Paul

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From the director of Superbad, and the creators of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, comes Paul.

A story about a laid-back alien called Paul (Seth Rogan) who is on the run from the government across the States before getting picked up by a couple of geeky tourists, Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost). Graeme and Clive attended Comic-Con before travelling to various locations where UFOs have been sighted in an RV, until they get a closer encounter than they expected!… Continue reading →

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Eat Pray Love

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Eat Pray Love is about Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) who has a large home, a husband and a great job, but she feels empty and without an ‘appetite’ for life. She soon instigates a divorce from her husband (Billy Crudup) whom she feels no connection to, before having a rebound relationship with David (James Franco).

So Elizabeth decides to go travelling for a year to Italy to find her appetite again (eat), then India to experience peace (pray), and then Bali for balance, which turns into love… Continue reading →

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Brooklyn

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I am ashamed how close I came to watching Tina Fey’s new movie, Sisters, rather than seeing this touching drama. (I still reckon Tina Fey is a genius, though.)

After seeing the Brooklyn trailer I was prepared to see a slow-paced, sullen and potentially grim film. But this was not the case!

I walked out of the cinema feeling uplifted, positive and encouraged. I felt as though I’d been wrapped up in a big, fat duvet, sung a lullaby while sipping on hot cocoa inside by the fire during a blizzard… It gave me the warm and fuzzies, and made me feel happy… Continue reading →

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The ‘Runaway’ Film Genre

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I have referenced this unofficial genre in many film reviews of late, so I thought I should dedicate a post to it. Especially since it doesn’t have a Wikipedia page.

Because I made it up.

I did a check list for the genre in Wild. So I’ll copy and past it here, and elaborate.

Now, I love this genre. Sure, I’ve made up the title and the rules, but they are typically wondrous, fantastical, deep, meaningful, adventurous insights into a character.

I love psychology, and these movies tend to play on why we make the decisions we do, and why we interact in the way we do… Continue reading →

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Hector and the Search for Happiness

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I thought this was going to be an English version of Walter Mitty… I think that was the aim anyway, but it certainly wasn’t the final product.

Unfortunately, this potentially deep and meaningful storyline was not achieved due to the general lack of believability, and the distaste toward the main character, Hector (Simon Pegg).

Basically, Hector is a psychiatrist and he finds himself unfulfilled. So he goes on a journey around the world, visiting countries including China and Africa, to find out what makes people happy… Continue reading →

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Into the Wild

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Based on a true story, Into the Wild is about a privileged young man, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who graduates from university. He has the world in his hands, from the outside he has a top-class education, and wealthy, supportive parents.

But his deepest desire is to distance himself from the material world of money and ‘things’. So he sets off on a journey in search of adventures in the Alaskan wilderness… Continue reading →

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Wild

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Based on a true story, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) battles the ghosts of her past: heroin addiction, divorce, the death of her mother and the abandonment of her father. As a way to start fresh, she goes on a 1000-mile journey along the Pacific Crest Trail.

To be frank, the flashbacks made me feel really uncomfortable. But… I guess the world of heroin addicts shouldn’t exactly be attractive.

A classic ‘runaway movie’, although I’m not entirely sure if this is actually a sub-genre. Nevertheless, Wild fits into this category along with Into the Wild, Thelma and Louise, and to some extent: Eat Pray Love, Gone Girl and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty… Continue reading →

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Thelma & Louise

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If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s about two women who needed a break from their respective husband and boyfriend, and took a weekend away. Except, after getting caught up in a major kerfuffle, the women find themselves on the run from the law. They have never experienced such freedom, and use the lack of rules to their advantage by going on a crime spree. But, they do take moral responsibility for everything they do. They are able to fully explore who they are without the moulding of a man in their lives. Continue reading →

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Top 9: First Class Films About Travelling

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I know I need to stop going on about it! But The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a fantastically inspiring film. It really did make me want to travel. Coincidently, Iceland is my dream location anyway. So that was just the cherry on top.

This got me thinking what other films make you want to quit your day job and get lost in the wilderness… Continue reading →

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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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An inspirational fable to say the least. I have been waiting for a movie like this for a long time.

“Having a Walter Mitty moment”, you’ve probably heard the phrase. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty explores the ‘what if’ situations in life.

It is sort of similar to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, because it is the story of a man’s dreams and epic adventures.

Coincidently, there is a hilarious reference to Benjamin Button in the movie.

Everybody can relate to Walter Mitty. Dreamers, travellers, photographers, bored office workers… Anybody who fantasises about running away or doing something crazy… Continue reading →

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Water For Elephants

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I bought this DVD as a bit of a whim. After stumbling across the trailer on YouTube I thought that the look of the whole film resembled the circus scenes in Big Fish.

It is the story of the dark side of the circus during the early 1930s, with a forbidden love story between Jacob (Robert Pattinson) and Marlena (Reece Witherspoon) intertwined. Jacob runs away with the circus and poses as a certified vet to continue travelling with them, but discovers that there’s much more to performing that the magic the audience sees.

On the way, he experiences the control and under handed acts that go on in order to keep the circus from failing during the depression. Staff would go missing in the night if the boss and husband of Marlena, August (Christoph Waltz), was unable to pay… Continue reading →

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Cemetery Junction

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Based in the early seventies, this film follows the lives of three boys in their early twenties whose lives consist of “boozing”, partying and “getting birds”. However, after one of the boys, Freddie (Christian Cook), meets an old friend, Julie (Felicity Jones) who is bursting to leave town and travel the world, he decides that he wants more in life too.

They both realise that they are both being held back by conservative parents and living in the regimented town of Cemetery Junction… Continue reading →

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Chocolat

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A mysterious and magical fable-like tale about an eccentric, colourful and embracing chocolatier named Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and how she brightened up a deeply rooted traditional French village. Her provocative clothing, illegitimate child and outspoken values made her unwanted in the village, being cast as an evil influence. Depite this, her Chocolaterie brings hope and perspective to the guilty customers. Amongst this, there is a compelling love interest between Vianne and a free-spirited Irish traveller Roux (Johnny Depp).

I love the lead actress, , but I do wonder if they chose her because Marion Cotillard was unavailable. In any case, they are two gorgeously elegant French women with an enormous amount of talent.

This film is about depriving ourselves of things for the purpose of discipline, particularly of religion or society… Continue reading →

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Up in the Air

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At face value, this may seem like just another shallow idea with a typical love story. But this is far from it.

It’s an incredible story that has a very serious undertone, indeed. It is actually documenting the effects of the start of the financial downfall that we are now experiencing globally.

The movie is not told from the perspective of an employee being let go and the inevitable family and financial problems that would accompany it, but from the point of view of the man that is hired by the boss to tell their employers they no longer have a job.

This is a song that a man named Kevin Renick wrote after losing his job. He sent it to Jason Reitman after hearing about the film and the song is played on the credits. Shows how real this film is, I think… Continue reading →

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