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. 

Review: Taxi Driver

Whenever I think of top directors and they're films, its usually Martin Scorsese for Taxi Driver. Its a very I feel an adult film not in that way, just with the violence, swearing and minor flirty sex scenes with Jodie Foster in her first proper role playing a prostitute, Robert DeNiro playing this lonely almost insane Taxi Driver, you can tell this film is not a happy go lucky type of film. 

I think everyone knows this film, but I just wanna talk about it as I love it so much and I think its my favorite Martin Scorsese film. The film is about this man called Travis Bickle played by Robert DeNiro who is discharged marine, he is lonely lives in New York and takes up a job as a Taxi Driver to help him cope with his insomnia. He meets various people during his job, like Betsy who he ends up going on a date with, Iris or 'Easy' the child prostitute played by Jodie Foster, who is trying to escape her pimp Matthew 'Sport' played by Harvey Keitel. 

This film is a hard film to watch, I say that as I actually watched it twice, once when I was about 15 and again a few months ago. The first time I watched it I thought 'yeah okay whatever' and I don't know why I watched it again but I'm glad I did, as I probably watched it wrong the first time, and I know that sounds so bad and I hate it when people say 'oh you didn't watch it right' because how can you watch something wrong? But I guess I was 15 so I didn't understand it as such but now I like it. Which proves that if you don't like something the first time, doesn't mean you'll still feel that way the second time. 

 Jodie Foster was fantastic in this film, I heard many rumours that she had to see a Shrink before she was aloud to be in this film, but regardless if they're true or not. She is such a stand out in this role, she carries it like an actress, a true actress not a child actress and it's fairly obvious from this performance she was gonna be a big star. Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel are both brilliant in this film, I mean they can do no wrong its an iconic film with iconic actors who say the dialogue how it should be said. 

One thing that I love about this film is the costumes, I adore the New York Fashion from the 70's its so casual and yet so dressy and its even trying to hard to look good. The 70's in terms of films were I feel anyway, quite a difficult year to watch, as you will hardly get a silly fun comedy to watch, It was all about the anti-heros and really hard hitting storylines and dialogue that wasn't used that much, like swearing I don't think many writers would put swearing in they're scripts until the 70s and this film does make me think of the 70's in fashion and filmmaking. 

Robert De Niro portrayed a man on what I believe to be an emotional breakdown. He does it so effortlessly its natural, as an audience you get worried for this man's health and well being which is great. I like that with this film its a main character who is internally good but can be a bit crazy especially in the end, its good I feel to have the main being good and also bad, as that can be relatable I guess. Its also nice to watch a character who is unlike anyone and you can't relate at all and you're away from the world and sucked into another world, a world you can't relate to. 

Overall this is such a fantastic film, its 70s I feel through and through. Its Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and young Jodie Foster. I mean you can't go wrong its just an iconic classic film, that every needs to watch. I will talk to you all on Wednesday for a special post largely focusing on directors and they're classic films.