Peppermint Friday Review #35: Licence To Kill

I get the feeling you guys can get the pattern we've got going, so we started from the 60s, then the 70s and now 80s, so who knows what decade we'll have next hmmmm its the 40s, obviously joking. This bond film is slightly different because the story has much more of a background and its not my favourite but I still love it. 

It stars Timothy Dalton as James Bond and I love his portrayal of Bond being this quite stern man, and not as jokey not to say all of the others loved having a laugh, its just they had abit of sense of humour that was much more louder, whereas his was I guess more British and drier, so I loved that. Its funny because the books are so British and yet this film was written by two Americans and I'm surprised that they got not only the bond feel of the film right, but also the dry, sarcastic humour because not being racist but sometimes when I watch Americans try to do British humour, where we're quite dry and sarcastic its just like 'oh don't do that'. It reminds me of a mum trying to be cool and down with the kids and you're the teenager like 'god mom you're so embarrassing'. It also stars Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier who is a CIA informant and I don't know why but I just didn't warm to her as much as I did Barbara Bach. 

Loved Sanchez played by Robert Davi and he is fantastic my favourite Bond villain so far, if he and Jaws can team up because that would be the best combination ever. The whole film is set in Florida, and Mexico and it looks beautiful, and I love how 80s the film is. I know that sounds weird but the beginning of the Bond films are always amazing to watch because they represent the film, story and just the whole Bond genre really well. Plus it represents the time really well, the whole 80s feel to it, its just wonderful to watch. 

The costumes to this film are really good, because as well all know I love the 80s, and costumes. I think the reason that may be is because I feel a costume really represents a character, and show their emotions and makes them much more 3D and people who might be real. The one thing that let me down a little bit which is the most important thing was the story wasn't that good. I just didn't feel the story had much charisma to it, I mean it did the job it went from A to B and that's what stories are supposed to but I just didn't like it. For some reason it felt like it was written as a Soap Opera rather than a Bond film. 

It's funny I know because I mentioned I love the humour, and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was and how British it was made out. But getting from A to B on the other hand just felt abit stiff and annoying going from scene to scene. That was the one down side to the film well that and Pam but the story is the most important thing in a film its the bread and butter in a way. Other than that its pretty good, but like I've said before I wouldn't watch a film purely based of the costume or the actors and go away saying its great and I loved it. I feel the actors and costume are just an element to the film, and can make the film from good to amazing. If a story isn't very good then it isn't very good, theres no going back its just that. 

                                                                 
Over all I like this film, but I don't love it and I'm gonna be honest with you guys I hate it when films make me feel like this. With films I wanna either love it and its my new favourite film or I hate it and I can't stand it, and when theres an in between its like 'eh'. Especially when I have to write about it on here, because I hate writing reviews that are just lukewarm. Anyway I liked it but I didn't love it, and there are better Bond films out there I feel anyway. You never know you could be totally lukewarm about a film, and watch it a few years later and finally have an opinion that's not lukewarm.

I will speak to you all later and have a lovely weekend and I shall see you all next week!

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: 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 #34: Precious

I'm aware the posts have been abit wishy washy on this blog recently, but I kinda like it and hate it, I love the spontaneity of it all where I've just been watching films that people have told me to watch and I just didn't but now I am. Also I like the theme weeks and I kinda miss that to tell you the truth I'm kinda having 'blogger's block' but its okay, because it will pass. 

The film Precious is about a Claireece Precious Jones played by Gabourey Sidbe, and she is an illiterate overweight, very unhappy 16 year old girl living in 1987 Harlem. She lives with her son, and her mother Mary (played by Mo'Nique) who is unemployed and treats Precious horribly, and blames her for her boyfriend leaving, her boyfriend Precious's dad isn't around, and when he was around Precious was treated even worse by him, he raped her and treated her horrifically again. The film starts with Precious being kicked out of school for being pregnant again, and the dad being Precious's is dad, the school can't cope with her and kick her out and sent her to an alternative school. She finally learns to read and write by her new teacher Blu Rain (played by Paula Patton) she also meets a social worker called Ms Weiss (played by Mariah Carey) and learns about the goings on in Precious's life. 

I remember when this film came out and I dismissed it, and I'm glad I did and I'm annoyed I did at the same time, because the reason I dismissed this film was because I watched the trailer and it looked way too serious and well in my 12-13 year old words was 'boring'. I watch it now and its not the case at all, because trailers can be misleading and just give away the whole film so that's annoying. I'm glad because its such a serious film and has some issues that are so hard core like incest, its not a happy topic for a film. So I'm glad I'm a little bit older to understand the film and really properly like it, because its such a wonderfully written film. I already loved Gabourey Sidbe because she was in American Horror Story and I love that show, and she is such a good actress I love her. Fun fact she had no acting experience prior to this film, and was chosen over 300 people who auditioned for the role so go her. 

The film goes in flashbacks and fantasies of Precious's life and mindset, she imagines that she's this big Hollywood star having photoshoots and red carpet events, just loving life far from what her reality is. I love that because it shows that Precious does have some ambition and doesn't want to be like her mother. It's crazy to me that Mariah Carey is in this film, and doesn't look like herself when I read on IMDB that she was in it I thought 'Okay they've given her a part because the film needed abit of publicity and Mariah can say she's an actress, because she was in a film once' but its not the case at all, she look almost unrecognisable, I thought she'd play a very diva-ish character the persona Mariah puts up because she is an incredible singer, and surprisingly an amazing actress. 

The colours of the film is brilliant, I love how causal they made the 80s look, because usually its massive shoulder pads, bright colours just everywhere, and everyone listening to Cyndi Lauper or Prince. Its very causal and lets the story and character explain for themselves. Mo'Nique is fantastic she played a woman who had such a strong hatred for her daughter so wonderfully. The connection and chemistry between Gabourey and Mo'Nique is just brilliant they acted off each other really well they played a mother a daughter who had such a complicated relationship that they're meant to love each other but it turned into hate and something completely bitter. I love Precious as a character because she starts off being this very insecure girl who's confidence is completely torn by her mother and father. At the end and throughout yeah she doesn't get her dream but she learnt how to read and write and gathered confidence to stand up to her mother. 

Nothing is happy in the end, like theres no fairytale ending but Rome wasn't built in a day. We also learnt something about people, that we are complicated and do crazy stuff and no matter what age you are, you can do anything. Give this film a watch because it is so good and deserved all its awards and nominations it was given, because its such a wonderful story and it's not an easy story and film to watch you should bare that in mind before you watch it, and my only criticism of the film, its not really a criticism but its something you know. With that watch the film for Mariah Carey's brilliant acting performance and obviously Gabourey and Mo'Nique performances and also not to forget the amazing story of a young girl's journey of self confidence and self discovery.

Review: Allied

Been watching alot of new films recently I say new, like came out last year or in the past 5 years or so. What this film is about is, Max Vatan a Canadian pilot (played by Brad Pitt) and Marianne Beausejour a French Resistance fighter (played by Marion Cotillard) they are both partnered together posing as a married couple, firmly believing they won't have feelings for each other, just business. That obviously goes downhill and end up actually getting married, as time goes on and they have a little girl together. People at Max's work are starting to get suspicious that she's a German Spy. 

I love the costume of the film, that's no surprise really as I love period drama films, and its set in the 1940s and not all about the war, it really relies on the party aspect heavily in this film. It's directed by Robert Zemeckis which really surprised me as I know Robert Zemeckis's work as Back to The Future Franchise, Forrest Gump, Castaway, and I remember his first film I ever watched 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' which was a Beatles fan-fiction come to life, lets face it. I just love that he started doing that and now he's done this beautiful, fairly still, controlled film with beautiful costumes and cinematography. I would not have expected this kinda film from him, I'm used to seeing his Comedy work where things are usually quick paced and going from A to Z. With this film its alot more complicated but still done in an effortless way, where it did make total sense and very original. 

With Brad Pitt, I love him as an Actor he is brilliant in this film he spoke French beautifully and did this card trick and he's just so suave and sophisticated. I don't really know his work that much, I've only properly watched him in three films, Kalifornia, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Fight Club (which we don't talk about). He's such a versatile Actor he can do anything and I don't know why I haven't watched that many Brad Pitt films, I think maybe its because he's seen as this gorgeous man and that's more important than his acting capability, like the amount of people that go 'Oh Brad Pitt he's lush' rather than go 'Oh Brad Pitt he's a good actor I can't wait to see him in that' but also his private life is discussed an awful lot. Like I don't care who he's dated or divorcing, its about what acting roles he's taking. 

Another thing, I think this film came out around the same time as the Angelina Jolie Divorce Drama. So I guess people didn't care which upsets me, because a thing like that just stops people, and consumes their minds I could be wrong though. Anyway with Marion Cotillard I'm not too familar with again I know who she is, I've seen her in Public Enemies, Inception and I think she was in Dark Knight Rises. Again I know who she is, but when I watch any film I don't go 'I hope this has Marion Cotillard in!' sounds mean but I don't. In this film she was epic, and I don't say that very often but she is so good and I know in France (as she is a French Actress) she's a big deal. I like that they didn't go for a typical beautiful girl, she reminds me very much of a young Katharine Hepburn. 

Some of this film was in French which I really liked and added a sort of Amour essence to the whole film. Whilst watching it though it did remind me of when I tried to read Lolita as that has French in it, and I couldn't understand it at all butt I like listening to it, just don't understand it. Which is my downfall entirely as I wanna know what they're saying, if its juicy or not. The story is very much like Casablanca, and a part of the story was set in Casablanca, but the story was a vintage romance told in a modern way yet still remaining true to its vintage roots of the story. I loved the interior of the houses, the way the air raids were done. The chemistry between the characters was okay, I liked it and think they look gorgeous on screen together, but when I watch them I don't feel the passion. I might be broken, but I've just seen couples with better chemistry doing this kinda period drama before. 

If you're looking for a beautiful vintage romance then watch this film if you're looking for just a war, period drama film with action and excitement (not to say this film isn't exciting) then this film is not for you. But I love this film, it won't be the last of its kind what I mean by that is that this will not be the last of the period drama romance films. It's certainly not the greatest period drama romance, but not the worst. Its definitely worth seeing if you love Robert Zemeckis and wanna see a film that's unlike him (what I used to think, not anymore). Then watch this film, if you like Brad Pitt or Marion Cotillard watch this film! I'm starting to get ridiculous now, anyway I'll see you all later and have a lovely week! 

Review: Trainspotting

We're gonna talk about the first Trainspotting, as I've heard so many good things about it and why not. Plus not to mention this film is like Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor's first big break, and its just nice to look back at them being very young, before they got all the success that's later to come. 

One thing that I love about this film is that now people see Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi and an amazing singer in Beauty and The Beast and Moulin Rouge but its nice that this film is where he really became a star, not too sound like an E! Documentary, but its true. It's also Danny Boyle's second film, and again its nice that he has this huge success of Slumdog and 127 Hours, its so lovely that his first big success was a gritty British mainly Scottish drama about Drugs and young people. 

The story is about a group of friends, and their addiction to Drugs, it starts with Mark Renton known as Renton in the film (played by Ewan McGregor) who wants to quit Heroin, and locks himself in a hotel room to withdrawal from it all. He goes with his friends to a nightclub and they're all getting of with girls so Renton hooks up with Diane (played by Kelly Macdonald) who turns out to be a 15 year old school girl. All of Renton's mates, Simon 'Sick Boy' Williamson (played by Johnny Lee Miller) Daniel 'Spud' Murphy (played by Ewen Bremner), start taking Heroin again. Renton's other friends Thomas 'Tommy' MacKenzie (played Kevin Kidd) and Francis 'Franco' Begdie (played by Robert Carlyle, aren't drug addicts but they are completely problematic. Its just about them quitting and getting into mischief I should say.  

I absolutely love this film, its so gritty and real, it's just brilliantly edited, I love the way they edited this scenes together when they were all hooking with with different girls.  They way they use music in the film is so good aswell, I love it when films understand music and how much of an impact it can have on a viewer, the way I see it is, its used as a highlighter it just makes it 10 times better. Particularly if its a scene filled with emotion, whether it be love and sex or a fight scene with anger it just gives it more character for me anyway. I also love that this isn't set in London not that I hate London its just whenever people talk about England or Britain they immediately think 'Oh London' and its like London's one place and its huge but England and the rest of Britain is litter with different people from different backgrounds. I think people need to remember that, and celebrate that we're not all from London. 

The characters are so brilliant and well written I love it, and I need to see the second one because it was ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and that's annoying, plus it seemed to centre around Renton not that that's bad, its just I'd like to get to know the other characters in the group. Like Franco, I love that he is a stereotype of an angry scott, but I wanna know more about him, and obviously I understand in over an hour story you kinda have to fit everything in once, that means characters and all that. I also love the poster I know that's a weird thing to like, but I love that its so different and out there, and that fact that if you looked at it you wouldn't think its a film.

The way I feel about this film is how I felt about Sid and Nancy, it being a young actor and with the knowledge of them being so amazing in the future, and at the time of the film being made it's just them not knowing a thing but still being so captivating and wonderful to watch. Its definitely one of my favourite 90's films and I guess Coming Of Age film if you can call it that, I wouldn't recommend a 10 year old to watch this, but my 10 year old self wouldn't listen to me at all. You should definitely watch this film, not because of a young Ewan McGregor, but the fact that its an amazingly written film and wonderfully casted and edited.

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!