Hey lovelies,
I thought i'd try something a bit different today and share with you my thoughts on some of the films that i've watched this month!
Some are new releases in the cinema, some are films i've simply never seen before, and some might even be old favourites.
I decided to stick to one paragraph reviews, that way I have to be precise in what I say, and there's no room for any spoilers in case you haven't seen them yet! :)
1. Far From The Madding Crowd
Having read the novel by Tom Hardy during my GCSE English lessons, I was actually quite excited to see this film. Granted it's been 7 years since I finished my GCSE's (and that's a very scary thought) so I didn't remember the story very well, but as soon as it started it all came back. It isn't a very action filled or particularly exciting film, it didn't bring out any strong emotions, I wasn't laughing hard or brought to tears with sadness, but it was just a nice film. Think the sort of film you'd want to watch on a Sunday afternoon. The story centers around Bathsheba Everdene, an independent woman who doesn't believe she should accept a marriage proposal simply because of advantage or circumstance, and it follows her story as she meets three different men, all who offer her different reasons for marriage. If you love period dramas i'd recommend it wholeheartedly, but if you want something action filled and exciting, it probably isn't for you.
2. Spooks
I really enjoyed this film. I did however, find it a little difficult to follow at times. Spooks: The Greater Good follows on from the British TV show Spooks (also known as MI:5 in some countries) which is a fictional show about MI5 officers working in London and it had ten seasons. The film doesn't explain the relationships between people, or any of their back stories in any detail, so after not watching the ten seasons before, I was a little confused at times! But mostly I really enjoyed it, it was full of action and a few unexpected turns keeping you guessing who is responsible for all of the bad things happening and wondering which characters you can trust. If you love action or films about spies and the secret services I would definitely recommend it, though i'd say it definitely helps you to understand it if you've seen the TV show first!
3. The Age of Adaline
I was a little disappointed with this film to be honest. I still enjoyed it, and i'd probably watch it again in the future but it wasn't what I was expecting. The story focuses on Adaline Bowman, a woman who hasn't aged a day in almost 80 years. Keeping her secret, she obviously had to live quite a sad life, having to leave people she loved so that they didn't find out. I thought leaving people she was in love with, and wanted to spend her life with would be heartbreaking to watch, but it was almost skimmed over, and you never really saw Adaline getting overly upset about the situation, obviously she wasn't happy about it, but I felt the emotions could have been stronger. It didn't stop me crying a couple of times, but I think it was more of me imagining how hard it would be, rather than seeing true heartbreak in front of me. A good film, but I think if you like to watch nicholas spark-esque films, you might find it lacking. Blake Lively was brilliant in it though, and i'd watch it again just for that.
4. Pitch Perfect 2
I was really looking forward to this one, and I really enjoyed it. I think with any sequel, the second film often lacks that special something that the first film had. As a stand alone film, it was really good, and I would love to see it again but when comparing it to the first one, I think I prefer the first film. I loved the cameo by Flula in this film though, he was really good and really funny, I also loved the cameo by Pentatonix, I just wish they had been in it longer! After the flashing incident seen in the trailer, the bellas get disqualified and have to fight to get their place back and out-perform the other groups. The songs are still good, though I think they were better in the original, and I felt like the film ended really fast, without much really happening, it could have easily lasted quite a lot longer. But overall, I really enjoyed it, and if you loved the first it's definitely worth watching.
5. A Royal Night Out
I think this has to be my favourite film that I saw in the cinema this month. Although some of the main characters are completely fabricated for the sake of the film, it is based on true events when princess Elizabeth and princess Margaret went into London for V.E. day. I loved seeing the spirit of the princesses and how they just wanted to go out and celebrate with everyone and get to know how people really felt. I really loved the film and it made me want to look up different members of the royal family when I got home to see how much of it was true. An odd thing about the film was that it gave me a new found respect for many of the royals, even if they dreamed of doing something other than the role they were born into, they understand it is their duty and do the job the best they can, something to admire really! It made me laugh so many times, so if you want a fun uplifting film, I definitely recommend that you see this one!
6. Into The Woods
I absolutely loved this film. I've always been a fan of musicals and I love when people take fairytales back to their original dark versions or put twists on stories that are usually happy ever afters. The songs and the general feel to the whole film is very similar to Sweeney Todd. The film is full of big names, and some lesser well known actors but every single person in this film has an incredible voice, I was in awe a few times and would absolutely love to see this on the stage. The fairy tales and stories in this film are not happily ever afters, and in a way shows the greed and selfishness of many of the things wished for in fairytales. The songs have so many layers and build up to be huge dramatic numbers, and I just want to watch it again and again. If you love musicals, and dark films like Sweeney Todd i'd definitely recommend it (though it isn't quite as dark as that). One last thing to point out however is that the whole film is physically dark too, so I wouldn't recommend watching it in the daylight as you probably won't be able to see most of it!
What films have you been loving this month, any you'd recommend?
Let me know if you've seen any of these and what you thought of them!
Love Amylou x
