Stumbling My Way Through Life One Glass of Wine at a Time

Stumbling My Way Through Life One Glass of Wine at a Time
Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Silver Linings Playbook - Movie Review


It's winter here in South Africa at the moment... and it is freezing.
Last night I was supposed to be productive and head to the Yogashala studio in town for my first yoga session in months. I've been seriously slack since my slightly deborturous (kidding mum... only a little bit,) Contiki tour of Europe.
Instead however, I stayed bundled up in my tracky bottoms and oversized hoodie, took a quick drive to the grocery store where I bought no groceries at all... the contents of my shopping cart contained one bottle of deeeeelicious merlot, a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, a box of chocolate-mint biscuits and a new toothbrush.
I also nipped into my local movie shop and grabbed the last copy of this, thinking that Bradley Cooper would be more than adequate company for the rest of the evening.
 
Arriving home I lit a fire and poured myself a nice big glass of red, plopped the disc into the machine and pressed play... fighting for some space in front of fire as my cat, Guru, appeared to be in kitty-cat heaven as seen below:




She literally stayed like that for the whole movie....
 
Anyway.
 
For some reason, I was under the impression that Silver Linings Playbook was more of a comedy. It does have some fairly funny scenes, but I'd definitely classify this as more of a drama.
It is based on Pat (Cooper), a man who has just been released from a mental hospital where he had been a patient for 8 months after catching his wife in the shower with her co-worker.
Pat is convinced that his wife still loves him and is just waiting for him to get his life together and get into shape and then she will take him back. The fact that she filed for a restraining order against him and sold their house while he was away somehow did not appear to faze him in the slightest.
Along his emotional journey to pick up the pieces of his broken world, Pat meets a woman called Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence).
Tiffany seems to be just as unstable as himself as she deals with the loss of her husband.
He believes that Tiffany is the key to getting his wife back because he can communicate to his wife through her.
Their friendship is an awkward, sexually tense one that you cannot help but cringe at but it just adds to this films juiciness.
 
Together they embark on a beautiful path to happiness with the art of dance guiding their every step.
Tiffany is able to heal Pat through dance and through acceptance of who he truly is and vice versa.
 
This movie is a gorgeous combination of comedy and drama; and also accommodating for both men and woman.
 
Director, David O. Russell really pulled this film off and was able to make it so unique and enjoyable, unlike the many other rom-coms available these days.
 
The soundtrack is also so lovely and makes the movie just that much more enjoyable.   
 
 

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Movie Review

Two nights ago I sat down with my family (three generations down,) and watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. 

There had been major chit-chat about this new romantic comedy so my expectations were pretty high. 
How could they not be with such a great cast?
Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench to name only a few of the British actors took on rolls of retirees lured to a captivating resort in India. 
Unfortunately they soon discover that the place had been photo-shopped to envision the hopeful future of the hotel upon their arrival.  
Starting out as disapproving, ripped-off golden oldies, slowly they begin to accept the hotel and grow together - making the most of what they have. 

Maggie Smith delivers an excellent roll of a sour, lifeless woman needing a hip transplant with a blatant disregard for anyone that is not white. 
By the end of the film she is a completely transformed and renewed woman and her growth is inspiring. 

Bill Nighy (impossible not to enjoy a film with his hilarious quips in,) is married to Penelope Wilton, a woman who just cannot accept the dreams of galivanting around trying to relive their youth. 
She is constantly putting everybody down and sucking the life and energy dry from Nighy - who eventually sods it and does his own thing. 

Judi Dench plays a recently widowed woman who had never done anything by herself and so she gains independence through her journey, teaching and exploring in India; proving to herself that it is possible to live without her hubby.
It does tend to twinge a few of those sensitive heartstrings...

John Madden (the director,) portrays India to a 'T' - from the hustle and bustle to the cultural aspects; I felt as though I had been there myself. 


This movie is a wonderful reminder that it is never too late to change your life.
It manages to explain over eight life situations which at the time seem impossible to change; yet as the movie unfolds so does the concept of breaking free and living life to the fullest. 

In all honestly this movie did not blow me away right away. I found it extremely long and a little slow -paced - but the messages it left me with afterwards changed my mind.

It was touching and compassionate and just what I needed to be reminded of right now. 

The film actually reminds me of a status I used on Facebook just a few weeks ago:

Let go and grow!