Locke and Grand Budapest Hotel

January 11, 2015January 11, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I saw 2 movies this weekend and they are very different but both very good.

Locke is a film that defies description. I was telling my sister about it and she laughed and said it sounded ‘like the worst thing ever’. Why?

Well, it’s a man in a car talking on the phone for an entire movie. I’m serious. There are no other actors, just voices you hear and I’m telling you it is completely riveting.

It’s so hard to talk about this movie without giving spoilers away but basically Tom Hardy is on a drive to do something he know he needs to do but wishes he didn’t have to. Then as the car ride goes it becomes the worst day of his life. Home, family, work, are complete chaos but he is a man who has a plan and knows he can make it all right, but as the story goes you and him start to become less secure that even he can salvage any of it.

It’s so tense and the music and lighting build until you worry he is going to drive off the freeway or have some kind of panic attack. Then just when it seems he is losing control a conversation will happen that gives him a breath of hope and we start the cycle of anxiety all over again. It was a thriller but about a person’s life falling apart and isn’t that kind of the scariest thing of all?

There are also moments where a character brings up a soccer game and after all he has been through it feels so stupid. It kind of puts a lot of things we think are important in perspective. It’s just pretty brilliant.

I’m telling you give it a shot. The photography by director Steven Knight and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos alone has to be appreciated. The lights and reflections off the windows add to the tension.

In a way it feels like someone in a hostage negotiation but the hostage is his life and happiness.

Steven Knight also wrote Locke and they made it for 2 million dollars. It just goes to show with good writing and storytelling anything can be good, even a man driving for 84 minutes.

I was blown away.

It does have a lot f bombs so definitely adults only.

Content Grade- F, Overall Grade- A

GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

It is no secret I am not the biggest Wes Anderson fan. Like Tim Burton, he can be more style over substance, but I don’t think any of his movies are terrible. Just not a fangirl. (I am Mormon which means I am so not a hipster…)

Anyway, the Grand Budapest Hotel is probably Anderson’s most approachable film even though I still didn’t love it but I enjoyed it. The reason I liked this better than previous works (I haven’t seen all of them) is it is a story being told as opposed to something grounded in ‘real life’ like his other films. It makes more sense to have his quirky style in a work in a fictional world to me.

It’s a little confusing because there are layers of storytellers. Tom Wilkinson is an author telling the story to a little girl that he heard told to him by the GBH owner played by F Murray Abraham. So you have details from the girl, Wilkinson, Abraham and the actors. This makes it seem like even more of a fairytale. It is also set in a fictional town of Zubrowka (again more fairytale like).

It’s kind of a convoluted plot but basically it is about a concierge of the hotel named Gustave played by Ralph Fiennes and his devoted lobby boy played by Tony Revolori.

Gustave is dedicated to the hotel and to giving great service with rewards from the elderly female patrons on the side. One of the patrons played by Tilda Swinton gives him a valuable painting on her death. Her family is furious and so feeling it is his right he steals the painting and flees.

What follows is a cat and mouse chase with a lot of humor and whimsey. We get a ton of actors involved in the chase including Adrien Brody, William Dafoe, Mathieu Amalric, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban and Owen Wilson.

It does get a little tiresome after a while but it isn’t that long of a movie so I was ok with the story and the Anderson cuteness. Like I said, it fit this particular tale better than some of his others and was generally nicer too. Some of his more popular movies I have a hard time bonding with because the characters come across as kind of mean and unlikable. (see I am so not a hipster).

But this I liked. It isn’t my favorite movie by a long shot but I enjoyed the style, story was fun and performances all very good.

It does have nudity that is quick and easy to miss but strong and a fair amount of profanity so I would say adults or mature teens only.

I would love to see Wes Anderson try his eclectic style in a different genre. Like what could he do with a comic book movie or a musical? I guess he kind of did that with Fantastic Mr Fox, which is my favorite Anderson film, despite it being more for adults than kids in pacing and tone.

Content Grade- D, Overall Grade- B

Any of you seen either of these? What did you think? What a great year 2014 was for movies! I can’t think of another better in nearly every genre (don’t start a debate on that topic bc it really doesn’t matter what year is best. I just really liked this one!).

Please put in your comments what you thought of either film? I’d love to hear. Both are seemingly different but have a certain challenge to conventional storytelling which I really dug. Fun times at the movies!

Character Profile 4: Little Edie Bouvier

January 10, 2015January 10, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I thought I would do a fun character profile today that would introduce you to a film that may be new to some of you less hard-core movie buffs.

This is unique because it’s not really a character but an actual person in a documentary. Today we are talking about Little Edie Bouvier from the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens.

In some funny ways Little Edie is kind of similar to Napoleon Dynamite. Both have kind of horrible lives but embrace them with contentment. They are both easy to please and I like that.

Grey Gardens is a documentary made by two brothers Albert and David Maysles about 2 distant relatives of Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy, a mother and daughter both named Edith Bouvier (big and little Edie).

It’s a style of documentary that is rarely made today with no agenda, just watching these borderline delusional women living their lives. I think it is brilliant.

In a certain way Little Edie’s life is sad. She is living in trash with racoons, fleas and garbage everywhere. Her mother has clearly kept her from pursuing her dreams and she has alopecia which caused her to lose her hair a difficult thing for any woman especially in a ritzy area like The Hamptons. There is a sense she is hiding from the world and that is sad.

But with all of that Little Edie has chosen to be happy. She dances and smiles and speaks her mind to anyone who will hear her.

I love her description of herself:

“But you see in dealing with me, the relatives didn’t know that they were dealing with a staunch character and I tell you if there’s anything worse than dealing with a staunch woman… S-T-A-U-N-C-H. There’s nothing worse, I’m telling you. They don’t weaken, no matter what”

Isn’t that a lovely way to stuff it to the high class ladies who probably think they are staunch? I love it!

There’s something to be said for deciding to be happy even to the point of being a little nutty. It certainly beats the alternative.

“‘Course, I’m mad about animals, but raccoons and cats become a little bit boring. I mean, for too long a time.”

She does talk a lot about wanting to get the heck out of Grey Gardens but again it’s this sadness mixed with a cheerful exterior that makes her a fascinating person. Tough to figure out. A part of her seems on continuous survival mode but then another part seems like a little girl especially compared to her rather deadpan mother.

“I only cared about three things: the Catholic Church, swimming and dancing, and I had to give them up”

Little Edie became a fashion icon with her scarves and unique style. Just everything about her was unique. Like I said it’s a movie you can watch 100 times and come away with different conclusions each time. Now documentaries are made with a specific agenda and the audience is manipulated to agree with said ideas. Not Grey Gardens. It is just an introduction to these crazy, happy women and then you as the viewer must make what you will of it.

“It’s very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present. You know what I mean? It’s awfully difficult. ”

If you want to watch a movie where every viewing you see something new and thought provoking about two of the strangest and most interesting characters ever put on film Grey Gardens is the movie for you.

Little Edie steals every scene she is in and leaves you despite all the crazy feeling, wishing you could have a meal with her and ask her a million questions. You know she would be funny, vulgar, cheerful and probably a little shocking. A movie about both women would have to be a documentary because people would say it is too out there for fiction, and yet there it is.

Proof that the human race is endlessly fascinating.

My Go-To Movies

January 9, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I really enjoyed this post. We all have our go-to movies that just make us feel good and we could watch a million times. Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, While You Were Sleeping, Up, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Clueless, Pitch Perfect, all make my cut among others.

Character Profile 3: Napoleon Dynamite

January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I wasn’t going to post a character profile today but I feel inspired to talk a little bit about the great Napoleon Dynamite. I feel a special kinship to Napoleon because it was made by Utahns (and Mormons) and speaks to a culture I can relate to a little bit. I guess you could consider it a one hit wonder of movies as none involved have been able to strike such a home run again but some one hit wonders are classics and so is Napoleon Dynamite.

If you don’t know Napoleon Dynamite is a movie about a boy in high school named Napoleon who is an unusual kind of misfit. He is a terrific character because he doesn’t know he is a misfit and that makes him incredibly likable. He’s happy with his life despite the fact that everything which happens in the movie is kind of sad. In another writers hands it could have been a tragedy.

Think about it- his brother is a borderline creepster, his parents are MIA, his grandma is injured and his uncle is a mess. He gets rejected by the girl he likes. He only has 2 friends and everyone kind of makes fun of him. Then why is it such a cheerful picture? Because Napoleon is a content character. He gets pleasure from small things like drawing ligers, acquiring skills, helping his friend win an election, learning karate and eating tater tots. One might say he has learned to be happy on very little. Easy to please.

And yet he is certainly not a cheerful or bubbly character. Napoleon is very deadpan but this is where you get most of the laughs. It is funny to have someone talking about tatertots or ligers in an intense/deadpan way. It’s just a funny way of speaking. He’s so easily pleased by simple things that as an audience we root for him to get those things. The dialogue makes us laugh along the way (the plot isn’t particularly funny. It is the script that makes us laugh and root for him).

Here’s a great example. Whether it’s reciting current events, advocating for our underwater allies, signing with the happy hands club or eating tots, Napoleon is happy with his life.

He doesn’t care that the jock is making fun of him. He cares when he takes his tots and calls him an ‘idiot’ but as far as people and his self esteem he remains consistently strong. It makes him extremely likable and funny (oblivious and unaware people can be the most funny because we think about how we might feel in that situation and maybe are even a little envious of Napoleon).

The ultimate example of this deadpan freedom is in his dance. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. He only cares about his friend and what he thinks is cool. Wouldn’t life be great if we were all a little more like that? If we didn’t need the praise of the world to be happy but could be satisfied by such simple things?

So I think we could all learn a little bit from Napoleon. Enjoy the life we’ve got and be a little bit less worried what others think about our choices. Have a good laugh and watch Napoleon Dynamite again. It’s certainly one of my favorite characters in the movies. Vote for Pedro! 🙂

Blu-ray’s I, J, K, L and M

January 7, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I thought it would be fun to share with you guys my latest videos on my channel. I have a new camera and an external microphone! This should improve the quality of the videos a lot, so if you aren’t subscribed please do. Thanks!

Big Channel Annoucement

My Blu-ray Collection- K and L’s.

The M’s of my Blu-rays

My I and J video was done without the new camera.

Would love your feedback and comments. What movies you like or don’t like. Thanks so much!

Worst Movies I’ve Ever Seen

January 5, 2015January 7, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

People have asked me so here goes- the worst movies I’ve ever seen. You may enjoy these movies. That’s awesome. I’m sincerely glad someone got something out of them. This is just me and my reaction, so please don’t be offended.

1. Drop Dead Gorgeous-

There are 2 movies I have walked out of in my life. Drop Dead Gorgeous was the first. It was so hateful and mean spirited all in the guise of a comedy I couldn’t take it any more and with about 20 minutes left I went into the lobby of the theater (on a date no less) and cried my eyes out.

It’s a mockumentary about beauty pageants that has one girl after another blown up, shot, murdered, burned and attacked. A character mimics the crucifixion, a girl becomes deaf for laughs, a near dead anorexic girl is wheeled out in a wheelchair with an IV, the mentally ill are mocked, all the girls get food poisoning with its accompanying effects. It’s gross, dark, cold and hateful so much so that 15 years after I saw it I still remember it far too vividly.

2. Superstar-

Meet the second movie I’ve walked out on. One of the horrible Saturday Night Live skits turned into a feature length movie with some of the most annoying characters ever put on screen. But what made this movie especially upsetting was a scene where Mary Catherine prays and see’s Jesus who is then mocked and made to look silly as part of an extended joke. I’m sorry but NO! You do not go there. Clearly nothing is sacred in the movies and that crossed a big line for me and I was done. This is the movie that convinced me I couldn’t just wing it at the movies but had to research content, quality and everything else before going to the theater (even the dollar theater!).

3. Last Airbender-

When people claim Fantasia is boring I want to ask them if they have ever seen The Last Airbender? It’s Shyamalan at his Shyamalanalist and holy cow is it BORING! I’m told the series is amazing and I mean to watch it someday but this movie is nothing but long segments of exposition followed by pan shots and the most boring fights ever filmed accompanied with terrible CG and special effects. It looks like a toddler yoga class and the slow motion and the story and acting and all the contemplative pauses when nothing interesting has been said makes you want to will yourself to sleep because your dreams will be much better than this movie. Kill me now.

4. Pearl Harbor-

Picking the worst Michael Bay movie is tough but Pearl Harbor will always get the edge because it is about real people, real heroes who deserved better. The historical details are lazy, dialogue awful, women dopey, romance worse than a bad soap opera, and explosions that dehumanize war more than the actual war. Everything is a caricature. Every line is predictable and stupid and been said in a million other movies. It feels like it was written by a Middle School drama club and the acting isn’t any better. It sucks.

For the debate of who is worse Michael Bay or M Night Shyamalan. Go to http://rachelsreviews.net/2014/12/22/michael-bay-or-shyamalan/

5. Brothers Grimm-

This movie has the potential to be great. You have artistic filmmaker Terry Gilliam, cool visual look, interesting premise and 2 solid leading men in Heath Ledger and Matt Damon. Unfortunately that potential was never met. The story can’t decide whether it is a comedy or horror movie and the tone switches all over the place. The female character doesn’t make sense and the story is muddled. Are they swindlers? Where does the magic come from? Only bad magic is shown and why aren’t more of the Grimm characters shown? It doesn’t make any sense and my brain hurts thinking about it.

Let’s just say there is a scene in this movie where a horse swallows a little girl and you can see said girl wiggling around the extended bowels of the horse. That scene alone makes this on my list. It’s just so unpleasant and confusing.

6. Contact-

This may be my most controversial choice but Contact was the first movie I saw in the theaters that I walked away hating. It’s about a woman who finds a portal that will lead to aliens if she can build a satellite type machine. Sounds like an interesting premise but at 2.5 hours it drags and becomes very preachy.

I despise the way religious characters are treated in this film. Matthew McConaughey plays a minister who is painted as condescending and foolish. But it doesn’t stop there. That could actually be subtle. Religion is the villain that literally tries to destroy science and its progress. And another movie where the religious characters are the most judgmental and uncharitable. What a cliché.

7. The Smurfs-

You could say I am being too hard on poor kids movie The Smurfs. I disagree. I think I should be HARDER on The Smurfs because it is a kids movie. Kids have a limited time period to mold their intellect, creativity and personality and lazy crap like The Smurfs is wrong. Yep, it pisses me off.

The thing that makes Smurfs so particularly disgraceful is the constant product placement. I am aware all movies have product placement these days but most of the time it is a car being driven or a phone being used. That’s more subtle. Not here. We have many scenes of Smurfs using Sony products, next to Sony billboards, on top of Sony laptops. I would bet no longer than a minute goes by without a Sony advertisement somewhere in the shot. They should be ashamed of themselves.

And even worse the story is stupid. The laughs are moronic and only for kids and it looks awful. It’s the worst in awful Hollywood cynical, make a buck, film-making.

8. Film Socialisme-

All right artsy film lovers challenge me on your Godard fandom. I love artsy movies. I love Tree of Life. I love Where the Wild Things Are. I love Fantasia. I could go on but this is just mind numbingly awful.

It isn’t even a movie. It is clips of people on a cruise, children playing, and a llama at a gas station. How deep and profound. Groan. There are confusing title cards and subtitles that aren’t translations but words in ‘pigeon English’ and sometimes it will just say 1 word. Certain shots are taken with an amateur camera and edited poorly and I guess this is supposed to be all deep but I didn’t get it and I think I’m a pretty smart person?

Well, Roger Ebert didn’t get it either and he won a Pulitzer Prize:

“This film is an affront. It is incoherent, maddening, deliberately opaque and heedless of the ways in which people watch movies. All of that is part of the Godardian method, I am aware, but I feel a bargain of some sort must be struck. We enter the cinema with open minds and goodwill, expecting Godard to engage us in at least a vaguely penetrable way. But in “Film Socialisme,” he expects us to do all the heavy lifting”

It is unwatchable.

9. All Dr Seuss Movies-

I realize this is a bit of a cheat for a top 10 list but I hate all the Dr Seuss movies so much I couldn’t pick one. Horton Hears a Who is definitely the least awful but the live action Grinch and Cat in the Hat are jaw droppingly bad. They take the whimsey of Seuss and turn it into garishness. They take the magic and make it mean-spirited and ugly.

The Lorax perhaps annoys me the most and it is probably my least favorite animated film I’ve ever seen. Why? Well, it takes a subtle story about conservation and only using what we need and turns it into a greedy capitalist condemnation bore. Any reader can walk away from Seuss’ book and feel like they can and should do something to help the environment. Even something small will make a big difference. People walk away from the Lorax movie thinking ‘those greedy CEO’s. Boy, I’m glad I’m not like them’.

Plus, it looks like neon threw up all over it and the songs are awful. The voicecast is Ok but kind of shouty and annoying. I also have to hold it accountable for being an anti-greed and capitalist story and yet when the movie came out it was pimped out to everything from IHOP to Mazda. What a joke. Again Hollywood thinking we are all stupid and showing they will do anything to make an extra buck even stomping on Seuss’ genius.

10. What Women Want-

I would like to remind you that I am actually a defender of the romantic comedy. I made a whole video about it on youtube.

That said, there are a lot of terrible romcom’s I could have put on the list. I could have gone with Failure to Launch, What Happens in Vegas, Ghost of Girlfriends Past, Fools Gold, etc.

What Women Want is especially putrid because of what it claims to say about women. The gimmick in the film is that Mel Gibson can hear what women are thinking after an accident. Could be cute right? Well, according to this movie all women think about is being with men, lusting after men, being dumped by men and how well endowed men are.

Even Gibson’s daughter is preoccupied with sex and wondering if she should sleep with her boyfriend at prom and if she will be pretty enough for him.

The absolute worst part is Marisa Tomei who is a conquest of Gibson’s but in hearing her thoughts he realizes he needs to be extra good in the sack for her because she deserves it. Groan. Women in this movie have all their ‘wants’ met if they are satisfied sexually. That sounds like what men want to believe women want. That’s how shallow a movie it is.

It’s just distasteful, uncomfortable, embarrassing, and awful and I don’t know what usually reliable Nancy Meyers (that’s right it is directed by a woman) was thinking. Not one realization he has is anything that I want. I must be some kind of mutant because here all women are exactly the same. Shame, shame, shame.

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Honorable Mention-

The movie I hated the most as a little girl was Return to Oz. I recognize this movie has a certain visual style but it was my most unpleasant experience at the movies and I don’t know how I ended up seeing it.

We take our lovely story of Dorothy and her journey home and add electroshock therapy, restraints, mean family members, wheelies, a hallway of heads, and an overall look and feel that is ugly and mean. I see why some who like that aesthetic like it but I hate it.

——————————————

So there you go. You asked for it and I delivered. Now let’s get back to positive happy movie reviews!

Character Profile 2: Isobel Crawley

Link | January 4, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Tonight is the beginning of season 5 of Downton Abbey. I have been a fan of the show since 2011. Here is a post I wrote about it in February 2012.

http://smilingldsgirl.com/2012/02/23/downton-abbey/

The Show:

I don’t watch that many dramas on TV because most have gotten too R rated in their content (too much nudity, profanity, violence etc). I did watch a little of Gothem this year and enjoyed that but most of the time I end up watching either reality TV (Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race) or comedies (Goldbergs, The Middle, Simpsons).

So when I found Downton Abbey on PBS I was thrilled. It is a show about the aristocratic family The Crawley’s in early 1900 Great Britain. It is considered the post-Edwardian era by historians and it was a time of change away from the old caste systems to a more equal playing field.

The first episode of the show starts in 1912 and by the end of season 5 we are at 1925. The show maintains a ton of characters both upstairs and down and the acting is across the board great.

Writer Julian Fellowes does a great job of integrating all the characters with the immaculate costumes and sets. The tone is soapy but always with real heart. Even a character like Mary Crawley who under a less capable pen (and actress) would be a one-note snob but here she is more nuanced and tough to pin down. One moment you hate her and then she does something really likable.

A lot of people have turned off the show because in season 3 they had 2 big castmembers who left the show and were killed off. Then in season 4 a rape occurs which is brutal and tough to watch but I thought well acted and probably pretty realistic to what would happen to a raped servant in that age.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Season 5. Very excited!

Character Profile:

It was hard to decide a character to profile because I love so many of them but I decided to pick a person who in a way bridges both the upstairs and downstairs world- Isobel Crawley.

A working class relation by marriage to the Crawley’s, Isobel is the widowed wife, daughter and sister of doctors and is a trained nurse, a skill that comes into play frequently on the show. She also interacts often with Dr Clarkson who may be a potential love interest?

Isobel is played by legendary British actress (and dame I think?) Penelope Wilton. She is lovely in her performance managing to pull of a strength and hidden vulnerability. On one hand you feel she is more noble than some of the Crawleys but on the other it seems like she is way over her head.

What gets her into trouble on occasion is her desire to help people. Being from another class than the Crawley’s she often fights for people in the servant class whether it insisting on a new treatment for a man with dropsy in season 1 or helping shunned Ethel who is reduced to prostitution after meeting hard times (in that plot line even the staff is violently opposed to the hire).

Her relationship with the entire Downton staff is lovely. She is on a different level but kind of like Branson she both dines with the family and has worked with Mrs Hughes and others on a pretty equal playing field. I like that she both obeys conventions and defies them at the same time.

In fact, when they arrive at Downton she tells Matthew “What they expect is that we won’t know how to behave so if you don’t mind, I would rather not confirm their expectations”. I think that sums up how she lives her life- self-aware, confident, willing to please others, but also wanting the best for herself and her son. I would say she wants to defy expectations by both the staff and family of the house.

isobel and mrs hughes — Mrs Hughes and Isobel

Isobel is also at constant war with Lady Violet played unforgettably played by Dame Maggie Smith. The writing between these two dynamic women (both characters and actresses) is the best in the show.

In season 4 we got to see a new side of Isobel who has lost her Matthew, her only son. There was a new vulnerability and a sense she does not handle grief with the perfection we might have expected. She isolates herself and only comes out to see little George. I am very curious to see where her story goes and what Fellowes does with her as both a lonely but independent woman.

isobel-becomes-chairman — Isobel and Lady Violet

I do have one plea to the show. It started out with a good mixture of light humorous banter mixed with drama and soapy conflict. With the deaths in season 3 and rape in 4 the show got considerably darker and I miss the wit and fun. I hope we can get back some of that lightness. Not that I want the show to be silly but a lighter tone would be nice. There are plenty of shows on TV with anti-heroes and conflicted, wounded creatures. I watch Downton for the great writing and bubbly look at a different era. The drama should absolutely be there but give us a break from time to time.

But even if it continues to be dark I know I can count on Isobel Crawley to be one of the most fascinating and hard to pin down characters on the show. That’s what great writing, production values and acting can do for a character. Can’t wait for tonight!!!

Who is your favorite Downton Abbey character? What do you think of Isobel? Do you agree with me on the tone of the show?

Begin Again: A Review

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I finally got a chance to see Begin Again tonight, the musical dramedy written and directed by John Carney creator of indy smash Once. With the current dearth of romantic comedies I was looking forward to this movie and while it is not terrible I was disappointed.

Trailer:

Cast:

Keira Knightley as Gretta James, a songwriter

Mark Ruffalo as Dan Mulligan, a music producer

Adam Levine as Dave Kohl, Gretta’s ex-boyfriend and a successful musician

Catherine Keener as Miriam Hart, Dan’s estranged wife

Hailee Steinfeld as Violet Mulligan, Dan and Miriam’s daughter

James Corden as Steve, Gretta’s best friend

CeeLo Green as Troublegum, a successful rapper who was discovered by Dan

Mos Def as Saul, Dan’s long-time business partner

Spoiler Alert! I will discuss some details of the movie.

Begin Again has a lot in common with Once. Both movies are about new artists, one male, one female, that are idealistic and pure believers in music and them creating their first album.

But there are some big key differences.

First, I’m sorry but the songs in Once are just better. I did not believe any of the songs in Begin Again were legitimate hits where Once had several including the actual hit Falling Softly (and Oscar winner for Best Original Song) .

The songs in Once were so good they could be used to make a Tony winning broadway musical. You couldn’t do that with the Begin Again songs, and since the whole point of the movie is that Kiera Knightly’s songs are somehow so brilliant it doesn’t feel genuine.

Second, the singing isn’t as good. Mark Ruffalo doesn’t actually sing like Glen Hansard does in Once and Kiera Knightly is not nearly as good a singer as Marketa Irglova. All of the songs are written with a small range and she still doesn’t sound very good. Certainly nothing that would make a record executive stop in a drunken stupor and drop all and work with this ‘amazing’ talent.

Once2 — In Once the performances are grounded in a type of reality, playing in music stores, homes etc

Third, in Once the ‘Guy’ and ‘Girl’ are so likable despite not having names. In both movies they are in love with music and not really each other but it comes off so much more of a real and meaningful relationship in Once.

Part of the problem is that Ruffalo is such a mess that I didn’t like him or find him charming. In fact, there was a side of me that was nervous for Knightley’s character that he might take advantage of her (borderline creepy persona). Knightly was bland, niave and kind of preachy about people who actually want to make a career out of music (the shame!). I found her to be a little insufferable.

In Once ‘Girl’ has a child which gives her warmth and keeps you rooting for her. In Begin Again Ruffalo is estranged from his daughter played quite well by Hailee Steinfeld. When we first meet him he picks his daughter up clearly inebriated. This makes me instantly dislike him, where in Once I love the characters who are trying so hard for the chance to record. Ruffalo is an executive who has blown his chance and is fired. It’s not as motivating a character arc and we don’t see as much growth.

Fourth, in Once they are shown practicing so they are ready for the big recording session. They practice outside, in apartments, piano stores etc. In Begin Again the conceit is that they are going to screw the traditional recording studio and record an album in New York live.

It is an absolutely laughable idea that a releasable album could be filmed in and around the city of New York in one or two takes and with all back up willing to work for free! We officially cross the line into a fairytale with scenes of recording in the Subway and officers ‘catching’ them mid song and them running away. You can actually get permits to play in the New York Subway but the idea that a band of that size could get all the amps and everything set up and then record a track and then the cops come? Give me a break!

Maybe it isn’t fair to compare it to its younger, fairer cousin but when you have the same director, writer and a nearly identical premise it’s tough not too. Begin Again is just not as good. It feels like a lame sequel where they just kind of spew out a weaker version of the original. It’s not offensively awful and people are trying but why settle for sloppy seconds when you can easily enjoy the real deal first course?

The only part that surprised me about Begin Again is Adam Levine as Knightley’s rock star boyfriend isn’t half bad. In the world of musicians turned actors he is pretty engaging on screen. Granted he is playing a rock star which isn’t much a stretch but certainly other stars haven’t been able to pull off similar feats as well. He has the one good song at the end of the movie (big surprise there!).

I just wanted a feel good romance and so was hoping at least the characters would be engaging but I didn’t get into it. The premise was too silly, characters patronizing or unlikable and the songs (a big part of the movie) weren’t very good. Overall let down…

There is a lot of swearing in the movie but not much else that is offensive. Not quite as much swearing as in Once (although much of that was in Irish accent which was hard to understand). But I would say Begin Again is adult only because of language.

Clean Content Score- D, Overall Grade- C, not terrible but extremely average.

Watchmojo Best of Animated Series

January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I don’t know how familiar most of you are with youtube but the channel which will make a top 10 of everything (they literally have a top 10 evil despot list…,) watchmojo, has recently come out with a series on the top animated films by decade. I will share some of my thoughts of their lists and what I would change.

For starters, I wouldn’t factor in success or how it changed the genre. For my lists it would just be my favorites but I am sure for their channel they need more criteria. It just seems like there are too many things that are popular or groundbreaking without necessarily being good.

1920-1970-

I understand having to go off of the decade idea but why not do a golden age list, xerox list, ect? You could do 1920-1950, 1950-1979. Even that would be better than 1920-1970 but whatever that was their choice. For the most part its hard to argue with the quality of films on this list; although, I kind of feel like Charlotte’s Web made the cut because they needed a non-Disney. I love Charlotte’s Web. I included it on my Top 11 Forgotten Animated Films. But in the first 50 years of animated films it wouldn’t make my top 10.

I also would definitely not include Peter Pan, which disappointed me probably the most on rewatch. Pinocchio and Bambi are artistic masterpieces but just not top 10 favorites for me, but I don’t mind them being on the list and I like them. I personally would add Jungle Book and Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (not even an HM?) in place of Charlotte’s Web and Peter Pan, but there isn’t a ‘bad’ movie on their list (too much to pick from over 50 years!)

#10: “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)-

#9: “Peter Pan” (1953)

#8: “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)

#7: “Charlotte’s Web” (1973)

#6: “Alice in Wonderland” (1951)

#5: “Fantasia” (1940)

#4: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)

#3: “Bambi” (1942)

#2: “Cinderella” (1950)

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
– “Lady and the Tramp” (1955)
– “Dumbo” (1941)
– “The Sword in the Stone” (1963)
– “The Jungle Book” (1967)
– “Robin Hood” (1973)

#1: “Pinocchio” (1940)

1980-1989

Someone took a long drink from the anime train in creating this list. I can’t disagree with any of the Studio Ghibli picks and I have not seen Grave of the Fireflies or Akira but they are on my list to see. Fox and the Hound is so corny I struggle including it; although, it certainly is better than other 80’s Disney offerings like Black Cauldron (which I don’t hate but has big flaws) and Oliver and Company.

I personally would take out Fox and the Hound (and certainly never put it 3rd!) and put Transformers on the list (it’s really good! Blows the Michael Bay monstrosities out the window). I would also pick Secret of Nimh over An American Tail even though I like Tail, Nimh is sooo great with such a dynamic central female character and mother. You certainly will have no quibble with me on their #1 pick! Little Mermaid is my favorite movie of the 80s period animated or live action.

#10: “The Land Before Time” (1988)

#9: “An American Tail” (1986)

#8: “Grave of the Fireflies” (1988)

#7: “Castle in the Sky” (1986)

#6: “Akira” (1988)

#5: “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989)

#4: “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986)

#3: “The Fox and the Hound” (1981)

#2: “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988)

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
– “The Transformers: The Movie” (1986)
– “The Secret of NIMH” (1982)
– “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (1984)

#1: “The Little Mermaid” (1989)

1990-1999-

This is a really solid list with few quibbles from me. I have not seen Ghost in the Shell but will add it to the list of anime I need to see. The only other strange addition is James and the Giant Peach because on their 80’s video they said no live action/animated hybrids and so Who Framed Roger Rabbit was out. James and the Giant Peach has an extended section that is live action (not just a few minutes like Lego Movie). What’s up watchmojo?

I love Prince of Egypt so that would probably sub out for James but other than that no issue with this list. Solid picks. (The order I could squabble with but I’ll give them that). I loved Rescuers Down Under more than the average bloke so if it was solely on my preferences might have put that in and I really do like Tarzan but tough to argue with their choices

#10: “Ghost in the Shell” (1995)

#9: “Mulan” (1998)

#8: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)

#7: “James and the Giant Peach” (1996)

#6: “The Iron Giant” (1999)

#5: “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)

#4: “Princess Mononoke” (1997)

#3: “Aladdin” (1992)

#2: “The Lion King” (1994)

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
– “Antz” (1998)
– “The Prince of Egypt” (1998)
– “Tarzan” (1999)
– “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
– “Pocahontas” (1995)

#1: “Toy Story” (1995)

2000-2009

This is another solid list with a lot of predictable choices. If I was just going off my personal preferences Shrek would definitely not make the list as I find those movies grating and obnoxious. I am also not the biggest Wes Anderson fan and his style in a children’s film with Fantastic Mr Fox wasn’t a huge fan of although the film looks great. I would have added The Triplets of Belleville, which is an animated french movie which blew me away. Corpse Bride absolutely belongs on the list and Howl’s Moving Castle. Both I think are much better than Monsters Inc even though I like MI).

I also love Emperor’s New Groove and Atlantis: The Lost Empire more than the average person, but I can see why they wouldn’t have made the list. Waltz with Bashir if a stunning adult animated film that I love and I think Chicken Run is better than the Wallace and Gromit; although I like WandG. That said, it is a solid list and I can see it totally being a popular opinion. For the record, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs wouldn’t get an HM from me! I have also found Lilo & Stitch to grow on me (own it on blu-ray now) even though I still hate Stitch’s design and personality. What I like I love!

Up is my favorite movie period, not just animated movie so no issue with me with that at #1 and Spirited Away, Finding Nemo, Incredibles, Rataouille, and Wall-e are masterpieces.

#10: “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005)

#9: “Ratatouille” (2007)

#8: “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009)

#7: “Monsters, Inc.” (2001)

#6: “The Incredibles” (2004)

#5: “Shrek” (2001)

#4: “Spirited Away” (2001)

#3: “WALL-E” (2008)

#2: “Finding Nemo” (2003)

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
– “Kung Fu Panda” (2008)
– “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (2009)
– “Lilo & Stitch” (2002)
– “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
– “Chicken Run” (2000)

#1: “Up” (2009)

2010-present

Another solid and probably very popular list (although Frozen haters will be up in arms. Go Frozen!). I am not a big fan of Wreck-it Ralph although I see why others like it and don’t dislike it just not as in love with it as others. It wouldn’t make my personal list. I have also not seen Rango as most of my friends hated it (not sure why but they did so I never saw it). Glad to see Ernest and Celestine mentioned as that is such a lovely film (although Secret of Kells is great too).

I guess they were only going with children’s movies for these lists because Persepolis would have been cool to see. I also loved Big Hero 6 and would put that in the Despicable Me spot (not that big a fan of those movies but I like the Minions!). I also recently rewatched Paranorman and liked it even better on rewatch. That would have gotten my Wreck-it Ralph spot. But still a solid list. It is kind of strange they go 50 years in first year and only 5 in final list (bad planning watchmojo?). Definitely no arguments from me on their #1 movie. Toy Story 3 made me cry my eyes out and it was tense, exciting, scary, and gorgeous- a practically perfect animated film.

#10: “Adventures of Tintin ”

#9: “Wreck-it Ralph”

#8: “Rango”

#7: “Tangled”

#6: “Despicable Me”

#5: “Frozen”

#4: “Lego Movie”

#3: “Ernest and Celestine”

#2: “How to Train Your Dragon”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
– Wind Rises

– Monsters University

– Bolt

– Megamind

– Frankenweenie

– Secret World of Ariety

#1: “Toy Story 3”

So what do you think of Watchmojo’s list and my comments? Where are they way off? Where am I way off? What do you agree with? As I well know nothing invites debate like the making of lists, so comment away. Thanks!