Becca Button

02 July 2014

Film of the Day #9: About Time

14:36 | Posted by Becca Button

HI!

I'm watching one of the films I had recorded on my Sky box. It is proving to be a harsh lesson that perhaps I shouldn't record all the horror films, just because they are horror. It is a brutally bad, horrifically ugly film. I'm not expecting a happy film if I watch a horror, but a film that doesn't make me want to claw out my eyeballs would be nice. There aren't many films that I turn off, but I am seriously considering it. And I haven't even been paying attention for the past 30 minutes. If you're interested to see why I hate it so much, the film is called The Divide. What I'm most upset about is that it has totally ruined my crush in Milo Ventimiglia for life. Gutted.

Onto a film I did not hate! I film that I, in fact, loved an awful lot! Today's film is the ADORABLE About Time, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy and my fave, Rachel McAdams.

Film of the Day! Yay for Rachel McAdams!

The film follows the lovely Tim (Gleeson) as he tries to navigate life. Particularly his love life, because this is a Richard Curtis film and what kind of sham would it be if there wasn't love. Anywho, on his 21st birthday, Tim finds out from his father (Nighy) that all the males in their family can time travel backwards in their timeline. So, of course, Tim decides to use this gift to sort out his love life. He moves to London and meets the beautiful Mary (McAdams) and manages to win her over, largely thanks to his wonderful time-travelling ability to fix the stupid shit he says/does. With his gift, and the guidance of his father, Tim learns not to be discouraged by a bad day, but to appreciate all the little things that might pass him by. Basically, it's fecking adorable.

First things first. if you are not a fan of Richard Curtis films (Notting Hill, Love Actually etc) then you'll want to skip this one. Same goes for if you can't stand films that aim to be life-affirming and land in sickly sweet. Make no mistake, this is so sweet it could induce diabetes, but it is so well made that it's almost easy to overlook. It is beautifully shot, the characters are all kind and lovely and fabulously English, and there are some brilliantly funny and heartwarming moments to appreciate. Whilst the time-travelling element isn't especially well thought out, it is used well to advance the story. It's not a story about time-travel, it's a story that uses time-travel to make a point, if you get me. It's used to make a point, that too often we let a day fly by and focus on all the bad shit, instead of the little moments that make it better. We wait so long for the big, in-your-face moments of greatness, that we fail to see the little bits that all add up to something incredible. And, yeah, it's all very OTT in the film, and it's so sweet you can taste it, but who could begrudge a film with such a lovely message!? Have to say though, whilst that's all very lovely, my favourite part of the film are the relationships, particularly Tim and his Dad. It is just the loveliest relationship and the moments of real poignance are when they are together, just playing table tennis and talking. Gleeson and Nighy have such great chemistry together, you really feel the bond between them and it makes the events in the film all the more meaningful.

Alright! I'll leave it there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed and I hope you give the film a watch :). If you've seen it, let me know what you think down below or hit me up on any of my social media. Hope you're all well! I'll talk to (at) you tomorrow :).

Becca.

P.S. I think I'll start leaving the trailer in as well, I always like to use those to judge whether or not I want to watch it. Although, to be fair, I will pretty much watch anything...

Labels:film of the day,films,fotd,review | 0 comments

01 July 2014

Film of the Day #8: To Die For

14:48 | Posted by Becca Button

HI!

D'you ever get so tired you feel like your eyeballs might pop/melt/fall out of your head? That is how I feel right now. The urge to nap is strong with this one. Yet I prevail! So brave, I know.
ONTO THE FILM! So, when I was about 15/16 I began to have an unnatural obsession with Joaquin Phoenix. I'm not entirely sure what sparked it, but I'm pretty sure it was Buffalo Soldiers (such a great film). Basically what it lead to, was me obsessively watching my way through his back catalogue, I am a very dedicated obsessive after all. Today's film comes from this search and is the brilliant To Die For.

Film of the Day!

The film, directed by Gus Van Sant, follows the ambitious (to a fault) aspiring newsreader Suzanne Stone who is played by Nicole Kidman and is bloody awesome in this film. In her desire to climb her way up the social ladder she marries Larry (Matt Dillion) believing that his family 'connections' (aka Mafia, yo!) and family business will help fund and bolster her attempt to become successful. Larry's genuine love for her leads to him suggesting that she put her career on hold so they can start a family together. Given that Suzanne has shown at this point that she is incapable of loving anyone but herself, this is an intolerable idea to her. So, obviously, she begins to plot a way to get rid of him. Her idea comes to a head when she meets Jimmy (Phoenix) and his friends when she is filming a news segment in the high school. Jimmy and his friends (played by Casey Affleck and Alison Folland) aren't exactly the brightest bulbs (probably due to excessive drug use) they are easily won over by the charismatic and seductive Suzanne. What happens is shown in this mockumentary style film that offers a dark look at ambition and the media.

I feel like I should emphasise just how great Nicole Kidman is in this. She is cold, beautiful, and manipulative to a terrifying point. Hell, if I hadn't seen that fact that she was a total sociopath earlier in the film, she totally coulda convinced me to do anything. She is utterly magnetic. The story itself is fascinating and is so brilliantly told. The mockumentary style is perfect for offering a look at the ruthless nature of media and how it can be manipulated in what is, or isn't shown. We see Suzanne's story as told by her, as told by the news and we see what actually happens. The variations in the version of events and the justifications of actions are what makes the film so satisfying. Here, beauty becomes something to use and exploit, it excuses people in the eyes of the media. This is a darkly funny film in how it views society and the desire to become famous for anything. It invites us to watch and judge these people and their quest to be 'somebody', whilst also reminding us that we actively participate in this quest in our own day-to-day life (think Kardashian). To cut what could turn into a very long discussion short; it's SO GOOD.

Alright! I'll leave the rambling there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed and found a new film to maybe watch. If you've seen it and have any thoughts, drop me a comment down below or on any of my social media. If you haven't seen it, you can still drop me a comment anywhere haha. And don't forget, I am open to any and all suggestions! I hope you're all well. Talk to (at) you tomorrow! :)

Becca.

P.S. As is now becoming an odd tradition, have a picture of an attractive man. Have to say, that social experiment thing Joaquin Phoenix did when he pretended to retire and become a rapper and grew a mental beard, makes it quite hard to fancy him anymore. I'll console myself with this lovely picture of when he was less weird. Or at least, when I wasn't aware he was weird.