I had to take a half-day off work to get round to seeing this at the cinema, and I’m glad to say it was well worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if it did take a while to get started.
I loved how they kept tying LOTR into it by referring to the stirrings in the east, reminding the audience that it is a prequel.
Unlike LOTR, there has been a huge gap between me reading the book and the film being released, so I don’t remember enough about it to know what they’ve changed and what they’ve left alone.
And most importantly, the dwarf make up was kept to a minimum on Aidan Turner, so he still looked his usual gorgeous self.
Film #11: Despicable Me
I completely forgot that I’d joined the 365/250 film threads, so here I am restarting at #11. Not sure I can remember all the films I’ve seen since April 2012 when I posted #10: Catfish, but I’ll do my best.
So, Despicable Me. Probably due to the hype around the sequel, I finally got round to watching the first film a few weeks ago.
It’s no Toy Story, but I did enjoy it. One of the best scenes posted here, with probably the most oft-repeated line from the film.
It’s so fluffy!
Film #10 ~ Catfish
A true story about an online romance. Or is it? Really corny in a few parts but really good. Got it’s name because of this quote from the film…
They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They’d keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin.
Not the most hard-hitting environmental film, but I think it raises a few good questions for people who really think they can’t or don’t want to change. For example, is it possible to have a good life without wasting so much?
I think the other important thing to take away from the film is to think about the connections: where do the goods you consume come from? Where do they and the waste they create go? And it shouldn’t just be about how many miles have goods travelled, but also what is life like for the people providing these goods?
Being vegan, I found I could relate to what they went through because everyone thinks I’m massively depriving myself. When in fact, I eat the most delicious food and loads of it.
Film #8 ~ Ides of March
I love George Clooney films. Mostly because I love George Clooney. And while I enjoyed this film on one level, on another I was disappointed.
It’s not entirely to do with this film: I’ve just started watching films from a Bechdel Test perspective. And women are grossly under-represented in this film, which surprises me because I consider George Clooney to be a progressive person.
Film #7 ~ The Prestige
The film that made me like Christian Bale. Up to seeing this, I was kinda ambivalent towards him. You can’t help but get sucked into the trickery and illusions, as well as their rivalry between Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. And David Bowie was awesome.
#6 - In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Sometimes awkward, sometimes romantic, sometimes funny, but always good.
#5 - Amelie
One of my all-time favourites. It just makes me smile!
(Apologies about the subtitles - they’re a bit wrong!)
#4 - Casanova
A romantic comedy that I enjoy. Something very rare indeed.
17 Again
My DVD has arrived! Definitely not the best film in the world, but it is 97 minutes with @ZacEfron. Time to start giggling and swooning…
Film #2: Gentlemen Broncos
Multiple posts since I have some catching up to do! Watched this film at the weekend. It’s by the same director as Nacho Libre and Napoleon Dynamite. Haven’t seen either of those but I have heard of them.
Never heard of this one but enjoyed it. Mum reckons it was “a bit weird” but she still laughed.
Joining the 365/250 Films thread, starting with Four Lions
Awesome British film from Chris Morris of Brasseye fame. Few people do black humour as well as Chris Morris. Probably my favourite new film.