Don't Forget the Popcorn

When the forecast for this Winter said that it was going to be a terrible one I fully believed them. I prepared with extra socks, a stash of good food, and a packed movie list to get me through the dark Winter nights, but we seem to be having a bit of a warm flash just in time for the holidays. I for one (and I know I’m the only one) am cheering for the lack of snow and almost-green vibe we have going on, but I give it about a week before we get back to the norms of -30°C (-40°C with windchill). Not that the cold would really stop me anyways - that’s what heavy duty boots and gloves are for, not to mention my adorable new earmuffs! But if you can’t handle the cold, now is a good time to make a mug (or three) of hot cider, pop some popcorn (none of that chemicalized microwave stuff, please), and cue up a good movie!

Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)

As much as I was the exact opposite of Minnie when I was a teenager, the seminal theme of this film resonated so powerfully that I couldn’t help but put it on the top 5 list. Teenage girls are such a unique mystery that it’s almost as if they are united in their mutual strangeness into this ethereal being of continual contradictions. While watching this film I was amused, horrified, uncomfortable, and at the finale greatly warmed and inspired. To be a teenage girl is an incredibly powerful time in any woman’s life, and the depiction of Minnie’s life strikes an intimate chord that is sure to be heard by women throughout the world. Even while I am far out of my teenage years (contrary to what some people seem to assume lately) this movie is one that reaffirmed the belief that I had when I was growing up and which got me through the trying teenage years - do what you must to be true to the person who you are, and you will become the person who you are meant to be. I was one of the lucky ones who go out of it alive without losing who I was, and I just hope that this film is discovered by the young women of the future who maybe don’t have those same support systems or self-belief. We all deserve to be free and to revel in ourselves, for we are the strangest of creatures.

High-Rise (2015)

Of all of the films that I saw this year, High-Rise wins the award for being the strangest and most literary (while still being enjoyable), even though it promotes itself as nothing more than a simple drama of a pocket society. I still don’t fully understand all of the references and inferences that play out through the story, but I kind of can’t wait to watch it again. And then read the novel, obviously, because to do so would likely mean missing some of the finer points.

Suicide Squad (2016)

It’s a good thing that I don’t really take anyone else’s reviews into consideration when I decide whether to watch a movie or not, or I would have written this film off entirely - and I honestly think that would have been terrible, since I immensely enjoyed watching it! So what that it’s not completely consistent with the graphic novels (I’m not reading those anyways), so what that it’s got a lot of characters (some of whom could have been removed for simplicity’s sake), so what if the main protagonist is a rather psychotic woman (come on, we all know Harley Quinn stole the show)? DC broke new ground with their alternative take on superheroes and opened up a whole new universe that is strikingly separate from the established Batman/Superman franchise, and is much-needed with the over-saturation of the spandex-rife genre. And did I mention that the cinematic effects were a whole other ball game? They jump styles throughout the film, but they do so with a surprising amount of expertise that seems to parallel the varying types of characters in the Squad, and which I thoroughly enjoyed seeing in 3D! So haters gon’ hate, but I couldn’t give a fuck - I loved this movie!

Macbeth (2015)

The Scottish Play will always have a special place in my heart as the story that introduced me to the genius of Shakespeare in high school, but this film is the first time that a movie or enactment has matched my ideal vision of the play in action. To me, Macbeth was always driven by a dual motivation; not only was he greatly affected by his own and Lady Macbeth’s political greed, but the role of the witches (whether he sees them in reality or they are a manifestation of madness is up for debate) is often downplayed. The director obviously gives Lady Macbeth a leading role - I found Marion Cottliard’s character to be incredibly frightening even in the face of her own weakness and failure - but the adaptation is so straightforward that it begs watchers to read into it what they will. This simplicity and purity adds up to an incredibly powerful adaptation, one in which the characters are allowed to play out their story on the harsh landscape that is medieval Scotland. Even if Shakespeare is not your normal penchant, this might be the one film which can catch the attention of the unwilling - the final fight scene between Macbeth and Macduff against a sunset is beautifully graphic, even as it treads the space between dream and reality. 

The Little Prince (2015)

I will admit that when I first read the book The Little Prince, I was not a fan. I still find the story rather incomprehensible except as a source of surrealism, but that didn’t stop me from being completely excited when they announced this film was being made a few years ago. The initial appeal was the unique animation style rather than the story, but I have to say that both far exceeded my expectations. And thankfully the wait for it’s completion and release (which was incredibly annoying in its continual delays due to funding issues) didn’t make me forget to watch it in the first place! It’s been so long since I watched the film (it was the earliest addition to the list) I can’t recall a lot of the minute details, but with a film like this what matters most is the glowing feeling of watching a story that is truly magical. I really can’t wait to watch it again, and relive every moment, because this definitely feels like one of those films that’s destined to be a lifelong favourite and to get better with every re-watch. 

images from here, here, here, here, and Tumblr

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Before I get into my top 5 movie picks for 2015, I have a confession to make. I haven’t yet seen the Star Wars: the Force Awakens, even though it was a pretty sure pick for the list. It literally opened just a few days ago, and my love for Star Wars isn’t quite enough to deal with the infestation of nerds that is sure to be packing the theatre. I like nerds just fine (hello, I’m definitely one of them), but theatre mania and opening weekend madness is not something I have any interest in. I’ll likely see it in like a month, when the hype has calmed down; here’s hoping that I don’t stumble across any spoilers in the meantime! Okay, and now to the films that actually did make the list!

Kingsman: the Secret Service (2014)

There seemed to be a lot of spy movies out this year, ranging in seriousness from the latest in the James Bond franchise (Spectre) to the Melissa McCarthy-led Spy, but the one that really stood out from the genre for me was Kingsman. I saw this relatively early in the year, and was immediately charmed by the careful balance of action-packed stunts (I don’t think any of us will be able to look at Colin Firth the same way again) and the slightly less-than-subtle jokes (mostly centring around Samuel L. Jackson’s well-meaning villain), so it was a sure pick for the list. It might have had to compete directly with Spectre if I had managed to see it in time, but the library is keeping me waiting, so the dilemma of potentially having two spy films in the list was nonexistent!

Song of the Sea (2015)

This movie was totally adorable! Like I haven’t seen an animated film be this good since the peak of Studio Ghibli circa Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Not only is the animation style absolutely stunning and unique in a  world washed with Disney and claymation (which are totally fine, but there’s a touch too much of it sometimes), but the mythology adds a whole other level of sophistication to the storytelling. Most of us who know anything about folklore have heard stories of the Selkies - seal-women who can shed their skins to become human for a time, but who ultimately return back to the sea, leaving their loved ones bereft - but this is the first film that I’ve seen which really explores this legend in-depth successfully. To top it all off, the protagonist’s brother, Ben, has an adorably charming large mutt who looks like he could be related to Oscar & Felix (the large and silly pups I babysit). 

Woman in Gold (2015)

This film was at the very top of my watch list this year, and even after having to get it from the library twice (note to self: always check that you’re putting a hold on the DVD version since you don’t own a blu-ray player…) it was totally worth the wait! Not only is this film about art theft during World War 2 (a topic that intrigues me very much) and specifically about repatriation of the art that was stolen by the Nazis, but it’s a totally true story that manages to translate well on screen. Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds play surprisingly well opposite each other, and it’s ne’er impossible not to get complete caught up in their struggle to take down the Austrian government in court. Not bad for a little old lady and her lawyer, eh? I have yet to see the documentary that chronicles the entire story (Stealing Klimt), but that’ll go on my watch list for next year.

Age of Adaline (2015)

For a film that isn’t actually very complex, I absolutely loved the experience of watching this movie. The story is simply that of a woman who stops aging, and the complexity of her falling in love in the modern world and potentially having her secret revealed, but the way that the story is told makes the film feel like it’s a book. There’s careful placement of outside narration, the characterization is subtle, and the imagery is simple but effective, which culminates in elevating the emotional quality of the film to a place that it would not have been able to achieve otherwise. Plus, this film is absolutely perfect for Blake Lively, as it gives her the vehicle to prove that she’ll become one of these classic woman (a la Tilda Swinton, Helen Mirren, and Cate Blanchett) who will continue to be fabulous for the entirely of their lives with seemingly little effort. 

Cinderella (2015)

Even with the success of Maleficent last year (a sure shot for the top-5) I was very sceptical of this film going in. Unlike it’s predecessor, which focused on the untold story of the villain, the story of Cinderella is something that I much prefer to see given a relatively traditional spin. It is a classic fairytale after all, and messing with the story too much can potentially end in disaster. But Disney kept it pretty simple this time around, and didn’t even allow for the odd choice in fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) to throw the story - though I will admit that I was less than thrilled with Carter’s lacklustre performance. Even though I’m still a die-hard cynic when it comes to romance in the real world, I didn’t find myself wanting to throw up too often while watching this film, since both Cinderella and the Prince are given at least some realistic personality traits besides both being beautiful and fated to fall in love. And really, even the die-hard cynic needs some fairytale romance in her life!

*images from IMDB

Intermission

Is it just me, or are movies getting worse? I swear, last year it was difficult to choose 5 movies that I actually seriously enjoyed, but this year was even more difficult. There were so many highly anticipated films this year that I watched and tolerated, but were nothing even close to spectacular enough to make the short-list, much less the final list. The world screamed with applause for the Lego Movie (that song makes me want to kill someone), Tumblr was inundated with Guardians of the Galaxy posts (besides baby Groot dancing I was not overly impressed), and a plethora of sequels filled the majority of other timeslots (some were enjoyable, but nothing to be super excited about). Thankfully there were a few films that made the grade, some of which came as a surprise to even me!

Maleficent

I went into this movie expecting the worst - I’ve been over Angelina Jolie for ages, the Sleeping Beauty story has never been one of my favourites, and Disney live action is almost never carried off successfully. But as soon as they hit the scene where Maleficent’s wings are taken by her so-called-friend Stefan I was hooked. This feisty fey-woman is not one to be trifled with, and you better believe that some stolen wings aren’t enough to cripple a woman who is part dragon. Clearly I have a fondness for dragons and a good revenge story where the lady gets her revenge, but besides that the story had a lot of other good moments as well. The look on Maleficent’s face when Aurora decides that she is her fairy godmother is priceless, the crow-man was an interesting character foil, and to top it all off the CGI was pretty damned good. Now if only the upcoming remake of Cinderella didn’t look like such drivel…

Only Lovers Left Alive

Tom Hiddleston. Tilda Swinton. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as vampires. Need I say more? Everyone knows that I love a good vampire film, but so often they are a disappointment. I blame Twilight for that. But Only Lovers Left Alive goes back to the classic roots of the genre and explores how people who live forever deal with an ever-changing and ever-degrading world. Driven by Tilda’s and Tom’s representation of a vampire couple who live for their books and their music (respectively) and of course each other we are given a sharp, witty, and macabre social commentary on what happens when humans pollute the world, all wrapped up in an artfully filmed format. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Considering that I despise every single other film that Wes Anderson has directed/written I was in absolute shock over how much I liked this one! Apparently I’m not the only anti-Wes-Anderson person to be won over by this film, so maybe it’s not so crazy. The cast is still pretty vast, and the plot is still on the ridiculous side, but the setting was beautiful and there were so many amusingly sarcastic moments that it would have been difficult not to get caught up in the film. Maybe it’s because Anderson was working from someone else’s story (it’s based on the writings of Stefan Zweig) that made all the difference, but what I found the most different was getting outside of the character claustrophobia that seems to be present in the rest of his films and what makes them so shallow. Or maybe his hipster-esque pseudo-literary style of storytelling (yeah, I went there, deal with it) can’t be applied to a European setting and is therefore replaced with something that’s actually meaningful. 

Yves Saint Laurent

A last minute addition to the list comes in the form of the bio-pic about fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Like biographical books, bio-pics are totally not my thing, but for some reason YSL is the exception on both fronts, since the Alice Rawsthorn biography made my book top 5 list previously. This film felt very much like Rawsthorn’s book, as it is a pretty open depiction of YSL’s exciting and troubled life and focuses a lot on the relationships he had with the people who were his friends. In particular, the film focused on Pierre Bergé, who’s narration and moments outside of YSL-mania really hit an emotional nerve. The film comes off feeling like a lingering post-death love letter to the recently departed Yves, which is surprising as it is not billed as such. It’s just the story of one man’s life, his fame, and his hardships, which each viewer will likely interpret differently. 

Coriolanus (National Theatre Live)

Technically, the Donmar Warehouse’s staging of William Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus isn’t a film, but since I saw it in theatre thanks to National Theatre Live I am counting it as such! I mean, how often do you get to see an original Shakespeare staging in London with world-class actors live? I sure can’t afford the plane fare (yet), but National Theatre Live did an amazing job filming the Donmar Warehouse’s minimalist and traditional staging of one of the lesser known Shakespeare productions, so it was totally worth the slightly exorbitant ticket price. Unlike the recent movie version of Coriolanus (2011), this adaptation kept the setting Roman which made all the difference when it came to the actors. Hiddleston is pushing the age limit of Coriolanus a bit (I picture him as being closer to early/mid 20s than early 30s to explain his political immaturity), but he pulled off the entitlement themes perfectly and was offset well by Hadley Fraser’s Tullus Aufidius. 

Of Ages Past: a Sunday Shoe Story

Considering the forward trajectory that my life took this year (what else do you call 3 provinces, 6 jobs, and 4 moves) I did a surprising amount of nostalgic thinking and backwards glancing. For some reason my brain wanted to dwell on the positive moments from my past and centred on everything from the epic parties that I used to throw in my Cook Street digs to the trio of amazing guys who were my Wendy’s boyfriends. There were definitely bad times that mirrored the good, but without the whole messy picture my life wouldn’t be what it is today.

Because that’s what life is: a mess. A glorious mess. And we wouldn’t be able to become the (mostly) functional adults that we are today without slogging through the mud to get there. Or in this case the Regina snow. (Haha, it’s not actually funny).

Along with the retroflection (I’m pretty sure that’s a word – whatever, it is now) I spent a good chunk of my summer revisiting the gloriousness of The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson (also known as Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging). When I was a teenager I read the entire series, and then I read it again when I was about 22, and then I read it again this summer. And then I watched the film and listened to the soundtrack. Over and over and over again.

Something about Georgia’s mess of a teenage life always strikes a chord with me, even though my high school experience was very very different. Well, lots of it was the same, but I had very little to do with boys in high school (and for good reason because a lot of them were so beyond the valley of pants), so maybe that’s why her story has always been one that I liked; it was the missing part of my adolescent experience, and largely still is a missing part of my life. Georgia always has such ridiculous experiences with the opposite sex, but when it comes down to it she knows that they are alien species who are pretty much incomprehensible.

Such is even more true in the real world, yet we all still put up with guys, even if it’s only to have crushes from afar. Because after all, boys may be strange, but they are infinitely entertaining.

shoes by Poetic Licence London, jeans by Makers, Pink Floyd in Australia shirt

The Not-so-Great Gatsby

It's not often that I start to watch a movie and don't finish it, but my boredom was too great to surpass and I quit The Great Gatsby around the 2 hour mark. Being visually stunning isn't enough to carry a movie that drags on and on and on. I swear that they took every single word that Fitzgerald wrote and put it into the script, and then doubled it. Normally my complaints are about underwritten movies, but the opposite end of the spectrum is absolutely possible as well. 

At least the costume design was fantastic, so as long as I can keep that imagery floating around in my subconscious it wasn't a total waste of time!

Just please don't ever utter the phrase "Old Sport" in my presence...

Please Turn off all Cellular Devices

For such a promising cinematic year, this was the least that I’ve gone to the theatres in ages. Mostly it was due to my lack of time and inability to sacrifice my home bound Friday night routine, but if there had been more exciting movies maybe I would have bothered to at least rent or download the ones I wanted to see. But that didn’t happen until about 2 weeks ago, when I realised that this blogpost was coming due and I barely had 2 movies that made the cut. So I commenced a two-week long movie-a-thon and watched all the movies that I thought looked interesting from the past year. As much as I love watching movies, the amount of backlog was so much that it cut into my reading and tv time so now I’m behind on those… Next year I am so not getting into this situation!

We’ll start off with a predictable hit; one who’s prequel made the list last year and which didn’t fail to disappoint as so many sequels do. I’m talking about Fast & Furious 6! Are you really surprised that I loved this movie? Hot cars, high-speed racing, and a cast of veritable hotties (so sad to hear about Paul Walker’s death last week, since it means that he won’t be in any of the sequels), what more could a girl ask for? I’m 99% sure that some of the stunts are totally fake, but it was so entertaining that there was no way that it didn’t make the cut!

The next film was a total surprise in how much I liked it. I had heard terrible reviews of We’re the Millers before seeing it, but it was playing at the cheap theatre and for an evening’s worth of entertainment $3 seemed like a fair price even if the film wasn’t great. Plus my mother was paying, since she’s decided that she likes to go see movies now that she’s retired. Besides how awkward it was sitting beside my mother while the characters almost-had extra-marital threesomes, laughed about enlarged phallus’, and watched Jennifer Aniston strip the movie was hilarious. Who knew that a stripper, a drug dealer, a runaway, and a dork pretending to be a real American family would be a smash hit?

Normally I think that magic of the card tricks variety (even the really fancy stuff) is so passe, but Now You See Me crossed the border between real magic that’s just sleight of hand and the complete suspension of belief that comes with urban fantasy stories like Harry Potter. I won’t wreck the ending for you, but I will point out that I knew something was up with that guy. You know the one that I mean.

Kings of Summer takes us back to the one year as teenagers when we all found our parents unbearable and wanted to run away. Most of us don’t actually go through with it (and settle for something dramatic like storming out to stay with our friends), but the boys in the movie do. They find a place in the woods to build a house, and spend the summer living like the Lost Boys, having no cares in the world, hunting things, and clowning around. Throughout their adventure I knew that they would have to go home eventually – after all, all children but one grow up – but I did not want the end to come like it did. Thank god that the snake (that I totally saw coming as soon as one of them found a shed skin earlier) didn’t actually kill anyone. Though I bet that the writer had that ending in place since it’s actually more realistic that a snake-bitten kid dies than gets to the hospital just in time.

Mafia movies aren’t usually my thing, but The Family is anything but typical. Each of the actors was perfect for their roles, and I was absolutely engrossed by their attempts to act like a normal American family living in France. It’s rather difficult to describe how amusing their hijinks are, so I’ll just tell you to go watch it for yourself! 

Silver Screen

As I sit here nomming my delicious Present Day feast (full Ukrainian spread; cue jealously), there will inevitably be a movie playing in the background. It’s just how it’s done at my house. Since I already watched all the Harry Potter movies this holiday season, this year’s marathon choice will be Lord of the Rings! Yayyyyy Hobbits and elves and Gollum and Aragorn! But there were plenty of other good movies out this year, and here are my top five!

Skyfall

Thusfar Daniel Craig is my favourite James Bond, and I think this is my top pick of all the Bond films. It’s kind of sad that it’s Dame Judy Dench’s last one in the franchise, but at least she goes out with a bang! New life goal: buy a Scotch manorhouse on the Highland moors. Quote: "Where the hell have you been?" "Enjoying death. 007 reporting for duty."

Avengers

I hated (or barely tolerated) all the previous Marvel-based films, but for some reason the combination of all the characters worked better. Though I’m pretty sure it was all just because of Loki. Mmm Tom Hiddleston. Never stop being pretty. Quote: "I don't play well with others."

Rock of Ages

I’ve talked about this film far too much already this year, since I’ve covered it in fashion and in music, but seriously the actual film is pretty magical. I know it got panned by the critics, but it’s really entertaining so they can just shut it! Quote: "I know me better than anyone... because I live in here... and no one else can."

The Lorax

I’ve always had a soft spot for Dr. Seuss, so it’s no wonder that I loved the latest version of this story. The songs are a little bit corny, but the graphics are stunning and the green-earth message is more relevant today than ever. I wish real trees looked like the ones in the movie though… Quote: "On behalf of the trees: get out!"

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Normally I find teen-angst driven movies to be extremely annoying, but this one was actually extremely well done. It’s sad and funny and sarcastic and real all at the same time, and I really really need to read the novel. Quote: "We accept the love we think we deserve."