meryl streep – NZ Film Freak

Mary Poppins Returns

Director: Rob Marshall
Writer: David Magee, Rob Marshall and John DeLuca (based on story by P.L Travers)
Released: December 2018
Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke ,Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep
—

Well, I thought this was a scene-by-scene remake. That’s what the rumours said anyway.

However, as the title does actually suggest, this is a sequel. It follows the lives of Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) as adults – the brother and sister in the first film.

After the death of his wife, Michael’s repayments on the house lapsed. The bank demanded that he now pay up in full – which he can’t possibly afford.

Thankfully, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) arrives just in time!

It’s a good thing you’ve come along when you did, Mary Poppins.

I have been looking forward to see this movie for ever! So as part of my hen do, we all went to watch it. It was such a magical day.

It is a beautiful film; a real feel-good movie! I would absolutely recommend it to anyone needing cheering up.

I had to hold back the tears throughout most of the scenes because everything is just so beautiful!

Everything is possible, even the impossible.

Emily Blunt is 100% the only option to play Mary Poppins. Mary is a tough and tender character; maternal but fierce. And I think that’s Emily Blunt in a nutshell. Plus, who else is a triple threat – a singer, dancer and actress?

(Remaining ‘practically perfect’ on set was said to be difficult though!)

You’ll probably find that you adopt a frightfully posh English accent after the movie, and make promises to yourself that you will start dressing up and paying more attention to your hair style after watching Mary Poppins Returns.

Nothing. Such a useful word, isn’t it? It can mean anything and everything.

Apart from Mary, I’m sure the favourite character of many would be Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) the cockney street lamp lighter. He’s happy and smiley and fun and wonderful!

I adored Julie Walters too, but sadly Meryl Streep’s character was a tad too eccentric for my liking.

I’m not generally a musical fan, but I enjoyed this one. Every song is catchy and uplifting. Particularly ‘A Cover is not the Book‘ and ‘Trip a Little Light Fantastic‘, but the latter is 99% because of the choreography with the streetlights.

This is history in the making – you must go to see Mary Poppins Returns in the cinema. It’s simply the only way because it’s like a stage play.

Before you go to see it though, I’d recommend watching the original Mary Poppins as well as Saving Mr. Banks to fully appreciate the history of the Mary Poppins character.

I enjoyed the echoes in the first film, including the penguins, which were drawn in the traditional way – frame by frame – by the original Disney artists. Such a lovely touch!

100% must-see if you’re feeling blue.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The Post

the post.jpg

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Liz Hannah, Josh Singer
Released: December 2017
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys
—

The Post comes across as a film with similar emotional impact to the likes of Spotlight (a highly recommended investigative journalism movie), but it sorely missed the mark.

It follows the real-life story of the Washington Post in the 1960s, a paper passed down to Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) who is struggling to keep the company financially afloat. Then, a big story breaks as government secrets relating to the Vietnam war are leaked – this massive story could make or break the paper.

But with the New York Times already being threatened with legal action for publishing only part of the information now available, Katherine is reluctant to allow editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) to publish the story for fear of bankrupting the paper. Meanwhile, she is fighting the emotional turmoil of being a woman in a man’s world.

the post2.jpg

The movie opens with a scene of the Vietnam war, which was definitely not required and I believe it was only included to pay homage to Stephen Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan success. So that kicked this film off poorly.

Then it was about an hour of long, dry dialogue, which I struggled to pay attention to. So I’m not entirely sure if they explained what the government secrets were specifically, but I’m pretty sure the gist was that the government knew the US would lose the war but continued to send troops for fear of being embarrassed. But I don’t see how that could have taken an hour to explain… Maybe I missed something.

the post3.jpg

The second half of the film focussed on gender inequality and women’s rights as it follows Katherine, who slowly becomes more self-confident as she learned the ropes of running the paper after her husband’s death. She is spoken down to by colleagues, which makes the decision of publishing the leaked information or not even more difficult to make.

The cast was great of course. Meryl Streep is amazing and Tom Hanks is his usual great self, but did come across as more ‘family man’ than ‘tough editor’. I do wonder if Bryan Cranston was considered for this role due to the amount of Breaking Bad actors featured (Bob Odenkirk and Jesse Plemons). I think his darker domineer would have come across well.

the post4.jpg

Overall, the exciting, fast-paced and emotionally-charged storyline that I was expecting was not there. Just a ton of unnecessary dialogue and a story that didn’t portray the risk and stress of the situation very well.

Oh well. Perhaps it needs a second viewing.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

The Devil Wears Prada

devil prada.jpg

Director: David Frankel
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (screenplay), Lauren Weisberger (novel)
Released: June 2006
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Adrian Grenier, Simon Baker
—

This film is so underrated. It is funny, sensitive, sassy and stars Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt.

It’s about Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) who is an aspiring journalist, but can only land a job as an assistant at a fashion magazine. While ‘millions of girls would die’ for this position, it’s a far cry from the journalism job she was after.

At the fashion magazine, Miranda (Meryl Streep) is a terrifying boss and manipulates people well. Andrea soon finds herself desperately trying to keep up with Miranda’s impossible standards, with no help from fellow assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), and her family life is soon neglected.

devil prada1.jpg

Andrea: She’s vicious!

Ethics and morals come into play, with the question of whether it is possible to be successful without stabbing others in the back. How far would you be willing to go to achieve your dream?

I adore the cast in this film. Emily Blunt is unrecognisable, and plays the woman you love to hate. Quick fact: Stanley Tucci, who plays a fantastically sassy and passive-aggressive employee named Nigel in the film, married Emily Blunt’s sister.

Emily: …I’m on this new diet. Well, I don’t eat anything and when I feel like I’m about to faint I eat a cube of cheese. I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal weight.

Meryl Streep is her usual perfect self, and does an amazing job of being so intimidating! How anyone else was considered to play the part of Miranda is beyond me. Apparently Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Gwenyth Paltrow were considered among many others.

Miranda: By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me.

However, I think I know why: Meryl Streep threatened to leave production for not being paid enough. Meryl eventually agreed to being paid double than the original offer. She also cost too much to fly to Paris for the Paris-based scenes, so her parts are shot in America.

Miranda: Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl – stylish, slender, of course. Worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be – I don’t know – disappointing and stupid. … I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl…

Anne Hathaway… Well. I don’t actually like her very much, but she plays the part well, and is realistically the perfect choice. I applaud her for going from a size 6 down to a size 4 in real life, just like her character does in the film.

devilprada3

Andy: She’s not happy unless everyone around her is panicked, nauseous or suicidal.

If you love the fashion industry, then you’ll love this film. Equally, if you are striving for your dream, want a bit of a giggle, or if you worship Meryl Streep, then you’ll love The Devil Wears Prada too.

It’s a fun film with a funny and clever script and a fantastic cast. Although, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt carry the story entirely on their shoulders. Without them, it wouldn’t be the successful film it has become.

I think it would be an enjoyable film for everyone – fashionista or not.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

Top 7: Live-Action Disney Remakes Coming Soon

Disney has been creating films since 1923, beginning with an Alice in Wonderland cartoon series. But it wasn’t until 1937 that the memorable Snow White and the Seven Dwarves animation was released. Ever since then, Disney Studios has had a fairytale film career with many major successes.

I’m sure everyone holds a Disney animation close to their hearts because of its influence on our childhoods. (Mine is Sleeping Beauty (1959), which I grew up watching on VHS throughout the nineties.) Even today, children are still growing up watching Disney films.

Disney is continuing with its successful films about princesses and magic, but more live-action remakes of the classics are in development rather than brand new animated tales.

It seems we can’t stop loving the old stories. Or, perhaps the old-fashioned animations don’t fascinate the iPad-savvy kids of today.

WHAT REMAKES ARE COMING NEXT?
With rumours of The Lion King being remade as a live-action, I didn’t realise how many more are in the pipeline until I looked into it.

Most recently, the trailer for the film Mowgli was released by Warner Brothers.
(Although, does anyone else feel like this is an identical remake of Disney’s live-action The Jungle Book? Read about the twin movie phenomenon here.)

See if your favourite Disney picture is being remade as a live-action below.
Which one are you most excited for?

Christopher Robin (2018)
Remake of: Disney’s Winnie the Pooh (1966)
Although not my cup of tea, I appreciate that Winnie the Pooh is close to the hearts of many, and after watching the trailer (please see below) I expect to cry all the way through it anyway. This live-action film is directed by Marc Forster and will be released this coming August. Christopher Robin is all grown up in this film, and will be played by Ewen McGregor.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Sequel to: Mary Poppins (1964)
Emily Blunt will star as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns, which is to be released at Christmas time this year. That’s 54 years after the original live-action Mary Poppins film, which is the longest gap between live-action film sequels in history. It’ll also star the beloved Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Ben Whishaw. While not technically a remake, it is a live-action sequel of the beloved Mary Poppins.

Dumbo (2019)
Remake of: Dumbo (1941)
(Yeah, I’m put off by the above image too.) Dumbo, the live-action remake, will be released in March 2019 and directed by Tim Burton. Burton is a natural choice because he began his career on Disney’s Fox and the Hound (1981), co-produced James and the Giant Peach before directing Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Alice through the Looking Glass (2016). Dumbo will star Colin Farell, Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito.

Aladdin (2019)
Remake of: Aladdin (1992)
To be released in May 2019, this live-action remake will be directed by Guy Ritchie, co-written by John August (Big Fish) and will feature Will Smith as the genie (I miss Robin Williams!). However, there has been some controversy regarding casting, with complaints from fans of ‘white-washing’ after non-Arab, non-Middle Eastern actors were cast.

The Lion King (2019)
Remake of: The Lion King (1994)
To be released in July 2019, I’m sure this is one of the most anticipated live-action Disney films since the release of the animation in 1994. Directed by Jon Favreau (Elf) with Donald Glover cast as Simba, Beyonce as Narla, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan as Timon and Pumbaa respectively.

Mulan (2020)
Remake of: Mulan (1998)
I get told off frequently when I admit that I haven’t seen the original animated Mulan, but I hear it is a favourite for many. The storyline is different to all other Disney princess fairytales after all. Not much is known about the film yet but casting for Mulan appears to have been a bit of a drag as casting took place across five continents and 1000 people were auditioned for the iconic part. The director is New Zealand’s very own Niki Caro.

Cruella (TBC)
Spin off of: One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
We know jack about Cruella de Vil so far, only that Cruella will be played by the amazing Emma Stone. Strange choice, but I have full confidence that Emma Stone will be brilliant.

There are even more live-action Disney films in early development including Pinocchio, another Snow White film called Rose Red, and a Cinderella-based film called Prince Charming.

There’s a Lady and the Tramp live-action/CGI version coming out in 2019. This is to be directed by Charlie Bean.

The Little Mermaid is being made into a live-action three times! The first one is to be released is a loosely-based indie version, which is to come out in 2019. Universal is working on a version with Richard Curtis as the writer and starring Chloe Moretz, and Disney is in extremely early talks about their film.

There’s also two Peter Pan films in the making: Peter Pan is to be directed by David Lowery, and fans are crossing their fingers hoping that Tom Hiddleston will be cast as Captain Hook. The second Pan film is Tinker Bell, featuring Reece Witherspoon (originally Elizabeth Banks) as Tink!

(Thanks to time.com for the tip offs!)

TIMELINE OF THE DISNEY CLASSICS:
Which is your childhood favourite?

1937 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
1940 – Pinocchio
1941 – Dumbo
1942 – Bambi
1950 – Cinderella
– Disney’s first ever live-action film Treasure Island
1951 – Alice in Wonderland
1953 – Peter Pan
1955 – Lady and the Tramp
1959 – Sleeping Beauty
1961 – One Hundred and One Dalmatians
1964 – Mary Poppins (live-action)
1966 – Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
– Walt Disney dies on December 15 of lung cancer
1967 – The Jungle Book
1970 – The Aristocats
1973 – Robin Hood
1981 – The Fox and the Hound
– First Disney home video released (Dumbo)
1989 – The Little Mermaid
1991 – Beauty and the Beast
1992 – Aladdin
1994 – The Lion King
1995 – Pocahontas, Toy Story
1996 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame, James and the Giant Peach, 101 Dalmations (live-action)
1997 – Hercules
– First Disney DVDs released
1998 – Mulan, A Bug’s Life
1999 – Tarzan, Toy Story 2
2000 – The Emperor’s New Groove, 102 Dalmatians (live-action)
2001 – Monsters, Inc.
2002 – Lilo & Stitch
2003 – Finding Nemo
2004 – The Incredibles
2006 – Cars
– Disney acquires Pixar studios
2007 – Ratatouille
2009 – Up, A Christmas Carol
2010 – Alice in Wonderland (live-action), Toy Story 3, Tangled
2012 – Wreck-It Ralph
2013 – Oz: The Great and Powerful (live-action), Monsters University, Frozen
2014 – Big Hero 6
2015 – Cinderella (live-action), Inside Out, Brave
2016 – The Jungle Book (live-action), Alice Through the Looking Glass (live-action), Finding Dory, The BFG (live-action), Moana
2017 – Beauty and the Beast (live-action)
2018 – The Incredibles 2
2019 – Toy Story 4, Frozen 2

Along with the classics are well-known stories with a twist: Saving Mr Banks is the heartwarming ‘behind the scenes’ story of Mary Poppins, while Maleficent is about the villain in Sleeping Beauty, and Into the Woods is a jumble of well-known fairytale characters in a musical.

Top 10: Actors Who Stopped Getting Typecast

Ricky Gervais loves being typecast, he says that actors should do what they do best and not feel the pressure to play different parts.

However, this is clearly not the view of a lot of actors who seem to be trying to shake their ‘character’. Some have not been successful, such as Jack Black and Adam Sandler, who forever play the School of Rock and Happy Gilmore type characters.

Jennifer Aniston is still being typecast as her Friends character Rachel in various rom-coms, despite the attempts to ditch it such as in Cake or The Good Girl.

Will Ferrell ditched his ‘mean but dumb funnyman’ character in Stranger Than Fiction, Robin Williams played a very serious role in Good Will Hunting, and Owen Wilson almost detached from the funny guy persona in Midnight in Paris.

For other actors such as Daniel Radcliffe and Robert Pattinson, I don’t think their iconic roles as Harry Potter and Edward Cullen will ever be able to be shaken, sadly. That is despite their clear acting ability.

Meanwhile other actors have been successful in breaking free from their typecast, and are in all sorts of films now.

I think the top five female actors (are we allowed to say actresses anymore?) who narrowly escaped being typecast are:

Rosamund Pike
I wrote about Pike’s change in public perception in my post What are you like, Rosamund Pike. Just when we thought she was forever going to play the smart, elegant and beautiful lady-like characters in films like Pride & Prejudice, Made in Dagenham and The World’s End, she goes and does something like Gone Girl! Which, I’m sure surprised us all. She’s certainly shown Hollywood what she’s capable of. Having said that, have we seen her in anything big since..? Eek.

Emma Stone
She was the rough and ready comedy support actress, and I think that’s where we thought she’d always stay. The Superbad, The House Bunny, Zombieland, Friends with Benefits kind of girl. But then The Help came along, showing her dramatic and compassionate side, then Spiderman, then La La Land, which turned her into an all-singing, all-dancing serious actress! Love her.

Kate Winslet
Sense & Sensibility turned into Titanic, and Finding Neverland turned into The Holiday. Kate Winslet remains a brilliant dramatic actress who sometimes showed her comedic side (like in Extras). But if you look closer at her career, you’ll find some gems that shows a totally different side to Kate Winslet. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind being one, where she plays an eccentric woman. The Dressmaker being another, where she plays a flamboyant Australian. I guess she is still typecast in a way, but she has shown that she can do so much more.

Reese Witherspoon
I wrote her off, because she’s always played ‘the blonde’. The Legally Blonde airhead, then Sweet Home Alabama and Little Nicky. But then Walk the Line happened, and suddenly Reese Witherspoon was a genuine and talented dramatic actress who could sing beautifully. THEN, there was Wild. And I was sold. I’ve heard she’s amazing in Devil’s Knot too.

Jennifer Lawrence
At first, I thought she was going to forever remain as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, then I thought she’d be typecast as a sci-fi blue thing in X-Men (I haven’t watched the X-Men series). But each time she managed to escape the typecast hold! With movies like Silver Lining, American Hustle and Joy keeping her not only out of reach of typecasting, but also the highest paid female actor of 2015 and 2016.

The top five male actors who narrowly escaped being typecast are:

Jim Carrey
He may have been typecast during the ’90s as the goofy, outlandish comedy actor of Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and The Cable Guy, but there was a sudden turn closer to the naughties. There was Liar, Liar (a personal favourite), and then The Truman Show, which showed a far more serious side. Man on the Moon showed yet another angle, then the biggest leap of all in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In this film, he was a nervous, serious introvert. (It’s joked that Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet swapped their typecast roles in this film.) He was made for the part. He returned to children’s films after that (Dr Seuss and A Christmas Carol), but is sadly slowly riding the curve back to being typecast in cheap and dirty comedy sequels.

Bryan Cranston
This actor was forever Malcolm in the Middle‘s dad. But actually, I think he was born to be a dramatic actor in serious roles. It seems he was accidentally made famous in comedy roles instead! He could have easily stayed on that road of comedy, but he escaped. First came a small role in Little Miss Sunshine, then Drive, then Argo… But suddenly, there was a TV show that no one could stop talking about. Breaking Bad. And now we look at Bryan Cranston a little differently and with a little more respect than we did when he was Malcolm’s dad.

Steve Carell
In his early career, Carell was credited as a ‘Mailroom Guy without Glasses’ in a 1998 film called Tomorrow Night. He soon found himself climbing the ropes in the comedy genre. Bruce Almighty, Anchorman and 40-Year-Old Virgin were quick to follow. Then out of nowhere was Little Miss Sunshine, where Carell played a reasonably serious role of a suicidal, gay scholar. In between his typecasting, serious roles keep cropping up, like The Way Way Back, where he plays a really mean dick of a stepdad. Then Foxcatcher, which I really need to watch. These brilliantly serious roles in his career have acted as a red flag to Hollywood, telling them that he has the ability and the power to resist his comedic typecast.

Jonah Hill
It all began in the massive Hollywood comedies – 40-Year-Old Virgin, Click, Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek… Then he stepped up a notch and did 21 Jump Street and everyone was like ‘whaaaaaat, is that the same guy?’ because he lost a ton of weight. Not only had his look changed, but so did the kind of work he got. He began to get into more serious roles like The Wolf of Wall Street and Django Unchained in between sequels to successful comedies and animation films. Go Jonah!

Bradley Cooper
Does this guy have the same agent as Jennifer Lawrence? Because he’s in a ton of the same films as her now. He began in comedy, the Wedding Crashers being a memorable feature, Yes Man and The Hangover of course. I thought rom/coms was where he’d stay, but somewhere along the way he got into a bit more action, like Limitless. Then that progressed to The Place Beyond the Pines, American Hustle and Joy. This has extended into superhero films! I personally don’t like the guy because he seems a bit pompous, but he sure can act in a variety of roles!

There are lots of all-rounders or ‘chameleon’ actors who could never be typecast! They show how talented they are in every genre and in every role. These include:
Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Leonardo DiCaprio… The list goes on!

Big Little Lies (TV series)

big little lies.jpg

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée (He directed Wild)
Writer: David E. Kelley (Based on novel by Liane Moriarty)
Released: February 2017
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling and Laura Dern
—

I was expecting ‘Desperate Housewives‘, chick-flick kind of show on steroids… But Big Little Lies was so much darker than that.

It begins with a murder. We don’t know who died, and we don’t know who did it.

Big Little Lies follows the backstory leading up to the murder, and all the secrets and shocking circumstances leads you to believe that everyone is a suspect, and everyone is a victim.

It’s sort of like reality tv series The Real Housewives but as a thriller. It’s shocking, scary, haunting and mysterious, featuring beautiful (and seemingly flawless) characters against the fashionable backdrop of Monterey, California.

It is all about the characters:

Reese Witherspoon is the stand-out performance for me; she’s fascinating to watch. Her character, Madeline, is also my favourite. Actually, her character reminds me of Tamra from The Real Housewives of Orange County – both in terms of looks and storyline. Overall, Madeline will make you laugh, and you’d want her to be your best friend. big little lies 2

Laura Dern takes a step away from her sweat-pant-wearing motherly roles, and into the role of a posh and wealthy, but pushy ‘bulldog’, CEO called Renata. She reminds me of Vicki in The Real Housewives of Orange County.
big little lies 3

Nicole Kidman’s role as Celeste is the scariest and most difficult storyline to watch. In fact, I wanted to turn the show off a couple of times because of the horrific scenes depicting her abusive husband. Nevertheless, she does well despite her American accent slipping a bit at times – as it always does. There’s an online debate regarding whether her hair is a wig or not… What do you reckon?
big little lies 5

To bring it all down to earth, Shailene Woodley plays the role of Jane. Jane is a little bit in awe of the glamorous people, and cherishes the kindness of Madeline while she makes a new start here in California. She isn’t as wealthy or as fancy, but does have one of the most anxiety-driven storylines.
big little lies 4

Then, there’s the husbands, who go to show not all the drama comes from the women!

My favourite thing about Big Little Lies, however, is the soundtrack. Oh my goodness. I could listen to the soundtrack on repeat! Brilliant.

Overall, this was a much darker thriller than I expected, but for the sake of watching Reese Witherspoon’s character again, I will certainly watch series two!

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

According to Nicole’s Instagram, series two is being filmed and Meryl Streep is in it! Aaaaaahh!

Big LIttle LIes2.png

Suffragette

suffragette poster film review

Director: Sarah Gavron
Writer: Abi Morgan
Released: October 2015 (Boxing Day in NZ though…)
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep
—

As you may know by reading my “Looking forward to: Suffragette” post, I have been obsessed with this film for months. I’ve watched every movie clip, interview and behind-the-scenes glimpse.

Unfortunately, it appears the film company have actually released the entire movie throughout their promotion of Suffragette… I felt like I had already seen it by the time I watched it in the cinema.

If you too have watched the trailers that have been released, you have actually seen the beginning, the most scandalous and shocking scenes, as well as the final scene.

Not even joking.

suffragette film review with Carey Mulligan arrested Watching it in the cinema, I was clutching my handbag and holding my breath… Any second now, the mild-tempered Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) is going to flip her sh*t. But she didn’t. She remains meek throughout the entire film. She just cries more and more as the story goes on.

So that was disappointing.

Nevertheless, this is an important movie that accurately (I’m assuming) documents the life of women in the early 1900s. It is beautifully lit and shot, the acting is spectacular, and costume design is great.

Suffragette film review with Meryl Streep And, no make-up! Like, usually there’s the ‘no make-up, make-up’ look. But it actually looks like the Hollywood actresses are bare-faced. Kudos.

Suffragette is important for more than its content, though. It’s the first film ever to be shot in the Houses of Parliament. And, with a female director, writer, and predominately female cast, it’s significant for Hollywood.

Some may say Suffragette is a film made by women for women. But I think the moral of the story is fairness and equality – a universal idea that should be applied to men and women in any situation.

It’s an important film, and something to be proud of, anyway.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

Looking forward to: Suffragette

Suffragette film poster

I have watched every teaser, trailer, clip and interview to do with this movie. I am so excited to see it.

Suffragette is based on a group of British women in the late 19th century and early 20th century who demanded gender equality. Their political action shook the system, which goes to show what a threat they were to the societal hierarchy.

We break windows, we burn things because war is the only language men listen to… We’re half the human race, you can’t stop us all.
We will win. – Carey Mulligan’s character

96% of Hollywood directors are men, 74% of leading roles go to men. But in Suffragette the main cast includes Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne-Marie Duff, Meryl Streep… Not to mention the writers and director – all women. How refreshing – they practice what they preach.

Suffragette is more than a film, though. It’s a story about women, told by women. And, it’s made such an impact because films mirror our society – and we can see ourselves in this story.

Suffragette film protest on the red carpet We’ve reacted to it – even on the red carpet at the film’s premiere, there were demonstrations fully welcomed by the cast. And now: I’m writing about it. Just from seeing the trailer, it has inspired me.

Of course, this goes way beyond Hollywood. ‘Equal pay for equal work’ is something that is demanded in every occupation. Even more shocking is that it’s been an issue for a long time, with a giant leap made in the 60s documented in Made in Dagenham.

…we got to demand a level playing field and rates of pay which reflect the job you do, not whether you got a dick or not!

I’m no psychologist, sociologist, scientist or analyst, but it’s pretty sad that there is still so much inequality. Nevertheless, I am stunned by what a huge impact a film can have on our perception of society. Incredible! Carey mulligan in Suffragette film

On a shallower note… I AM SO PSYCHED TO SEE CAREY MULLIGAN IN THIS ROLE. And I adore Meryl Streep. SO EXCITED. (But where is Emma Thompson and Emily Blunt..?)

Anyway, until New Zealand plays Suffragette on BOXING DAY (while everybody else gets it this month) adieu!

Jodie.

The Oscars 2015

I’m basically doing my homework the night before it’s due…

I am very behind with all of this nonsense as the nominees were released on January 15th… and The Oscars are tomorrow. But just in case, like me, these things slip under your radar, I thought I should update you on who is in the running.

Before we begin: Just in case you’re as inept with modern culture as I, here is a quick differentiation between the entertainment award ceremonies:

Academy Award (rebranded as The Oscars in 2013) – Award in the Film Industry
Golden Globe Award – Award in Motion Picture and Televison
Emmy Award – Award in Televison
Grammy Award – Award in Music
Tony Award – Award in Theatre

Right! So now we are clued up on the ceremonies, here are the nominees:
*Update: the winners are in bold

Best Picture (Drama)
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything

Best Picture (Musical/Comedy)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Birdman
Into the Woods
Pride
St. Vincent

Best Animated Film
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
The Boxtrolls
Big Hero 6
Song of the Sea

Best Actress (Drama)
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
Jennifer Aniston (Cake)
Reese Witherspoon (Wild)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Best Actress (Musical/Comedy)
Amy Adams (Big Eyes)
Emily Blunt (Into the Woods)
Helen Mirren (The Hundred-Foot Journey)
Julianne Moore (Maps to the Stars)
Quvenzhané Wallis (Annie)

Best Supporting Actress (Drama)
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Emma Stone (Birdman)
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)
Laura Dern (Wild)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)

Best Actor (Drama)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
Steve Carell – (Foxcatcher)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)
David Oyelowo (Selma)

Best Actor (Musical/Comedy)
Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Bill Murray (St. Vincent)
Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice)
Christoph Waltz (Big Eyes)

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
Edward Norton (Birdman)
Robert Duvall (The Judge)
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)

Best Director
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)
Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

There’s quite a few more sub-categories including Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup… The list goes on!

PUMPED! Let’s watch some rich people get awards!

Jodie.

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
—

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