'The Paperboy'- Appreciation post

'The Paperboy' recommendation/appreciation post

'The Paperboy' has an impressive cast Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Zac Efron, Matthew Mcconaughey, David Oyelowo, Macy Gray are a few stars to name. The story line incredible impressive, you can find out for your self and great dialogue. Although the story line is great and I really loved the film. The costume, set interior and location setting of sunny side swinging sixties Florida. Its pretty aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Perhaps it is all above but as per usual colour palettes and cinematography really make a film for me and it really did help make this film a little more satisfying.

The characters are very developed. Kidman plays the stock type of a white trash, blonde bimbo with manipulation skills and strong personality and also an interesting wall filled with letters she has written to men in Vietnam at the time, deciding which one is her special one. Matthew Mcconaughey an investigator returning to his home town and his English sidekick David Oyelowo his some what Dr.Watson to his Sherlock. Zac Efron the paperboy, once a high school champion swimmer (which comes in very handy at the end). And John Cusack the psychopath which he has played too many times, and disturbingly well.

The film revolves around a murder and ends with a far to many too.  There are way to many obscene crushes in this film and awkward scenes but also some very funny ones to such as the famous hyped up jellyfish scene where Nicole kidman has to urinate on Efron, but with all these light hearted scenes becomes some very dark ones also and very surprising endings to certain characters.

This isn't a review just another segment I would like to introduce to my blog every now and then just a little appreciation post on a film and a little reason why I like it and recommend.

A Ma Soeur- review

'Fat Girl' 

'Fat Girl' is the english title for this incredibly twisted French film. Im a fan of French cinema and this had been on my list of films to watch for a while. So I thought id give it a chance and boy was I flabbergasted by this warped storyline. The film is about two sisters one who is a little more older than the other Elena and her younger sister Anaiïs. The sisters are the complete opposite Elena a delicate flower graceful, slender and stunning and Anaïs is on the frumpier side, piggish and introverted at times.

Elena wished to lose her virginity and to fall in love with many guys, and she isn't shy about it either the first guy she meets at her local outdoor cafe seems to be the chosen one. She flirts with him openly in front of her sister and brings him home and not the only thing she does in front of her sister, in their bedroom. Poor Anaïs tries to sleep while all of this goes on and is not standing for it, the next morning she interrupts, angry that she lost many hours of sleep Elena then slaps her. Anaïs wishes to lose her virginity with a stranger because she finds the concept embarrassing it is hinted at throughout the film she is embarrassed of her body but nether the less tries to triumph over her sister which never works out too well for her. Long story short the sisters both have an underlining love for each other but it is clear that Elena is not very nice and treats her sister more as a tool to make herself feel better. SPOILER ALERT, the end of the film however is so overwhelming and insane it makes you want to burst into hysterical tears of laughter.

Basically there mother takes them on a seaside holiday so to speak and on the way home they park up in a motel parking lot to catch some sleep. A random axe murderer smashes through their windscreen slashing Elena's once beautiful face killing her instantly and slowly strangles their mother also too. Anaïs however watches this (it kind of looked like she enjoyed it and yet was a tiny bit shocked) and slowly gets out the car, the axe man walks towards her luring her into the woods and raping her. The next day the police investigate and Anaïs surviving the dreadful night insists he didn't rape her and the titles roll.  I know completely insane however I really liked the film.

I don't think the majority of people would like the film but people who are fond of cinema in general will find it pretty amusing at times uncomfortable and I thought hilarious. The only scenes that seemed to really irritate me were when Anaïs would have random lonely outbursts of singing which were far to long and awful. Overall a funny disturbing drama or in my eyes a tad bit of dark comedy at times.

Film Spot- Zero Day

Film Spot of the day- Zero Day

Based upon the tragic event of the Columbine High school Massacre of 1999. This film shows the portrayal of the famous killers through the lens of a hand held video camera. The story is heavily based upon the events leading up to the murdering of the innocent students. Its really interesting because the portrayal of the Killers are really humane and most of the time just footage of an average teenage occurrences.  However Every now and then the teens say rather sinister and disturbing things and rapidly the film speeds up as the students start to plan the event named 'ZERO DAY'.

 The day in which they will kill. The performances were very chilling and eye opening, the characters were very intense and gradually became more disturbing as the film went on. I'm not a lover of the found footage camera filming effect the motion of the camera often makes me bored and a little nauseated. Its one of the reasons I dislike films like 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Paranormal Activity'. The films have no real story half of the time unlike this film which is based upon an unfortunate true story. Although I did like watching the film It isn't a film I would anticipate watching anytime soon. I will however probably watch it some time in the far future. 

To Die for- film recommendation

Gus Van Sant's - "To Die For"

Gus Van Sant is one of my all time favourite directors for his ability to just create such original ideas and concepts, he just tells each story in a whole different perspective. 'To Die For' is a film I've watched about 4 times and love. Starring Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix and Matt Dillon. A beautifully talented cast. First of all the narration of the whole film is just so inventive and probably the first director to even portray a film in this way. Last year I went to see 'Nightcrawler' and was surprised by the amount of similarities between it and 'To die for'. I definitely thought the director of 'Nightcrawler' drew a lot of inspiration from this film. 

The film is about a young women (Kidman) who will do anything she has to, to get to the top using her sexuality and manipulation skills as her main tools. The story line is so in-depth and the ending is an intense twist and altogether an incredible film. The concept of the film, storyline, costume, sets, character depth and soundtrack is phenomenal. I must say I have a soft spot for Joaquin Phoenix and heart throb Matt Dillon and they both gave incredible performances. Casey Affleck (my favourite of the Affleck brothers) gave a convincing performance also playing a cheeky, boundary pushing teen. Kidman however I believe,  this is one of her most intense and amazing roles she gives such a humorous yet gritty peformance. I loved the sets they were similar (only in some scenes) to 'Edward Scissorhand' and Nicole Kidman's wardrobe were very similar of Pegs in the film. The film also had Danny Elfman in common giving the film a stunning cinematic soundtrack really bringing each scene to life. I wont reveal the whole of the film other than it is a masterpiece, that I really relish.

Electricity - Review

Electricity-review

First of all I must say I was a fan of Aygness Deyn from her modelling days and how unique she was and how she stuck out from the crowd (plus her Dr marten collection is the best).  I was unaware that her acting abilities would be so pure and intense. I believe the film was set in Northan England. The story surrounds a young women Lily (Deyn), who searches for her brother Mikey played by Christian Cooke (Cemetery Junction, Unconditional love). As she struggles to find her brother (who was taken away when they were both young) while she wrestles with her epilepsy. Reality becomes blurred and warped as she goes through her painfully, frustrating episodes.

 I believe the film has been inspired to be a modern English social realist depiction of "Alice in wonderland" Agyness Deyns character even makes a reference to it in the film. Along the way her friend Al (a mad hatter like character) reassures her, she also meets Mel played by the talented Lenora Crichlow (known for sugar Rush) who becomes her friend and also encourages along her journey of rediscovery the way in which the white witch does in 'Through the looking glass'.  The films landscapes are beautiful and the dialogue was pressing and spunky.

I really loved the outfits in which Deyn's character would wear often very vibrant when having an episode but very simplistic at the same time, it really said a certain mood for the scenes ahead. I wont reveal the ending other than that the performances were electric and my favourite scenes were when reality and her episodes collided as the visuals were very unusual to what I had expected.