Excerpts mainly from LoveFilm which we use to hire DVDs
The Skin I Live In (not the type of film you think it is when you start
so stick with it even if some of it is uncomfortable viewing you will be
so glad you did - we were gripped and talking about it still a week
later)
"Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard
(Antonio Banderas), an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested in
creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve
years, he manages to cultivate a skin that is a real shield against
every assault. In addition to years of study and experimentation, Robert
needed a further three things: no scruples, an accomplice and a human
guinea pig. Scruples were never a problem. Marilia, the woman who looked
after him from the day he was born, is his most faithful accomplice.
And as for the human guinea pig...
"
Sexmission
Brilliant in the cheesy sets and music plus plot. A right old Polish delight I wish to remake in English.
"Two scientists are chosen as guinea pigs for a time experiment: they are
placed in hibernation and should be brought back to life after three
years. In the meantime, however, the World War III breaks out and life
have been wiped out of the surface of the Earth. When they wake up, it
turns out that not only 50 years have passed but also that they are the
only living specimens of the male sex in a new, underground society
composed exclusively of women. Max used to be woman-chaser so he finds
himself in heaven. Albert, on the other hand, forgot all about love and
sex as a serious scientist, but is willing to learn. So are the Amazons,
who after a kiss turn into pliant kittens."
Priceless
"Delightful French comedy features AMELIE star Audrey Tautou and the
charming Gad Elmaleh (THE VALET). Jean (Elmaleh) is a hardworking
employee at one of southern France's elite resort hotels. He is known
for his excellent work ethic, but that changes after a chance encounter
with sexy hotel guest Irene (Tautou). Bored with her wealthy and much
older boyfriend/benefactor"
3 Idiots
Stay with it and you will be entranced. A bollywood beauty that's not the old bollywood.
The Closet
"Witty French commentary on political correctness in the work place. A
senior executive at a small corporation, Pignon overhears rumors
that he is going to be fired. On top of a difficult relationship with
his ex-wife and a failing relationship with his sullen teenage son, the
idea of losing his job and becoming incapable of making alimony payments
is unfathomable. That's why, when Pignon's next door neighbor (Michel
Aumont) offers a
solution to his problems, Pignon is quick to accept: He comes out of the
closet, convincing his coworkers that he is gay, and making it
improbable that the company would fire him at risk of legal action. But
before he knows it, Pignon's plan has backfired and metamorphosed in
hilarious ways, causing a string of bizarre office-related situations
and family dilemmas that are both complex and comic."
Romantics Anonymous
"This is a story about love at first sight between Angélique and Jean-René who are both extremely shy."... and chocolate making.
Lovers of the Arctic Circle (Andrew didn't like it all but I did)
"In The Lovers of the Arctic Circle, Julio Medem weaves a complex story,
dense with plot, symbol, and allegory, about the romance between Ana and
Otto. Shot with keen visual sensitivity, Lovers is a film of strongly
composed images and elaborately crafted structure which explores the
themes of chance and destiny."
Nikita by Luc Besson
Nearly fainted when I left the cinema I was holding my breath so much
"The serpentine plotline of Luc Besson's La Femme Nikita begins its
117-minute slither when punkish, psychotic, and drug-ridden Nikita (Anne
Parillaud) fires her gun into a cop's face following the stick-up of a
drug store, and is promptly imprisoned. She is thrown into a dank cell,
then injected with a substance and told it is a lethal toxin. Instead of
dying, however, the comes to in an all-white interrogation room, where
French intelligence officer Bob (Tchéky Karyo), informs her that an
alternate to execution exists: she can receive covert government
training as an assassin. She accepts the bid, is rigorously trained, and
later returns to society as a seemingly normal and gentle civilian, but
falls in love with a drugstore employee while she's waiting for that
first government assignment. The paradoxical concept of a young woman
blossoming socially while carrying out cold-blooded murders was
downplayed when La Femme Nikita was remade in America as the silly and
disappointing Point of No Return"
Broken Embraces
Wonderful Almodovar film about obsession.
Talk to Her
"Driven by similar themes of fate, destiny, magic, and chance happenings,
TALK TO HER is the tale of two men whose lives intertwine
unpredictably."
Volver
Great film - even better if you adore Penelope Cruz
"Pedro Almodovar directs this mysterious and suspenseful film with
panache and Penelope Cruz--with the enhancement of a prosthetic
backside--shines in a sparkling performance."
The Motorcycle Diaries
"An adaptation of a journal written by Che Guevara when he was 23 years
old. Along with his friend Alberto Granado he crossed South America by
motorcycle in the 1950s and he recounts some of their adventures."
Adventures of Adele Blanc Sec
My favourite heroine ever and a delightful crazy fantasy adventure film - Indiana Jones meets Moulin Rouge meets Jurassic Park meets Harry Potter
"Legendary director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon) transports us to
the wild days of early Twentieth Century Paris, where feisty young
writer Adele Blanc-Sec embarks on thrilling missions to find exciting
material for her book and a cure for her sick sister. She sails to
Egypt to raid a tomb that supposedly hides the cure, but what will she
do when an army of resurrected mummies get in the way?"
Monday, September 10, 2012
English language DVD film recommendations
Excerpts mainly from LoveFilm which we use to hire DVDs
The Help
"Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives and a Mississippi town upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families."
Source Code
A modern day scifi groundhog day which is very good.
Sherlock Holmes
"On a quest to solve a string of mysterious and brutal murders, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his trusted ally Watson (Jude Law) plunge into a world of dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic, and a good right hook, are the best crime fighting weapons. Explosive action, baffling mystery and astonishing intrigue follow the two in a race to uncover and foil a terrifying plot that threatens to destroy the country. "
As good as it gets
Best Jack Nicholson movie ever
"Melvin Udall is a novelist who delights in his own ability to offend, repulse, affront and wound - not minding who he upsets in the process. It takes waitress Carol Connelly and the unexpected act of kindness of babysitting a neighbour's dog to put him back on track... "
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
A Woody Allen that even Woody Allen haters can love.
"A sizzling, erotically charged, relentlessly hilarious and touching romantic comedy that won Penelope Cruz an Oscar"
Analyze this
A funny one I can watch many times over
"Paul Vitti is one of New York's most powerful gangsters. When it becomes time for Paul Vitti to assume his role as the leader of his crime family, he suddenly starts having panic attacks so seeks help of Ben Sobol, a divorced suburban New York psychiatrist."
The Station Agent - I so so so love this film. Ploddy but superb.
"Finbar McBride inherits an abandoned railway station in rural New Jersey. A dwarf who avoids social contact whenever possible, Fin treks out to the property and moves in. However, his newly isolated life is disrupted by the arrival of the well meaning Joe and Olivia. As Joe and Olivia slowly bring Fin out of his shell, all three people are affected by their newfound friendships."
Little Miss Sunshine
"Little Miss Sunshine is a brazenly satirical and yet deeply human American road comedy. The film introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured families in recent cinema history: the Hoovers, whose trip to a pre-pubescent beauty pageant results not only in comic mayhem but in death, transformation and a moving look at the surprising rewards of being losers in a winning-crazed culture. A runaway hit at the Sundance Film Festival, where it played to standing ovations, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's ever been awestruck by how their muddled families seem to make it after all."
Law Abiding Citizen
"An everyday guy decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets his family's killers free. His target: The district attorney who orchestrated the deal."
Mamma Mia
For the beautiful Greek island scenery and Abba songs. So very cheesy. Love the bit where Meryl Streep cries in the toilet and the girls outside sing "Chiquitita, what's wrong"
Angus Things and Perfect Snogging
"A light-hearted, yet poignant look into the life of struggling teen, Georgia Nicolson. This tremendously fun rites of passage tale is Britain's answer to the burgeoning teen comedy sub genre."
Love Actually
I love this film but Andrew hates it. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" fall in to that category too.
50 First Dates
"Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) works at a Hawaiian Sea World park as a marine biologist. He enjoys the company of women and spends his time picking up tourists. One of the tourists he befriends is Lucy (Drew Barrymore) and unlike the rest of his flings, who only survive the afternoon, Henry is keen to meet up with her the next day. Unfortunately when the next day arrives, Lucy can't remember ever meeting Henry and he soon discovers that, following an accident, she suffers from short term memory loss. Every day he has to woo her again and again and trust that she falls in love with him every time."
You Don't Mess with The Zohan
Because sometimes we like a ridiculous comedy.
"Funnymen Robert Smigel, Adam Sandler, and Judd Apatow join forces to pen this comedy about an ex-Israeli soldier. Zohan (Sandler) may be a master with weapons and hand-to-hand combat, but all he really wants to do is cut hair in New York City."
City Island
"When prison guard and New York family man, Vince Rizzo, sees a familiar name among the new convicts list, he realizes it belongs to a boy who he fathered 20 years earlier but abandoned. Now married with a new family, Vince takes his long-lost son, Tony Nardella, home with him -- not telling his family who Tony really is. This isn't that unusual, as the Rizzo family is filled with secrets from each other."
The Green Mile
"A hopeful charmer with a hint of the supernatural. The story focuses on Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), a Louisiana security guard who works on death row during the Great Depression. When John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a gigantic black man convicted of raping and murdering two white girls, joins the other prisoners on the row, Paul's life is forever altered. Coffey doesn't fit the mold of a psychopathic killer; he's kind, gentle, and afraid of the dark."
Leon
Ah that super Luc Besson makes an English language gem we can all enjoy
"A murder on the streets of New York leads to a deadly game of cat and mouse while an orphaned twelve-year-old girl becomes caught in the middle..."
The Fifth Element
Again thanks Luc
"Good and evil battle for the future of 23rd century Earth in this visually striking big-budget science fiction epic with Bruce Willis. Writer and director Luc Besson began writing the script for The Fifth Element when he was only 16 years old, though he was 38 before he was able to bring it to the screen."
Mulholland Drive
Weird shit that is quite good
"David Lynch strikes again with this literal nightmare of a motion picture--a brilliant, scathing, hysterical, and haunting ode to Hollywood. In the film, a mysterious dark-haired woman (Laura Elena Harring) emerges from an accident with a purse full of cash and a head full of amnesia. Meanwhile, Betty Elms (Naomi Watts), a wide-eyed gal from Deep River, Ontario, has just landed in Los Angeles with dreams of movie stardom. When Betty finds the nameless beauty in her aunt's apartment, she is deeply intrigued by the situation and offers to help her. This sends the two women on a bizarre search for the truth through the macabre, sun-soaked streets of the City of Angels, where the mob, a young film director (Justin Theroux), a studio executive with a tiny head, and an enigmatic figure named the Cowboy all float into the picture, then out again, until there is no longer any distinction between what is dream and what is reality."
Anything Else
Only if you are a Woody Allen fan which I am
"Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci star as a mismatched couple in Woody Allen's funny and well-made romantic comedy ANYTHING ELSE. Biggs plays Jerry Falk, a young comedy writer looking to make it big, while Ricci is Amanda, a self-absorbed free spirit whom men go wild for. They fall for each other instantly near the beginning of the film, then spend the rest of the movie trying to work out their very complex and complicated relationship"
Hannah and her Sisters
Again only those who Woody does not annoy. It's Woody genius. I'll sum it up with my fav quotes from the movie"
“Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands” E. E. Cummings
“This non person, this haircut that pretends to be a man” Hannah’s mother
“The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless.” Tolstoy
The Princess Bride
Based on the brilliant book it is funny and entertaining. It's my writer's template for the perfect novel / screen play.
"Director Rob Reiner breathes vividly colored cinematic life into William Goldman's THE PRINCESS BRIDE, effectively evoking the wondrous, wide-eyed spirit of the witty 1973 novel. When a sick boy (Fred Savage) receives a visit from his doting grandfather (Peter Falk) who intends to read to him from his favorite book, he's not exactly pleased to be extracted from his world of video games. However, his mood quickly changes as he, along with the viewer, is transported to a place out of time-to Florin, a kingdom in the ultimate imaginary land, complete with dashing heroes, cowardly princes, rhyming giants, shrieking eels, rodents of unusual size, fancy swordfights, and yes...even some kissing."
The Help
"Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives and a Mississippi town upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families."
Source Code
A modern day scifi groundhog day which is very good.
Sherlock Holmes
"On a quest to solve a string of mysterious and brutal murders, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his trusted ally Watson (Jude Law) plunge into a world of dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic, and a good right hook, are the best crime fighting weapons. Explosive action, baffling mystery and astonishing intrigue follow the two in a race to uncover and foil a terrifying plot that threatens to destroy the country. "
As good as it gets
Best Jack Nicholson movie ever
"Melvin Udall is a novelist who delights in his own ability to offend, repulse, affront and wound - not minding who he upsets in the process. It takes waitress Carol Connelly and the unexpected act of kindness of babysitting a neighbour's dog to put him back on track... "
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
A Woody Allen that even Woody Allen haters can love.
"A sizzling, erotically charged, relentlessly hilarious and touching romantic comedy that won Penelope Cruz an Oscar"
Analyze this
A funny one I can watch many times over
"Paul Vitti is one of New York's most powerful gangsters. When it becomes time for Paul Vitti to assume his role as the leader of his crime family, he suddenly starts having panic attacks so seeks help of Ben Sobol, a divorced suburban New York psychiatrist."
The Station Agent - I so so so love this film. Ploddy but superb.
"Finbar McBride inherits an abandoned railway station in rural New Jersey. A dwarf who avoids social contact whenever possible, Fin treks out to the property and moves in. However, his newly isolated life is disrupted by the arrival of the well meaning Joe and Olivia. As Joe and Olivia slowly bring Fin out of his shell, all three people are affected by their newfound friendships."
Little Miss Sunshine
"Little Miss Sunshine is a brazenly satirical and yet deeply human American road comedy. The film introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured families in recent cinema history: the Hoovers, whose trip to a pre-pubescent beauty pageant results not only in comic mayhem but in death, transformation and a moving look at the surprising rewards of being losers in a winning-crazed culture. A runaway hit at the Sundance Film Festival, where it played to standing ovations, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's ever been awestruck by how their muddled families seem to make it after all."
Law Abiding Citizen
"An everyday guy decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets his family's killers free. His target: The district attorney who orchestrated the deal."
Mamma Mia
For the beautiful Greek island scenery and Abba songs. So very cheesy. Love the bit where Meryl Streep cries in the toilet and the girls outside sing "Chiquitita, what's wrong"
Angus Things and Perfect Snogging
"A light-hearted, yet poignant look into the life of struggling teen, Georgia Nicolson. This tremendously fun rites of passage tale is Britain's answer to the burgeoning teen comedy sub genre."
Love Actually
I love this film but Andrew hates it. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" fall in to that category too.
50 First Dates
"Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) works at a Hawaiian Sea World park as a marine biologist. He enjoys the company of women and spends his time picking up tourists. One of the tourists he befriends is Lucy (Drew Barrymore) and unlike the rest of his flings, who only survive the afternoon, Henry is keen to meet up with her the next day. Unfortunately when the next day arrives, Lucy can't remember ever meeting Henry and he soon discovers that, following an accident, she suffers from short term memory loss. Every day he has to woo her again and again and trust that she falls in love with him every time."
You Don't Mess with The Zohan
Because sometimes we like a ridiculous comedy.
"Funnymen Robert Smigel, Adam Sandler, and Judd Apatow join forces to pen this comedy about an ex-Israeli soldier. Zohan (Sandler) may be a master with weapons and hand-to-hand combat, but all he really wants to do is cut hair in New York City."
City Island
"When prison guard and New York family man, Vince Rizzo, sees a familiar name among the new convicts list, he realizes it belongs to a boy who he fathered 20 years earlier but abandoned. Now married with a new family, Vince takes his long-lost son, Tony Nardella, home with him -- not telling his family who Tony really is. This isn't that unusual, as the Rizzo family is filled with secrets from each other."
The Green Mile
"A hopeful charmer with a hint of the supernatural. The story focuses on Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), a Louisiana security guard who works on death row during the Great Depression. When John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a gigantic black man convicted of raping and murdering two white girls, joins the other prisoners on the row, Paul's life is forever altered. Coffey doesn't fit the mold of a psychopathic killer; he's kind, gentle, and afraid of the dark."
Leon
Ah that super Luc Besson makes an English language gem we can all enjoy
"A murder on the streets of New York leads to a deadly game of cat and mouse while an orphaned twelve-year-old girl becomes caught in the middle..."
The Fifth Element
Again thanks Luc
"Good and evil battle for the future of 23rd century Earth in this visually striking big-budget science fiction epic with Bruce Willis. Writer and director Luc Besson began writing the script for The Fifth Element when he was only 16 years old, though he was 38 before he was able to bring it to the screen."
Mulholland Drive
Weird shit that is quite good
"David Lynch strikes again with this literal nightmare of a motion picture--a brilliant, scathing, hysterical, and haunting ode to Hollywood. In the film, a mysterious dark-haired woman (Laura Elena Harring) emerges from an accident with a purse full of cash and a head full of amnesia. Meanwhile, Betty Elms (Naomi Watts), a wide-eyed gal from Deep River, Ontario, has just landed in Los Angeles with dreams of movie stardom. When Betty finds the nameless beauty in her aunt's apartment, she is deeply intrigued by the situation and offers to help her. This sends the two women on a bizarre search for the truth through the macabre, sun-soaked streets of the City of Angels, where the mob, a young film director (Justin Theroux), a studio executive with a tiny head, and an enigmatic figure named the Cowboy all float into the picture, then out again, until there is no longer any distinction between what is dream and what is reality."
Anything Else
Only if you are a Woody Allen fan which I am
"Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci star as a mismatched couple in Woody Allen's funny and well-made romantic comedy ANYTHING ELSE. Biggs plays Jerry Falk, a young comedy writer looking to make it big, while Ricci is Amanda, a self-absorbed free spirit whom men go wild for. They fall for each other instantly near the beginning of the film, then spend the rest of the movie trying to work out their very complex and complicated relationship"
Hannah and her Sisters
Again only those who Woody does not annoy. It's Woody genius. I'll sum it up with my fav quotes from the movie"
“Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands” E. E. Cummings
“This non person, this haircut that pretends to be a man” Hannah’s mother
“The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless.” Tolstoy
The Princess Bride
Based on the brilliant book it is funny and entertaining. It's my writer's template for the perfect novel / screen play.
"Director Rob Reiner breathes vividly colored cinematic life into William Goldman's THE PRINCESS BRIDE, effectively evoking the wondrous, wide-eyed spirit of the witty 1973 novel. When a sick boy (Fred Savage) receives a visit from his doting grandfather (Peter Falk) who intends to read to him from his favorite book, he's not exactly pleased to be extracted from his world of video games. However, his mood quickly changes as he, along with the viewer, is transported to a place out of time-to Florin, a kingdom in the ultimate imaginary land, complete with dashing heroes, cowardly princes, rhyming giants, shrieking eels, rodents of unusual size, fancy swordfights, and yes...even some kissing."
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Favourite email this week
I love that my friends are as bonkers as I am
"Was just in the loo at work and I had read that you should wash your hands as long as it takes you to sing happy birthday. Twice if you have a poo. I started singing it out loud whilst washing my hands and then realised someone was in one of the cubicles. They then came out and said "happy birthday" and I said "thanks" because I didn't want to sound mad. Now I am worried that he'll tell people it's my birthday!!!"
"Was just in the loo at work and I had read that you should wash your hands as long as it takes you to sing happy birthday. Twice if you have a poo. I started singing it out loud whilst washing my hands and then realised someone was in one of the cubicles. They then came out and said "happy birthday" and I said "thanks" because I didn't want to sound mad. Now I am worried that he'll tell people it's my birthday!!!"
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Find out which foods to buy organic as they are not all smothered in pesticides
Are you needlessly buying organic. Here is some useful guidance on which fruit and vegetables you should buy as organic and which it really does not make a big difference so you can save those pennies.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Slimmer healthier husband is looking amazing - fitness and food hospital benefits
My husband just walked in to my office in his pants, ipod in hand, ready to get on the exercise bike and I was really taken by how he looks so so good these days. He looks amazing and not saying that just because he's my bit of stuff.
The belly and love handles are reduced. In his face he looks so much healthier, more relaxed and happier - almost glowing like a pregnant woman. It's lovely to see after his suffering the past year and he has not suffered gastro problems since he did his cleansing diet.
Amazing what difference it makes when you decide to concentrate on yourself by exercising and eating healthily. To be fair as a celiac vegetarian he was eating healthily but is now adding some 'super foods' to the mix, not eating refined sugar, juicing and not having loads of gluten free products as they are in fact heavily processed.
If you have health issues I urge you to exercise (30 mins a day if you want to lose weight - even walking as fast as you can comfortably manage is fantastic) and switch to a mega healthy diet. The fitness and food hospital is very very powerful! Has really helped me too.
We are now regularly moving our bodies and putting healthy things that are easy to digest into our bodies. In short we are living the life our bodies are designed to. No wonder it's much more harmonious.
The belly and love handles are reduced. In his face he looks so much healthier, more relaxed and happier - almost glowing like a pregnant woman. It's lovely to see after his suffering the past year and he has not suffered gastro problems since he did his cleansing diet.
Amazing what difference it makes when you decide to concentrate on yourself by exercising and eating healthily. To be fair as a celiac vegetarian he was eating healthily but is now adding some 'super foods' to the mix, not eating refined sugar, juicing and not having loads of gluten free products as they are in fact heavily processed.
If you have health issues I urge you to exercise (30 mins a day if you want to lose weight - even walking as fast as you can comfortably manage is fantastic) and switch to a mega healthy diet. The fitness and food hospital is very very powerful! Has really helped me too.
We are now regularly moving our bodies and putting healthy things that are easy to digest into our bodies. In short we are living the life our bodies are designed to. No wonder it's much more harmonious.
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