Hey film fans! I haven't written about my favourite films in ages and I've realised I should probably mention when there are films I haven't liked so much. So, I've decided to talk about them all - the good, the bad and the not worth wasting a cinema ticket on. Here are my recent favourites and not so favourite...
The Girl On The Train
I've been so excited to see this after finishing the book in 2 days over my summer holidays - quite impressive for someone that normally takes months to a year. There's good and bad press about both the book and film - saying the book was too easy to read, nothing new, similar to Gone Girl (which yes it does have similar themes to) etc. Others saying the film didn't match up to the book. First of all, I loved the book - it had me wanting to not go to sleep (sad) and wanting to get up and read it asap the next day, the story had me on the edge right till the end, guessing and questioning the outcome. As for the film, of course, everything was less of a surprise since I knew the whole story already but I still enjoyed seeing it all happen in front of me, seeing the characters I'd read about come to life and in my opinion, they matched up perfectly as I imagined when reading the story.
In short, the story tells the tale of Rachel (played pretty well by Emily Blunt) a sad, clearly mentally unstable, alcoholic who rides a train to work everyday and watches people from the train...bit creepy, yes. Quite a simple narrative initially, until she sees something one day that somehow changes everything in her life. There's a lot of switching back and forth from different times as well as different characters pov...which my friend pointed out was probably to demonstrate the confused/lost/drunken state of mind of Rachel and her scattered memory caused by blackouts. All in all, I enjoyed both, the book more because I had no idea what was coming, the film a little less because there were some o.t.t/romanticized scenes that weren't entirely necessary. I thought the filming style was a bit ugly and could have been a lot better!
7/10
7/10
Sausage Party
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Me and my flatmate decided to watch this one evening - with the colder evenings I'd much rather stay in and watch a movie than go out! The only way I can describe Sausage Party is that it's a stoner movie. I can imagine Seth Rogen, James Franco and the others sitting around smoking and one of them suddenly coming up with an idea for film - like "shit guys, you know what would make a good movie? A movie about food that talks". It's as random and as strange as it sounds. It's not for children either and is probably one of the rudest cartoons I've seen. Despite all the silliness, I'm sure there was some deep meaning behind it all...probably not.
5/10
War on Everyone |
Oh dear god, where do I start? Well first of all, this was the free movie of the month at FACT, luckily, otherwise I would have probably *attempted* to ask for my money back. What a shambles. I can confirm that a few people even walked out of the cinema - which I haven't seen in a while. I have no idea what the director was aiming for here but it was a mess. The characters, the dialogue, the worst puns and jokes ever, pointless violence, pointless sex scenes, a story with no plot, the weirdest shemale actor i've ever seen...I don't, can't even...ugh...just think of the worst film you've ever seen and then realise that this is probably worse.
0/10
Wanderlust  |
I think that if you're not up for watching a heavy movie and would prefer to watch a light-hearted, fun comedy then Wanderlust is the ideal choice! Keep your expectations low and you'll be pretty happy with this movie. Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston make the perfect on screen rom com couple, I'd definitely like to see more comedies with them in it! The story is about George and Linda who are a stressed couple from Manhattan. George is made redundant and they decide to move to his brothers in Atlanta - who I would honestly disown if he was my brother - on the way to Atlanta they stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by a bunch of hippies who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? Careers? Clothes? Doesn't matter there! Fair to say it's nothing new, and it's all pretty predictable, but it's a good laugh and will be the ideal pick-me-up.
6/10
Bicycle Thieves
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I studied this film as part of my module about realism in cinema this semester and I loved every minute of it. Bicycle Thieves (or Ladri di biciclette in Italian) directed by Vittoria de Sica is about the unemployed Antonio who finally finds a job hanging posters around Rome - in order to have this job he must own a bicycle. Disaster strikes when Antonio's bicycle is unexpectedly stolen on his first day. We follow him through the streets of Rome for a day with his son Bruno to find it. It's a heartbreaking story that in one part, focuses on the relationship between father and son and the larger framework of poverty and unemployment in postwar Italy. We see what happens to a desperate working-class man who is prepared to do whatever he can to be able to support his family again. Unfortunately, it may also mean conforming to the same behavior of the thief who stole his bike in the first place. Antonio is torn between demonstrating to his son, Bruno, that he can win back the bike - pushed by his survival instincts but undone by his empathy and moral values.
10/10
War Dogs
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Neither bad nor great, War Dogs sits somewhere in the middle. The narrative was a little bit, 'been there done' that, however I still enjoyed it and I think the duo worked well together. The genre is hard to pinpoint because it incorporates a lot of different elements such as crime, comedy and action thus this would make it appear to a wider audience range. Based on a true story, the film is about Efraim Diveroli and his childhood friend David Packouz who is offered a chance to make big money by becoming an international arms dealer. The duo exploit a government initiative that allows businesses to bid on US military contracts. In the beginning they are able to live the high life, enjoying the fruits of their labor however things get a bit darker and more dangerous when they land a deal with an Afghan supply force...if this tempts you then give it a watch!
6/10
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Ok so this may not be classed as a film but I thought I'd include it anyway, because I'm obsessed. The series is in fact based on the 1970 Yul Brynner classic and has been re-adapted ft. a star studded line up including Anthony Hopkins, Thandie Newton and James Marsden. I'm 3 episodes in and already hooked! If you're looking to fill that GOT/Breaking Bad/*insert finished series here* gap in your heart then look noooo further! Amazing set design, costumes, action, narrative and plenty to keep you waiting till the next episode. I'm currently awaiting Sunday's new episode after last weeks cliffhanger.
9/10
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