Review: The Spy Who Loved Me

I think I may have found my new favourite Bond film well so far, its defiantly got one of my favourite songs in it. It's just so good I can't explain it, I just felt that this film had more character to it than Dr No, not to say that was crap just preferred this just that bit more.

It is the basic James Bond plot where he is sent over to Egypt to sort some crap out and meets a girl and well you know how it goes. But its abit different than that, Roger Moore stars as James Bond and I'm not crazy on him, I like him he's a good actor but he wasn't as exciting as Sean Connery was. The Bond girl in the film is such a favourite of mine, Barbara Bach she is just fantastic in this. She plays Anya Amasova or Agent Triple X, so she is on the same level as James Bond and I think that's why I love her so much. The chemistry and combination of James Bond and Anya is just electric, they're the best couple I'd love it if they got they're own franchise. 

The villain in this is Karl Stromberg and he is fantastic, I do prefer his henchman Jaws I love his silent approach to it all, and his teeth freak me out a little bit. I loved the music used in the film and how it was geared more towards it being a Sc-Fi genre than it being just a Drama or something wishy washy. Because James Bond is a genre in itself entirely, the music used especially for the fight scenes was just brilliant. It was more choreographed like a dance rather than it being just two men having a fight, it was much more sophisticated and I prefer fight scenes like that in films in general. 

One scene that didn't have any music was the bit during the end, where Bond is fighting Jaws and theres no music and I just found it funny, and just a must watch. It was so unlike Bond to fight like that it just reminded me of two best mates and they got really drunk and decided to have a fight, but because its Bond and Jaws it was done in a really classy way, so that's what made me laugh. I also liked the fact that Anya had much more substance and has more of a backstory to her, and she's a badass and not afraid of anyone just fearless. Her and Bond had more of a 

The cast of the film seemed much bigger to me, in the space ship thingy there was like atleast 100 people on there and it didn't seem crowded to me it just came together so well. Also the James Bond team is massive aswell, not that that's a bad thing, because again its, its own genre entirely and James Bond is a superhero but with no superpowers. He's so classy. and sophisticated with the villains and people he has a fight with. The film is set in the 70s and you can really tell and I love the 70s particularly when its really embraced, because with Dr No its embraced by the 60s and I just love it so much. 

                                                                  
You should definitely see this film, theres a reason why this film is usually on the top 10 James Bond films lists and stuff. Its a film with so much character and with loads of charisma, I just love it so much. Its a great film if you've watched a few Bond films or not watched any, then this film is brilliant for you as it has everything a bond film needs. Hope you all have a lovely day or evening wherever you are, and I shall see you on Friday. 

Review: Travels With My Aunt

Last week was abit wishy washy, as there was no usual Wednesday post, there was but not the Peppermint Friday way post if that makes sense. I did touch on something I'm really happy that I touched on and thats women in film, the posts I did were both involving Elizabeth Taylor and Tennessee Williams, and I spoke alot about the women in those stories. So we're gonna carry it on and it was a long time coming so thats what we're gonna do. This weekend I watched Travels With My Aunt, with Maggie Smith and Alec McCowen and thats what we're gonna talk about today.

Travels With My Aunt is about a man called Henry Pulling who's mother has just died (Alec McCowen) and at the funeral his Aunt Augusta played by Maggie Smith who says she raised him and not his mother. She has an African boyfriend called Zachery who is waiting for her, she is then received a package containing a served finger who belongs to her true love Ercole along with a note saying they will be reunited with payment of $100,000. Augusta asks if Henry can accompany her to Paris aware that she is has pay ransom, and its just as the title suggests 'Travels with my Aunt'

Firstly it has Maggie Smith in it, so you're immediately gonna enjoy it, plus its Maggie Smith as more of herself than anything you know what I mean if you watched her in interviews particularly back in the day. She's so acid tongue and witty, that's the Maggie that isn't shown that often and thats why I love it so much. Alex McCowen plays the opposite of Maggie Smith's character Augusta, he's shy, straight guy in the comedy. The character dynamic is amazing love how different they are to each other and it makes it so much more funny. The costumes are amazing aswell, love all the clothes Maggie wears in this film, its set in the 70's and that's an interesting and fun era of fashion and film. The fact that Henry is younger than Augusta and he's much more mature is one of the things that makes me love Augusta and Maggie Smith that much more shes's internally youthful.

The minor characters they meet on the journeys are just wonderful, they're such full of colour. Tooley is a firm favorite she's so quirky and adorable one of my favorite scenes was when she was flirting and encouraging Henry to smoke marijuana. She reminds me of Danielle Foussard from To Catch A Thief that cheeky, funny, slightly naughty girl and that kinda character is always fun to me. All the interesting funny peculiar people they encounter are just so brilliant, like the Taxi driver they meet as soon as they get to Paris he's so positive and can't speak that much English its so accurate its hilarious because we've all met someone like that when we go to different countries and its so bonkers you've gotta laugh at it. 

There is a serious side to it in terms of Augusta and the genuine of her being Henry's Aunt as it can be wishy washy, because throughout the film you're questioning whether or not she's his Aunt, but I'd like it to be one of those make of it what you will moments of film and storytelling. Another serious part of the story is, the problem with Augusta's relationships and how she feels about them. I loved that Augusta has that mind of an 18 year old, and doesn't give a thought about long term marriages, and focusing on the hear and now of relationships and flings. I just hope that I'm like that when I'm at that age. Adding that the 1970's of film and I think I've said this before, but its quite a serious era of film I feel it had much more of the dialogue and styles we see now, and I haven't seen that many 1970s films so its a good one to watch of those who haven't seen many. 

                                                                    
If you watched The Lady In The Van or read the review I did #promo then you'll see the similarities of characters in them both. Maggie is a fantastic Actress and if you loved The Lady In The Van then you'll love this film, just think of Travels with my Aunt as a younger version of Maggie in The Lady In The Van. Alec McCowen was amazing in it, just total opposites from each other, and I love that, just found out Alec McCowen past away only a month ago, so RIP. Give this film a go as its so funny with its witty lines, and brilliant Acting talents from Maggie Smith and Alec McCowen. 

Peppermint Friday Review #4: Sid & Nancy

This week is all about Period Dramas, and not gonna lie I really struggled as with this. Because a typical Period Drama is beautiful accurate costumes, 18th century romance, preferably with Keira Knightly in. I personally see a Period Drama for me as something that you watch and you instantly want to be a part of, weather it be a 1920s, 80s, 70s, or even 18th century. Although I have wrote about allot about biopics, which I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing, its just something I've done. 

So anyway this week, I gonna talk about Sid & Nancy for those of you who don't know Sid and Nancy were a real couple in the 1970s, Sid was in a band called The Sex Pistols who were the biggest thing ever, and pretty much summed up the whole Punk Era, I mean it affected everyone, particularly my Dad.  Nancy was Sid's girlfriend who was a groupie, and drug addict, they both fell in love, and this film is there story. 

It stars Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious who is just, I'm gonna say is one of the best Actors ever. I found out fairly recently he didn't like Sid & Nancy the film and at the time couldn't see why it should be made, and he said something like whenever he sees, it on TV he wants to throw the TV out the window, and thats very Punk gotta admit. I watched a documentary called 'Filth and The Fury' which is such good documentary if you're into Punk, 70s Sex Pistols, and that kinda world, then watch it because its fantastic. I watched it and there are clips of Nancy and Sid and everyone in the Sex Pistols basically, and they talked about how they wore black bin bags because they couldn't afford a\ real leather jacket, and why they had safety pins in, because they didn't buy a new one because they couldn't afford it, so they put it back together. It's funny because we see the 70s, Sex Pistols as this 'fuck this' attitude, when in actual fact they were from the poor area of London, and just made do. 

The film is obviously about Sid Vicious and Nancy, who had such an intense relationship, kinda like a Romeo and Juliet one, I mean they were totally destructive to each other. Chloe Webb who played Nancy did a very good job, because she really got the accent right. That nasal, bit whinny, and naggy voice was spot on. One thing I was annoyed with was Johnny Rotten wasn't mention that much in the film. I mean I get that this film is called 'Sid & Nancy' and its about Sid and Nancy obviously! but Johnny Rotten did play a big part in this, in real life he hated Nancy and was Sid's best mate. Also he had a very interesting life, but going back to the point its called Sid and Nancy.  I read somewhere aswell that John Lydon, Johnny Rotten's real name. That he didn't like his representation of him in the film he said that he acted like he was jealous of Sid, and liked Nancy. 

Overall I loved this film regardless of what Gary Oldman thinks, or John Lydon. I think its a wonderful representation of a love story, beautifully written and acted. The period is just absorbing, as you kinda wanna be apart of that, which is what I mention at the beginning. One of my favorite bits of the film is when Sid is singing 'My way' in a drug dream I guess you could call it.  You have Nancy in the audience, and the audience is a very well to do audience and he starts shooting everyone with a pistol in the end. I just found that really entertaining and interesting and I don't know why. 

Honestly watch this film, because it is good, and such a Cult Classic film. I mean Gary Oldman and John Lydon weren't a big fan of this film, doesn't mean you won't be just means its much more of a true Cult Classic.