Me, Before You (2016)

I’ve not actually read the book but quite a few of my friends have so I knew the basis of the story and the film had got decent reviews so I thought I’d give it a watch when it came to Netflix.

We see a young woman called Lou, played by Emilia Clarke happily working in a little coffee shop when, sadly she’s let go of as they’re not making enough money there. Lou then tries to get herself a new job as her family are struggling since her dad also lost his job.  She goes through a few roles and then finds one she feels she’d be right for.  It’s a job as a carer at a wealthy families estate, caring for their paralyzed son, Will played by Sam Claflin.

Lou is overly happy and cheerful (yes, one of those people) and obviously given what’s happen to him, Will is the complete opposite and the pair clash a lot.  Lou is just about to give up and then Will seems to start to give her a chance and the pair finally seem to be getting on.  It’s a bittersweet film and it does make you think about what it would be like in both of these characters shoes.

The acting in this film is brilliant, both Clarke and Claflin are brilliant in their roles and look out for Matthew Lewis as Lou’s boyfriend Patrick. I think that it’s refreshing too see Emilia Clarke in a role like this one because we’re so used to seeing her in her Game of Thrones attire being bold and serious, this proves she has some range when it comes to acting.

It’s such a sad story and Will’s situation does raise some controversial issues, which feature in the film.  It’s more than just a romantic story because like I mentioned earlier, you see both sides to this and it does make you wonder what you’d do in their situation. I don’t intend to spoil the film for you but some scenes are a little stressful to watch because Will isn’t in the best mind set and doesn’t value his life anymore so it’s just to warn you really.

Overall this film is a really good watch, I cried I’m not going to lie and it’s not a chick-flick, it’s one everyone can relate too but maybe not young children as it might be a little heavy for them… It’s nice too see the pairs relationship change over time as they grow closer and the ending isn’t what everyone’s wants to see but that’s one of the reasons I like this film and it’s story.

Perfect Popcorn Score – I’m giving this an eight, brilliant acting, moving story and something that will stay with you. 8/10 

The Ugly Truth (2009)

 This film is one of those easy to watch rom-coms that you put on, chill out and enjoy.  Katherine Heigl seemed to want Jennifer Aniston’s rom-com queen crown around that time but seemed to fail when she was deemed ‘difficult’ to work with. 

Abby, played by Katherine Heigl  is a successful television producer and a very hopeless romantic that believes that she will meet the guy of her dreams one day.  Abby is watching TV alone (well, with her cat..) and comes across a ‘cable’ show called The Ugly Truth and it’s presenter/creator Mike Chadway, played by Gerard Butler. Abby is disgusted by Mike’s attitude and actually calls into his show, making a fool of herself in the process.  The next day her bosses all (coincidentally) saw the show and want to make it a feature of their morning show, Abby reluctantly agrees.

Abby meets Colin, played by Eric Winter and she is desperate for the relationship to work so she goes against her morals and get’s Mike to help her.  I mean it’s kind of a bet but still, why build a relationship being someone you’re not to try and prove a point? It’s obviously not going to end well…

This film has some good laughs and an OK story line highlighting what women think men (should) want and what men actually want.  Personally I think it’s all about opinions and based on individuals at certain times in life.  Everyone is in different situations, this film doesn’t really dig deep into that and misses, The Ugly Truth really. It’s a pretty predictable story line so don’t expect anything big but there’s worse films out there.

Acting is average and let’s face it there’s only so much you can do with a script like this but Gerard Butler does his best and makes this film.  Heigl is the same in every romantic comedy she’s cast in, nothing new here. The rest of the cast didn’t stand out but they did their jobs.

There’s no effects or anything in particular worth mentioning but like I said sadly this film does miss the point.  All men aren’t just after sex and all women aren’t just after marriage and babies (or vice versa).  This film massively stereotypes gender and it’s funny in parts but I’m getting a little tired of this same stereotype used constantly.

Overall, it’s easy watching and like I said, not the worst out there but it’s not one of the best romantic comedies either. It’s very predictable but if you’re at home looking for something to watch for a laugh then, why not?

Perfect Popcorn Score – I’m giving it a six, it’s your average rom-com with some good laughs but nothing to rave over… – 6/10.

About Time (2013)

I don’t normally see ‘rom-com’ type films at the cinema these days because at lot of them are very predictable, but I did catch this one on the big screen when it came out.  I’d seen the trailer when watching another film and I love Richard Curtis movies so this is one I just had to see.

The story is that all of the men in Tim’s family, on his fathers’ side can travel through time.  They’re not able to change history but they can change certain things in their own lives. Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson, uses this opportunity to get himself a girlfriend (that’s it Tim think big…).

Tim meets Mary, played by Rachel McAdams in a sort of ‘blind date’ situation and uses his time travelling abilities to impress and then hopefully date her.  Tims’ Dad, played by Bill Nighy is always there to guide and advise Tim about life and his gift.  There are some laughs in this film but you just see life slightly differently when watching this, some of Tim’s plans don’t always work out and where or not you can travel through time, that’s just life for you.

The cast in this film are fantastic, I mean Bill Nighy is just a legend and Tom Hollander is brilliant as Tim’s land lord, the cynical writer Harry.  This was actually the first time I’d seen Margot Robbie in a film as Tim’s sister’s friend Charlotte.

There’s no effects to mention and I won’t go into wardrobe but I will, however say that this film is very bittersweet too watch. I can’t say too much as I try and review films without any spoilers but it does get emotional towards the end and the message of the film is explained.  It’s a cleverly written film and like I mentioned not all of Tim’s life goes to plan, there’s a catch or two to his gift that he has to learn and deal with.

It’s a lovely film to watch, the cast are brilliant and as with all of Curtis’ films, no one tries to outdo one another.  He directs and writes perfectly, something America have been trying to achieve for a while now with ‘flops’ such as Valentines Day.

Overall it’s a great, feel good film and defiantly one to watch with the family. I’ve got no complaints and this film is certainly on par with Curtis’s earlier work such as Notting Hill and Love Actually.

Perfect Popcorn Score – About Time gets a nine from me, it’s a great film, brilliant acting and a bittersweet ending that stays with you – 9/10.

The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Another one of Disney’s live-action remakes is ‘The Legend of Tarzan’. This film was great to watch on the big screen, lots of action and a different take on the story compared with the cartoon version.

So we see Tarzan, played by Alexander Skarsgard as a ‘normal’ English gentleman going by his birth name of John Clayton living in London with his wife Jane, played by Margot Robbie. He is asked by Belgian King Leopold to go to Africa to see what he has done there to help the country given his ‘celebrity status’.  He refuses at first but then is asked to go by George Washington Williams played by Samuel L Jackson as he’s heard that there’s some possible slave trade going on, appalled by this Tarzan agrees to go back to Africa and Jane insists on accompanying him.

There’s more than one ‘villain’ in this Disney film and both are played by great actors. You’ve got Leon Rom, played by Christoph Waltz and Chief Mbonga, played by Djimon Hounsou.  Leon is building a railway line and using slaves to get the work done. Chief Mbonga just wants to kill Tarzan for personal reasons… 

The casting is good, I think Skarsgard is an interesting choice for the title role but he does it justice. Jane has always been one of my favorite Disney female characters because she’s brave and pretty sassy too, Margot Robbie fits this role perfectly. Christoph Waltz is just brilliant in any role at the moment, he’s normally in darker (Tarantino) films so I was surprised when I heard he was cast in this but no complaints there at all.

I thought the apes were brilliantly done but the lions didn’t seem as realistic unfortunately (which does worry me because next on this list for live-action is The Lion King). The Jungle Book just set the bar very high for these live-action remakes in terms of visual effects but this one didn’t seem quite as detailed as it.

Overall I enjoyed this film, it’s very fast paced, which means if you look away for a minute you will miss something.  There’s plenty of action and the story isn’t too bad but it didn’t seem as ‘child friendly’ as other Disney films but I blame Christoph Waltz for that…

Perfect Popcorn Score – The Legend of Tarzan gets a six from me, the effects weren’t quite up to the level of The Jungle Book and there’s plenty of action but the story isn’t as family friendly.  I think Disney need to decide on their target audience with these remakes…   – 6/10.

 

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

I just stumbled upon this film one Friday night on gold old channel Five. I’ve not read the book I’ll be honest but I have read other books by the same author and they’re very addictive reads.

So the story is that an aspiring writer, Andy Sachs played by Anne Hathaway is struggling to make her mark in the world.  She has countless interviews and just doesn’t get anywhere, but is advised to intern. So she stumbles across the chance of an interview for a fashion magazine called Runway.  It’s safe to say that Andy is in need of a makeover if she is going to stand a chance of landing this job however, Miranda Priestley played by Meryl Streep decides to hire her regardless of her look.

Miranda is the career woman, she’s obsessed with her job and treats people in roles below hers like they don’t even matter.  Her first assistant Emily, played by Emily Blunt is equally as nasty and they both enjoy making fun of Andy’s appearance.  Don’t worry though, as you might have guessed Andy does receive her makeover from fairy godmother Nigel, played by Stanley Tucci. As Andy starts to excel in her career, her personal life suffers and she’s faced with choices and the consequences of those choices.

The cast in this film is perfect, I think both Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt shine in their roles and Stanley Tucci is brilliant as Nigel.

There’s no effects in this film to mention, it’s all about wardrobe. The various outfits you see the cast in are so stylish and perfect for this film.  It did make me want to work in the fashion industry however, I feel I enjoy food too much…

I’ve heard people talking quite negatively about this film and just want to highlight my opinion in this review because, that’s what reviews are for… People think that it gives a negative image of woman, I can see where these people are coming from because it’s as though Andy needed her makeover to strive in her role.  However, Nigel explains that if she want’s to be taken seriously then she has to take her job just as seriously. She works in fashion, she attends events and meetings in the fashion world so she should interpret that in her appearance because she’s one of the faces of Runway. It’s like a uniform for them clothing wise.  I know that she does end up going down to a size six though and that’s different, weight has always been a controversial topic in the fashion industry and I think that this film was just showing that and making it known.

Overall it’s a good film, it shows how hard it is for people in higher positions in the industry struggle to balance their personal lives with work.  It’s predictable in some parts but still a decent watch.

Perfect Popcorn Score – I personally give this film an eight, it’s well made, stylish and shows the cut throat side of the industry.  – 8/10.

 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

So I saw the book when browsing in a local book shop and thought, ‘what a strange idea…‘. This film has an interesting concept but I’m not sure that it worked…

It’s based on the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen but with an added twist of zombies. So we have Elizabeth Bennet, played by Lily James who lives with her parents and (many) sisters, all trained to defend themselves against the undead. Their mother is obsessed with marrying her daughters off to literally anybody including the girls cousin (yes, I know) Parson Collins played by Matt Smith.

Even though they’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, one must of course attend social gatherings to improve ones social status (I’ll stop now…). When at the party Elizabeth’s younger sister Jane falls for the host, Mr Bingley, played by Douglas Booth and (of course) the pair get engaged.  Elizabeth does capture the attention of a guest at the party, who could this mysterious gentleman be? (How did you guess that!?) Mr Darcy played by Sam Reily (sorry Colin Firth) is very arrogant and rude to Elizabeth at first so when he does eventually ask for her hand in marriage she refuses (you go girl!).

There’s a couple of twists in the film but if you don’t see them coming you must be very tired or this have it on in the background and not be paying attention… It’s basically a mockery of the original and all it’s characters so please do not take this film seriously because if you do, you’ll miss the point and it will be terrible to watch.

The cast are average, Lily James seems to be the new Keira Knightley as she’s being cast in a lot of period drama roles lately. I do have to mention that Matt Smith is hilarious in this film and he’s my favorite character because of this. There’s also some seriously badass zombie slaying from the queen herself, Lena Headey.

The effects are actually alright and the zombies themselves are quite creepy. The costume designs for all the characters are great and it’s a very well done film in that respect.

Overall it’s not the worst zombie film I’ve seen and there’s been a fair few. There was a fairly decent plot and although it got far to dramatic in parts and you couldn’t tell if it was still taking the mic or genuine it was still quite fun to watch.

Perfect Popcorn Score –I’m giving this a seven, it’s an interesting take on the classic tale and there’s some good laughs and gore.. – 7/10.

Crimson Peak (2015)

When I saw the trailer for this film I was really excited to see it, I’m a big fan of Guillermo del Toro’s work as his standards for special effects in film are so high. I mean look at the above poster, even the promotional work is beautifully designed.

Mia Wasikowska plays Edith Cushing, a young aspiring author that is drawn to a mysterious stranger.  This stranger is Thomas Sharpe a English inventor played by Tom Hiddleston.  There’s an instant attraction between the pair and when I say instant I mean it doesn’t take long for them to become engaged and married in the film, I know it was different back in the day but come on! She then moves into his family home, Crimson Peak.  Thomas lives with his sister Lucille, played by Jessica Chastain.  Their family home is a large mansion but it’s in need of a lot of restoration, we’re talking holes in the roof here so the family are clearly not the wealthiest.

The house is very eerie and there’s clearly more to this family than meets the eye.  Edith is a very curious character, probably because she’s a writer  with imagination and looking for inspiration.  This film was sadly very predictable and not as creepy as it could have been. I feel that del Toro should have an 18 age rating in his films because this allows him more freedom to be scarier and darker with both his stories and visuals.  

The casting was OK, Mia Wasikowska has innocent yet feisty down in most of her films.  Hiddleston is always going to be able to play a English Gentleman well with that voice… The rest of the cast work well, I just feel that the script didn’t do them justice. 

It’s a bit long winded really, you’re just waiting for something to happen and when it does it’s like I mentioned earlier, predictable. There were no surprises for me in this film and it did disappoint me as I was looking forward to it so much. 

The effects are beautiful, probably the best thing about this film is the style of it.  The costumes, sets and character designs are amazingly detailed but I expect nothing less when watching a del Toro film, just look at Hellboy.

Overall it’s not the worst film del Toro has done (I’m looking at you Pacific Rim) but it’s certainly not his best either.  If you want something just simple to watch but with nice visuals then sure, give this a go but don’t expect the story to blow you away.

Perfect Popcorn Score –I’m giving this a six, like I said not his best work but worth a watch for the visuals…the story not so much.. – 6/10.

 

The Age Of Adaline (2015)

I’m going to say something you may not like, I watched every single episode of Gossip Girl when I was younger… I’m a Blake Lively fan, she isn’t the best actress I will agree with you there but she seems like a nice enough person and so I gave this film a go, plus the story sounded interesting.

So Adaline Bowman played by Blake Lively is a woman that, through a car accident, cannot age.  Due to this she’s watched a lot of people she loves pass away and has had to keep moving and changing her identity every few years so that no one learns the truth about her.  I mean the idea of being young forever may seem great but if it’s just you, on your own it’s going to a be lonely life…

Adaline meets a young man called Ellis Jones played by Michiel Huisman that falls for her, she falls for him too but tries to not show her feelings because of her secret. This doesn’t last long and she decides that for once in her life, she’d let herself love someone and have an actual relationship.  There’s a couple of twists to this story that keep it interesting but I will warn you, her little dog sadly passes away (I don’t like spoilers but it got me, I have a thing about dogs in films sorry..). 

The cast in this film are great Blake Lively plays the lead role really well in my opinion.  Harrison Ford is also in this film as he plays Henry Husiman, Ellis’ father who is an important part in this story. Without giving the story away I will just say that Ford is very good in this film and when watching it I hope you’ll see what I mean by that.

It’s a good story and a well written film, something you can watch any time. It is a romantic film but it’s not exactly cheesy, there’s more of a feel-good vibe from this movie.  Obviously with a story like this one the film isn’t going to be realistic but let’s face it not many romance movies are, I’ve sat and watched many and thought Oh come on! 

There’s not any effects to mention really but I will say that the costumes in this film are beautiful, Lively always seems to get the best wardrobes in her films!

Overall this film is definitely worth a watch if you want romance and drama without too many of the cliches in films today. It wasn’t a film that was overly publicized and it did surprise me. I think that because the male lead wasn’t necessarily a well-known actor or it wasn’t based on a book by Nicholas Sparks’ it didn’t get the ‘hype’ it deserved.

Perfect Popcorn Score – I really enjoyed this movie, it’s just a nice film to watch and it makes you think about life and how people are needed to make it worth while (deep, I know) It gets a solid 8 from me (long live Lively!) – 8/10.

30 Days Of Night (2007)

So I wasn’t actually old enough, at the time to watch this movie at the cinema but that didn’t stop me watching it as soon as it came out (I’m a rebel, what can I say).

This movie is based on the graphic novels of the same name, they’re worth checking out as well by the way, there’s some amazing artwork.  Anyway, back to the film… So it’s a simple story and a pretty clever idea actually.  There’s a small town in Alaska that has a month with zero sunshine which is, 30 Days of Night.  Enter the vampires, obviously wanting a nice holiday destination with as little sunshine as possible and plenty of snacks…

The acting is pretty decent, you’ve got Josh Hartnett as Eben, the town sheriff and Melissa George as his estranged wife Stella. You’ve also got Danny Huston as the leader of the vampires Marlow, who’s quite menacing actually.

Decent effects, nothing big enough to mention really it’s more about gore than CGI but it all works very well.  For all of you Twilight fans, there’s nothing romantic about these vamps at all and they certainly don’t sparkle.

There’s a lot I like about this film, it’s become a bit of a classic to me actually. It’s such a straight-forward idea like I said and it’s not exactly scary but it’s very gory and there’s a few jump scares for you.  I like how as I’ve mentioned, there’s nothing romantic about these vampires, they’re here to kill everyone.  None of them have any feelings towards these towns people other than hunger, I mean they purposely remove the heads so that none of them turn.  They have their own language so there’s no communicating with them or trying to reason or bargain so when encountering one, you wouldn’t try to talk you’d run.

There’s a twist at the end and room for a sequel actually, I’m sure there was one but it went straight to DVD and I still haven’t seen it… One day maybe..

Overall this is still worth a watch even with all those other vampire films out there, the story is just a good idea and there’s a reason that the vampires target this town other than random misfortune.  It’s a pretty fast paced film, no nonsense and all action so you won’t get bored watching this.

Perfect Popcorn Score – 30 Days of Night gets a nine from me, good action, gore and story.  A good film to just switch off and watch the mindless violence as my dad would say…   – 9/10.

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

So as you can probably tell with me having this blog, I’m a movie nerd.  I like to see what movies are coming out soon and watch various trailers etc.  That’s how I came across this film…Sadly it never came to a cinema near me so I didn’t catch it until it came out on DVD (yes, I still buy those sometimes).

It’s an interesting film, something that I’ve not seen before.  It’s basically a ‘mockumentary’ about the life of modern day vampires and the society of ‘supernatural’ beings. It’s from the creators of Flight of the Conchords, so that gives you a sense of the style of humor in this film, these guys know exactly how to do misfit humor well. 

We have a camera crew that have been granted access into the lives of four vampires that all share a house together in the 21st Century.  The four vampires are all unique characters, firstly you have Viago played by Taika Waititi who is very chatty and happy to tell you everything about himself and the others, he’s the main narrator really. Then we have Vladislav played by Jemaine Clement and Deacon played by Jonny Brugh who are both brooding, grumpy and think they’re cooler than they are.. Finally we have Petyr played by Ben Fransham who is clearly the oldest of the bunch as he can’t even take a more human form and just lives in the basement minding his own business.  As you can imagine these guys don’t always get along and it’s their situation of being vampires in the modern age that’s brought them together, clearly just not wanting to be alone.

Things take an interesting turn when one of the group accidentally turns a guy called Nick into a vampire.  Nick is pretty annoying but his best friend Stu is very popular with the group even though he’s human and teaches them how to use modern technology which results in some very funny scenes in the film. The vampires are able to control peoples minds, a useful trick when they make mistakes and need to resolve things. Nick doesn’t really take to being a vampire and the others take it upon themselves to try and help him even though they don’t really like the guy.

There’s no major use of digital effects as such in this film, it relies mainly on makeup and just good humor.

The casting is great, no one really well known as such but the cast work well with one another, clearly most of them have done projects together before.

Overall this film is an interesting watch, if you aren’t much for the Flight of the Conchords’ humor then don’t bother with this but if you’re a fan of that you’ll love this film.  I personally enjoyed it, parts are really funny but I can understand it wouldn’t be for everyone.

Perfect Popcorn Score – What We Do In The Shadows get’s a seven from me, some really funny scenes and a good idea for a film but it’s one you have to be in the mood to watch  – 7/10.