Peppermint Friday Review #33: The Piano

I've been wanting to talk about this film for ages, because its a big film for me, as its the first film I ever watched that had sex scenes in. I remember watching it on the flight to New Zealand when I was 10 and I watched all the kids films, the family films, adventure films, sci-fi bascially everything I loved and I just thought 'I'll watch that'. Completely naive and it still remains one of the best period dramas I've ever seen in my opinion.

Its such an interesting story, its about a woman called Ada (played by Holly Hunter) and she hasn't spoken since she was 6 years old. She and her daughter Flora (played by Anna Paquin) are shipped of to New Zealand so Ada can marry a frontiersman called Alisdair (played by Sam Neill). As they arrive to New Zealand, Ada spends hours on her piano and that's the only thing she cares about. Alisdair has a friend Baines (played by Harvey Keitel) and he wants to learn how to play piano, at first Ada refuses and is disgusted by Baines, but Alisdair demands that she does. As time goes on Ada plays for him and Baines wants to 'do things to her' as she plays in exchange for keys on the piano, she agrees, and over time they fall in love.

One of the reasons as to why I love this film so much isn't to do with the fact that it has amazing costumes but its the story that's so unique and completely different from what I've seen before. Its one of those films I wish there was more of, I love that its set in New Zealand in the Victorian/Edwardian era because there's alot of Victorian and Edwardian films that are set in America and England, and its nice that it's set in New Zealand. I love anything to do with New Zealand because my mum's from New Zealand so this film holds such a special place for me. I love how the characters are unlike anyone I've ever seen before, Baines wasn't the typical handsome hero and neither was Alisdair they were very average looking. I love that Baines had tattoos on his face, like all the rest of the Maoris and Ada didn't speak both of them were the perfect couple. 

I love that with this film, it doesn't need to shout it and make it so blindingly obvious as to what's happening, what I mean by that is, it doesn't feel to the need to treat their audience like idiots sometimes films do that, they make things so loud and 'here it is wooo look they get together yay!!!' with the music. With this film they use music and the storyline very naturally and like a highlighter and not so in your face, especially with the romance of it all. Its great that with Ada she communicates by the piano and the piano is the main character in a way. Flora is fantastic, she was just so good, I love that they wrote her not being this good girl Victorian doll like child. She was written and played by a girl you would see now, and its no surprise to me that Anna Paquin won an Oscar for her part that year, because she was just incredible. 

The music of this film is just beautiful, it just geled so wonderfully with this film. This film is how to do music right and it made me want to learn the piano and play it. This film was written and directed by Jane Campion and she is so wonderful, and I need to watch more of her, because her way of storytelling is just so gorgeous. With the sex scenes they did it brilliantly again because it wasn't cheaply done in any way which is in my opinion how sex scenes in film should be done, by how the relationship is and the characters are, not just 'oh let's just do it!'. This film is one of my favourite period dramas and its such an underrated film, and Jane Campion is such an underrated director. I feel people only talk about her because she's a female director I've said this before, she's not a good female director,  she s a good director, don't put the female in front. 

This film is well worth watching as its so wonderful and unique with its story and characters and music, costume just everything its so good. I haven't found another film like this yet, even if you arn't a fan of period drama romances, you'll still love this as its not too lovey dovey. But still remaining the truth of the story and the characters, definitely give it a watch!

Review: Pearl Harbor

So I've been watching alot of films that people have told me to ages ago, but I never got round to it. This film is one of them, plus it has Kate Beckinsale in and she's an actress that doesn't get talked about enough, well from what I think anyway. Its also a Period Drama set in the 1940s and who doesn't love that? What the film is about is a love triangle between childhood best friends Rafe, Danny, and Nurse Evelyn played by Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale, all during the run up and battle and aftermath of Pearl Harbor.

That's basically it, in terms of the story line purpose of it all, its just a love story during the war. The reviews of this film I saw, and the ratings it got on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB was just ridiculous basically its an either average film or crap film. But don't take that as gospel truth because its a matter of opinion at the end of the day. I do agree its not the best film I've ever seen, I mean I love the costumes but thats a given and the battle action scenes of Pearl Harbor, but again with the budget they had and it was apparently a bigger budget that actual Pearl Harbor itself. I mean that could be hear'say but the money was showing on the screen definitely. 

In terms of characters and storyboard wise, I hated it. I love the actors in this film, I think they're brilliant and have no doubt can act, as I've seen them in better roles and better films. I hated Kate Beckinsale's character Evelyn she was just so wet and she had a really crap personality. I couldn't relate to her and usually I will try to find anything in a character that I can relate to, even a Villian or the Hero but with her I just couldn't. I found her bland and with a love story I don't know about you guys but I wanna fall in love with one of the couples, but I didn't like her at all. The only positive thing I can say about her is first of all its not Kate Beckinsale's fault its the writers, and she looked beautiful in the film her costumes to her hair and makeup, but that's being a model not an actor and in her defence, she's an actor she turned up did the job very well and got paid then went home.

I didn't get Danny and Rafe, they again were extremely bland and irritating brilliantly acted but I hated the script it felt very robotic and it became a little too slick. Some minor characters were just awful, Jennifer Garner played a part of a nurse in this and I didn't like at all, she was this stereotypical awkward nerd and I didn't get what kinda part she played, was it supposed to be comical? Because I didn't find it funny at all. There were some characters that died and not to sound horrible, but I didn't care I didn't like them at all. They all seemed very generic, boring, bland just really crap uninteresting characters. It's gonna sound abit weird but I'm actually glad that I've found a film that I don't like because I always try to find the positive side to films with this I did, but the majority of which I care about films which is the story line and characters both of which this film just lacked in. 

You could tell that this film was trying to be the Titanic of its time, it being a Period Drama and a Romance with a big budget its obvious what it was trying to be. I don't hate that but I just felt with it being Pearl Harbor they could've had more substance to it like they could have given Evelyn more of a backbone and made Danny and Rafe less pushovers. One thing was all three characters were on the same level in terms of strength and blandness. I loved the action scenes but they had to spend money on them because history nerds would throw a hissy fit and a riot would happen saying that 'Its not accurate!' now that does annoy me because of course its not going to be 100% accurate to the event its a film! its done in a filmmakers mind and put out there in a story. If you want accuracy of an event or a person then watch a documentary about it or read a book. Although there was inaccuracy in this film, but I mean again that's gonna happen, just like with book to film adaptations. 

I feel like this film showed me that just because a film has a big budget doesn't mean its automatically gonna be an amazing film. Because with the big action scenes, and the amazing costumes and extras and all that, if the story isn't good and the characters aren't relatable then no matter how big the budget it means nothing if the plot is crap, then its a crap film. Because in my opinion a great film is a brilliantly written story line and fantastic characters, nothing to do with budgets or genres thats how I feel about it anyway. The technicality of the film with the shots and camera technique was brilliant. I love the flip between the panoramic shot to it being from a soldier's perspective or an injured person's perspective. I would've preferred abit more consistency with the shots and camera technique. 

Also and this is gonna make me sound like an old lady but the film was way too long that what it should be, its 3 Hours long and that's quite long in terms of film I think the only film I know that's that long is Lord Of The Rings, but that's based of a book that's huge. I know that this film is based of the Pearl Harbor and is very important in history but I don't think it should take that long. As I've seen War films and they're not that long and have way more added on to them than this film. Overall I liked some aspects of this film, but not the reasons as to why I love films like story line and characters. 

Peppermint Friday Review #32: Imperium

This week's been weird I haven't watched that many films, but I have watched alot of TV as I've really gotten into that recently. But I watched this film last night and I just need to talk about it, Its one of those films. Its called Imperium and its got Daniel Radcliffe and Toni Collette and its about an FBI agent who goes undercover in a white supremacist group. 

The reason I watched this film was not because I love Daniel Radcliffe and I think he's a great actor, but the story is intriguing to me. Now before people go crazy at me and say 'Oh you're a racist how could you be interested in that?' I'm not interested where I wanna join cus I don't believe at all, but I'm interested in the sense of 'why do they believe that?' 'what makes them think that way?' kinda interested. I loved this film I don't think I've seen a film quite like it before, and that's great because I love individuality in a script and a concept of a story.

Daniel Radcliffe's character Nate Foster is a very nice, friendly, threatening and basically Switzerland and he had to evolve into a completely different person to who he was before. His head is shaved he's got a tattoo and shouting racist remarks and just is total opposite to what he was at the start of the film. But he still remains very friendly, and easy to get on with kinda person, Nate has to find someway to relate to these people, and understand why they do what they do. His ultimate main goal is to get to Dallas Wolf who is this radio talk show host, as he is a prime suspect to an attack somewhere. 

The community the group developed seemed very nice and friendly, like Nate and the people he was with went to BBQs. There were kids there and families and very friendly and opening place. Although this is fiction, so some truths are stretched slightly, but I found that interesting and really fascinating to watch as I didn't think it would be like that, I thought it would be very much like an American version of This is England, and it is but its not entirely there are some very nice and sweet characters like Gerry who is a happily married man with kids and at the end you feel guilty because you relate to Gerry and he seems like such a genuine guy and it does bode the question should you be friends with someone who believes in something quite controversial?

It did disappoint me slightly as I was expecting it to be really good and eyeopening, and I was interested and really liked it and I'm not sure what I was expecting but I just thought it would be really controversial and off the cuff story I've never seen before. Also I kinda wanted to see it from the White Supremacy perspective, because noone's agreeing with them, well I'm not I just wanna know why and get an intelligent response not just 'oh because'. But I really liked it, I guess my expectations were high, but I did enjoy it and everyone was really good. I especially liked Johnny he is a teenager who believes everything the White Supremacy believes in and in the end he is a changed man his attitude has changed and no longer believes in it. So I like that it has those characters that see change as a fresh start and leaving your former beliefs isn't a bad thing at all just a start to a new life. 

I love films like this, and what I mean by that is I like watching things that I can't relate to at all, I watch them because I'm fascinated and wanna see if I can relate to them in some way, because its such an opposite thing its brilliant and I find it intriguing. I love where its set aswell, its filmed in Richmond, Virgina and it just looks very nice and chill. You usually see films that are filmed in America that are set in New York and Los Angles, so its refreshing to be set in Virgina. Overall its a very good film, I'm so glad I watched it because there are characters who are brilliant, like Johnny, Gerry and Nate who are all brilliantly written, This post might seem controversial, as this film is controversial but I wanted to talk about it because its unique. So if you're like me and fascinated by this then watch it, if not that's fine too. 

Review: Ghost In The Shell

So we're gonna talk about this film, because its been a while since I watched a good Sci-Fi film. As I heard good reviews about this, and some bad well it riled a few people on twitter when it came out like the first week. I just wondered what it was all about and not too sound like a child but its my blog, I can do what I want. 

The film is based of the Manga, with the same title and it was an anime aswell, and just very popular in Japan. Its set in the distant future and its a world where humans are enhancing themselves by adding robotic parts to it, and it helps with things such as vision, strength. Basically its a future where everyone wants to be a superhero, Mira Killian who was attacked in an incident that led her to have injuries that were difficult to fix, so they use all there technology on her, Which means its technology they haven't properly develop yet, like they used a mechanical body that inter fears with the brain. Its just her coming to turns with that, and being used as a weapon aswell, to an extent its also about her trying to remember her past as that's coming a distant memory more and more. 

I love this film, I had the ignorance of not knowing the anime or manga so that's something that I think is a good thing as I can make up what I think of it, just with a blank knowledge, but I had a feeling this was very anime-esque. As I've said this before, but it needs saying again, anime is very creative and just the media and stories in Japan are churning more and more brilliant stories, just so original and creative. I love the concept of this story so much, its so original and innovative. I love the portrayal of Scarlett Johansson as the main character, I haven't seen Scarlett act that much, my fault because I just haven't seen her in many films I've watched, completely changed now, as I love her and need to watch more of her. 

The criticism this film has is a case of Whitewashing a term which I've only just found what it means, what it means is characters in media portraying characters who are either, Asian or Black, or just any other ethnic background that isn't white, being played by actors who are white. Its a problem that's been seen, for years and it's got to a point where its okay. I don't agree with whitewashing, like for example if a film portrays characters who are of the Indian decent, and you get a bunch white actors to portray them that's something I don't get and doesn't make sense to me at all. But the story doesn't explain that she's Japanese, like we know the story was written by someone who's Japanese, and its set in Japan. That doesn't mean the main character has to be Japanese, but Scarlett Johansson did a fantastic job and if Mira was played by an Actress of the Japanese decent and was brilliant then I wouldn't have an issue at all. 

Other characters I like are Doctor Ouelet who is played by Juliette Binoche I loved her, even though she created Mira like a modern Frankenstein she was very motherly. The costumes and CGI of the film was so beautiful this film is an example of how CGI and Photoshop can be a craft that's mastered, and its a real art form, it was just so beautifully done and best display of CGI and Photoshop I've ever seen in a film. Michael Pitt and Takeshi Kitano were both brilliant again, love their portrayal of two characters they really stood out to me. 

The manga is actually a series and I think theres 3 stories of the manga, so I'm assuming that theres gonna be another film coming out in a few years. I don't know if I'm gonna see it, because I enjoyed watching this I don't know if I'll enjoy a franchise of it, but its only the one film at the moment so you never know. I have a post all about what I think of Sequels, Franchises and Reboots, if you wanna read all about that click here. If you love Sci-Fi and anime and very Japanese manga esque then you will love this. If you arn't too keen on CGI and Photoshop and think its very stupid and annoying, and you turn your nose up at it then watch this as it will change your mind about it.

Peppermint Friday Review #31: Whatever Happened To Baby Jane

I think I've found my new favourite film guys. I'm being serious its so good I can't explain its that kinda good. Plus its got Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and as its the only film with the two of them in, were gonna talk about it and personally its one of their best individually. Its also my kind of horror as its not all bloody, guts and gore like some horrors now its just very human and that's terrifying.

The film is about two sisters called Jane or Baby Jane her stage name and she is this very Shirley Temple character in little puffy dresses and singing sweet songs, and she's this huge child star. Her younger sister Blanche is lived in her shadow until the decline of Baby Jane goes down and Blanche who is an actress now goes up. One night Blanche was hit by a car and became wheelchair bound and lives with her sister Jane in Blanche's mansion which was left by their father. Blanche wants to sell the house, as Jane's mental health starts to deteriorate and becomes obsessed with her past life as Baby Jane.

I love Jane as a character because I feel we're all at fault with this, where we ruminate over past thoughts and everything good or bad you've done in your life. That's what this is, its so easy I think, because all it starts with is overthinking and then paranoia and one thing leads to another suddenly you're driving yourself crazy and you're a villain and we're all the villains. Bit deep for Peppermint Friday but its true and we shouldn't hate Jane too much as she's just jealous and annoyed that her sister is this huge star and she isn't, and she's obsessed with her past life which isn't healthy for anyone. She sings the songs she used to sing when she was about 7 and now she's in her 50s I think, still wanting to act like a child, you feel sorry for her more than anything I think.

For Joan Crawford she plays the obvious victim, its very yin and yan with their relationship as sisters, its Jane being the crazy, obsessed one and Blanche just the grateful actress whose happy and appreciates things in her life and doesn't take it for granted. It's a shame as in the end scene Blanche says that she's sorry and feels guilty for her now being the big star and Jane in her shadow, and Jane just turns to Blanche and says something like 'All this time we could of been friends' and it just breaks your heart. I think that quote applies to Joan Crawford and Bette Davis's friendship as they're both such strong independent women, you'd think they'd have loads in common and are lifelong friends obviously not. 

The minor characters like Edwin Flagg who answers this advertisement that Jane put up to revive her singing career, I love how English he is and polite, the fact the Jane is crazy and trying to look calm and normal, he can see through the lines I reckon. The neighbours Mrs Bates and Liza Bates who is played by B D Merrill, are brilliant Mrs Bates is so taken aback by things and very sweet, but Liza is abit more streetwise and just knows somethings going on and I love that its just brilliant as it shows everyone is different with different outlooks and such. One thing I love about this, is that yes its a horror but noone screams that much and I felt like it was the beginning of women of an older age to play characters like this and physiological horrors. 

 Costumes of the film is brilliant I love that Jane constantly is reapplying her makeup, so it just looks cakey and pastey. She is always wearing old fashioned dresses, dresses that a Victorian Doll would wear its just so eerie and you feel sorry for her. With Blanche she's very modern, well modern as you can be for a woman in the 60s in her 40s I guess. The dialogue is brilliant aswell, when Blanche is talking about the films she's done, and Jane says the one film she did. Blanche just goes 'oh yeah that comedy you did I know that, I saw it' and Jane just goes 'no it was a romance' I love that its so 'I know what you do I just don't take notice of it' 

I also love Edwin's mother Dehlia she is such a mother character, overbearing very suspicious but rightly so as the film goes on and Jane and Blanche starts to deteriorate everything comes out. One moment I just thought 'oh god' when I was watching it was the bit with Jane's dinner to Blanche and its the budgie thats in Blanche's room, and later on Jane gives her a rat for lunch. It's just so gross and disturbing again you feel sorry for her, as what makes you think its alright to give your sister that for dinner/lunch? Its just crazy and weird but that's a horror, and at least noone will say Jane's boring. Love the cleaning lady Elvira she wasn't that stereotypical black woman that you see alot of, which I loved as it was refreshing. She was a brilliantly written character I felt and she was played by Maidie Norman who is an actress I've never heard of that much and is so unique and wonderful, I've never seen an actress like her before. 

                                                               
This film, is why I love films well not entirely as I love films for a multitude of reasons, but with this film its brilliant. I love the story of this film, its my kinda horror I love the relationship between Jane and Blanche even though its totally dysfunctional, but its so good and I love it. The film goes from A all the way to Z with no interruptions that have nothing to do with the plot, I just feel like this film achieves everything it set out too. I'd definitely watch it again and if like me you like Horrors, but not the blood and guts one, just the psychological ones. Then you'd love this, hope you all have a wonderful Easter Weekend! 

Davis Vs Crawford

This 'verses' is alot more interesting and juicy as these two women are obviously extremely talented and very well respected. But with these women a big difference between them and the rest of the reviews of Actors/Actresses I've done so far have all had similarities between them, whether they're styles or they've been in alot of films, or they're rivals but its not feud like with these ladies.

I don't know why I didn't do this sooner as the intensity and the hatred these women had towards each other is so juicy and intriguing its been made into a TV Show called Feud which was created by Ryan Murphy who I love and no I haven't seen it yet, but the two women are being played by Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon so I immediately think its gonna be good and I need to see it now. Anyway, let's start as always at the beginning of both of they're lives. Bette's life seems pretty normal her parents did split up when she was about 7, she had a younger sister and was encouraged by her mother to do Acting and her mother even went to New York with her, so she can study Theatre as that was her main speciality before films became bigger and needed more actors rather than Joe from the street. Joan on the other hand was experienced with dancing that was her thing and her mother and father separated and Joan didn't even know her real father, as her mother remarried and had a stepfather who owned a theatre and that's when Joan loved dancing and wanted to be a dancer. Although Joan's stepfather got in a bit of legal trouble involving embezzlement and soon after her mother and stepfather split up and I think it really affected Joan and her relationships with men.

So their beginnings are quite different, but abit similar as they both have divorced parents, and that's pretty much it both have wanted to perform from an early age, one was encouraged, the other just liked it. Joan is alot more tougher if that makes sense, like she has done all the crappy jobs and dealt with some real arseholes. Bette Davis is tough aswell, probably just as tougher I guess, because she had a strong woman her mother in her life and found the first few years on screen really difficult as actresses at that time who worked in film were all beautiful and were usually sweet and endearing. But Bette was just the opposite of that and had very strong facial features like her beautiful eyes and her voice was strong and very screechy and theatrical in a way. Whereas Joan Crawford found it fairly easy being a dancer and the vaudeville circuit being popular they were just churning out actors from there. Also Joan Crawford was typically very beautiful and started being a body double for Norma Shearer who was the most popular actress at the time and also had the gift of the gab in a way being quite streetwise with things but in a classy way, things were just different for them both. But they are amazingly strong, fantastic no nonsense women. 

In terms of roles they both have played its very similar as they've both had the privilege I think of playing truly unique women who are independent, sassy, and outspoken. At that time those kinda characters for women were coming into they're own, back then female characters weren't very three dimensional and it was either a sweet doting wife, or a doting mother. There wasn't many characters depicting women who are real and women you see in real life. So in some ways these women are real pioneers in that field, because crazily enough women arn't always cheerful, smiling housewives they can be real bitches. 

In terms of there feud, they only worked on one film together called 'Whatever Happen To Baby Jane' and they hated each other I will talk more about that film soon. Sometimes I reckon from the huge feud they had, was probably overexaggerated as that something that happens, particularly with two very famous and successful actresses, who also has very strong personalities. They did hate each other, but I like to think its not as bad its really made out, because thats when things turn into gossip and hear'say.

In 1963 Oscars, Joan Crawford, Hedda Hopper tried to sabotage Bette Davis so that she wouldn't win, and I can understand why Joan would be annoyed that she didn't get nominated because she did the same film, and was just as good in that as Bette, and had the utmost hatred towards her at all. But I do think that was the wrong thing to do, as I think it should be a fair game, and whoever wins, wins and that's it. I just seemed abit childish I think, but then again it could be hear'say as apparently she persuaded Geraldine Page to take the night off when she won, Joan would take the Oscar as a sort of favor to her. The actual winner of the night which was Anne Bancroft and she wasn't there so Joan persuaded again the Oscars if she could that the award as a favor to Anne. Even though Joan didn't win, I guess she wanted the whole 'I have an Oscar do you?' to Bette backstage. Again like I said it could be hear'say, but I have a feeling they couldn't exaggerate that.

Personal lives of both, are quite similar as they both have had a lot of husbands, and had children in which they have been very domineering towards. Like with Joan Crawford her daughter Christina wrote a book called Mommie Dearest and it was made into a film, and it basically was a horror. Apparently she was a very domineering, and just not a great mother but I don't believe it was as bad as it's made out again, things can be misinterpreted I don't think you should take things as fact and figure. I believe this could be the case, as Joan was a strong woman with a very outspoken personality on life. Bette Davis's Daughter B.D wrote a book about her relationship with her mother and again she was a domineering woman, but I think Bette forgave her and completely understood, as with Joan I guess she didn't like to be made out like some Villainess.

I love these two women, as they are both so colourful and flawed which is something I admire and love in people. We've seen them, threaten, showing attitude, and just explode in general both onscreen playing amazing characters anyone would be jealous of, and in there day to day life aswell. Whoever you prefer you can't deny you wanna be, either one of them I know I do, as they are both just so brilliant you'd love to have a drink with them and a chat about anything. Basically what I'm trying to say is they are my kinda women, independent, sassy, don't take shit, complete leaders. Joan was in a way much more versitile where she did other things than Acting, she was a business woman and a Dancer with Bette she was just an Actress, but an amazing one.

I honestly can't decide, as there is no competition between them both because like I've said before and I'll say again they are both so brilliant. I'm gonna say and I only say this because I just do and maybe she wasn't a little bitch at the Oscars, I prefer by the slight bit Bette Davis, as I just love her that bit more, and also I've heard of Bette Davis's name more. I've really enjoyed writing this post, and talking about amazing women which is something you all know I love, especially Classic Hollywood. I'd love to know who you prefer, or what film you like of them, and I'll speak to you all on Friday! 

Review: The Women

So we're gonna talk about Joan Crawford abit this week as I wanna talk more about Bette Davis, and Bette and Joan had quite a history so why not. Plus this film is very interesting and totally unlike any film that I ideally like to see, basically I didn't think it'd would be my cup of tea as it just sounded like a Bridget Jones Chick Flick from the plot summery that is. 

What this film is about is a group of friends who all live in fairly middle class standards, one of them called Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) who's husband called Stephen may or may not be having an affair with this beautiful, flirtatious woman called Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford). When Mary finds out about this and confronts Crystal about it and tells her to stop, Crystal just refuses and Mary and Stephen get a divorce. 2 years later Crystal and Stephen are married and Crystal has been having this affair with this new man who is married to one of the friends who's a countess and it just blows up. 

The plot of the film annoys me somewhat as the friends are good and so is Mary's mother as they're both very supportive of Mary because she's the innocent one and going through quite a bad time with everything. Also none of Mary's friends who are played by Rosalind Russel, Paulette Goddard and Joan Fonatine and a plethora of other brilliant actresses, none of the friends seem to like Crystal which is justified I guess as its the thing where its 'you've hurt my friend so automatically I don't like you' but it just seems like they all just gang up on her, which is horrible.

Crystal's character is someone I actually like, because she is a woman who knows who she is and is fine with it. She is very much of this bacheloresque woman in a way, because she is so strong and doesn't care what people think of her or her relationships, which I think is great as you shouldn't care what people think, but at the same time you should take people's feelings in to account if you're doing something like what Crystal did and she was very selfish and hurt other people. I mean she's a bitch but she admits it and is fine with it and not shady or denying that she is. 

Mary the main character is something I can't relate to or understand as she in the end and this frustrates me. In the end she goes back to Stephen the man who cheated on her in the first place! It annoyed me that Mary confronted Crystal and not Stephen who did the dirty and its more of a marriage and couple thing rather than it being another issue, but that's just me. They really tried to make Crystal a real bitch, from her costumes she wore to her attitude towards people, particularly towards her Step-Daughter little Mary. I like little Mary she is very passive aggressive towards her and it just makes me love her so much, because she does it in such a polite way you can't be annoyed at her. 

 Overall this film is good, but some of the characters are abit crap I should say, like Mary she just annoyed me at the end where she went back to Stephen who broke her trust but she loves him anyway. I feel like there should have been more of Stephen in the film, because that way he's more 3D you didn't even see his face throughout it. Love Joan Crawford in this obviously, and Paulette Goddard was brilliant aswell, because both are so mesmerising you can't stop watching them. 

Peppermint Friday Review #30: All About Eve

We're gonna talk about All About Eve as its so good and has the fabulous Bette Davis along with a brief appearance from Marilyn Monroe, and this is a film that I've mentioned before, and I'm gonna talk about it in full detail. Plus I saw this film mention in a Buzzfeed post and it was about films with the sub-text of lesbianism, so why not talk about it.

The story is about a woman called Eve played by Anne Baxter and she is this young, beautiful starlet who loves an actress called Margo Channing played by Bette Davis, and she is this huge Broadway star, who is worried that her nearing 40 will result in her decline in popularity. Eve becomes Margo's assistant and adores Margo, as Margo likes her until she starts to become more jealous of Eve as she tries on her costumes and overtime she becomes Margo understudy, and Margo is more paranoid. 

I love this film, although any Bette Davis film is a winner for me so its not a surprise. But this film is in Bette Davis's later career as Of Human Bondage is her when she's a lot younger, and there are differences in the characters she played but it's practically the same woman just abit older and a difference in accent dialect. As she was English in Of Human Bondage and was her usual American in All About Eve. You could look at the character similar to that of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard the film and the musical. With it being this ageing starlet and someone may or not be taking advantage of her, in this case I don't believe Eve is taking advantage of Margo, I think she is genuine.

Love Anne Baxter as Eve, as she wasn't a stereotypical crazy fangirl or some spoilt cow she was just a normal girl who liked a play and the actress in it and wanted to meet her and perhaps be as good as her. It was all played very naturalistic and that the problem some people have in the modern age about classic films, people just think all the actors can't act and they stilll think they're on stage shouting making things huge. Yes that does happen but its not every film, like with some films now, some are good, some are just awful, nothing's changed but everything's changed if that makes sense. 

With this film, and with all Bette Davis films I feel, theres a sub-text of sarcastic, sardonic humour with at the same time it being very real and naturalistic and not over the top. As with the 50s I'm guessing it was either I Love Lucy, Musicals and Slapstick Clown Comedy or you were a Bette Davis or a Shirley Maclaine kinda person which is great as you've got the best of both worlds. In terms of costume again just brilliantly done, love how they matched each costume to each particular character like with Bette Davis's character yes she is a bitter woman, but that doesn't mean she has to look awful. 

 In terms of the plot of the story its all understandable as to why she became jealous and envious of Eve as it literally turned into 'All About Eve' and Margo obviously was like 'Aren't I good enough?' I love that with this film when it was made and released it had a young Marilyn Monroe before she did any big films, like before we knew we she really was and after she became a big star they put her name in the poster of the film even though she has one scene in the whole film. 

It kinda turned into a Tall Poppy scenario really as those of you who don't know what that means its basically, when someone or a band wants to do really well in something and someone goes 'I want them to do well, go them!' and they do and are successful and that same person goes 'you've changed, you can't do that' Its the whole 'you can do well and succeed but not as good as me' and that's something we're all at fault with, being jealous of someone's success. Its a backstabbing kinda thing in this film as well, as you've got Margo who's finally found this amazing woman she can be friends with in her stream of life at her age. Then suddenly it seems like Eve was only being friends with her for success, as if there was something in it for her. 

                                                             
Nearing the end of the film the pattern starts again, where Eve gets a very nice fan who wants to be like her. This film is about letting go of the thing you love the most, its about jealousy of being young and beautiful, its about knowing what's geniune and whats not. Its a film that tackles with alot emotions that we as human comprehend and the fact that this was made in the 1950s and is still relevant I feel today, as again we all experience jealousy and letting go of something, theres a quote somewhere ''When it's over leave. Don't continue watering a dead flower'. That's very true in this film, I'm gonna go now and I hope you have a good weekend. 

Review: Of Human Bondage

The name does sound abit dodgy, trust me its not a porn its a wonderfully modern story with the fabulous Bette Davis.

The basics of the story is what happens when you fall for the wrong girl, It's about a man called Phillip (played by Leslie Howard) who is in love with waitress Mildred (played by Bette Davis) who is this very vulgar and unlike the sort of woman Phillip would go for. Mildred shows no liking to him, as much as Phillip would show it. Mildred fell for Emil, meanwhile Phillip falls for Norah and tries to get over Mildred. Emil leaves Mildred pregnant and distraught she goes to Phillip for help. 

This story is so modern as Bette Davis as an actress at the time was so dynamic and brilliant, and usually she plays alot of cold, brass women. That's something I love and I find very modern as back then in society it was very much man can be the crazy, angry one, woman can only be sweet, and kind and thats it. So in storytelling I find it fascinating that this character felt so 3D and I just wonder how this story affected the world and women. 

I love the use of the characters like Phillip as he is so sweet and nice, for some reason he loved Mildred. Mildred throughout the film really did like him, she just released her true colours as she moved in with him. Norah said at one point how humans have bondages over people, people they just find themselves attach to, like Philip is to Mildred and that will always happen. One thing that I love about Bette Davis is her voice its so unique and different, again I wonder the huge affect she had on the world at that time in the 1930s. 

The reason I say its a story of what happens when you fall for the wrong girl, its also a case of don't be taken for a mug. Phillip is Mildred's knight in shining armour constantly, from when Mildred's pregnancy, and being abandoned twice by the same man. She is a horrible woman, but I love watching her, and yet I still want her sarcastic, twisted sense of humour, but that's down to the fantastic script writers,  

                                                                
The camera angles of the film are one of the reasons as to why I love this so much. I love how it goes from one shot directly on the face when its a dinner conversation or just a conversation. Especially for facial expressions, as it just made me love the film even more because I don't think many films do that, not even now its all about the shot being on both, capturing both expressions of the actors. Its crazy that this film was made in 1934 with it being so modern and everything, but its even crazier that its based of a book by W. Somerset Maugham which was written in 1915.

There will be a Bette Davis post watch this space, as I need to talk about her, she is just so brilliant I want to be her. Anyway sorry its a bit late but, better late than never and I shall speak to you all tomorrow!