19 July 2014

Film of the Day #15: How To Train Your Dragon 2

13:46 | Posted by
Hi!

 Currently I am watching Snowpiercer. Holy spaceballs, it is BRILLIANT, also brutal. Expect a review/discussion soon! 
Today's FOTD, is not technically from today. Today, I am stuck in a binge watch of EPIC proportions with Veronica Mars. I'm not sure if it's a fictional character I want to be my best friend, or Kristen Bell, but either way, I want one! Also, Logan Echolls yo, Logan. Echolls.

 Alright! Today's film is How to Train Your Dragon 2, which is just fricking ace. 
Film of the Day! I WANT A DRAGON.

The film comes 5 years after the events of the first film. Hiccup and his dragon Toothless have ensured that their village live in peace with dragons and everything looks AWESOME. Hiccup's dad, Stoick, wants him to take over as Chief of the village, but Hiccup would rather fly around with Toothless and discover new land. On one of these adventures with Astrid, they discover a mysterious ice formation that has marooned a boat full of dragon trappers. Only a figure from Hiccup's past can help him defeat the danger of a ruthless dragon army.


This is SO GOOD. There aren't enough Caps Lock to fully emphasise just HOW GOOD this is. The film is insanely beautiful, the swooping flying shots, the scenery are all so incredibly detailed. I saw it in 2D but it is such an immersive environment it feels like you could touch it. I imagine the 3D is even more impressive, given that it was shot with 3D in mind, unlike many of the post-filming conversions that are done to try and make money. I could genuinely watch Hiccup and Toothless soaring through the sky for hours. 
Beyond the actual beauty of the film, this has so much more to offer. A lot of animated films seem to sacrifice the idea of 'character development' to try fit in a few more jokes, or they've spent so long making it beautiful the characters offer very little. Not the case here. The characters here feel as real and tangible as in a non-animated feature. Actually, a lot more. Hiccup is such a great character for a kids film particularly, he is flawed but wants to try so hard to be better and that's kind of great to watch. The relationship with his father is particularly touching and affecting. 
The storyline is pretty fabulous and involving, and the themes of acceptance and the notion of unending love are beautifully played and incredibly touching. For a cartoon this is an emotional, action-packed watch. Not even the slightest bit ashamed to say I cried at this film. A lot. 

If you haven't seen the first film, I really couldn't recommend it more if I tried. I genuinely believe that anyone who doesn't like these films, probably doesn't have a soul. Harsh, but fair. Also, if anyone could get me a dragon I would love them forever.

Okay! I'll leave it there for tonight, if you've seen the film or have any questions or suggestions, hit me up below or on my social media! And if you have Bloglovin' hit me up there and I'll find you (which sounds super creepy, sorry). I hope you're all well and I'll chat to you sooooooon :) 

Becca.
           

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14 July 2014

Film of the Day #14: A Streetcar Named Desire

13:59 | Posted by
Hi!

 I am a weirdly obsessive person by nature (please don't run away from me) so when I start being interested in something I am REALLY SUPER DUPER INTERESTED!! It's creepy buuuut I will never stop. Creep 4eva. On this topic, (promise I didn't confess to being a creeper for no reason) when I was about 15, I discovered classic Hollywood. I discovered the glitz, the glamour, the class. More importantly, I discovered Marlon Brando, James Dean, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, the list could go on. I mentioned before in my post about Johnny Depp here that the mystery and magic of classic Hollywood is something that has always fascinated me. The notion of celebrities being mythical and untouchable is something that seemed so far removed from the celebrity-soaked culture of modern society. And I loved that, I loved wanting to know more but never quite getting to glimpse beneath the veil. That is, until the tell-all biographies were released after their deaths. 

 Today's film, A Streetcar Named Desire, is one my my favourites and is one that sparked a total obsession with Marlon Brando. Even I'm a little embarrassed by how much I went all out in trying to watch all his films, find out everything about him. I was just the coolest 15 year old ever. 
Film of the Day! Marlon, so beautiful.

The film, based on the very famous Tennesse Williams play, follows the fading Southern Belle, Blanche DuBois. Blanche comes to stay with her sister Stella and husband Stanley, following the loss of the family plantation. She quickly riles up Stanley with her superior attitude and her news of the loss of the family fortune. Blanche clings to her beauty and possessions, as though it's all she has, and hopes to win a suitor to look after her. She carries an air of mystery and desperation. Everything is a dramatic tale; she is an innocent victim and the truth is something to be moulded to suit her. This attitude and half-truths soon wears thin with Stanley who seeks to discover the reality behind the story, and soon her tales come crumbling around her ears. 

The film very much owes itself to the stageplay roots. The setting of the film looks very much like an elaborate theatre set and it lends to an intimate feel. It gives the veneer of a person who is inwardly crumbling, whilst outwardly desperately clinging on to her public appearance. Blanche looks so out-of-place and lonely, always caught in a half-light because she can't bear the full light on her fading beauty or on the truth. 
The performances in this are something magical. Marlon Brando is utterly magnetic, exuding a raw sensuality and sense of danger that is impossible to repress. The contrast of his brutishness to Vivien Leigh's waif-like beauty is part of what makes the film so engrossing. She is beautiful, delicate, frustrating and utterly tragic. Blanche is a very difficult character, yet in Leigh's hands, I still cared. 

Look at him. Look.
This is a damn good film, and it's cultural importance is something that has been preserved by the Library of Congress in the U.S. National Film Registry. That's how you know shit is good. 

Alright! I'll leave it there for tonight, hope you enjoyed. I'm also hoping I find someone else who is as obsessed with old Hollywood as me. Also, Marlon Brando. So attractive. If you've any thoughts or suggestions, hit me up below or on my social media :). Also, if you're on Bloglovin or Twitter, I'd love if you'd give me a follow so I can follow back! I love new blogs :). Hope you're all well!

Becca.


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11 July 2014

Film of the Day #13: Transcendence

13:15 | Posted by
Hi!

 So, continuing with my Johnny Depp theme that I seem to have going on, I watched Transcendence last night. Someone on Facebook reminded me of it and I immediately had to watch. I had wanted to see it in the cinema because Johnny, but have to say, kind of delighted I didn't spend the money. It is disappointing to the max. I have my sad face on.
So disappointing.
The film follows Will and Evelyn Caster (Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall), two mega-geniuses who want to save the world and shit. They are madly in love (apparently) and just want to help move the world forward. This forward thinking only leads to bad things though, and Will is shot by extremists called 'Revolutionary Independence from Technology' (catchy, I know) or R.I.F.T short. He's given a month to live and Evelyn becomes desperate to save him, or his consciousness in some way. With their friend Max (Paul Bettany) they work to create a code to upload Will to a computer, because why not? They succeed but Max is no longer sure that this memory is Will, or if it is something more sinister. Evelyn is convinced it is, but as Will needs more and more power and becomes more ambitious, is she wrong?


The premise of this film so obviously wanted to be something that stirred conversation, it wanted us to question our relationship with technology but it is so broad in it's ideas it ends up muddling the message. The ending in particular, does not match to the first 1/3 of the film, which is extremely annoying. I'm still not entirely sure if I was meant to think technology is bad, or if extremists are just REALLY MEAN. I mean, I'm fairly sure the latter is true, but still not sure about the former. Speaking of the extremists, I know Kate Mara (the leader of R.I.F.T) is a perfectly talented actress, but I had literally no idea why she was so against technology. I guess all those pesky teenagers with better phones than her made her forget all the good shit technology has done for us. I'm pretty sure I was meant to empathise with her to some extent, but she just really annoyed my shit. Also, baffled that technology= BAD, murder= ACCEPTABLE. Logic was not a strong point of this film. 
Another issue I had (apart from everything) was Johnny Depp. I'm not entirely sure how one of the most charismatic and dynamic actors of recent times turned in one of the most boring performances I've ever seen. He's not necessarily bad, he just looks a lot of the time like he would rather be elsewhere! I know the script didn't give a lot to work with, but seriously. Whilst I understood the choice to be robotic when he was in the computer, it doesn't explain the acting at the start. Also, for a couple supposedly MADLY in love, I did not buy that at all. 

There are a few good things about the film! Directed by Wally Pfister, the man responsible for the dark beauty of Christopher Nolan's films, this is a gorgeous film. Some of the shots are just...wow. 
Paul Bettany and Rebecca Hall, as the best friend and wife are very good also. Whilst half their decisions totally baffled me, at least they convinced me that their character thought it was a good idea.
The last section of the film (excluding the baffling ending) is actually quite good. It finally creates a bit of interest or gives an idea of the threat of Will's technology that they had been talking about for the entire bloody film. For trying to convince me that Will was up to badness, I'm not sure they went the right way to convince me he was evil. After all, his 'evil plan' consisted of healing people. Sure, he did some weird shit, but largely when he was threatened. All they really convinced me of was that humans are the problem when it comes to technology, but perhaps that was the message they were trying to send? Either way, it left me confused and with a bit of a headache. 
Honestly, the worst thing about the movie is that it's kinda boring. If you're going to spend $100 million on a movie, you sure as shit want to make it exciting, and unfortunately, the excitement is entirely condensed in the last 20 minutes. I don't need explosions or guns, but I do need to care.
Johnny, I still love you.


I'll leave it there for tonight guys! If you've any questions or comments, hit me up below or find me on my social media. Also, I wrote a Friday Film Recommendation for my friend over at Secrets of a Twenty Something, which you can find here. So, once you're finished here, make sure to pop on over there. This film might have been disappointing, but the film I reviewed for there is anything but! I hope you're all well, and I'll chat to you soon!

Becca.




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07 July 2014

My Addiction and the Problem with 'Movie Stars'

14:36 | Posted by
HI!

You know that moment when you see someone and just know that they are something special? Your eyes meet across the room, and bam. That's it, you're done. They're all you can think about, dream about, you talk about them endlessly (much to the concern of family and friends). It's such a great, overwhelming feeling. Aaannnnnd that is exactly how I felt about Johnny Depp. I mean, also my boyfriend, but largely Johnny. He was my first true (and unfortunately, unreciprocated) love. 

The beginning of a lifelong love.

 The first time I encountered Johnny I was the tender age of 11 years old. My adoration for films had been growing but it was Johnny who took it to new heights. I was watching Sleepy Hollow, which is a pretty fun film in general. The visuals are some of Tim Burton at his finest, before Tim Burton got a little obsessed with being TIM BURTON. The pale as a ghost, twitchy and socially awkward Ichabod Crane caught my eye and I was hooked. Have you ever noticed that Johnny Depp has like, the most perfect face ever? He has. But it wasn't his beautiful face that drew me in, I mean it helped, but it wasn't the main thing. I find there's this thing with certain movie stars, they exude this palpable charisma and they draw you in so easily. He reminded me so much of the old Hollywood stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean, when film stars were mysterious, mythical creatures. Like unicorns. They weren't tainted by the obsessive need we now have to know absolutely everything about them, and gloriously they didn't have access to Twitter or Facebook to ruin the mystery. Nothing worse than following your favourite on Twitter and then realising how unbearable they are. Heartbreaking. 
The celebrity culture of the modern age, whilst was certainly a factor in the success of the movie business, wasn't as overwhelming then as it is today. The constant paparazzi pictures of the mythical celebrity out in their normal habitat, being informed every time someone goes to the shop, means that we as an audience are more aware than ever of who the actor is. I'm more than guilty of it myself, I love knowing what my favourite actors are doing, what film they're in the process of filming, but I'm preeeeetttyyy sure I don't need to know that they are popping out to buy more milk. And I do feel it's starting to ruin a little bit of the movie magic. It's getting increasingly hard to think of Brad Pitt as an 'actor' rather than 'A-List celebrity', just because I feel like I was personally involved in his break-up with Jennifer Aniston and his relationship with Angelina (I wish). 

Johnny was my original love, my one and only. That 'one and only' thing has now spread to James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence and an alarming amount of other actors. I obviously have difficulty with the notion of 'one'. The problem I'm having now though, is that Johnny has become more and more of a presence in the media. He's taking on bigger blockbusters (he's just signed on for ANOTHER Pirates of the Caribbean) and has had a very public split with Vanessa Paradis and now an engagement to Amber Heard. And herein lies my problem. The Johnny I knew (sorta) and loved actively avoided public events and courting relationships in the public eye, he enjoyed taking the obscure films with the weird characters that nobody else would risk. Now, he's become a bit of a parody of himself. Yeah, he still dresses up like a mad bastard for a film, but I'm so distracted by Johnny the 'A-List celebrity', it's getting damn hard to see Johnny the 'actor'. Also, his film choice has been less than stellar for the past few years. Like, really terrible. Still, so disappointed by The Tourist. 

SO BAD.

 So, Johnny, if you're reading this (and you totally are) I've a few things to say; 
1) I love you,
2) Nobody needs that many scarves, 
3) Make better films,
4) Put a bit of soul into your performance, man!,
5) I really hope you're not having a mid-life crisis,
6) Seriously, better films,
7) NO MORE PIRATES!,
8) I still love you, for better and worse. 

 Alright! I'll leave it for tonight and I'll chat to you all soon! Let me know, who's your ULTIMATE MOVIE CRUSH!? Drop me a comment down below, or hit me up on my social media! Hope you're all well.

 Becca.
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05 July 2014

Film of the Day #12: The Crow

14:35 | Posted by
Hi!

 Y'know when you have that moment when you realise you maaayyyy have taken on a little bit too much? I have that feeling. I have some essays to do and a film a day might (definitely) won't be possible. Sorry! I'm annoyed at myself, if that helps. I was doing so well! So, I'll carry on posting more regularly than I was, which admittedly, was not very often, but it won't be daily. Hopefully weekly or twice weekly! I still love you all dearly OBVIOUSLY and I hope to be back daily blogging asap :). I have big plans for this blog and it's going to be getting a makeover soon which I am VERY excited about. It's going to be beauuuuuutiful :).

 Anywho, now I have my emotional confession out of the way, onto the film! Today I watched the cult classic The Crow, and I had forgotten just how good this film is!
Film of the Day!
The film follows the tragic story of Eric Draven (Brandon Lee, son of Bruce), a lovely chap who was brutally murdered after a gang broke into his home and tortured and raped his finance, Shelley. It really kicks off on a light note, as you can see. On the anniversary of their deaths, a mysterious crow raises him from the dead to seek his revenge. And he goes alllll out on the revenge front. Helped by Sergeant Albrecht (Ernie Hudson) and Sarah, a young girl who he and Shelley cared for, he seeks to find the vengeance that will grant him peace. It is bloody as frig. 



The film was a massive success on release- both critically and commercially- but was tainted, and still is, by the tragedy of Lee's death on set. Whilst filming a scene where his character gets shot, he was shot by accident. Time constraints meant that the gun wasn't properly cared for and loaded with the proper material for the scene, the gun was improperly deactivated and so when fired, critically injured Lee. Brandon Lee's death leaves the film with an air of unshakeable melancholy, as we watch a man seeking to make the most of his last moments on Earth. He is brilliant in this film and stands as a fantastic testament to a talent lost far too soon. He is darkly funny, threatening, and brilliantly physical. The storyline is engrossing; dark and twisted. There's nothing more odd than watching someone on a murderous rampage and wishing them on. And stylistically speaking, the film is strangely beautiful in terms of how it is shot. It creates a dark and terrifying society, where a person isn't even safe in their own home. It's easy to see why they are so desperate to create a remake of the film, but it's hard to see how they could ever top it. At the minute, Luke Evans is attached to star and he's a very good actor and impossibly handsome, but it seems a bit pointless to try a re-do a film that's already pretty great as it stands. Also, the soundtrack is BEYOND ace, it actually makes the film that much better. Often soundtracks are run-along that don't really add anything, but here it really completes the film.

Alright! I'll leave it there tonight, if you've seen the film or have any thoughts, hit me up on my social media or down below! I hope you're all well and I'll chat to you soon :). 

Becca.
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04 July 2014

Film of the Day #11: Independence Day

14:14 | Posted by
Hi!

 I am currently stuck in a binge-watch of EPIC proportions with True Blood. It is painfully addictive, even though I'm pretty sure it's the most insane thing I've ever seen and I don't actually care about 1/2 of the characters. But still, Eric. Oh Eric.

 Onto the film! In celebration of the 4th of July (Happy Celebration, y'all! I'm sorry for saying y'all. But still!) what better film to whip out than the bombastic, fantastically cheesy Independence Day. 

Film of the Day! 'Merica!

The film follows an alien attack on Earth, and in New York a techno genius called David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) who discovers a secret satellite transmission that contains what he believes is a countdown. Because, obviously. With the help of his estranged wife, he manages to warn the President (Bill Pullman) on the impending danger and an evacuation is enacted, but not before the aliens attack the cities and kill a shit-ton of people. They organise a special Marine squad to try attack the main ship, but they are all attacked and Steve Hiller (Will Smith) is the only survivor. He manages to lure away a single ship and they crash land in the desert. He's then rescued by Russell Casse (Randy Quaid), a man who has been mocked for believing aliens are real. And yes, he is feeling very smug right now. Together, they must figure out a way to save the fate of the entire world. Because even though everyone is in danger, only 'Murica can do a damn thing to stop it. INDEPENDENCE Y'ALL! (I know I said wouldn't say it again, I'm sorry).

This is the cheesiest, most OTT action film I think I've seen. It's awesome. This is such a guilty pleasure. I don't know any of the characters names (I had to google them for this) and I don't know why they know or do half the things they do, all I know is, the end result has a lot of shooting and a cracking inspirational speech. Half of the stuff doesn't even try to make sense. I mean,(SPOILER!) I'm pretty sure they destroy the aliens with a Macbook and a computer virus... And the characters are painted with broad-strokes, I'm pretty sure they decided that if they were going to blow up the White House, then the characters didn't need to actually make any sense or progress in any way. This isn't a film of deep meaning or looking to impart any deep wisdom other than AMERICA RULES! And that's okay! 

Alright! I'm gonna leave it there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed! And to my American readers, Happy Independence Day! If you liked the post and have any thoughts, you can hit me up below or on my social media. I hope you're all well :).
ALSO! I just wrote my first blog post for Secrets of a Twenty Something, if you want you can read it here. 

Becca.

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03 July 2014

Film of the Day #10: Enchanted

14:14 | Posted by
Hi!

 I was meant to have a super productive day today. I could not say 1 thing that I fully finished today. Mare. Except this! I'll finish this! Yasss. Today's film is the super-cute Enchanted because we all need a bit more Disney in our lives. 

Film of the Day!
The film is about the impossibly adorable Gisele (Amy Adams) who meets her one true love, the gorgeous Prince Edward (James Marsden). Everything seems to be going splendidly well, and after about 5 minutes together, they decide to get married. Yay! Except his step-mother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) can't bear the thought of losing her throne so schemes and plans to get rid of Gisele, with the help of her minion Nathaniel (Timothy Spall). She ends up in a cruel and terrible place called 'New York', where everyone is very mean. Gisele meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter, who take her in and give her a place to stay. Slowly, she thaws Robert's heart and cynicism to love, and he wins her over by being super hot. All the while Prince Edward searches for her and Narissa seeks to get rid of her, once and for all. Also, there's some big song and dance numbers, which is always a good thing.

I know, I've followed up one super sweet film with another one. Obviously I'm trying to cause a diabetic coma, apologies for that. But it is such an adorable film, and on the news that they are working on a sequel (YAY) I thought that it was only fitting to watch it. Again, this is an acquired taste, although I can't imagine anyone not loving this film, but that's just because I like it so much. I am an eternal Disney girl at heart. This is a film that aims to entertain. It doesn't care about cliches or any of that carry on, it just wants to put a smile on your face. And it does! Amy Adams as Gisele is just so perfect, she's sweet without being overwhelming and is so immediately loveable. The entire cast does such a great job of selling what is, essentially, a live-action Disney. Whilst the songs aren't of the classic Disney calibre that you'll sing along to for the rest of your life, they are still very well done and the production is impressive. Adams and Dempsey have fantastic chemistry, and do a great job of convincing that a Disney fairytale romance in 'reality' isn't inconceivable. That, and Dempsey is just a total dreamboat. I have a long-running obsession with Grey's Anatomy based largely on his face... 

 Alright, I'll leave it there for tonight, I have many things to finish doing before I inevitably fall asleep on my laptop. I hope you enjoyed and found a new film to watch. If you've seen it and have any thoughts drop me a comment below, or hit me up on my social media. Hope you're all well!
Becca. 

 P.S. Look at his face. Look!

You're welcome.
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02 July 2014

Film of the Day #9: About Time

14:36 | Posted by
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... 


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01 July 2014

Film of the Day #8: To Die For

14:48 | Posted by
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. 
Dem eyes.
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