juno

Top 18: Best Coming-of-Age Movies

I love coming-of-age films. It’s the perfect mix of dark drama and bright comedy, against the backdrop of real-life circumstances and down-to-earth characters. Here are a few of my favourites:

American Graffiti
“I’m getting out of this turkey town! You can’t stay 17 forever.”
My number one favourite film forever. The night in the life of 1960s teenagers who have just graduated high school. They have one last night before they all go their separate ways. Some are moving away for university, some are hoping to settle down and others are wanting their high school career to continue by day along with the iconic culture of ‘cruising’ in their candy-coloured scream machines on the roads by night. To tie everyone in is radio personality Wolfman Jack. Legend.

Brooklyn
“I wish that I could stop feeling that I want to be an Irish girl in Ireland.”
“Homesickness is like most sicknesses. It will pass.”
Another one of my absolute favourite films – it’s so humbling. Saoirse Ronan is a brilliant actor whose character, Eilis, moves from Ireland to Brooklyn during the fifties. She grows from an innocent and naive girl into an independent young woman out of necessity who creates a life for herself. The lady Eilis lives with in Brooklyn is played by Julie Walters, who is essential to keeping this deep movie very funny.

Good Will Hunting
“How do you like them apples!”
This is a beautifully touching film about a genius who refuses to reach his potential. Coming from a rough neighbourhood, Matt Damon’s character is quick to get into fights and back into handcuffs. But Robin Williams’ character is soon able to crack his mask to reveal a scared and unhappy boy.

Dead Poets Society
“…medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
It follows the internal struggles of boys at a private boarding school who are wrestling between being themselves while pursuing their dreams and pleasing their prestigious fathers. Again, Robin Williams’ character acts as a mentor to these students, but he’s not able to save them all.

The Skeleton Twins
“I can’t wait to be the creepy gay uncle.”
“You’re hired!”
This film is about Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as suicidal siblings Milo and Maggie. Yeah, it’s a bit of a downer but weaving through the tragedy are sarcastic come-backs that will make you belly-laugh. While coming-of-age films are typically about teenagers growing up, I think this movie can be included because they’re twins who are rediscovering themselves and each other, delving into their childhoods and overcoming their troubles.

About a Boy
“Oh, no… it’s just I thought you had hidden depths.”
“No, no, you’ve always had that wrong about me. I really am this shallow.”
This is my favourite Hugh Grant film because while he still plays the self-obsessed a-hole, he does so in a comedic way with a three-dimensional character. It’s a traditional coming-of-age story for the young boy Marcus, but it’s also about Hugh Grant’s character growing up and realising that being part of a family isn’t a bad thing. They both grow together and learn from each other.

driving lessons.jpg Driving Lessons
“To wit, I leave you with this quote penned by my dear friend, William Shakespeare: ‘When the shit hits the fan, get a tent’.”
Such an underrated coming-of-age film – I doubt many people have ever heard of it. It features Rupert Grint and Julie Walters and follows a storyline similar to that of About A Boy and Scent of a Woman (as explained in my blog post One Story, Six Movies) where an older person and a younger person bond and learn from each other. But I love Driving Lessons in particular because it’s so funny – classic English humour. Julie Walters is brilliant.

scent of a woman.jpg Scent of a Woman
“Oh, where do I go from here, Charlie?”
“If you’re tangled up, just tango on.”
Forever a favourite of mine. It’s quite dark in places as it follows Al Pacino’s blind character, Colonel Slade, who is struggling with depression. He is an experienced soldier and a wise man, who has a story to tell. Chris O’Donnell’s character is young Charlie who is hired as Colonel Slade’s aid for a thanksgiving weekend, he is kind but very naive. He is reluctantly dragged to New York with The Colonel, but learns a lot along the way. They both help each other out profoundly.

The Commitments
“The success of the band was irrelevant… Sure we could have been famous and made albums and stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way it’s poetry.”
The Commitments is about a group of teenagers who all have troubles at home, but come together to make incredible music. While they don’t ‘make it’, their trumpet-player is quick to remind them that they may not have created history, but they’ve created poetry.

Sing Street
“This is life, Conor. Drive it like you stole it.”
Sing Street is similar to The Commitments as they’re both Ireland-based movies about a group of teenagers forming a band. This film is about a new boy at school who starts a band to impress a girl. Meanwhile, he tries to deal with his parents’ divorce with his brother being his only emotional support.

Little Miss Sunshine
“A real loser is someone who’s so afraid of not winning he doesn’t even try.”
A family are trapped in an old yellow Volkswagen van as they drive across the country. The family consists of a dad who is a failed motivational speaker, a mother at the end of her tether, a grandad drug-addict, an suicidal uncle, a son who refuses to speak and a little girl who is just wanting to enter a beauty contest. It is a light-hearted storyline about a family overcoming their obstacles and coming together for the sake of family.

About Time
“…worrying about the future is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life will always be things that never crossed your worried mind.”
Such a beautiful film. About Time is one of the best feel-good comedy/dramas out there. It’s about an innocent and quiet boy called Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) who at the humble age of 21 is told by his father (Bill Nighy) that, like every man in his family, he can travel back in time. It follows his life and the decisions he makes along the way, which touches on love, death and birth. It truly is a lovely almost auto-biographical film.

The Breakfast Club
“We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.”
A day in the life of 1980s teenagers who have ended up in detention for various reasons. Starting the day out as enemies they end the day with an acceptance of each other. The bully, the jock, the nerd, the popular girl and the goth grow over the course of the day through various funny and serious scenes as they begin to work together to gang up on the teacher.

The Way, Way Back
“There’s a whole world out there for you, Duncan. Don’t settle. Not yet.”
Duncan is a 14-year-old boy who is forced to go on a summer holiday with his mum and her boyfriend. But her boyfriend is an utter dick, and just an overall bully to him so Duncan gets a job at the local water park where his boss becomes a bit of a mentor. The water park because his escape while he figures out what to do with his life.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“C minus, ladies and gentlemen! I am below average!”
The trailer portrays this film as a fun-loving and laid-back, but it’s actually got very dark undertones. The three main characters (Sam, Charlie and Patrick) are all hiding dark secrets – bulimia, child molestation and being gay. Their friends around them are all struggling with certain issues too – stealing, struggling with academia and popularity. The three main characters all help each other through their difficult stages in their lives as they grow up and mature.

Whip It
“So, what are you, like, alternative now?”
“Alternative to what?”
A teenage girl called Bliss is trying to break away from her mother’s 1950’s-style parenting. She straps on roller skates and joins a roller derby team, where she finds security and support in her teammates. She slowly matures as she embraces the culture of the roller derby scene – surrounded by misfits and the unwanted.

Juno
“No, this is not a food baby all right? I’ve taken like three pregnancy tests, and I’m for shizz up the spout.”
A carefree 16-year-old tomboy gets pregnant with her best guy friend, they decide to adopt the baby out to a couple who can’t have children. It sounds kinda icky and lame, but Juno is so funny with her immature comments and how she gives a reality check to adults. While Juno has found herself in a very adult situation, the potential adoptive father is rediscovering his youth and becomes reluctant to adopt. I guess it’s about never wanting to grow up.

13 Going on 30
“I like your dress.”
“That’s because I have these incredible BOOBS to fill it out!”
While this is a coming-of-age film in the most literal sense, it’s far more light-hearted than my other selections. There’s no themes of suicide or drug-use, the tragedy isn’t as dark and the characters aren’t as relatable. Nevertheless, Jennifer Garner does a brilliant job of playing a 13-year-old in a 30-year-old’s body.

Just realised how many of the same actors are in coming-of-age movies. Kristen Wiig, Ellen Page, Julie Walters, Robin Williams and Toni Collette are regulars of the genre, maybe because they’re so ‘real’ and relatable.

I guess the common themes of the coming-of-age genre include characters who are in the process of growing – typically growing from a teenager into an adult, but it also includes characters who experience profound change or growth well into their adult years.

Coming-of-age storylines carry dark tragedy as well as light-hearted comedy, which is why they’re so relatable and enjoyable. They reflect real life with flawed characters and unsatisfactory circumstances, with a lot of inner-turmoil to be sorted out.

They also include a young naive character and an older mentor. Both have flaws and both help each other to grow.

Top 21: Romantic Film Quotes

Feeling flowery and happy and romantic? Or are you just here to get inspiration for an anniversary card? Either way, here are some beautifully romantic quotes from movies…

They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops. And that’s true. –Big Fish

Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty… The right person is still going to think the sun shines out of your ass –Juno

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return –Moulin Rouge (although, technically a song lyric)

When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. –When Harry Met Sally

You had me at hello –Jerry Maguire

I love you. You complete me –Jerry Maguire

I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her –Notting Hill

I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly –You’ve Got Mail

It’s like in that moment the whole universe existed just to bring us together –Serendipity

You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love you. And wish from this day forth never to be parted from you –Pride & Prejudice

Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy –My Best Friend’s Wedding

It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together –Sleepless in Seattle

I wish I had done everything on earth with you –The Great Gatsby

I have loved her even when I hated her… –Crazy, Stupid, Love

Promise me that whenever you’re sad, or unsure, or you lose complete faith, that you’ll try to see yourself through my eyes –P.S I Love You

I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who’s ever lived: I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough –The Notebook

…most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you –Dirty Dancing

I’m just exactly where I want to be –Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Love is too weak a word for what I feel –Annie Hall

I think I’d miss you even if we’d never met –The Wedding Date

You’re not perfect… She’s not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other –Good Will Hunting

Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. –Hitch

Top 20: Best Mums in Movies

I was thinking about the actresses who always get cast as the motherly characters in movies, and the same names kept coming up. So I decided to put together a list of the best mum characters in the movies and the eight actresses who play them.

(I probably should have done this around Mother’s Day but I forgot.)

Dianne Wiest

“Why are you hiding back there? You don’t have to hide from me – I’m Peg Boggs, your local Avon representative and I’m as harmless as cherry pie…” – Peg Boggs
Dianne Wiest has been cast as the mother in Edward Scissorhands, the Avon Lady named Peg who takes Edward Scissorhands in and looks after him. She is encouraging and positive.

“Phew. You smell like garlic.” – Lucy Emerson
She’s also Lucy in vampire movie The Lost Boys, where she is not only the mother to her two boys, but is also good friends with them.

“Yeah. He’s a good man. Ooh, he’s got a gift. Comes from heaven above, I swear… But he’s still just a man.” – Dianne Booker
Finally, she plays a mum in The Horse Whisperer. Dianne is a farmer’s wife and is highly family-orientated. She doesn’t beat around the bush and says it as it is.

Julie Walters

“So young and so pedantic… One glass. You can tell God I forced you.” – Dame Eve
Julie Walters has played a motherly role in Driving Lessons as the ‘mentor’ of sorts named Evie. She is blunt and protective with a brilliant sense of humour.

“Not my daughter, you bitch!” – Mrs. Molly Weasley
Walters also played the protective Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter series, she’s equally fierce and strict as she is warm and loving.

Toni Collette

“That’s a long time to be ‘nowhere’.” – Pam
Toni Collette is a personal favourite of mine – she just seems so lovely. She plays the quiet and unsure mother in The Way, Way Back named Pam who learns to listen to her son and put him first. I love the final scene in that film.

“Look at my face; I was not thinking anything bad about you.” –Lynn Sear
She’s also the mother called Lynn in The Sixth Sense. After losing her mum she is in a vulnerable place while trying to work out what is bothering her son.

“For better or for worse, we are your family.” – Sheryl Hoover
My absolute favourite of Collette’s is Sheryl in Little Miss Sunshine. She is struggling to keep the family together, but stays strong and selfless in the toughest of circumstances.

Allison Janney

“Courage sometimes skips a generation. Thank you for bringing it back to our family.” – Charlotte Phelan
Allison Janney surprisingly doesn’t have any children in real life, but she can play the warmest and trusting of characters on screen. Janney plays the mother, Charlotte, in The Help who struggles to stand up for what is right, but encourages her daughter to do so.

“Off the wagon again!” –Betty Thompson
She is certainly not the best mother in The Way, Way Back called Betty. She drinks and swears and isn’t the kindest to her children. But ultimately, she’s whacky and hilarious.

“Well, I’m a nail technician and I think we both ought to just stick to what we know.” –Bren MacGuff
Janney plays Bren in Juno, who is possibly the best step-mum in the movies. She supports her 16-year-old step-daughter who reveals she’s pregnant and gets right on to making a plan with her.

Melissa McCarthy

“What kind of man takes a kid to a bar and a racetrack?” –Maggie Bronstein
Melissa McCarthy plays is a brilliantly hard-working mum called Maggie in St. Vincent. Struggling to make ends-meet she does a great job of raising her son, and makes fun of difficult situations. Particularly where Bill Murray’s character is concerned.

“They’re just looking at my smock, it tends to catch the light.” –Deanna
Her most recent is Life of the Party. Oh my goodness what a cool mum character. Deanna wants to feed every one and give solid advice to everyone. She’s widely accepted when she goes back to university and is looked up to by the younger students.

Sandra Bullock

“What it means, is, is that, we want to know if you would like to become part of this family.” –Leigh Anne
Sandra Bullock’s character Leigh Anne in The Blind Side makes me cry even though I’ve only seen the trailer and not the movie. But it shows a generous and honest motherly character, despite the very cringe storyline.

Ryan Stone.jpg “I have a bad feeling about this mission”. – Ryan Stone
Bullock is also a mother in Gravity called Ryan, where it takes everything in her being to come to terms with the sudden death of her daughter. As an astronaut, the lack of gravity represents her lack of control over the tragedy and her feeling of not feeling ‘down-to-earth’ or ‘grounded’ anymore. So sad.

Juliette Binoche

“Well, it’s not cinnamon, it’s a special kind of chili pepper… Mm-hm. It’ll give you a lift.” –Vianne Rocher
Juliette Binoche plays Vianne in Chocolat. She’s possibly the most fashionable and understanding mother in the movie world. Vianne travels around France helping people mend their psychological distress with chocolate. She lost her beloved mother and feels obliged to follow her tradition of moving with the north wind with her restless young daughter in tow.

Emily Blunt
While she doesn’t have the same vibe as the others on this list, I think Emily Blunt will become the go-to mother figure of future films.

“I have shot and buried three vagrants in the past year! So I don’t care what hobo sob story you’ve got. I get a dozen a week, pal. It cuts no cash for me.” – Sara
Blunt plays a single mother called Sara in Looper. She becomes aware early on that her son, Cid, has particular strong powers whereby he can manipulate objects. However, he uses his powers for evil in the future so Bruce Willis’s character comes from the future to kill Sara’s son. Sara is extremely protective and is well prepared for anyone threatening Cid.

“I need that shoe to have a child.” – The Baker’s Wife
Into the Woods is a musical with a medley of fairytale characters thrown together in the same film. Emily Blunt’s character is the Baker’s wife and she can only have a child if she finds a slipper as pure as gold. I personally think it’s a load of poppycock. But Blunt plays the part of an aspiring mother well.

“Who are we if we can’t protect them? We have to protect them.” –Evelyn Abbott
A Quiet Place is one of Emily Blunt’s most recent films where she plays Evelyn Abbott, a mother who is protecting her children in the most unforgiving of environments. No one can make a sound because the monsters hunt via sound and they will find you and kill you. She does everything in her power to protect her children and teach them how to survive. I love how she can still make her children laugh though (in a quiet way).

“Mary Poppins, it is wonderful to see you!” – Micheal Banks
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” –Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins Returns is coming soon, and it stars Emily Blunt as the leading role. Mary Poppins is the idealistic mother figure, even though she’s a nanny rather than a mum. But she’s dependable and fun for sure. It comes out in December 2018 so I’m excited to see how well Blunt does.

While my mum doesn’t act in movies, I would like to say that she is the best mum who could be portrayed by any of the above actors… Particularly Dianne Wiest or maybe Julie Walters…

Top 10: Best Dads in Movies

Happy Father’s Day to the UK and USA readers!

In celebration of all the dads out there, here is a post about the best father characters on the big screen.

Keep an eye-out for a post about the best mums in movies too.

“Yeah sure you have – your old D-A-D! You know I’ll always be there to love you and support you no matter what kind of pickle you’re in… Obviously.” –Mac MacGuff
Mac is played by JK Simmons in Juno. He is the epitome of a calm and supportive dad, especially since his 16-year-old daughter just told him she’s pregnant. He goes with her to meet the adoptive parents and remains level-headed.

“I admire that honesty, Natalie, that’s a noble quality. Never lose that, because it often disappears with age, or entering politics.” –Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire
Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire is of course played by the brilliant Robin Williams in the comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. After Daniel and his wife begin the divorce proceedings, he finds that he isn’t seeing his three young children enough, so he disguises himself as an older woman named Mrs. Doubtfire who is hired to be the children’s nanny. Just goes to show how far this father will go to see his kids.
Chris Gardner.jpg “Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. All right?” –Chris Gardner
Based on a true story, Chris (Will Smith) in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness is down on his luck. He loses everything, but he works hard in order to get his life back on track for his young son. He makes sure that despite his downfall, he keeps his son happy and inspired.
“Probably just as well. He would have told it wrong anyway. All the facts and none of the flavour.” –Ed Bloom
Ed (Albert Finney) in Big Fish is the the storytelling father who is philosophical and entertaining with a fantastic sense of humour. He’s been everywhere and done everything, with everyone admiring him along the way. His son, however, doesn’t appreciate his anecdotes and goes on a journey to discover the truth behind the tales.

“I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong.” –George Banks
George (Steve Martin) is the Father of the Bride, and he shells out a lot of money to ensure his daughter has the perfect wedding. While I’ve written about the controversy of this film before (George was manipulated by his daughter in my opinion), it does show the love George has for his daughter; he’d do anything for her and doesn’t expect anything in return.

“Now Harry, you must know all about muggles. Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?” –Arthur Weasley
Arthur Weasley is played by Mark Williams in the Harry Potter films. He and his on-screen wife Molly Weasley are often referred to as the perfect parents. They’re fierce, protective but inclusive, warm and family orientated too. Arthur is the more laid back one out of the pair, and is completely fascinated by everything muggle-related.

“I love you. I’ve always loved you.” –Lee Abbott
A recent ‘dad-goals’ father figure on the big screen is Lee (John Krasinski) in A Quiet Place. In a more basic ‘survival of the fittest’ kind of world, he sacrifices a lot to protect his children. He teaches his son to be brave by day, and works hard on a device to improve his deaf daughter’s hearing by night.

“If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t: I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you.” –Bryan Mills
While it is comedic that Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has had the worst luck over the years with multiple Taken films, you can’t deny his bravery and perseverance to find his daughter.

good will hunting robin williams.jpg “You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met, she’s not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.” – Sean
While Robin Williams’s character Sean is Will Hunting’s psychologist rather than his dad in Good Will Hunting, you can’t deny that in the absence of Hunting’s father, Sean makes a darn father figure in his place. He listens, he’s patient and he’s loyal.

“Is everything all right? It sounds like you’re having sex in here, which I know can’t be true due to the fact that you have a homosexual boyfriend.” –Dill
Dill is the father to Emma Stone’s character who is played by the amazing Stanely Tucci in the film Easy A. It is one of my favourite films, and Tucci’s remarkably understanding and laid-back character is brilliant.

While my dad isn’t in the movies, he is the best dad in real life. Happy Father’s Day, Cage!

Top 5: Best Come-Backs

erin_uglyshoes

Do you ever think of a really good come-back days later, and wish you could go back in time just to put that person to shame? (Reminds me of a certain Seinfeld episode.)

It’s so irritating, but we can live out our come-back expectations through the witty characters in movies who get it right first time.

Here are the top five come-backs that I can think of at this moment in time (expect regular updates to this post):

Driving Lessons

Ben: I think it’s best I stop working for you.
Evie: Oh, why? So you can take up being pompous professionally?

Erin Brockovich

Theresa: Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here…
Erin: That’s all you got, lady. Two wrong feet in fucking ugly shoes.

A Few Good Men

Jo: He told Kendrick to order the Code Red.
Daniel: He did?! Why didn’t you say so!? That’s great! And of course you have proof of that.
Jo: I uh –
Daniel: Oh, hah, I’m sorry, I keep forgetting. You were sick the day they taught law at law school.

Morning Glory

Mike: I’m not saying the word “fluffy” [in a live news broadcast]. It’s bad enough I have to do these ridiculous stories.
Colleen: You know what, buddy? Guess what? Last week [during an official news broadcast], I had to use the words “rectal” and “moisture” in the same sentence.
Mike: Well, first dates can be awkward.

Cemetery Junction

Len: Go to your room.
Freddie: What for?
Len: Talking back to your elders.
Freddie: What is this, a Navajo village?

But I guess even in the movies, come-backs don’t come out as they were supposed to:

American Graffiti

Carol: Your car is uglier than I am! …that didn’t come out right.

Juno

Brenda: “Oh… Go fly a kite!”

Those were just the come-backs that I thought of off the top of my head, but just like real life, I’m sure I’ll remember some better ones after I’ve published!

Remind me of some more great come-backs in the comments section below, or on my Facebook page.

Jodie

Whiplash

Whiplash film poster Director: Damien Chazelle
Writer: Damien Chazelle
Released: October 2014
Featuring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons and Paul Reiser—

JK Simmons in Whiplash film review I’m sure you’ve heard of Whiplash, and referred to it as ‘that drumming film with Juno‘s dad in it.’

Or, perhaps you first heard of it when J.K. Simmons won best supporting actor at the Oscars for his role in Whiplash. (Which, OH MY GOD did he deserve. He was… Every teacher I’ve ever feared.)

Although, I reckon everyone should have known Whiplash as ‘that amazing film I went to see yesterday for the second time’. Yet, at least in Auckland’s case, it was barely shown – if at all – in the major cinemas.

“Not my tempo.” – Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons)

This film has the darkness of Black Swan, the mind-twisted characters of Nightcrawler, and the photography of… What’s a fantastically-lit and composed movie… The King’s Speech? Anyway. Very well shot indeed.

Miles Teller in Whiplash movie It was like a way more intense and less-uplifting version of Peaceful Warrior. (A movie about a gymnast mentally and physically pushed to the limit.)

The basic plot is about Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a first-year college/university jazz drummer at America’s best music school. J.K. Simmons is his teacher who has a few screws loose. Whiplash is the internal battle of a boy’s appetite for fame and success, while being drained by his teacher who plays mind games and throws chairs at him and what not.

You don’t have to be a drummer, a musician, or even like music to thoroughly enjoy this movie. However, I have heard from some of my drummer friends that if you do play drums, you will notice some inaccuracies. (Probably like how horseriders feel when watching horse movies.)

Miles Teller and JK Simmons in Whiplash film I think the only thing holding this move back was its simplicity… Or maybe that aided it… I’m not too sure, but I wonder if Whiplash could have become as disturbing as Black Swan with some more scenes expressing Neiman’s inner emotions..?

“WERE YOU RUSHING, OR WERE YOU DRAGGING!?” – Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons)

You must watch this scene!:

Despite that, I loved it… Loved it, loved it, loved it. I got so stuck into the story, completely immersed in Andrew Neiman’s struggle, obsession and frustration.

I’d be so happy to see more of this sort of film in the cinema. If you’ve got an appetite for dark and emotionally exhausting films, this is for you.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Young Adult

Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Released: December 2011
Starring: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser and Collette Wolfe
—

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

The Way Way Back

The Way Way Back is a funny, feel-good film, similar to Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. It’s an uplifting tale about Duncan (Liam James) who has to endure a summer with his mum Pam (Toni Collette) and her new boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell).

Struggling to withstand Trent’s subtle bullying, Duncan goes out as often as possible. He soon gets a secret job at the local pool, where he gains a lot more confidence and gets a good reputation.

Toni Collette, Steve Carell

It is extremely well cast. Carell does a fantastically accurate job of being a total a-hole. Collette, just like in Little Miss Sunshine, plays the warm mother figure convincingly. She is a fantastic actress. The main character, Duncan is aloof but certainly not played as an emotionless character, which I think should be applauded.

THE WAY, WAY BACK

My favourite character is laid-back Owen (Sam Rockwell), Duncan’s boss at the local pool. He’s a hilarious character who balances the heavy situations out with a lighter perspectives.

The storyline shows how every character is being manipulated somehow. The Way Way Back has the humanity of Little Miss Sunshine, and the devastation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

THE WAY, WAY BACK

It’s a blend of sadness and comedy, which I love. It’s definitely worth a watch!

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Easy A

Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Bert V. Royal
Released: September 2010
Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci
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This is quite a different version to the typical high school chick flick that drowns the market. Easy A is about how rumours can make or break your reputation. But also how you can take insults and use them to your advantage.

It has a funny script with some catchy insults from the witty and very sarcastic Olive (Emma Stone) – similar dialogue to Juno.

Her best come backs are usually toward the “Jesus Freak”, Marianne (Amanda Bynes), who was responsible for spreading the false rumour of Olive losing her virginity.

Marianne: There’s a higher power that will judge you for your indecency.
Olive: Tom Cruise?

This movie covers everything that one would come across in high school; self expression, religious beliefs, hypocritical people, assumptions and rumour-spreaders. Of course, Olive uses all of this to her advantage.

She sassed up her wardrobe “just like they asked” and becomes her alter ego of the ‘whore’, despite being a very respectable 17-year-old. Just goes to show that what you may see on the outside is not always what is on the inside. And vice versa.

Emma StoneEASY A.

Nina: Perhaps you should embroider a red A on your wardrobe, you abominable tramp.
Olive: Perhaps you should get a wardrobe, you abominable twat.

I really enjoyed this movie because it is a huge, gigantic middle finger to society. You can’t change what people think of you, but you can choose not to be a victim to it.

People rumoured that Olive was a bit of a “skank”, so she began to dress like one! They didn’t whisper about it behind her back after she started wearing corsets and high heels to school, making the scandal-filled rumour less shocking.

It is a fun movie with references to eighties high school movies such as The Breakfast Club which I thought was really smart and made it a story that seemed more human because everybody wants to be in an eighties high school film.

The music is pretty awesome, too. Jessie J’s Sexy Silk is a fun song, with a modernised version of We Go Together (from Grease) by I Heart Homework. But with my personal favourite being from The Breakfast Club called Don’t You (Forget About Me) originally by Simple Minds, but covered by AM.

Oh, and since watching Easy A, Natasha Bedingfield’s Pocket Full of Sunshine has not left my mind for the past few days. You should expect the same thing after watching the film.

Mr. Griffith: I don’t know what your generation’s fascination is with documenting your every thought… “Roman is having an OK day, and bought a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof.”
Olive: He got a Coke Zero AGAIN. Ah, that Roman. Incorrigible.

Easy A is a fun and easy watch. The script enables viewers to look into it as far as they wish with layered themes and slightly more complex characters than usual. Obviously not a film for everyone, but it’s definitely my favourite movie at the moment – up there with The Breakfast Club! A 2010 version of a 1985 chick flick. tumblr_mhbirb1bNm1s1wtnqo1_500

Actually, I would say that it is on par with Pitch Perfect.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Megamind

Directed: Tom McGrath
Written: Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons
Released: November 2010
Featuring: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross and Brad Pitt
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I think the best animations are ones where they are enjoyable for more than one age group, which Megamind certainly is! Great for the younger audience as well as teenagers and adults.

This movie is about a blue alien named Megamind (Will Ferrell) who was sent to Earth as a baby, growing up to cause destruction and trouble. Megamind and his rival, Metro Man (Brad Pitt) who is the city’s ‘super hero’, frequently fight in Metro City like Superman and Lex Luthor. It’s a classic good guy/bad guy relationship, which becomes a game to Megamind, until he finally defeats Metro Man and realises that the success he had always strived for was not as rewarding as he had thought.

Moral: Be careful what you wish for; you may just get it.

This animation has some of the best lines in it, I reckon it’s up there with Juno‘s dialogue in some parts. The script is very well written, the dialogue as well as the storyline. It’s a classic superhero story which frequently mocks itself.

This type of animation is similar to that of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, but Megamind is a slightly more mature story; funnier and more entertaining.

I love you, Metro Man!
“And I love YOU, random citizen!”

Megamind: In case you’ve noticed, you’ve fallen right into my trap!
Metro Man: You can’t trap justice! It’s an idea, a BELIEF!
Megamind: Even the most heartfelt belief can get corroded over time!
Metro Man: Justice is a non-corrosive metal!
Megamind: But metals can be melted, by the heat of revanche!
Metro Man: It’s REVENGE, and it’s best served cold!
Megamind: But it can be easily reheated, in the microwave of evil!
Metro Man: Well, I think your warranty’s about to expire!
Megamind: Maybe I got an extended warranty!
Metro Man: Warranties are invalid, if used beyond their intended purpose!

All the characters are awesome! Roxanne Ritchie (Tina Fey) is a news reporter who always gets kidnapped by Megamind to provoke another fight with Metro Man. She has been taken so many times that nothing phases her any more.

Roxanne: Could someone stamp my frequent kidnapping card?
Megamind: You of all people know we discontinued that promotion.

Hal-Roxanne- — Hal: “You’re living a fantasy. There is no Easter Bunny. There is no Tooth Fairy. There is no Queen of England.”

Hal (Jonah Hill) is probably my favourite character though because he’s the funniest. He’s desperate for Roxanne’s attention but fails to be smooth or flattering. Megamind turned Hal into the new ‘good guy superhero’ after Metro Man’s disappearance, and named him Titan.

Hal: I’m havin’ a party at my house, gonna be off the hook, or whatever. You should come over. I got a DJ, rented a bouncy house, made a gallon of dip. It’s gonna be sick!
Roxanne: Oh, I…I don’t know, Hal. I don’t really feel like being around a bunch of people.
Hal: No, no, no! That’s the best part, it’ll just be like, you and me… I did hire a wedding photographer. That’s just in case we were like, something crazy happened and we wanted a picture of it like, maybe we should have this for like, ever. Like a memory, you know?
Roxanne: Um, I’m gonna pass. I have some work here that I need to do, anyway.
Hal: Cool. So, Thursday? Soft Thursday?

A fun, exciting and hilarious twist on the age-old superhero format. Great cast, characters and storyline.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

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.

Up in the Air

Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (based on novel by Walter Kirn)
Released: December 2009
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
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At face value, this may seem like just another shallow idea with a typical love story. But this is far from it.

It’s an incredible story that has a very serious undertone, indeed. It is actually documenting the effects of the start of the financial downfall that we are now experiencing globally.

The movie is not told from the perspective of an employee being let go and the inevitable family and financial problems that would accompany it, but from the point of view of the man that is hired by the boss to tell their employers they no longer have a job.

This is a song that a man named Kevin Renick wrote after losing his job. He sent it to Jason Reitman after hearing about the film and the song is played on the credits. Shows how real this film is, I think.

It’s a fantastic – yet heartbreaking – perspective, because we also see how technology is ruining human connection. For example, it is proposed that instead of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) flying from city to city letting these people go face to face, that he could actually tell them online via a camera which would be more ‘efficient’, but obviously much less personal. This proposition doesn’t work for Bingham whatsoever. Let alone the people getting told they’re losing a job.

It’s a sad story of how people’s worlds collapse, how in many respects the odds are against us and that people can no longer rely on each other since it is predominately all about profit. It addresses how we have stopped being personal, only professional, and how a job can become somebody’s life. How it can be their only reliable thing.

Of course, being the director of Juno, Jason Reitman has created another fantastic comedy with very quirky lines. I love this kind of humour, particularly in the scene showed in the photo above.

Ryan: I’m not a shrink, Bob. I’m a wake-up call. You know why kids love athletes?
Bob (JK Simmons): I don’t know. Cause they screw lingerie models?
Ryan: No, that’s why we love athletes. Kids love athletes because they follow their dreams… Your resume` says that you minored in French culinary arts. Most students, they work on the fryer at KFC, but you bussed tables at Il Picador to support yourself. Then you get out of college and then you come and you work here. How much did they first pay you to give up on your dreams?
Bob: 27 grand a year.
Ryan: And when were you going to stop and come back and do what makes you happy?
Bob: Good point.

My favourite part is when George Clooney’s character is deliberating which line to join for security screening in an airport:

This fantastic film is pretty much about all the different ways somebody can feel ‘up in the air’ with little substance and solidarity in their life.

It is a sad film if you look beyond its face value, with not much of a happy ending which I think is very appropriate since we are not quite out of the dark yet. However, it’s strong, underlying current of humour keeps us afloat and captured throughout the whole film.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Released: December 2007
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons
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Holy crap, if you haven’t seen this, you are seriously deprived of life. Likewise, if you saw it and didn’t like it, you have been shunned.

juno-bleeker-juno-2098226-1024-576 However, I saw it. Then I saw it again. Then I purchased the DVD with my hard-earned pennies and enjoyed it a whole lot more. Juno is more than just a “comedy drama” as Wikipedia so conservatively stated. It is the hilarious and refreshing story of a typical teenager, Juno McGuff (Ellen Page), and her slight mishap of falling pregnant by the introverted and slightly cheesy Paulie Bleaker (Michael Cera).

It is a movie like no other… It may be distantly related humour-wise to the likes of Little Miss Sunshine (another film dear to me), but its use of language and musty image wreaks of painfully ordinary and very relatable environments.

juno bren mac Juno is a fantastic movie because it has a serious undertone blended with the raw and in-your-face snarky remarks of the teen characters. It’s a story of family, essentially. The relationship between parents and children, divorce and innocence, as well as the relationship – or lack of – between generations. Juno’s love of rock n roll and horrors from the 70s, and the longing for youth that some of the adult characters experience.

The humour is split down the middle; the adults of the audience will laugh at the parent’s reactions and the teens of the audience will be quoting McGuff for the next few months. It’s not a vile rom-com or on par with “Knocked Up”, it’s emotionally deeper than those one-hit-wonders.

The writer, Diablo Cody, was a blogger, that’s how she was approached by a film producer and asked to write a script. She came up with Juno. The shocking dialogue sometimes provokes nervous laughter, or may be tear jerking or blatant Laugh-Out-Loud material! It’s quite an intricate script which essentially follows the awkward storyline of Juno McGuff as well as the adoptive parents that “June-Bug” picks out (who’s marriage is subsequently on the rocks).

The first thing I had to do after seeing this film was to buy the DVD. The second thing I had to do was buy the soundtrack. The tracks are just as quirky as the film, particularly Kimya Dawson’s many songs and instrumentals that made the final cut. They go very well with the feel of Juno, particularly the bluntness of the protagonist.

Reitman’s dedication and patience is obvious when you see the clearly painstakingly long time it would have taken to create the intro – it was worked on from the beginning of the shoot to the very first viewing, nevertheless, worthwhile. The shots are mostly static.

ellen-page-j-k-simmons-fox-searchlights-juno-970464168 It’s all in the lighting and seventies colour scheme of clashing reds, oranges and browns with knitted-looking clothing and dated throws on furniture. Reitman’s work reminds me of Edgar Wright’s (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz…) approach to filming. You can tell it’s an off-beat approach somehow, yet refreshingly upbeat and incredibly honest.

It’s not a fast-paced movie anyway, but I think the montage scene I found on the DVD extras was something that would have kept up the pace… Although it may have detracted from the overall emotion of the film, so in the end the scene’s absence was a blessing in disguise, even if it did tie a ball and chain to the overall pace.

Still one of my favourite films even after all these years.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10