The Film Club #7

The Film Club #7

A round up of my current favourite films...

What about Bob?

This is probably one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time - to the point where I laughed out loud on several occasions - I mean, I didn't even check my phone during this movie! What About Bob? stars Bill Murray who plays the phobia-prone Bob Wiley, a neurotic man from New York diagnosed with “multi-phobic personality characterized by acute separation anxiety and extreme need for family connections”. After a meeting with his psychiatrist and best selling self-help book author, Marvin - Bob decides to follow him on his family holiday, after taking his book, and Marvin's advice a little too seriously. As the vacation goes on, Bob doesn't take the hint and continues to involve himself in Marvin's life and family - the family embrace Bob...but Marvin doesn't approve and practically has a meltdown. This is a really great black comedy, entertaining and heart warming all at the same time. Me and my friend both agreed that, without the comedy aspect to this and the upbeat soundtrack, this could easily have been more of a pyscho thriller like Shutter Island. Luckily, it's not so dark, and you are encouraged to see the funny side of it all. Bill Murray plays the part extremely well too.

9/10

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects starts off with the explosion of a ship, leaving 27 men dead - at the forefront of the crime are 5 suspects. The film goes through the lead up to this mysterious event, taking all sorts of twists and turns, kind of like a 'murder mystery' type thing. This kind of movie is ideal for those that like to try and work out what's going on and pick up clues along the way...in the end it took a big twist I wasn't expecting. Really well shot, Kevin Spacey is fab and the movie is overall really entertaining.

8/10

 Café Society

When I saw the trailer for this movie, I thought -  Woody Allen - yes. Steve Carrell - yes. Blake Lively - yes. And other well-known actors - yessss. However I would say the movie was a bit more mmyeah than yes...am I making sense here? As some other Woody Allen films normally are, this was based around a love triangle/love square. Bobby (played by Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network) leaves NYC for the glamorous 1930s Hollywood - he lands a job there with his uncle and instantly falls for Vonnie (Kristin Stewart)...however, she already has her heart taken by someone else, someone linked closely to Bobby... he falls out of love, then in love again etc etc. It was a nice movie to the pass the time - lots of nice costumes, make up, hair, set design and so on but won't stick in my mind for long...but take what you want from it and interpret it as you wish.

6/10

The Dreamers

This movie literally had me in love from the first scene. It's the 1960's in Paris and the student riots brings together three youths, an American exchange student, Matthew along with French twins, Théo and Isabelle. They bond over a mutual love of cinema and Matthew is fascinated by the twins and their (albeit, rather odd) intimacy with one another - the twins were born conjoined. Théo and Isabelle's parents go away for a month, leaving the three at their place to do as they please...and everything get's a lil bit weeeeeeird. I'm not sure my love for this film followed on from the first scene but nevertheless it was all quite fascinating and had me hooked start to finish. Expect some sexual scenes, sexy French accents, mopeds and beautiful Parisian backdrops. 

7/10

Sweet Sixteen

As part of my realism in cinema module, we were asked to watch one of Ken Loach's best work, Sweet Sixteen. The movie is set in Scotland and having been brought up in Glasgow myself, some locations and style of characters (aka. n.e.d.s - chavs) were quite familiar, as well as the Scottish slang and accent - I'd recommend subtitles, because even at some points I didn't understand what was being said, the accents are that thick! Sweet Sixteen is a gritty drama about a young man, Liam, who, despite trying his best to do good, just gets caught up in crime and the wrong crowd. He hopes that his imprisoned mother will be free by his 16th birthday, and wants to help her escape her toxic heroin-addict and abusive boyfriend - but Liam ends up getting pulled further into trouble with all the wrong people. This film is so raw and gritty that it didn't feel like watching a film anymore, which is what Ken Loach does best. 

9/10

Before The Flood

Last but certainly not least of today's film club is Leonardo Dicaprio's/National Geographic's collaboration in Before The Flood. Dicaprio meets with scientists, activists and world leaders (inc. Obama) to discuss the severity of climate change and the possible solutions to combat it. I'm so used to hearing Dicaprio's voice in feature films, so it was hard to realise that this wasn't any old made up story, but in fact, our reality. So before watching this, forget Leo as an actor, just think of him as a person, like you and me...trying to send out a very important message. The documentary takes you on a journey through diverse ecological systems and you are shown how already certain countries are struggling due to destruction and how our consumerism contributes to this. It's a powerful and sobering watch and opened my eyes a little bit wider to this problem. It's a must watch for absolutely everyone of us, and in particular all elected leaders to see global warming as a top priority. I think the film does a very good job in teaching you a lot, and motivating you to get involved, however it is all a bit overwhelming and probably needs to be watched a few times to really digest the information and act on it.

9/10

It's Getting VERY Sparkly In Here

It's Getting VERY Sparkly In Here

A last minute decision saw me attending a fancy and very sparkly event organised by the people at Very UK, at their HQ in Liverpool - one of the UK's leading online shopping retailers and the perfect spot to find a Christmas party look. The event was amazing and gave bloggers the chance to get an exclusive look at the party wear from Very's different brands like V, Warehouse and Miss Selfridge and more. There were also a display of the perfect evening bags to match and shoes to complete the look as well as some underwear sets. NYX were also there to give us glittery makeovers - one of my favourite make up brands.

Here are some photos and what to expect from the Christmas range...think lots of sequins, glitter, velvet, studs, shimmer, stars, lace, beading and basically anything shiny.

One of my favourite leopard looks by Warehouse!

My  favourite bag! Bowie vibes...

I'm mostly never seen wearing heels, or a fancy ball gown but wow these dresses were stunning and I had such a fun time looking at the whole range.

Shop their party dresses now here!

A Chester Travel Guide

A Chester Travel Guide

My parents and I recently had a weekend 'getaway' in Chester! The trip consisted of a bit of wandering, a bit of sightseeing, shopping, taking snaps and a heck lot of eating. Here are some of my top things to see/do/eat in Chester:

Have a wander along the high street...

Chester is definitely up there as one of the top uk cities to shop in. Similarly to Liverpool, Saturday was buzzing with people all along the high street. There is literally every shop you can imagine right up till the high end brands and a giant LUSH (amaze) - what was even more special was the street itself, with my favourite shops inside old Tudor buildings. So even if you aren't going shopping, a walk along here just to look at the architecture in itself is enjoyable.

Stop for some brunch at Atina kitchen...

Whilst on our lil wander, we stumbled across Atina Kitchen and with quick glance at the menu and exterior, we were sold, and starving. It's listed as one of the best places to eat in Chester on Trip Advisor so we knew we were in good hands.

I ordered the fruit smoothie and veggie style breakfast including: halloumi, tomatoes, smashed avocado, spinach, 2 poached eggs and English muffin (instead of pitta, cause I'm fussy). My dad got the full English and my mum, the eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce. We were all happy with the delicious food. There were lots of lovely, fresh flavours and I felt well and truly fueled up for the day. If you go, which you should, let Mark know I sent you!

Take a walk inside the Chester cathedral...

I thought after travelling in Spain, you've seen one cathedral, you've seen them all. This is half true, after seeing the cathedral in Toledo, I'm not sure I'll see a building as amazing ever again. But they're all different, in some way or another. It's free to visit the Chester cathedral, but you can also pay for a guided tour and a trip to the top for views of the city. I was still taken aback by the building, the ceilings, the organs, the tiled floors, the wooden carvings. There's always something to take away from it and I would definitely recommend the visit! Also, they are currently building a smaller, lego version of the cathedral indoors, so naturally I asked my mum for £1 to contribute a piece, and I got a sticker...I am not a normal 21 year old.

Take a stroll down Godstall Lane...

Tucked in away from the city is the narrow little Godstall lane. Adorned with a few shops, some bars including The Botanist - it's a lovely quiet little area stop for a drink and chill. Like the true Brits we are, we stopped at the Cheshire Sandwich Company for tea and scones. Brit clichés aside, the cafe/lounge was lovely with big comfy sofas and magazines and had a relaxed vibe. Apparently the sandwiches are some of the best in the UK too.

I hope you enjoyed this short but sweet guide to Chester. It's a lovely small city, and despite the size has a good nightlife too and lots of great venues that we didn't even get to try. The time we had there was little but I think we made the most of it and I would love to go back again!