LITTLE AMÉLIE (or The Character of Rain)

 

Courtesy of Vue Lumiere

Animation outside of the major studios has been evolving. While we’ve all been slowly getting fed up with the sequels (except for Zootropolis 2) and uninventive stories being churned out, animated films have been making a huge impact. The likes of K-Pop Demon Hunters dominated last year, Flow making a historical win at the Oscars and one for the adults, stop motion animation film, Memoir of a Snail leaving an impression on audiences, animated films are evolving, or at least more are being seen by wider audiences. It's exciting to see the weird and unusual animated films alongside the more emotional and grounded stories being honoured at award ceremonies. Little Amelie or The Character of Rain is a shining beacon of hope that progress is being made.

Based on the memoir by Amélie Nothomb, the film follows Amelie, the youngest of three, born into a Belgium family living in Japan. We witness Amelie from birth, as she learns her place in the world and discovers the wonders of the world and her close bond with the family’s housekeeper Nishio-san.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Housemaid

Courtesy of Lionsgate

 

Whether you love it or hate, The Housemaid is a strange beast. Directed by comedy aficionado Paul Feig and starring ‘of the previous moment’ Sydney Sweeney, in what we’ve been told is an erotic psychological thriller seems like a very odd mix. From the very off kilter tone, the very basic fronting performances, not to mention the irritating voiceovers, The Housemaid feels immediately familiar especially as the tension builds to the twist we expected all along with an underwhelming climax.

Freshly paroled Millie managed to secure a job as housemaid in the up-scale home of Nina Winchester, her husband and daughter on Long Island. Almost immediately, Nina’s erratic and antagonistic behaviour makes Millie feel uneasy. On contract, Nina’s husband Andrew is patient, calm and welcoming. But desperate to keep her job, Millie puts up with Nina. Over time Millie discovers secrets the family are trying to keep hidden until it's too late for her to escape.

This film came across throughout the marketing campaign as a slice of escapism but in fact its a straightforward low-key thriller trying to be an erotic one. The very few moments where the film tries to justify this label are anything but. There is an art to creating an erotic thriller and we haven’t seen a decent one in quite some time. But concentrating on everything else in this film, there is a pattern. The angry, rude, slightly psychotic wife of a wealthy nice guy takes on a seemingly innocent blonde to work for her. Oh I wonder what the twist will be, as there is always a twist. Set up from the start as we see Millie sleeping in her car, going to parole meeting, we know what her crime was before she even says it. The nice husband who everyone loves, we have to wait quite some time for the shoe to drop on this trope. And finally the mysterious groundkeeper handy man who, oh wait, never mind, he barely speaks and is barely on screen. So in actual fact, the biggest twist is, why did Enzo even get a character poster to himself? 

 There is some entertainment to be had, Amanda Seyfried as unhinged Nina is quite fun to watch. But the voiceovers from both Millie and Nina were really not needed. Adaptations do sometimes suffer this, just to get through inner thoughts and backstories, but there are ways to get away from this.

We have Booktok to thank for the hype around the book. Mediocre books being made into anything between complete trash and predictable (not because of adaptation) stories meant to shock and please. There are no doubt great stories out there and probably more of the same to come. The Housemaid is here to entertain, and there is a very good chance that it won’t. Going into this film expecting something new and exciting, you will definitely feel short changed. But if you’re expecting schlock you can half pay attention to, then this is one for the collection.

100 Nights of Hero

 

Courtesy of Vue Lumiere

As the closing night of the BFI London Film Festival 2025, 100 Nights of Hero was always going to have a spotlight on it. But in truth this whimsical (on the surface) fantasy romance may be slightly too odd at first for an audience. At a glance it seems like another version of the famed Middle Eastern folktale, A Thousand And One Nights, from which it takes its inspiration, but digging deeper this is about the power a story can hold as well as a love story buried just below the surface. 

In a world not too similar to our own, a young woman, Cherry is left alone by her neglectful husband Jerome. He secretly makes a deal with a friend, Manfred, to test Cherry’s fidelity. If Manfred successfully seduces his wife, he gets the house and if he loses, Cherry will be executed, which seems win-win for Jerome. But Cherry’s fiercely loyal maid Hero has also been left to watch over Cherry. To distract Manfred from his plan, Hero tells a story each night, but how long can she keep him at bay?

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Running Man

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

 

Having been an avid fan of Edgar Wright’s, my curiosity peaked with his adaptation of The Running Man. Having only seen the 1987 version and enjoyed it well enough, I was keen to see how this film would turn out. But as the release date grew closer my interest began to drop, the main reason being Ben Richards’ motivation. In the 80s version Richards was escaping a labour camp and wanted to clear his name of crimes he didn’t commit, but the latest Richards has a sick child and family to look after. I find this motivation a dull over used cop out. Longing for the days the reason a so called hero does something is save his own skin and everyone else’s by accident. But this is my own issue and moving that aside I delved into the film.

Needing to take care of his family, blacklisted labourer Ben Richards signed up to take part in the deadliest TV show on the Network, The Running Man, where contestants have to last 30 days on the street, while hunters and members of the public, hunt them down. The winner is awarded a hell of large sum of money if they last the full 30 days. Taking the chance, Richards meets people along the way that help him hide and outwit the ruthless hunters, as well as discovering just how manipulative the Network is, changing his whole personality to fit in with the show.

Overall, this was as entertaining as the 1987 film. There were plenty of fight sequences to shock and awe as well as some very kooky side characters that stole the film almost, in particular Michael Cera’s rebel Elton who has been trying to get the truth about the Network out. Colman Domingo makes an impression too (as always) as the show’s enigmatic host and again, Lee Pace proves he can do more to steal a scene while wearing a mask for most of the film than Glen Powell does the whole film. Not to say Powell doesn’t do a good job as the ‘good guy’, its pretty much a one note character and he does well. And yet, Powell doesn’t feel like an action star. He has a style that worked so well in Hitman and Set It Up, but this really didn’t feel like the right fit for him. Along those same lines, this did not feel, look or sound like an Edgar Wright film in any shape or form, which was probably the most shocking part of the whole film experience. The film had a great cast, great elements but didn’t quite hit the heights of a great film.

Cat Person

 

Dating can provide some of the most ridiculous, excruciating, and horrific stories. There are endless possibilities where dating stories can take you and Cat Person is both just one in a million and a story that really nails down the intricate thoughts and feelings one can feel in the moment. The flirtatious beginning to the absolute insane climatic end, Cat Person explores the paranoia that comes with dating and the gut instinct that something is just not quite right.

College student Margot meets Robert, an older guy, at the cinema where she works. They start texting, fun and flirty messages and she is soon attached, despite a few odd moments with him. Her best friend, and near recluse, Taylor, thinks there’s something not quite right with Robert. However, Margot still decides to continue the relationship. But soon things take a turn, causing Margot to sink into paranoia, believing she is isn’t safe.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

A Haunting in Venice

 

Murder mysteries will never die. There will always be another gruesome death, a new case, a new set of suspects, and of course a detective to solve the crime. Although A Haunting in Venice is very, very loosely based on Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party, basically only using some character names and the extremely bare bones of some of the plot, it makes for an exciting new prospect. With such a loose adaption, you have no idea what to expect, making this a fresh take on Christie’s classic. 

Its 1947 and Hercule Poirot has retired to Venice but his solitude is interrupted by the arrival of an old friend, crime writer Ariadne Oliver. She persuades him to join her at a séance to help her debunk the medium, Joyce Reynolds. But when it is revealed that someone in the house was previously murdered, followed by another supernaturally charged murder, Poirot is forced to take the case and find out if ghosts really do exist.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Thieves Like Us

 

Criminal lovers on the run, made popular by the ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ type stories seen in films and TV shows, the original though was a novel by Edward Anderson. His novel, Thieves Like Us, inspired the Nicholas Ray 1948 film, They Live By Night which explored this them. But director Robert Altman took a different approach with his 1974 adaptation. While there is a very sweet and tender romance at the heart of the film, there is no ‘Bonnie & Clyde’, there is just Bowie, the criminal and Keechie, the garageman’s daughter, but just like any story from this period, it’s no less tragic.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

The Hot Spot

 

Released on the cusp of the 90s boom of erotic thrillers, The Hot Spot, directed by Dennis Hopper, is drenched in sweat, blood and tears, it has everything you would want from a Neo Noir film. 

Drifter Harry Madox takes a somewhat dead-end job as a car salesman in a small town in Texas. He gets involved with two very different women, the naïve young accountant, Gloria, and the scheming flirtatious Dolly, who’s husband owns the car dealership. After Harry decides to rob the local bank, he becomes embroiled in a hot a mess of lust, blackmail and arson with murder looking like the only way out.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Are You There God? It's Me, Katie

Reading this iconic book by Judy Blume felt like a right of passage. My mum had bought it for my older sister originally and by the time I was 11 or 12, it was my turn to read it. At first it felt like a forbidden ‘grown up’ book but I soon realised it was for any pre-teen, or teenager to consume. Back in those days, I liked to read often and faster than I do now. True to my own personality, once I’d read one Judy Blume book, I had to read more. Books were also a lot cheaper in the late 90s/early 00s which meant I could pick up lots of books at a time. But unfortunately, I can’t remember much about any of the Judy Blume books I read, except for the seminal, Are You There God? It’s me Margaret. 

I thought it was odd that this book, which everyone seemed to know, whether they read it or not, had never been adapted into a film or TV series. But here we are 20 years after I read the book, a film has finally been made and its feels true to the book, as far as I can remember anyway. Originally the book met with controversy because the frank discussions about menstruation and the fact that Margaret is allowed to choose her own religion, because of course that’s controversial for the 70s. Only now are these kinds of discussions becoming more frequent and normalised. Though I never understood by Margaret and her friends desperately wanted their periods. The hell storm and pain that is causes many women; you would have thought you’d want that occurrence delayed as much as possible. 

Played by Abbey Ryder Fortson in the film, Margaret is as insecure and concerned about growing up as much as possible to fit in with her new friends. She has the contained, sometimes humorous conversations with God, wanting advice and wondering what religion she should choose. Her curious nature and her parents openness, allows her to explore the possibilities. I had forgotten how much religions plays a part in the story and how this choice Margaret feels she has to make weighs on her throughout the film (and book). The film differs from the book in concentrating on Margaret’s parents and her bellowed grandmother, which I was concerned would feel forced as these actors are the ‘famous’. But the scenes and storylines with the adult characters actually made the story more grounded and felt less like a pre-teen coming of age drama. The film felt more about family with Margaret at the centre. 

 

Judy Blume herself was one of the producers on the film, which probably meant, this was the right time to adapt this story. The author even said ‘the film is better than the book!’. For anyone who hasn’t read the book, its an enjoyable story with a talented new lead. For those who grew up with the book, it’ll take you back to when you first read it.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

 

After receiving a letter from an old colleague who has moved into a hospice, Harold Fry, in his late 60s, spontaneously decides to walk from his home in South Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed to visit his friend. This is the start of a both an eye-opening journey full of heart-warming moments and a reflective walk through Harold’s memories and personal losses. Either way you look at it, Harold Fry is a sentimental and somewhat uplifting tearjerker that feels oh so very British.

Full review can be read HERE on Filmhounds.

Confess, Fletch - Interview with John Slattery

 

Just like the previous iterations, Fletch finds himself in the middle of a mystery, art theft and a murder, with him as prime suspect. Supporting Hamm in this crime comedy is host of weird and wonderfully characters played by an equally brilliant cast. All embracing their comedic side and they obviously had a lot of fun doing so. Playing Fletch’s long suffering boss who happens to hate everyone, is Frank, played by John Slattery. Known mostly for playing Roger Sterling in Mad Men and Howard Stark in the Marvel films franchise, Slattery has also taken various comedic roles, adding Frank to the list. We got to steal a few moments of Slattery’s time to talk Fletch, directing and whether comedy is harder than crying.

Full interview in the latest issue of Filmhounds HERE.

Is Aslan on the move?

 

The Chronicles of Narnia were my fantasy realm for years. Although I would proudly say that The Lord of the Rings are my favourite films now, but before December 2001, Narnia was my Middle Earth. I loved the books, loved the BBC adaptations of old, I used to the rent them on VHS from the library all the time. I couldn’t imagine the stories I grew up with being spun out on the big screen but when the years of fantasy ruling the box office were in power, it was inevitable that C.S Lewis’ series would eventually be adapted. It's quite surprising how long it took for the books to be adapted and given the blockbuster treatment but when they were, Hollywood decided to start with the most well-known book, ignoring the actual first in the story. But thankfully in storytelling terms, at least cinematic ones, to have the prequel later on, makes sense. The Magician’s Nephew, the first book will hopefully see its day on the big screen. The BBC TV series also never included this strange tale involving other worlds and the actual creation of Narnia. 

When Disney took up the helm, releasing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005, the stories literally came to life and were surprisingly loyal to the book, with added CGI flare of course. Shot in New Zealand and with WETA working their magic, it felt that fantasy stories were continuing to dominate the box office. This continued with Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. But due to a contract expiring, the long awaited follow up, The Silver Chair, was never made. Although there was traction right up until 2018, Netflix announced their plan to adapt the book in their entirety that same year, so The Silver Chair was abandoned. 

Since the big announcement from Netflix in 2018, there have been a few more rumours circulating. Matthew Alrich, co-writer of Coco has joined the project as ‘creative architect’, whatever that means. Then more recently, that Greta Gerwig will direct 2 films in the franchise. With this new news, it feels that there is hope that the project will still go ahead.

Over the past 4 years, there has been plenty of speculation as to how the books will be adapted, whether they will be made in order or follow a similar pattern to the Disney films (which skipped two films). But there is a safe bet that all 7 books will be made into films. Netflix has also stated they want to create a Narnia universe, like Game of Thrones. Whether this means new stories (hope not) or they are referring to the prequel story, as it technically is, The Magician’s Nephew and The Horse and His Boy, which does not heavily feature any of the characters in the other books.

I embraced the Disney films, even though I’ll always love the BBC series from my childhood. I was disappointed that not all the films were made, especially as Will Poulter was cast as the perfect Eustace Scrubb. But at least one of my favourite books in the series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was adapted. I’ve been waiting over 30 years to see The Magician’s Nephew though, my other favourite and I’m really hoping Netflix don’t let me down.

All I hope for is that they stick to the source material, no modern-day versions please, that would be dire and kill the entire series. Keep to the time periods the books are set in and the characters as described. It’s a fantasy series so go crazy in the fantasy parts of the stories not those set in ‘the real world’. If they need pointers on how to adapt a series well, just look to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Yes, they added a few bits but the makers stuck to the books, the characters and kept the essence and atmosphere of the source material. Yes, this was TV but the format worked for the stories. Narnia works better as films. But you can see what I’m trying to say. Stick to the source material and embellish smaller parts that will not ruin it all.

With such a rich tapestry to work from and so many great characters across the books, there is a lot of potential. Of course, there are going to those obvious religious undertones and allegories galore that might not appeal to everyone (at secondary school we were actually taught the books in RE (religious education) and we read the books in primary school). But at heart the books are fantasy that can be enjoyed by all. Fingers crossed Netflix gets them made!

Agatha & Agatha

Its’s International Women’s Day and I really wanted to celebrate this year, having missed out last year and deciding not to join in with online events, I was all Zoom-ed out. In fact, I don’t think I did anything the year before. Unfortunately, due to working from home, it’s difficult to get to any outside event at a decent time and I haven’t been proactive enough for the online events. So, this is my small tribute on IWD. 

Having been burnt out for a few months (still am) I’ve been kept sane through murder mysteries of the cosy crime variety as my other favourite, crime thrillers, was getting to me. I have been watching my favourite Agatha Christie adaptations and listening (and reading) M.C. Beaton’s series, Agatha Raisin, a PR genius turned private detective after moving to the Cotswolds. These two avenues have been a comfort and entertainment. Some new stories, some I’ve heard, watch, read many times over and don’t get bored of. 

After revisiting the David Suchet series of Poirot and the ITV series of Miss Marple, I also rewatched the BBC adaptation of The ABC Murders and I must admit, John Malkovich was a pretty decent Poirot. I also finally watched Death on the Nile (1978) which turned out to be the most faithful adaptation, complete again with an all-star cast. If anyone loves cosy crime and hasn’t yet read/listening to an Agatha Raisin, I highly recommend any of the books. Alas author M.C.Beaton died in 2019 and the latest books have been written with another author who hasn’t quite got the same flare as Beaton. If you prefer audiobooks, Penelope Keith is superb as the reader of all the books, or if you prefer to watch your cosy crimes, there is an adaptation with 4 series with Ashley Jensen as Mrs Raisin. 

This is really a thank you to Agatha and Agatha for getting me through the last few months. Also, a nod to World Book Day last week with the all the writers (mostly women) whose work I’ve been reading over the last year. Hope you’re all celebrating in your own ways.

 

The Lost Daughter - BFI London Film Festival

Stories centred around motherhood tend follow a pattern and always have characters that take a strong stance whether it is about believing that having children is the thing that women should do and on the other side believing that children is not a vocation that every woman can adhere to. The Lost Daughter is that painfully honest opinion that is rarely explored, whether motherhood is for everyone and how admitting that you regret having children is one of the biggest taboo subjects. So much so that it is never once said out loud. 

 

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

True Things - BFI London Film Festival

 

True things is a beast that most of us will recognise, whether we have been the unreliable person or the one who feels as if their world is caving in. Toxic relationships seem to be more a matter of perception but the film takes a look from the inside out, offering not exactly a fresh view but one that lingers on in your mind. 

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Passing - BFI London Film Festival

 

There is beautiful imagery throughout with some innovative framing, looking and feeling elegant throughout with a story that is, unfortunately timeless, Passing is a solid debut from Rebecca Hall. 

 

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Cruella, feminist

 

There has been a multitude of controversies surrounding Disney films for years but in the light of the House of Mouse releasing (yet another) live action story, this time about notorious villain and Queen of murderous fashion Cruella DeVil, a few new controversies need to come to light. As we all know, Cruella isn’t the nicest person you’ll meet, she does like killing animals for their skin and fur but it could also be argued that she is a feminist and has been the whole time.

In the live action Disney adaptation of ‘One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ released back in 1996, Cruella is introduced, dressed head to toe in fur but with a distinct style that feels lifted from the screen of a classic Hollywood film. She saunters to her office but stops at Anita’s workstation, mesmerised by the drawing but also, her talent. This first conversation between the characters is eye opening. Cruella asks Anita what she wants from her career, where she sees herself in the future, she wants to offer her opportunities, she wants to lift her fellow woman up. But Anita, when replies she wants to quit her job once she’s married as that is her goal in life, Cruella says, “More good women have been lost to marriage than to war, famine, disease and disaster. You have talent darling, don’t squander it.” Hearing those words at 7 years old meant nothing, hear those words at 31 years old, you immediately recognise who Cruella is. She is a feminist but she’s also a villain, a Disney villain. This is a message that Disney continuously sends out in their films.

The idea that a single woman in power is someone not be trusted and therefore vilified isn’t a new concept for Disney. Obviously, many of the studios’ films are adapted from fairy tales and folktales where women don’t come off as the heroine often at all. The women are witches, wicked step mothers, spinsters, shapeshifters, independent thinkers, they are the alternative to the normality. Through adaptations, these poisonous messages can be amended but Disney have chosen to go down a different path.

Back in 2018 it came out in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Keira Knightly said that she doesn’t allow her daughter to watch certain Disney films. Not adhering to the ‘damsel in distress’ story that makes it seem that girl’s lives are only complete when a man comes along to save them. Knightly did say that although she loves ‘The Little Mermaid’ she though it sent the wrong message to young girls. Ariel literally gives up her voice to be with a man who may or may not feel the same way about her. The response to Knightly’s decision was split between those who watched Disney when they were younger but can still differentiate between a fairy tale and how to act in real life and those who believe that some Disney films and the values they portray are outdated. Newer films such as Tangled, Frozen and Moana have been mentioned as progressive and moving beyond the simple Princess needs a Prince story trope. But really only Moana has gone further, with a story about a young woman on a self-discovery journey as one to save her community and family. She doesn’t have a love interest and nor does she need saving herself, but while watching the film, these story elements are not even missed. But before there was Moana, Ana, Elsa and to an extent, Judy Hopps, the Princesses and heroines of Disney faced off against the ‘other’ women. Disney making the main character a feminist, or as feminist as they are willing to go, has only been a recent development, before it was the villains who embodied these ideals but cloaked in evil deeds and wicked characteristics.

In the latest Disney efforts, the idea that Cruella is a feminist is continued. This story is about how Cruella came into being, having always had a ‘wild side’, she embarks first in a life thievery then breaks into the world of fashion. Her career is the most important thing, that is until she is consumed by revenge. The antagonist of the story is the Baroness, a wealthy and iconic fashion designer who rules her company with an iron fist. It is revealed she is responsible for the death of Cruella’s mother as well as other deep dark secrets (SPOILER) that is in fact Cruella’s birth mother and had actually ordered a servant to kill her as a baby would interfere with her own career. Of course, we know Cruella evolves into the dog hating, animal killing villain we love and adore but this new development that Disney dives deeper into the ‘feminist=villain’ trait with the Baroness. Not to say that the Baroness is actually a feminist but she shows signs she could be if she wasn’t so cold hearted. But the dig about her wanting to kill her own child just so she can have a career is, absolutely, ridiculous. This new story avenue paints Cruella in a different light yet she is still a villain at the end of the day even of she does want to elevate Anita’s career and she’s chose not have a conventional family. If Disney had chosen to mine these personality traits and given her a different background, her feminist ideals might have had a positive beginning, but no, villains must stay on a certain path and mustn’t deter from the formula.

 

Dirt Music

 

Love stories between two lost souls, set adrift by their own doing can feel as if they are all cut from the same cloth of the sweeping romance. Dirt Music tries to be slightly different with its cast, location and even the characters themselves, but you can’t help but feel that is like another story you’ve seen played out before. Except this one come with an amazing view. 

 

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Watch List: April

 

Undine

Full review is over at Filmhounds and can be read HERE. 3/5

 

Slaxx

Full review can be read HERE. 3/5

 

Willy's Wonderland 

 

A film where Nicholas Cage doesn’t utter a single word and fight a load of animatronic robots who have been possessed by the souls of serial killers? Well of course I am going to watch it, even if the murderous robots are terrifying. I don’t understand why children’s places like Willy Wonderland exist as I think they are far too scary for children, and me. But I’ve been told that these are all over the US, they are aren’t a ‘thing’ in the UK, thankfully. The story premise is basic and beautiful. Cage is stranger driving through town and his car breaks down and he’s offered to work of the cost to fix the car in an abandoned theme restaurant. At the same time, a group of stereotype teenagers are planning on burning down the restaurant to get rid of the evil souls within. These two stories collide while chaos rages on throughout the night as each robot attacks and Cage fights back. It’s ridiculous and I loved it. Every single horror trope is hit on the head while also offering something I haven’t seen before. I’ve also been told this is the same premise to a video game but as that isn’t my area of expertise, I’m happy to say I enjoyed the originality in parts of the film. 4/5

Effie Gray 

Full review is over at Filmhounds and can be read HERE. 2/5

 

Into the Labyrinth

Full review is over at Filmhounds and can be read HERE.3/5

 

High Heels and Low Lifes

 

The early 2000s, hanging off the end of the 90s were a mix bag of questionable CGI, mash ups and hybrid productions that were very hit and miss, of course with some great films too, but so does every era. British films went through a trend of including a token American to try and seem like they could sell the film to the US and that was the only way to do it. High Heels and Low Lifes was just such one of these films. Weird comedy crime caper where two friends, Minnie Driver, slightly uptight nurse and Mary McCormack, down on her luck actress, decide to outwit gangsters when they over hear a robbery taking place. The premise is ridiculous but the film was actually enjoyable. Driver and McCormack make a pretty damn good duo and if you can overlook a lot of the plot, its entertaining and not bad for when it was made. 3/5

 

 

Things Seen and Heard

 

First off, the title is very dull. Secondly, I wish I had read the book. The film has that feel to it as if it were adapted and there’s no escaping it, mostly due to the feeling that not everything is being explained here and how George goes from passably average guy to absolute bastard, with no hint in previous years, seems odd. Like horror thrillers before it, there is a continuous ominous feeling that things are not right from the opening scene and this neck tingling unsettlingly feeling never leaves. Some of the themes are also not explored fully which is disappointing, including spirituality, ghosts and the previous owners of the house. There just isn’t enough of the background context to flesh out the film so we’re left with uncomfortable shots of James Norton’s face looking pained, all the time. 2/5

Crisis

 

Full review is over at Filmhounds and can be read HERE. 3/5

 

Revisiting Girls in Love

 

As it's World Book Day, I wanted to revisit a series of books that I used to love when I was in school by everyone’s favourite author when they were 10 years old, Jacqueline Wilson. I was quite a prolific reader when I was a child, I could get through books very quick, as well as the audiobook right after. Some of my favourite presents when I was really young was getting those combo packs with the book and cassette tape. I collected and read as many of Wilson’s books as I could, even had a few in hardback, which annoyed me as they were heavy to carry around in my drawstring bag. Why have hardback children’s book anyway? As well as the books, I also had some on-cassette tape but in the years since I stopped reading Wilson’s books, probably age 14, the collection has depleted. I wish I had kept all the tapes and not got rid of them, a rare commodity now. But I was feeling nostalgic after another old tape played its last and I had an urge to revisit Wilson’s books. 

 

About 5 years ago there was an exhibition of her work at the Childhood museum, which brought back all the memories and actually spurred me on to keep the remaining books I had held on to. I was particularly wanting to read the Girls series; Girls in Love, Girls Under Pressure, Girls Out Late and Girls in Tears. I actually didn’t own the first three, they belonged to my sister and I had the last one in hardback but its stuck in a box at my parents. So, I did what anyone else would do, I bought Girls in Tears on cassette tape and spent a week listening to it each night. Listening to it with older ears, I can see/hear why it appealed to me when I was a pre-teen/teenager and also how problematic a lot of the characters are. BUT I still enjoyed it.

 

 

After the book on tape finished, I went on a deep dive into Wilson’s latest books just to see what had happened since I was 14. I also looked into adaptations of her books and how most had been for TV for movies for TV which is shame as I think some of her stories would be great with a bigger budget.

 

Girls inLove was made into a TV show in 2003 and a second series in 2005 and when it first aired, I was very excited as I loved the characters and though that the series would definitely work in TV format. However, it wasn’t what I’d hoped as so much of the story and characters were changed. There so much criticism from fans at the time, but mostly about the main characters appearance as they were VERY different from the book. I totally understand casting to be inclusive, no problem there as long as the essence of the character remains, so I had no problem with Zaraah Abrahams as Magda, she was the best out the main characters. But Nadine wasn’t a goth and Ellie was NOTHING like the original character. As you can see from the pictures, straight hair, tall, slim and no glasses. Ellie is a short, chubby, curly wild hair and although she is clumsy and sweet, she can be quite mean. This is not the Ellie I remember. I think the show got away with it claiming it’s an interpretation of the book but that s**t would not fly now. Also, all three did not look in the slightest 14 years old. They were at least in their 20s. But the show still maintained they were all in Year 9.

 

That’s another main issue I had, apart from awful casting, as this also filtered through the guys in the show, but it was the fact that not once did they wear school uniforms despite being in school in the UK. This also didn’t help with convincing the audience the girls were 14 years old. The clothes the girls wore too were all out of whack. Always colour coordinated, Ellie in red, Magda in yellow and Nadine in purple, even though the latter was mean to be a goth yet she never wore goth like clothes. Overall, it was severely irritating.

 

The first series cover the first book and some of the third book, skipping Girls Under Pressure because no one was a teenager girl worrying about their weight. Go figure. The second series touched upon a couple of things in book four then just went its own dull way. I actually stopped watching the show after the first couple episodes in series 2 as I had just had enough. I’m surprised the show even reached past series 1! Never the less, the show was released on DVD which I’m sure you can purchase somewhere or you can watch it in terrible quality on Youtube if you want to relive this terrible experience or wonder what I’m moaning about.

 

Book adaptation can be good but when they are bad, they are the complete worst thing imaginable especially if you really love the source material. I’d say, read the books, they are far better but I know they won’t be everyone’s next read.

 

I really hope that the series is revisited and maybe handled in a better way as with right casting and correct setting, you might have a hit. But I also fear that the time of Ellie, Magda and Nadine had passed. Unless Wilson wants to revisit the girls and bring them back to life?

 

 

@FansofJWilson

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