Now I know not everyone goes for the whole black and white film thing, but if you're a film nut and you appreciate the pure talent of Ginger Rogers and Katharine Hepburn, Stage Door is definitely for you.
The quick-witted one liners between the girls provide endless amounts of hilarity and fun, and the pure brilliance of the writing really shows up the shoddy films of today. You connect with the characters, you enjoy spending time with them and getting to know them, and when one is suddenly killed off, you mourn because you had no idea it was going to happen. The unpredictability of it allowed me to get sucked in and watch without any distractions, as I didn't want to miss a single minute. As it's a 1930s film, you have the generic 'lets just show the actor's face' camera angles that have normally been overdone (mentioning no names, Young at Heart), but you don't seem to register them as much, purely because the scenes are so active. At times it was manic, like the beginning where Jean is arguing with another girl and the housekeeper picks up the phone and talks at the same time, but all in all, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Gregory La Cava did a fantastic job directing it all and I can definitely see myself watching more films directed by him.
I enjoyed Ginger Roger's character of Jean because she was, as some would say, sassy. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and yet not in the annoying way. The casting was spot on, and her ability to bounce off other actors is truly fantastic. Although the writers did a truly excellent job, she made the lines come alive. In fact, all the actors did. I would especially like to mention Eve Arden (who you'll all know as the Principal in Grease and Grease 2!) as she does a particularly brilliant job, and I guess other people felt the same way at the time since it was the part that gained her success in her acting career.
Although Katherine Hepburn does a fabulous job, her character wasn't really likeable so I didn't really feel able to connect as well as with Jean, but nonetheless she fitted the character perfectly and pulled off a suave debonair performance.
My IMDb rating was 10 stars out of 10 since I enjoyed it so much! I will definitely be watching more Ginger Rogers films in the future!
Friday, 22 March 2013
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Review 3: Rebecca
Now I know this isn't a new film, but I like to vary my viewing. I chose Rebecca because it features the great Laurence Olivier, and also the story most definitely intrigued me. Oh and of course, the direction of the great Alfred Hitchcock.
This black and white film contains everything a 1940's film should. Glamour, real gentlemen, and a dark mystery that shrouds the entire story. I have to say, the beginning made it seem a lot darker than I had anticipated, but as I got into the actual story, I found myself getting pulled in. The characters are ridiculously relatable, and it's easy to see things from the new Mrs de Winter's point of view. Falling in love and getting married to a man in a matter of weeks without knowing the true darkness of his past seems quite stupid at first, but really, I would have done the same. Maxim de Winter (Olivier) is a tall handsome man who sweeped her off her feet, causing her to fall madly in love with him. To be honest, a rich, humorous man? Who wouldn't marry him immediately!
The character I didn't like was Mrs. Danvers, who had a slight eerie feel to her personality. It's clear she doesn't like the new Mrs de Winter, but I could never have seen the extent of her obsession with Rebecca (the old Mrs de Winter). Although the twist ending may seem like a bad thing, it carries many good outcomes, such as Maxim not actually loving Rebecca, which I think is something that's a gift to the audience and to Mrs de Winter, who can now finally feel like Maxim truly loves her.
If you enjoy great direction and old movies, I can guarantee this film is for you. The acting skill is exquisite and if only actors were like that today, the films would be a lot better quality. My IMDb rating is 8 stars out of 10 and I would recommend it to a wide array of people.
Sidenote: Talking of Alfred Hitchcock, who's excited about the new film Hitchcock? I'm (h)itching to see it! (excuse the pun)
This black and white film contains everything a 1940's film should. Glamour, real gentlemen, and a dark mystery that shrouds the entire story. I have to say, the beginning made it seem a lot darker than I had anticipated, but as I got into the actual story, I found myself getting pulled in. The characters are ridiculously relatable, and it's easy to see things from the new Mrs de Winter's point of view. Falling in love and getting married to a man in a matter of weeks without knowing the true darkness of his past seems quite stupid at first, but really, I would have done the same. Maxim de Winter (Olivier) is a tall handsome man who sweeped her off her feet, causing her to fall madly in love with him. To be honest, a rich, humorous man? Who wouldn't marry him immediately!
The character I didn't like was Mrs. Danvers, who had a slight eerie feel to her personality. It's clear she doesn't like the new Mrs de Winter, but I could never have seen the extent of her obsession with Rebecca (the old Mrs de Winter). Although the twist ending may seem like a bad thing, it carries many good outcomes, such as Maxim not actually loving Rebecca, which I think is something that's a gift to the audience and to Mrs de Winter, who can now finally feel like Maxim truly loves her.
If you enjoy great direction and old movies, I can guarantee this film is for you. The acting skill is exquisite and if only actors were like that today, the films would be a lot better quality. My IMDb rating is 8 stars out of 10 and I would recommend it to a wide array of people.
Sidenote: Talking of Alfred Hitchcock, who's excited about the new film Hitchcock? I'm (h)itching to see it! (excuse the pun)
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Review 2: Pitch Perfect
Now I saw this a while back. As I am a fan of all things musical, singing and dancing, Pitch Perfect was an obvious choice for me. Although it turned out to be slightly more relateable than I had imagined - due to the wide array of music that they used.
This film managed to incorporate rap, pop, Madonna, and of course one of the best film theme songs out there - 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' from the brilliant, 'The Breakfast Club'. It even includes a song with a cup! This music teamed with a bunch of hilarious characters allows the film to be viewable all round, no matter what age or gender. The character of Beca, played by Anna Kendrick, was certainly one that many internet users will relate to: great music taste but uneager to befriend the 'popular' kids. Although she plays the character well, she doesn't really seem to suit the whole 'rebel loner' image. There was just something not quite right about the styling on her, I just couldn't put my finger on it. And it wasn't until about halfway through that I realised Chloe was played by Amber from 'Hairspray' - Brittany Snow. That shows how well she managed to get into the character.
Although this film has many 'chic-flick' qualities, there is no one who won't find the character of Fat Amy hilarious, my favourite line being: 'Horizontal running.' Rebel Wilson really gets into the character, allowing for some brilliant situations. You can really relate to the characters and how individual everyone is, and so you feel pleased that it turns out alright in the end. The best kind of film is when you end on a note which either produces feelings of happiness, sadness, or being completely and utterly mind blown (Inception).
Overall this film turned out to be one of my favourite films, so my IMDb rating was a solid 10 stars out of 10, meaning I will definitely be watching it again.
Sidenote: The cup song used in the film was NOT the original cup song, which is 'Call Your Girlfriend' by Robyn, so can everyone please stop saying it was.
This film managed to incorporate rap, pop, Madonna, and of course one of the best film theme songs out there - 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' from the brilliant, 'The Breakfast Club'. It even includes a song with a cup! This music teamed with a bunch of hilarious characters allows the film to be viewable all round, no matter what age or gender. The character of Beca, played by Anna Kendrick, was certainly one that many internet users will relate to: great music taste but uneager to befriend the 'popular' kids. Although she plays the character well, she doesn't really seem to suit the whole 'rebel loner' image. There was just something not quite right about the styling on her, I just couldn't put my finger on it. And it wasn't until about halfway through that I realised Chloe was played by Amber from 'Hairspray' - Brittany Snow. That shows how well she managed to get into the character.
Although this film has many 'chic-flick' qualities, there is no one who won't find the character of Fat Amy hilarious, my favourite line being: 'Horizontal running.' Rebel Wilson really gets into the character, allowing for some brilliant situations. You can really relate to the characters and how individual everyone is, and so you feel pleased that it turns out alright in the end. The best kind of film is when you end on a note which either produces feelings of happiness, sadness, or being completely and utterly mind blown (Inception).
Overall this film turned out to be one of my favourite films, so my IMDb rating was a solid 10 stars out of 10, meaning I will definitely be watching it again.
Sidenote: The cup song used in the film was NOT the original cup song, which is 'Call Your Girlfriend' by Robyn, so can everyone please stop saying it was.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Review 1: Total Recall
So, here we are. The first film review, and I don't know about you, but I am quite excited. I decided to go with a film I had seen fairly recently to kick start the process, and what better than Total Recall?
Upon seeing the advert for this film, my initial impression was that it was going to be very similar to the Matrix. Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) is a man whose life is being controlled by some higher power, who then finds out he is some important figure. How does he find out, you ask? By being drawn to one word, ReKall. - seeing similarities yet? But as I got into the film after some er.. interesting facts about planet Earth, I started to realise it was just on the cusp of individuality. It has impactful music, great graphics and brilliant stunts, allowing for some edge-of-your-seat moments. Although it has elements of romance, it seems to be more of a male's choice.
Kate Beckinsale, who plays Lori Quaid, managed to pull off a brilliant change in accent, and played both her parts of loving wife and superspy bad girl with such ease. I had no idea that she could ever have been betraying him, giving the element of surprise.
The character of Melina (Jessica Biel) was the character that just turned up without any real purpose. Her dialogue doesn't really explain anything, and after a while you seem to wonder what she was even doing there. No offence to her, she played it well and looked good in the process, but all she does is put him in her car, and then take him on a train to meet Matthias (Bill Nighy). After her getting captured a couple of times you realise that she doesn't really seem to have as big a part as you first thought, which I suppose allows the film to concentrate on the action rather than the romance.The film involves a lot of chases, fight scenes and new age technology, which surprisingly wasn't as in-your-face as you would think. It has a subtle tone to it, allowing you to be sucked into the story and the characters. And of course I have to mention the legend that is Bill Nighy, who once again gets into his character brilliantly, producing a believable and noteworthy performance.
The only thing that would possibly put a dampener on things was the dialogue. Yes, it worked with the film. No, it wasn't as engaging as it could have been, but that's reality. My overall IMDb rating was 7 stars out of 10, meaning a solid, if not slightly hesitant, thumbs up from me.
Upon seeing the advert for this film, my initial impression was that it was going to be very similar to the Matrix. Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) is a man whose life is being controlled by some higher power, who then finds out he is some important figure. How does he find out, you ask? By being drawn to one word, ReKall. - seeing similarities yet? But as I got into the film after some er.. interesting facts about planet Earth, I started to realise it was just on the cusp of individuality. It has impactful music, great graphics and brilliant stunts, allowing for some edge-of-your-seat moments. Although it has elements of romance, it seems to be more of a male's choice.
Kate Beckinsale, who plays Lori Quaid, managed to pull off a brilliant change in accent, and played both her parts of loving wife and superspy bad girl with such ease. I had no idea that she could ever have been betraying him, giving the element of surprise.
The character of Melina (Jessica Biel) was the character that just turned up without any real purpose. Her dialogue doesn't really explain anything, and after a while you seem to wonder what she was even doing there. No offence to her, she played it well and looked good in the process, but all she does is put him in her car, and then take him on a train to meet Matthias (Bill Nighy). After her getting captured a couple of times you realise that she doesn't really seem to have as big a part as you first thought, which I suppose allows the film to concentrate on the action rather than the romance.The film involves a lot of chases, fight scenes and new age technology, which surprisingly wasn't as in-your-face as you would think. It has a subtle tone to it, allowing you to be sucked into the story and the characters. And of course I have to mention the legend that is Bill Nighy, who once again gets into his character brilliantly, producing a believable and noteworthy performance.
The only thing that would possibly put a dampener on things was the dialogue. Yes, it worked with the film. No, it wasn't as engaging as it could have been, but that's reality. My overall IMDb rating was 7 stars out of 10, meaning a solid, if not slightly hesitant, thumbs up from me.
New Blog!
Hi everyone!
Let me introduce myself, my name is Lauren and I have a particular interest in films. The aim of this blog is to rate, review and recommend films to as many people as I can (the three R's!). I watch a wide array of eras and genres, allowing you to choose from a good range of movies. I will mostly be commenting on the acting ability, production and general feel, and hopefully giving you some good recommendations!
Feel free to comment!
Lauren
Let me introduce myself, my name is Lauren and I have a particular interest in films. The aim of this blog is to rate, review and recommend films to as many people as I can (the three R's!). I watch a wide array of eras and genres, allowing you to choose from a good range of movies. I will mostly be commenting on the acting ability, production and general feel, and hopefully giving you some good recommendations!
Feel free to comment!
Lauren
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