Tag Archives: tom hanks

Film Reviews: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood. Offside. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The Notorious Betty Page. Altitude. Backdraft. Being John Malkovich. Don’t Look Back. Rabbit

05 Saturday Dec 2020

Posted by in movies, sarah paulson

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

I love Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys and yet this still managed to disappoint me. I watched ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ earlier this year and it was one of the best documentaries I’ve seen all year. I wish it was still available on Netflix, so I could rewatch it now.

7/10

Offside

I cannot believe that apart from the ‘temporary jail’ scenes, the film was shot on the day of the football match! I loved every minute of it.

10/10

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

I finished reading book last month, after meaning to do so for the last 15+ years. Sadly one of the things I learned is that my favourite character from the film dies tragically in the book. My favourite quote from the book:

‘I can’t wipe the razorblade scars off your wrists, or the cigarette burns off the back of your hands.’

‘Jesus, I mean, you guys do nothing but complain about how you can’t stand it in this place here and you don’t have the guts just to walk out? What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin’? Well you’re not! You’re not! You’re no crazier than the average asshole out walkin’ around on the streets and that’s it.’

‘Is that crazy enough for ya’? Want me to take a shit on the floor?’

10/10

The Notorious Betty Page

This would have been so much better if they continued the story past the 50s. There’s nothing here about her nervous breakdown and assaulting her landlord that ended with a decade long stay at a psychiatric hospital. The film suggests that all the sado-maso modelling was a result of Betty’s PTSD after years of sexual abuse and another unrelated attack. In one of the scenes Sarah Paulson tells Gretchen Mol ‘I believe the female form can stand on its own’ when Betty takes out a racy corset, then proceeds to take topless photos of her.

6/10

Altitude

Greer Grammer struggled to find the toilet at the Hecks’ house on The Middle, but managed to carry a shitty Lifetime film. This aired on Filmbox Action at 2am.

3/10

Backdraft

I’ve read some really bad reviews for Ron Howard’s new film Hillbilly Eledgy, so I thought I’d give this Oscar Nominated film of his a shot instead, especially since it’s disappearing from Netflix tonight. Hans Zimmer successfully brought tears to my eyes as always, but the script failed to do the same.

6/10

Being John Malkovich

Let’s be honest, none of us expected it to suddenly turn gay. A wonderfully twisted mind game and insight into a character’s head. So original, it hurts. Last time I was this nicely surprised with a story was when I watched The Platform on Netflix.

9.5/10

Don’t Look Back

I’m a huge fan of Parenthood, the NBC TV series and Bob Dylan’s Forever Young played in the opening credits of every episode. I feel like I haven’t learned anything new about Dylan after watching this documentary. If you like Bob Dylan, you’ll love this. This is the first musical documentary of the film crew following an artist as they travel from city to city on a tour.

6/10

Rabbit

I watched this in my Intro to Animation class this morning, and It’s one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen. An extremely graphic short story of greedy children brutally killing animals to get extra points from a magical genie. The kids get just what they deserve as nature gets its revenge in this BBC animation.

6/10

Film Reviews: To The Stars. Jack The Bear. Julia. The Woman in the Window. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend. Deadly Shores. Ophelia. Popeye the Sailor and Sindbad the Sailor. Nothing in Common

31 Sunday May 2020

Posted by in Jane Fonda, movies

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to the stars jack the bear julia 8

To The Stars

A bullied teenager befriends a new girl in town. The new girl is a mystery to everyone and likes to lie to everyone about herself and her family. She’s hiding a personal secret that is soon going to come out and change everything. My kind of screenplay. This is probably my favorite LGBT film of 2019. Time to update my Favourite films of the 2010s list.

10/10

Jack The Bear

Exactly what I needed today. The relationship between the two brothers is what’s running the film here. What happened to Miko Hughes’s career after the nineties? He was awesome in every single one of those kid roles he played including in Pet Sematary, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Mercury Rising, Full House and so many more. Jack the Bear must have been shelved for years, because the ages of child actors were at least 3 years off from how old their characters were, Reese Witherspoon would have been 16 in 1992, but looked 13 in the film, and Miko was 3.5 in the film, but would have been 6 in ’92.

7/10

Julia

A writer goes to meet her friend who was injured in the war many years ago, and whom she had a crush on as a little girl. I wish I realised she’s the writer of The Children’s Hour before she mentioned it an hour and a half into the film.

‘There are women who reach a perfect time of life when the face will never again be as good, the body never as graceful, powerful. It had happened that year to Julia.’

‘Act gay. Can you act gay?’

‘After all, the whole world knows about you and Julia.’
‘What does the whole world know, Sammy? What does the world know?’
‘Don’t be that way. I’m a sophisticated man. If anybody understands the sex urge of the adolescent girl, it’s me.’

8/10

the woman in the window unbreak deadly shor

The Woman in the Window

A film noir classic. This film was originally supposed to end with a suicide, but the studio said that would be too horrific, so we got this highly disappointing ending instead.

7/10

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend

It took me almost 3 hours to go through all possible scenarios and some of them were clearly better than others, for example how on Earth is my favourite character accidentally ending Times Up funny? There’s also a diss at Lori Loughlin and the USC scandal. I won’t miss this show that much, I’d rather re-watch 30 Rock.

7/10

Deadly Shores

Carly Schroeder’s last film before she retired from acting and joined the army. I loved Mean Creek as a kid, and I think her acting was better when she was younger. It’s been a month and I couldn’t possibly tell you how this movie ended, I know a young wife followed her writer husband to a property by the seaside, where his deceased wife lived, there she finds out he’s in love with someone else and is planning to get rid of her.

2.5/10

ophelia opoeye nothing in common

Ophelia

Let me guess, Naomi Watts refused to do this little adaptation unless they let her play two characters?

Fun fact, I once played Ophelia in a school play, back in 8th grade, I think? This took me back.

6/10

Popeye the Sailor and Sindbad the Sailor

Why this particular Popeye, Mubi? I grew up watching Full House, so whenever someone mentions Popeye or I see someone wearing a Popeye T-shirt, I automatically think of Joey Gladstone and his Popeye impression.

5.5/10

Nothing in Common

This is what Mad Men would be like if it was a comedy.

5/10

 

Film Reviews: Punchline. Blackfish. The Man in the Moon. Wedding March 4. Easter Under Wraps

11 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in movies, Sally Field

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Punchline

I just love this film so much! It’s my 8th or 10th watch and it never gets old! Sally and Tom are fantastic as stand-up comedians. Sally plays a housewife married to a Polish man and is a beginner comedian. She spends 500 dollars on poor jokes, and enlists Tom Hanks’s help to reinvent her act. Tom falls for her, even though she’s happily married and has no feelings for him. Sally’s husband doesn’t think she’s funny anymore and doesn’t like her evening trips to the comedy club. There’s a stand-up contest both Sally and Tom take part in. Sally’s husband sees her perform for the first time, and not only finds her funny, but is proud of her. Sally wins, but gives her prize and title up as she realises she doesn’t need it, because she already has everything she needs, and because she thinks Tom is funnier and should have won. Tom does win, and Sally leaves with her husband, discussing all the jokes she’s going to tell at next stand-up night.

10/10

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Blackfish

I’ve been a vegan for 10 years and vegetarian for more than I can remember, so it’s true that I’m not a fan of most zoos and some of their practices. I do however have friends who’ve worked at zoos and they’ve explained to me on numerous occasions the importance zoos have in animal conservation. I like zoos that rescue animals, and only keep the ones that cannot be released back into the wild. I accept zoos that have fancy, big animal enclosures, but most don’t. Dolphin and whale shows along with artificial animal insemination are things I’ll never understand and want no part in, so even though I may visit my friends at a zoo, and feed and hug a koala or two, I’ll never set foot in Sea World. Apparently author John Green decided to scrap a scene from Paper Towns’s film adaptation after seeing this film, wheras Colin Trevorov, director of Jurassic World, based raptors’ responses on Tilikum’s behaviour in captivity. I only watched Blackfish 3 days ago, but it was all I could think about, so I watched it again.

8.5/10

The Man in the Moon

I forgot how beautiful this film was! Little Reese steals every scene she’s in! It’s a wonderful coming of age story of 14 year old Dani and her first crush. The crush likes her, but doesn’t want to be with her because of her young age. Her older sister falls for the same guy, who just happens to be 17, just like her. A tragedy strikes, changing their lives forever.

8/10

Wedding March 4

Watching Hallmark films with my family means one thing, it’s Easter time! After the 3rd one, I could feel my brain melt, thankfully this was my second one and I managed to watch this before that happened. I haven’t seen the other 4 films from this series but I’m familiar with Jack Wagner and Josie Bissett from When Calls the Heart and Melrose Place. This was okay, and I think I will eventually watch the other 4 of them. I couldn’t concentrate on the film after they mentioned pistachio cake. I know what I’ll be getting myself for birthday this year.

6/10

Easter Under Wraps

Hallmark has 20+ Spring rom-coms, but only one Easter film? I’ve only watched this because it was on HBO Go and I was looking for rom-coms to watch with my family over the Easter break. The film centered around a chocolate factory and, according to my mom, starred ‘Kevin’ from Chesapeake Shores.

5/10

PUNCHLINE, Sally Field, 1988, (c) Columbia
PUNCHLINE, Sally Field, John Goodman, 1988, (c) Columbia

Film Reviews: The Hunt. The Circle. Doing Time for Patsy Cline. The Property Man

23 Monday Mar 2020

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I have officially finished my Miranda Otto marathon, it took me 3 weeks or so. The only three films of hers I still haven’t seen are True Love and Chaos, also starring Naveen Andrews, Kin, starring Isiah Washington and Three Legged Fox. I just cannot find them anywhere. I hope I won’t need to reschedule my April flight for August, but if I do, I’ll still take time off and just spend the two weeks at home watching films. Here are some quick notes I wrote down while watching the below four films.

the hunt the circle patsy theprop

The Hunt

A brilliant thriller from the producers of The Purge. It’s the film I’ve been talking about for the last 8 month, and every person I mention the plot to says, oh so it’s like The Purge. In a way, it is. 12 people are kidnapped and left in the woods. People are hunting them down. Theyre given guns, but they have no chance. The films stars Hilary Swank as the villain and then from the huntees, you’ll probably only recognise 3 people (inlcuding Emma Roberts and Justin Hartley from This is Us). Those three people don’t live long in this movie. There’s one scene in this that is stopping me from giving it a 10 and it involves an eye and a high heel. I still cannot believe The Hunt’s US release was cancelled or postponed because of Trump.

9/10

The Circle

This is like that Black Mirror episode starring Bryce Dallas Howard where people can rate human interractions. Have they never heard of the Data Protection Act, now superseded by the General Data Protection Regulation? Why on Earth would anyone agree to this? And why did Tom Hanks agree to do this awful film? Watch ‘The Circle’ starring Julie Benz instead.

3/10

Doing time for Patsy Cline

A young musician decides to leave Australia and head for Nashville, but hitchhikes with the wrong couple. He falls for the female, played by Miranda Otto, and police arrest him for drug possesion. He decides to sacrifice his freedom, because he’s conviced the girl will fall in love with him. In his mind he plays this alternate universe in which him and Patsy become these big country music stars and fall in love. His maladaptive dreaming eventually ruins his life, as his love for the girl overtakes his clear judgement. I too have always lived in my head. For me, I think, It comes with being an only child. Constant maladaptive daydreaming though pleasant and reassuring, is dangerous. It’s affected my life, but It’s also saved it. It’s made me into this creative individual and is major source of ongoing writing material. I saw someone on instagram tell Miranda she looks like Susan Sarandon, it must have been the poster for this film that made them think that, because they look nothing like.

‘Yesterday I went to the movies all day by myself. One after the other. I’ve never done that before. I had a really happy day.’

7/10

The Property Man

This is my 20th Chaplin short and they’re all the same to me now. I think I’ll just stick to his feature films from now on.

5/10

Film Reviews: Downton Abbey. Apollo 11. The Shape of Things. Finding Normal

29 Tuesday Oct 2019

Posted by in candace cameron bure, movies, Rachel Weisz

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downton apollo 11

Downton Abbey

Our favourite family and their staff are back after 4 years! This feature film was just as delightful as the series! I really hope they come back in a few years to show us what happened to Downton and the characters during WWII and then, even later, because I really want to see Mary as the grumpy old aunt. And yes, I got an A1 poster with all characters from my local cinema! I can’t wait to buy it on DVD and show it to my family! Someone asked me the other day what it is about Downton that is so good and no matter how many nice things I had to say it just doesn’t explain it well enough. A friend or two of mine watched Downton for a season or two and then abandoned it. I started watching Downton back in season 4, right after I read online about Anna’s rape storyline. I started from the pilot and after two or three episodes I was hooked on the lives of the Crawleys and Downton’s staff. Cora played by Elizabeth McGovern and Anna played by Joanne Froggatt are my favourite characters on the show, but honestly, everyone is highly likeable, even Mary. I still haven’t been to the Highclere castle, but it’s definitely on my to do list. The king and queen’s visit seemed a little far fetched to me though, and that’s honestly the only problem one may have with this film.

‘Will you have enough clichés to get you through the visit?’
‘If not, I’ll come to you.’

‘Oh Violet. After all these years you still astonish me.’
‘Oh good, I’m glad I’m a revelation and not a disappointment.’

‘You are the future of Downton’

10/10

Apollo 11

A riveting documentary made out of 11 000 hours of unused footage and never-heard-before audio recordings of Neil Armstrong’s trip to the moon. I especially liked shots of the public waiting for the launch. Just think about it, these people, some of them long gone, will never learn about this film, and those still with us, won’t probably know about this documentary. I’m glad I got to see it on the big screen, this is why I love Odeon’s Silver Screen.

‘One small step for man… one giant leap for mankind.’

8/10

shape of things finding normal

The Shape of Things

This was a great way to kick off my birthday celebration! I went in, thinking it was a rom-com, instead I was handed a refreshing twist! Rachel Weisz plays this artsy character who’s really into sex, art projects and stirring shit and Paul Rudd plays her clueless boyfriend. Rachel’s character decides to change the main character, she changes the way he dresses and even convinces him to have a nose job. The ruthlessness of Rachel Weisz’s character and Paul Rudd’s naivity balance themselves out perfectly.

8/10

Finding Normal

A big fan of Full House over here. Yes, this means I am quickly running out of the cute romcoms and murder mysteries starring Candace Cameron Bure. According to letterboxd, I’ve seen 27 of her films (out of 40), and there were maybe 3 that were genuenly good? I’m looking at you Punchline (also starring Sally Field and Tom Hanks), Freshman Fall, it’s this campus rape made for tv film were Candace plays a survivor and No One Would Tell, another 90s tv movie where Candace plays a teen who’s abused and eventually killed by her boyfirend, played by Wonder Years’ Fred Savage. Some true genius thought to put Full House agains Wonder Years. Finding Normal is an awesomely cute romcom, which seems a lot like a fresh take on Doc Hollywood. I really hope I’ll get to show it to my mum one day, as I know for a fact she would love it.

6/10

Film Reviews: Disobedience. The Old Man and the Gun. Stan and Ollie. The Land Girls. The Money Pit. Four Weddings and a Funeral. Hell Fest. A Dog’s Way Home. Abducted in Plain Sight

09 Saturday Feb 2019

Posted by in Bryce Dallas Howard, movies, Rachel Weisz

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Disobedience

‘Do you still only fancy women?’

Beautiful film. It’s made it’s way to my top 10. The first kiss Ronit and Esti share is the prettiest kiss I’ve ever seen on screen, partially because Ronit’s eyes are open through a big part of it.

It’s sad that Disobedience was shot in London and yet it didn’t get a proper national cinema release. Is this because only <0.5% of British population is Jewish or because of the LGBT aspect of the film?

‘I used to think about your life in New York. I tried to imagine your room. I kept track of the time difference, so I knew when you were awake and when you were asleep.’

‘I wanted it to happen. And when we were girls… Even then, it was the same. It’s always been this way! I have always wanted it.’

‘Why did you get married, Esti? Why didn’t you just leave? So everything was all right when I left?’
‘No. I was ill.’
‘What sort of ill?’
‘In my head.’
‘If I had to sleep with a man, why not with our best friend?’
‘Oh, Esti…’
‘It hasn’t been a complete disaster.’
‘And that’s enough?! Do you have to have sex every Friday?’
‘It’s expected.’
‘It’s medieval. What happened to you?’
‘Nothing. You happened to me. And then I started teaching and that became important. I give them ambition.’
‘To do what? Push out seven babies and be a good wife?’
‘Don’t. Don’t. I help them to value themselves.’
‘Okay, but what about you?’
‘That is me. And you? Are you happy?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Have you been with other women?’
‘No. Not really. And you?’
‘No.’
‘But, Esti… Do you still
only fancy women?’

10/10

The Old Man and the Gun

Story of Forrest Tucker, a criminal best known for escaping from prison 18 times. This film starring Robert Redford in what he claims to be his last role, shows Tucker’s addiction to the thrill and focuses on his innability to stop robbing banks. I really hope this isn’t Redford’s last role. Stong redhead game though, I’ve counted three actors with red hair.

7.5/10


Stan and Ollie

Wonderful performances from leading and supporting actors. My parents used to love watching reruns of Stanley and Oliver’s films when they were kids 50 years ago. I am happy there’s a film about S&O’s lives after the peak of their careers and that I spent the last 30 minutes of it sobbing.

7/10

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The Land Girls

I wish this was more about female friendship like the poster suggests and less about all three of them being sexually or romantically linked to this village idiot who was a sex addict and never got called out for cheating. Were any of the conversations the girls had not about men and sex?

6/10

The Money Pit

A colleague recommended this to me and it’s honestly the best recommendation I’ve gotten in years! Both Tom Hanks and the film are hilarious!

‘Always a bridesmaid, never a bride!’

‘How long will it take?’
‘2 weeks.’

7/10

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Even though I didn’t like the main relationship that much, the film has many fun smaller plots. My favourite storyline was with the girl that picked up a little bit of sign language because the lad she was into, but hadn’t even been introduced to, was deaf. I know this was made in 1993, but that joke about Lady Di did not sit well with me.

8/10

hell fest a dog's way home abd

Hell Fest

My favorite kind of fest. The film is quite realistic, and I am the kind of person who would have volunteered for the beheading too. I especially liked it when the decapitation didn’t work, so the killer tried again.

7/10

A Dog’s Way Home

A cheap version of Homeward Bound, sadly as bad as Homeward Bound 2.

3/10

Abducted in Plain Sight

Devestating documentary. The parents failed this kid so badly. They didn’t know pedophiles exisited, they literally let the sex offender sleep in the girl’s bed for years and on top of all, they were both in love with him and ended up having affairs with him! The alien story makes it all even more shocking!

7/10

 

 

 

Film Reviews: A Quiet Place. The Burbs. There’s Something About Mary. Everybody’s Going to Die. The Longest Ride. When We First Met. Dark Places. Rampage. Sense and Sensibility. Jessabelle. Jane Got a Gun. Christine. Remember Me. Abducted. The Choice

03 Tuesday Apr 2018

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A Quiet Place

Don’t Breathe taken to a whole new level!

10/10

The Burbs

Rear Window, but funny.

7.5/10

There’s Something About Mary

My family still talks about the dog resuscitation scene!

7.5/10

esgtd the longest ride when we first

Everyone’s Going to Die

If you’re 25 or older and you still have no idea what you want to do with your life, while your family is constantly on you for not knowing it yet, this film is for you!

6.5/10

The Longest Ride

It took me three years and three tries to finish it, while my family enjoyed it very much.

6/10

When We First Met

How did I not know Redbull has a blueberry flavour now?! They’ve mentioned ‘A League of their Own’ numerous times in this film, which is why I enjoyed it more than I ever should. The main character went back to the photobooth more than 5 times, and you could feel even the writers were tired of starting it all over. I like romcoms that try to be ‘original’ and do exactly what this one did in the end.

6/10

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Dark Places

The timeline was off, the daughter was half the age she was supposed to be. I still want to read the book, as I liked this more than Gone Girl.

7/10

Rampage

Woah, it’s 2018, so one beast is no longer enough, huh? There is another The Rock film coming out later this summer called ‘Skyscraper’ and it looks exactly the same! My local cinema chain gave out these A4 posters of Rampage and The Rock isn’t even on it! I would prefer the one that’s on here, but thanks Odeon. Anyway, the ‘Big meets bigger’ phrase they’ve put on all their posters, really suits here.

5.5/10

Sense and Sensibility

Emma Thompson version minus the lovely hairstyles and you know, budget. The little sister was the best part of this adaptation.

5.5/10

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Jessabelle

Tried to watch it back in 2014, but did make it past the first 15 minutes. Then one friend of mine, who always asks me for horror recommendations, tried to convince me to give it another try. Three years have passed and turns out, the friend was right, sort of.

5/10

Christine

They sure wrecked this car.

4/10

Jane Got a Gun

The only interesting plot turned out not to be true in the end.

4/10

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Remember Me

The minute he passed floor 88, I knew. After all, there were only 3 buildings that tall back then. If not for the unexpected ending, the film would have been awful. It may still be, I cannot decide whether this ending was respectful or not.

4/10

Abducted

What is it with these naive teenagers who think some rando will make them famous. The father wasted the first night after the abduction on getting drunk and made a bunch of idiotic decisions along the way.

3.5/10

The Choice

The parents were sure happy to marry her off.

2/10