Tag Archives: Hugh Grant

Biography, Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS (2016): The Thing I Liked…

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Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Meryl Streep.
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Meryl Streep

Florence Foster Jenkins, the story of a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice, is a movie I found to be just okay.

Starring Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, ‘acting queen’ Meryl Streep and directed by Stephen Frears, I enjoyed the little moments of humour and I appreciated the film as a sweet story of one man’s complicated love for his wife and friend, particularly the lengths he and a number of her friends went to to ‘take care of her’.

It goes without saying that Streep performed well as Jenkins. Helberg and Grant were good, too.

Ordinarily, I personally can’t imagine myself gladly helping to delude a mentally well, yet talentless person I care about into thinking that they were actually talented. The good news is that watching Florence Foster Jenkins has ensured that I’d take a little more time to consider it. Even though it all reeks heavily of the most cringeworthy moments in talent shows such as X-Factor and American Idol.

How would you handle such a predicament if you were a friend of Florence?

As always, watch it if you’re curious enough.

Happy Film loving,

Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

BRIDGET JONES’S BABY (2016): The Things I Liked…

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Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), Rene Zellweger
Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), Rene Zellweger

I loved the first two Bridget Jones movies; Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) and Bridget Jones – The Edge Of Reason (2004). I personally found them refreshing as film experiences.

Rene Zellweger’s British accent is impressive, and I absolutely adored watching Hugh Grant in a role where he isn’t playing, for want of a better phrase, ‘a lovable dithering idiot’  – the kind of role he’d played in Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999) and Mickey blue Eyes (1999). Grant’s role for the first two Bridget Jones movies can be described as a well-dressed publishing bad boy named Daniel Cleaver.

The first bit of bad news for me about Bridget Jone’s Baby is that Hugh Grant isn’t in it. I kind of missed his character’s humour but I do understand the need for difference with the third instalment.

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey
Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey

The second bit of bad news is I don’t consider Bridget Jone’s Baby as a good movie. Reason being, it’s odd, awkward and overfilled with dated and obvious music. I particularly dislike the first 40 or so minutes where everything just doesn’t flow well. One of the lowest points for me is the following line and its cringingly awkward delivery.

‘Oh God! I’ve just slept with a complete stranger! I’m nothing but a feckless prostitute!’

Terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE! This is the point at which it dawned on me that all the Bridget Jones character traits that were once charming, humorous and certainly better written have now morphed into the opposite of all of that and become straight annoying.

There were one or two lines I loved and both happened to be delivered by the ever wonderful Emma Thompson, an actress whose comic timing is sharp as can be. I also enjoyed Patrick Dempsey’s role and welcomed his character’s newness. Overall though, I found myself less than invested in the film’s central love story; something  I blame on the writing and that particular aspect of the film feeling ‘so very 12 – 14 years ago (when the first two movies were released)’.

Watch this movie if you absolutely must. Just know that the first two are a hell of a lot more fun.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Biography, Comedy, Drama

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS (2016): New Trailer From Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg…

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Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Meryl Streep
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Meryl Streep, Pathe!

Read my spoiler-free movie review of Florence Foster Jenkins (2016).

In today’s new trailer for Florence Foster Jenkins, Meryl Streep plays a New York Heiress with a terrible singing voice, yet, she dreams of becoming an opera singer.

Teaser Trailer

Full Trailer

I already like the sound of this movie because it seems like an underdog story, and it’s directed by Stephen Frears, the man behind The Queen (2006) and High Fidelity (1998).

‘The lady is a lesson in courage and that’s why we love her’

_A quote I love.

Hugh grant, Simon Helberg of The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Neve Gachev and Rebecca Ferguson make up some of the key supporting cast.

Florence Foster Jenkins Release Dates: May 6th, 2016 (UK); November 25th, 2016 (GER)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Adventure, Comedy, No Spoiler Reviews

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (2015): Stylish & Fun Action

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The Man From U.N.C.L.E (2015), Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer
The Man From U.N.C.L.E (2015), Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer

Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Debicki star in director Guy Ritchie’s latest spy movie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E ( U.N.C.L.E meaning United Network Command for Law and Enforcement).

I was initially concerned after watching the trailer for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. because I feared that the film would contain one or two very questionable accents. I’m neither Russian nor American, so perhaps I’m not the right person to say, but both Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer’s respective American and Russian accents sound rather above board to me.

As for the movie’s spectacle, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is adequately entertaining. The story, style and everything in the film, including all aspects of design; namely the fashion, cars and interiors; plus the dialogue did just enough to keep me watching. I also enjoyed the relatively short but beautifully captured moment of rage towards the end of the movie.

Overall, I strongly doubt whether there’ll ever be a Guy Ritchie movie that could unseat the top positions that his first two films, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000) continue to hold in my heart and mind.

Tune in to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. for the design/style, and if you haven’t already, make time for Ritchie’s very smart first two movies. They’re simply super!

Happy Film loving,

G

Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

LOVE ACTUALLY (2003): Sweet, Funny & Perfectly British

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Love Actually (2003), Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley
Love Actually (2003), Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley

Set in London, England, Love Actually is a romantic comedy written and directed by Richard Curtis, the man responsible for hit films such as Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jone’s Diary (2001) and most recently, About Time (2013).

Focused on the love lives of several couples in the month leading up to Christmas, Curtis’s cast represent an excellent selection of some of the UK & Ireland’s best acting talent. It is a cast that includes – to name just a few, Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Liam Neeson.

In Love Actually, what Curtis has delivered is a very sweet and funny movie. Along with the classically British humour and eccentricities, there’s a healthy sprinkling of romance, drama and family – just the perfect balance for the holiday season.

Love Actually (2003), Hugh Grant, Nina Sosanya, Martine McCutcheon
Love Actually (2003), Hugh Grant, Nina Sosanya, Martine McCutcheon

On the other hand, there are one or two situations/relationships that I didn’t find particularly believable. Not to say that they would never happen, but they certainly felt like a stretch. Still, it is after all the festive season, so, perhaps magic is supposed to happen, yes?

My inability to ‘believe in love’ aside,  Love Actually is a well paced holiday movie with all the right sentiments. I know Christmas is not quite here yet but I watched it anyway, for the love and humour.

My favourite of all the couples would have to be Billy and Joe in the recording studio, Sarah and Karl at the office and Judy and Jack. Who doesn’t like Judy and Jack?

Happy Film Loving, 

G