Friday night film selection: Hearts in Atlantis

I've been having an Antony Hopkins movie marathon for the past week or so. I've also been feeling very uninspired to scout out new films instead I prefer to rewatch old favourites. My brain has been on sensory overload and watching a familiar plot, listen to the same dialogue while casually working on some jewellery is my version of R&R.
Hearts in Atlantis is a beautifully fluid, nostalgia evoking narrative based on a novella by Stephen King. Therefore the presence of paranormal elements are no surprise. As is often the case with King's work, the story is centred around a young boy Bobby living in a quiet, sleepy neighbourhood where nothing ever happens.
Between his strenuous relationship with his self-involved mother and his two best friends life seems almost idyllic. The routine is interrupted by the arrival of an elderly, enigmatic new tenant Mr. Brautigan. Mr. Brautigan shows a great interest in Bobby and the two quickly develop a meaningful and trustworthy relationship.
Amid all this Bobby is dealing with his mother's lack of affection, the town bullies and the mysterious dark strangers who threaten his new friend.
Ultimately this is just another coming of age film. What makes it worth watching is the flow of the narrative, the super photography with rich warm colours of the background. And since I'm a fan of the genre I love the occult elements in a seemingly innocent environment, the whole evil lurking in the shadows concept.

Friday night film selection: Easy virtue

Friday night film selection posts in a new format:  a monthly feature posted on the first Friday of the month. Even though I retired this post series, I realized I really miss doing film reviews. And this particular film proved too good to pass. It features Colin Firth after all and the man can do no wrong in my book ;-)


Easy virtue really isn't a grand film. It's a quiet little work based on the play of Noel Coward. The story has been told and re-told countless times. The stuffy English aristocracy with all the eccentricities that come with land and title (by default it would seem) and a young American bride that sets the wheels in motion. Literally this time.

The story begins with a prelude of a female car racer meeting, falling in love and subsequently marrying a slightly younger man. After a brief sojourn on The Riviera they leave for England and his ancestral home in the country. A grand old manor desperately holding on to the glory of the old days.

And the residents? A sharp tongued butler with a drinking problem, an emotionally absent father, ignorant and superficial daughters. Holding this menagerie of characters together is the matriarch of the family, a tour the force brilliantly portrayed by non other than Kristin Scott Tomas. And though her character is very reminiscent of Lady McCordle from Gosford park, the latter has retained at least a spark of her former youthful ideals  while the former is completely disillusioned and emotionally dead.

The delicate balance is thrown for a loop and ultimately destroyed by the arrival of the newlyweds. While the son (all too quickly) settles back into the old routine, his new bride is adamant they should leave for London and start a new life.

Among all this emotional turbulence is the brilliant backdrop of the seemingly idyllic English countryside lifestyle with tea parties, village fairs and shooting parties. The more senior Mrs. Whittaker insists things have not changed the more determined younger Mrs. Whittaker  becomes in proving her mother-in-law wrong. The whole thing comes crashing down spectacularly at the annual Christmas ball.

In case you decide to watch it, I won't ruin it for you. You deserve the pleasure of seeing this for the first time without expectations or me giving away the best part. But so you know, this is excruciatingly difficult!



I will say this Jessica Biel is spectacular, she plays her role to perfection and after seeing this film I've seriously reconsidered her acting abilities. Ben Barnes is perfect as a type cast portrait of a young aristocrat who appears independent but it fast becomes obvious he has no resolve or courage to really stand for himself or for his wife obviously. Colin Firth doesn't get much screen time, but I enjoyed immensely seeing him in a role that actually demands a passive and out of the spot light approach.

The Last of the Mohicans...so to speak

I thought I'd go out with a bang and retire this post series with all the pomp and fanfare. So, I present you with my (never finished list) of favourite films. I included links to IMDB and my favourite quotes.
In no particular order:

1. 'night, Mother

Mama, I know you used to ride the bus. Riding the bus, and it's hot and bumpy and crowded and too noisy, and more than anything else in the world, you wanna get off. And the only reason in the world you don't get off is it's still fifty blocks from where you're going. Well, I can get off right now if I want to. Because even if I ride fifty more years and get off then, it's still the same place when I step down to it. Whenever I feel like it, I can get off. Whenever I've had enough, it's my stop. I've had enough.

2. The Human Stain

Granted, she's not my first love. Granted, she's not my great love. But she is sure as hell my last love. Doesn't that count for something?

3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

What do you mean he don't eat no meat?
Oh, that's okay. I make lamb.

4. Cast Away

My favourite scene:

When he's finally rescued, they throw a party on board the boat that rescued him with a lavish buffet consisting entirely of sea food.

5. Chocolat

Vianne Rocher: And these are for your husband. Unrefined cacao nips from Guatemala, to awaken the passions.
Yvette Marceau: Psshh. You've obviously never met my husband.
Vianne Rocher: Well, you've obviously never tried these.

6. The Last Castle

Take a look at a castle. Any castle. Now break down the key elements that make it a castle. They haven't changed in a thousand years. 1: Location. A site on high ground that commands the territory as far as the eye can see. 2: Protection. Big walls, walls strong enough to withstand a frontal attack. 3: A garrison. Men who are trained and willing to kill. 4: A flag. You tell your men you are soldiers and that's your flag. You tell them nobody takes our flag. And you raise that flag so it flies high where everyone can see it. Now you've got yourself a castle. The only difference between this castle and all the rest is that they were built to keep people out. This castle is built to keep people in.

7. Unbreakable

You could have been a tax accountant. You could have owned your own gym. You could have opened a chain of restaurants. You could've done of ten thousand things, but in the end, you chose to protect people. *You* made that decision, and I find that very, very interesting.

8. Moonsoon Wedding

This movie isn't about dialogues, it's about the colourful scenery and beautiful saturated imagery. The music and the dancing. A very different perspective.

9. Quiz Show

I'm happy that you've made the statement. But I cannot agree with most of my colleagues. See, I don't think an adult of your intelligence should be commended for simply, at long last, telling the truth.

10. The Good Shepherd

Joseph Palmi: Let me ask you something... we Italians, we got our families, and we got the chuch; the Irish they have the homeland, jews their tradition; even the niggas, they got their music. What about you people, Mr. Wilson, what do you have?
Edward Wilson : The United States of America, and the rest of you are just visiting.

11. Amelie

Impossible to describe this film or to pick a quote that properly represents it. If it helps however this is the only film my mum wanted to see in the cinema and later on asked me to buy her a DVD. (The last time my mum went to the cinema was to see The English Patient).

12. Secret Window

You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story, the ending. And this one... is very good. This one's perfect.

13. Under the Tuscan Sun

Signora. Please stop being so sad. If you continue like this, I will be forced to make love to you. And I've never been unfaithful to my wife.

14. The Remains of the Day

I don't believe a man can consider himself fully content until he has done all he can to be of service to his employer.

15. Calendar Girls

I only joined the WI to make my mother happy. I do, I hate plum jam. I'm crap at cakes, I can't make sponge. In fact, seeing as it's unlikely that George Clooney would actually come to Skipton to do a talk on what it was like to be in "ER", there seems very little reason for me to actually stay in the WI. Except suddenly... suddenly I want to raise money in memory of a man I loved, and to do that I'm prepared to take me clothes off for a WI calendar, and if you can't give us ten minutes of your time, Madam Chairman, well then, frankly, guys, I'm going to do it without council approval. Because there are some things that are more important than council approval. And if it means that we get closer to killing off this shitty, cheating, sly, conniving bloody disease that cancer is, oh God, I tell you, I'd run round Skipton market naked, smeared in plum jam, wearing nothing but a knitted tea cosy on me head and singing "Jerusalem".

Friday night film selection: Le divorce

After yesterday's debate on essentials and underwear, I was reminded of this gem of a film:

Le divorce received quite a lot of bad reviews and was generally badly received. In my opinion this is largely due to the fact that the film was improperly advertised as a romantic comedy. And people going in the theatres expecting to see something like: How to loose a guy in 10 days (starring Hudson again) or Monster-in-Law (Jennifer Lopez this time) were of course disappointed and confused.
I rented this movie for a girls-get-together film night, fully expecting something light with a predictable storyline, something not requiring my full attention. Turns out this is not the kind of film you want to watch when you just want something easy to pass the time.
This is not a romantic comedy, it's more like a social drama with cynical inserts and stereotypes of the French as well as the Americans.
As far as the story goes it's a bit unstructured and I really liked it because of it. In that aspect it has a feel of Robert Altman's Pret-a-porter. Where the focus isn't on the story itself but rather on the interactions of some genuinely quirky and eccentric characters.
As for the stereotypes, they're just that. I've read somewhere the French were offended. Which is silly, because the film portrays some all time favourite stereotypes about Americans as well. It's all just some innocent fun.
As far as favourite scenes go, the one in the clip is definitely it. Isabelle goes shopping for underwear to La Perla no less. If you can just ignore the obvious question of where did she come up with the money for it (this is still fiction after all!) it's truly a very funny scene.

Trailer provided by Video Detective

Friday night film selection: Misery

Yesterday I was watching a very old show by today's standards: 3rd Rock from the Sun. There was one episode featuring Kathy Bates as the cheery yet sinister looking housewife who turns out to be a psychopath. And I was instantly reminded of Misery.
It's been at least 7 years since I last saw it and yet even after all these years it's still one of the best thrillers ever made.
The set is almost stage like, with only two characters for the most part and one location. The story of a popular writer (played by James Caan) who is "rescued" from a car crash by a deranged fan could have easily flopped. But Kathy Bates' performance as Annie is mesmerizing. Chilling and horrifying.
The atmosphere these two actors have created is astounding. As a viewer one can so easily associate with Paul and the desperate situation he's facing. And Annie, with her conservative demeanor and God fearing attitude, then suddenly snapping into a maniacal rage...brilliant.
A number of films have been made since misery trying to cash in on the winning combination of secluded surroundings, deranged maniacal killers and victims helplessly trapped. All duds in my opinion. Even after 20 years Misery remains one of the best films in the thriller genre.

No film tonight...

I'm off to have coffee with a friend in Ljubljana.

Friday night film selection: Burn after reading

Black comedies. In my opinion the most difficult genre there is. A black comedy can be absurd, distasteful and just very off putting at times. However the truly outstanding black comedies set out to expose human weaknesses and darker aspect of our psyche in a context that evokes both laughter and repulsion at the same time.That's why one there is no neutral opinion when it comes to black comedies. You either love them or loathe them.
The Cohen brothers are the masters of the genre and this little gem is a classic Cohen piece. An all star cast takes the viewer  on a roller coaster ride of crazy, neurotic, malcontent personalities all struggling for their position in society. There's adultery, greed, power struggle, blackmail, murder...


If you're a fan of the genre then this film is a must see.

Friday night film selection: Fracture

Continuing with my guilty pleasure "strictly for entertainment films" here's another fascinating genre: thriller / courtroom drama. I find American courtroom drama shows fascinating. Be it a film or TV series I devour them all. I'm willing to turn a semi blind eye to legal inconsistencies as long as they are sparse and at least plausible.
I'm also a huge fan of anything John Grisham ever wrote. Perfect summer seaside literature.

Fracture fits into the category of thriller / courtroom drama perfectly. The entire story is comfortably within the specified parameter. What gives it the edge over other similar films is the cast.
I've been doing my film reviews for a couple of months now and those of you who read them are well aware by now that the cast and the story feature prominently in what in my opinion separates a movie from good to blah.

As is so often the case in these suspense films of cat and mouse game, the two characters juxtaposed are an older man (usually the bad guy) and a cocky newcomer. The downside being the bad guy is usually played by a charismatic old school actor and no matter how sexy or cute the young actor is he's vastly out of his depth.
Off the top of my head, Seven is a typical example. I mean honesty Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, though both play detectives, Brad Pitt sort of fades out. Another one is Sleuth with Michael Caine and Jude Law.

In this case Ryan Gosling goes up against Anthony Hopkins, Mr. charismatic incarnate and more than holds his own. And what could easily turn into another boring justice prevails lecture turns into a genuinely exciting setting of suspense, mind games and tongue in cheek innuendos.

And one can hardly wait for the other actors to clear the screen and have the two characters go at it again for another round.

Friday night film selection: V for vendetta

There are some films that need to be seen the moment they air because they represent a reaction to some current events. In the aftermath of 9/11 and the ensuing violent retaliations, this film was very much au courrant. Addressing the complex issue of terrorism as a strategy of fighting an oppressing totalitarian regime.
And before everyone comes down on me like a ton of brick let me just say flat out that I absolutely oppose terrorism. I believe the end never justifies the means.

I also believe in Newton's third law of motion:

To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction; or, the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.

Which means that the more forcefully you fight something all the more violent reaction you can expect. Leading into a downward spiral of  destruction and decay.

But in any proclaimed liberal and democratic society the phenomenon of terrorism is always a sign that there is something very wrong with its government. And that's at the core of this story.




Though gory and with more than a fair share of action sequences, well worth watching.

Friday night film selection: Lord of war

I have absolutely no idea how to present this film without giving the wrong impression. It's such a complex drama dealing with the ugly side of human nature. Nicolas Cage plays Yuri Orlov, an illegal arms dealer.

By nature Yuri isn't immoral or corrupted. He understands perfectly that either way his actions don't affect anyone because people will still engage in war and killings and other acts of violence or destruction. If he wasn't selling guns, it would have been somebody else.
The people around him are shocked and unable to cope with his seemingly immoral and cold attitude. Yet their position on the matter is that of denial and passive disgust. Which ultimately doesn't change the fact that people still go on killing each other every day.

Yuri is definitely not making the World a better place but for that matter neither are the people who condemn him.
After seeing this film I was left speechless. It's not a black and white sort of World it presents. There are no heroes and there's no wrong or right. I absolutely believe it's a story that needed to be told.
And though we can't all assume Yuri's position of "my actions don't change the outcome therefore I am blameless" we can't also just point our fingers at the others and wipe our conscience clean.

Friday night film selection: Take the lead

Apart from The Lord of the Rings and Sci-Fi movies, I also count dance movies among my guilty pleasures. Usually the stories are predictable and the actors not all that, but the choreographies are spectacular. It's all just some innocent fun.
Take the lead is definitely my favourite dance movie and yes I found Flashdance too trashy and Dirty Dancing too cheesy! But I am fond of Strictly ballroom, a must see and Footloose, a classic.
Take the lead is based on a true story of a dance instructor Pierre Dulaine who developed a method of teaching troubled youth to gain confidence in themselves through dancing.
Antonio Banderas plays Pierre, a man determined to do something after he sees a high school student smash in a parked car. Though initially met with suspicion and ridicule both from teachers and students, he is able, through his gentle manners and determined attitude, to turn them around and gain their confidence.
My all time favourite dance scene ever and a predictable clip to choose. Still Pierre manages to entice the students by showing them the tango. A cheap and very effective trick.

Friday night film selection: Pride and prejudice film vs. TV mini series

I've recently been very fortunate in acquiring the famous Pride & Prejudice mini series starring Colin Firth. It is common knowledge this series put him on the map and practically propelled him to star status overnight. I remember watching the TV series as a young girl. And I've also seen the film that was made a couple of years ago starring Keira Knightley.
Compared to the original, the film is a pale and pitiful attempt of portraying the world of Jane Austen. When it comes to Austen, I confess I am a purist! And there were numerous facts, minor costumographic and scenographic details that the film failed to portray in a historically accurate manner.

But perhaps the most unforgivable was the way the characters were portrayed. I know film makers are bound to the rules of free market and they have to "tweak" the script to make it more exciting. But there was far too much licentiousness and sexually charged atmosphere.
Originally Mr Darcy's and Lizzy's shrewd repartees were meant as an intellectual and verbal battle of wits but ultimately a means of assessing eachothers' character and nature. And yes, it was so romantic, because we all knew they will end up together. Though Lizzy truly disliked Mr Darcy at first.
In the film version however one gets the idea it's more like a foreplay and I half expected them to start ripping off their clothes. In fact the whole scene where they meet alone in the forest, in the rain even! It's preposterous!






I know the film version was adapted for modern times and modern audience, but as far as I am concerned, I'm sticking with the TV series, or better yet the novel.

Friday night film selection: Lord of the rings

I suppose it's time for me to come out of the closet! Yep, no more hiding behind serious dramas and delightful comedies. I am a Lord of the rings fan (and a Trekkie too).  There is no explaining it but I am inexplicably drawn to these sort of blockbuster spectacles that have a lot of action sequences interspersed with more or less curious and mystical and unusual plots. But mostly I am drawn into the worlds the authors have created like J. K. Rowling with Harry Potter or in this case Tolkien with his Hobbits and Middle Earth saga.

I have seen all thee parts in the cinema as well as all the Harry Potter films and I never go to the cinema otherwise.  Mr C gave me the entire trilogy for my birthday and there's like 15 DVDs in this big box with the extended version of the film and all the extra features. Boy, we'd need an extra vacation to see it all ;-)

It's my guilty pleasure like romance novels for some people.
Happy weekend!

Friday night film selection: Plots with a view

In a mood for something light yet quirky? A bit of dark humour, some dancing and a plot ripe with eccentric yet amiable charcters? Well then Plots with a view is just the film for you. Alfred Molina plays the shy and hopelessy romantic undertaker with a more than appropriate name Boris Plots. The story had me sold on that fact alone ;-)
Boris has two great loves: ballroom dancing and Betty Rhys - Jones. A childhood sweetheart who married the most boorish, rude and vulgar man. Since Boris and Betty were meant to be together they hatch a plan of faking Betty's death and run away to start a new life. They encounter a snag in their plan in the form of  Boris' competitor, a Mr. Featherbed (still laughing!), played by the ingenious Christopher Walken.
A film with more than a predictable ending, anything but an original plot, yet still refeshing and worth watching because the excecution is nothing if not original.



I have no idea why, but this movie has a second title and is also known as Undertaking Betty.

Friday night film selection: Midsomer murders TV series

It's officially the end of an era. The new Midsomer Murders season opens in autumn with a new chief detective and I am very distraught to have to say goodbye to John Nettles (big sniffle!). Midsomer Murders was and remains one of my all time favourites. A TV series of movie length (102 minutes) episodes. So today's review is a bit different because it focuses on a series rather than one particular film.

Back in the days when Mr. C and me still had a TV, the only time we actually turned it on was on Thursday at 8.00 pm to watch Midsomer Murders. It's English detective fiction at its sinister best along with some dry English humor. John Nettles is perfect for the role of shrewd middle aged detective and a devoted husband and father.

Friday night film selection: Off the map

Rarely has a film eluded concise definition like Off the Map does. I could give a detailed account of the plot, but that really doesn't describe the film at all. Most critics call this film a slow paced one. I disagree. The structure of this film is entirely different from what we are used to in a basic narrative: the beginning, middle and end.
This story has no beginning, it opens in media res and it has no plot, that is resolved through the course of the story. So why watch it then? I can only think of one good reason. To experience it. To experience the quirky characters and the indescribably beautiful scenery of New Mexico and to feel the magic of the story.

Off the Map - Used Girl Scout
Get More: Off the Map - Used Girl Scout

Friday night film selection: Swimming pool

In a nutshell: Swimming pool is a film about an English detective story writer who goes to France in search of inspiration for her new book. As she becomes somewhat comfortable in her new environment, her routine is completely uprooted with the arrival of a mysterious, brazen and sexually assertive young woman.
This intricate film is like an abstract painting with the plot so tentatively outlined it leaves the viewer to fill in the blanks. Swimming pool isn't really about solving a mystery, the director was careful enough to leave many little clues that don't really add up logically. So instead, I believe he was trying to encourage the viewers to focus on the relationship between two women and the evolution of the otherwise emotionally restrained Sarah (the writer) as she observes the young French woman with a mix of envy and contempt.
Definitely not for everyone.

Friday night film selection: Blow dry

A delightful little film that doesn't pretend to be more than it is. The plot is pretty simple and no surprises there really, but the execution is brilliant. Leave it to the Brits to turn an ordinary romantic comedy into something more than an hour and a half of one cheesy cliche after another.
Everything from quirky personalities to down right odd black English humour (an absolute staple and should be deemed a top national feature along with tweed and the five o'clock tea) is refreshing.
Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy. Together in the same film. It's worth watching just for the sake of that alone.

Friday night film selection: The prestige

By now my readers probably got a general idea of the kind of movies that fascinate me. This one has all the qualities I look for in a good drama. A complex plot, rich, well developed characters, great cast and a story that can carry my attention to the end. Another Christopher Nolan film, it's a very dark drama set at the turn of the 19th century London. A dreary and foggy backdrop just perfect for this story.

Prestige is a film about a feud between two magicians who resort to unthinkable actions in an attempt to destroy one another. The driving force behind feud, as is so brilliantly portrayed in this film, is the need to assign blame and retaliate, get even. An event that might easily be a tragic accident ensues a violent and bloody retaliation that quickly turns into a tic for tac strategy between the two main characters. They become so obsessed with destroying one another, their methods of retaliation escalate to unthinkable measures.
In my research into feuding culture I was lucky to stumble upon a book by Nils Christie, A suitable amount of crime. Among other things the author, who has dedicated his life to the study of criminology, explains that he conducted a study into the psyche of the convicted collaborators of the Nazi regime. He said he found no monsters while visiting prison facilities, just nice young men with whom he conversed quite amicably. I wondered, how did these nice, amicable men commit such atrocities. I came to the realization their behaviour is much like the lines in the (proverbial) sand we all draw. We have a set of established morals and a pattern of behaviour and when we deviate from it, we set a line which we won't cross. In time our whole set of behaviour shifts towards the line and we move it once again, and again until we are so far away from our starting position that the set of morals we end up with has changed drastically. But because this transition is so gradual, the shift is imperceptible.

Friday night film selection: My best friend's wedding

A golden oldie and one of my all time favourite romantic comedies, though this one runs a bit deeper than your average sugar coated predictable versions we see on screen these days. The entire cast is superb and I feel that whoever was behind the selection process did an outstanding job. Cameron Diaz is just so perfect for the role of perky, preppy Kimmy. She's so obnoxiously cute it's infectious. I also loved Rupert Everett as the gay friend who provides moral support and (at times) comedic insight.
The reason I like this film so much is because it varies from the standard format of a romantic comedy. Other than some fine acting there is also a lot of music and singing and in that aspect this movie resembles very much Love actually.

This is my absolute favourite scene, where Julianne realizes for the first time that she might actually not win Michael back. There is a beautiful imagery and symbolism as the tour boat goes under the bridge into darkness and as it reemerges into the light so does our heroine come to understand that her moment passed her by. The sunlight symbolizing knowledge and clarity.