Film Frenzy

A lot of the time I find that films are like buses; there’ll be none that I want to see for ages, then suddenly all the corkers are released at once! That’s what seems to have happened in the past few weeks, so I have been practically living in the cinema. So ahead of tomorrow’s Oscar nominations announcement, I thought I’d dedicate a post to three cracking films I’ve seen recently.

Into the Woods

In the past I’ve been a bit sceptical about film adaptations of musicals (don’t get me started on Mamma Mia), so I was intrigued to see this movie and, given that the cast was pretty star-studded, my expectations were high. I was unaware of the story from the musical beforehand, but liked the way that the various Brothers Grimm fairytales were woven together through the original story of the baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), who try desperately to lift a curse put on them by an ugly-looking Meryl Streep.

The story takes numerous beloved fairy-tale characters ‘into the woods’, all the while belting out some catchy songs (annoyingly, they will get stuck in your head). I love pretty much everything James Corden does, and this was no different. I had no idea he sang so well (no, that wasn’t him singing in ‘One Chance’), and he put in a genuine and heartfelt performance as the baker. Emily Blunt was another vocal surprise- where has she been hiding that lovely voice of hers? Another stand out for me were the kids of the cast. Little Red Riding Hood and Jack (the kid with the beanstalk) seemed as though they had been acting for years, and no doubt have a long and successful career ahead of them. Johnny Depp, as ever, was brilliant as the wolf- given he only had a short part in the film.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being whisked away to a far off land for a bit of fantasy viewing and a few giggles along the way. And the tunes are still stuck in my head. If only I could remember the words…

The Theory of Everything

There has been such a buzz about this film, and rightly so. Eddie Redmayne is phenomenal. Through his uncanny portrayal of Professor Stephen Hawking- at every stage of his life and the development of his motor neurone disease- we learn the story of his triumphs in science, his home life and how powerful the mind can be. It is amazing to see how someone has surpassed his life expectancy and gone on to achieve outstanding things. When watching it I kept thinking of how much hard work Eddie would have put in to get Stephen’s mannerisms and expression down to a tee. Apparently Professor Hawking himself has acknowledged the actor’s resemblance to him!

Ultimately the story is one of love, documenting the relationship between Stephen and his first wife Jane, played by Felicity Jones who is excellent. I only watched this film a week or so ago and feel like I would love to watch it again, as it was just so good. And as I’ve said on twitter, if Eddie doesn’t win an Oscar for this role then I will give up chocolate (only for a month!).   

Unbroken

Well what an emotional journey this was! Angelina Jolie’s first directing role and starring that kid from ‘Skins’, I was naturally intrigued by this film. I’m a sucker for a true story, too. Jack O’Connell plays the part of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who becomes a prisoner of war when captured by the Japanese navy during WWII.

We first experience the physical and emotional challenges faced by Louis and two of his crew men who are stranded on an inflatable raft in the middle of the sea for 47 days. Then we go through the harrowing reality of a prisoner of war. We see Louis make companions along the way, and watch the mental and physical struggles faced by him and his camp-mates. The actors must have had to lose some serious weight for their role, as there were times when their faces were so gaunt and their bones protruding, only portraying the reality of the awful effects of the ordeal.

I won’t spoil it, but at the end we are reminded that all of this brutality was experienced by a real human being, and we are hit by a second wave of emotion. The film’s called ‘Unbroken’, but I won’t lie that after it, I felt broken! It was such an eye-opening story to experience, but I don’t think I’d be able to go through watching it again! If you’re looking for a feel-good film, I’d stay clear of this one.