Tag: Lily James

Movie Reviews, Movies

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

by KristinLeave a Comment on 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 Reviews

@Thisfunktional #MovieReview: BABY DRIVER

by thisfunktionalartfreakLeave a Comment on @Thisfunktional #MovieReview: BABY DRIVER

Written by Jesus Figueroa (@Thisfunktional)

The fast-paced “Baby Driver” develops a great story quickly, makes use of every scene and captivates from the opening scene on.

The music can drive the movie on its own, but have characters develop and evolve through out the movie helps to get the audience invested in the plot.

Writer-directed Edgar Wright said that this was a story he had been wanting to tell for many years and it all started with music.

The diligent research he did made the story based on actual reality, but the pacing was driven by the beats of the songs.

The soundtrack helped him develop what would happen to each character and continue moving the story forward scene after scene.

Actor Jamie Foxx, who plays Bats, said he kept the music going between sets because it was important for the story, important for how the characters would react on screen and it made a difference when actors would need to hit queues.

Although the the cast have been on numerous sets for different projects, Actor Ansel Elgort, who plays lead character Baby, found the entire experience unique because everyone was committed to making this story exactly what Wright would be proud of.

Elgort also said that coming off “Baby Driver’s” set and onto his next project was difficult. He was able to play music between takes to keep the mood. His co-stars would look at him funny for playing music between takes as well.

After months of playing Baby and wearing headphones, with the scene’s music and sound effects playing, Elgort needed some time to decompress.

Actress Lily James paired up with Elgort well and was thrilled to play off of Elgort.

James brings out a vulnerability in her character which shows the trust she had in Elgort.

The movie seemed to be written for Elgort to star in, James said.

Actress Eiza Gonzalez and Jon Hamm play complimentary character which are only complete when they are together, and most of the time when they are on screen they are touching.

Gonzalez was interested in the fact that none of the characters tell their own back story, they each tell a bit of each other’s back story.

Hamm thought that by Wright doing that he was able to create the myth of each character and make Baby more of a legend, which works to bring compassion and some level of curiosity.

Movie Screening Giveaway, Movies

‘BABY DRIVER’ Screening #Giveaway | #babydriver #movies

by KristinLeave a Comment on ‘BABY DRIVER’ Screening #Giveaway | #babydriver #movies

A talented, young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. When he meets the girl of his dreams (Lily James), Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

Continue reading “‘BABY DRIVER’ Screening #Giveaway | #babydriver #movies” →

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: CINDERELLA

by KristinLeave a Comment on Movie Review: CINDERELLA

cinderella1

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Screenplay By: Chris Weitz

Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett

cinderella2

There are many similarities between this live action adaptation and the 1950 animated version. This film begins with a glimpse into young Ella’s life before both of her parents passed away. They instilled in her the importance of being kind and believing in magic. With both of her parents dying (at different stages of Ella’s life), the film’s cheery opening takes a darker turn. When her stepmother, Lady Tremaine, and her wicked daughters learn of her father’s death, they begin to treat Ella horribly. One of the main differences in this film is that we also get a glimpse into the prince’s life and his relationship with his father, the King. Upon meeting Ella in the forest one day, the prince (Kit – who Ella believes to simply be an apprentice) urges his father to have an open invitation for all available women to the royal ball. While his father and the Grand Duke insist that he marry a princess for advantage, Kit just wants to see Ella again. When Lady Tremaine forbids Ella from attending the ball, she receives the bippity boppity magic from her fairy godmother and sets off to find her friend, the apprentice. When she arrives, the prince dismisses the woman chosen for his first dance, and invites Ella, revealing his true identity as the prince. They quickly fall in love as he shows her the palace grounds and she runs off at the stroke of midnight before the magic wore off, leaving behind the famous glass slipper. For whatever the reason, even when the magic wears off, the glass slippers don’t return to their original form. Either way, Ella hides the remaining glass slipper under the floorboard in the attic. Kit’s father grows ill and, after seeing his son’s love for Ella before passing away, tells him not to marry for advantage and instead, to marry for love. They arrange a kingdom-wide search for the girl whose foot fits the forgotten glass slipper. When Ella hears the news, she runs to the attic to find the one she hid, only to find Lady Tremaine holding it in her hand. Realizing it was her at the ball, she locks Ella in the attic, but when Gus Gus and the mice unlock the window, the royal entourage hears Ella singing and realizes there’s another woman in the home. The prince reveals himself and is reunited with Ella, an honest country girl who loves him. The two are married and live happily ever after, as we all know.

The subtle changes and additions to this adaptation were welcomed because seeing Ella with her parents gave a bit more of a back story to her relationship with them and the struggle she faced in order to be kind to Lady Tremaine and her minion daughters. Seeing a bit of the prince’s relationship with his father was also a great addition. The casting in this film was excellent and even though they didn’t cast a well known starlet to play Cinderella, Lily James truly delivers. Her chemistry with Richard Madden was noticeable and adorable, and Cate Blanchett was the perfect person to play the evil Lady Tremaine.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this film. I thought the dresses at the royal ball could’ve been a bit nicer, but I suppose they were borderline hideous in order to make Cinderella’s beautiful blue gown stand out even more. As mentioned, the casting was great, the chemistry between the characters was excellent and the overall production of the film was beautiful. I can honestly say I give it 4 out of 5 stars. – Kristin (@kristin0409)

https://youtu.be/WRuHM6rLSF8

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