Thursday Movie Picks: Father-Daughter Relationships

This week's theme for Thursday Movie Picks from Wandering through the Shelves is All in the Family Edition: Father-Daughter Relationships (Biologically Related).

Having recently seen a Scottish film centered around Father-Daughter relationship that I unfortunately found too uncomfortable, I found it difficult to find some happy/good ones. I think I might have done it ...

Broken

 The British film was one of my favourite picks fron the BFI London film festival in 2012. I picked it because the cast looked great and I was interested in the story about a 12 year old diabetic girl and the intertwining stories of her neighbours. At the heart of the film is strong relationship between father and daughter. Tim Roth plays Archie, single parent to teenage son Jed and daughter Skunk played by Eloise Laurence in her debut role. The casting for these characters was brilliant, Roth and Laurence have great rapport, feeling so at ease. A truly heartbreaking film with genuine moments of humour. The realistic depictions of families is what sold it for me.

Paper Moon

The Father - Daughter duo in this film was famously played by Ryan O'Neil and his real daughter, Tatum O'Neal. The story, set in the 30's in Kansas and Missouri, is about a con man and a 9 year old girl who may or may not be his daughter. They start off as opponants but soon become partners and throughout trust and affection develops. It's a beautifully made film shot in black and white with compelling leads who give deliver a rollercoaster of emotions within in, what I see as a, quiet film. The biggest event is near the end and in the grand scheme of things, isn't a huge deal but to these two it is.

     Little Miss Sunshine

Primarily about a family rather than a Father-Daughter relationship, there are a few scenes in the film where the relationship is highlighted, particularly when Richard (Greg Kinnear) tells Olive (Abigail Breslin) that apologising is for losers. It's obvious that he cares very much for his daughter but he forces his 'special programme' ideals on her. Out of everyone he is the most changed in my opinion, he is controlling but determined, and its the latter that spurs him into action. He is proud of his daughter no matter what, even if its performing a toned down version of strip routine at a children's pagent.

April Watch List

1. Gattaca 

 

 The sort of science fiction that wasn't full of gadgets and robots but simply about DNA. If a child is born naturally it is the lower class but if a child has modified DNA, made in a lab, it is the first class citizen and able to do anything. It doesn't matter how hard someone works or how knowledgeable they, if they don't have the right DNA they are made to work menial jobs forever. Gattaca is a company that sends rockets into space, along with crews, of course all these people have the 'right' DNA. Vincent (Ethan Hawke), born naturally and with a heart defect, switches places with Jerome (Jude Law) who has the 'right' DNA and was swimming star until he was paralyzed after an accident. Vincent has a rigorous routine of scrubbing his body of all his own DNA traces and has to masquerade as Jerome. He gets a job at Gattaca Aerospace Corporation and impresses the suits and finally is assigned to be on the next launch to Saturn's moon. But with days until the launch, his eyelash is found near the office of a murdered manager. A search is made for the 'undesirable' making Vincent dodge the authorities until the launch date. It's an interesting subject and the story plays out well, but the involvement of Uma Thurman's character makes the second half of the film a tad messy. We care about Vincent and that he gets to go into space before his predicted death but his relationship with Irene (Thurman) seems a bit pointless next to the bigger picture. I enjoyed it because it wasn't obvious sci-fi and more about the science of the future and if we can change DNA will it change society and how we are surveyed. It is very slow paced too, but I think that only builds the tension for when and if Vincent is discovered. I'm glad I finally got to see it. 3/5

2. French Kiss

Keeping in the 90's, this time a typical rom-com. Despite have a terrible fear of flying, Kate (Meg Ryan), an uptight American teacher, jumps on a plane to Paris after her fiance breaks up with her over the phone. On the plane she meets Luc (Kevin Kline), a French thief. He starts an argument with her to distract her from the plane taking off. Once in the air, she is calmer. Luc hides a packages he has been hiding in Kate's bag with the intention of getting it back from once in Paris. Typical rom-com set up and story ensues. Kate has all her things stolen, including the package Luc hid, so Luc offers to help her find her finace and win him back in exchange for the things he stole. I may be under selling this film but I actually really enjoyed it. As rom-coms go, you cannot go wrong with Kevin Kline or Meg Ryan in the 90s anyway. I'm a huge fan of Kline's, ever since I saw him as the Pirate King. The shanagans that happen during the film didn't make me want to throw things at the screen but what I couldn't fathom was the time frame. Charlie (Timothy Hutton), the finace is in Paris 48 hours and he ends what seems like a steady relationship for a woman who doesn't have anything interesting about her. Even the the 2-3 days that Kate and Luc spend together doesn't seem plausible for the result at the end, even though they have great chemistry in my opinion. It was funny and yes it was romantic and I liked it. There were some great rom-coms in the 90s, wish we could bring some of that magic back for the films out now. 3/5

3. Excess Baggage

I mentioned this 90s film on The Matinee podcast recently, as I had just seen it. I first saw this film on TV one Saturday afternoon. At first I wondered what the hell was going on and thought it was terrible, but I watched the whole thing. Re-watching it on Netflix, I liked it. I know it was a flop when it came out and I can definitely see why. The plot is basic but weak, the script is rather repetitive, the characters seem like parodies from more serious films, BUT its so bad that its good. Rich brat Emily (Alicia Silverstone) just wants her father to care and notice her so she stages a kidnapping, set to hide herself tied up in her car's boot. But before the police can go collect her, car thief Vincent (Benicio del Toro) steals the car, oblivious to the cargo. Chaos literally ensues. Emily's father send his old friend Ray (Christopher Walken) to find his daughter. Vincent's boss sends his people to retrieve money owed after Emily accidentally burns down the garage with all the stolen cars. Throughout all this, a relationship forms between Vincent and Emily. Of course. I'm unsure if this is a comedy (I did laugh, a lot) or a family drama, gentle gangster film, simply crime caper, its hard to categorise this film, mostly because its all over the place. The crazy turns the film makes, it has an ace cast and its perfect for a lazy afternoon watch. 3/5

4. Adventurer: Curse of the Midas Box

When this film was announced I thought it would be set to be a big British release. It wasn't. After the trailer was released and screenings, it disappeared until I found it in Tesco for £5 just before Christmas. The film boasts a well known cast as well as up and coming Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard, the reason I was interested in this film. I even tried to read the book it based on 'Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box' by G.P Taylor but I got annoyed with the story and the confusing plot. The film changed quite a bit but for the better to make sense of the whole thing. Mariah goes in search of his brother Felix after he is kidnapped. This is shortly after their parents (Keeley Hawes and Ioan Gruffudd), well known historians are presumed dead after being captured by the infamous Otto Luger (Sam Neil). Mariah is assisted by Captain Will Charity (Michael Sheen) who tells him that his parents work for a secret organisation or something and Luger is after the Midas Box, a powerful object that can turn things to gold or something. It is the first film in what was intended to be a franchise but after watching it, I doubt it. The plot is all over the place. The book had a better set up but the film makes sense of things and cuts out a lot of unnecessary plot lines and explanations. Five minutes into the film and realised that this would make an excellent drinking game just using the word 'box'. It is said a million times. Apart from that thought, I found the film too fast paced and not enough emotional attachment to the characters, things felt too far fetched and villains did not seem much of a threat and they didn't have much motives themselves. A few other floors to the film, particularly the ending, sets up for a sequel but all it does, is question the plot even more. My last through was, there were quite a few Welsh actors in it. 2/5

5. The English Teacher

This appeared in Netflix not long ago, but I can't recall it getting a cinema release here. Julianne Moore is the highschool English teacher, Linda, who leads a safe, predictable life until she meets one of her old students, Jason, who was a promising playwright. She reads his play and becomes obsessed with it. She convinces the school to put the production on at the school, have the drama group perform it. She looses her way when she becomes so involved with the show and wants Jason to be too. She believes that his father is unsupportive, from Jason says and from the contents of the play. This results her having sex with Jason in her classroom after a heated argument with his father. This is so out of character for her but it is an incident that is the start of her downfall. Julianne Moore is always great to watch but I wasn't sure what to make of this. It wasn't a standout character, much like the town where it is set, it's basic and the characters are all ones we have seen before, although I think Nathan Lane's over dramatic drama teacher is fantastic. I kept thinking there would be more but I ended up predicting all the events. Maybe I'm being too harsh. 3/5

6. While We're Young

So many discussions were sparked from watching this film. After my friend and I watched it, we came out annoyed but satisfied. I thought the film would be about a married couple in their 40s making friends with a married couple in their 20s, but it was more and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cordelia (Naomi Watts), both documentary filmmakers, in their 40s, no children are in a rut. Their close friends have just had a child and have focused their whole lives around it, or so it seems. Josh has been making a film for 10 years and Cordelia feels that this has held them back from enjoying life and being spontaneous, especially without the worry of children. They did try but that is in the past and seems too painful to go into detail. After a lecture he is giving, Josh is approached by Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried), he is an aspiring documentary filmmaker and she makes ice cream. Josh is flattered by Jamie's comments about his work and a friendship blossoms. Soon the couples are hanging out together, making plans together, Jamie even asks Josh to help on a film idea he has come up with. But its a Noah Baumbach film, nothing is smooth sailing. Without giving anything more away, I'll stop with the plot. I actually discussed the film on The Matinee podcast recently and what was said on there pretty much sums up what I thought about the movie. The characters of Josh and Jamie are at the forefront and the women seem to be less taken care of, Darby even describes herself as 'the girl to Jamie's hitchhiker'. The film is about creativity and integrity in filming which I really enjoyed as its not addressed like in a typical Hollywood style, it feels realistic no matter how annoying you can believe it. Another aspect I admired was that the film was about married couples and they don't have affairs. It was so refreshing to watch relationships that weren't about fidelity. I really enjoyed this film and in some small way relate to struggle that Josh goes through as well having met people like Jamie and knowing they are not to be trusted. 4/5

7. Paddington 

I actually tried to get a job on this film but alas this wasn't meant to be. But I did get to watch one of my childhood characters come to life and not in the stop motions cardboard like animated series I used to love. First impression of Paddington was, I absolutely loved the set documentary film, it made perfect sense, had the director, Paul King's touch but keeping in true nature to the books. My second thought was, how adorable Paddington was. Emotional from start to finish. From the tragic moment in darkest Peru, to when he's evacuated to England, to meeting the Brown family to making an impression to the showdown in the Natural History Museum (great use of the place by the way, its an amazing building) to touching end. It's a beautiful film and I'm so glad I got to enjoy it at home instead surrounded by screaming kids who don't understand how important Paddington is to the older generations. 4/5

8. A Little Chaos

When I saw this in the BFI London Film Festival catalogue last year, I very nearly bought a ticket but at the that minute I decided not to, mostly because I had already spent enough money on other tickets and because I thought the general release would be sooner. Three things about this captured my attention. 1. Kate Winslett was in it and I like her most things, she is one of my favourite actresses. 2. Alan Rickman was directing it, this intrigued me. 3. Matthias Schoenaerts was in it and remembered him from Rust and Bone. When the trailer was released I was very excited. Since that release, I and most casting directors I'm sure have become obsessed with Schoenaerts. Set in France during the building of Versailles gardens. Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslett) is commissioned by famous landscape artist Andre le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts) to build the rock grove. She has to navigate life at court as well as successfully build the much anticipated garden. A relationship forms between De Barra and Le Notre attracting the attention of his scheming wife. From the first scene, I felt the film was oddly put together, meaning the edit. It doesn't run smoothly. I wasn't unsure if this was deliberate as the film is called 'a little chaos', this was meant to be reflected in the film structure. I had seen reviews and they either been unkind or average. I thought the film was beautifully shot, the costumes especially exquisite and the casting was perfect. Winslett is always amazing to watch and here she was in her element, proof that there are good roles for women in late 30s early 40s. In fact I quite sure that all the main speaking roles for women, they are not younger than 35, which is unusual and a revelation. Alan Rickman, taking a role in front of the camera as well as behind it, is in his element as King Louis XIV, giving rather pompous speeches as well as taking a quiet moment/day to grieve his dead Queen. Schoenaerts was calming character, showing restraint and order. He seemed wearied by his position, his annoying wife and is resigned to his situation, but there are precious few glimpses of emotion, mostly during scenes with Winslett. I would have liked to see and feel more from their relationship and not just expressed through the garden and plants. The film actually made me want to do more gardens and made me appreciate all the visits to Chelsea Flower Show when I was younger and my dad designed gardens for the newspaper he worked for. I am also now even more excited about (hopefully) visiting the real gardens of Versailles this year. I think this film has been treated harshly, there is beauty in it I cannot express enough how Winslett shines in this. Brilliant film. 4/5

9. Mortdecai

I enjoyed the book the film was based on 'Don't Point That Thing At Me' by Kyril Bonfiglioli as it was humerous, odd and for the most part, easy to read apart from the clunky start. However, this cannot be said for the film adaptation. First off, the story is fabricated. Mortdecai doesn't have a wife until much later on, which is probably why I was constantly irritated by the character's presence. She, Joannna (Gwyneth Paltrow), really wasn't needed apart from to be a reason for Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) and Martland (Ewan McGregor) to argue in a petty school way. It was rather tiresome. The most interesting scenes in the film were actually between Mortdecai and his man servant Jock, an actually well cast Paul Bettany. Mortdecai, dramatic aristocratic art dealer/art thief, has run out of money so when he hears that a missing Goya painting has resurfaced and been stolen AND that is a matter of national security, he sets out to find and bring it back or does he?

The story in the book came across interesting, don't know why by art theft always feel refreshing even though its nothing new, in the film is a muddled mess mixed in with Depp's Terry Thomas impressions. The plot had no urgency to it, nothing felt like 'national security' was in danger. There was too much focus on Mortdecai's new moustache  and his marriage. The casting wasn't great either. Depp, who used to be a great character actor has been reduced to Tim Burton puppet or 'man who appears in films that failed'. I thought he would be great but alas my hopes were dashed. He was funny, he and Bettany together even better. Whatever character he created was hilarious but it wasn't Mortdecai. I cannot even be bothered to go into detail why Joanna and Martland were miscast. In short, the book was better. 2/5

10. Frances Ha

So, it's about experiencing your own situation/problems/obstacles from bad to worse to good. Frances never gives up, she tries her hardest at the same time taking the 'easy' way out. I was worried at the start as everything seemed too good to be true vibes. Frances is following her dream of being a modern dancer, she goes out and has fun, she lives with her best friend 'we're the same person but with different hair' and she even has a boyfriend who wants to live with her. But the latter is where things take a turn making this film amazing and relatable to anyone who has tried, failed, tried again and made a little sacrifice to make progress. When she breaks up with her boyfriend because she would rather live with her best friend, who, at the same time is leaving her for a better apartment. The film is split into sections, all starting off with where she is living. The first part, is bliss. The second is still fun and unrealistic, especially when she looses her job and one her roommates continuously calls her 'undateable' whenever she says something a little off. She then stays with a sort of colleague who makes her feel inferior and childish. After that limited offer to stay expires, she ends up moving back into her old college dorms for the Summer while being paid to be an R.A. But it all turns around after a surprise visit from her best friend. She takes an admin job at her old dance company place while creating a new dance piece. It's her stepping stone and she finally gets her own place. To me, this is inspiring as I'm almost at this age where I will have to sacrifice the artist in me to get a move on and the determination and strange optimism Frances has is great. Also, what I liked about this was that no character at any point felt fake. It was all very real and we all knew it but it wasn't over dramatised. It was simple, like the final dance. 4/5

Avengers: Age of Ulron

I saw this film last week but I was mulling over how to approach this brief paragraph to express how much I enjoyed this film. It wasn't 'just another Marvel' film, it was an epic action film about a group of friends/colleagues who have to fight against a dellusional almighty robot. Unlike all the previous films (and TV shows, except Daredevil) there wasn't really any tie in with the previous films at the start, the film just starts, with a snowy bang. Things are explained throughout the sequence but not to the point it was all clear what was happening. At least not until I saw this week's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That aside, I loved the film, Wheadon has really made this (part of the) franchise his own. Screen time and story time was spread out much more evenly between the characters. The main focus of Ultron as a delciously evil and civil sounding overlord robot, voiced to perfect by James Spader was not kicked  to the side. The Avengers even had time to develop their own personal issues away from the team. For me Hawkeye and Captain America were the stand outs, mainly because they had some of the best lines. 'We're on a flying city. We're fighting robots. I have a bow and arrows. None of this makes sense!' A pep talk from Hawkeye himself. CA had the saddest storyline of internal emotions still not yet laid to rest and I think he always will, he is the man out of his time. I don't want to spoil anything but I think that non X-Men versions of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch made excellent additions and proved their worth in the fight. I admit I did roll my eye at the whole, Black Widow- Bruce Banner romance as it kind of came out of nowhere and was annoying, yes, they're both monsters, apparently. One of my favourite moments is just before it all kicks off. The gang are all relaxing and joking around trying to pick up Thor's hammer. The film/story balances the playful moments with the plot heavy, serious ones and it feels like that the films are only getting better.

Thursday Movie Pick: Superheroes

 This is my first post joining on Thursday Movie Picks from Wandering Through The Shelves blog. I know the picks are for Superhero movies specifically otherwise Sin City would have made the list. Of course Guardians of the Galaxy should be on my list - saw it at the cinema not enough times but I thought these would be better picks.

The Mask

Technically The Mask does fall under the superhero category. He has super powers and does do some good. The 'he' of the story is Stanly Ipkiss (Jim Carey) regular guy, works at the bank which is eventually robbed by evil 'gangster' Dorian Tyrell. Stanly finds an old wooden mask after being rejected from Tyrell's club. While wearing the mask he becomes, essentially a cartoon that's more confident and wild. But when Stanly removes the mask he has to deal with the consequences left behind. There is more of a plot but with all the crazy antics from The Mask and Jim Carey having an excuse to be crazy, it doesn't seem as important. A great 90s film with the strangest superhero.

Constantine

I know this wasn't received particularly well and everything is backwards when compared to the comic book source material BUT if you watch this film and imagine that it is completely separate from the comic, its actually a really great film. John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is trying to buy his way into heaven but sending demons back to hell. These creatures of darkness walk side by side with the humans on Earth as well as Angels from heaven. He can see them and has the power to banish them. Constantine committed suicide or tried to when he was younger and as it is a mortal sin he destined to go to hell when he dies. When a young woman jumps off her building, her police officer twin sister (Rachel Weisz) seeks his help for the truth. It's the kind of superhero movie that brings religion into the story but in an interesting way. Also, Tilda Swinton, ever the amazing actress plays Gabriel (gender is left ambiguous) and is definitely a scene stealer, so see it for her if anything.

Watchmen

This seemed like an obvious choice to me as it is adapted from one the greatest comics written. I read the book in a few days, digesting it and from there, I couldn't wait for the film. Again, this was met with controversy from the die hard Alan Moore fans. He of course hated it as he hates everything, but the artist, Dave Gibbons, endorsed it, good for him. The film is a sparlling masterpiece, telling a story across decades about two groups of masked vigilantes as they draw closer to the doomsday. The opening credits are particularly amazing, to those who know the book, will or should appreciate how the beginnings and feeling of the public can be explained with Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin' and a montage. The casting for this film was particularly spot on with a special mention to Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Beautifully created by Zack Snyder, every shot its perfect and for me it did feel like the comic coming to life.

The Afternoon Movie - The Secret of NIMH

 Continuing very slowly my adaptation theme, I thought it had been quite a few months since the last 'Afternoon Movie' post and that it was high time for another. 

Perfect for those lazy weekends or indeed afternoons. The 1982 Don Bluth classic, 'The Secret of NIMH', based on the book 'Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH' was one of those film we had on VHS. My sister and I loved it. I always remember quoting and so did my family, 'Move your house, to the lean of the stone.' Seems random and out of context for those who haven't enjoyed it yet, I apologise for this.

The story is about a field mouse, Mrs Brisby (changed from Frisby) who's husband, Jonathan has recently died. She seeks help from a fellow mouse, Mr Ages, as her youngest son is sick and cannot move from bed. To make matters worse, 'moving day' is upon her family and all the other animals tha live in the fields of the farm. This means the farmer is going to plow the fields with a tractor and will wreck the inhabitants homes. Desperate for a solution, Mrs Brisby, braves a visit to the 'Great Owl' with the help from her friend, Jeremy the clumsy crow. The owl only offers advise after finding out she is Jonathan's widow. He tells her to seek help from the rats that live in the rose bush in the farmers garden. At first the rats do not want to help but eventually agree to move the Brisby home to safety, again, only because of Jonathan. Mrs Brisby finds out that Jonathan, along with the rats all came from NIMH, where they were experimented on. The treatment and torture resulted in them becoming intelligent, almost to the level of a human. The rats, lead by the wise old Nicodemus, have devised a plan to escape the farm and start a colony elsewhere, but Jenner, an angry violent rat, opposes this idea and plans to kill Nicodemus to push his own agenda. There is a showdown between rats during the moving of the Brisby home, putting the family in danger.

Trying not to spoil the ending, there is also a weird supernatural element to the story involving a magic red stone that can cause miracles, but I really want those who haven't seen it to enjoy an air of mystery.

The book was written by Robert C O'Brien in 1972 and was inspired by research about mice and rats dynamics at The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from the 40's to the 60's. I read the book while at secondary school and at first, I didn't like it, I was too used to the animated film. But as we, the class, got through it, I ultimately preferred the book. The change of names aside, the true story is still there. The horror of what happened to the mice and rats in lab is carried across in the film as well as the danger of the plow for all the animals. But the weird, some what uncomfortable super stone side element is not in the book, and the story has more focus because of it. But, it is such a small part of the whole plot, it might not bother others as it did me.

Apart from the Don Bluth classic touch to this film, the animation isn't too bad for the 80s (outside of Disney). The story has a strong female lead, Mrs Brisby, who is literally willing to do absolutely anything to not get her child out of bed to save her family, especially her sick son, Timothy. It was also a great background story that may seem like it overshadows the present story, but when Nicodemus relates how they escaped from NIMH is actually one of the best sequences in the film. It also highlight blatant animal cruelty and the effects of humans interfering with nature to help themselves. That might be a bit too deep.

While watching it recently, I began to take in the shock and absolute horror that the film presents. For the farmer, its just a small chore, plowing the back field but for all the animals, it means danger, having to evacuate and literally run for their lives, just as Aunty Shrew yells. The animals are terrified, these feeling were not as clear to me when I was younger, I just animals worried, running away, that's it. Mrs Brisby definitely goes through at least 5 traumas a day from flying on a crow, meeting an owl that might eat her to confronting violent rats who love electricity.

If you are a fan of the film, I would recommend the book, just to see the differences. I would suggest that you steer clear of the direct to video sequel, 'The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the rescue'. The disturbing poster is enough to put you off as well as the fact Don Bluth had nothing to do with it.

The film is out there to buy on DVD, watch on youtube and I think I've seen a VHS copy floating around some charity shop too. Delve into the small world of mice, rats and a secret that isn't really a secret, you won't regret it.

Part of the Madding Crowd

Breaking from tradition and before this gets too strange, I'll relate a series of events. Obviously, they all connected to film.

Last week I entered and won a competition on Facebook from the film's page. It was to win tickets to a Gala Screening of 'Far From the Madding Crowd'. To enter, you had to send in a photograph of the countryside you had taken. I sent this:

To be honest, I'm not a lucky person and I don't win things (usually), not by luck anyway. This, was by luck. I didn't expect to win. I took the photograph a few years back, it is a view from Corfe Castle in Dorset and it won me a pair of tickets. Unfortunately, the Gala Screening is in Bridport, Dorset and is actually tomorrow (17th). I managed to swap days at work so I could go, but due to the long distance, my lack of transport and nowhere to stay that was affordable, I had to bow out.

I was really annoyed. I had started planning trains to get there, looking desperately for accommodation but alas it wasn't meant to be. I would go far for a film but I can't for a 4 hour journey. I actually really sad that I couldn't go. Sorry to get all melodramatic.

I found out on Facebook that the World Premiere was to be at BFI Southbank (favourite place). Luckily I finished early from work so headed down to the river. I almost fell asleep on a bench, tried to eat a bagel and drank the world's smallest latte. I got a space at the front next to two fans of Matthias Schoenaerts and thought, 'I'm in good company here'.

It started to get a little bit crowded but not Leicester Square crowded, people could still walk around with ease without the fear of being squished by watchers and fans. I was very excited about this film, not only because of the cast or the fact that Thomas Vinterberg directed, but also, its a British film and it's kind of a big deal. An adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic, costume drama, British film's bread and butter.

Anyway, back to the red carpet. I managed to get a few decent photographs, be blinded (and overwhelmed) by the photographers, all crowded into a small space opposite from where I was. I managed to get this gem:

We have our friend in the middle there, most likely making this one of the most awkward selfie red carpet photos ever?  Carey Mulligan is a great sport, she went round to all the fans, signing things from photos to scraps of paper to bags.

After posting the photo on Instagram (like you do) I was told to look at The Daily Telegraph the next morning. This is what I found.

 Not only did I make it into some videos of the event, but I appeared in some newspapers online and print. I think this might be a rare occasion, making the front page of The Daily Telegraph.

Of course the first thing I did was burst out laughing, then show my friend at work, send a link to my friends who were at the premiere with me, and my family. All had the correct response, laughing, because its so bizarre. But it is a great photo.

I take away from this last week, that I won a competition, but didn't get to reap the rewards (which I am still really gutted about) but I got to be at the front for a premiere of a film I've been waiting for  ages to see and I was on the front of a national newspaper. Pretty good week I suppose. Now I'm REALLY geared up for the film, which is out on May 1st.

Seen the Film, Read the Book

I am quite proud that there aren't many films where I have watched the film first then read the book it was based on. I usually try to read the book before or, most of the time, watch the film and cannot read the book after.

This is the list of film adaptations where I watched the film first, then read the book.

1. Pride and Prejudice

 The Jane Austen classic about the Bennett family, particularly about Elizabeth and her relationship with the infamous Mr Darcy. I had seen both beloved classic TV series and seen Joe Wright's beautiful film. I later bought the book for 20p at a random charity shop or it might have been a summer fete and read it, then become bored half way through and decide the audio book would suit me better. I think, any form of adaptation of this novel is winner, except that it is remade to death.

2. Little Children

 A story about suburban women and men trying to live out their seemingly boring lives during a summer. From the breakdown of marriages and adultery to the neighbourhood watch and pedophiles returning home. By Tom Perrotta, who has the amazing ability to take something mundane and make it incredibly hard to put down. The film concentrated heavily on the affiar between a stay at home Dad and a reluctant mother, as well as the recently released pedophile back into the neighbourhood. The film is good but the book is by far much better. A character that appears for seconds in the film is actually one of the four main ones in the book and her balance is quite important. The ending is also more relaxed in the book too, shocking truths are told but no one reacts and perfect.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 The film about a man ages backwards, with the source material being a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald directed by David Fincher, had everyone excited. The first time I saw the film I loved it, I thought it was long but brilliant. Then I bought it on DVD hoping to relive the magic, but what followed was me realising the film was too long to be enjoyed and the characters were annoying. The story is brilliant. Perfectly detailing the life of Benjamin Button in a mere 28 pages. After reading the short story I couldn't watch the film again I was so disappointed. There was nothing wrong with the original story, there was no need for a whole change. In fact the only element from the story was the name, Benjamin Button and that he ages backwards, everything else is made up.

4. The Princess Bride

 When I first saw the film classic about true love, Princess Buttercup and Wesley, I didn't know what to make of it. With further viewings, the words 'As you wish' rang in my head and I understand the appeal of this slightly bizarre fairytale. I had no idea there was novel before the film. The Princess Bride I have to thank as it not only got me back into reading since I was in primary school, but actually got me buying books again. While in secondary school I read all the books we were meant to, apart from Wuthering Heights, that was dull, and I had stopped reading books other than Lord of the Rings and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I bought the book while at college and was hooked. The book was just like the film for me, it was well adapted and there were scenes in the book but not in the film, it felt like the directors cut.

5. Suite Francaise

 As I mentioned in my March Watch List, I was/am obsessed with this story set in France 1940, in a small town outside Paris when a German regiment arrives. An officer is billeted with Lucille and her cold Mother-in-law. At first a forbidden attraction, then love blossoms between the German and Lucille but there are bigger issues happening in the town and country. The film was beautiful, the lead characters so painfully subtle in their affection, the ending was just so vexing. The book or books I should say were different. I wanted to read it in the hope that there was more not included in the film. I read 'Dolce' but not 'Storm in June'. I was rather upset with book by the end as it was more unsatisfying an end than the film. Where both have merits, they both have tragic ends that are not really concluded. 

 

6. Gormenghast

 
 How to even begin describing Gormenghast? I actually only read 'Titus Groan', the first in the trilogy. The second book is called 'Gormenghast', as was the BBC TV series. I actually chose my 'Confirmation' name as Titus because of this story. The amazing fantastical world of Gormenghast, a great castle ruled over by the Groan family was created by Mervyn Peake. The story begins with the birth of Titus, heir to Lord Groan. This birth coincides with Steer Pike's rise from kitchen rat to a member of the elite, secretary to the Groan family. I was obsessed with the TV series when it first aired. I used to watch it over and over when we recorded it. It was such a bizarre world, all within the walls of a castle. The story and most of the characters were dark, this is probably why I enjoyed it, and it was fantasy that didn't have any mythical creatures and didn't seem to be set at a specific time or place, it was new and brilliantly created. My aunt and my mum actually really love the books and warned me how dense the books were. I got through Titus Groan, eventually, and they were not kidding. The descriptions for places, rooms and scenes were vast and I have to say, if you're planning on reading the books, be patient, the pay off is worth it. One day I might try and read the next two, Gormenghast and Titus Alone, one day.

Blind Spot Series - Touch of Evil

I have had 'Touch of Evil' sitting on shelf since I was still in college. I remember my film studies teacher telling me about film noir and this spurred me on to find more films to watch. I bought it, got excited about, got distracted by other film noir films (feels silly writing that) and its just been sitting on my shelf for 7 years.

'Touch of Evil', heralded as one of Orson Welles best films and as of the greatest thrillers, before seeing it I knew three things which it is famous for:

1. The opening tracking shot, no cuts for 3 minutes 20 seconds. Many other films have paid homage to this
2. Charton Heston plays a Mexican police officer - let that sink in
3. The various cuts of the film, especially the cuts that Welles originally wanted

The story is about corruption and has the usual Film Noir traits. Ramon Vargas (Charlton Heston), big-time police officer on Mexico City is on his honeymoon with his American wife Susan (Janet Leigh) near the border of USA and Mexico. A bomb is planted in a well known man's vehicle, he and his passenger are killed in the explosion. The detective in charge of the case is Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles), who conducts his investigation in a questionable manner. While Vargas takes an interest in the case, especially after he believes that Quilan has planted damning evidence on a suspect, he sends to wife to a safe place. She had been harassed by the member of the Grandi family drug gang, a member of which was facing a trial, Vargas being the arresting officer. Quilan soon becomes even more obsessed with Vargas getting in the way and concludes withe Grandi family to get rid of the interfering Vargas.

The plot does get thicker and it ends up moving faster but there are a few moments where it borders on the slightly ridiculous, and I don't mean trying to swallow Heston as Mexican. One particular moment is when Susan Vargas, hold up in a strangely remote motel is being surrounded by Grandi gang members, both men and women and loud music is blaring out loud. It is actually terrifying, that is until the music is suddenly turned off by the old motel manager. The gang members loose their menacing flow and start to look silly. Later on its explained that the gang drugged her up and took her clothes.

I love Film Noir, I will usually eat up most stories involving a detective, a murder and femme fatale to boot but there was something odd about the story and shift of focus on what was really important. It felt that the bomb that went off at the very beginning was a trigger but was actually just a very elaborate meet-cue for Vargas and Quinlan. The investigation into who planted the bomb seem to be solved within a few hours and was just a MacGuffin. The real story was about the corrupt Quinlan and exposing him while he gets drunk and makes even more bad decisions.

 My qualms about the story aside, there are some amazing shot in the film to admire and the choices actually make the film better for it. Welles used so many overhead shots intense conversations which would usually distract from the dialogue but they are used to brilliant perfection and in the right place. I admire Welles mostly for his direction on the film and less so his character as he tended to mumble quite a bit. The film is given a lift to intrigue from the start as the first shot is a bomb and the unknown planting it in a car, again unknown. The shot tracks the car then follows Heston and Leigh, while the car is still in the background or to the side. The audience is introduced to characters while still being drawn into the story as they know the car will explode any moment. The film's pace continues in this way often cutting between slow moments and action and it keeps the film rolling and doesn't feel like 90 minutes.

 I'll spare a moment for the world's most irritating character though, the night manager of the motel where Susan stays, played by Dennis Weaver.  This character made me so angry every time he was on screen. He did absolutely nothing to help the plot after twitch his way through a few scenes refusing to do anything that sounded like his job. I really wanted someone to just get him out of the picture.

I do feel that I waited too long to see the film as I think if I has seen it years ago, I would have been bowled over by the edit alone but now you really need a story that makes sense for me to fall in love with it.

Don't forget to check all the other Blind Spot Series entries and where it all started on The Matinee