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Showing posts from 2017

Grease

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Title: Grease Released: 1978 My Rating: 8 /10 I don't know whether I should feel ashamed that this was my first time seeing this musical classic starring an adorable young John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John; should I have gathered with my family and watched this regularly as a child? Maybe, maybe not... Any opinions? A story of high school love; Danny and Sandy fall in love in summer and are unexpectedly reunited when she joins his school. After a mix of heartfelt and funny songs with some awkward yet relatable teen situations, it ends happily with an exciting finale. Slightly dated, but it adds comedy and intrigue for a younger viewer as myself, and nostalgia for an older viewer. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, while my mum and I happily sang along throughout, both my dad and younger brother lost interest third song in. Glad I've finally watched it. A must see on every list, whether you like musicals or not.

Swiss Army Man

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Title: Swiss Army Man Released: 2016 My Rating: 9 /10 Absolutely insane. Hank (Paul Dano) is stranded on an island, on the edge of sanity and about to give up when he sees a washed up body (Daniel Radcliffe) which basically saves him. They become great friends as Hank brings Manny, the corpse, back to life with love as well as discovering this 'swiss army man's' many abilities. From the very first fart to the very last fart, you will be on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. With regular dark humour and overall madness from the start, you go on a journey with these two lost souls and discover many deep and meaningful underlining messages formed throughout, leaving you speechless and overwhelmed by all that you witness, questioning everything. I was still thinking about it a few days after my viewing. Some beautiful rural scenery with an equally beautiful soundtrack, quite unique and matching in curiosity with the storyline. It is understandable why there could be a de...

The Mask

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Title: The Mask Released: 1994 My Rating: 6.5 /10 Jim Carrey plays his usual exaggerated self when a timid banker, Stanley Ipkiss, discovers a supernatural mask, possessed by the Norse trickster God Loki, that transforms him into a lively cartoon-like character. He gets into some trouble with a crime lord after falling for his girl Tina (Cameron Diaz), but obviously it all ends well. Generally funny with some particularly good parts in places, and an adorable dog. But not Carrey's best work. However, I was not overly impressed by the representation of women in the film. Diaz appeared weak by being objectified, controlled and pushed around by men, and most men at the bank sexualised women and fought over them. But maybe I am too harsh, and I guess that is expected of them when they meet someone as pretty as the young Diaz. Not the best film, but enjoyable enough. Some great, recognisable quotes though.

Se7en

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Title: Se7en Released: 1995 My Rating: 9 /10 Se7en was an intense, gory thrill all the way through, always keeping me intrigued and thinking as the plot twisted. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman unite to solve what started as a one off death and evolved into an elaborate psychotic series of murders with a biblical message. One of the things I loved most about this film were the references to classic literature pieces, such as Milton's Paradise Lost or Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. It just added to the intelligence and madness of Kevin Spacey's fantastic performance as the creepy John Doe. I also felt great pride when I knew the quotes and the literature it was from. Very exciting and quite tense in places. An extremely clever film that will keep you guessing right until the shocking and dark ending. A great film all round. But perfect for those with a passion for the darker side of religion and smart psychological crime thrillers.

Logan

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Title: Logan Released: 2017 My Rating: 9 /10 It's Hugh Jackman's final performance as the Wolverine, so you know it's going to go out with a bang. Dark, gritty and highly emotional, this instalment lived up to the reviews as "the best Wolverine yet." A tired and older looking Logan and Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) care for each other, living with the absence of the X-men and other mutants. They want to escape and live a quieter, freer life else where, but their plans change when a young mutant (Dafne Keen) similar to Logan is thrust into their care and they must defend themselves against the evil forces after them. Excellent acting all round, of course, but particularly from a fairly new Dafne Keen, who was able to perfectly play both an adorable, frightened young girl and a wild, vicious animal. Amazing scenes ranging from deep and heartfelt to fantastically choreographed fight scenes. As the first X-men/Wolverine film rated 15, there was more blood...