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tiriansjewel · 4 years

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Rating All The Main Little Women Adaptations

Little Women (1933)-

This is probably my least favorite adaptation, not because it’s strictly bad, but mostly because it’s so old. You can definitely tell that this was made for an audience in the 1930s. Katharine Hepburn plays a very stereotypical, tomboyish Jo, and her performance is good, but in general I’ve only seen this movie one time and don’t have any desire to repeat the experience. However, if you like old films, if you like Katharine Hepburn, or if this movie is simply nostalgic for you, I can see how this would be something you might pop on every now and again. 5.5/10

Little Women (1949)-

So... I have a lot of mixed feelings on this adaptation. This is the adaptation of Little Women that I grew up watching, so I’ve seen it many times, and it has a huge nostalgia factor for me. I really love June Allyson’s Jo. Again, you can tell that this movie was made for an audience in the 1940s, but I connected a lot more with Jo’s character development in this as opposed to 1933. Peter Lawford was okay as Laurie, but I can’t get over the fact that he looks 35 and he’s supposed to be 16. Jo and Laurie do have lovely chemistry in this movie however, and I love the scene when they meet. I quite enjoy Janet Leigh’s Meg, although her character is rather poorly developed. Elizabeth Taylor’s Amy... is... not my favorite. I don’t hate it, but she always felt very artificial to me. Lastly, the decision to make Beth drastically younger than the other sisters was not good in my opinion. She just felt like a little fragile baby bird the whole movie, like they were setting her up to die, rather than being one of the sisters. All in all though, this movie is good if you want to watch a nice feel-good film. It has nostalgia factor for me and it’s definitely a fun movie if you can look past the humanity of the story and get lost in the music and joy. 6/10

Little Women (1994)-

Where to even begin... There are so many things I love about this movie, and so many things I dislike. Firstly: likes. I love Winona Ryder’s Jo. It’s the first time we’ve seen an on-screen Jo portrayed as a human and not just as a tomboy. She is clearly the hot-headed, independent intellectual that we all know, and yet she does have a kindness about her. Claire Danes is easily my favorite Beth in any adaptation. The emotion she shows when given the piano, when she is handed the sick baby at the Hummels, and when she is dying and Jo is at her side... completely unmatched. Her delivery of the line “I shall be homesick for you, even in heaven” always makes me sob. I also love Susan Sarandon’s Marmee, although at times it feels like her character is trying to be a bit of a political statement. Christian Bale as Laurie was also a good decision for the most part. I like that they made Amy an actual child in this film, so that her spoiled brat actions actually make sense, plus Kirsten Dunst is fabulous. I don’t have much positive or negative to say about Meg. I also like the subtle details about the time period, like the insinuation that the March’s were transcendentalists, because it shows that we’re really in the 1860s. All in all, the setting, aesthetic, and soundtrack to the film are very good, and it’s nice to finally see an adaptation that is filmed outside of a set. Now, dislikes. All of the relationships in this film and their portrayals, except for Jo and Prof Bhaer, are... not great. Firstly, Laurie’s proposal to Jo is so weird and creepy and not at all what I imagined reading the book. Sure, the first two proposal scenes from 1933 and 1949 were very overdramatized and obviously acted, but the first thing Laurie does to reveal his feelings to Jo in this film is to kiss her, after she repeatedly says no. Then after this, we get an extremely out-of-breath Christian Bale (rather poorly) delivering lines to an exasperated Jo. The way they film this entire movie also paints Jo to be in love with Laurie, and so when Jo refuses, it feels like she’s just making excuses. I do not like it. The other creepy thing is (again) an obviously adult Laurie bringing an obviously child Amy to Aunt March when Beth is sick. During this carraige ride, Amy remarks that she doesn’t want to die without having been kissed, and Laurie promises her that he will kiss her before she dies. I know this is meant to be “cute” and if Laurie had looked 17 and Amy had looked 14 I probably would have agreed, but Christian Bale looks 25 and Kirsten Dunst looks 12. That entire scene was weirdly sexual and made me very uncomfortable. In addition, John Brooke and Meg full on making out in the front lawn during the family Christmas dinner. I just... did not find any of this charming and wish that these scenes hadn’t been sexualized like they were. Am I crazy for thinking they are? Anyways, besides this, I enjoy this film, it’s a good movie to watch over Christmas or in the spring when it’s raining. I love Winona Ryder with all my heart and soul and this movie will always have a special place in my heart. 7.5/10

Little Women (2019)-

Finally, we arrive at the newest, and in my opinion, best adaptation. Firstly, the cast for this film is amazing, with Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, Eliza Scanlen as Beth, Timothee Chalamet as Laurie, and Laura Dern as Marmee. This was made with a non-linear narrative, meaning the story isn’t told in order but instead in corresponding scenes that are years apart. At first, the format confused me, as I did not expect it, but on a second viewing, I appreciated how genius and subtle the parallels from scene to scene are, and how they really enhance the movie as a whole. This movie also brings in the most scenes from the book, showing Meg in her marriage to John Brooke, Amy’s buildup to her marriage to Laurie in Europe, and Mr. Laurence and Beth’s fatherly friendship. I feel that, in general, the way the characters were written was very accurate to the book, even if some scenes and plots were slightly changed for time and continuity. Again, Jo has the duality of hot-headed, wild, independence and kind-heartedness seen in the 1994 movie, but I really appreciate the way Jo was written in this movie. I never feel like she sees Laurie as anything more than a brother, and I feel like her transition from an idealistic teenager to an adult dealing with the loss of her sister is way more human and natural. Her relationship with Marmee is much better developed in this movie, which leads to scenes of Jo confiding in her mother, and these felt very realistic and reminded me of my relationship with my mom. Emma Watson is my favorite Meg, and this is probably because Meg’s character is so much better developed. Her shame when telling John Brooke about the dress fabric is palpable, and her discontentedness with being poor is very obvious. In other films, Meg has been pragmatic and has borne her troubles easily, but here we find her struggling, and it makes her more human. I also love how she realizes that she is truly happy with her husband, not money, and I really love how they wrote Meg in general. Beth’s character arc was great, although not as good as Claire Danes’s Beth, in my opinion. I love how they build Mr. Laurence and Beth’s relationship, and I love how you can tell that Beth is just as strong-willed as her sisters, she is just more quiet about it. She has a strong conviction to do what is right, like going to the Hummels, and the scene of her and Jo by the sea was one of my favorites in the film (and in the book!).

Moving on to Amy. I am SO happy that we finally have an Amy that everyone loves. I had always felt frustrated because previous adaptations have focused so much on the earlier parts of the book that viewers only ever saw Amy as a childish little brat who burned Jo’s book, not as a girl who grows up to become an elegant, strong, and graceful woman. Although Florence Pugh is clearly a 24 year old woman, I did not feel a disconnect when she was trying to play a 12 year old Amy. She was so hilarious and endearing, especially as her little crush on Laurie is so obvious. And the typical sister fight between her and Jo is so accurate to real sibling fights (my favorite line being “Don’t look at me like that!” to Beth). You dislike her for burning Jo’s book, but you also want to accept her apology. And her calm, yet firm attitude towards Laurie when they’re adults is beautifully done, especially as she’s so obviously in love with him. In short, Amy finally got what she deserved. Lastly, Laurie. Timothee Chalamet is my favorite Laurie, hands down. First, he looks the part, because he seems to be 19 instead of 35, and also, he acts like a typical teenage boy. When he confesses his love to Jo, you can tell that he truly cares for her and is experiencing his first heartbreak. It isn’t full of lust, rather it’s full of genuine emotion and raised voices and talking over one another, and this was truly needed after so many weirdly overdramatized proposals. You can also see that his love for Amy is real, and that she’s not just a replacement for Jo. Finally, he grows into a man, who has a wife and a child seen at the end of the film, something that I feel has not happened in previous films. In general, I felt like this adaptation did a PHENOMENAL job of portraying human relationships. The way the sisters talk over one another and tussle around the floor and hug one another and are just in relationship with one another is so natural and realistic. Marmee’s relationships with her kids. The romantic relationships are healthy and loving and yes, have chemistry, but aren’t sexualized or over the top. This movie is a new classic, and I plan to watch it many more times. I highly recommend this if you haven’t seen it yet. 9/10

So anyway, if you read this far, wow. I hope you enjoyed my opinions and found them useful. Have a good day.

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ratingtheframe · 3 years

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Lights, camera, lockdown! All the films I watched at home this November.

Last month, the UK went on a one month down lockdown, causing cinemas to shut and new releases to be put on hold.

In fact, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was the only multi million dollar film to be released this year. It’s painful to think that Dune was supposed to be released almost two weeks from now and that we have to wait several months to see the sci fi film hit screens. Despite the post poned releases and closing of cinema chains, there are still some great films I hadn’t seen and used last month as an opportunity to look into them. Even though I didn’t see as much as I did in October, the quality of the films I managed to see this month is high.

His House (2020) as seen on Netflix

Starting off reasonably well with this horror brought to you by Netflix that centers the life around two immigrants and a spirit haunting the new lives they’re trying to build in the UK. It’s certainly a new perspective that I haven’t seen in horror and definitely isn’t a film for the fainted hearted for some of the scenes in this are genuinely terrifying. The overall message was thought provoking and poignant as it sort of spoke for those who’ve lost their lives attempting to seek asylum and those whoa are still struggling to find a new home.

His House is available to watch on Netflix. Score: 9/10

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020) as seen on Netflix

Definitely one of the most surprisingly good films I watched this month, Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight is a classic Netflix horror from Poland. The film follows a group of Polish teenagers addicted to social media who are sent to a camp to curb their addiction. However, when on a hike through the woods, one of the teens goes missing and without a phone to call for help, the kids are forced to face two grotesque monsters feeding upon humans. From start to finish, this film was highly entertaining and had a good structure to it. There were no gimmicks or cliches and it’s definitely a film I’d recommend to just about anyone.

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight is available to watch on Netflix.

Score: 10/10

The Ring (2002) as seen on BBC iPlayer

Gore Verbinski’s (A Cure for Wellness, Pirates of the Caribbean) infamous horror is a cult classic and must watch for scary movie fans. Usually horror films can be too gimmicky and borderline cringey without an ounce of substance to them. However, The Ring is surprisingly good in that it possesses a deep narrative with three dimensional characters, good acting and wonderful direction. When a journalist’s (Naomi Watts) niece dies in unknown circumstances, she embarks on a journey to discover a horrifying tape that if watched, kills you in a week’s time. The box office sales for this film speaks for itself seeing as the film made nearly $130 million when it was released back in 2002. The Ring is certainly not for the faint hearted, so if horror isn’t your thing, I’d advise you stay well away from it.

Score: 9/10

Misery (1990) as seen on Netflix

Stephen King’s Misery is turned into an unsettling thriller starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. Author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) ends up getting caught in a snow storm, that seems his car veer off the road, leaving him in a critical state. However, a seemingly caring and selfless woman, Annie (Kathy Bates) takes him in, using her work as a nurse to care for him. It turns out that Annie is a super fan of Paul’s work and the care she has for him soon turns nasty and sadistic, leaving Paul in a panicked state for he is in the middle of nowhere with a practical psychopath. I wouldn’t say Misery is one of best adaptations of King’s novels. There are better pieces of work by Stephen King that have been made into movies such as IT, The Green Mile and 1922. The pace was quite slow and the fact that it took place in only one settling detracted from the progression of the film. However, it’s entertaining, well cast and had a decent story to it.

Score: 7/10

Drive (2011) as seen on Amazon Prime

Drive is 1000% one of the best films I’ve seen this year, in my entire life in fact. It’s incredibly bold, ambitious, vivid, subtle and heart wrenching at moments. A stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) is torn between the world of crime he partakes in and the love he has for a young woman (Carey Mulligan) that lives in the apartment next door to his. The subtlety and sensitivity that both Gosling and Mulligan brought to this film was so pure and authentic to their characters, whilst bringing an underlying sadness to the entirety of the film. By the end of the film you want to cry but aren’t sure why and these sorts of films are rare to find. The sound track and SFX in this are unreal, again adding to the confirmation that this film is one of a kind.

Score: 12/10

Time (2020) as seen on Amazon Prime

I was delighted to see Amazon Prime had put this straight onto their service seeing as I’d missed out on Time during the London Film Festival two months ago. This is one of the most moving and deep pieces of work I’ve seen this year. Time is a documentary filmed over 20 years that details the life of a woman trying to seek justice for her husband who was put in prison for life for armed robbery. Not only is she fighting for her husband, but also her four sons, two of which weren’t even born when their father was put away in jail. Fox Rich lives in Louisiana, one of America’s toughest states when it comes to the criminal justice system. Sentences are of some of the highest in the entire country and are especially harsher to people of colour. Fox and her husband took the fatal and desperate decision to rob a bank in a bid to support their business and family. This drastic choice took Fox’s husband away from his family and for 2 decades, Fox spent time trying to get her husband out of jail. The thing that moved me the most about this documentary was her sons; four beautiful, smart and driven men who grew up without a father. It made me wonder how proud Fox must be of her kids and to see her fight for her husband and remain loyal to him is enough love to last two lifetimes.

Time is available to watch on Amazon Prime now.

Score: 10/10

The Departed (2006) as seen on DVD

Throughout this two and a half hour film I was wondering how they had managed to get Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg to do a film together. And the answer is that this epic and high profile movie was directed by the infamous Martin Scorsese. It’s a mystery why I hadn’t seen this film sooner, seeing as it was a huge hit during its release making a staggering $291 million worldwide during its release. This is definitely DiCaprio’s best film (next to Revolutionary Road and The Revenant) and his performance was incredibly punchy and strong throughout. Everyone in this film was top class and the dialogue fitted well with each character with a natural story progression throughout. A top notch, Hollywood, must watch film.

Score: 10/10

Murder by Numbers (2002) as seen on Amazon Prime

One of Ryan Gosling’s earliest films follows two high school students committing a sadistic murder simply to see just how it feels. Detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) is put on the case to solve the murder and quickly pieces the case together, leading her to Richard Haywood (Ryan Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt) two students at the same high school. I wouldn’t say this film was bad, however the ending played a big part in the overall quality of the film. It had a good pace and characters, however the ending definitely let down the film for it was rushed and unaligned to the rest of the film. Ryan Gosling’s performance at the tender age of 22 was pretty decent and definitely stated to everyone else his ability as an actor for years to come.

Score: 7/10

All Good Things (2010) as seen on Amazon Prime

As you can tell by now, I went on a Ryan Gosling whip this month. All Good Things is the true story of David Marks (Ryan Gosling), whose wife Katie (Kirsten Dunst) disappears and still to this day, has never been found. Marks was the prime suspect in the disappearance case but was never found guilty and lives a free man. Even though the story was interesting and the performances good, the fact this is a Weinstein Company Film made it hard to watch, especially with the totally unnecessary nudity and sex scenes that put Kirsten Dunst at its forefront. The film lacked a clear resolution and was left completely open ended like the case of Katie Marks, which is understandable, however not when it comes to making a good film.

Score: 6/10

Borat (2006) as seen on Amazon Prime

After finding the second Borat film to be highly entertaining, I decided to watch the first one and was certainly not left disappointed. The first Borat film introduces us to Kazakstan reporter Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his first visit to America, whilst taking in all the americanisms to report back to his own country. Soon his pursuit turns to Pamela Anderson whose doing a book signing across in California. The comedy has many jaw dropping moments and sees Cohen above and beyond the boundaries of comedy to bring the character of Borat to life.

Score: 10/10

Boy Erased (2018) as seen on Sky Cinema

If there’s one film worth watching on this list, it’d be Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased. This film is the product of a real understanding of film language and the ability to make a beautiful and heart felt story. Edgerton is a well known actor, but has taken time to go behind the camera as well as in front of it in this Golden Globe nominated picture starring the likes of Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan and Joe Alwyn. Like HELLO if that cast isn’t making you immediately turn off this site right now to find Boy Erased, then I don’t know what will. The film based on a true story follows Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) and his time spent at a gay conversion centre with fellow homosexuals Gary (Troye Sivan) and Jon (Xavier Dolan). Jared’s father (Russell Crowe) is a pastor he and his wife (Nicole Kidman) take their religion rather seriously, which is why Jared has been forced to seek help for his sexuality. It’s a hard concept to swallow, especially in this day and age when most parents, religious or not, are starting to become more acceptable of their children’s sexuality. This film exposes the reality beyond that and how some parents feel their child is damaged by something completely normal and feel the need to seek help for it. Boy Erased is made with sensitivity and beautiful acting from an a class cast. All round, it’s a perfect film.

Score: 11/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) as seen on Amazon Prime

I was a little confused starting this film to see it in Swedish, as I thought I was watching the David Fincher film of the same title. However, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was original a book and the first adapation of it for film was directed by Niels Arden Oplev, two years before Fincher made his version, starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. However, the fact that this version was in Swedish didn’t detract from the thrilling story spun onto screen. The three hour movie follows a journalist whose been hired to solve the mystery of a missing girl who is part of a high profile family. A young female hacker who once hacked the journalist and practically ruined his career, joins him along the way and the pair of them uncover a long string of untold secrets that see blood being split amongst numerous women. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve ever seen and a must watch if you enjoyed Fincher’s version.

Score: 10/10

Still Alice (2014) as seen on DVD

A highly anticipated film on my part, Still Alice is an arresting and moving film about a mother struggling with on set Alzheimers. Julianne Moore scooped up a Best Actress Award at the Academy Awards in 2015, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for her performance as Dr Alice Howland and her battle with Alzheimers at the age of 50. Kristen Stewart plays her daughter and Alec Baldwin her husband and their performances are equal to Julianne Moore’s. Overall, this was a touching piece that had soooo much depth to it and yet carried a satisfying simplicity throughout it.

Score: 10/10

Enemy (2013) as seen on DVD

I heard about Enemy’s synopsis via a YouTube video and was throughly excited to watch it on hearing it was directed by Denis Villeneuve, a master director when it comes to thrillers and sci fi films. Even though Enemy was difficult to fully interpret, I still enjoyed the story and performance Jake Gyllenhaal brought to the table as a man who meets another man that looks exactly like him. There’s some pure mind fuckery that plays throughout the film as you’re left questioning who is this other man or if there are even two men at all. If anything, it’s an exploration of a man having a double life, wrapped up in some sinister secrets and tied between two women. All of Denis Villeneuve’s work is exceptional and Enemy is no different. A must watch for thriller lovers.

Score: 10/10

A Star is Born (2018) as seen on DVD

Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born certainly wins the award for making me cry the most this month. The last version I saw of this film starred Judy Garland and James Mason and was centred around a musical actress and the rocky relationship she had with her actor husband. That 1954 version possessed a lot of brilliance and it was easy to compare it to the more modern version starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Who would’ve thought these two could be such an authentic on screen couple? The songs, the lyrics and the acting that these two brought to this picture was on another level, it was incredible from start to finish. Obviously the fact that this film had been done 4 times before honed the quality of the film, however Bradley Cooper’s direction and ability to bring out the best in Lady Gaga definitely makes this version of A Star is Born the best one yet. This directorial debut was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Lady Gaga was handed the award for Best Music for a motion picture. Warning: you will cry whilst watching this or at least afterwards.

Score: 12/10

Sorry to Bother You (2018) as seen on Netflix

Netflix certainly came through this month when it put Boots Riley’s fanatical dark comedy Sorry to Bother You on its streaming service. It’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever seen before and the innuendo and hidden messages within this film make it something that you can watch several times and never get bored of. Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) gets a job as a telemarketer who gets promoted to a “power caller” and through pride and greed, ends up abandoning his ideologies and friends completely. The film speaks for the gentrification of Oakland, California and capitalistic society we live in today. There are many hidden messages amongst the film that at first are hard to decipher, but soon you realise these messages are as clear as day within our own society. Lakeith Stanfield stars alongside Tessa Thompson, Steve Yeun and Armie Hammer, not a cast you’d usually put together but one that certainly worked. Sorry to Bother You is highly entertaining and will definitely make you laugh out loud at points and have you questioning your laughter right after.

Score: 10/10

The Florida Project (2017) as seen on DVD

I’m starting to think that films made between 2017 and 2018 are some of the best ever made and the Florida Project falls into that. I heard about this film through one of my favourite actors and was glad for the recommendation as this film is one of the best I’ve seen all year. The colours and character dynamics are strong and vivid throughout, as we follow the lives of people living on an apartment complex whilst speaking for the child poverty that plagues American society today. Willem Dafoe, who plays the complex’s handy man and security guard, even earned himself a Best Supporting Actor Award at the 2018 Academy Awards.

Score: 10/10

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2014) as seen on DVD

Usually I’d pass on a Charlie Kaufman film, seeing as they make no sense, however I felt that it was time I delved into this cult classic starring Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood. It’s a really well made film with a clear and distinct message to it that’s represented in some phenomenal filmmaking techniques. The plot line of this film follows a man trying to erase a past lover and his memories of her get wiped away physically before your eyes on screen. This film is certainly a conversation starter and one I’d recommend to just about anyone.

Score: 9/10

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) as seen on DVD

Wes Anderson’s wonderful mind is depicted in this endearing narrative about two children running away from home. This has to one of Wes Anderson’s most iconic films and next to The Grand Budapest Hotel, it’s definitely one of the films you think of when you think of Anderson’s work. His work is known for having well rounded stories, beautiful shots and A List casts, with Moonrise Kingdom being no expection as Anderson manages to squeeze Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Kietel and a young Lucas Hedges into this film. If you’ve seen any of Wes Anderson’s work and not Moonrise Kingdom, get on it now. No, seriously, now.

Score: 10/10

Jarhead (2005) as seen on DVD

Sam Mendes’ war film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx translates the lives of US soldiers in Iraq onto screen and the brain washing their government has done to boost the importance of the US military and the service soldiers are doing to their country. Jake Gyllenhaal’s execution in this film is a reflection of his ability as a great actor. He always has this patient and gritty approach to his work that makes him addicting to watch on screen. There’s an entire video on YouTube about Jake Gyllenhaal’s eyes and the way they communicate his emotions on screen. This is certainly present in Jarhead, as the anger, frustration, disappointment and despair is held within Jake Gyllenhaal’s eyes throughout. Jarhead was originally a memoir written by a US solider named Anthony Swofford. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the open ended resolution to the film and the stagnant progression of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character. He literally didn’t achieve anything, which I suppose is the point of the film and how the honour that soldiers who went to Iraq were supposed to feel, is more of a fantasy than a reality.

Score: 9/10

Silence (2016) as seen on BBC iPlayer

This film was truly summit else and a refreshing turn on genre from highly acclaimed filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. Silence certainly proved that he has the ability to be more sensitive with his films and can tells stories outside his usual New York mobster type movies. The film tracks the journey of two Portuguese missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) in the 17th Century who go to Japan looking for one of their mentors (Liam Neeson). However in this era, Christians faced persecution in Japan and were practically slaughtered for not following the country’s religion of Buddhism. The priests’ journey is perilous and heart rendering as they are forced to abandon their own religion in order to save their own lives and the lives of others. Despite the film being just over 160 minutes, it’s an inspiring story and one that is told in a tactful way. To believe this is a film is quite hard, as the accuracy of it makes it closer to reality than just a film itself.

Score: 8/10

Lynn + Lucy (2019) as seen on BBC iPlayer

This film recently came out in UK cinemas and was put onto BBC iPlayer due to lockdown. I found it to be interesting and enjoyed the new perspective it gave to quite a simple story. Lynn and Lucy have been friends for almost their entire lives, and when Lucy’s baby boy dies in unexplained circumstances, it drives a wedge between her relationship with Lynn, as people in their neighbourhood accuse her of being a child murderer. Eventually, Lynn stats to believe the rumours herself, leaving her best friend behind and favouring the opinions of those who hardly know her. A great debut and British film, Lynn + Lucy is profound story of friendship.

Score: 8/10

Revolutionary Road (2008) as seen on Netflix

Revolutionary Road has a metric score of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, which I find quite offensive as the film nearly falls into the “thanks but no thanks” category of films. Directed by Sam Mendes and starring Kate Winslet alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, I don’t see what’s not to like. I only clocked halfway through the film why DiCaprio had been cast with Kate Winslet (Titanic, duh) and it made their on screen chemistry more prominent for me. I always say this about EVERY SINGLE Leonardo DiCaprio film I watch, but his performance in this was unreeeaaal. His character went somewhere intense and never returned, making the hardship on screen 10 times more powerful. There’s a scene where him and Winslet’s character are in a full blown argument and DiCaprio’s rage was on another level. Incredibly authentic and honest, Revolutionary Road showcases a wonderful example of when two masterful actors come together to make something great.

Score: 10/10

Hillbilly Elegy (2020) as seen on Netflix

Hillbilly Elegy recently got torn to shreds by critics as it was released on Netflix the other week, and I half agree with what most are saying about it, but also feel there’s unnecessary criticisms about this film. The film is based on a memoir of a Yale Law student, J.D Vance (Gabriel Basso) who comes from rough beginnings and ends up building the life he so desired from a young age. His mother (Amy Adams) is a destructive drug addict who’s moods change frequently so that she’s constantly at war with her own mother (Glenn Close) and two children (Haley Bennett and Gabriel Basso). The story follows J.D’s return to his home town to claim his mother from a hospital after she over dosed on heroin. The only problem is, he has an interview with a law firm from Washington the following morning and has to choose between taking care of his mother and landing his dream job. Sounds pretty intriguing, right? And it truly is. The film is laced with conflict and great performances from everyone, however critics have blasted this film with hate, saying that it doesn’t ring true to the entire American experience of living in poverty, without healthcare and enough money to bring food to the table. The fact that J.D made it to Harvard and now works for a successful enterprise somehow detracts from his struggle as a child, which I think is complete BS. I think this film should be taken for more face value than as a political story. It’s a straight talking, rags to riches tale that proves with hard work and dedication, you can transform your struggles into success. One critic had the audacity to say that “Selling out your origins is a kind of white trash cosplay because you were lucky enough to get out”. The irony of this is that the critic herself is white and it suggests had JD been a person of colour, it’d made a better film, which isn’t the kind of world where I want to live in when stories of people of colour are used as poverty porn rather than something to enjoy or learn from. My only criticism of this film would be the pace of conflict within the film and how things went from 0-100 waaay too quickly. This can happen in real life, but on screen it tends to look sloppy and rushed.

Score: 9/10

And that’s it! A rather short list for this month, but as the year draws to a close, I’m just really excited for the new films hopefully hitting screens next year. Seen you soon!

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ericdeggans · 5 years

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Florida on TV: How Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida Excels By Treating the State as More Than a Punchline

You can tell the location for Showtime’s new series, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, is important. After all, it’s in the title.

But the show — which features Kirsten Dunst was a smart, determined working class mom who reluctantly winds up at the top of a crooked multilevel marketing scheme — isn’t set in any specific Florida town. Instead, producers say it’s in a place that’s “Orlando-adjacent” — more a state of mind than a spot on the map.

“It’s supposed to feel like the space between real spaces…the everywhere between that’s most of America,” says showrunner/executive producer Esta Spaulding. “There’s just a mythology of Florida in a way…the feeling of the gators and beaches and Disneyworld being right there, living in the shadow of that.”

Indeed, this sliver of Florida is hot, frustrating and full of desperation. Dunst’s Krystal Stubbs is a former beauty queen who works in a run-down water park, fretting that her ambitious but gullible husband Travis (Alexander Skarsgard) is wasting what little money they have trying to succeed in an Amway-style sales organization led by charismatic huckster Obie Garbeau II (Ted Levine).

Krystal and her friends lead humble lives, scrambling to get by while working hard to make other people’s vacation dreams come true, forever stuck outside the good life looking in — like their fading water park perched on the edge of Disney-fied fabulousness.

“The show is really about consumerism and the desire to be rich,” Spaulding says. “The feeling in America that anybody can be a millionaire drives people to monetize their relationships, their friendships, their family relationships in some way. That feeling that you’re supposed to be working toward something more and you know at the end of your life if you’re a success because you’re rich. That kind of myth was such more the thing we wanted to explore in the show.”

And what better place to excavate that feeling than Florida, a state which is home to everything from a major outpost of the Church of Scientology in Clearwater, to the apex of the televised consumer hustle, The Home Shopping Network — now known as HSN — in my current hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida?

As a TV critic and longtime Floridian, I’ve always been fascinated by how the television industry regards Florida. Unlike New York and Chicago, which are often rendered with specific detail, Florida these days is often treated on TV like a wonderland where the combination of heat and eccentric personalities creates an oddball space where anything can happen.

Consider, for example, the Pop TV series Florida Girls. Created by and starring Laura Chinn, the show is set in Clearwater, where she grew up, featuring four dysfunctional female friends who find themselves adrift when another pal gets her GED diploma and moves away.

It’s a fast and amusing portrait of women who don’t have much but each other. They pile into a car that can only start when someone who hasn’t been drinking blows into a breathalyzer — a real thing — and work in a dive bar where one of them sits in a big fish tank wearing a mermaid costume. Also sort of a real thing in Florida.

“I feel like the Florida I see on TV a lot is, like, Miami…sexy girls and cars and bright beaches and stuff,” Chinn said to me during a press party for Florida Girls earlier this year. “That was not my experience. I grew up in a lower income house…all of my friends’ dads were absent for various reasons and we all were navigating different problems than you would see on, like, Sex and the City or Friends.”

Chinn has a point. But the glamorous Florida of Miami Vice, Nip/Tuck and CSI: Miami isn’t where many of today’s TV shows spend their time. Instead, series like TNT’s Claws and Florida Girls offer a vision of Florida as a sort of working class paradise, where folks are partying hard and getting into the kind of absurd scrapes that make for delicious Florida Man headlines.

Chinn told me that she wasn’t trying to insult anyone. She just wants to make a comedy featuring the Florida — and Floridians — she knows.

“They’re empathetic characters that at the end of the day have very light, grounded reasons for their flaws,” she said. “It’s definitely a fine line and sometimes it felt like we were walking a tightrope because…I don’t ever want it to seem like we’re punching down. I think the more we show these people as human beings the more, maybe the coastal elites will have empathy for them.”

Complicating things further is the way Florida makes it tough for productions to film here in the first place. For a while, the state offered tax incentives which brought series like Ballers, Burn Notice and The Glades to Miami. But then the legislature ended those breaks; Florida Girls filmed in Savannah, Georgia, while Claws and On Becoming a God in Central Florida shot mostly in New Orleans.

The result is a TV version of Florida that pales a bit in comparison to the real thing. The beaches aren’t as dazzling. The sun doesn’t look quite hot enough. The water just isn’t blue enough.

Watch the pilot of Showtime’s long-ago drama Dexter, which was shot in Miami, and compare it to the rest of the series, where locations in Los Angeles were used to fake the state. You’ll see the difference.

Florida is actually a huge state with many different environments. The urban areas of Tampa are different than the touristy spots around Orlando; cities in the Panhandle like Pensacola can feel like South Georgia, while Miami has a multicultural vibe, thanks to all the immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America who have come there.

Beyond its geographical diversity, Florida also features a lot of people who come from somewhere else (back in 2012, studies found that 64 percent of the state’s population wasn’t born here). And many of them are looking to reinvent themselves.

That’s why Dunst’s performance as Krystal feels authentic to me in a way many Florida characters don’t. She’s smarter than everyone around her, but is hemmed in by sexism and a lack of resources. So she sets about plunging into the only business she has access to, and in the process, reinvents herself.

In so many ways, that’s the true image of Florida; a place where someone with smarts, persistence and a little luck can build a new future. Even if they have to do some questionable things to get there.

It’s not the Florida I see often on TV, and it may not have the sizzle of a good Florida Man headline. But it tracks a lot closer to what I see when I look out my door every day.

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atypical60 · 7 years

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It was the worst of dressing. It was the best of dressing. Not really, it was more of the worst of dressing.

We’ll get to that later.

I want to start by saying that I actually enjoyed the Oscars this year because of Jimmy Kimmel’s hosting ability. He was sharp, funny, charming and cutting at the same time.

THE OSCARS(r) – The 89th Oscars(r) broadcasts live on Oscar(r) SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017, on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eddy Chen) I honestly was surprised at what a great host Jimmy Kimmel was. He can definitely come back!

Justin Timberlake’s opening number was very entertaining. I love me an all-around great entertainer and Justin fits the bill so perfectly. He can dance—which, when the camera panned to the audience, is something the white actors and actresses cannot do.

Timberlane should have performed ALL the nominated songs with his own touch. His opening number was fantastic!

They couldn’t even act how to dance. It was painfully funny to watch them. Thank you, Justin Timberlake, for being one of the small percentage of white people who can dance (I’m also one of them).

Oddly enough, Elaine dances better than the majority of the white actors and actresses in the Oscar audience last night!

It was awful to sit through some of the speeches too. Why can’t these people just say “Thank you” and walk off the stage. I don’t want to hear about you thanking your pre-school drama teacher nor do I want to hear you yap about the ice cream man’s effect upon your acting. OK?

The speeches are so self-serving.

I did like Casey Affleck’s acceptance speech. He seems like a very down-to-earth guy. I also love the way his acting is so subtle and not over-the-top. Denzel Washington didn’t seem to like Casey’s speech. Or maybe my Denzel was pissed off that the Oscar didn’t go home with him!

Jesus Casey Affleck’s speech was one of the better ones. But Denzel looked really angry. Maybe Denzel came down with the stomach bug that I had and was “holding” things in! Or perhaps a little birdie flew out of his wife’s bird’s nest hairdo and nibbled at my Denzel!

As much as I am in love with Viola Davis, her speech was eye-roll worthy. Viola. Don’t take your Oscar acceptance speech too dramatically. You are not auditioning. You won!! Enough with the emoting. I still love you!

Now THIS is the Viola I love to see. Smiling and beautiful. Viola–you looked too serious during the speech. Stop it. Be the fun Viola! I love you so much!

And speaking of speeches. Why do they all have to give the cliché “This-award-belongs-to-everyone” spiel? Take the damn win gracefully. Thank the guy or woman who cast you. Thank the director, and for crissakes, thank yourself.

Here’s what I would say if I won an Oscar for acting:

Me: “Wow! I’m really surprised!” “Anyway, I would like to thank (insert casting agent here) for casting me. And I would also like to thank (name of director) for really bringing out the best in me. I hope I didn’t disappoint you. I also want to give myself credit for working hard and having a stellar work ethic. It isn’t every day that you have an employee like me on set” “I work hard for what I have and it shows”. “Again. Thank you”.

And then I would walk off the stage. I would not thank God because when I wake up every morning I thank him. I would not thank my kids because as much as I love them, I am thankful to them every day. I wouldn’t thank Bonaparte either unless he gave me back my credit cards!

NOTE TO HOLLYWOOD CASTING PEOPLE! HERE I AM! Look at ME! See the many different facets and emotions I put forth. I’m happy. Pensive. Mysterious. Angry. Sad. Scared. Thoughtful. Playful. Adorable. Old. Mature. OK. I look more like the neighborhood crazy lady. But who cares. I’m an ACTOR!!!

And what about the snafu with best picture. I should have stayed awake a bit longer but as soon as the wrong “best picture” was announced, I shut off the remote and went to sleep. I know every single person who saw “Hidden Figures” said that was the movie that should have won. Well, at least “La La Land” did not win. I liken it to “Birdman” with songs and white people bad dancing.

The actor, Mahershala Ali who won for Best Supporting Actor–people were all goo-goo over the fact he was the first Muslim actor to win the Oscar. I’m really getting annoyed with the labels. Who. Cares. What. Religion. He. Is. Muslim, Jew, Catholic, Athiest. Why does his belief get a mention. The man can act. Let’s believe he won the Oscar because of his acting ability and not the fact he’s a Muslim. He’s also cute.

Yeah Mahershala Ali. I really could care less what your religious beliefs are. I just care about you as an ACT-OR!!!

This could have been a conspiracy you know. I think the younger powers-that-be in Hollywood sabotaged Beatty and Dunaway because of their older age. Yeah. Ageism runs rampant. In Hollywood, you are ancient at 40. Beatty and Dunaway are close to 80 if not already there. I’m sure they were made to look senile. Yeah. I’m pretty sure they were sabotaged!

Hollywood doesn’t like THIS version of Bonnie and Clyde. They are too old….

Hollywood likes THIS version better. The version without Faye’s bad plastic surgery!

But you know what really bothered me? The fact that the American entertainment press as well as The Academy never congratulated Isabelle Huppert on her Cesar win for best actress in the film “Elle”—of which she was nominated for an Oscar.

Huppert won the Cesar Friday evening. I’m sure she was enjoying some very expensive French Champagne and wine afterwards. Then she had to get on a plane and fly to L.A. Then she had to get all dolled up for the Oscars. Not one reporter mentioned her Cesar win. These are supposed to be well-informed journalists and yet, nobody could be the good American and congratulate her! Shame on the press!

Isabelle Huppert with her Cesar award! She looks fabulous in green. She looks fabulous period!

I congratulate you Isabelle! I love you!

But let’s get to the good stuff. Let’s get to the fashions or lack thereof.

It never ceases to amaze me at how awful these actresses (Yes. I’m being sexist. They are females and I am referring to them as actresses) can look at a major event. Their stylists really need to be fired. Terminated. Let go. I should be hired instead.

Let’s have a look-see.

Huppert at the Oscars. She looked a little tired–considering she probably partied all night after WINNING that Cesar that nobody congratulated her on! Her Cesar dress was much better. This dress would have been better in a brighter color but I’m not crazy about it. It’s bland. She should have gone with a more fitted dress because she has a great body!

Kirsten Dunst. Hands down. THE best dressed of the evening. This Dior is a knockout. Look at the shape the dress gives her. I LOVE the fact the hem is shorter in the front showing off those great shoes. A throwback to the glamour of the 1950’s. What a great look! This is the best Dunst has ever looked!

My second-best dressed of the evening. Viola. OMG. She looks so freakin’ beautiful in this bright shade of red. And the dress is simple and the cold shoulder is so perfect for her. She is so beautiful that I can’t stand it!

Taraji P. Henson must have read my Grammy blog post. She looked awful that night but she did a complete turnaround. She’s my Number 3 Best Dressed. OMG! I LOVE this dress. The shape of the dress, the neckline, the slit, the velvet–it works so well. And the shoes! And the hair. Thank you Taraji for listening to me. You can fire your old stylist and hire me. OK?

What an incredible transformation from Grammy night–huh?

Hailee Steinfeld. Another Best Dressed. I love watching her on the red carpet because she always gets it right. This dress is so fresh and adorable and youthful. It is perfect for a younger woman and she just looks like a princess in it. She’s one to watch!

OK. She isn’t an actress but Robin Roberts looked better than 95 percent of the actresses at the Oscars. She looks like a pretty gold statue. And guess what? Robin did gold RIGHT! She has a great skin tone for a gold dress. Very Cleopatra.

Shirley Maclaine is still looking good. She’s in her 80’s. She looked very classy…Charlize Theron is another issue….

I swear Charlize Theron wants to underplay her natural beauty. She, one of the most beautiful women on earth, looked terrible in this dress. It looks like an old lady formal dress. It’s frumpy. And the hair. WTF? Was she trying to channel her inner Ethel Mertz..

Hey. I’m a HUGE fan of Ethel Mertz. But really, I do think Theron was trying to emulate the hairdo!

Can someone please explain to me why Ruth Negra and Ginnifer Goodwin look more like Sister Wives than elegant women? Are they both in a movie about Amish rebels? Red is a great color for both women but both of these dresses are not stylish and too fussy. Some stylists should be shown to the door…

Octavia Spencer is not a frail woman. She should not be wearing a dress that cuts her body in two. First of all, this dress is too high-waisted and cuts her right under the bust. Like Adele, Spencer needs a princess style that is slightly fitted at the waist but doesn’t cut. She needs simple lines. She would look great in a three-quarter sleeved dress with a similar neckline but a more simple cut. She would also look better with a longer bob. Let me dress you Octavia. Let ME dress you!

She may be the world’s greatest actress but she’s a lousy dresser! Put some sexy Sophie into your event dressing please! This dress is just ill-fitting and the bottom has too much material. The color is great though. An updo would have been much better!

Is it a tassel?

NO! It’s Emma Stone and her pretend lisp! OMG. This dress is hideous. The color is a bit like what came out of my body near the end of my stomach bug. This young woman does NOT have the coloring for a dress this color. The sweetheart neckline is unattractive on her. She needs a higher neck. The dress is too fussy. This is wrong on so many levels.

Is it my grandmother’s doily?

No! It’s Nicole Kidman and her overly-Botoxed face! Again. We have a pale woman and a dress that washes her out. The lipstick isn’t making you look any better Nicole. I was watching Robin Roberts interview and your lipstick was so smeared you looked like Bette Davis as Baby Jane! The sad thing is, this dress is beautiful. In a darker color like an emerald green and she would have rocked it….

There are no words… this dress is so horrible that I can’t even..

But I can with this monstrosity! I call this color “The Bile That I Threw Up When My Stomach Bug was in the Upper Part of My Body”. Do these women even so much as glance in a mirror? This dress is wearing Leslie Mann. She is NOT wearing it! And it looks like a teenaged prom dress. It’s horrific!

Another example of beautiful woman in ugly dress! Janelle Monae is so beautiful–and even more so now that she isn’t sporting that pompadour hairdo! Is she trying to look like Marie Antoinette? Perhaps she’s hiding cake under the bottom of the dress. There’s just too much going on here. If the bottom of the dress was slim and sheer with a nude underlay, it would have been beautiful. She’s a walking “Hidden Figure” under this thing!

Hey girl, is it Justin Bieber?

No!! It’s Scarlett Johansson as Justin Bieber in a gown! Good Lord. What did that Frenchman DO to her? Scarlett. Please. For the sake of us all, please go back to the sexy vamp Scarlett!! This look is not becoming on you. At all.

The extremism in Hollywood is so disturbing to me. Either titties are hanging out like two pink-tipped buoys floating in the sea or these women are covered up like Amish pastor’s wives. I’ve seen NUNS show more skin! Is the apron so you can cook with Wolfgang Puck at the after party? This dress is like the mistake Trump’s parents made when he was conceived! And the hair. Did Dakota Johnson start co-washing instead of using shampoo? I’m scared of this look. Seriously. This dress is 50 Shades of Shit!

What is it with pale ladies and dresses that wash them out. GET A FAKE TAN IF YOU WANT TO WEAR A DRESS LIKE THIS!!! I think my grandmother wore a similar dress to my Baptism some 60 years ago. And the shoes. I don’t even see painted toes! Felicity Jones has had more worse looks than good ones. She needs to either fire a stylist or hire one!

Last of all we have Guiliana Rancic. This dress was the topic of conversation last night. Bonaparte loved it on her and thought she looked beautiful. I was talking to Oona on the phone and she couldn’t stand the dress. I’m on the fence. There’s a lot of fabric but I love the color on her. And she looks great in the one-shoulder Grecian look gown. Her hair and makeup are perfect. I’m really in the middle.

That’s it! Fashions were mostly on the bland side. The one WOW dress was Dunst’s. I need to think of what I’ll wear on the red carpet when I start interviewing these people who are more self-centered than me!

I almost forgot. Kristin, Brad and Kriss were the red carpet crew on E. At least Kristin’s boobs were in their places. Brad’s tux was bland. And at least Kriss got rid of her butch “do”. She must have read my posts about her red carpet looks. That dress of hers brings attention to those hips of hers. She needs a stylist–and not her daughters as stylists either. I’ll dress ya Kriss!!!

Here’s a great one from Danny Kaye “The King’s New Clothes”! Very appropriate!

Atypical60 Looks At The Oscars 2017!! It was the worst of dressing. It was the best of dressing. Not really, it was…

#Fashion #Humor #Oscar Fashion 2017

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