Hello! Or should we say "Merry Christmas!"
Yes, we are still here, but only just. In fact; time and tide waits for no man or film it seems and we are finding it increasingly hard to secure that necessary "us time" to sit down and watch films as a family these days. People are growing up fast. When we started all those years ago (17th September 2010), our youngest member was thinking about GCSEs, now she is out working for a living!
So, with time against us, maybe it is time to hang up the blog, leave the films where they are and move on. Who knows.
What we do know is, we have a film tonight and as Christmas is just gently disappearing behind us, why not a festive film to say goodbye to 2015?
Tonight it's feet up and film on, as we sample the scary delights of Tim Burton's;
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Well, that was interesting. Tim Burton's 1993 animated Halloween / Christmas tale features Jack Skellington; the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who starts the film disillusioned with Halloween, as it's all been done before. He then discovers Christmas Town and the concept of Christmas, which he takes back to Halloween Town. Unfortunately he doesn't fully grasp the concept of Christmas and doesn't quite get it right.
As a story it's fairly basic, but enjoyable for the 76 minute duration. The best part really is the superb stop-motion animation, somewhat reminiscent of early shadow puppetry. Put the animation alongside a superb soundtrack from Danny Elfman and you have a quaint little crossover story juxtaposing Halloween with Christmas. It was considered to be too dark and scary for kids, but it isn't really not compared to some of the modern films aimed at children these days. It's also not really a film about Christmas per se, moreover the misadventures of Jack Skellington in his attempts to recreate Christmas.
Overall it was entertaining, but not necessarily "great". Good points, great animation, nice songs, but not a classic Christmas film.
TNiFN Rating 60%
Well, as blogs go this one was rather short. Sorry about that, but not really much to write about. And whether there will be more blogs we're not sure. We won't make any decisions now, we'll just see what the future brings. In the meantime Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to all of our readers, both of you! Maybe see you soon.
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
The Christmas Secret - 1st December 2015
It's the 1st day of Advent and our 3rd Christmas movie of the season. This week we are taking a risk with another one of those "made for TV" films. So is it going to be a hit or a miserable mistletoe miss with;
The Christmas Secret
Well as we said last week, the problem with the "made for TV" movies is they are fairly hit or miss affair, usually made with a limited budget and the acting talent is several streets away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, we shouldn't dismiss these films, because sometimes you can unearth some gems, last week was a case in point - A Christmas Tree Miracle was indeed a great story, but what of this week, did The Christmas Secret tick the various boxes, albeit a low budget, schmaltzy, American daytime movie?
In a word; yes!
Firstly it is American as mom's apple pie and in places, as cheesy as mac & cheese with extra cheese, but yet again a wonderful well considered, thought out and intricate story on which to base your bog standard Christmas ethos, where things go wrong for the innocent, only to be turned around by a little Christmas magic and the intervention of those special characters you get in these genre of films. Magical stuff indeed.
To put some meat on the bones of this Christmas turkey and that's a term of endearment, not an indication that the film was anyway a flop; Bethany Joy Lenz plays quite wonderfully single mum Christine Eisley. Christine moved to Wilsonville after her marriage broke up. With her two cute kids, she tries to make a go of life in this small community, where her father once lived. Christine never knew her father as he died many years ago, but she felt a strange affinity to Wilsonville and decided to move there. These are salient points that will be of interest if you watch the film, they are all part of a multiplicity of storylines that evolve as the film progresses.
Christine is struggling to make ends meet, holding down a job, a home and looking after the children. And as with most films of this ilk, the formula to follow is that all these things conspire against her to provide a heap of jeopardy; she loses her job, she is facing eviction and the ex husband turns up threatening to take the kids. Not just a simple plot twist, but a multitude of plot lines that unravel as you go. However, although potentially cheesy and cringeworthy all these things actually add some gravitas to plot and make the story more credible. That is to say, it's not just a simple; here's the back story, here's the jeopardy, it's all gone wrong, here's some hope, it goes wrong again, a little bit of magic and they all live happily every after. It's better than that, quite a bit better.
Anyway, Christine loses her job as she is late for work after witnessing a car accident and subsequently saving the life of the female driver. Luckily though, due to being in the right place at the right time, she gets a new job straight away with Betty. Betty runs the local bakery and her family has lived and worked in Wilsonville for may years, which may or not be another salient point to remember. The woman who had a heart attack and crashed her car, to be saved by Christine, runs a local store with her husband. When their grandson (Jason) turns up from New York we gain a love interest for Christine. However due to a misunderstanding and some misdirection they do not know that Christine has saved Jason's grandmother. If you have just read that through without taking a breath, you'll probably give up on this blog and the film! But don't go just yet, it is worth it. Really.
Admittedly the multitude of story lines and the intricate correlation and relationship of the characters was so tangled, that one end of the TNiFN sofa suggested it was virtually incestuous! However, we think that that is where the beauty lies in films such as these, there is a compelling storyline that starts with a single strand, which unwinds and unravels, sometimes crossing and re-crossing until you get to that magical feelgood ending, when the threads are again intertwined in the correct order to assimilate a beautiful well rounded ending, an ending which we are not going to tell you about, just to say it is a classic Christmas ending. Also it's not all about the ending it's how you get there and A Christmas Secret is a perfect example of how to do it right. It's just a shame that it is not available on DVD to watch at a later date.
Note: If you have the cable or satellite channel "Christmas 24" - it is repeated this week. Obviously, if you are reading this sometime in January 2016, you've missed it!
In summation, a lovely film, perfect story and just the sort of film you want to be watching on first or any day of Advent! Merry Christmas!!
TNiFN Rating 87%
IMDB Link
The Christmas Secret
Well as we said last week, the problem with the "made for TV" movies is they are fairly hit or miss affair, usually made with a limited budget and the acting talent is several streets away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, we shouldn't dismiss these films, because sometimes you can unearth some gems, last week was a case in point - A Christmas Tree Miracle was indeed a great story, but what of this week, did The Christmas Secret tick the various boxes, albeit a low budget, schmaltzy, American daytime movie?
In a word; yes!
Firstly it is American as mom's apple pie and in places, as cheesy as mac & cheese with extra cheese, but yet again a wonderful well considered, thought out and intricate story on which to base your bog standard Christmas ethos, where things go wrong for the innocent, only to be turned around by a little Christmas magic and the intervention of those special characters you get in these genre of films. Magical stuff indeed.
To put some meat on the bones of this Christmas turkey and that's a term of endearment, not an indication that the film was anyway a flop; Bethany Joy Lenz plays quite wonderfully single mum Christine Eisley. Christine moved to Wilsonville after her marriage broke up. With her two cute kids, she tries to make a go of life in this small community, where her father once lived. Christine never knew her father as he died many years ago, but she felt a strange affinity to Wilsonville and decided to move there. These are salient points that will be of interest if you watch the film, they are all part of a multiplicity of storylines that evolve as the film progresses.
Christine is struggling to make ends meet, holding down a job, a home and looking after the children. And as with most films of this ilk, the formula to follow is that all these things conspire against her to provide a heap of jeopardy; she loses her job, she is facing eviction and the ex husband turns up threatening to take the kids. Not just a simple plot twist, but a multitude of plot lines that unravel as you go. However, although potentially cheesy and cringeworthy all these things actually add some gravitas to plot and make the story more credible. That is to say, it's not just a simple; here's the back story, here's the jeopardy, it's all gone wrong, here's some hope, it goes wrong again, a little bit of magic and they all live happily every after. It's better than that, quite a bit better.
Anyway, Christine loses her job as she is late for work after witnessing a car accident and subsequently saving the life of the female driver. Luckily though, due to being in the right place at the right time, she gets a new job straight away with Betty. Betty runs the local bakery and her family has lived and worked in Wilsonville for may years, which may or not be another salient point to remember. The woman who had a heart attack and crashed her car, to be saved by Christine, runs a local store with her husband. When their grandson (Jason) turns up from New York we gain a love interest for Christine. However due to a misunderstanding and some misdirection they do not know that Christine has saved Jason's grandmother. If you have just read that through without taking a breath, you'll probably give up on this blog and the film! But don't go just yet, it is worth it. Really.
Admittedly the multitude of story lines and the intricate correlation and relationship of the characters was so tangled, that one end of the TNiFN sofa suggested it was virtually incestuous! However, we think that that is where the beauty lies in films such as these, there is a compelling storyline that starts with a single strand, which unwinds and unravels, sometimes crossing and re-crossing until you get to that magical feelgood ending, when the threads are again intertwined in the correct order to assimilate a beautiful well rounded ending, an ending which we are not going to tell you about, just to say it is a classic Christmas ending. Also it's not all about the ending it's how you get there and A Christmas Secret is a perfect example of how to do it right. It's just a shame that it is not available on DVD to watch at a later date.
Note: If you have the cable or satellite channel "Christmas 24" - it is repeated this week. Obviously, if you are reading this sometime in January 2016, you've missed it!
In summation, a lovely film, perfect story and just the sort of film you want to be watching on first or any day of Advent! Merry Christmas!!
TNiFN Rating 87%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
A Christmas Tree Miracle - 24th November 2015
Put another log on the fire, another gift on the tree, it's time to rejoice wearing a reindeer onesie, whilst sipping a seasonal snowball. Do all this while we watch the next installment in our festive film run down. Which tonight is;
A Christmas Tree Miracle
The problem with the lead up to Christmas, when it comes to films at least, is the plethora of satellite channels pumping out their festive film fodder, hour after hour. Mostly "made for TV" movies, which really shouldn't have been made at all. With the mini synopsis you get whilst flicking through the channels, it is very difficult to determine what the film will be like. More often than not they will be American, extolling the virtues of Santa (usually dropping the "T"), surrounded by elves with candy canes and North Pole nonsense.
We try to avoid those.
Otherwise it is the formulaic films, where something bad happens, because someone did something bad to someone else and the moralistic tale unwinds, only to be fixed by some Christmas magic. Think A Christmas Carol without story, character or sentiment and you'll be close. So, all that being said it is a fairly hit or miss affair recording movies from the TV, but what about tonight's film; A Christmas Tree Miracle. It certainly sounds formulaic and winsome, but is that in a good or bad way?
To cut to the chase, it was a gem of a film. A real find amongst the potential dross. It doesn't have big name actors in it, there's no elaborate sets, no there's no big budget, but yet it has that key ingredient, certainly for a Christmas film; a really decent story. Yes, it is a moralistic tale of how the simplistic approach to life can make all the difference at Christmas, but it's a good moralistic tale. Anyway, enough procrastination let us have a synopsis.
The George family has a great life. The father; David George has a fantastic job and the children go to the best schools. Money is plentiful and life is luxurious. Immediately this tells us that this family is heading for a fall. Indeed, when David loses his job things start to spiral out of control and all just before Christmas. Days without work, turns to weeks and then months and eventually they have to sell their house and end up living in a motel. Then, one day, they meet a kindly Christmas tree farmer who takes them into his home and shows them the true meaning of Christmas.
In a nutshell, that is what happens, however there are many more layers to this story which accumulate as you go through. There are the standard Christmas acts of kindness that then see payback later on. There is also the bad influences, the greed and desire to want more, which obviously need to be overcome. All of these little things are tied in so very nicely with the way this story unfolds. It is a truly heart-warming film. One element that makes it special is the youngest daughter of the family; 6 year old Nina, narrates some of the story and you can tell that her innocent involvement is a key element to that feelgood festive feeling that is so very obvious in this brilliant little story.
There's no need to spin around the cast, they are all unknowns - but they play out their parts very well. Of note though is Terry Kiser who plays Henry Banks the eccentric Christmas tree farmer, whose business model of giving away Christmas trees seems a little askew, but proffers forward a true meaning of Christmas in this feelgood tale.
It is always tricky to extol the virtues of a film you have enjoyed without giving too much away, whilst still trying to sell the idea to those of you that decide to read this blog. All we can say is; A Christmas Tree Miracle is an old fashioned tale, set against the back drop of modernity, promoting heart-warming values, guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye and a smile to the face.
If you want to at least buy one Christmas film this year, then give this one a go, we're sure you will not be disappointed.
TNiFN Rating 95%
IMDB Link
A Christmas Tree Miracle
The problem with the lead up to Christmas, when it comes to films at least, is the plethora of satellite channels pumping out their festive film fodder, hour after hour. Mostly "made for TV" movies, which really shouldn't have been made at all. With the mini synopsis you get whilst flicking through the channels, it is very difficult to determine what the film will be like. More often than not they will be American, extolling the virtues of Santa (usually dropping the "T"), surrounded by elves with candy canes and North Pole nonsense.
We try to avoid those.
Otherwise it is the formulaic films, where something bad happens, because someone did something bad to someone else and the moralistic tale unwinds, only to be fixed by some Christmas magic. Think A Christmas Carol without story, character or sentiment and you'll be close. So, all that being said it is a fairly hit or miss affair recording movies from the TV, but what about tonight's film; A Christmas Tree Miracle. It certainly sounds formulaic and winsome, but is that in a good or bad way?
To cut to the chase, it was a gem of a film. A real find amongst the potential dross. It doesn't have big name actors in it, there's no elaborate sets, no there's no big budget, but yet it has that key ingredient, certainly for a Christmas film; a really decent story. Yes, it is a moralistic tale of how the simplistic approach to life can make all the difference at Christmas, but it's a good moralistic tale. Anyway, enough procrastination let us have a synopsis.
The George family has a great life. The father; David George has a fantastic job and the children go to the best schools. Money is plentiful and life is luxurious. Immediately this tells us that this family is heading for a fall. Indeed, when David loses his job things start to spiral out of control and all just before Christmas. Days without work, turns to weeks and then months and eventually they have to sell their house and end up living in a motel. Then, one day, they meet a kindly Christmas tree farmer who takes them into his home and shows them the true meaning of Christmas.
In a nutshell, that is what happens, however there are many more layers to this story which accumulate as you go through. There are the standard Christmas acts of kindness that then see payback later on. There is also the bad influences, the greed and desire to want more, which obviously need to be overcome. All of these little things are tied in so very nicely with the way this story unfolds. It is a truly heart-warming film. One element that makes it special is the youngest daughter of the family; 6 year old Nina, narrates some of the story and you can tell that her innocent involvement is a key element to that feelgood festive feeling that is so very obvious in this brilliant little story.
There's no need to spin around the cast, they are all unknowns - but they play out their parts very well. Of note though is Terry Kiser who plays Henry Banks the eccentric Christmas tree farmer, whose business model of giving away Christmas trees seems a little askew, but proffers forward a true meaning of Christmas in this feelgood tale.
It is always tricky to extol the virtues of a film you have enjoyed without giving too much away, whilst still trying to sell the idea to those of you that decide to read this blog. All we can say is; A Christmas Tree Miracle is an old fashioned tale, set against the back drop of modernity, promoting heart-warming values, guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye and a smile to the face.
If you want to at least buy one Christmas film this year, then give this one a go, we're sure you will not be disappointed.
TNiFN Rating 95%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
The Christmas Candle - 17th November 2015
Hello again! Yes, it's been a few weeks, but things are very busy here, so no real time for films. However, this week we have the opportunity to settle down and watch a film and as it is only six more Tuesdays until Christmas, why not watch a Christmas movie?
Stop moaning! You love Christmas!
Anyway, tonight we are shutting out the cold, huddling under the blanket and watching;
The Christmas Candle
We have been neglecting our film duties recently, so to come back and straight into a Christmas film is a bit of a challenge. Luckily The Christmas Candle has stood up to the test. The one thing that it has going for it is the fact it is a British film and British Christmas films have been very sparse of late. Also it is a simple and traditional story, just what you want in an uncomplicated feelgood festive film.
Set in the 1890s, The Christmas Candle is centred on the small village of Gladbury, where a legend tells of Christmas miracles that occur every 25 years, when an angel appears and blesses a candle at the local chandlery. Whoever receives the candle, lights it and prays, will be bestowed with a Christmas miracle.
Stick with the fanciful plot, the whole point of these films is to bestow the warmth of the Christmas season on the viewer, so allow the magic of the story in, it'll be worth it.
The Haddingtons have run the chandlery for many years and it is currently in the hands of Edward Haddington, played absolutely superbly by ex Doctor Who; Sylvester McCoy. Unfortunately it looks like the run of Haddingtons making candles in Gladbury will stop, as the Haddington's son is making his living running an electric light company in London. So the candles are out and the electric light is in. That is one thread of the plot to follow.
The main attention of the film is upon the Reverend David Richmond (Hans Matheson), an up and coming vicar, renowned for his inspirational sermons, who is invited to Gladbury to become the local vicar. He accepts the invitation, but soon discovers the legend of the Christmas candle and is aghast that the locals hang their hopes upon such a ridiculous notion. He wants to turn the village around and use his style to promote a more traditional and religious ideal, rather than rely on false hopes.
There is quite a lot more to the story than this brief synopsis, but to say too much will perhaps tarnish some of that Christmas sparkle that you should get from watching this heartwarming tale. Hans Matheson is particularly well cast as the fresh faced vicar, keen to make the wishes of his parish come true, without having to rely on Christmas candle miracles. Samantha Barks is also well cast as Emily Barstow, a love interest for our young vicar, who clearly cannot resist her beautiful dimples. Other notable luminaries in this quaint story are Barbara Flynn and John Hannah who add some class to the cast.
Rounding off the cast is an unusual, but inspired piece of casting - if only for her singing voice. The Christmas Candle provides a vehicle for Susan Boyle's first outing as an actor. Judging by her acting prowess, it may well be her last! Wooden is not the word. At least it provided some moments of levity, albeit ones that were not in the story. She was in fine voice for the singing though, to be fair to her and all joking aside, it was good to see her give acting a go.
As a Christmas film it ticks all the boxes and more. It is heartwarming, it is traditional. It isn't overtly religious, but does promote the real Christmas values, from the real Christmas story. There's no Santa Claus or Father Christmas, just traditional Victorian Christmas themes, one could almost say Dickensian. All of which are plus points.
Definitely a winning combination that was enjoyed by all of us here. Add it to your list of Christmas films to watch!
TNiFN Rating 80%
IMDB Link
Stop moaning! You love Christmas!
Anyway, tonight we are shutting out the cold, huddling under the blanket and watching;
The Christmas Candle
We have been neglecting our film duties recently, so to come back and straight into a Christmas film is a bit of a challenge. Luckily The Christmas Candle has stood up to the test. The one thing that it has going for it is the fact it is a British film and British Christmas films have been very sparse of late. Also it is a simple and traditional story, just what you want in an uncomplicated feelgood festive film.
Set in the 1890s, The Christmas Candle is centred on the small village of Gladbury, where a legend tells of Christmas miracles that occur every 25 years, when an angel appears and blesses a candle at the local chandlery. Whoever receives the candle, lights it and prays, will be bestowed with a Christmas miracle.
Stick with the fanciful plot, the whole point of these films is to bestow the warmth of the Christmas season on the viewer, so allow the magic of the story in, it'll be worth it.
The Haddingtons have run the chandlery for many years and it is currently in the hands of Edward Haddington, played absolutely superbly by ex Doctor Who; Sylvester McCoy. Unfortunately it looks like the run of Haddingtons making candles in Gladbury will stop, as the Haddington's son is making his living running an electric light company in London. So the candles are out and the electric light is in. That is one thread of the plot to follow.
The main attention of the film is upon the Reverend David Richmond (Hans Matheson), an up and coming vicar, renowned for his inspirational sermons, who is invited to Gladbury to become the local vicar. He accepts the invitation, but soon discovers the legend of the Christmas candle and is aghast that the locals hang their hopes upon such a ridiculous notion. He wants to turn the village around and use his style to promote a more traditional and religious ideal, rather than rely on false hopes.
There is quite a lot more to the story than this brief synopsis, but to say too much will perhaps tarnish some of that Christmas sparkle that you should get from watching this heartwarming tale. Hans Matheson is particularly well cast as the fresh faced vicar, keen to make the wishes of his parish come true, without having to rely on Christmas candle miracles. Samantha Barks is also well cast as Emily Barstow, a love interest for our young vicar, who clearly cannot resist her beautiful dimples. Other notable luminaries in this quaint story are Barbara Flynn and John Hannah who add some class to the cast.
Rounding off the cast is an unusual, but inspired piece of casting - if only for her singing voice. The Christmas Candle provides a vehicle for Susan Boyle's first outing as an actor. Judging by her acting prowess, it may well be her last! Wooden is not the word. At least it provided some moments of levity, albeit ones that were not in the story. She was in fine voice for the singing though, to be fair to her and all joking aside, it was good to see her give acting a go.
As a Christmas film it ticks all the boxes and more. It is heartwarming, it is traditional. It isn't overtly religious, but does promote the real Christmas values, from the real Christmas story. There's no Santa Claus or Father Christmas, just traditional Victorian Christmas themes, one could almost say Dickensian. All of which are plus points.
Definitely a winning combination that was enjoyed by all of us here. Add it to your list of Christmas films to watch!
TNiFN Rating 80%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
High Fidelity - 27th October 2015
Hello! Remember us? Yes, it's been nearly a month without a film here at Tuesday Night is Film Night - did you miss us? Who said "no"?
Yes we're here and we have time this week and we are going to watch a film.
Tonight's film has been one we have been looking forward to, as we have read the book and now we want to see if the film version measures up. But will it be music to our ears or a cacophonous racket as we watch;
High Fidelity
The film is based on the superb book of the same name, by Nick Hornby. However the transition from page to screen has taken the story across the Atlantic and it's now set in the USA rather than a swinging 1990's London. As a result the musical references have taken on a more trans-Atlantic slant. By the way, the title does have a bearing on the story and music is key.
The lead character is Rob Gordon, played quite superbly by John Cusack. Rob runs his own record store; see? Music reference. At the start of the film Rob is is a relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle), but only just. In fact within the first few minutes that relationship ends and our story begins. In the book Rob virtually narrates the story, filling in the details where required. Migrating this to screen, could have taken the form of flashbacks, instead director Stephen Frears opts for Rob talking directly to camera, regardless of the situation (and the occasional flashback for visual integrity). This breaking of the fourth wall works really well in the context of this film, as it not only mirrors the book, but it provides a useful way to fill the film with narration and direction without the need to constantly cut to flashbacks or removing the central character from the screen. Rob can hop in and out of the scene without distracting from the current storyline.
Essentially High Fidelity plots out the deterioration of Laura and Rob's relationship and then we see if they get back together again. Rob is a tad obnoxious, self-centred and unsure whether he has grown up or not. He likes to collate lists. The first that we see evidence of is his Top Five Break-ups, a list that Laura doesn't feature on, as if to prove a point to the recently departed Laura. In that regard, High Fidelity could be classed as a coming of age film, it is certainly about growing up, for Rob at least.
The comical musings in this film are generally provided by Rob's colleagues at the record store; Dick and Barry. Dick is quiet, shy but knowledgeable and played perfectly by Todd Louiso. Barry is loud, forthright, opinionated and obnoxious. So it was only fitting that Jack Black was to play this character and he does so with aplomb.
There was a division of opinions on the TNiFN panel as to whether the book was better than the film, or the film was better than the book. In fact it was a 50-50 split of opinions. (And as there were only two of us tonight, the maths were not hard to work out!)
As the film staged the plot in Chicago, whereas the book was set in London, the transition to film takes it out of the book's context immediately. Gone are the references to British music and in are more comments about American music. Even to the point of having an unnecessary "Born In The USA" cameo from Bruce Springsteen; which seemed to be more for elevating the film's status, by the addition of a rock star, rather than adding to the story's gravitas by aligning the plight of Rob's story to that of a song lyric. It would have been nice to have some more British songs in the soundtrack, as that would have at least provided a nod to the story's origin. We digress.
All in all, High Fidelity is a great story. Nick Hornby certainly nailed that one. We would definitely suggest reading the book and watching the film, just to compare notes. John Cusack is really good as Rob, his deadpan looks to camera to relate his feelings are a fresh approach and do add to the style of delivery. There was also some sibling rivalry as Joan Cusack played Liz a friend of Laura's. John and Joan being brother and sister. Who said you don't learn anything here?
We certainly enjoyed the film, hopefully reflected in the score below.
TNiFN Rating 81%
IMDB Link
Yes we're here and we have time this week and we are going to watch a film.
Tonight's film has been one we have been looking forward to, as we have read the book and now we want to see if the film version measures up. But will it be music to our ears or a cacophonous racket as we watch;
High Fidelity
The film is based on the superb book of the same name, by Nick Hornby. However the transition from page to screen has taken the story across the Atlantic and it's now set in the USA rather than a swinging 1990's London. As a result the musical references have taken on a more trans-Atlantic slant. By the way, the title does have a bearing on the story and music is key.
The lead character is Rob Gordon, played quite superbly by John Cusack. Rob runs his own record store; see? Music reference. At the start of the film Rob is is a relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle), but only just. In fact within the first few minutes that relationship ends and our story begins. In the book Rob virtually narrates the story, filling in the details where required. Migrating this to screen, could have taken the form of flashbacks, instead director Stephen Frears opts for Rob talking directly to camera, regardless of the situation (and the occasional flashback for visual integrity). This breaking of the fourth wall works really well in the context of this film, as it not only mirrors the book, but it provides a useful way to fill the film with narration and direction without the need to constantly cut to flashbacks or removing the central character from the screen. Rob can hop in and out of the scene without distracting from the current storyline.
Essentially High Fidelity plots out the deterioration of Laura and Rob's relationship and then we see if they get back together again. Rob is a tad obnoxious, self-centred and unsure whether he has grown up or not. He likes to collate lists. The first that we see evidence of is his Top Five Break-ups, a list that Laura doesn't feature on, as if to prove a point to the recently departed Laura. In that regard, High Fidelity could be classed as a coming of age film, it is certainly about growing up, for Rob at least.
The comical musings in this film are generally provided by Rob's colleagues at the record store; Dick and Barry. Dick is quiet, shy but knowledgeable and played perfectly by Todd Louiso. Barry is loud, forthright, opinionated and obnoxious. So it was only fitting that Jack Black was to play this character and he does so with aplomb.
There was a division of opinions on the TNiFN panel as to whether the book was better than the film, or the film was better than the book. In fact it was a 50-50 split of opinions. (And as there were only two of us tonight, the maths were not hard to work out!)
As the film staged the plot in Chicago, whereas the book was set in London, the transition to film takes it out of the book's context immediately. Gone are the references to British music and in are more comments about American music. Even to the point of having an unnecessary "Born In The USA" cameo from Bruce Springsteen; which seemed to be more for elevating the film's status, by the addition of a rock star, rather than adding to the story's gravitas by aligning the plight of Rob's story to that of a song lyric. It would have been nice to have some more British songs in the soundtrack, as that would have at least provided a nod to the story's origin. We digress.
All in all, High Fidelity is a great story. Nick Hornby certainly nailed that one. We would definitely suggest reading the book and watching the film, just to compare notes. John Cusack is really good as Rob, his deadpan looks to camera to relate his feelings are a fresh approach and do add to the style of delivery. There was also some sibling rivalry as Joan Cusack played Liz a friend of Laura's. John and Joan being brother and sister. Who said you don't learn anything here?
We certainly enjoyed the film, hopefully reflected in the score below.
TNiFN Rating 81%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
If I Stay - 29th September 2015
Tuesday Night is Film Night rounds off September with a film from 2014. This week it's a romantic drama, with a touch of music, as we watch;
If I Stay
Starring Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia Hall and Jamie Blackley as her boyfriend Adam, If I Stay is a romantic drama, with it's basis firmly grounded in music. Mia is from a musical family, her dad; Denny (Joshua Leonard) was a drummer in an up and coming band, her mum; Kim (Liana Liberato) was a bit of a groupie. However, their offspring decided at an early age that the cello was going to be her instrument of choice and she becomes a proficient player destined for great things. Adam is slightly older than Mia and is in a band, but music brings them together. Adam is keen to pursue his blossoming music career, as is Mia and she applies to Julliard to further her musical education and is awaiting the results of her audition. All is going along so well, until as Mia puts it;
"Isn't it amazing how life is one thing and then, in an instant it becomes something else. Like here I am, Mia, the girl who thinks about the cello and Adam, and whether I get a stupid letter or not, and just like that..."
Just like that everything is turned up side down. Mia, hey younger brother Teddy, mum and dad are involved in a car accident and Mia "awakes" to find herself following her own life via an out of body experience. The film thus progresses, switching between the current storyline and then drifting back to previous scenes where the current emotions are retold via the flashbacks.
As a story, If I Stay is really quite good. We like the thoughtful way the tragedy is played out, how close it is to the novel of the same name by Gayle Forman, we don't know, having not read the book, but it may well be worthy of a read, as the screenplay for If I Stay was really quite moving.
At the end of the day If I Stay is a bit of a teen romance, geared to a younger audience, but the it pulls no punches with the tragedies, we won't say too much here, but if you get drawn into the story then prepare for some tears. We didn't necessarily think that the story was played out with enough gravitas to pull you in to the midst of the film, some of the scenes were a tad cheesey, but only slightly. This film could go either way, in the respect of whether you like it or not. That's not to detract from the quality of talents on screen, Chloë Grace Moretz is particularly good to watch, but not in the cello scenes where the CGI lets the filmmakers down somewhat, as you could see the join! There's a great performance from Stacey Keach who plays Mia's grandfather.
All in all a good story, but geared to a younger audience, as witnessed by the higher scores from the younger end of the sofa. The acting was good, but some of the flashbacks could lose you if you didn't maintain concentration. Perhaps some jeopardy would help and a few more tears just to draw the audience closer, not bad, but not brilliant either.
TNiFN Rating 68%
IMDB Link
If I Stay
Starring Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia Hall and Jamie Blackley as her boyfriend Adam, If I Stay is a romantic drama, with it's basis firmly grounded in music. Mia is from a musical family, her dad; Denny (Joshua Leonard) was a drummer in an up and coming band, her mum; Kim (Liana Liberato) was a bit of a groupie. However, their offspring decided at an early age that the cello was going to be her instrument of choice and she becomes a proficient player destined for great things. Adam is slightly older than Mia and is in a band, but music brings them together. Adam is keen to pursue his blossoming music career, as is Mia and she applies to Julliard to further her musical education and is awaiting the results of her audition. All is going along so well, until as Mia puts it;
"Isn't it amazing how life is one thing and then, in an instant it becomes something else. Like here I am, Mia, the girl who thinks about the cello and Adam, and whether I get a stupid letter or not, and just like that..."
Just like that everything is turned up side down. Mia, hey younger brother Teddy, mum and dad are involved in a car accident and Mia "awakes" to find herself following her own life via an out of body experience. The film thus progresses, switching between the current storyline and then drifting back to previous scenes where the current emotions are retold via the flashbacks.
As a story, If I Stay is really quite good. We like the thoughtful way the tragedy is played out, how close it is to the novel of the same name by Gayle Forman, we don't know, having not read the book, but it may well be worthy of a read, as the screenplay for If I Stay was really quite moving.
At the end of the day If I Stay is a bit of a teen romance, geared to a younger audience, but the it pulls no punches with the tragedies, we won't say too much here, but if you get drawn into the story then prepare for some tears. We didn't necessarily think that the story was played out with enough gravitas to pull you in to the midst of the film, some of the scenes were a tad cheesey, but only slightly. This film could go either way, in the respect of whether you like it or not. That's not to detract from the quality of talents on screen, Chloë Grace Moretz is particularly good to watch, but not in the cello scenes where the CGI lets the filmmakers down somewhat, as you could see the join! There's a great performance from Stacey Keach who plays Mia's grandfather.
All in all a good story, but geared to a younger audience, as witnessed by the higher scores from the younger end of the sofa. The acting was good, but some of the flashbacks could lose you if you didn't maintain concentration. Perhaps some jeopardy would help and a few more tears just to draw the audience closer, not bad, but not brilliant either.
TNiFN Rating 68%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
The Breakfast Club - 22nd September 2015
We are stepping back in time this week at Tuesday Night is Film Night, way back to 1985, a whole 30 years, to sample the delights of;
The Breakfast Club
Although some of us at TNiFN Towers would have been around and would have been the right age at the time of this film's original release (cough, cough, that'll be me!!), nobody actually saw it back then. Therefore it's classic status was unknown to us, clearly we've led a sheltered life. However, we were encouraged by reviews and were keen to get it off the Sky+ box. Anyway back to the film synopsis, we know it's a cheat, but indulge us for a few minutes, the following paragraph was stolen from Wikipedia, purely for the fact that it sums up the characters and their reasons for being thrown together succinctly, so forgive the laziness for one moment;
"On Saturday, March 24, 1984, five students report at 7:00 a.m. for all-day detention at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois. While not complete strangers, each of them comes from a different clique, and they seem to have nothing in common. The beautiful and pampered Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), the state champion wrestler Andrew Clarke (Emilio Estevez), the bookish Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall); the reclusive outcast Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), and the rebellious John Bender (Judd Nelson)."
Anyway, back to us. We would describe this film from the pen of, and under the directorship of John Hughes, as a coming of age high school story, some would say the best in this genre, it certainly was compelling, we think that sums the plot line up quite nicely; compelling. These five teenage characters thrust together with their multiple lives juxtaposed against each other and examined under the microscope of their own making. Each character has their own traits, their own story, their own reasons for being there and their own outlook on teenage life, take all of these variables and you are presented with a compelling (there's that word again) comedic drama, with a multiplicity of story threads interwoven with each other, where they are examined and cross examined via the internal machinations of the self acclaimed Breakfast Club. (This name is revealed at the end).
We travel though at a high pace, but a slow speed, which is a contradiction in terms, but that is what it feels like, the mood of the film and that of the story is in a constant state of flux as the intermingled storylines ebb and flow in and out of focus. Each character in turn taking a leading position, then falling back as another takes over. Each story is from their own different background and their own perspective, sometimes they agree, sometimes they agree to disagree, sometimes they argue, sometimes they console each other, but all the time these five, disparate, separate, unconnected, unrelated, different and distinct individuals are drawn together. That is one of the fascinating threads to the whole film; how a disjointed and remote group can come together in such a way and if you haven't seen the film, we're not going to delve into the detailed minutiae of how this is achieved.
The film is funny and sad, it is depressing yet uplifting, it is buoyant and quirky and all the while the Eighties soundtrack is not that far away. Maybe the music and the fashions are dated now (we loved the music though!), but the story and issues examined are still relevant today. Although it is definitely aimed at the teen market, we don't think it matters if you're not a teenager anymore, as long as you were a teen once, then this film will certainly strike some chords. Hopefully.
It split the panel here at TNiFN Towers, not everyone thought it was as good as the other, but it was a slow burner, getting better and better as the film and the story progressed. As a result the ratings are fairly mediocre for the great film that it is classed to be.
Editors note; what can you do? I only write this stuff, the others vote!
TNiFN Rating 76%
IMDB Link
The Breakfast Club
Although some of us at TNiFN Towers would have been around and would have been the right age at the time of this film's original release (cough, cough, that'll be me!!), nobody actually saw it back then. Therefore it's classic status was unknown to us, clearly we've led a sheltered life. However, we were encouraged by reviews and were keen to get it off the Sky+ box. Anyway back to the film synopsis, we know it's a cheat, but indulge us for a few minutes, the following paragraph was stolen from Wikipedia, purely for the fact that it sums up the characters and their reasons for being thrown together succinctly, so forgive the laziness for one moment;
"On Saturday, March 24, 1984, five students report at 7:00 a.m. for all-day detention at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois. While not complete strangers, each of them comes from a different clique, and they seem to have nothing in common. The beautiful and pampered Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), the state champion wrestler Andrew Clarke (Emilio Estevez), the bookish Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall); the reclusive outcast Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), and the rebellious John Bender (Judd Nelson)."
Anyway, back to us. We would describe this film from the pen of, and under the directorship of John Hughes, as a coming of age high school story, some would say the best in this genre, it certainly was compelling, we think that sums the plot line up quite nicely; compelling. These five teenage characters thrust together with their multiple lives juxtaposed against each other and examined under the microscope of their own making. Each character has their own traits, their own story, their own reasons for being there and their own outlook on teenage life, take all of these variables and you are presented with a compelling (there's that word again) comedic drama, with a multiplicity of story threads interwoven with each other, where they are examined and cross examined via the internal machinations of the self acclaimed Breakfast Club. (This name is revealed at the end).
We travel though at a high pace, but a slow speed, which is a contradiction in terms, but that is what it feels like, the mood of the film and that of the story is in a constant state of flux as the intermingled storylines ebb and flow in and out of focus. Each character in turn taking a leading position, then falling back as another takes over. Each story is from their own different background and their own perspective, sometimes they agree, sometimes they agree to disagree, sometimes they argue, sometimes they console each other, but all the time these five, disparate, separate, unconnected, unrelated, different and distinct individuals are drawn together. That is one of the fascinating threads to the whole film; how a disjointed and remote group can come together in such a way and if you haven't seen the film, we're not going to delve into the detailed minutiae of how this is achieved.
The film is funny and sad, it is depressing yet uplifting, it is buoyant and quirky and all the while the Eighties soundtrack is not that far away. Maybe the music and the fashions are dated now (we loved the music though!), but the story and issues examined are still relevant today. Although it is definitely aimed at the teen market, we don't think it matters if you're not a teenager anymore, as long as you were a teen once, then this film will certainly strike some chords. Hopefully.
It split the panel here at TNiFN Towers, not everyone thought it was as good as the other, but it was a slow burner, getting better and better as the film and the story progressed. As a result the ratings are fairly mediocre for the great film that it is classed to be.
Editors note; what can you do? I only write this stuff, the others vote!
TNiFN Rating 76%
IMDB Link
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