Fireflies in the Garden

I recently saw Fireflies in the Garden and really loved it. The film is based on the poem by Robert Frost and was written and directed by Dennis Lee. The film centers around Michael in both the present and future. The film has a simple story at the forefront. Upon arriving home for the graduation of his mother, he finds that his mother has died in a crash. The more complicated story comes in the form of flashbacks. Through these flashbacks, Michael must deal with his mothers death and hope to fix the very flawed relationship that he has with his father.

Although Michael is at the center of this film, it is truly an ensemble effort. There there many strong and recognizable actors. The true surprise is that many of the more recognizable names were in very unexpected roles. Michael is played by Ryan Reynolds. His aunt and best friend is played by Emily Watson and Hayden Penettiere. Michael's parents are played by Julia Roberts and Willem Dafoe. Carrie-Anne Moss and Ioan Gruffudd play small but very powerful supporting roles.

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

Fish tank

I recently saw a film called Fish Tank. I actually really enjoyed it. The film focuses on a young girl named Mia. She lives on an Essex estate. She has no friends, feels like an outsider with her mother and sister, and has been expelled from school. She spends her days wandering around and practicing her dancing in a vacant flat. Everything changes when her mother brings home a new boyfriend that encourages her to come out of her shell.

There were a lot of new and interesting faces in this film. I have seen Michael Fassbender in many films before, and am usually impressed with his work. This film left me particularly impressed with seventeen year old Katie Jarvis. She played the lead role, and ended up having to take a lot on. There is not much dialogue in the film. In fact, many scenes portray Mia simply by herself. Jarvis did a remarkable job of portraying every feeling and saying nothing.

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

Dream Cast Thursday! The Brontes

For this week's Dream Cast Thursday (technically Friday, since I have been getting these posts out later and later), I will be recasting novels by two of the Bronte sisters. Jane Eyre was published by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was published by Anne Bronte in 1848. When making my casting choices for Jane Eyre, I looked at several adaptations. I looked at the versions of Jane Eyre from 1983, 1996 and 2006, and I looked at adaptations of Wide Sargasso Sea from 1993 and 2006.

The first character that I recast was Jane Eyre. She has been played by Zelah Clarke, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Ruth Wilson. For my adaptation, I cast Claire Foy

The second character that I recast was Edward Fairfax Rochester. He has been played by Timothy Dalton, William Hurt, Nathaniel Parker, Toby Stephens, and Rafe Spall. For my adaptation, I cast Rufus Sewell.

The next character that I recast was Mrs. Fairfax. She has been played by Jean Harvey, Joan Plowright, and Lorraine Ashbourne. For my adaptation, I cast Susan Sarandon.

The last character that I recast was Bertha or Antoinette Cosway. She has been played by Joolia Cappleman, Maria Schneider, Karina Lombard, Claudia Coulter, and Rebecca Hall. For my adaptation, I cast Mili Avital.

When  casting The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, I looked at one adaptation from 1996. The first character that I recast was Helen. She was played by Tara Fitzgerald. For my adaptation, I cast Charlotte Riley.

The second character that I recast was Gilbert Markham. He was played by Toby Stephens. For my adaptation, I cast Henry Cavill.

The third character that I recast was Huntingdon. He was played by Rupert Graves. For my adaptation, I cast Jude Law.

The last character that I recast was Mr. Lawrence. He was played by James Purefoy. For my adaptation, I cast Alex O'Laughlin.

So what do you all think? What are are favorite Bronte novels? What are your favorite adaptations, and who would be in yours?

The Escapist

I recently saw the Escapist and absolutely loved it! The film came out two years ago. It stars Joseph Fiennes, Liam Cunningham, Brian Cox, Dominic Cooper and Seu Jorge as five convicts hoping to escape a prison in London. Each man has a unique skill that makes him necessary for the plan to work. The only thing standing in their way is the convict that basically runs the prison and his junkie brother (Damian Lewis and Steven Mackintosh).

This film was definitely thrilling, but was also very much a psychological drama. The entire cast was really good, but Brian Cox was especially good. Without his performance, I do not think that the film would have been nearly as good. It is through his performance, that all of the others seem to work. He really holds them together. I would definitely recommend this film. It is a must-see!

In the Loop

A little while ago, I saw In the Loop. The film came out last year and is a comedic, but serious look at the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom over the course of several days. The Prime Minister and President each want a war. The British Minister for International Development states on the radio that war is unforeseeable. He later recants and states that "to walk the road of peace, sometimes we need to be ready to climb the mountain of conflict." Both pro and anti-war factions from each government begin maneuvering in response.

This film had a magnificent cast. Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee, Tom Hollander, Mimi Kennedy, Anna Chlumsky, and James Gandolfini were all especially good. The dialogue was witty, and everyone involved was really able to pull it off.

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

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love and Faith in Stages

I just read A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth. This memoir was published a couple of months ago. This was a really fun read. Chenoweth did use a ghost writer, but upon reading the book, I still had the feeling that she was speaking to me. Although this book was full of fun and interesting tidbits, anecdotes, and nuggets of wisdom, it probably would not be very interesting for someone who was not at least a little bit interested in Kristen Chenoweth, her work, or theatre in general. So if you are one of those people, I would definitely recommend this book.

Dream Cast Thursday! Oscar Wilde

I have been really excited about unveiling this Dream Cast Thursday for a while.This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Oscar Wilde themed! This week, I will be recasting An Ideal Husband and the Importance of Being Earnest. Both were originally comedic stage plays by Wilde, but there have been many adaptations. An Ideal Husband was performed for the first time in 1895. The Importance of Being Earnest also premiered in 1895. When choosing my cast, I looked at adaptations that came out in 1999 and 2002.

The first character that I recast from an Ideal Husband was Lord Arthur Goring. He was played by Rupert Everett. For my adaptation, I cast Michael Fassbender.

The second character that I recast was Miss Mabel Chiltern. She was played by Minnie Driver. For my adaptation, I cast Anna Friel.

The third character that I recast was Sir Robert Chiltern. He has been played by Jeremy Northam. For my adaptation, I cast David Tennant.

The fourth character that I cast was Lady Gertrude Chiltern. She was played by Cate Blanchett. For my adaptation, I cast Rosamund Pike. 

The last character that I recast from an Ideal Husband was Mrs. Laura Cheveley. She was played by Julianne Moore. For my adaptation, I cast Rebecca Hall.

The first character that I recast from the Importance of Being Earnest was Jack Worthing. He was played by Colin Firth. For my adaptation, I cast James D'Arcy.

The second character that I recast was Gwendolen Fairfax. She was played by Frances O'Connor. For my adaptation, I cast Kate Winslet.

The third character that I recast was Algernon Moncrieff. He was played by Rupert Everett. For my adaptation, I cast Lee Pace.

The last character that I recast was Cecily Cardew. She was played by Reese Witherspoon. For my adaptation, I cast Juno Temple.

So what do you all think? Have you read/seen the plays? Which are your favorite adaptations and who would be in your cast?

Dream Cast Thursday! Roman Holiday

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Roman Holiday. The film originally came out in 1953 and was written by Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton and directed by William Wyler. This film has always been one of my favorites. The characters and actors are completely intertwined within my head, so going in, I knew that finding a new cast would be difficult.

The first character that I recast was Princess Ann. She was originally played by Audrey Hepburn. This was probably the hardest character to cast, because in my mind, there is no one like Audrey Hepburn. She is a legend and an icon. I went back and forth between many actresses. For my adaptation, I finally decided on a French actress named Audrey Tautou.

The second character that I recast was Joe Bradley. This was somewhat easier, but still a really hard decision to make. He was originally played by Gregory Peck. For my adaptation, I chose an Australian actor named Simon Baker.

The last character that I recast was Irving Radovich. This was the easiest of the decisions to make, because once I had the actor that I finally chose in mind, there seemed to be no one better suited for the part. He was originally played by Eddie Albert. For my adaptation, I chose another Australian actor named Joel Edgerton.

So what do you all think? Have you seen the original? Who would be in your adaptation?

Goya's Ghosts

I was completely amazed by this new film that I saw. Goya's Ghosts came out in 2006. I remembered seeing the trailer and wanting to see it, but I never really got the chance. The story was not particularly groundbreaking. The thing that really amazed me were the performances. There were a couple of really good performances from Javier Bardem and Stellan Skarsgard, but I was completely blown away by Natalie Portman. She played two different characters. Many actors have done this before, but she really got it right. I saw two completely different performances side-by-side.

The film is based on the painter, Goya. He faces the Spanish Inquisition after his muse, Ines, is arrested for heresy. Goya uses his connection to Brother Lorenzo in order to set-up a metting between powerful Inquisitors and Ines' family. The plot thickens as political and religious power changes hands and people change sides.

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

The Long, Hot Summer

I just saw The Long, Hot Summer and really enjoyed it! The film came out in 1958 and was based on The Hamlet by William Faulkner. The film follows Ben Quick. He is a con man and has been accused of barn burning. This is considered a very serious offense. Ben is soon hired by Will Varner. Will wants Ben to take the place of his son, Jody who lacks ambition and has been unable to get his wife pregnant. Will also wants Ben to marry his daughter, Clara.

The dialogue and the casting decisions for this film were brilliant. This was one of the very few situations in which a real-life couple actually managed to have chemistry on-screen. Joanne Woodward did a pretty good job in the role of Clara Varner. Paul Newman and Orson Welles were magnificent in the roles of Ben Quick and Will Varner.

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

New York I Love You

I just saw New York, I Love You and actually really liked it. It came out last year. I originally heard some bad reviews. Many people said that it did not live up to Paris, Je T'aime, but I think that in some ways, it was actually better. I did not like the fact that, unlike the first film, every story seemed to be a pretty clear-cut love story, but I did like the presence of closure that I found in many of the stories that was simply not as present in the first film.

I do not want to go into detail about the actual stories, because that would give too much away. What I will say is that I was impressed with many of the cameos both in front of and behind the screen. These cameos included Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Ethan Hawke, Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Robin Wright, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, John Hurt, Andy Garcia, Chris Cooper, Cloris Leachman, and Julie Christie.

There were many actors that continually give the wonderful performances that I have come to expect. A few surprised me. I was really impressed by the performances of Orlando Bloom, Shia LaBeouf, and Bradley Cooper. Most of the actors were cast outside the normal roles that they are given. It was a really pleasant surprise.

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

My Top Ten List

1. All About Eve
    1950
    Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
    Wri. Joseph L. Mankiewicz

2. Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang
    2005
    Dir. Shane Black
    Wri. Brett Halliday
            Shane Black

3. Braveheart
    1995
    Dir. Mel Gibson
    Wri. Randall Wallace

4. The Fifth Element
    1997
    Dir. Luc Besson
    Wri. Luc Besson

5. Titanic
    1997
    Dir. James Cameron
    Wri. James Cameron

6. Young Frankenstein
     1974
     Dir. Mel Brooks
     Wri. Mel Brooks
             Gene Wilder

7. Reservoir Dogs
    1992
    Dir. Quentin Tarantino
    Wri. Quentin Tarantino

8. M
    1931
    Dir. Fritz Lang
    Wri. Thea von Harbou
            Fritz Lang

9. The Importance of Being Earnest
     2002
     Dir. Oliver Parker
     Wri. Oliver Parker
             Oscar Wilde

10. Silverado
      1985
      Dir. Lawrence Kasdan
      Wri. Lawrence Kasdan
              Mark Kasdan



It took me a really long time to narrow down this list. In case you are interested, here are some of the films that I considered that did not make the list:

L.A. Confidential, Moonstruck, Aliens, Gone With the Wind, Almost Famous, Anastasia, The Boondock Saints, Diner, The English Patient, Leon: the Professional, Legends of the Fall, Love Me If You Dare, Notorious, A Room with a View,The Descent, 28 Days Later, Glorious 39, Notturno Bus, and Double Indemnity.