Christopher Robin (2018), Ewan McGregor, Jim Cummings (Pooh’s Voice)
Marc Forster directs Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and Chris O’Dowd in Disney’s live action adaptation of Christopher Robin.
Robin was once a young boy who loved adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with his spirited and loveable stuffed animals. Now he’s grown up and needs help to rediscover the joys of life with some help from his childhood friend, Winnie The Pooh.
Two Christopher Robin movies within twelve months? Disney has been busy. I actually haven’t yet seen the first one, Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)And I’m more excited about this one.
Last thought, why isn’t Pooh yellow in this trailer?
The Incredible Jessica James (2017), Jessica Williams
The Incredible Jessica James is not a superhero movie as I first thought. It is, in fact, a comedy about an aspiring New York-based playwright played by Jessica Williams, an actor I first saw in the fun 2015 comedy, People Places Things.
The story, written and directed by Jim Strouse, who also wrote and directedPeople Places Things, centres around Miss James’s friendship with a guy called Boone (Chris O’Dowd). A friendship that begins while Miss Jones is on the rebound from a break-up.
There are one or two scenes at the beginning of this moviewhere I thought, ‘the camera is spending too long on this moment’. Luckily, for me, as the film progressed, I grew to like it more and more.
Williams did a good job of portraying all that is incredible about Miss James, and I enjoyed the writing, especially as I found that I identify with Miss James in several ways. To mention just one way (you may also relate to this), I also have a slightly less than ordinary dream that requires much dedication.
Noël Wells, an actor I first saw in Aziz Ansari’s rather good series Master of None 2015 – 2021), was a highlight.I also lovedO’Dowd, who was, as always, a delight to watch in comedy/drama roles.
By the end of The Incredible Jessica James, my thoughts had evolved from ‘the camera is spending too long on this moment’ to ‘Miss James may not wear a special suit or a cape, but she really is quite incredible’.
Not only did I want to be as cool as Jessica James, but I’d decided that I’d tune in, in the event this movie were turned into a series.
Co-written/directed by Russell Harbaugh, and starring Andie McDowell, Chris O’Dowd, and Dree Hemingway, Love After Love is a new drama with grief at its centre.
Two brothers just lost their father and their own lives while watching their mother start anew.
I like a good revealing family drama, and this looks like just that.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2016), Asa Butterfield
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is enjoyable and well-acted. Eva Green’s talents, and a bunch of children with abilities different to what I’ve already seen in plenty of superhero movies, were what appealed the most.
I also loved watching Chris O’Dowd in a ‘struggling father’ role – a highlight because he did a good job. The storyis well-constructed, and with Tim Burton, plus his rich imagination in the director’s chair, it’s unsurprising that the visual manifestations of writer Ransom Riggs’s characters are another highlight.
Contrary to my initial thoughts after watching the trailer, Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children are not quite superheroes in the traditional sense. Reason being, their main concern is saving their own particular kind rather than humanity as a whole (not a criticism, just something I realised).
There is a moment in the movie where I thought, ‘really? you went with that take?’ It was during Asa Butterfields’s character’s anguish at his grandfather’s demise. It’s not so much that there were no tears in sight since I know that not everyone cries in such predicaments. It’s that his supposed anguish didn’t ring particularly true for me. Something about the rhythm, maybe.
Though not exactly perfect, I say watch Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children for the story, fun adventure, special effects and refreshing difference when compared to the ‘peculiarities’ of todays well-known superhero movie characters.
As the trailer promised, Mascots has a healthy serving of quirky and entertaining characters. A very special selection of unusual people gathered in one place for the 8th World Mascot Association Championships; a sports mascot competition in which the very best sports mascots compete for the ‘Golden Fluffy Award’.
I’m one of those people who stopped watching television talent programmes because I could no longer take all the seemingly forced and inauthentic sob stories. I also decided that life’s not long enough for me to be ok with sitting through the numerous delusional performer’s unbearably cringeworthy interactions with the judges. Luckily for me, there’s none of that nonsense in Mascots.
Mascots (2016), Susan Yeagley, Parker Posey
I loved the humour and the stories of people unapologetically being their – often very peculiar selves. Sid The Hedgehog (Tom Bennett) and Alvin The Armadillo (Parker Posey) are my two favourites.
Mascots is perfect for a relaxed evening’s viewing. I spent most of the time smiling rather than laughing but in this instance, that’s not a bad thing. I like the shooting style which towards the end really had me feeling as though I were right there in the venue audience.
I’m not quite sure if Mascots is based on a real sports mascot competition of this kind but if someone had tickets, I wouldn’t be so quick to say no.
Written/ directed by Christopher Guest and also starring Chris O’Dowd,Zach Woods, Sarah Baker and Jane Lynch, watch it because the characters are ‘unhinged’, in a good way.
The Movie My Life 