Gideon's Daughter

I just saw Gideon's Daughter and absolutely loved it! People are probably tired of hearing me go on and on about how much I love Stephen Poliakoff as both a writer and director, so suffice it to say that he definitely did not disappoint (here is a link to my reviews for other Poliakoff films).

The film tackles many issues including the idea of family, grief and celebrity and takes place in the tumultuous summer of the New Labour election victory and Princess Diana's death.

As usual, Poliakoff delivered an excellent screenplay, but this particular film was really a character piece. The more important moment were the ones when nothing was being said at all. There were three key performances that made this film so wonderful and managed to make everything come together and work. No particular performance stood out. Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson and Emily Blunt were all fantastic (though at this point, I believe that I would be much more surprised if one of them gave a performance that was anything less than absolutely fantastic).

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Dream Cast Thursday! Henry VIII

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Henry VIII. I was really excited to do this one, because I love 16th century English history. The story of Henry VIII and those figures that surround him have always captivated audiences. There have been many adaptations, but when deciding my dream cast, I looked at four specific ones. I looked at Henry VIII (2003), The Other Boleyn Girl (2003 miniseries), The Tudors (2007), and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

The first character that I cast was Henry VIII. He has been played by Ray Winstone, Jared Harris, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Eric Bana. For my adaptation, I cast James Purefoy.

The second character that I recast was Katherine of Aragon. She has been played by Assumpta Serna, Yolanda Vazquez, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Ana Torrent. For my adaptation, I cast Giovanna Mezzogiorno.

The third character that I recast was Anne Boleyn. She has been played by Helena Bonham Carter, Jodhi May, Natalie Dormer, and Natalie Portman. For my adaptation, I cast Emily Blunt.

The fourth character that I recast was Jane Seymour. She has been played by Emilia Fox, Naomi Benson, Annabelle Wallis, and Corrine Galloway. For my adaptation, I cast Sienna Miller.

The fifth character that I recast was Anne of Cleaves. She has been played by Pia Girard and Joss Stone. For my adaptation, I cast Ruth Wilson.

The sixth character that I recast was Catherine Howard. She has been played by Emily Blunt and Tamzin Merchant. For my adaptation, I cast Karen Gillan.

The last character that I recast was Catherine Parr. She has been played by Clare Holman and Joely Richardson. For my adaptation, I cast Kate Winslet. 

So what do you all think? Which adaptations have you seen and which one is your favorite? Who would be in your adaptation?

Eden Lake

I just saw Eden Lake and absolutely loved it. As much as I really love films that deal with monsters, fantasy and all that is unreal, I also really love and am truly scared when a film deals with the opposite. The film begins with a young couple starting their romantic weekend at a small, secluded lake that is to eventually be overrun by developers and become just another section of suburbia. Their weekend is disrupted by a group of hoodies. The couple clashed with the group of kids, and things escalate until the group decides to wreak havoc and seek revenge on the young couple. Now the couple must make their way back to the small town on the other side of the woods before the hoodies catch up to them. It literally becomes a fight for survival.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I did not expect much. It seemed like just another scary movie, but the actors delivered amazing performances (Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly were wonderful), and the filmmakers delivered an amazing film. The performances really rang true, and the extremely suspenseful film left me full of anxiety. I absolutely loved it. People watch scary movies for the experience, and this film did not leave me wanting.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Les Liaisons Dangereuses

I just finished watching Les Liaisons Dangereuses. It is based on four volumes published by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos in 1782. I have seen several adaptations for this story and have like all of them (including Dangerous Liaisons, Valmont and Cruel Intentions), so I was pretty eager to see this one. I was especially eager to see Rupert Everett in a French-speaking role. Overall, I must say that I was completely disappointed from beginning to end. The story and the performances were flat and rushed, the actors did not seem believable in the roles, and the editing made it all feel a little too much like a telenovela.

I would definitely not recommend this film. It is definitely not a must-see.

The Damned United

I just saw the Damned United, and really liked it. Michael Sheen must be a really good actor to work with. I feel like every single film that he does now has either the same writer or director of at least four other films that he has done in the past. The Damned United was directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen, and the Deal). It was based on the novel by David Peace.

The film goes back and forth in time, but focuses on the 44 days in which Brian Clough was the manager of Leeds United. There was a lot of friction due to the dirty tactics of some of the players, his dislike for Don Revie (the previous coach) and the sudden disappearance of his right-hand-man, Peter Taylor.  I know very little about the history of English Football, but found this film to be really interesting. There was just enough back-story to give the necessary information without overwhelming me.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Incendiary

I recently saw Incendiary. It took me a little while to actually get into the film (it was one of those situations when the film is really good, but is a completely different type of film from what you expected after watching the trailer), but by the end, I was really enjoying it.

The film was made a few years ago. The film follows a young wife and mother. One the day when her husband and son are killed in a terrorist attack, she is in the arms of another man. She is consumed by grief and guilt. She begins spiraling downward. Meanwhile, two men fight for her affection.

The story itself was a lot slower than I expected, but the performances definitely made up for it. Ewan McGregor was his usual self. I was really impressed with Michelle Williams and especially Matthew Macfadyen. I had seen several of Macfadyen's performances, but this one really blew me away.














I really enjoyed this film. I would definitely recommend it. It is definitely a must-see!

One More Kiss

I recently saw One More Kiss (1999). I have been trying to get a copy of this film to watch for a while now. I was pretty excited when I saw it show up on Hulu the other day. That said, after seeing it, I am a little disappointed. None of the actors were particularly bad (though none of them were particularly good either). I was particularly disappointed with Gerard Butler's performance. Many of his performances in the recent years have led me to expect much more from him.

The film follows a woman that has found out that she is dying. She returns home to Scotland so that she may spend her remaining time with her father and ex-boyfriend. In the process, she ends up breaking up her ex's marriage, wines a lot, and basically learns nothing. 

I would not recommend this film. It is definitely not a must-see.

Dream Cast Thursday! Little Women

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Little Women. It was originally a novel by Louisa May Alcott and was published in two volumes in 1968 and 1969. There were three adaptations that I looked at when making my decisions. These adaptation came out in 1933, 1949, and 1994.

The first character that I cast was Abigail "Marmee" March. She has been played by Spring Byington, Mary Astor, and Susan Sarandon. For my adaptation, I cast Emma Thompson.

The second character that I cast was Jo March. She has been played by Katharine Hepburn, June Allyson, and Winona Ryder. For my adaptation, I cast Rachel McAdams.

The third character that I recast was Meg March. She has been played by Frances Dee, Janet Leigh, and Trini Alvarado. For my adaptation, I cast Rebecca Hall.

The fourth character that I recast was Beth March. She has been played by Jean Parker, Margaret O'Brien, and Claire Danes. For my adaptation, I cast Carey Mulligan.

The fifth character that I recast was Amy March. She has been played by Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, and Kirsten Dunst. For my adaptation, I cast Elle Fanning.

The last character that I recast was Theodore "Laurie" Laurence. He has been played by Douglass Montgomery, Peter Lawford, and Christian Bale. For my adaptation, I cast Matt Bomer.

So what do you all think? Which adaptations have you seen? Who would be in your adaptations?

Dream Cast Thursday! King Arthur

I'm sorry that this one is so late. Things have been pretty crazy this week. For this week's Dream Cast Thursday, I will be recasting the King Arthur legend. There have been very many adaptations of this story. I looked at several adaptations when making my decisions. I looked at Camelot (1967), First Knight (1995), Merlin (1998), The Mists of Avalon (2001), and King Arthur (2004).

The first character that I recast was Arthur. He has been played by Richard Harris, Sean Connery, Paul Curran, Edward Atterron, and Clive Owen.For my adaptation, I recast Michael Fassbender.

The second character that I recast was Guinevere. She has been played by Vanessa Redgrave, Julia Ormond, Lena Headey, Samantha Mathis, and Keira Knightley.For my adaptation, I cast Anna Friel.

The third character that I recast was Lancelot. He has been played by Franco Nero, Richard Gere, Jeremy Sheffield, Michael Vartan, and Ioan Gruffudd.For my adaptation, I cast Henry Cavill.

The fourth character that I recast was Merlin. He has been played by Laurence Naismith, Sam Neill, Michael Byrne, and Stephen Dillane. For my adaptation, I cast Peter O'Toole. 

The fifth character that I recast was Morgaine. She has been played by Helena Bonham Carter and Julianna Margulies.For my adaptation, I cast Polly Walker.

The last character that I recast was Mordred. He has been played by David Hemmings, Jason Done, and Hans Matheson.For my adaptation, I cast Rupert Friend.

So what do you all think? Do you like the King Arthur legend? Which is your favorite adaptation? Who would be in your remake?

Crimes of the Heart

I recently saw Crimes of the Heart. It is based on the play by Beth Henley that was originally completed in 1978. The screenplay was also adapted by Beth Henley and the film was directed by Bruce Beresford.The film was released in 1986.

I really enjoyed this film, and it was cast absolutely perfectly. The film takes place over a period of a couple of days and focuses on the lives of three sisters. The eldest sister, Lenny (Diane Keaton) is turning into an old maid while taking care of their grandfather. Babe (Sissy Spacek), the youngest sister,  has just shot her husband. Meg (Jessica Lange), the middle sister, has been trying to make it in Hollywood as a singer/actress, but has returned after hearing that Babe has been arrested and that their grandfather is dying.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Dream CAst Thursday! Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It was originally a play by Tennessee Williams and was originally published in 1955. When developing my cast for my adaptation, I looked at the casts from the film adaptations made in 1958 and 1984 and the Broadway adaptation that came out in 2008.

The first character that I recast was Brick. He has been played by Paul Newman, Tommy Lee Jones and Terrence Howard. For my adaptation, I cast Patrick Wilson.

The next character that I cast was Maggie. She has been played by Elizabeth Taylor, Jessica Lange, and Anika Noni Rose. For my adaptation, I cast Natalie Dormer.

The last character that I recast was Big Daddy. He has been played by Burl Ives, Rip Torn, and James Earl Jones. For my adaptation, I cast Richard Griffiths.

So what do you all think? What adaptations have you seen? Who would be in your remake?

Personal Effects

I just finished watching Personal Effects. It came out last year and is based on a short story by Rick Moody (the Ice Storm) called Mansion on the Hill. I really enjoyed it.

The film follows Linda. She is a single mother of a deaf-mute boy named Clay. Her husband was shot and killed by his friend. She meets Walter and a courthouse. His sister was brutally raped and killed. Walter and Clay are each unsure of how to deal with their anger. Things become more complicated as Linda and Walter develop an intimate relationship while both waiting for justice after their loved ones' murders.

The performances in this film were amazing. Michelle Pfeiffer (Linda), Spencer Hudson (Clay), and Kathy Bates (Gloria, Walter's mother) were amazing, but I was especially impressed with Ashton Kutcher (Walter). Over the years, I have becomes more and more impressed with him as an actor, but this performance really blew all other performances of his away!

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

War and Peace

I just finished watching War and Peace. This particular adaptation came out in 2007. It is adapted from the novel by Leo Tolstoy that was originally published in 1869. I have never read the novel, so I am not sure how closely this adaptation followed it, but I really enjoyed it!

The film focuses on several aristocratic, Russian families and takes place over the period of time directly before to directly after the French invasion of Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. The film follows Count Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Nikolayevich  Bolkonsky (Pierre's close friend), Princess Maria Nikolayevna Bolkonskaya (Andrei's sister), Countess Natalia Illyinichna Rostova (she is in love with Andrei), Count Nikolai Illyich Rostov (Natalia's brother), Sofia Alexandrovna Rostova (she lives with the Rostovas and is in love with Nikolai), Prince Vasily Sergeyevich Kuragin, Princess Elena Vasilyevna Kuragina (Vasily's daughter), Prince Anatol Vasilyevich Kuragin (Vasily's son), Maria Dmitryevna Akhrosimova, Amalia Evgenyevna Bourienne, and Vasily Dmitrich Denisov.

The film had a lot of characters. One reason that I was able to keep them all straight was because of the magnificent performances. I was very happy to see Alessio Boni in another role. I have seen him in several other films, but have never seen him in an English-speaking role. I also really enjoyed Malcolm McDowell and Brenda Blethyn, but the actor that I was probably most impressed with was Clemence Posey. I have seen her in several roles before, but never one that was so three-dimensional. She gave a really amazing performance.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!