All the reasons you too should see La La Land

Here's to the ones
who dream
Foolish, as they may seem
Here's to the hearts
that break
Here's to the mess
we make

You should see it because …

  • Hey girl, Ryan Gosling is in it.
    Not enough? OK – Ryan Gosling dancing? And singing. And playing the piano? I mean – come on! (It took Ryan Gosling 3 months to play the piano like this, as it is really him playing it in the movie).
  • Oh and Emma Stone. She is fantastic and sings great too. And they have great chemistry together.
  • Yes it is a musical. I don’t like musicals either. But there is less singing in it than you would expect. And the singing that is in it is so beautiful and touching that you forget you’re actually watching a musical.
  • The colours used in this film are wonderful, it’s a visual feast for the eyes.
  • Have a look at those (fairly long but wonderful) one take shots in this film. Some of them took 3 months(!) of rehearsing just to make sure get them right when the outdoor light of the sunset was perfect for the scene.
  • The soundtrack is just perfect.
  • Because they don’t make films like these anymore. (Well appararently they do, but you know what I mean)
  • Like John Legend? He is in it!
  • Because it takes you away from the messed up world we live in for 2 hours of so.
  • And the story (set in modern times) make you think. Which for me is normally the most important thing about a film. (even though there are people who say I think too much …)
  • And last but not least: for the sheer amount of courage it takes to make a movie like this in times when films only seem to care about which special powers the next superhero has.

Plot: “LA-LA Land” is a riveting and uncensored look at Hollywood. It is a story that reveals how friendships sustain us and keep us going. It is a tale that reflects our celebrity-obsessed culture. It is a revealing look at some people’s desire to be loved, adored, and adulated at any cost.

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Film: Nocturnal Animals – (8/10)

This second film from Tom Ford is a bit of a slow starter but don’t worry about that, it will quickly grab you by your shirt and won’t let you go until you have left the cinema. This is one very beautifully shot and stylish (of course) film that is going to stay with you for a while.
I highly recommend you to watch it, if only for great performances from Amy Adams and Jack Gyllenhaal and the beautiful stylistic scenes.

Oh and nocturnal, I had to look it up!

Plot: An art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.

Nocturnal Animals has an IMDB Rating of 8, which is exactly what I would rate it too.

Nocturnal Animals trailer

Read more about Nocturnal Animals on IMDB »

A Groovylicious Sunday: Bill Nighy on set of Statuesque

While I am in the middle of getting very exited about my upcoming trip the the USA, yesterday made September even more magical. I knew BIll Nighy was going to star in Statuesque, a new short film which tells the story of a love triangle between two living statues and an admirer who observes his object of affection every day among the Christmas shoppers – but is unaware that he too is being watched.

It is a silent short film written and directed by Neil Gaiman, who wrote Coraline and Stardust. Statuesque will be broadcasted on Sky around Christmas.

Neil Gaiman twittered and wrote on his website that he was going to start shooting this movie in London, and actually wouldn’t mind people to come down and watch the process.

I didn’t need much encouraging to push my pack-my-suitcase duties aside for a while and get on the London overground to Watford yesterday. When I arrived, Bill was already dressed up and ready for his scenes.

He looked pretty marvelous in his 60’s style Chicago gangster suit, his dark sunglasses makes him a perfect Blues Brother, but in the scenes he replaces his dark shades with some normal ones which turns him into a quintessential British gentleman with umbrella and all.

It was fabulous to watch him “at work”. And special, I have only seen him perform “live” on stage in a play where everything is rehearsed and goes smoothly. But here he had to improvise a bit, do the same scenes a couple of times, and think about continuity and things like that. Absolutely Intrigueing to see him at work.

His scenes took a couple of hours after which they moved on with other cast members. I am sure that he will be shooting more scenes, but don’t currently know when these will be shot and where.

September has started off in a major way having the chance to watch this, and I think I will continue to smile throughout the rest of the month.

I took some more photos, warning: very long legs … »

Son of Rambow – review (10/10)

Everyman Cinema, Hampstead
First – this is what the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead looks like. And this is what cinema’s should be like: fantastic chairs (2 seaters if you bring along a friend, one seaters if you don’t), some cushions, a small (close to) heart shaped table beside you, and on the table, a button to press if you want to order a drink. (Not during the film though). Pure indulgence. I can recommend a visit, should you be in London.

And Son of Rambow? Yep, this is one of my favourite films of 2008. No doubt.

[rating:10/10]

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Yo ho yo ho

Davy
You owe me your soul…

When you are reading this, we are in the cinema.

And we are watching, are you ready for this: Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End

And I can hear you think: What?? No!

No! No! NO! NO!! This can’t be true. Not that film again. You have seen it 15 times in the cinema already. You got the DVD! I thought we were passed this!

Yeah, well I am kind of not.

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The Girl continues her travel, also in 2008

The Girl In The Cafe on tourA short update on the on The Girl in the Cafe project.

I love people who love Bill Nighy. And I actually love all people who take the time and the energy to participate in this project, who write those beautiful personal reviews on the film and who pass the film on to the next person. I hope the film will continue its journey, also in 2008. May the Girl have a safe travel.

Here are some clips from the latest reviews, click on their names to read the full reviews on their websites.

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Stardust and a close encounter

Charlie Cox and Claire Danes in Stardust
Charlie Cox and Claire Danes in Stardust

I saw Stardust some weekends ago. Overhyped maybe, but I loved it. It’s a fairy tale with humour. Don’t let big names like Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert de Niro put you off, there are enough Brits in it to make it worth seeing, and honestly Robert de Niro is playing a role I haven’t seen him play before (and he is a pirate, and we love pirates over here as you may have noticed). Ricky Gervais (who I still think is one of the funniest Brits around) is in it too, and despite being dressed up it just feels like he is playing either Andy Millman from Extras or David Brent from the Office. That doesn’t matter at all because he does that so well.

Other delights in this film: Nathaniel Parker (Inspector Lynley), the voice of Ian McKellen, Peter O’Toole, and new British cutie-pie of the year: Charlie Cox (hurrah for a daring casting director, brave enough to cast a relatively unknown actor, who happened to be pitch perfect for the role). The script has some beautiful British quirkiness as well. So yes, go see it.

I wrote the above some weekends ago but never got around to posting it, my editor didn’t find it interesting enough. I think he probably didn’t like the “cutie-pie” bit, he’s a bit sensitive sometimes, but I love him anyway.

Today I walked home from work. It was dark, it was rainy, it was late, I was tired and I passed the S&M cafe, and I thought – well why not. So I stepped in for another bangers and mash.

Trust me you really want to read the rest of this post…

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The Girl in the Cafe – the tour


With recent sign ups from both Washington and Amsterdam (update: and London and Australia), there doesn’t seem to come an end to the travel of The Girl. She is heading for another US and UK tour soon.

The Girl has also been in New Zealand, visiting Mark, and has just visited Slovenia too.

Mark wrote a fantastic review. He saw the film with 16(!) of his friends and they all loved it.

Do step inside to read his review, it made me jump with joy. And I suddenly got a brilliant idea when I read it, I will tell you more about that soon.

A big Thank You to Mark for writing this.

Have a look at the worldmap here, and if you want to signup, please go here. It’s free, and the rules are easy:
See the film.
Write about it.
Pass i(t) on.

Love can’t change
what’s wrong in the world.
But it’s a start.

Step in and read Mark’s review

Lady Chatterley – review (9/10)

Lady Chatterley

I don’t know if I love this version of Lady Chatterley this much because it is about true love but it might have something to do with it. The music alone made me cry several times, and the nature shots were very nicely integrated into the story. Yep there are several scenes of a sexual nature but nothing shocking, I found them tender and true. And there is full nakedness too, which I thought beautiful as the story is about finding yourself and about discovering love. I particularly loved the scene where the two main characters (Lady Chatterley and her lover) are running around naked in the pouring rain, it is beautifully liberating.

I didn’t know the book before I saw this film, and I know the story is set in England (the book is written by D.H. Lawrence), but the fact that this film is a French version of the story didn’t really bother me. I had no problems with the game keeper (Jean-Louis Coullo’ch) either, I could understand why she fell for him. (some reviewers have said that he wasn’t hunky enough, well he was for me).

I was very happy that this version of the film, although being French, chose to end the story in such a way that tragic romantics like myself did not have to leave the cinema completely heart broken.

Recommended? I certainly think so!

Pies, animals and Sparkle

Films I have seen recently:

Evan Almighty
[rating:1/5]
Yes it is as bad as you think it is. Morgan Freeman deserves so much better than this. And another example of the fact that stupid scripts do in fact get made into block busters. It’s a ripoff from Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey which I thought was quite funny.

Waitress
[rating:3.5/5]
Lots of pies, and one of the better recent rom-com’s, but just not as good as I hoped. The sad story here is that the first time writer/director of this film, Adrienne Shelly got murdered while working on this film. She was only 40 years old.

The Hoax
[rating:3/5]
A casting error? Richard Gere, I like him, but he doesn’t fit in this film. I was not engaged in the character at all. The story was kind of interesting, but not the best film I have seen.

Transformers
[rating:3/5]

The sound effects are awesome and so are the cars turning into big robots scenes. The story is far out, but it’s entertaining, for the most of it.

Films I really look forward to:

Sparkle
by Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger and
They made Lawless Heart – do I need say more? If you can write a line line “I once faked a broken heart but I ran out of energy” and have that performed by a farmer (played by Bill Nighy) – that’s when my heart starts jumping. That farmer was called Dan by the way. Ring any bells?

It hurts a bit to know that they had casted Bill Nighy for the role now played by Bob Hoskins (I think – and not bad either) or Anthony Head who is in it as well, and another reason to go and watch it. But problems with funding messed up the production plans, and Bill had to move on to other projects. Still a film I really look forward to and I am going to a Q&A session with the makers of this film next weekend.

Lady Chatterley
Wow, the music in the trailer makes me feel like falling in love. Very powerful, I hope the story is as good.

Eagle Vs. Shark
Love the poster.Saw the trailer – looking fantastically quirky! I love quirky.

Hallam Foe
I saw Billy Elliot again yesterday and I cried like a baby again. I love to see Jamie Bell in this new film.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – review (7.5/10)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Today at the box office:

“Hello”
“Hello, what can I help you with?”
“A ticket for Pirates please.”
“Pirates no longer runs in our cinema.”
“What? You got to be joking.”
“I am not.”
“You can’t just take Pirates off the program, I wasn’t finished with it.”
“Aha, well …”
There is a movie review in there, somewhere »

Hot Fuzz – a review (8/10)

Hot Fuzz (IMDB) is probably one of the most anticipated British films this year, and if you liked Shaun of the Dead (the one and only Rom-com-zom), you can just buy your ticket for this one. Satisfaction guaranteed.

The makers of this film have very cleverly used the internet to promote this film. They have been posting videologs while they were filming it last year, and build a community site for all the Fuzz fans waiting for the film to come out. Shaun of the Dead somehow turned into a cult film, and they have a lot to live up to with this one.
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