Review: Frank (2014)

I was given a rare opportunity over the weekend recently. My husband said he wanted to watch a movie with me and order take-out, and I could pick any movie I wanted. Normally I can only coerce him with an Action/Crime/Thriller, but I was given free reign. Straight away I brought up my watch list and picked a movie I’d been wanting to see for a while, Frank (2014). Pizza was ordered, the movie was set up, and my husband asked me what the movie was about. Erm. I explained it to him in the terms that came to my head straight away. It went something like this:

So, Magneto wears a giant head on his head and calls himself Frank. He makes weird music with a band whose name I can’t pronounce. They need a new band member so General Hux joins them but he’s kind of terrible.

Safe to say, if it weren’t for the fact that the movie was already set up, I was going to have to put Taken on just to make up for this. Thankfully, all it took was Domhnall Gleeson tweeting about an epic cheese and ham toastie to bring my fiance back round again. Man, I could kill for a cheese and ham toastie right now… #nomnomnomnom.

The movie follows the band as they record their new album, and eventually find fame online thanks to Jon (Gleeson) tweeting updates, filming progress and uploading it to YouTube. They eventually get invited to play at SXSW, a huge creative event which excited me as I’ve actually been there! That excitement died a little when I realised they didn’t actually film at the festival, but it was still a cool moment.

It’s the band’s arrival at SXSW where the movie takes a sharp turn and we learn more about Frank (Michael Fassbender) and his struggle with mental illness. The second half is much darker, but it was quite a jarring turn around.

Frank is one of those movies where I’ve had to take a few days to even put my thoughts down in writing. It is, without a doubt, one of the weirdest movies I’ve ever seen, but I really enjoyed the dark humour aspect of it all. Frank’s ‘Most Likeable Song Ever’ and Jon’s moment with Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal) in the hot tub were some of the funniest movie moments ever, and I doubt I’ll forget about them. Actually, any moment where Frank voiced his facial expression was equally hilarious!

I appreciated the ending, and noticed that it almost ended the way it began with a certain scene that I’d have normally missed, but I don’t know how satisfied I am with the closing scene. It made me a little sad. That was short lived though, as the song ‘I Love You All’ was beautiful, and I’m playing it right now whilst I type this.

On reflection, I think I was mad at Frank for making me feel some feelings I wasn’t comfortable with, but now I’ve pondered it for a while, I can appreciate it for what it is. A quirky yet beautiful movie.

Review: Carol (2015)

My New Year’s resolution for the last few years has been to watch more movies. Resolutions are meant to be difficult, and take some effort to achieve, and this year has been the first year that I could confidently say I’ll do this without much effort, so I needed a new movie-related resolution for 2016. This year I’m resolving to move out of my comfort zone, and be more open to movies I’d never normally watch. And that’s how I found myself watching Carol.

Carol (2015) is the story of an unexpected love affair between Therese (Rooney Mara), a young woman working at a department store, dreaming of a career in photography, and Carol (Cate Blanchett), an older woman stuck in a loveless marriage and a difficult custody situation over her daughter.

Is this a period drama? I’ve just realised I’ve never actually understood the term. How many years ago does a movie need to be set before it’s classed that way? I’m going to learn something new today, that’s for sure. Anyway, that’s something I wanted to say. How the sets in Carol were beautiful. The department store in particular reminded me of the one in Brooklyn (the movie, not the place, although it was set there...you know what I mean) which put me at ease instantly. The costumes as well, were so well done and I found myself missing dialogue at some points because I was marvelling at everything else.

This isn’t my kind of movie at all. I struggle with romance movies without the comedy element, and of course with the nature of the romance in Carol, there’s no leading man. So I was baffled when I found myself completely sucked into this story. I loved following Therese’s story, wondering whether she would leave her quiet life and love interest Richard (Jake Lacy) behind for a life with Carol. Equally, my heart sank when Carol’s husband Harge (Kyle Chandler) opened up a custody case for their daughter.

It even took a much darker turn and a twist I wasn’t expecting. It’s all thanks to the amazing job that Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett have done, and it’s a shame this year’s awards season looks so strong, as I’d love to see them both win for their work here.

Something else I wanted to highlight in this movie is something I don’t normally notice, the music. It really stood out in Carol, and in 2 key moments. One I don’t want to mention because spoilers, but it burst out again at the ending, and it was so powerful it kind of gave me goosebumps!

So all in all, my New Year’s resolution is going well, and I’m really glad I gave Carol a chance. I don’t think I’m a fully converted fan of the genre yet, but I’ll certainly give more movies like this a chance.

Happy Birthday Tom Hanks

As you probably have noticed, me and Allie regularly have obsessions with various actors/actresses, the Ryans, Emma Stone, Adam Driver and Taron Egerton to name but a few BUT though all of my short lived obsessions there is one actor that I always come back to as my ultimate favourite.  Any film with the name Tom Hanks on the post will grab my attention, there are films that to me look terribly boring but I have watched them because of Mr Hanks and have not been disappointed (Bridge of Spies).  

To celebrate his 60th birthday, I decided to write up my Top 5 of his films.  This posed a problem, it is impossible to pick 5 films from his vast filmography from his 36 year career, I did however manage to cut it down to 10 but I can't order them, so in no particular order, here are the my Top 0 Tom Hanks films:

Tom Hanks is one of the only actors who can make you cry over a volleyball, his incredible acting skills meant he needed no other actors on screen to hold the audiences attention and have you on the edge of your seat.  The first time I saw the 'Wilsoooooon' scene I cried my eyes out and it stuck with me for a long time afterwards.

If I haven't mentioned it once or a thousand times throughout this blog, I adore Forrest Gump, another film where Hanks shows heartbreak so believably that you cry real tears. Countless quotes from this film will forever be used in everyday conversation and I don't think I know anyone who hasn't seen this.  

I have only watched this film once and I cried and cried and it stuck with me for weeks afterwards, I couldn't forget it.  I remember thinking it was a brilliant film but I haven't had the guts to watch it again yet although I would love to, I just need to be in the right frame of mind.  Having just read a little bit about it, I didn't realise it was based on a Stephen King novel, maybe I should try the book first.

I am a huge Disney fan and I have read books and books on Walt Disney and his businesses. So when  I found out they were releasing a film about Walt Disney and his work on getting Mary Poppins on the big screen and that Disney would be played by Tom Hanks I was so excited.  I wasn't disappointed when the film was released, I loved every second and I was really glad that they posed some of  Walt's more pushy characteristics that are rarely focused on when thinking about the man who created Mickey Mouse.

I remember when I saw the trailer for this and wondered how it could be an entertaining film but it was brilliant.  It's heartwarming and charming as well as being funny and upsetting all at once.  It has a great cast (less Catherine Zeta-Jones), a brilliant script and an amazing story.

Stick Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio on the screen together and you are bound to get a winner and this is just that.  It did feel long but this duo keep the pace up throughout the film and keeps you thoroughly entertained.  

This was an accidental find back in the late 90's, I recorded it on VHS from the TV after reading the synopsis in the TV guide and I watched it over and over again.  I loved the music to the point that I still have them on my iPod to blast in my car.  What I didn't realise was that Tom Hanks wrote, directed and starred in this, now I love it even more!  It's a great feel good movie, you can't help but smile when the boys become a success and sing along to the 60's soundtrack.

"There's no crying in baseball" - I have this quote on my bedroom wall as one of my favourite movie quotes ever.  I have watched this countless times with my Dad over the years and I still get a tear in my eye when Jimmy (Tom Hanks) has to walk down the line of women with the telegram from the war office. 

"Houston, we have a problem" is also on my wall!  I may have a little obsession with Tom Hanks!  Another one that reminds me of family movies nights, it was always difficult to find a film that Mom and Dad liked and was suitable for a 10 year old.  This was before Dad found his love for animated movies and superhero movies which we now share our love for. Apollo 13, the first few times I watched it I don't think I understood a lot of what happened but I have watched it countless times since and still love it.

A grown man that can convincingly play a 13 year old boy and make you believe it can only be Tom Hanks.  Hundreds of times while watching Big I was completely immersed, I believed that he was a 13 year old boy.  The toy store scene is one of my favourites and makes me grin from ear to ear.

Happy Birthday Tom!!

5 Best and Worst Movies of 2016 So Far

No way are we already halfway through the year! Summer has finally arrived in the UK, I can tell, because I’m sneezing constantly and my eyes won’t stop watering. I tried to use that as an excuse whilst watching Me Before You, but that didn’t work, sadly. As per usual I’m nowhere near up to date with all of the cinema releases, but what kind of movie blog would this be without a mid-year best and worst list?  Having decided to do some research for this post I realised just how many movies I have actually missed so far this year!

There are movies I know will be great that I haven’t seen yet, like The Nice Guys, and others that simply haven’t landed in our cinemas yet, like Finding Dory. I’d like to say I’ve also steered clear of some of this year’s stinkers...but I’m depressingly up to date with those. But, without further ado, here’s what I consider the 5 best and worst movies of this year so far, in no particular order.

Let’s start with the best!

It was only when I went through my Letterboxd diary that I remembered Spotlight was a 2016 release in the UK! Despite the feeling that the last 6 months has flown by, this movie feels much older to me already. My firm favourite in the Oscars line up and I’m still so glad it won Best Picture. In fact, I’d almost pushed the chill factor I got from watching it to the back of my mind until now. It’s one of those movies I want to rewatch for the amazing performances by the cast, but it’s such a tough subject I also never want to see it again. A must watch for sure though.  I have to wholeheartedly agree on both this being one of the best and also that I can't believe it was released this year, it feels like ages ago!

As a huge Deadpool comic fan, and after waiting years for this movie, I’d have been happy if it simply didn’t suck. In fact, with the amazing marketing stunts in the run up to it’s release, it could have still sucked and I’d have been happy. Maybe. What I got to see on Valentine’s Day weekend was one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time, with more heart than I was expecting. I’ve rewatched it a couple of times now and my opinion hasn’t changed, but I didn’t manage to convince my Mum not to see it. I don’t think her innocent mind was prepared… I wish I could have seen your Mom's face, why didn't you invite me!?  Another one that I agree with!  I have watched this countless times and it has never failed me, it still makes me laugh out loud and I still spot things I missed the last time I watched it.  Also, it made my Valentines weekend (going out with my Dad) seem much less pathetic as it was 'to see Deadpool'.  Hmm we're on a roll, this has to end soon surely.....

When the super secret trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane came out, I raced home that night to watch the original Cloverfield for the first time. It was good, but honestly, it was J.J. Abrams’ name that got me excited the most. I didn’t know what to expect from this, I wanted to say sequel, but it isn’t. In fact, it could easily be unrelated to Cloverfield entirely, but enough of that. It’s best watched knowing as little as possible, and it’s one of the most intense movies I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if John Goodman will be up for any awards for his performance but holy moly, he should be.  And it's ended!  Not because I didn't like it but because I haven't seen it.  I have added my 'replacements' at the end of the list so as not to 'invade' Allie's list too much!  Point to be made though, me and Allie have sworn to watch more horror movies this year, that include strict instructions that include but are not limited to a) staying over at each others houses after the movie b) Allie's husband is NOT allowed to jump out from behind a wardrobe because it's funny! and c) plenty of commentary to avoid thinking about the horrors that are likely hiding under my bed!

Last year Disney destroyed my emotions with Inside Out. I’ve seen it far too many times since and I laugh and cry every time. Then The Good Dinosaur came out, which looked so unoriginal I didn’t even watch it. I had low hopes for Zootopia (or Zootropolis, over here) too, but the voice cast was enough for me to give it a go. Boy, was I wrong! With Zootopia, Disney managed to explore a relevant and serious issue in such a clever way, and even made fun of themselves along the way. Every character is memorable, but I may be biased after Nick stole my heart in Disneyland!   Ooh ooh ooh, I need to watch this now, how can I do a Top 5 list without having seen the latest Disney film, I'm disappointed in myself!

I’m never too proud to admit I’m wrong. When the first trailer came out for Everybody Wants Some, and the hype picked up, I felt like the only person in the world who just didn’t get it. The trailer wasn’t funny, and I couldn’t even work out what the plot was. Everything went quiet until it’s release, and then the overwhelmingly positive reviews flooded in. At that point I gave in, I just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I loved it. Every second. I can’t even put it into words yet as I only watched it a week ago, but it all felt so natural, and it was funny!  Now I feel like I have missed even more films as I haven't seen 3 out of Allies top 5 films of the year, maybe i need to check in with her more!

Honourable mentions from me go to Midnight Special and Captain America: Civil War. I can’t even tell you how hard it was to cut this down to 5, I’m going to be screwed when the time comes to doing a full year post!

Ok so there were 3 on Allie's list that I can't say I didn't agree with as I haven't seen them so here are my extras:

I am the first to admit that Me Before You was not as good as the book, I have read the book countless times and there were elements missing from the film that I thought were important.  But I think they nailed the actors for the lead roles, particularly Emilia Clarke, she couldn't have been any more perfect as Lou.

Yes The Jungle Book terrified me, but it was so well put together and such a brilliant version of the story, it was so close to the Disney version whilst just that little bit darker.  The CGI work was absolutely incredible and so magical to watch (probably why I was so scared, the animals looked so real!).  Not one I will be watching with my niece but will most definitely will be watching it again!

How could I not include the feel good movie of the year, Eddie the Eagle is a re-watch must. It, without a doubt, puts a smile on my face!  This may also have something to do with my Taron Egerton obsession and seen as his next movie is a cartoon, this is my only fix for the medium term.  

An easier list to put together was the worst of 2016 so far…

One of my first cinema trips of the year was to see How to Be Single, and I was so excited! Surely a cast like this couldn’t disappoint, but it did. The only laugh out loud moments were in the trailer, and it had been shoved in my face so many times prior to it’s release that they just weren’t funny anymore. There was an attempt at a serious storyline that felt way out of place, and one of the main cast had literally no connection to the others at all. This could have been great, but it’s only memorable moment for me was the ‘tit punch’.  Agreed, not only was this rubbish but it let us believe it was going to be a good movie from the trailer only to massively disappoint upon viewing!

Oh my goodness, my subconscious had actually done me a favour and made me forget all about Get a Job, and then my film diary reminded me of this monstrosity. Normally I can always find a little bit of good in a movie, but this just plain sucked. This is another movie that could have been great, the plot felt so relevant to me personally, the cast was promising, I mean, what could possibly go wrong? There are so many separate plots in this that none of them get enough time to even make sense, and then it’s all over as quickly as it began (you will diagree but this is the exact problem I have with Love Actually!). Afterwards I learnt that the movie stayed on a shelf for 4 years before it got a release date. It should have stayed there.  I wrote my list before even looking at this post and yet somehow I knew this would be on there, great cast, truly awful script!

Jenna, this one is on you. You tried to lure me in with ‘by the makers of Sharknado’, but all I got was some post-apocalyptic western filled with boyband members, and I don’t even remember what happened now. This wasn’t even bad on the same level as Sharknado where you can poke fun at a crazy plot and awful continuity, this was just plain bad.  Admittedly, this wasn't one of my best choices but it has started the 'from the makers of Sharknado' subplot to the blog ;-)  This was on my list as well so not to worry, I am aware of my failures as a movie picker....just needed to see Nick Carter in action again!

I’m sorry, Jenna. I know how much you loved this. If it makes you feel any better I thought Dirty Grandpa was hilarious but everyone hates that. It’s probably your fault actually, you told me how good this would be, but for me it was another Tammy. It just wasn’t funny, but I went along with the plot, I wanted to know how the brownie business was going to go, but then I nodded off, and the next thing I know Melissa McCarthy and Peter Dinklage were having a sword fight on a roof, and I had to check I was still watching the same movie!  The film was crap to be fair but I laughed all the way though, it's Melissa McCarthy she just has that effect on me.  I had drank a couple of glasses of wine beforehand so maybe I need to try again sober, but for now this is not on my worst films list.

I feel kind of bad for including this, because Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t that bad, it was just a huge letdown. I partly blame the marketing to be honest. I mean, all we needed to know was that these two heroes were going to fight each other, and we’d have all rushed to the cinema to see it. We didn’t need to know who else would be there, or indeed, what the entire plot was. After goodness knows how many trailers, I felt like I’d already seen the whole movie. In the end, it just felt like it’s only purpose was to set up a Justice League movie, and it should have been so much more.  So remember when I mentioned that I was a little bit behind with my 2016 movies, I wasn't kidding!  I still haven't seen this so I can't judge but the countless bad reviews probably deterred me somewhat from rushing to the cinema the second it was released.

Honourable mention for Independence Day: Resurgence, only because I had so much fun making fun of it for our review! 

Speaking of which, I have a couple of my own to add, one of which being Independence Day: Resurgence - thank god for Jeff Goldblum or I may have walked out.  I think I more disappointed than anything, I loved the first one and I just really wanted it to be great and it just wasn't....at all!

Finally, and probably my biggest disappointment of the year - Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. Nope nope nope and nope, this was all kinds of crap mushed together to make a ridiculous plot and shonky script.  the cameo spotting which should have made it bearable were so over the top, there were 7 in the first 30 seconds of the film - too much!  I still love Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley and the original series but this was just one big nope! 

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

For me, 2015 was the year that I managed to ignore a horrendous of amazing movies, which I obviously regretted when I finally got round to watching them months later. Since that realisation, I’ve been making a better attempt at watching the movies I’ve been recommended. I mean, they’re recommended for a reason, Allie, get your head in the game! I can’t for the life of me remember why, but I know I read about Inside Llewyn Davis a while ago, and with 2 cast members of The Force Awakens in it, I couldn’t pass on it any longer.

Inside Llewyn Davis follows the life of a folk singer named, oddly enough, Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac, as he struggles with his life both personally and professionally. His week starts off badly when he lets himself out of a friends apartment, and ends up locking their cat outside, along with himself. Have you ever tried to carry a cat around anywhere? I struggle to carry mine from room to room, so Llewyn gets a seal of approval from me for managing to carry this cat from one side of New York to the other without losing it. Well, kind of.

It wasn’t until halfway through the movie that I truly appreciated it for what it was, a journey, and at that moment my brain did a thing and I realised that it was directed by the Coen brothers! I’m such a big fan of Fargo and The Big Lebowski, and although Inside Llewyn Davis is much more toned down than these, the feeling is still there. I’m now on a major Coen hype, and if anyone could recommend another movie of theirs, I would really appreciate it.

Another thing I loved was the music. i’m not a folk/jazz fan at all, couldn’t be much further from it, but the night that I watched this I couldn’t sleep because I had the only two lines of ‘Hang me, oh hang me’ that I could remember playing on loop in my head. I had to actually find it on YouTube and play it just so my mind could rest. in fact, let me find it for you now.

What fascinated me the most was after watching the movie, I read more into it, about the cat named Ulysses and the fact that actually, Llewyn is this cat, on that adventure. It’s taken me 2 weeks to actually finish this post, because it’s played on my mind ever since, and if you follow us on Twitter you’ll see, each day that passed I loved it a little more and more.

If you haven’t watched Inside Llewyn Davis yet, I strongly recommend that you do, and if this post isn’t enough to sell it to you, let me try you with this. you get to watch Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren and Justin Timberlake sing a song about outer space. it doesn’t get much better than that, folks.