Like Crazy

Year of Release: 2011
Director: Drake Doremus
Starring: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence

I bought this film from the ‘bargain bucket’ section at the supermarket and after watching I’m glad that I only forked out three quid as I was massively disappointed with this. I had seen the trailer for it on one of my other DVD’s and I didn’t think it looked too bad. It seemed to have a decent storyline and it featured actors that I have enjoyed watching in the past – those being Felicity Jones (Chalet Girl) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook). The other lead actor is Anton Yelchin – most well-known for his role in Stark Trek I believe…a movie franchise I know little about. With strong leading actors such as these and what sounded like a decent storyline, I was surprised by how little of an impression this film made on me.

     The story begins when British college student Anna falls for her American classmate Jacob. Over the course of their studies, the pair grow closer and become inseparable. That is until Anna’s visa expires and she is due to return home to the UK. After choosing, rather stupidly, to ignore her visa expiration, Anna’s violation results in an even longer separation for the pair as she is denied access into the US. The separation causes much tension and frustration for the couple, as they are limited to brief visits from Jacob when he can find free time from work. Over time the pair drift apart and get on with their lives separately. They both have successful jobs, good friends and even new relationships. But somehow they can’t seem to let go and they always end up coming back to each other by whatever means necessary.

     Whilst the story is romantic and heartfelt, it just never seemed to get going. I found myself constantly waiting for the story to pick up, for a bit of action or excitement of some sort. Personally, I thought it was too drawn out and it left me feeling quite bored. But the ending has to be the biggest disappointment of this film. It just seemed to come to a halt out of nowhere. Stop. That’s it. Time’s up. I am still bemused and baffled by the choice of ending that I'm questioning whether they ran out of film and just had to leave it there. Who knows? Maybe I just completely missed the point. To offer credit where credit is due though, the acting was very well executed and the story was, at least, more realistic and believable than most romance films. But on the whole, it left me suitably unimpressed.

Favourite bit: There weren't really any stand out moments for me in this one, but I thought the scene in which they exchanged presents before Anna was due to return home to England was very cute.

My rating: 4/10

Stuck In Love

Year of Release: 2013
Director: Josh Boone
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Nat Wolff, Kristen Bell, Liana Liberato

I mentioned in my last post that this film was one I have been dying to go and see. When I went to watch it I was still a bit unsure what to expect. As I said before, it seemed like it could be one of those films that is either really great or really bad. Happily, I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised – I loved it.

     As the title suggests, the film is about different experiences and expressions of love. There is William Borgens (Greg Kinnear), a successful writer struggling to let go of his wife who left him for another much younger man. Undeterred he resorts to spending his nights spying on his ex-wife from the bushes in her back garden and still insists on setting a place for her at thanksgiving, insisting that she will return. His son, Rusty (Nat Wolff), is a hopeless romantic who spends much of his time writing and fantasising about a girl named Kate (Liana Liberato) from his school. After being urged by his father to leave the safety of his bedroom to gain life experiences, Rusty manages to land the girl. Sadly, Kate is not quite as sweet as she seems – she turns out to be a drug-addict with a lot of personal issues that Rusty isn’t very well equipped to handle. 

And then there is William’s daughter, Samantha (Lily Collins), who makes every attempt to avoid love altogether. After witnessing the pain her Father went through after being left by his wife, she shuns any possibility of romance opting for promiscuity instead. That is until Lou stumbles into her life (Logan Lerman), a sweet and lovable guy who determinedly wills her into giving him a chance.

     I know the turbulent and often rocky love lives described above make this film sound rather depressing but it really is an uplifting and enjoyable story. It has charm, humour and wit, and for every down there is an up – a silver lining if you will. Relationships blossom over shared interests, be it songs, books and writing, and it is shown that sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect. This is a truly engaging and entertaining film with relatable storylines and a fantastic cast who do a fantastic job of bringing lovable and memorable characters to life. It will make you both laugh and cry and will most certainly leave you with a ridiculous smile on your face.

My rating: 8/10

Get Me To The Movies

I've had quite a busy week so I haven't been watching as many films as I usually would. So, I thought I'd do a little list of brand new releases that I am dying to see! Here are my Top 5 film picks:

1.  The Lone Ranger

I have been excited to see this film since I first heard of its production some 6 months ago. I’m not that familiar with the original series so I’m not really sure what to expect but I have very high expectations. The film is going to be brought to light by Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer - the same team that produced Pirates of the Caribbean. I absolutely adore the Pirates film series so I hope they can work their magic again for this movie. And on the subject of Pirates, the film stars Johnny Depp as Tonto, an American Indian Spirit warrior. I think I mentioned this in a previous post but I am a huge fan of Depp so I did squeal a bit when I found out he was going to be starring in this. The film also stars Armie Hammer (as The Lone Ranger) and Helena Bonham Carter, another one of my absolute faves. It looks set to be an action packed, comedic and exhilarating adventure. I can’t wait. 

Watch the trailer here.

2.  Now You See Me

This is another film that I have been looking forward to seeing for quite a while. I remember watching the trailer and being very impressed and intrigued by the short clip that I saw. It seems to be a film that doesn’t have a typical or predictable plot. The idea of robbing banks live during a magic show and then handing the cash over to a bemused audience doesn’t really strike me as another generic film plot! From the short clip that I have seen, it looks visually stunning with a huge array of special effects. It also has a strong cast, including Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Woody Harrelson. I hope this one doesn’t disappoint.  

Watch the trailer here.

3. Stuck In Love

I think this could potentially be one of those films that is either really great or really terrible. I’m hoping it won’t be the latter. I came across this film because it stars Logan Lerman. I’ve seen him in quite a few movies, most notably The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and he has always impressed me. Like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this film looks set to be filled with drama and heartache, but yet it looks to be a genuinely heart-warming story. I love those sorts of films that leave you with a massive smile on your face after watching. I’m hoping this will be one of them.

Watch the trailer here.

4. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

This film isn’t due out for a while yet but I am already excited to see it! I really loved the first movie so I’m hoping this one will be more of the same. Starring Logan Lerman as Percy, this film sees him heading off to the Bermuda triangle with his friends Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) in search of the Golden Fleece in a desperate bid to protect his camp and his people. Packed full of adventure and weird and mysterious creatures, this film is perfect for anyone who loves to delve into the world of the magical and let their imagination run wild. If you’re not the imaginative sort, then this one’s probably not for you.

Watch the trailer here.

5. Man of Steel

I was debating whether or not to include this film in this list as I’m not really a fan of the Superman movies. In fact, I’m not sure if I have seen them all but the ones I have watched left me suitably unimpressed. It did surprise me that I failed to enjoy Superman as I am a fan of superhero films. The Spiderman movies, both new and old, are absolute favourites of mine. I adore them. And Batman isn’t half bad either. So I’m hoping Man of Steel will be the one to ignite my love of Superman. I’ve heard amazing things about this film following its premiere two days ago so I figure it’s worth a watch. Hopefully it will surprise me.

Watch the trailer here.

Neverland: The Legend of Peter Pan

Year of Release: 2011
Director: Nick Willing
Starring: Charlie Rowe, Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel, Charles Dance, Q'orianka Kilcher, Bob Hoskins, Keira Knightley

Anybody that knows me well will know how much I adore the story of Peter Pan. It was my absolute favourite movie as a kid and to this day I still love it. I've lost count of the amount of times I've sat and watched the original Disney adaptation (1953) of the story, but I know it was an awful lot. I know a lot of people’s love of the story stems from the fact that Peter Pan never grows up and this idea of holding onto childhood has been a major attraction for most. Me? It was the fact that he could fly. As a kid, nothing seemed more thrilling than the thought of leaping out of my bedroom window and flying off to a magical place filled with adventure and pirates! Ah the thrill of it all! My love of Peter Pan did not fade away with childhood as the story is still very much a favourite of mine to this day. Over the years, I have accumulated a variety of different versions of the film including Hook (1991), Return to Neverland (2002), Peter Pan (2003) and one of my all-time favourite films Finding Neverland (2004). Whilst all these versions were enjoyable enough, it was Finding Neverland that really sparked my love of Peter Pan all over again. Perhaps it was because it told the story of how Peter Pan and the wonderful, magical world of Neverland originated. It might also have had something to do with the amazing cast, including Kate Winslet, Freddie Highmore (as Peter) and Johnny Depp as J. M. Barrie. I will fess up now and admit that I am a huge fan of Johnny and I will happily sit and watch anything just because he happens to be in it. So you can imagine my excitement when Johnny Depp and Peter Pan came together in one film. Amazing. Anyway, watching Finding Neverland rekindled my interest in the story, and resulted in me stumbling across this little gem called Neverland. 

     Neverland, a two part mini-series, relates the story of Peter Pan as it has never been told before, telling the legend of how Peter Pan came to be The Boy Who Never Grew Up. I have to admit I did squeal a bit when I saw this original and exciting new take on the legendary tale (I know, lame). The story is set in London, 1906. Peter (Charlie Rowe) is a young orphan who is taken in by a crook and talented fencer named Jimmy (James Hook played by Rhys Ifans). Peter, along with a gang of other young orphans who are similarly taken in, work the streets of London as a group of juvenile thieves who pick-pocket the townspeople to provide loot for Jimmy. When the boys and Jimmy break into Harbottles Antiques, a store which Jimmy has had his eye on for quite some time, they discover the artefact that he so desperately wants. The artefact in question is a strange, glowing orb, which, when knocked, causes Jimmy and the boys to vanish leaving Peter behind. After his panic subsides, Peter manages to find someone in possession of a similar orb which he then uses to magically transport himself to Neverland. Upon first glance, Neverland wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. It’s an icy, desolate and rather unwelcoming place - a far cry from the exotic island that I had anticipated. But as it was, this was just one of the many parts of Neverland. The beautiful beaches, pristine waters, rocky mountains and wild forests are all later brought to life as Peter explores all aspects of the island.

     After Peter’s gallant rescue of his friends from the clutches of the pirates, they take refuge in the Indian’s camp. Here, we are introduced to Tiger Lilly who helps Peter discover the orb that will enable him to return home. But after a rather violent encounter with the pirates, Peter appears to come to a rather sticky end. Luckily for him, the tree spirits (basically the fairies) come to his aid and he is healed by being immersed in a pool of magical mineral dust which gives him the ability to fly. With his newly acquired power, Peter, along with the help of Tinkerbell (voiced by Keira Knightley), embarks on a mission to stop Jimmy and the pirates from finding the spirit colony and the magical dust. It is during this showdown that we see Jimmy transform into the villainous Captain Hook, intent on exacting his revenge on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to the crocodile. The story then comes to end at the precise point that the original story begins, with Peter losing his shadow and heading off back to London in search of it during which time he meets Wendy.

     This original and adventurous twist on the classic story was thoroughly enjoyable. I think it is a fabulous adaptation that will appeal not only to fans of Peter Pan, but to anyone who loves fantastical, adventurous and magical films. The film is visually stunning and the acting performance is similarly commendable. I thought Charlie Rowe did a fantastic job as Peter, capturing his playfulness, innocence and slightly cocky nature perfectly. Rhys Ifans as Captain Hook also did a great job of portraying the pirate that we all love to hate. Packed full of adventure, magic and humour, Neverland is certainly worth a watch, particularly if you’re a lover of Peter Pan like me! The only criticism I can think to offer is that it came to rather an abrupt end and as Peter discovered his shadow was missing, I couldn't help but desperately want the story to continue.

My rating: 9/10