Review: Some Like It Hot

Its been awhile since I talked about a classic and I was having a bit of a bad day and what do you do on a bad day? you watch one of your favourite films of course. It's also one of my mum and dad's favourite films and one of the first films that got me into Classic Films. 

If you don't know what this film is about I'll give you a brief synopsis as everyone has seen this film. Its about two men Joe and Jerry (played by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) who are Jazz Musicians and they have to get out of town so they get jobs as Jazz Musicians on tour the only problem is, that it's only female Jazz Musicians. So Joe and Jerry go undercover dressed as women called Josie and Daphne they meet Sugar who is the lead vocalist (played by Marilyn Monroe) they make friends with her and Josie/Joe falls in love with her by pretending to be a millionaire. 

It is such a funny film, I like that its been out since 1958 and yet its still funny and brilliant. I don't think I've met anyone who's said a bad word about this film, its either they love it or they haven't seen it. Its got so many memorable quotes and I mean its got Marilyn Monroe that's already an amazing film, and I've spoken about Marilyn in depth before but I always love talking about her. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are so brilliant and they bounce off each other so well, with both of them being funny and none of them being boring at the same time.

Both of them have such different personalities Joe/Josie starts off being serious and getting the job done, whereas Jerry/Daphne is taking is seriously but can't help but love being around beautiful women, Joe/Josie ends up falling in love with Sugar by pretending to be a millionaire. Jerry/Daphne pulls Osgood Fielding III (played by Joe E Brown) who is completely smitten by her and has the hilarious line in the end 'nobody's perfect'. It's great with comedy especially with duos as its always one person has to be the clown and the other has to be a little be serious the 'straight one' as we say in comedy. 

One of the things I find when watching this film is that its such a classic and I know people's comedy tastes are different and they've changed over time but you can't beat two men dressed as women that is a classic its worked for hundreds of years, and will still carry on working, its funny as its just over 2 hours but it doesn't feel like it which for me indicates that's its a good film. I should say also this film is Directed by Billy Wilder who is just a legend in the directing world if you know your film history, and he also directed Sabrina in which I did a review on. 

                                                                  
The only thing that slightly frustrated me was the end where Sugar didn't really care too much that her friend was a guy and was cat-fishing her, but hey its a film and Marilyn Monroe so i'm not gonna judge her too harshly on that. Its also a film I'd recommend to anyone who isn't into or hasn't seen Classic films, as it's a light hearted comedy with Marilyn Monroe. It's an amazing film that everyone should watch and enjoy, if you haven't already I'll speak to you all soon have a wonderful day/evening wherever you are. 

Review: Dr No

I've decided the next 2 weeks will be James Bond themed and I know what you're thinking 'But Zara you can just do a post talking about your favourite James Bond films!' Yeah you're right I probably could but I'm not going to, as well I haven't seen that many James Bond films, which is ridiculous because I'm British you'd think we'd all be bought up on James Bond, I wasn't but also I wanna talk about James Bond properly, I mean if you're gonna get into James Bond you my as well go right in there. 

So we're gonna start at the beginning because that's a good place to start, with the first James Bond film and official actor Sean Connery. It starts with Agent 007 on a mission in Jamaica during an investigation going into stealing documents known as 'Crabkey' and 'Dr No', and when he's in Jamaica he's faced with people trying to kill him, and take him down obviously, along with the women he sleeps with. I've only seen 2 James Bond films before this and they were Skyfall and Spectre. The difference I saw was that 60s version experimented with colour but I guess that's a given for 60s films. But the films now its all very grey, white and neutral, and black colours, which isn't a surprise because the Bond films I've seen were both mainly set in England. 

Bond films are weird in a sense, its a feel to them like there isn't really a sub-genre added to it, like I know its an action film with a gorgeous man with an English accent holding a gun, added with him sleeping with a beautiful girl. But I mean there isn't a comedy element to it, and its all abit predictable in a way I am on the first day of my James Bond Journey so things could change, but from the first Bond film to the current Bond film its basically James Bond is on a mission to kill a bad guy and along the way people try to kill him and he ends up sleeping with an impossibly beautiful woman who he's either in love with or not and he ends either defeats the bad guy or we don't know.  Again its the beginning of my journey of the Bond so I'll admit I'm wrong definitely, I love Jamaica and that's another reason it looks so colourful its a beautiful tropical island.

I love Sean Connery he is just fantastic, I was charmed by him which surprises me as I always imagined David Niven being James Bond because he's charming and wonderful plus Ian Fleming actually thought and wanted David Niven to be James Bond. But Sean Connery is still good, one moment of the film I wanted to cringe and scream at him though was the bit where he is in bed and a giant tarantula comes down and sits on his arm crawling up to him and the whole time he knows this spider on his arm and isn't going crazy and about to kill it and he just sits there looking at this spider for atleast 5 seconds and I know that doesn't sound bad but it felt like 5 minutes I wanted to scream at him like 'THERE'S A FUCKING SPIDER ON YOU! GET RID OF IT!'. He just let it chill on him and I'm like you're in your bedroom you can be a wuss and scream like a girl, you don't have to Agent 007 all the time. 

I like Ursula Andress, but I'm annoyed that they didn't give her much character development, but that's the writers fault but her as an actress I wasn't that crazy about her, but films have improved in terms of castings and writings particular on female characters since. This film has been named as one of the best James Bond films ever and completely understand why its so iconic and with the music its got the theme song that we all know, love and have heard a thousand times but back then it was new and exciting, so that makes me happy. 

                                                              
Overall its a fantastic film you should watch it if you're a fan or not of James Bond because it really is good would of preferred it to have some other genre to it, like it being an action and abit of a comedy but I understand that its James Bond and has its own genre entirely and I guess that's why I never really watched them. But what I want from this week is going through James Bond decades review by review, so today is 60s and Wednesday will be 70s and Friday 80s and so on till now. Who knows in the future I'll do a post talking all about my favourite Bond films. I'll speak to you all soon and have a wonderful day/evening!

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!

I Love Disney #2

I needed to do another post of my favourite Disney films and its been ages since I did one, and its about time I did one. So let's begin!

Princess And The Frog

This is a weird one as its not one people usually say is their favourite and went it came out, noone was going crazy over it, like they were for Frozen. But I love this film I love Tiana she is so independent and strong, and the fact that she's a waitress and I used to be a waitress makes me like her even more. The song 'Almost There' is just the best, the time period its set in, the whole 1920s New Orleans style is just beautiful. I even like Charlotte and I know she's got an annoying personality, but she's funny and totally harmless. 

                                                              

Fox And The Hound

Any animal film for me is a win, especially this one as the story is just the best and the fact that the story is taken from a Romeo & Juliet sense but its not romantic, its just two best friends who shouldn't be friends is just the best. It proves that Disney can do alot of things other than just romance, but its fantastic. The voice cast is the best, and music, animation just everything.  

                                                         
Hunchback Of Notre Dame

I was debating to myself whether to write a full post on this or not, but I need to talk about this film as its so beautiful. The music is stunning, 'Out There' 'God Help The Outcasts' its just so beautiful and fits so well with the film and characters. Frollo the film's Antagonist is actually understandable as he is worried because Quasimodo does look abit different, Frollo doesn't want anyone to be horrible to him and protect him. As this film shows sometimes its good to set out of your comfort zone as you never know who'll accept you.

                                                        
Frozen

I love this film so much, but I'm not gonna do a full post review on it as I like it, but I'm not obsessed. 'Let It Go' is one of the best songs Disney has ever done, not even just Disney just one of the best songs ever written as its so powerful and strong. I'd like to reinforce something which has annoyed me slightly since this film came out, its that people say that this is the first Disney film that shows you don't need a man, Mulan, Pocahontas, Merida need I go on? This film really is amazing, its not the best ever made but it is good and you'll enjoy it.

                                                               
Hercules

Don't you mean Hunkcules? Love this film so much, the music everything about this is just so good. Hades is the best he is so funny, and witty and I think its one of the reasons as to why I love it so much, the bad guy has a sense of humour. 'Go The Distance' and the whole Gospel Choir is so good they make the film so brilliant. Along with Danny Devito as Phil is perfect casting and just so witty. I don't know one person who doesn't like this film or the music and the characters.

                                                             
Anyway I will speak to you all later and have a great day wherever you are! The next review will be slightly different cus I like to mix it up abit.

Peppermint Friday Review #14: Moana

I know I've said that Doctor Strange was the last film I was gonna see for while in the cinema, but this film ahh couldn't resist, its Disney I got my mum to see it with me and she's not too keen on Disney (yes its crazy) and she loved it, and I need to talk about this film. 

The film is about a girl called Moana and she is the daughter of the Chief of the village on the island of Motunui, and she is about to become the next Chief of the island. Until everything on the island is going rotten and there are no fish, Moana decides to seek out of the island and into the ocean to find Maui who is a demigod and has the heart of the island. Her father is very protective and doesn't want Moana to go into the ocean when thats something she wants to do more than anything. 

Its set in the Polynesian island which is something I love because representation is important, I'm not of Polynesian decent, but I love that theres a character from Disney that girls of that decent can relate to, but in any case regardless of skin colour I guess any girls can relate to Moana or Belle, Ariel, Tiana. I love Moana's special power of controlling the ocean, or the ocean being alive like special friend, or something I don't know. The film was made by the same people who made The Princess and The Frog, and they did a marvelous job with the music and the story, and I can see the similarities of Princess and The Frog and Moana, as Maui and Prince Naveen were born from greatness and they meet a girl who is very headstrong, and independent. They need help as they don't necessarily have the power to be great until they get it back.

One of the biggest things I love about Disney is the music, the music for this film fits so well for the film, its all islandy and relaxed but at the same time strong and powerful. I love 'You're Welcome' which is sung by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, which by the way is such a good singer, like you listen to the song and like all Disney songs it will be in your head all day. The characters I love are Moana, and Maui obviously, and Grandma is so funny, and she loves the ocean like Moana, and she comes from the back of the head in a way. The sidekicks Moana has are so funny and unique, Heihei the rooster doesn't really say anything and he makes me laugh, Tamota the crab is just hysterical, Moana's pig is very cute and funny.

I mean I love this film, and I would see it again not in the cinema because I'm not made of money. But I mean I love the soundtrack, and I guess you can listen to the soundtrack without watching the film, but watch the film cus I loved it. The songs in itself are very much storytelling and enjoyment of the characters. Just go watch this film, its so funny and uplifting. 

Peppermint Friday Review #13: Gummo

This is a weird one, as I had to watch this again because and I know this is gonna sound abit stupid to say but I didn't get it the first time, as if I didn't watch it properly but it was so weird I didn't know what it was about. The film is about....I'm not sure the outline plot on IMDB is 'Lonely residents of a tornado stricken Ohio town wander the deserted landscape trying to fulfill their boring, nihilistic lives.' But this story has a hundred different plots and it doesn't necessarily consist if that makes sense. 

Its like short films, improv scenes and home movies collided into one, there were bits of the film I thought 'thats interesting' not that I liked them but found interesting, but also there were bits that I hated and they were the constant images and scenes of dead cats or cats being shot and chase. That kinda stuff makes me abit uncomfortable because I love cats and animals, and I cannot stand to see animals particularly. I can kinda understand and see how the Director/Writer wanted it to be portrayed as the boys were just bored and wanted something wild to do, or because they were very poor and had bad families, could be anything for the reason, I don't know but that creeped me out. 

The Director/Writer of the film is Harmony Korine who made the recent film Spring Breakers, but other than that I'm not that familiar with his work. But that doesn't mean anything, one thing that I found fascinating was the bunny boy throughout the film, he provided an air of mystery throughout the film, particularly when the boys are shooting him with pretend guns, bunny boy doesn't say anything and thats one of the reasons why he's a mystery of course and the character sets out to be a mystery.

One thing that made me cringed so badly, and just makes me cringe in general was the girl in the end who shaved off her eyebrows and that makes me cringe, and I don't know what it does but I hate it. Anyway I thought she was quite nice, because it felt that she didn't realise herself if that makes sense. She was just really genuine, throughout the film I mean the majority of the characters for me anyway didn't really feel real, they might for you and thats great. I loved the soundtrack of the film, as it was added like lighting is makes the scene.

Put it this way I will never forget this film, as it dented itself into my memory. Not for good reasons not for bad, I mean it did feel like an Indie film, and in some ways it was and it did feel like allot of improv was in the film, and apparently it was. Its very organic this film, and its different and incredibly unique and that is always a good thing, but I didn't like the amount of dead cats there were in the film, but also they were lacking in the wardrobe department for guys, as most of the men in this film were shirtless. Not that thats, bad or good, merely an observation. The cast in the film didn't go on to other things, and it felt that they were real people not actors, apart from Chloe Sevigny, and she was married to Harmony Korine. Anyway this film is weird one, but I included it as the main character is a teenager. But I can reassure you all that next week, will be lighter.

  

Review: Suicide Squad

I watched this film, like everyone else when it came out and it was just opinions everywhere. But I didn't have this blog back then, so I missed out but I have opinions of this film.

Unless you've been in living in a cave for the past year, you will know about this film. What it is, is DC Villians battling one massive Villian, that is the dummy version breakdown of the film. It was based like many Heroes and Villians of a Comic Book series, there was a series called Suicide Squad which only had Deadshot and The Enchantress in, not Harley Quinn, the Joker and just everyone else in the film. Overall this film is based of DC Villians, battling off a big Villian. 

I liked this film, I did enjoy it I can understand why people hate it as it is abit wishy washy in terms of what they were getting at, and it did feel like they were just trying to make another version of Guardians of The Galaxy but with Villians. I enjoyed the whole Villians bounding together and just creating mayhem, we also saw Harley Quinn for the first again in years, I mean I know this is the reason they made this film because they wanted Harley back, and Margot Robbie is fantastic. Jared Leto as the new Joker will be brilliant and alot of people were annoyed at the fact that Jared's Joker wasn't really shown, which is sad I know, I hated it aswell, but I reckon this won't be the last we see of this Joker. I bet you he will get his own film, there was a clip of his jail cell that just had a baby clothes surrounding him, it was just brilliant. The look of the new modern Joker, honestly I'm so excited for the Jared Leto and all that jazz. 

                                   

The chemistry between the Joker and Harley Quinn is incredible and much needed, we haven't seen Harley in a while so its nice. Theres a bit where the Joker and her are talking, and he goes 'would you die for me?' she obviously replies with 'yes' and then he goes 'no would you live for me?' its that toxic relationship, that made sense but didn't. It was only between these two individuals, that is just so wonderfully written. We also saw the beginning of there relationship and the psychotic beginning of Harley Quinn, and her just being this nurse trying to help the Joker, and thinking she was but she under his spell, and fell for him hook line and sinker.

What I love about this film is the female characters who were these very intelligent with very careers, and then they either met men, or just something happen to them to make them the way they are, not that its a bad thing in the story/creative world thingy. But I do find that funny that all the women in this film are intelligent. Will Smith is brilliant, loved the humanity part of Deadshot that he was this Villian but he also had his daughter that held a place with him.

The music was good, but again it felt abit like they were trying to make another Guardians of the Galaxy, the dialouge was abit there at time, but when it was good, it was good. Watch this film because you will enjoy it, but in terms of being a good Comic Book, Super Villian film it wasn't that great, I enjoyed watching it, and I'm glad I watched it. The best way to some up this review is, its like seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, I'm glad I went to see the Mona Lisa, but I don't think I'd go again.  Although I am glad they made it, because it bought back Harley, and Villians and just Characters in the DC Universe, that I never knew about. 

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. 

Peppermint Friday Review #2 A Hard Days Night.

Seeing as I did my favourite Musicals this week, I thought to end this week, with a Movie Musical (ish). I love this film and is seriously needing to be said.

Hard Days Night is about the Beatles and them on Tour, like an 'Off the Wall' Film. Its sort of like the first documentary film about a Band or something thats typically Mainstream. I love this film because its just them as a band and members but exaggerated, for entertainment purposes. I love anything to do with the Beatles, it has all there songs from the first album Hard Days Night. 

The Beatles are the only band that I would happily take my bra off and throw it on the stage, basically all the things you'd see One Direction Fans do, I do it too...Probably not. Anyway I've seen the Beatles interviews, and they're just a bunch of Liverpudlian Lads who, are having a laugh and not taking themselves seriously. It feels like there was no set script for them its was mainly improvised, and I loved it. 

You all see what they get up to, Paul having a 'Grandfather'' which I find very funny, and for everyone else its like they have a script and what to do, but whereas for the band its a improvised situation but, its not totally unpredictable, but they know what to say, but not feel held back. John being a complete weirdo, and scaring girls, but also charming girls. Ringo being a bit of an outsider, and having to babysit Paul's Grandfather. Then Ringo going for a walk and getting into a Police Station. George getting involved in a questionnaire for a Teen Magazine, and just being brutally honest.

The songs are amazing, obviously 'Hard Days Night' 'If I Fell' Shoulda Known Better' 'Dance with You' 'And I love Her' Just all the songs, because they have such poetry and story, and feeling behind it its just wonderful. 

They're also incredibly witty, and everyone else who's there managing team are the straight people. Which is what you need in this film. Overall I'm going to do something abit different which I've never done before, and thats. I'd give this film a 10 Peppermints out of 10