Review: Me before you (2016)

Anyone who knows me knows that I have been waiting for this movie to come out for months, no years.  I waiting too long to read the book after it being recommended to me and after finishing it i desperately wanted to forget it so I could read it again with fresh eyes.  As that wasn't possible I have been waiting impatiently for someone to make the movie....

Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) gets a job as a care-give for quadriplegic Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) only find he is a miserable recluse who only wishes for his old life back.  Louisa spends her days trying to inject some laughter and substance back into his world with the help of his medical carer, Nathan (Stephen Peacock).

I obviously read the book before I saw this and I think because the book is more in depth you feel like you know the characters a bit more than someone who hasn't.  My buddy-o-pal Lou hadn't read the book.  Therefore, I cried like someone had just ordered the last Big Mac while she barely sniffed the whole way through (this is where I might add that she is pregnant and therefore somewhat hormonal) and yet I came out a puffy mess and she was her usual radiant self (bitch!).  I can only put it down to me remembering more from the book, I am waiting for her to now read the book to give me her opinion.

I did prefer the book with the extra little details and knowing more about Lou's feelings but they really did cast the lead characters perfectly, particularly Emilia Clarke - she has without a doubt the most expressive eyebrows in all of Hollywood.  She was everything I imagined Lou to be and then some.   Also, being a die hard Home and Away fan, it was great to see Stephen Peacock in his first big role in Hollywood!

I did feel like the key elements of the film (them falling in love and his follow up decisions) were really rushed, I think that is because it wasn't rushed at all in the books.  Other than that, I really loved it.  I think reading the book first was a bonus because you had all the extra depth that's missing.

Looking Forward to Seeing in the Cinema: June 2016

Ok - before we get into this whole looking forward malarkey,  I have a confession to make! Prior to last months post, Allie text me to ask me if X-Men was going to be my looking forward film, obviously I said yes so she kindly went with Warcraft!!  However, it turns out I have the memory of a sieve, because when it came to writing my post, I did a whole blurb on Captain America!! Even when I looked up the release date and found it was April not May, I still didn't realise what I had done.  It took the post going up for Allie to read it and text me saying, why the heck did you write about Captain America instead of X-Men!!!  Because i'm a numpty, that's why!  So in short, we both potentially wanted to pick X-Men and yet we didn't actually write about it! Can I use it for this one?!

Also, I have to note that we wrote this post well before it was published, so when you guys finally read this Miss Hawkins will be Mrs Adkins - all kinds of happy for my bestest and her beau.  Love you lots <3

Hello, summer! Is it just me or does it feel like it should be blockbuster season already? This year they seem to have been spread out throughout the year...which I'm fine with, because I normally only catch about 50% of the big releases in summer anyway! This month is a tricky one to pick, but I think I've made up my mind.

I saw the trailer for The Nice Guys right before seeing Spotlight in early January, and it completely took me by surprise. It looks hilarious! From what I can tell, it's set in the 1970's and follows Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe investigating the death of a porn star.

Ryan Gosling has been away from the big screen far too long for my liking, but his chemistry with Russell Crowe on Oscars night has really got me excited for The Nice Guys! I think it's a case of it either being a huge hit or a real disaster, with the only funny moments being shown in the trailer, but that's always the risk with comedy. I've got my fingers crossed! There was a gun through a window in the trailer which made me laugh hysterically! (it doesn't take much!).  Has anyone else seen the trailer for this which is Ryan and Russell in therapy in real life before the film's release, that really made me laugh.

The Nice Guys will be released in UK cinemas on 3rd June, 2016.

Oh my god, how long have I been waiting for this film, ever since I read the book way back when and then I reignited my love for JoJo Moyes this Spring reading the the sequel.  Now it's finally here.....

Based on the book by JoJo Moyes, Me before you is about Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) who takes a job looking after quadriplegic, William Traynor who having lead an adventurous lifestyle before his accident s struggling to come to terms with his new life.

I love Emillia Clarke and I love Sam Claflin so what is not to love....

Me before you will be released in UK cinemas on 3rd June, 2016.

Review: Terminator Genisys (2015)

UPDATED POST: Now that Jenna's seen the movie!

I’m doing fairly well with the summer blockbusters so far, which is unusual for me. Thanks to my local Odeon sending me a 50% off tickets for the weekend offer, I got to go and see Terminator Genisys on a Sunday evening. I’m so glad Jenna and I watched the original Terminator movie a few weeks ago, or I would have been tempted to skip this one all together. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to see Judgement Day, which I now think would have really helped.  Seven months after the original post, I managed to get round to seeing it.  I'm now annoyed that I waited so long!

Excuse me now while I set the scene badly. John Connor (Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), just like in the original. However, something goes wrong, and now Kyle has been sent back to some kind of alternate timeline where Sarah is already tough as nails, and has her own Terminator looking after her, named Pops.  That was pretty good!

Let me start with what I loved. The nods and references to the original movie were awesome and are the reason I’m so glad I watched it. There was even (were even?) purple pew pew lazers at the start! Arnie as Pops was my favourite character, as terrifying as his smile was. I only know Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones so it was nice to see what else she can do, and damn that girl kicks ass!  Loved that smile, it was hilarious, i'm guessing there would be a few out-takes from those scenes because how could you not laugh at this face:

I can’t help but feel that a viewing all the previous movies is mandatory before watching Genisys. As clear as the references to the first movie were, I got the distinct feeling there were many moments from the others as well, and that really hindered my enjoyment of the whole thing. I knew enough to (almost) understand what was going on, but I might have to revisit this review in the future after watching the full series.  This is surprising because I noticed a few mentions of Judgement Day but I didn't feel like I was missing anything having not seen it.  However, I do now REALLY want to see it!  

Now, I feel like I should say that I love time travel. You can do almost anything you want with it, and I love trying to work my head around alternate timelines and what not. This was too much for me though. I think I was doing okay and then I got myself confused halfway through and missed probably 20 minutes of the movie trying to get my head around it. Again though, I think the knowledge of the previous movies would help.  I struggled with the timelines and such for a while but about half an hour in I got to grips with it and I think I managed to hold onto it until the end.  I've lost is now though so don't ask me to explain it! I feel like I may have watched the films in the wrong order as I started with 4, then 1, now 5 and I still haven't seen 2 and 3 but I'm desperate for number 6 - now I am confused!

I loved this way more than I thought I would and personally, I preferred the chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney than I did the original cast (this comment may get me some stick but hey ho!).  I really did enjoy trying to keep track of the timelines and how it differed from the original.  One thing that did throw me was how Sarah knew how her entire life was supposed to play out, I pondered over that one for a good half an hour before I clocked that Pops obviously told her!

Ahhhhh how could I forget JK Simmons, love him!!  Didn't know he was in this, loved watching him bumbling around, tripping over stuff.  He can play anyone and I will automatically love him!

That said then, my score is a placeholder for now based solely on my enjoyment of the screening (as always). I’ll watch the other movies and revisit this at a later date. Or should I say...I’ll be back.  Now's your chance....