become bizarre and laughable.

Reading up about the true events of this cop, I think the only ‘true’ parts that were used in the film was his name and characteristics. There’s an interview on Youtube where he says most of the “possessed” people he encountered turned out to have mental issues.

In the film we follow Sarchie as he slowly unravels the peculiar happenings of what turns out to be people with demons in their houses. Throwing children into lion dens at the zoo, cat worshiping, scratching at walls, and croaky voices was just some of the fun that ensues.

A tad too typical of a horror, with the characteristics of a scary movie thrown in even if it doesn’t fit. Like when the daughter suddenly has the urge to wind the musical jack-in-the-box before she goes to bed. Because we all know how creepy the combination of children, musical boxes and darkness is.

I couldn’t take it seriously because of the weird choice of music that face-plants you back into reality. Imagine getting into a super tense part in the movie and then have the theme song ‘People Are Strange’ by The Doors blasting. What a way to snap you out of it!

The acting was a bit average, particularly the 6-year-old daughter, whose toys come to life at night. I felt like I was in a mash-up of The Ring and Toy Story.

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Quite frankly, I couldn’t keep a straight face when the demonised people were talking, I wasn’t scared of the dude who ate his own leg either… I was just grossed out. And the final exorcism went on for way too long. I fell asleep toward the end of that scene.

Finally, the religious messages of how non-believers are screwed and your only hope for protection is by converting to a life of God in some form, was a tad over-kill!

A few things will make you jump, but overall it wasn’t scary or creepy… Just weird.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10

Hercules

Director: Brett Ratner
Writer: Based on Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore. Admira Wijaya.
Released: July 2014
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan
and John Hurt
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Hercules was a blood bath with a sense of humour.

Based on Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore, the story weaves in the legends of the Demi-God, Hercules (played by wrestler, Dwayne Johnson), but centered it on the more human aspects of him. The movie follows Hercules and his right-hand men (and woman) into multiple battles, but Hercules soon questions who he is really fighting for.

A violent and relatively shallow film, but the characters make fun of themselves and their circumstances, which saves the movie from the bargain bin.

I did enjoy how the legends of Hercules are being spread purposefully to glorify a mere mortal. With Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) being the storyteller, he exaggerates Hercules’ adventures to encourage followership and unity of the people.

Thought you saw Jude Law? Turns out the character (Autolycus) I thought to be played by Law with olive-tinted skin, darkened hair and green contacts, was in fact Rufus Sewell… Just in case you were as equally mistaken by the little round head and English accent.

Speaking of which, Dwayne Johnson’s accent switches a few times throughout the movie, but does remain the only American accent in the entire film.

As a side note, Johnson’s veins are too visible and makes me squeamish.

Overall, a perfectly adequate film for the lovers of Greek mythology and ancient battles. A chick flick for the men… A man movie, a boy story… If you will.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

22 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Writers: Story: Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall Screenplay: Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman
Released: June 2014
Featuring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Peter Stormare and Ice Cube
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22 Jump Street certainly didn’t match up to its prequel, 21 Jump Street.

This one was long and had as many topless scenes of Channing Tatum as possible… I’m assuming this was written into his contract..?

I didn’t find it as funny as the first one because it was so ridiculous. It was similar to the first but more outrageous. Although, I’m sure the Jump Street fans won’t be disappointed.

The amount of references to the first film kept the cookie-cutter-comedy fresh. The movie made fun of itself, hinting at the repetitive storyline and stereotypical characters they play. This decision saved the film from being put on the scrap heap.

It looks like the cast had a lot of fun on this film. As though it was for themselves rather than the audience. Which was actually okay!

I don’t have a lot to say about this film to be honest. It was a bit weird, quite typical, but not as funny as the first. It’s for the younger Hangover fans and the Channing Tatum lovers.

It is what it is!

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

(Trailer contains bad language. Tut tut.)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Released: July 2014
Featuring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell and Kodi Smit-McPhee
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koba_an-ape-never-forgets I wasn’t expecting much from this sequel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A desolate planet with a small population living within the remains of an apocalypse. The humans are in search of a water supply to ensure electricity to their commune. However, the apes that were used in trials in the prequel have populated the forests where the water supply is.

I found the body language of the apes and the reactions of the humans fascinating.

The apes didn’t use English too much of the time so subtitles were uses, but even without them it was remarkably easy to understand them.It’s clear the makers did their homework regarding the body language of the apes!

la_ca_0403_dawn_of_planet_apes_028 Although, I did find the human storyline almost irrelevant. I was so captured by the story of the apes that the humans became uninteresting. Apes riding horses holding spears? Come on. Who needs people?

It was a great balance between emotion and action. The fight scenes showed off the motion capture incredibly! Particularly with apes riding the horses… I can’t get over how realistic it all was.

An exciting and captivating film about the clash of cultures and revenge. The storyline is more-or-less typical of the genre, but it is one of the best examples of modern film making; taking advantage of today’s technology… The motion capture will make you drool.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Pizza Shop

Director: George O’Barts
Writer: George O’Barts
Released: June 2013
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A “raunchy off-color comedy” is an accurate description of Pizza Shop – a cringe-worthy and slow-paced film.

To be fair, the director and writer of the show has said the film is aimed at the audience of immature males. Therefore, I am not the target audience!

An hour and a half of blatant toilet humour and crude content, possibly inspired by the fertile imagination of three teenagers. (At least I hope it wasn’t inspired by real life!)

I wanted to enjoy this movie but the set-ups were too long, the characters weren’t likable or relatable, and the camera work was static – or drifted from side to side indecisively on a dolly.

Wide shot after wide shot kept the viewer disconnected from the action, and the audio quality was poor. From room reverb to the occasional ‘hum’.

The acting wasn’t smooth, with the actors waiting for each other’s lines and occasionally breaking the fourth wall.

The dialogue explained every thought and action, nothing is left to the viewers’ imagination.

Unfortunately, not a film to be recommended unless you enjoy crude, filthy humour, and have insomnia

Good effort, though. Making a feature-length film requires a lot of dedication and enthusiasm. So kudos for the effort.

Jodie.

If you’re keen to have a look, you can buy Pizza Shop here

Check out their official site here

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The Fault in Our Stars

Director: Josh Boone
Writers: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. Based on the book by John Green.
Released: June 2014
Featuring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell and Willem Dafoe
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My friend said this movie was “a real punch in the feels!” I agree.

Do not expect to walk out of the cinema feeling uplifted, inspired or at peace with the world. If anything, The Fault in Our Stars will rob you of the right to complain about your life, and you will find yourself driving home in total silence as you digest this story.

If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, it is about two teenagers with cancer who fall in love, before being faced with all sorts of tragic circumstances. ‘Heard it before’, I hear you say? On paper, you’re right, but on the screen, it is certainly something a little different.

It isn’t sugar-coated, or glazed too much with the flawlessness of Hollywood cinema. The raw and truthful tale of two kids with cancer has leapt to the fore with this film.

Depending on how close to the topic you are will depend on how much you take away. For a simple and sheltered viewer, like myself, I found the balance between reality and fantasy well done. But certainly not as inspirational as I expected.

The rumours are true: do expect to have a fat cry during this movie. But it’s not just the circumstances of the story that will trigger the tears, it’s the fantastic acting and soundtrack that work together so damn well that could cause the crying.

For me, I wept because the song “Wait” by M83 was so gorgeously teamed up with the most well-acted scene… It was just so amazing! I was in awe.

If you’re feeling good about your life and need to be reminded that other people aren’t having such a great time, watch The Fault in Our Stars. You will find your high spirits will crash down below ground level.

If you’re not into the storyline, experience it for the music!

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

BEWARE: This trailer makes this romantic drama seem like a coming of age, Perks of Being a Wallflower kind of deal.
It’s not.

Frozen

Directors: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Writers: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee and Shane Morris
Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana
Released: November 2013
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I’m not a huge fan of the cheese-covered conservative Disney films in general. I avoided watching Frozen until just last week, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

This was a modern story where the main characters are not searching for true love for once. In fact, it was based around friendship and family.

The disneys-frozen-2013-screenshot-anna-bell trailer includes all of the cheese, targeting the younger audience with the shallow humour.

However, the humour in the movie is actually quite funny and target toward an older audience too.

I love how the characters are flawed. The princesses are far more relatable because they’re not perfect. In fact the Queen’s sister, Anna (pronounced Ana), is weird, quirky, funny and spontaneous who makes mistakes.
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The characters look shallow in the advertising of Frozen, but they’re actually all lovable in the movie. From Olaf the snowman to Sven the reindeer.

I love the setting – Scandinavia is a beautiful choice, and a step back from traditional Disney settings where snow and blizzards are traditionally used as a backdrop to the tragic scenes.

The down-side were the accents… Only the main characters had American accents, which clashed with the Scandinavian community…

frozen-let-it-go-full-scene-watch-now Disney has still kept with the baby-faced women with figure-hugging dresses. I think this is still a bit old fashioned. Why not have normal-sized eyes with a proportional body?

I always get annoyed with ALL the female characters having long hair in Disney films. I’m glad to see the likes of Tangled embracing short hair, but I think there should be a balance…

(Yes, I have short hair).

But the soundtrack was incredible with extremely catchy songs you won’t be able to get out of your head for weeks… Not even exaggerating. Kristen Bell does a magnificent job of voicing Anna – I had no idea she could sing!

Overall it was a fun film and worth a watch. A genuinely enjoyable film for the family.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

The Lego Movie

Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Writers: Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Released: April 2014
Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman
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I feel silly thinking this kids’ movie could be anything but a shallow cartoon.

Animation aimed at children but also being entertaining for adults, such as The Lion King and the Toy Story trilogy, have been and gone.

Perhaps it’s just going to be a string of cheaply made kids movies from now on. With famous voice actors dragging it to the cinema.

I thought it had a blatant moral of “be yourself”. But then I realised it’s a bit deeper than that – it’s about breaking out of the mould created by society. Liking the same songs as everyone else and told to be happy by staying in the same job for the rest of your life is the lifestyle the protagonist breaks out of.

The Lego Movie was bizarre and silly. It’s a film with a lot of hugely successful actors lending their voices to characters made of bricks.

The lego-bricked world is smart on one hand, but also looks pretty cheap.

There were a few funny one-liners, and I loved Liam Neeson’s two-faced character. His voice was hilarious.

A very similar story and appearance to Wreck It Ralph… which I gave a 5/10.

The same directors did Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs which I gave 6.5/10

I found it a bit dull, not very quirky or clever and quite a boring family movie. I know it’s aimed at children though, so my expectations shouldn’t be high anyway… Even so, I think they’re underestimating how much children can understand.

Where’s the ’90s Pixar movies at!?

Jodie’s rating: 5/10