Movie Review by Kristin: THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

IMG_1667Good morning, everyone!

I was browsing the available content on Netflix this weekend and stumbled upon this cute little movie, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY.

SYNOPSIS: In the aftermath of World War II, a writer forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.

I’ve been so impressed with the quality content Netflix has included in their library lately. I’m a sucker for movies and a sucker for books, so this one was a no-brainer for me. The cast was great and the storyline was interesting. The story is set in the 1940’s and follows the characters retelling their experiences of Nazi Occupied Guernsey to London author, Juliet Ashton. While she intends to write an article about the society and their experiences, she finds and values their friendship even more. She begins to reevaluate what she wants for her own life and helps the group find some sort of peace once they open up about the loss of a friend.

The scenery in the film was absolutely lovely and we get a glimpse of England (for those of us who have never had the pleasure of visiting). The performances were great in this. Surprisingly, Kate Winslet was slated to portray Juliet Ashton, but she dropped out of the project before filming began. Honestly, as much as I love Kate Winslet as an actress and human being, I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role other than Lily James. She really embraced the role and gave such an endearing performance.

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY does run a bit long — it sits at 124 minutes. It does include some drama, some comedy, a few flashbacks and the recipe for an old-fashioned romance, so it’s not difficult to hold your interest (in my opinion).

This is truly a beautiful story of love, friendship and the sadness of friends lost.

Movie Review by Kristin: SET IT UP

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Hey there, movie lovers!

I stayed up late last night to watch a romantic comedy that was recommended to me by Netflix and I have to say . . . I don’t regret it one bit. It’s honestly the rom-com we didn’t know we needed!

The film was directed by Claire Scanlon and stars Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu.

SYNOPSIS: Two young assistants in New York City realize they can make their lives easier by setting up their workaholics bosses to date. While trying to perpetuate this romantic ruse between their nightmare bosses, the assistants realize they might be right for each other.

I’ve gotten to a point where I kind of go into these movies with the expectation that I’m probably going to be let down by something in the end, so I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t a weak link in the film at all. Between the hilarious banter between Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), the out-of-control behavior by Rick (Taye Diggs) and Kirsten (Lucy Liu) and the likable sidekick friends of Harper and Charlie . . . there was a perfect balance of funny and friendship and romance. Not to mention it made me want to pack my bags and move to NYC immediately.

I highly recommend checking this out when you have almost 2 hours of free time to spare. It’s an extremely likable film with a great cast that really blends the romance and comedy genre perfectly.

The film premiered on Netflix on June 15, 2018.