Thursday, 16 December 2010
The Christmas Choir - 16th December 2010
So, a couple of days late due to Christmas commitments, we have our first real Christmas movie night.
Tonight it was an American movie, possibly made for TV judging by some of the heavy cuts every 20 or so minutes, which looked like it was time for a commercial break. So, the budget on the film may not have been high, but the story made up for that. Brilliantly written by; Donald Martin it follows the life of successful, workaholic accountant Peter Brockman, who, due to his inability to see what is going on around him, because he focuses too much on work, manages to break up with his girlfriend, who he was about to marry.
A chance meeting with a homeless guy, who played piano and sang in a bar for tips, sparks a friendship when they discover they share a passion for music. Bob, the homeless pianist, takes Peter to the Nun run shelter where he stays at night. This is where Peter discovers there is more to life than being an accountant. So he decides to help out. As it's coming up to Christmas, he tries to find ways to raise some cash for the guys in the shelter, this is when he hits upon the idea of a choir.
From here the story follows their struggles to get it together, tracing the highs and lows and where Peters' home life matches some of the issues of the guys he is trying to help.
The story from here is fairly formulaic, a typical heart-warming Christmas tale, but it is a good one. There is love, and laughs on the way, but watch out for the tear jerking moments at the end, you'd best have some tissues handy.
OK, so it was a made for TV film, but it is good nonetheless, in fact it picked up the Epiphany Prize for the Most Inspirational Film For Television in the 2009 MovieGuide Awards.
So if you see it on a TV channel near you sometime over the festive period, give it a watch, you won't be sorry. Or pick up a copy from Amazon, as it's only £2.99!.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Groundhog Day - 7th December 2010
Tonight's film, was going to be a Christmas movie, but due to one of our number being unavailable it was decided to postpone the viewing of the new Christmas movie, (don't ask, call back here next week for details).
Instead we settled down (one viewer short) to enjoy; Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.
I probably do not need to re-tell the storyline for Groundhog Day, as it has been seen many times before I'm sure, but it is a belter of a story and one I shall never tire of. It must be in my top three best films of all time.
Bill Murray plays local Weatherman Phil Connors, who ends up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2, for the annual Groundhog Day. After going through the uneventful day and getting stuck in the unforseen blizzard trying to get back to Pittsburg. Connors, Rita (Andie MacDowell) and Larry the camera are stuck in Punxsutawney.
Although some are more stuck than others, as Phil finds out when he awakes next morning, to find it is 6am on February 2 again.
And so, he goes through Groundhog Day again and again and again.
As I say, I will never tire of this romantic comedy, it's a treat to watch, even though we know the story, and the repetitive storyline. There's something magical about it.
I like it!
Instead we settled down (one viewer short) to enjoy; Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.
I probably do not need to re-tell the storyline for Groundhog Day, as it has been seen many times before I'm sure, but it is a belter of a story and one I shall never tire of. It must be in my top three best films of all time.
Bill Murray plays local Weatherman Phil Connors, who ends up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2, for the annual Groundhog Day. After going through the uneventful day and getting stuck in the unforseen blizzard trying to get back to Pittsburg. Connors, Rita (Andie MacDowell) and Larry the camera are stuck in Punxsutawney.
Although some are more stuck than others, as Phil finds out when he awakes next morning, to find it is 6am on February 2 again.
And so, he goes through Groundhog Day again and again and again.
As I say, I will never tire of this romantic comedy, it's a treat to watch, even though we know the story, and the repetitive storyline. There's something magical about it.
I like it!
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Seven Pounds - 30th November 2010
An absolutely brilliant film tonight. Seven Pounds is an intriguing tale, with Will Smith in the lead role.
However, this is going to be the shortest Tuesday Night is Film Night review, as I cannot really tell you much about the film, without spoiling the plot. Needless to say it is intriguing, heart warming, clever, well written and definitely worth a watch.
It was described as a life affirming movie. This is very true.
It was slightly tricky to follow at the start, but stick with it, all will be revealed and it is well worth it.
Will Smith is fast becoming one of my favourite actors and he plays his character with conviction and honesty, it's a beautiful story.
Watch it!
However, this is going to be the shortest Tuesday Night is Film Night review, as I cannot really tell you much about the film, without spoiling the plot. Needless to say it is intriguing, heart warming, clever, well written and definitely worth a watch.
It was described as a life affirming movie. This is very true.
It was slightly tricky to follow at the start, but stick with it, all will be revealed and it is well worth it.
Will Smith is fast becoming one of my favourite actors and he plays his character with conviction and honesty, it's a beautiful story.
Watch it!
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Role Models - 23rd November 2010
Well, Sky billed this film as a; "feelgood comedy", which it was, but it was more than that. It was a laugh out loud, rude, crude, expletive packed, giggle fest, feelgood comedy!
So the story is, that a couple of energy drink rep's are selling their Minotaur Energy drink around the local schools, when they hit on a problem, as their truck is about to be towed away. The ensuing argument and truck crash land them in court and the choice of jail or Community Service. They opt for the Community Service and are enrolled in a buddy scheme, where they pair up with a couple of kids who have lost their way in life.
Danny, played by Paul Rudd is paired up with the nerdy Augie (fantastically played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Augie is into dungeons and dragons role play, is shy with girls and doesn't really fit in. His Mother and step Father don't help either.
Wheeler, played by Seann William Scott, is paired up with the young, street-wise, slick talking Ronnie (portrayed by Bobb'e J. Thompson, another fantastic casting).
This is where the trouble really starts. Danny who has lost his girlfriend of seven years. Wheeler thinks anything in a skirt is an easy lay and they have to buddy up with two kids and be role models.
It's not easy, and their adventures which play out through the middle section of the film, is hilarious! Again, no real spoilers on here, you'll just have to watch the film to witness all the fun.
One word of warning, it's a 15 rating and there is almost gratuitous use of several popular swear words, but it is used to comedic effect and should not offend those of a delicate nature. It does enhance the comedy, but be aware if you have ones with little ears!
Absolutely loved this film. We do love the feelgood movie genre, this one followed the predictable pattern of;
Another great film for Film Night.
So the story is, that a couple of energy drink rep's are selling their Minotaur Energy drink around the local schools, when they hit on a problem, as their truck is about to be towed away. The ensuing argument and truck crash land them in court and the choice of jail or Community Service. They opt for the Community Service and are enrolled in a buddy scheme, where they pair up with a couple of kids who have lost their way in life.
Danny, played by Paul Rudd is paired up with the nerdy Augie (fantastically played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Augie is into dungeons and dragons role play, is shy with girls and doesn't really fit in. His Mother and step Father don't help either.
Wheeler, played by Seann William Scott, is paired up with the young, street-wise, slick talking Ronnie (portrayed by Bobb'e J. Thompson, another fantastic casting).
This is where the trouble really starts. Danny who has lost his girlfriend of seven years. Wheeler thinks anything in a skirt is an easy lay and they have to buddy up with two kids and be role models.
It's not easy, and their adventures which play out through the middle section of the film, is hilarious! Again, no real spoilers on here, you'll just have to watch the film to witness all the fun.
One word of warning, it's a 15 rating and there is almost gratuitous use of several popular swear words, but it is used to comedic effect and should not offend those of a delicate nature. It does enhance the comedy, but be aware if you have ones with little ears!
Absolutely loved this film. We do love the feelgood movie genre, this one followed the predictable pattern of;
- this is the situation;
- down on luck individuals;
- things go wrong;
- need to do something about it;
- fail;
- try again;
- fail again;
- try something else;
- and finally win the day.
Another great film for Film Night.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Dreamgirls - 16th November 2010
OK then, what can we say about Dreamgirls? Well it's the story of a trio of singers growing up in Detroit in the 50's and 60's and trying to make their way into the big time.
After trying out at many auditions, they bump into Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx), who promises them the big time, but only if they start at the bottom and do backing vocals for James 'Thunder' Early, played by the inimitable Eddie Murphy, who is one of the saving graces for this movie. And yes he can really sing.
What follows is the story of how they progress from backing singers, to big time recording artists, charting the highs, the lows, the break ups and the getting back together again's.
It is a fairly predictable story, so much so that I guessed one of the characters would die, I shan't tell you which one though!
Beyoncé Knowles puts in a great performance as Deena Jones, who eventually becomes the lead singer of "The Dreams", but at the cost of a long friendship, as Effie White who clearly has the better voice is relegated to backing vocals. Effie is played by Jennifer Hudson and is a great singer and ideal for this part.
Other notable stars are Danny Glover, who plays Jimmy Early's first manager; Marty Madison. And Keith Robinson as C.C. White, Effie's Brother and The Dreams' songwriter. The third member of The Dreams is played by Anika Noni Rose who is the youngest member; Lorrell Robinson.
There's also a cameo appearance from John Lithgow.
Anyway, back to the movie, it is a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, and it started off OK, there was dialogue for the talking bits and there were songs where there should be singing, but then about a third of the way into the movie, it went all musical and they started to sing the dialogue, which spoilt it a bit for us. Yes, we should have been prepared for this, but when you have a music biopic, is there a real need to have sung dialogue as well? We get enough singing with the songs, surely?
Anyway, it is a good film, the storyline is a bit thin, but if you like R&B and soul music then it is a great one to watch. It also finishes as one would expect with a happy ending, but it takes awhile to get there.
Well worth a viewing if you haven't seen it, check out some trailers first though!
After trying out at many auditions, they bump into Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx), who promises them the big time, but only if they start at the bottom and do backing vocals for James 'Thunder' Early, played by the inimitable Eddie Murphy, who is one of the saving graces for this movie. And yes he can really sing.
What follows is the story of how they progress from backing singers, to big time recording artists, charting the highs, the lows, the break ups and the getting back together again's.
It is a fairly predictable story, so much so that I guessed one of the characters would die, I shan't tell you which one though!
Beyoncé Knowles puts in a great performance as Deena Jones, who eventually becomes the lead singer of "The Dreams", but at the cost of a long friendship, as Effie White who clearly has the better voice is relegated to backing vocals. Effie is played by Jennifer Hudson and is a great singer and ideal for this part.
Other notable stars are Danny Glover, who plays Jimmy Early's first manager; Marty Madison. And Keith Robinson as C.C. White, Effie's Brother and The Dreams' songwriter. The third member of The Dreams is played by Anika Noni Rose who is the youngest member; Lorrell Robinson.
There's also a cameo appearance from John Lithgow.
Anyway, back to the movie, it is a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, and it started off OK, there was dialogue for the talking bits and there were songs where there should be singing, but then about a third of the way into the movie, it went all musical and they started to sing the dialogue, which spoilt it a bit for us. Yes, we should have been prepared for this, but when you have a music biopic, is there a real need to have sung dialogue as well? We get enough singing with the songs, surely?
Anyway, it is a good film, the storyline is a bit thin, but if you like R&B and soul music then it is a great one to watch. It also finishes as one would expect with a happy ending, but it takes awhile to get there.
Well worth a viewing if you haven't seen it, check out some trailers first though!
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
50 First Dates - 9th November 2010
Well, well, well, 50 First Dates lived up to the hype (people kept telling me it was a good film to watch) and it turned out to be a great movie, albeit with a slow start.
Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is an aquatic Vet living in Hawaii, he is also a womaniser, praying on single women whilst they are on vacation. That is until he bumps into Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) in the local Diner. They fall for each other and plan to see each other in the Diner for breakfast the next morning. All seems to be going to plan, when the twist in this little tale becomes apparent.
About a year ago, Lucy and her Father were in a car accident, as a result Lucy suffered some brain damage, which presents itself as short-term memory loss.
For the last year, she has been waking up thinking everyday is October the 13th. She goes through each day, doing the same things, but when she goes to sleep, she wipes the days' memory from her mind and wakes up back at the same point.
This slightly farsical notion, is enhanced by her Father and Brother, ensuring that things are put back as they were, hiding copies of the paper for that day to stop her thinking it's any other day.
So, this memory loss makes the relationship with Henry everso difficult, he has fallen for her, but he has to make her fall in love with him again everyday, trying hard to break the spell, and every night Lucy forgets him. And so they continue, everyday, having their "50 First Dates".
OK, so the idea of short-term memory loss maybe slightly incredulous, she retains her long-term memory and remembers everything up to the day of the accident, it's after that, that presents the problem.
That's enough regarding the synopsis of the film, if the Groundhog Day / Chick-flick scenario intrigues you, then watch this film. It is a well written story (George Wing) and Sandler and Barrymore are ideal for their respective roles, ably supported by Rob Schneider and Sean Astin. Plus there's a cameo appearance from Dan Ackroyd as Lucys' doctor.
To be fair we really enjoyed this film, as I'm outnumbered by girls to the tune of 2 to 1, Chick-flicks and Rom-coms are always high on the list of films to watch, and I don't mind that too much, you can't beat a good laugh or cry*, and "50 First Dates" ticked those boxes.
* (Of course, I only laughed, no crying at movies for me, oh no...... what?)
Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is an aquatic Vet living in Hawaii, he is also a womaniser, praying on single women whilst they are on vacation. That is until he bumps into Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) in the local Diner. They fall for each other and plan to see each other in the Diner for breakfast the next morning. All seems to be going to plan, when the twist in this little tale becomes apparent.
About a year ago, Lucy and her Father were in a car accident, as a result Lucy suffered some brain damage, which presents itself as short-term memory loss.
For the last year, she has been waking up thinking everyday is October the 13th. She goes through each day, doing the same things, but when she goes to sleep, she wipes the days' memory from her mind and wakes up back at the same point.
This slightly farsical notion, is enhanced by her Father and Brother, ensuring that things are put back as they were, hiding copies of the paper for that day to stop her thinking it's any other day.
So, this memory loss makes the relationship with Henry everso difficult, he has fallen for her, but he has to make her fall in love with him again everyday, trying hard to break the spell, and every night Lucy forgets him. And so they continue, everyday, having their "50 First Dates".
OK, so the idea of short-term memory loss maybe slightly incredulous, she retains her long-term memory and remembers everything up to the day of the accident, it's after that, that presents the problem.
That's enough regarding the synopsis of the film, if the Groundhog Day / Chick-flick scenario intrigues you, then watch this film. It is a well written story (George Wing) and Sandler and Barrymore are ideal for their respective roles, ably supported by Rob Schneider and Sean Astin. Plus there's a cameo appearance from Dan Ackroyd as Lucys' doctor.
To be fair we really enjoyed this film, as I'm outnumbered by girls to the tune of 2 to 1, Chick-flicks and Rom-coms are always high on the list of films to watch, and I don't mind that too much, you can't beat a good laugh or cry*, and "50 First Dates" ticked those boxes.
* (Of course, I only laughed, no crying at movies for me, oh no...... what?)
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Paul Blart - Mall Cop - 2nd November 2010
Tonight we take a look-see in to the cinematic cellar and delve deeper in to the DVD den and pull out; Paul Blart - Mall Cop!
Well I must confess that was a great movie! It was a cross between Die Hard and Scooby Doo! (Well almost).
The plot line follows the antics of Paul Blart a Security Officer at the local shopping mall. He has aspirations of becoming a State Trooper, but continually fails the entrance test. He suffers from hypoglycaemia, so ends up falling asleep all the time. And is generally ridiculed by all. So, we have sewn the seeds for the down trodden central character to become our hero!
The love interest in this movie comes from Amy (played by Jayma Mays), who runs a stall at the mall. Paul falls for her, but you know it's a relationship doomed to failure, unless Paul can do something remarkable. Cue the shopping mall being overtaken by a gang of crooks, taking Amy hostage in the process.
The crooks clear the shoppers from the mall and aim to take note of all the access codes, to all the credit card machines in the mall, thus making there millions.
Paul inadvertently gets caught in the now locked mall and so it's him versus the crooks! You see the Die Hard connection?
As usual there's no spoilers here so; will Paul get his woman? Will Paul save the day?
Watch it and find out.
It's 90 minutes of feelgood, family fun, with giggles all the way.
Well I must confess that was a great movie! It was a cross between Die Hard and Scooby Doo! (Well almost).
The plot line follows the antics of Paul Blart a Security Officer at the local shopping mall. He has aspirations of becoming a State Trooper, but continually fails the entrance test. He suffers from hypoglycaemia, so ends up falling asleep all the time. And is generally ridiculed by all. So, we have sewn the seeds for the down trodden central character to become our hero!
The love interest in this movie comes from Amy (played by Jayma Mays), who runs a stall at the mall. Paul falls for her, but you know it's a relationship doomed to failure, unless Paul can do something remarkable. Cue the shopping mall being overtaken by a gang of crooks, taking Amy hostage in the process.
The crooks clear the shoppers from the mall and aim to take note of all the access codes, to all the credit card machines in the mall, thus making there millions.
Paul inadvertently gets caught in the now locked mall and so it's him versus the crooks! You see the Die Hard connection?
As usual there's no spoilers here so; will Paul get his woman? Will Paul save the day?
Watch it and find out.
It's 90 minutes of feelgood, family fun, with giggles all the way.
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