One Day

Well I have just got back from a girlie night at the cinema to see the eagarly awaited One Day. I had never heard of this best selling novel from David Nicholls first published back in 2009, when Miss G lent it to me for my holiday read. Sometimes the books you know nothing about are the ones that blow you away the most and I advise you to beg, borrow or steal a copy of this book, preferably before you see the movie because you will not be able to put it down. So as you can imagine we were extremely desperate to see the movie and had already booked our seats about two weeks ago. So what did I think? Read on..

Year: 2011
Writer: David Nicholls (screenplay and book)
Director: Lone Scherfig
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson, Romola Garai, Ken Stott and Rafe Spall.

Plot: St Swithin's Day 1988. Bookish Emma and raffish Dexter spend the night together on their last day at Edinburgh University. We subsequently pick up their friendship on various July 15s over the next 20 odd years, charting how their lives diverge and come together as they grow older.

It is often very difficult when you really love a book and fall in love with the characters to be able to enjoy the movie version. The reason for this being that while reading the book you have imagined the characters and the setting and played out your own movie directed inside your head. Another persons interpretation rarely lives up to your expectations.

However, I have to say, in this case I was pleasantly surprised. One Day is so much better than the reviews lead you to believe. Danish Director Lone Scherfig, who was also responsible for the excellent An Education, has done a fantastic job of conveying the ups and downs of Dexter and Emma's relationship and she has stayed extremely faithful to the book's concept of catching up with the friends on the same day every year.

The casting is also extremely well thought out, with Jim Sturgess playing the charming cad Dexter to perfection, so much so that you fall in love with him straight away, so that even when he is doing the most despicable things you still manage to relate to Emma's continued affection for him. Anne Hathaway as always is on good form, although her Yorkshire/American/Bridget Jones accent may get on your nerves after a while as it is clear the poor girl struggled somewhat. Which makes me wonder why they just didn't hire a Brit!
But the real stand out performances are Rafe Spall, who absolutely nails the role of Emma's geeky comedian boyfriend Ian to cringe inducing perfection and the always fabulous Patricia Clarkson, who plays Dexter's mother with such grace and poise and who I have been just a little bit in love with since seeing her in Easy A and The Station Agent.

The only negative point I would bring up is that if you have not read the book, the director's faithfulness to the original story may cause you to become a bit lost. In order to fit in all 15 years worth of days, they have had to cut out a lot of back story, so that during some jumps I found myself having to remember what had happened in the book to make sense of the context of the current scene. For this reason the first 40 mins feels a bit rushed, but once Lone Scherfig slows things down a bit you real start to care about these two characters.

I would definitely recommend this! 4 out of 5 stars!

Check out the trailer and if you go let me know what you think.

The trailers beforehand always throw up some exciting upcoming movies and this time was no exception. I am   very excited by the prospect of Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth and John Hurt to name a few in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy out on 16th September.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Last night I finally got around to watching The Disappearance of Alice Creed, which had been sat on my blu-ray player for weeks as often happens with my Lovefilm picks. But it was well worth the wait!

Year: 2009
Writer and Director: J Blakeson
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston

Plot: Two men fortify a nondescript British apartment so it can serve as a prison, and then kidnap a woman and tie her to the bed. Before there is even time to react we are plunged into a very nasty situation, but not a simple one.





Alice Creed is a small budget British movie with a cast of only three and a limited setting, however this allows writer/director J Blakeson to focus on building up tension and fleshing out characters who at first seem rather one dimensional but gather more depth as time passes on.

The opening 15 mins are dialogue free as we see the two kidnappers Vic and Danny converting the flat into a prison including sound proofing rooms and fortifying doors. This ratchets up the tension as we are given a glimpse into the preparation that goes into the crime and end up feeling like accomplices. We are not given any information about Alice Creed's outside life, the first we see of her is when she is being bundled into the back of a van. From then on the camera is trapped in the flat with Alice and the last third of the movie when the action transfers to the outside world is almost a relief.

The three cast members do a stellar job in keeping the audience's attention. By having no other cast members except for this trio, J Blakeson ensures that we feel cut off from the outside world. Relying on only Vic's descriptions of his telephone calls to Alice's father, to give us some idea of what may be happening on the outside.

Eddie Marsan as Vic appears at first to be your standard British movie criminal, but a plot twist in the middle of the movie allows us to see a more complex, fragile character. Martin Compston as Danny keeps us guessing as to his motives, but it is Gemma Marston as Alice Creed who really carries this movie. Her performance is riveting, powerful and at times emotionally draining particularly in the first 30 mins when she is unsure what the kidnappers plan to do to her.

I would not recommend this movie for those of a fragile disposition, as although there is not a lot of violence, it is psychologically uncomfortable at times, however this was a movie that kept me on the edge of my seat. I spent the majority of the movie curled up in a ball against the couch leaning forward and to me that is the mark of a good thriller. Tense and well acted, this is definitely one to put on your Lovefilm list.

Check out the trailer below and let me know if you have seen it what you thought of it.

If you like this you may like:

Ransom (1996) - 

Previews of up and coming attractions!

If you haven't yet discovered the wonder of iTunes Movie Trailers, I suggest you do now! It is quite possible to wile away the hours perusing hundreds of old and new trailers in often stunning HD. While surfing the website this morning I came across a couple of future movies that grabbed my attention and thought I would share them with you.

FRIGHT NIGHT
released 2nd September
Starring Colin Farrell and David Tennant


Now this is a guilty pleasure if ever I saw one. Due for release in the UK on the 2nd September, Fright Night is a remake of the 1985 movie of the same name. Now if you are anything like me you worship at the altar of the 80s movie and often modern remakes fail to capture that sense of fun that movies like Top Gun had. However having not seen the original and going on the trailer below, this new interpretation starring Colin Farrell and our very own David Tennant looks like a fab Friday night popcorn flick!

Teenager Charley Brewster guesses that his new neighbour Jerry Dandridge is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. When no one believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent, a self proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician, to help him take down Jerry.

Check out the trailer and let me know what ya think!

COWBOYS AND ALIENS
out now
Starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig


This has a host of big names attached which stirs strong hopes in me that this has got to be fab. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and with Steven Spielberg as Executive Producer, this has some real creative talent on board. But when you see that it stars Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, I think it is safe to say the plot does not need explaining. All you need to know is Indiana Jones and James Bond fight aliens in the Wild West. I'm there!!

THE HELP
released on 28th October.
Starring Emma Stone,Bryce Dallas Howard and Allison Janey


I am currently in the middle of reading the original novel for my book group and am therefore too scared myself to watch the trailer in case it gives away too much of the plot! However I am so excited about catching the movie when it comes out and there is some real Oscar buzz for this one as well.

The Help is based in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Where black maids raise white children but are not trusted not to steal the silver. The story focuses on Aibleen who is still mourning the loss of her 17 year old son, Minny whose cooking is almost as sassy as her tongue; and white Miss Skeeter, home from college who wants to know why her beloved maid has disapeared.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
released 10th February 2012
Starring Daniel Radcliffe


Not released until February next year but this film starring Daniel Radcliffe marks his first main headlining movie post Harry Potter. The original novel by Susan Hill was hailed almost immediately as a classic in the Victorian Gothic Horror genre and has since then become a successful West End play. This version has been adapted for the screen by Jonathan Ross' wife Jane Goldman who was also responsible for Kick Ass and Stardust.

A young lawyer travels to a remote village to organize a recently deceased client's papers, where he discovers the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengenace.

If the trailer sends shivers down your spine this could be the movie for you. It looks like it has managed to achieve the Gothic horror atmosphere without going completely overboard on the horror front in the way The Picture of Dorian Gray did. This is more about what you don't see.

Can't wait to hear what you all think of my picks!

3 for 2 - It would be wrong not to take them up on the offer!

So once again the tempting offers in Waterstones have lead me into the web of book buying. Despite having quite possibly 50 books on my to read list, I felt the need to purchase a further three. I planned on just browsing my favourite old haunt during a trip to Southampton. The Titanic style staircase and olde worlde atmosphere there are so much more enchanting then in the Worcester branch. But I was reminded by my companion the dear Miss R of the Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. I book which I have been desperate to get my hands on since it was recommended to me by Miss J. (And yes I will continue to refer to people in this Jane Austen manner in order to preserve their privacy and in some cases modesty!) This book however had the dreaded 3 for 2 sticker, so I knew I was doomed. I had to buy 3 books.

So today's purchases (and possibly reads in about 2 years time at this rate) were:

Doris Lessing : The Golden Notebook

The Golden Notebook was published in 1962 and is the story of Anna Wulf, a divorced single mother and novelist, labouring against writer's block in 1950s London. Fearful of going mad, she records her experiences in four coloured notebooks. The black notebook records her writing life, the red her political views, the yellow notebook her emotional life and the blue everyday events. But it is the fifth notebook- the golden notebook- that brings the strands of her life together and holds the key to recovery.


This book appealed to me not only due to the Psychological aspect which fits in with my studies at the moment, but also the setting. Since getting into Mad Men about a year or so ago, I have been fascinated by the 1950s/1960s and the ideas surrounding the development of women's political, social and psychological identities.

Anno Dracula by Mr Kim Newman

It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her consort the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. His polluted bloodline spreads through London as its citizens choose to become vampires. In the grim backstreets of Whitechapel, a killer known as 'Silver Knife' is cutting down vampire girls. Two young vampires are drawn together as they both hunt the sadistic killer, bringing them ever closer to England's most bloodthirsty ruler yet.

This combines my love of history, vampire folklore and the Jack the Ripper mystery together it what looks like a ripping yarn from the horror movie reviewer for Empire magazine.


My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin

Cora Cash, possibly the wealthiest heiress in 1890's America has been raised to believe that money will open every door to her. But when her mother whisks her to England to secure her an aristocratic match, Cora is dismayed by the welcome she receives. The great houses in which she is entertained are frosty and forbidding, dogged by intrigue above stairs and gossip below. And it is only when she loses her heart- to a man she barely knows- that Cora realises the game she is playing is one she does not fully understand, and that her own future happiness could be the prize.

You can't beat a good romantic historical novel! Can't wait to read this one curled up on the sofa with a nice glass of wine!


If any of you have read these I would love to know your views, or if you have been inspired by the book summaries above and fancy going out and getting yourself a copy, let me know and perhaps we can read them at the same time!

Hope you are all well guys and let me know what has been tempting you to part with your money on the book front!

Welcome!

Well I have finally decided to dip my toe into the scary world of blogging, although not that scary because this is a private blog, so only open to a select few. Which limits the amount of abuse I am likely to get on here by about 5%!

The idea for this blog stemmed from the fact that my bookcases are currently groaning under a scary amount of books and DVDs, which are a disturbing by-product of my slightly addictive personality! Because of this I am often being asked for recommendations of what films to watch next or books to read. So I thought this would be a great place to document my reading and watching habits, give you my opinions, throw some recommendations your way. But also get some discussion going and hopefully get some good ideas from yourselves about where to head next.

This blog is bound to end up being polluted with other random topics that catch my attention. So there may be some sort of drooling post over Jonathan Rhys Meyers (don't say I didn't warn you!). However I can promise you there will be no daily accounts of tedious living (I am sure you don't care what I had for breakfast) and no utilisation of this blog as my own personal therapy couch!

I don't plan on posting everyday, but will try to keep things fairly consistent. Happy reading and look forward to hearing from you all, especially those I don't get to see often.

Thanks for stopping by!