All posts by Giadreams (themoviemylife.com)

I love movies and writing about them, spoiler-free. :-)
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, No Spoiler Reviews

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN (2012): Great Example of Trailer Perfection

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Snow White And The Huntsman (2012)
Snow White And The Huntsman (2012)

From the beautifully paced editing and perfect choice of music, to the narrative concept, dialogue and visuals/special effects, the Snow White And The Huntsman (2012) trailer provides just enough detail to make you aware that this is a wonderfully different retelling.

The decision to make Charlize Theron the key focus of the trailer is just right. This isn’t a film aimed at the traditional young Disney audience. Hence, the absence of elements that, quite frankly, I’m glad are nowhere to be found. Musical numbers are just one of them.

This tantalisingly dark 1-minute 54-second trailer arrests the senses and refuses to let go until the very last second. What a wonderful marriage of audio-visual delight delivered to perfection.

For many, Kristen Stuart is the big draw, which is unsurprising due to the success of The Twilight Saga. For me, though, without question, it’s Theron.

The tone and delivery of Theron’s performance is such a thrill to behold that to date, I’ve watched the trailer countless times.

The Snow White & The Huntsman trailer has a place in a compilation of my favourite film trailers of 2012. It also makes it on my list of favourite Charlize Theron performances; Monster (2003) is one other.

I can tell you’re also excited.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Adventure, Family, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

MALEFICENT (2014): Definitely Not Your Typical Disney Evil Queen

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Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent (2014)

Paragraph 5 (Spoiler Alert)

Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of Maleficent has been criticised for not being evil enough. I think people of this opinion have missed the point of the film entirely.

Not to say that the movie is perfect because the pace did leave me wanting. Nevertheless,  it’s clear to me that for audiences to buy into the story, Jolie definitely couldn’t look for inspiration for her character from the likes of pre-existing Queens of pure evil. A perfect example being ‘Queen Revenna’ of Snow White And The Huntsman (2012) – wonderfully played by Charlize Theron.

No, no, no. Jolie would have to study characters far more complex. I imagine that she must have because Maleficent is absolutely unlike the traditional evil queen, and that doesn’t make for a lesser film, but a different one.

Besides my issues with the pace, there is one aspect of the story that  I found particularly hard to accept…

…now, I may be overthinking things since I’m not the film’s key demographic. But… with Maleficent being not just a fairy with powers, and instead ’the strongest of the fairies’, I expected that she would have the means to regenerate her wings. And if she couldn’t do this, I imagined she would at least use her magic to locate the wings – once she’d used the same special powers to learn that her wings had not been completely destroyed. Am I alone in this?

I have no regrets at all about watching the film. The difference was refreshing. Plus, I LOVE Angelina Jolie! She could lead me almost anywhere. Probably.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Adventure, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

JAMES BOND – WHY CASINO ROYALE (2006) Is ‘THE ONE’

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James Bond (Daniel Craig), Casino Royal (2006)
James Bond (Daniel Craig), Casino Royal (2006)

Roger Moore was my favourite James Bond for a very long time. Mainly because he’s the star of the first Bond film I ever watched. However, absolutely everything changed when my dear Mr. Craig, Daniel Craig, came along.

I didn’t care that, at the time Craig was announced as the new Bond, most believed him to be the wrong choice. I was far too busy being excited about radical change was finally coming. Especially since, like many other fans, I had fallen out of love with what the franchise had become before Casino Royale.

Since Casino Royale is the very first James Bond book, one could surmise that, finally, audiences would get an insight into what it is that really makes 007 tick. The film certainly delivers in this regard and in several others, including all the elements that make for a great action movie. Namely, brilliant dialogue, to mention just one.

The unapologetic brute force of Craig’s Bond is a huge part of what makes Casino Royale such a memorable comeback for the franchise, and part of the reason why the film is my favourite Bond to date.

I will not drop any spoilers for those yet to watch the movie, but I will say this: ‘The first 20 minutes are brilliant, and you’ll be glad to learn that the rest of the movie continues, as such‘.

Have you seen it? If so, you know it’s the best, don’t you? Say it. Saay Ittt!

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Adventure, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

TAKEN (2008): The Less You Know Before Watching, The Better…

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Taken (2008), Liam Neeson
Taken (2008), Liam Neeson

For quite some time now, my youngest brother, (knowing how much I love movies) recommended that I should watch director Pierre Morel and co-writers Luc Besson plus Robert Mark Kamen’s Taken (2008).

Unfortunately, for a while, I kept disappointing him each time he checked to see whether I’d finally seen it.

I could never give him a definite viewing date because I have to be in the right mood to watch certain movies. Also,  one thing he did insist on was that all I needed to know before watching the film is the name of its star, Liam Neeson and that it’s worth my time. I accepted this restriction and I’m so glad I did because Taken is a well-executed action movie. The kind that will have you so very engrossed as the story unfolds, and at a pace that leaves nothing more to be desired.

I honestly could not recommend this movie more. If you’ve already seen it, then you know precisely what I’m talking about. But if you’re yet to experience Taken I suggest choosing to know as little as possible before pressing the play button. Trust me when I say that doing this will only enhance your experience of the film.

Additional key cast includes Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen among others.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, No Spoiler Reviews

SETH ROGEN’S This Is The End (2013). Funny? YES!

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This is The End (2013), Seth Rogen, James Franco
This is The End (2013), Seth Rogen, James Franco

I learned today that two close friends of mine do not find Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s This Is The End (2013) funny. After getting over the initial shock and coming to terms with it, I made an effort to understand by running through the possible reasonable explanations:

  1. They haven’t watched or enjoyed Pineapple Express (2008), Superbad (2007) Knocked Up (2007) or other great comedies by Rogen and Goldberg.
  2. They must not have been in the right frame of mind to properly appreciate the movie’s greatness. I mean, I do believe that you have to be ‘in the mood‘ for certain films (comedy, drama, action, horror, etc.) to get the best out of them.
  3. They were too tired to pay due attention.

Following my analysis, none of the above explanations were correct. I was therefore left with the only possible answer. Something is very wrong with both of my friends. As such, attempting to make further sense of the situation is a fool’s errand.

I wonder, what do you think? Did you find This Is The End funny or am I mistaken? I know deep down that I’m not, of course. But it’s generally nice to ask.

Happy Film Loving,

G