The first season of New Girl was a huge surprise for me, finally an American network show that was laugh out loud funny.I would argue the show is even better than Friends which seems to be the standard of American comedy. New Girl feels fresh and new and most importantly, funny. Three guys, one girl all approaching thirty and all unlucky in love share a loft together, there is definitely the right ingredients for a comedy and the writing and performances make it all come together.
Schmidt is my favorite, everything he does is just hilarious and I think one of the best episodes is the Thanksgiving episode where Schmidt cooks.
Nanny McPhee was such a great success the first time around but I found the second one lacking. In Nanny McPhee Returns, Nanny McPhee comes to the aid of a woman with
three children and two visiting cousins. Her husband is off fighting the
war and her brother-in-law is trying to sell the family farm out from
under them. The unruly children have to learn how to cooperate and understand one another and their respective circumstances.
What was so great about the first one was the children. The adult characters were more in supportive roles. For Nanny McPhee Returns the children lose the focus and the amount of big British names, even in cameo appearances pull the attention away from the children. Even Asa Butterfield can't hold onto the spotlight because the rest of the children are unnoteworthy. When you have Maggie Gyllenhaal (American), Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Mays and Bill Bailey parading across the screen it makes the ridiculousness of Nanny McPhee too ridiculous. The adult characters are not ridiculous like they were in the first one so the magic feels out of place and overdone.
The sequel lost its charm. The five lessons the children need to learn are learned too fast and the audience is left wondering if the lesson was actually learned. Unlike the first one there isn't a real push from the children to get rid of Nanny McPhee which I think is the problem. The children just accept her and go about their business.
Also the film tries to tackle some big issues of the war - children's relationships with their parents, divorce and its effect on children and the real possibility that not everyone comes back from the war but these issues are just thrown in and not taken full advantage of in the plotting of the film. The few moments that were in the film were done well but I would have liked to have seen more of those.
The film did make me cry though. Once when they get the forged telegram about the husband being killed in action and the revelation of the Maggie Smith's character at the end. The ending made up for the rest of the film by tying the first film to the second. As it turns out, Maggie Smith plays a grown up Aggy Brown and still has the baby rattle. It was a shinning moment in an otherwise lackluster film.
The Twilight Saga has finally come to an end and I'm not ashamed to admit that I've enjoyed every one. I'm still on the fence on whether or not the last film needed to be made in two parts. On the one hand it was nice because things were then spread out and the filmmakers could take their time with the story but on the other hand the part 2 wasn't able to carry itself as well as part 1.
Breaking Dawn part 2. Bella has been transformed into a vampire, her child is growing like crazy, Jacob has imprinted on Bella's daughter and now the evil vampires from Italy are coming after The Cullens. Preparation for the final battle has begun.
The film still had its comedic moments which have been there since the beginning, thankfully the screen play was written by the same person for all five films. I particularly liked the part where Jacob takes off his clothes and becomes a wolf in front of Charlie. Charlie has remained one of those great characters throughout the series that keeps the audience rooted in reality. And his "put your clothes back on" line is brilliant. Of course I don't think anything can top Bella's "You've nicknamed my daughter after the Lock Ness Monster!" More sexual innuendos almost all exclusively from Emmet whose only role in the film seem to be to make sex jokes and to show Bella's new strength as a newborn.
I had two problems with the final film. First it didn't seem to have enough substance to last for 2 hours. There wasn't a lot of action that happened before the battle. Most of the film was waiting for witnesses to show up and explain to them the situation. It was nice to see a 'global' presence as far as the vampires went but didn't make compelling viewing.
Lee Pace though was amazing! His new disheveled look grew on me the more I saw him and I loved his attitude. Kind of Han Solo-esque. I knew he was going to be in Twilight and I was really excited when I saw part 1 but when he didn't show up then I was disappointed so I'm glad I finally got to see him. I loved the relationship between him and Kate. "If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere woman." There's a story to be had there. Getting ready for the battle had some good moments which picked up the pace. Bella finding out she's a shield and learning how to use showed good interaction between Edward and Emmet. Overall though the film was just waiting for the battle to happen which brings me to my second problem of the film.
Now it's been a while since I've read the books so I'm not sure what happened in the books but having the final battle pay out showing the deaths of Carlise and Jasper but then have it only be Alice's vision was kind of a cheat. I mean I'm glad it was a vision because no one died in the book but as an audience you felt cheated. The major action sequence of the film didn't even happen in the reality of the Twilight world. The vision made you aware of the film as a film. You were disconnect from the narrative because your mind is telling you this isn't how it's suppose to be (this isn't Harry Potter) and so you spend your time trying to figure out how it's happening. Is this Zafrina creating a visual for everyone? How is this happening which takes away from the joy of the film and in a way breaks the fourth wall.
I know they talked about changing the end so I'll have to read the books again to see but they did my favorite scene where Bella is able to show Edward her thoughts so I was happy. I also liked how they ended the film by using the book pages to land on the final page and highlight the word forever. Again it broke the narrative and called attention to itself but it was nice touch although I can see how it would be annoying. It may have been better had Bella just said the final words in a voiceover ending the film how it started, but I can live with it. The one thing that they did change was the hair color of some of the Cullens which disrupted the continuity of the films.
I particularly liked the end credits where it gave credit to everyone who was in the films since the very beginning. I especially like the acknowledgement of Rachelle Lefevre who played Victoria in the first two films before being replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in Eclipse.
All in all Breaking Dawn part 2 felt like an ending.
My local news station does a question of the day everyday where they ask the public a survey question and a few weeks ago the question of the day was which celebrity do people want to stop acting and return to music? The answer was Justin Timberlake which I think is unfortunate. I happen to really enjoy Timberlake films and in fact I haven't seen one I didn't like. He's come a long way since NSYNC.
Friends With Benefits came out at the same time as No Strings Attached and both movies have similar plot lines, two friends have meaningless sex but they realize later the love they were trying to avoid inevitably crops up. I enjoyed both films but I think Friends With Benefits is truer to life. It made sex funny and awkward. The friendship was there and believable and the surrounding characters worked to highlight the main relationship rather than pulling focus. And there was an emotional element present in the main characters caused by their parents' absence emotionally as well as physically.
Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake had good chemistry on screen but they also had good comedic timing together which really worked to sell their relationship. I haven't been a huge fan of Kunis but she made me want to watch more of her stuff with this film. Woody Harrleson was fun in his non-typical role and helped get the comedy across when Timberlake was unable to. It was also a delight to see Jenna Elfman in a film again (I haven't seen her since EdTV with Harrleson). Patricia Clarkson was a bit of a letdown for me but it might have just been her character that I wasn't too fond of (she reminded me too much of my own mother in a bad way). I think her character was good to push Kunis towards Timberlake. I very much enjoyed the cameos of Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Shaun White, Jason Segal and Masi Oka. They all made the most of the cameos but again didn't take away from the plot. They added a little something extra to the film that made it less flat than it could have been given the overused romantic comedy plot.
I enjoyed the film overall. The actors were fun to watch, the plot moved forward without too many holes and it was funny. It hit all the marks of a romantic comedy.
The sign of a good film is that you would watch it again and again. With This Means War I wanted to watch it immediately after I had finished it, much like my favorite book. I couldn't stop going through some of the scenes in my mind. It was funny, entertaining with enough action and a great storyline.
Chris Pine (whom I love and haven't seen anything of his that I hate) and Tom Hardy (new kid on the block for me but discovered he played the bad guy in Star Trek Nemesis which is awesome) are two spies who unknowingly date the same girl but when they find out they pull out all the stops, using the full resources of the CIA, in order to come out on top. Reese Witherspoon (can't go wrong with her either) plays a woman tired of running into her ex who is now getting married without someone of her own. Her friend puts her on a dating website where she meets Hardy and then runs into Pine immediately after that in the video store. Who will she choose?
Pine is just plain adorable, as always playing the suave confirmed bachelor but he does it well. He flirts with Witherspoon just as much as the camera but he still has enough vulnerability to make him likeable. Hardy plays the British more reserved and chivalrous guy. He's safe which translates to boring for Witherspoon but he also has a soft spot. He's the one who wants to settle down, he has a kid. Hardy is playing Callum Bleu's role in Princess Diaries: A Royal Engagement where Pine played the same type of character. Hardy is also very likable but Pine has the edge. Witherspoon is great in this role and somewhat makes a stand for women dating "like men" but she struggles with it falling back into the more traditional role of a romantic comedy heroine. She had great chemistry with both Pine and Hardy. I loved her harebrained attitude.
The choice between Pine and Hardy is left to the very last moment and it played out beautiful. It isn't awkward and doesn't feel cheesy. Witherspoon is about to be flattened by the oncoming car and has to choose who to run to, Hardy or Pine who are on opposite sides of the unfinished freeway (what is it with LA and unfinished freeways?). The camera cuts from Witherspoon stuck between the two to an overhead shot of the scene covered in smoke. You have to wait for the smoke to clear before you see the choice she's made. With the romantic relationships tied together nicely, the film ends where it should, on a nice bromance scene with Pine and Hardy. I want to see more of these two.
The film brings together the best of action and romantic comedies with just a touch of bromance into one film. The film has lots of laughs and it's just a joy to watch. It's entertaining but has a good story to back up it up. Everyone gets their happy ending and the viewer is left satisfied. This is definitely a film I need to own.
Perhaps if I had seen Robert Downy Jr's version of Sherlock Holmes before seeing Benedict Cumberbatch's version I may have like this film more. This is not to say that the film was bad it just wasn't nearly as good as BBC's Sherlock. The film hinged on the title character which for the film fell flat. Downy Jr's interpretation of the characters didn't feel like Holmes. He was more sexually inclined and didn't seem as smart as he should. More than anything I perceived him as a pest rather than a consulting detective. I could see somethings working but overall it wasn't engaging. Jude Law as Watson I think pulled it off although he was boring as well as he was trying to pull away from Holmes. I liked the overall look of him, although there was a moment in which he looked Russian and I could see why he was cast in Anna Karenina. The relationship aspect of the film took away from the crux of the show, and here I may be comparing the film to Sherlock which has a great comradery between Sherlock and Watson, but the Holmes and Watson of Sherlock Holmes seemed like squabbling children. However, I did enjoy Downy Jr and Law together I just think the roles weren't right.
Mark Strong is a great bad guy although his character was more laughable than sinister and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler was a disappointment (here again I am comparing to Sherlock).
The plot of the film is too supernatural, even though Holmes debunks all the magic in the end there isn't any inkling in the beginning that the magic is not real. As the audience you expect it not to be real because this is Sherlock Holmes after all but it begins to trick you into think it might be true until the very end. Part of the problem is that more time is spent on capturing cool special effects and slowing the camera down to really delve into the plot and characters. The camera work is partly why I never finished the film the first time I tried to watch it because it totally distracts from the film.
Seeing a Victorian London was a good use of special effects. I especially enjoyed seeing the half completed Tower Bridge (not London Bridge), that added a nice element. You get the industrial feel of the city through the steampunk aesthetic.
Even after all the plot problems it was still fun and light entertainment but not for those who found Sherlock first.
Bridesmaids is not a typical type of film I watch but it ended up being not what I expected. It was marketed as sort of a woman's answer to The Hangover (full disclosure: I have not seen The Hangover) but it didn't seem as raunchy as I was expecting. It was quite tame and dealt more with relationships and emotions. The film was trying to be groundbreaking for woman's comedy but was still tethered to the idea of what women can and cannot do on film. They didn't push the envelop enough. It started out really really slow and dry and I was left wondering why it was such a big hit and the scene at the bridal shop happened. Finally I got some real laugh out loud funny moments.
Everything was going wrong for Kristen Wiig's character and at times it was a little hard to watch but I could identify with some of it. This was clearly the female version of loser male character we've been seeing recently in comedy and especially in Judd Apatow films. She wasn't perfect and I loved the juxtaposition of her against Helen. The focus on the loss of the childhood friend was core to the film but at times caused the film to feel more like a drama than a comedy. Her loss of job, her own place away from her mother and boyfriend all helped to create a character easy to relate to. There were too many times that the film relied on conventions of the romantic comedy to make a statement for something new. Not that I didn't like it but I guess I was hoping for a little more.
Although I'm not familiar with Kristen Wiig's work and familiar with just a little bit of Maya Rudolph's work it was a pleasure to see two British comedians I am familiar with. Matt Lucas I'm not a huge fan of and I found his scenes with Rebel Wilson were kind of tacked on. They could have found a better way to incorporate them or a better way to show Wiig's fall from disgrace. Chris O'Dowd on the other hand was amazing and it was so good to see him out of the IT Department. I can see him as a leading man and I hope he continues to pop up in other films.
The Help was a pretty good film. It had some really good laughs and Bryce Dallas Howard stole the show. Emma Stone was good but was swallowed up by her blonde hair and southern accent. She acted more as the vehicle of the maids than anything else which worked for the film but didn't add anything to her own character. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were marvelous. They seemed the most real of all the characters and you felt for them which was the film was trying to do.
What I liked about it was that it was a film about civil rights which showed both sides. The extreme racism of the white characters, especially Howard, made them seem almost like parodies but there were people like that. However, not all white characters were portrayed like that and you see the struggle of being an upstanding racist white citizen. When Alison Janney recounts how she dismissed her maid you see that struggle which is more powerful than the racism of Howard. You can laugh at Howard's character for her extreme take but Janney's character makes you feel the deep rooted racism that's hard to escape and it becomes more real for the audience. "I'm not racist, but..." is what I see in Janney's character which translates well for a modern audience.
The maid's predicament is well played out by not overdoing it and making them seem real. A modern audience would react in the same way which is the strength of this film dealing with this period of time. The pie section is perhaps a little extreme but something you would want to do and maybe talk about doing. And Davis and Spencer give great performances. Their emotions control you as you watch and you feel what they feel. Octavia Spencer definitely deserved the Academy Award.
There was definitely something missing from Not Going Out this time around and that something is named Tim Vine. As much as I love Lee Mack and Katy Wix they couldn't make up for the loss of Vine and the comedy was forced. Sally Bretton doesn't have the comedic timing that the other two have and Wix's wacky Daisy isn't as effective without Tim. Without Tim, Lee has to result to talking to Daisy at the pub which just further calls attention to the fact that Lee is now in a female dominated world and it isn't working for him. This series played on the will-they-won't-they relationship between Lee and Lucy but because you know it's never going to work it's played out. I was tired of the constant push and pull I felt as an audience member watching their relationship. They would raise my hopes and then dash them just as quickly. I found myself wanting the American Kate from the first series back who had better comedic timing and was a better match for Lee.
What was really funny was the short they did for Children in Need.
It was great to see David Tennant in a good film. As much as I love him as The Doctor it's been harder following his film work but United was worth watching. It made me cry which is always the sign of a good film in my book to elicit an emotional response like that. United follows the before and after events of the 1958 crash in Munich which killed eight Manchester United players. The story, based on true events, was done beautifully although I know the film has been criticized for its accuracy by surviving family members.It was a bit slow in the beginning, a common occurrence of British film, but had some beautiful shots and when the news came down that the crash had happened it allows the actors to act rather then relying on special effects or fancy editing. What happens instead is that the actor is framed on one side of the frame with just empty space filling most of the frame. It sets a tone.
The shot of David Tennant, playing team manager Jimmy Murphy, crying in the stairwell packs a punch. The camera view from the back shows the crumpled form of Tennant and tells you all you need to know. The plane crash is done in a tasteful way but makes the audience wonder why they ever got back on the plane. The anxiety of the players is potent as they get on the plane for the last time. Laughter is replaced with grim expressions and players move to the back of the plane in fear. The film stops short of showing the actual crash and skips to the aftermath. This left me a little confused as to how the plane actually crashed and left so many people dead after failing to take off. The film opens with the aftermath panning along the snow covered ground littered with debris, stopping at the sight of Jack O'Connell, playing new footballer Bobby Charlton, strapped into his detached chair. It works to prepare you for when the scene eventually comes.The room full of coffins is another scene that grabs you.
I found I had a hard time remembering each of the players so when Charlton was grieving over Duncan I didn't know who Duncan was besides a ManU player. I wasn't able to connect with him before the crash so I lost some of the emotional payoff, however, O'Connell did an excellent job and a long way from Skins. Thomas Howes, who played Mark Strong another fallen player was memorable for his pipe smoking but also because I found it a bit ironic that the actor gets roles where he dies tragically (He played William in Downton Abbey). Dougray Scott did what I thought was a good job as Matt Busby, his surviving family members would think otherwise, but you kinda found yourself loving to hate him. Why did he push the team so far? I suppose the worse punishment is surviving and the film made the argument that he was responsible. In the film the character even wants to claim responsibility by Murphy won't let him. It's an odd moment because Busby was portrayed in the beginning of the film as a hard gangster type who's going to do what he likes and not worry about what the football league says. Pushing his agenda means his players die and as an audience member you want to blame him but he then becomes so remorseful that you can't. David Tennant was the joy to see for me with his Welsh accent. He was the center of the film and he set the pace beautifully. His emotional scenes were played well. Dean Andrews also needs a mention here. It was nice to see him in something else, besides Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes.
Overall it was a great film that made me cry and want to root for Manchester United.
I suppose it was bound to happen, a skinny dark hair guy with beautiful cheekbones and eyes, not to mention phenomenal performances. After I had finished In Time I really wanted to see more of him because that role really brought the attention to him for me. Obviously I've seen his work before but I was paying attention to him per se. I find it's always nice when I go back to view an actor's work after I've fallen in love, and Red Lights gave the opportunity for more than just Cillian Murphy.
Burn Gorman and Craig Roberts from Torchwood and Being Human respectfully made for a great showing of British television and Toby Jones rounded out the British cast. Strange perhaps for a Spanish directed film but it made a joy to watch. Gorman especially because he played an American and it took me a while to recognize him. When they make you work for it like that it brings so much more of a reward once you recognize them - or at least it does for me. Roberts, likewise did an excellent job and was able to seem older in his role than he looks. Rounding out the cast are American powerhouses Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. Now I'm not a huge fan of either of them, I like them alright but their not the draw for me, espeically De Niro however in this film De Niro was amazing. The skill he has on giving the performance he did without the use of his eyes as they were covered up with dark glasses made me speechless. In particular once scene when he's meeting Murphy's character during the scientific testing. He's all smiles when he's meeting Murphy but with Murphy's cold demeanor his face falls flat. It's a brilliant moment. Just by watching his mouth you can feel all of his emotions. Finally you have Elizabeth Olsen who I think did a good job more so towards the end when she's looking at the tape because she's directly in the action. I feel like they could have done more with her character, given her more because I feel she could have handle it.
The story itself is interesting with scientist debunking psychics only to come up against the most celebrated psychic of them all. The film starts out slow and some of the scenes are a bit awkward but even in their awkwardness they still work. I'm talking specifically about the scenes where Murphy asks Weaver about Olsen and then Weaver asks Olsen about Murphy. It's a fun way to set up their relationship even if it never gets fully developed. They could have done more with that but then again it would have taken away from the hunt for silver.
The film is all about finding paranormal happenings out as frauds and we see several cases of Weaver and Murphy going around investigating before we're brought into their classroom. It's interesting that the debunkers get less funding then the paranormal seekers. Again here is another one of my favorite scenes, maybe because Murphy is so effortless at it or because the focus is on his hands which are so graceful but while Weaver is talking about the ways in which the frauds work Murphy demonstrates. You get a little bit of flirting between Murphy and Olsen. The film moves on with competition from Toby Jones' paranormal department at the university and Simon Silver (De Niro) coming out of retirement and Murphy's one track mind to debunk him. I won't ruin the ending here because it is just so great that if you haven't seen it I want you to get the full effect of it.
This film has kept me thinking since I finished it. It may be slow at times but it keeps you engaged throughout the film - even through it's awkward bits. Cillian Murphy is amazing as is the rest of the cast. Red Lights is definitely worth the look.
The concept behind In Time I think really works well in the world we live in today. Time is money. I thought the premise was original and was explained well in the beginning of the film without being to talkative. The back story was conveyed through the story itself. It might have been a little talkative in the beginning of how the world worked but they pulled back from that as the film progressed and just let the action and story speak for itself.
I enjoyed Justin Timberlake and I'm a fan of his acting even thought I was squarely on the Backstreet Boys side of boy bands. In this film Timberlake was perhaps a little too ghetto. He made you aware of his acting. It didn't come natural and was a bit stilted. Amanda Seyfried was an interesting choice for the role and she seemed way too young. I don't know if was the baby doll dresses and hair but she looked like a teenager and I didn't see any real chemistry between her and Timberlake. It was a bit disappointing. Olivia Wilde did a great job for the small amount of time she was in the film. Her death was so sad (even though I kept thinking of Doctor Who when The Doctor sees Rose in the fourth series). Wilde brought true emotion to the role. She seemed to have more chemistry with Timberlake though so it was weird when he referred to her as his mom but it was believable when she said it was her 50th birthday.
Timberlake's best scene was when he's arm wrestling with the goon, something which you knew was going to happen after he explained it to Seyfried earlier in the film. It wasn't so much the arm wrestle going down the exact way he said it would but him taking the fun and shooting the others. It was a nice pop of excitement on a predictable scene.
The standout performance for me is that of Cillian Murphy as the timekeeper. I just wanted to watch him and I'm not really a huge fan of his but this was the best role I've seen him in and he looked the most masculine. I could have watched him run in that black coat for 2 hours. I wanted him to be redeemed so bad, especially after Timberlake gave him some time and I think he was redeemed a little bit at the end. The revelation about his character coming from Dayton made sense and made you want him to succeed even more. If he wouldn't just taken the time from the car he would have been okay but no, he has to run out of time. The most anticlimactic moment of the film.
The ending of the film mirror the beginning scene between Timberlake and Wilde and even though I didn't feel the chemistry between Timberlake and Seyfried I was still on the edge of my seat wondering if he could save her when he couldn't save his mother. It almost makes up from Murphy's death, almost.
Hart of Dixie was a show I was aware of because I love the CW network so I had seen commercials for it and I loved Rachel Bilson in The O.C. but I hadn't gotten around to watching it. Until I started talking to one of my co-workers about guilty pleasures and this show was hers. Luckily the first season was on netflix and I blew through it. I loved the concept, loved the characters and loved the setting.
The CW seems to like shows set in the south (Hellcats was in Memphis, Vampire Diaries is in Virginia, The Originals is in New Orleans and Hart of Dixie is in Alabama). There's more you can do with the history of the town and the rituals of the south, not to say that they don't have them elsewhere but I don't see founder's day in Portland. Really its about community which is understandable given the network - formerly WB and UPN.
The cast was great with a majority of unknowns, another common occurrence on the CW, but it was nice to see Tim Matheson in another role (I know him from The West Wing). As an audience you really get to know and love these characters and I think that's what makes the show so enjoyable. The show is really an ensemble and all the major characters work well together.
The major premise behind the show is the love triangle of first Zoe - George - Lemon which quickly dissolves into George - Zoe - Wade and I have to say I much prefer Wade over George. George is just so boring! I was really glad to see Zoe and Wade make a go of it. Wade's one of those characters who puts on an air of "I-don't-care" but he really does and although he makes mistakes he can be really sensitive. The last episode of the first season had so much drama with Zoe ending up with Wade and George breaking things off with Lemon to be with Zoe.
In the second season Zoe and Wade progressed their relationship but of course no one can be happy on television and Wade does something stupid. The show lost me a bit at the end because they repeated what had happened in the first season. Wade and Zoe break up, she goes after George who is in a relationship, who then breaks up with his girlfriend and goes to Zoe only to find her in bed with Wade. It was like they couldn't figure out what they wanted to do so just recycled an old storyline. It made it a but soap opera-y.
Having said that I am looking forward to the third season. I really think Zoe and Wade having something going even though he cheated on her and denied it. I loved his romantic gesture at the end of the last episode. Thankfully they have brought in someone new, Jonah the doctor to tempt Zoe while she's in New York. Now I say thankfully only because they needed new blood because the George-Zoe-Wade triangle has gotten old and frankly I'm not a huge fan of George.
The other stand out character for me is Annabeth who I adore (although Bert Reynolds is pretty good). She's so cute and peppy but still a little sassy. She gets a little crazy when she's with Lemon but I was happy things worked out between her and the mayor even though it would have been nice to see the mayor with Lemon. It'll be interesting next season to see what happens with Lemon who is now a co-owner of the Rammer Jammer with Wade. Will there be romantic feelings there? I really hope not but it is a possibility.
I think the CW hit on a good show with this one that really makes you enjoy your 45 minutes with them. It feels like family.
I have finally come to the end of Primeval: New World and I'm sad its the end end since the show was cancelled. I feel the show struggled to find a voice of its own apart from the UK version but some of that could have been me longing for the UK version. The last few episodes though really helped the show start to emerge on
its own, I guess it was just a little too late.
The show had some problems from the beginning because it try to be from the same universe at the UK one but with everything that happened on the season finale of the UK one its hard to imagine the Canadians are just finding out about it now. I liked the team, especially as the series progressed but there still wasn't a lot holding Evan and Dylan together and I feel like they could have pushed that relationship. I got really tired of Angelika especially when she started working for the bad guys. The show tried to have that romantic relationship for Evan but it just didn't work.
In the last few episodes there were two guest stars that I just loved. One was Colin Ferguson from Eureka and the other was Andrew Lee-Potts reprising his role as Connor Temple from the UK show. It was nice to see Ferguson and Matter back together and Ferguson was great as a crazy scientist plus it was nice to see him playing someone smart for a change.
The show ended with a two part episode which involved Connor Temple meeting up with Dylan and Evan in the distant past. The quip Connor makes about being stuck in the Cretaceous period for a year was a good inside joke. It was really too bad that it took 12/13 episodes to get this far in the series because it really began to pick up. The mystery around Mac finally surfaced and the consequences of messing with space and time rears its ugly head.
Talk about a way to end the series, running for an anomaly - did they make it? I guess we'll never know but it sure would have been nice had they renewed the show for a second season. I think with a second series it would have really taken off.
Another Saif Ali Khan (don't worry I'm running out of his films) and Rani Mukerji film! Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is a play on The Sound of Music/Marry Poppins/Nanny McPhee but brings enough to the table to make it its own. The concept of the plot is a strange but they make it work. Ranbeer gets in a car accident killing a husband and wife and then is sentenced to provide for the four children they left behind. Not the best judgement considering you're asking four children to go and live with the person who killed your parents and the judge stipulated that they couldn't be sent to boarding school and they had to travel with him. The children at first want to do everything possible to make Ranbeer's life a living hell so in order to save the situation after all involved cry out to God we see God himself in the form of Rishi Kapoor and his naughty angel Geeta. The song we're treated to is fun to the point that you don't even mind the bad graphics.
Of course the whole point of the film is to have them all, the children, Ranbeer and Geeta become a family which is what happens by the end. Ranbeer is able to get to each of the kids in small ways and only has the eldest to contend with. I loved the scene where Ranbeer is complaining about his girlfriend and asks one of the children if she would be his girlfriend. It was cute. Once the girlfriend is gone through a whole lot of manipulation and naughty children Ranbeer is of course free to find love with Geeta. The only problem is that Geeta is an angel without feelings or at least being able to show those feelings. Ranbeer and the kid's love for Geeta persuades God to make her human.
I enjoyed the film a lot. It was fun and although a bit of a rehash of other films it managed to stand alone.
Tashan, another Hindi action film. It wasn't that great and it didn't help that it has my least favorite Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor in it. It did have a few things going for it, Saif Ali Khan to begin with but also it had Akshay Kumar in a comedic Hindustani role he's so good at. Anil Kapoor was the same as ever but still someone more enjoyable than Kareena. I find Kareena's characters weak and except for one scene Tashan was no exception.
But I suppose it's best to start at the beginning which brings me back to Saif Ali Khan's character Jimmy who narrates the film while underwater after the car he's in drives off the cliff. I admit it was a pretty cool way to open a film, it had a good hook. Jimmy isn't one to really like at the beginning but as the film goes on you begin to like him. The first half of the film is all about Jimmy falling for Kareena's character Pooja but then a shocking twist! She's totally just playing him in order to steal money from Anil Kapoor. In comes Akshay Kumar who is always a joy to see in this type of role but I was kind of wishing Katrina Kaif had been cast in this role instead of Kareena because that pairing is so good.
We return to the beginning of the film and see the car once again sail over the edge only now we know why the music kept changing. This takes up into the interval which then flips the film. Now Jimmy and Pooja are in cahoots and the audience suffers an awkward scene where Jimmy 'rapes' Pooja. Sometimes it seems like Bollywood is too loose with the issue of rape or being gay making it hard to watch, not that American films are any better.
After some pretty bad English lessons from Jimmy it turns out Akshay and Pooja fall in love for real having already known each other and Pooja's true past comes to light. Everything leads up to the show down between our heroes and Anil and his goons. It was a bit lengthy but had a good end with Pooja stabbing Anil in the chest with a large sword and moving it around. It made her character seem strong for one of the only points in the film.
The film ends with everyone happy, well except Anil. The lengthy fight scenes and Kareen ruined the film for me plus the really bad English.
Ever since I saw Nicholas Hoult in skins I have been intrigued so I was really happy when he started making it in Hollywood and when I saw the trailer for Warm Bodies I knew I had to see it. Unfortunately I missed its theater run but was able to pick it up on DVD.
It was perhaps a bit slow but I liked it. Hoult is just so amazing I can't think of a word to properly describe him. His grunts and gait made his character seem believable. The decision to have voice over as to what R was thinking was smart because it really held the film together. The funny moments like 'don't be creepy, don't be creepy' or 'say something human...nailed it' where some of the best moments because it was down played a bit. This somewhat disembodied voice allowed the comedy to shine through without taking away from what you were seeing on screen.
On a deeper level the film has something to say about what it means to be human and what we are really doing with our lives - the scene that stands out is when R is talking about wanting to connect and how good it must have been before everyone was dead, onscreen we see everyone on cell phones and ipods in a flashback. Something that could be looked into in a lengthier review.
The concept, taken a little from Romeo and Juliet albeit without the tragic ending, something I was beginning to worry about towards the end, but I still think it's original. A cure for zombies, why not? In recent years we've seen cures for vampires and werewolves so why not zombies. The plot was good, it made sense. I could have gotten more from Teresa Palmer because the whole time she reminded me of Kristen Stewart. Hoult was the one who really pulled this film through to the end, with a little bit of help from his friends (Rob Corddry. For Nicholas Hoult, I'm hoping this is just the first of many great films to come. He's one that I'll be watching out for.
Race and Race 2 two more Saif Ali Khan films in my epic marathon. I had seen Race before but wanted to refresh my memory before watching this years Race 2. The main problem with both films is that there are too many twists and turns in the plot that anything could happen next. Logic is almost thrown out of the window. The big theme of the series is BETRAYAL!
In Race, Saif Ali Khan plays Ranvir Singh the elder step-brother to Rajeev Signh. The younger brother plots out to kill the elder brother by using everyone around him but he's no match for Ranvir. RD the police investigator was strange but then again Anil Kapoor pulls off strange very well. Rajeev is killed off pretty early on in the film and the audience is left wondering what the rest of the film is going to be and missing Rajeev. Everything is explained by the end in a way reminiscent of the Oceans' films and you leave happy knowing the 'good guys' get to ride off into the sunset.
In Race 2, the story line becomes even more convoluted. You're never quite sure what is happening and who knows what. It was nice to see John Abraham as a villain again but the women in this film were lacking. I'm not a huge fan of Bipasha Basu but the film suffered without her. It didn't really know why Ranvir was going after Armaan until the very end and even then it wasn't clear as to Armaan's motives. The fact that something so tragic had to happen in order to get this
movie made made it a bit less enjoyable. I kept thinking Sonia was going
to pop up at any moment. The tie between everything was weak at best. They were smart by only killing of Ranvir for a shorter time this time around. You expected him to come back and he didn't delay, always coming at the right moment to save his girl. Their final fight when Ranvir was wearing a three piece suit was pretty funny. The sexual jokes between Anil Kapoor and his new assistant where too much in my way of thinking for a Bollywood film.
John Abraham looked for any and all opportunities to take off his shirt and showcase his body. I'm not complaining I just found it a little too obvious. Saif Ali Khan has definitely bulked up in the past few years and the facial hair really does something for him. His style in both these films really works.
The song and dance numbers where amazing! I loved every one, from both films. However, the singer for Saif Ali Khan's parts in Race 2 was a horrible match and I almost had to turn it off if I didn't like his dancing so much. The songs and dance numbers themselves were highly stylized with lots of glitz and glam and water...it really worked to add the Bollywood essence into the thriller genre the film was going for.
I have a bit of a personal history with this film. I just happened to be at Trinity College in Dublin to see the sights when I saw a film crew in the area surrounding by Indian fans so obviously I was interested and when got up close enough I was able to see Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif! I was pretty excited and stayed to watch longer than I had intended not bothered by the fact that I was limiting my time in Dublin I was seeing a Bollywood film being made. What were the chances?
Two years later I finally got around to seeing the film which was an action film a recent trend in Bollywood ti seems. Salman Khan plays a secret agent of sorts of the Indian government while Katrina Kaif is one for the Pakistani government. It's a bit of a Mr. and Mrs. Smith remake but the cultural significance of the history between the two countries adds something to the film.
The fight scenes are pretty hilarious because most of what you see on screen is impossible to do in real life. It treads on the heels of Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger. There are lots of explosions and world travel - none of which really makes sense. There really isn't a reason for the film to take place in Dublin. To add onto the ridiculous fight scenes were the dance numbers. Even with all the explosions, chases and gun fights Salman Khan always found the time to dance.
There was lip locking in this film! Shocking I tell you. Kissing in a Bollywood film! Not to mention the obvious sex before marriage. I was not exactly prepared for all this in a Bollywood film but once I got over my shock I found the film enjoyable. It took me until the very end of the film to realize it was a remake of sorts of When Harry Met Sally but I think it was different enough to stand alone unlike other Bollywood remakes.
Saif Ali Khan needed some help in the fashion department for this film because both his many hair styles and horrible pants from the opening number left the audience cringing. The song and dance numbers weren't amazing but the story was good. I really liked the inserts of Karan's comics. They added something to the film which helped time pass in Karan and Rhea's relationship. The freak out Karan had after they slept together was predictable but his eventual confession of love was worth the wait. It's definitely a movie for waiting.
The supporting cast was phenomenal but when you have Rishi Kapoor and Kirron Kher and the small cameo of Abhishek Bachchan you can't really go wrong. They acted as good companions to the two main characters and grounded them for the audience. Voice of reason. I loved it when Abhishek's character tells Karan that he better not realize he's in love with Rhea now that she's getting married which is the plot line of a lot of other Bollywood films.
Thinking more about the pairing of Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji I think why it seems to strange to me is that is seems so natural which you would think would be perfect but it stands out. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I took notice of it and it hindered my enjoyment of their pairing.
Ta Ra Rum Pum was an interesting Bollywood film because it didn't have that Bollywood feel to it. It felt strangely out of place. It was still enjoyable but perhaps a little too serious especially with the children. Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji make an interesting couple. It's definitely not my favorite paring but given the run of movies they've had together that I've recently watched I'm getting use to them.
I loved the beginning of the film which fit the Bollywood format with the two main people falling in love through a serious of hilarious and sometimes awkward events but after RV has his accident and the family is forced out of their beautiful house at the interval the film takes a turn for the serious. Here the song and dance numbers, something I look forward to in a Bollywood film largely disappear and try as they might the cheery atmosphere is gone. There are touching moments with the kids once they realize the true extent of their problems and they start saving their lunch money. The struggle between Shona and RV I think was just a little too real for me and not something I was expecting, not that Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji don't do their characters justice because they do it just wasn't something I was expecting. Both actors showed their struggles really well. One of the best scenes is when RV is asked to get a woman to the airport in an impossible amount of time given NY traffic. At first he's all for it knowing he needs the money for his children's school fees but once he gets up to speed he has flashbacks to the accident and loses the money. This is the same thing that happens to him when he first got back into racing. The most gut wrenching scene of the film is when his kids asked him how is race went. His look of desperation and Shona's immediate change of the subject was so natural. It really sold the moment.
The comedy was definitely raunchy and at times a bit awkward, although I did watch the unrated version.
Cameron Diaz had no problem fitting into her role. Justin Timberlake was
a strange fit for me. It was so off the mark of his usual fare that it
seemed strained. It was almost like he was on SNL during the whole film.
I felt Jason Segal underplayed his role which some of that had to do
with the writing. He left me wanting more which is always a good thing
and he seemed the most real of all the characters.
Even if I wasn't a teacher I would have watched this film. It was crazy, funny and everything you wish you could do in class. I loved the comments she wrote on the papers because sometimes you really wish you could write those same things! Running away from children who are crying and crazy co-workers who belong in an elementary school (I teach middle/high school) with their enthusiasm. I personally loved the dodge ball quiz. Of course these are all the reasons why I like it coming from the teacher perspective.
Looking at the film on a film studies level there's something interesting going on with the characters. Elizabeth is not a character that you should like. She's shallow, manipulative and self-centered. The worse main protagonist ever but because she says what's on her mind you can't help but like her in some weird way. And its not like she starts out shallow and ends up redeemed. Yes she ends up with the gym teacher, which the audience sees as the clear choice, but she doesn't change her attitude towards life or her job. She may get her 'happy ending' but as audience member you feel bad about yourself for liking what happened. In any other film she would have been killed or put in jail or some other horrible end. Instead she is given a relationship with a proper match and retains her job.After finishing the film I didn't feel all that great about myself.
For me it has been Moffat who has ruined Doctor Who. The only thing that is keeping me interested is to see what they do with the 50th and the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper. I miss the good old days with interesting characters, good story lines and the anticipation for the next episode. I knew it was going to hard for Moffat to move on from Amy Pond and Rory. Moffat hit something with that trio that was hard to get away from in fact he almost created a whole new show apart from Doctor Who with that trio. He's not one for goodbyes and it shows in his work. New Tardis, new opening titles, and new companion.
This has been the worse companion transition since the show was rebooted by RTD. I loved the idea behind Clara's character, especially with her being introduced in the beginning of series 7, but I felt like Moffat let not only the character but the actor, Jenna Louise-Coleman, down. After Clara died twice saving The Doctor, he meets up with her again this time for an extended time period to take us through series 7. The problem is I don't see any chemistry between Clara and The Doctor. I don't understand why she continues to travel with him. In fact in the very beginning she refuses to travel with him and who does this remind you of? That's right, Donna Noble who had a much better story line once she did want to travel with The Doctor and was also just as important. The more I think about it the more I see Clara a rehashing of Donna. Moffat continues what he had started with Amy and Rory by having Clara remain living at home and only going on certain outings with The Doctor. Unfortuntely I don't think this works for the show. With Amy and Rory we had them living and traveling with The Doctor before they stayed home which made the transition of companions at home more palatable.
Maybe because of the last two series we were beat over the head with the overarching storyline this season felt like it was lacking in anything holding the episodes together besides the mystery of who Clara was. A lot of the stories were also focused on sacrifice which when you see it over and over gets a bit dull. For me, there was a loss of excitement.
And as the season progressed I got further and further behind because the story lines were so lackluster. I wasn't compelled to watch the next weeks episode. I didn't enjoy it. The Crimson Horror was the turning point for me (although Hide did show some potential). I love Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax together so I think that helped but it was just too little to late. A Nightmare in Silver written by Neil Gainmen was my favorite episode of the season and I think this episode tops Gainmans last episode The Doctor's Wife. The Name of the Doctor was okay but I was just not as invested this series as I have been in the past.
It's almost like Moffat is more interested in publicity than creating a good show and now with Matt Smith leaving who knows where the show will end up.
Most of the time, NBC, as well as other networks, cut shows off in their prime not allowing them the time to develop their characters and plot lines. In the case of Smash, NBC's breakout hit from last season, the opposite happened. The show fell flat coming off of its awesome freshman season. The first season was one of those perfect seasons where everything was resolved and although I would love them to keep going they could in fact end; such as previous one seasoners: Moonlight and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
From the very beginning I had a bad feeling. They changed the best simpliest opening titles for a big extravaganza which did little to promote the show. That one changed bugged me the entire season! I felt like there was less music and it just lost its fun factor.
Smash's second season broke up the cast of Bombshell and added new characters none of which helped. In fact it made the season drag and feel disorienting. You could tell the show had run out of things to say and they undid everything they set out to do in the previous season with Karen dropping out at Marylin and Ivy getting the part. This season made me hate Tom, feel indifferent towards Julia but still love Derek.
Derek got the short end of the stick in this season and I love Jack Davenport. Last season he was fun to hate because although he was a player and did annoying things you could never really truly hate him. This season they tried to take that away from him with all the sex scandals but allowed him to redeem himself in the end. He wasn't a proper villain like Ellis had been in season one and I think not having an Ellis like character hurt the show because you didn't have anyone to blame. Derek's relationship with Karen never really came to fruition and the whole pregnant storyline with Ivy was just too much. I think they really missed an opportunity with Derek. When he walked out on Bombshell I was ready to walk out on Smash.
The momentum of the show was leading up to the Tonys which for most people isn't a big draw unlike the Oscars or Emmys because not everyone can go and see a Broadway show. Making the Tonys such a big deal disconnected the show from its audience.
Of the new characters I loved Kyle Bishop the most and was sad to see him go. The one new character who was interesting they had to kill. I understand why, to set up the rest of the season and Jimmy's downfall and redemption but by that point I was beyond caring. The show had jumped the shark and I was just waiting for Jaws to finish the job.
It has been a while since a film has moved me to tears let alone inspire me to write but Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor accomplished both. I didn't quite know what to expected when I put the DVD in but what I got was a sweet film about a woman making her way in the world whether society liked it or not. The overall story was simple and delicate. I'm sure some people found it slow and uneventful but there was a certain magic to it. I liked the subtlety it had.
The pairing of McGregor and Zellweger was good although not as good as their previous Down with Love. Although their roles were so different I found myself forgetting they had been in Down with Love together and caught myself thinking why haven't they been in a movie together? That's when I remembered Down with Love and now that I think about it they played similar roles in Down with Love - how utterly bizarre. I like them together but I think McGregor's character held him back a bit. He seemed very constrained which worked well to portray his character but hampered the on screen chemistry. Their last meeting at the train station shows their passionate love but because it had been downplayed I quite shocked myself with needed to grab a box of Kleenex when he died. I was a right mess and I think it was the subtlety of the film that got to me.
Of course after that it was strange how they continued the film. I felt a bit of a disconnect from the first half and into the second half maybe because what was driving the film forward was Miss Potter's stand up against society than her actual work. The plot doesn't hold up well against close scrutiny but that doesn't taint my enjoyment any. The special effects which seems a little odd for a period drama worked well. Potter's pictures coming alive reminded me of my childhood and I have the image of straining tea from The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends that my grandma taped for me. The filmed recalled some nostalgia for me of not only my childhood but of my time in England. Seeing the beautiful Lake District landscapes makes me want to go back.
I main problem I have with the film is the way they portrayed Potter when she was writing. Going off of this film I would of thought Potter was a complete nutter! Seeing her pictures move and talking to them. It certainty wasn't helping her case in not wanting to get married in a time when it was expected. Other than that I think the film was subtle and sweet and perhaps a bit predictable but enjoyable all the same.
This was a fun little documentary on groups of high school students from varying socio-economic levels, participating in a Shakespeare festival.The could have groups of about six students and had to perform 8 minute scenes. I was expecting something a little bit more from it. You don't get to see any full performances which I would have liked. I did like the fact that the competition did not allow for costumes and the only set they were allowed were two chairs. This fact made it possible for students from lower socio-economic areas were able to participate. Surprisingly, the documentary showed students from varying economic levels. One school had former gang members while another was an all girl school.
The commentary from actors who competed in the competition, including Kevin Spacey and Val Kilmer helped to fill the time.
Overall, it was an interesting documentary but not ground breaking.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before I started watching Canadian television, I guess I was just waiting for the right show and Sanctuary wasn't it. I knew that the Canadian channel Space was planning on a spin-off of the UK show Primeval but I hadn't realized it had come to fruition. What's more, I didn't realize Naill Matter who I loved on Eureka had been cast in the lead role. There were more than enough reasons to watch it and I just hoped for the best, that it could live up to its predecessor.
After watching the first eight episodes I have mixed feelings. I do have to give it props for being a spin-off of another country's show instead of just remaking it like they would and have in the US. The Canadians scored some major points on that score. This series is set in the same world as the UK show and Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) does a guest appearance in the first episode in a way handing the series off to his Vancouver counterpart. I think the show needed that but could have pushed it a bit more which they may do in future episodes to really cement the connection between the two shows. Without the connection to the original, the show seems more of a rehashing. In the UK series, anomalies where starting to occur everywhere and it
seems a little odd that just now people are discovering them in
Vancouver. We see Evan Cross working out how to alert them to an anomaly and how to find them but not at cleverly as the UK show did. It's almost as if Evan is suppose to be smarted than Connor which I don't quite believe.
Curiously, both series start off with the loss of the main character's wife which I suppose works as a good motivational tool to start the plot off. We eventually learn more about Evan Cross' first encounter in the eighth episode which also sheds light on quite a few mysteries that we had been leading up to until that point. Evan quickly gathers his team of an animal control chick and possible love interest, computer whiz, Indian-Brit security guard, annoying CFO and also possible love interest and a government spook who he doesn't quite like. With the team assemble let the dinosaur hunting begin!
Dinosaurs are a major part of anomaly infractions which is nice compared to the UK show which got more creative as the series progressed. Primeval: New World has had a bug episode and a basilisk episode but their creatures have mainly been dinosaurs. There are differences in the CGI work but surprisingly it isn't as distracting. The creatures still look amazing and the only real difference is the anomalies which look slightly different. The original anomalies look more like shards of glass compared to big balls of light with slight shard-like pieces towards the edges. This doesn't detract from the viewing pleasure as much as I would have thought.
What doesn't quite fit for me is the location. The show is set in Vancouver but we only get a mention of it once that I recall and we don't get any onscreen indication of where an anomaly is opening like we did in the UK show. The nondescript location might be working against the show because so many television shows and films are filmed there but set elsewhere. The show is missing a locality. Not that I would know of any of the places they could name it would give me a better sense of the world.
Primeval: New World lacks the charm of the original series. It is harder to fall in love with these characters than it was to fall for the original characters. You learn to like them but there's too much back and forth for me to really commit to these characters. I love Evan Cross but it might have more to do with the fact that I love Naill Matter. This role is similar to his role in Eureka. He's super smart and a bit of a bad boy but there is a vulnerability to him that I enjoy watching. He has some emotional scenes and isn't as snarky. The supporting cast is okay but lacks some heart. Leeds is a dark horse. This show is missing a Lester which Leeds cannot compete with. As more is discovered about the ARC I wonder if it will create an office in Vancouver in future episodes or if they'll continue down this project magnet road they have going with Leeds.
There also appears to be a subtle love triangle that begins and then ends, I don't know it's weird. Evan's wife dies so he's in mourning and has been for some time. He has his CFO Ange who is clearly interested in him. What is weird is because you know she likes him but you think that he's going to go with Dylan the animal control chick he recruits but then he starts up with Ange which goes against the expectations of the viewing audience. What's more is then the show takes a horrible turn to reinforce the relationship between Evan and Ange. It was like they thought the audience wasn't going to buy the relationship. They put Ange in skin tight workout pants and low top and send her on an anomaly chase with Dylan who is wearing a turtle neck. It was blatantly obvious who had the sex appeal in that episode especially since Dylan usually wears regular shirts.
I struggled to stay connected with the show throughout its first eight episodes because you would have one really great episode that would propel you into the next episode which would be a disappointment. Of course I was always comparing it to the original which didn't help because it could never quite reach the standard the UK show had set. This series is far more gory than the UK series. There are a lot more victims who are only half eaten and I miss the days where unsuspecting victims were swallowed whole.
Still I think the show has something and as mysteries start to unravel the show will come into its own.
When I went to see Lincoln, I thought, as the title suggests, that the film was going to be about the President, but it wasn't. The Thirteenth Amendment would have served as a better title, as the film focused on Lincoln's efforts to pass this amendment at the end of the Civil War. My problems with the film don't stop at the title. Although I like the camera work the color palette of the film was drab at best. Lots of grays and browns which serve its purpose I suppose to recreate the time period but it made it less pleasing to the eye than it could have been. The plot was the main problem source. The film didn't seem to know where it was going or at least that's how I felt while watching it. Lincoln didn't even get to say his Gettysburg address but had it recited to him. It took a while to get to the main point of the film and there were too many tangents along the way to result in a coherent film.
The one saving grace was the great actors who never seemed to stop coming. I knew Daniel Day Lewis was going to be amazing as always but I didn't realize who else was in it. This was a good role for Tommy Lee Jones and his character, especially the final reveal at the end of the film which added a nice little twist. James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Strathairn were all good but I really enjoyed Lee Pace even though he was a "bad guy." It was such a different role for him compared with Pushing Daisies.
I might have enjoyed the film and not have found so much fault in it had I been in a better mood. Someone in the audience were clapping and cheering on the house members as they voted to end slavery - as if they thought it was never passed or was in danger of not being passed. It'll still get Oscar nods so I guess Spielberg did his job.
I had been putting off seeing Downtown Abbey for quite some time. The majority of friends were shocked when they found out because of my love of British television but the show seemed like such an undertaking. A period drama that I too often got confused with the reboot of Upstairs Downstairs which has an actress I'm particularly fond of so I put it off. Finally I decided it was time and sat down to the first series.
I watched the first series all in one go and I refused to go to bed until I got to the end. That was on Thursday and now I'm ready for the third series. Needless to say I absolutely in love with the show, however, I'm not sure I understand why the American viewing public has taken such a shine to it. It is after all a slow drama about the decline of the British class system. I find it interesting that Americans are loving this show when our television are filled with stuff like The Simpsons and CSI: wherever. I'm glad for it but it's still curious.
The music was what caught me at first and from the first note of the opening score I knew it was going to be a good show. The music sets the tone of the show beautifully and really works at telling the story of the show through music and the music is helped by the costume, set design and cinematography. The show is beautifully shot and has rightly been nominated and won several awards for its cinematography. I love the costumes as well and the subtle changes as time has progressed forward in the show. This is pretty much my favorite time period so it is lovely to see. Time moves rather strangely in this show, which is another reason why
I'm so surprised at Americans liking it so much. The show moves slowly
and not a lot happens if you look at the timeline of the show but that
in no way detracts from the show. In fact I liked how they delineated
time.The series does span a lot of time, more in the second series than
the first.
Of course, it wouldn't be a stand out show without a stand out plot. The first episode opens with a telegraph message with the clearly distressing news about the sinking of the Titanic. At first I had no idea what was going on because I hadn't thought anything of the date. Once you realize what the news is, telling the audience at the beginning that the it was April 1912 was very clever. It was also interesting to see the response to the news from people who knew people on the ship. More often, when the Titanic is mentioned on screen it is because it's the main focus. Usually we, the audience goes down with the ship instead of hearing the news second hand. The writing is extremely superb. You get a feel of how life would be without getting to bogged down in details and characters are flushed out quickly.
The characters are what makes the show and there are so many here to enjoy from both classes. Maggie Smith steals every scene she is in. She always has a witty line to deliver. I love all the American jokes she says. I'm not a huge fan of Thomas or O'Brien but I've grown to like them at least a bit. Thomas over his vulnerability in the war. I like each of the daughters although Mary took some work in order to like. I love Sybil and Branson who are possibly my favorite couple, followed by Mary and Matthew who have finally got together. Anna is my favorite servant although Carson has just as much witticism as Maggie Smith. I like Bates but his story has gotten rather complicated with him being in jail and everything.
The parts during the war were the hardest to watch, especially Thomas freaking out and getting himself shot. I never felt like I knew William enough to feel bad when he died. He was very naive and so I felt more sorry for him. He did go gallantly.
I don't have much to complain about in the show except I can't get enough of it fast enough! Even the characters I don't like I start to like because I know they add something to the story. Thomas continues to make mistakes after mistakes but I'm beginning to find it enjoyable watching how he gets out of it. All in all this is my new favorite show and I might even give Upstairs Downstairs a chance.
