BABBLING BOOKS

Lauzc · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject: What have you been watching?

I think Karen might of suggested this thread we can all add to, so I tought I'd start.

During my flight to Oz and back (highly recommend the new A380!), I caught up on a load of films:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 4/5
2:39 | Mystery Drama | M
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Director: David Fincher
A wonderfully inventive story. When Benjamin Button is born, in 1918 in New Orleans, he's already an old man. But instead of growing older, he grows younger. When he meets the love of his life, he's much older but she's just a child. Throughout Benjamin's adventurous life, their paths keep crossing and the dynamics of their relationship become a beautiful reflection on love.

Jindabyne - 4/5
1:58 | Drama | M
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney, John Howard
Director: Ray Lawrence
Superb drama. Based on a Raymond Chandler short story, petrol-station owner Stewart is on a fishing trip with his mates when they come upon the body of a murdered Aboriginal girl floating in the river. They decide to report their find only after their trip, leaving Stewart's wife Claire to fathom their actions, and to embark on a journey to lay the dead girl's spirit to rest.

Bride Wars - 3/5
1:32 | Romantic Comedy | PG
Stars: Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman
Director: Joel Hopkins
Some stories never grow old. American jingle writer Harvey and English airline employee Kate think life has passed them by. Harvey, snubbed by his daughter and fired from his job, is about to fly home when he starts sharing sob stories in an airport bar with Kate. As two lost souls find each other, hope springs eternal.

The Reader - 4/5
2:04 | Drama | MA
Stars: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes
Director: Stephen Daldry
Complex and challenging. In post World War II Germany, a teenager embarks on an affair with a woman twice his age. When Michael discovers Hanna loves being read to, their relationship becomes deeper still. Then, she disappears. Years pass and Michael is a student observing Nazi war crime trials when Hanna reappears, as a defendant. Her dark past has a deep impact on both their lives.

Marley & Me - 3.5/5
1:56 | Comedy Drama | M
Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston
Director: David Frankel
One for Labrador lovers. As John and Jennifer settle into married life, John is reluctant to start a family. Instead, he gets Jennifer a Labrador puppy. It's not long before Marley has grown into a 40kg bundle of energy but while he causes all manner of mayhem, he also helps his owners learn life's lessons. Such as, kids are less work than Labs.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - 4/5
1:88 | Drama Thriller War | PG
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Zac Mattoon O'Brien
Director: Mark Herman
Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

Twilight - 3.5/5
1:62 | Drama Fantasy Romance Thriller| PG
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire.

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handmade by Laura Croxson

blueflower · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:34 pm Post subject:

Good heavens, it must be nearly cheaper to fly to Australia than go to the pictures to see all these films.

Lauzc · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:25 am Post subject:

I missed a couple. Also watched:

Closed For Winter - 3.5/5
2009
Drawn from Georgia Blain's novel and adapted for the screen and directed by James Bogle, this dark Adelaide-shot drama stars Natalie Imbruglia, Tony Martin, Deborah Kennedy, Daniel Frederiksen, Danielle Catanzariti and Tiahn Green (really strong as the young Natalie).

PS : I LOVE YOU - 3.5/5
2007
Gerry and Holly Kennedy are a happily married couple living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan until he succumbs to a brain tumor. Deeply distraught, Holly withdraws from her family and friends until they descend upon her on her 30th birthday. They are determined to force the young widow to face the future and decide what her next career move should be. As they rally around Holly and help organize her apartment, a cake is delivered, and on it is a message from Gerry. It proves to be the first of several - all ending with the sign-off P.S. I Love You - he arranged to have delivered to her after his death. As the seasons pass, each new message fills her with encouragement and sends her on a new adventure. While Holly's mother Patricia and her best friends Denise and Sharon are concerned Gerry's letters are keeping Holly tied to the past, they are in fact pushing her into the future. With Gerry's words as her guide, Holly slowly embarks on a journey of rediscovery.
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handmade by Laura Croxson

Karen · Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:13 am Post subject:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 4.5/5

Went to see this at the weekend for Father's Day. We all loved it, a brilliant bit of escapism for a family with teenagers especially. At 2.5 hours perhaps slightly too long - the final stages of the story were a bit drawn out we thought, but that was a minor point for us. Some great humour in there too (some very cringeworthy moments involving parents and teenagers!)

Film is a 12A and in my view okay from about 10 years but as is the norm these days, large numbers of parents there with children as young as 5. This makes me so cross, totally unsuitable for children of that age. They are either scared or bored and then spoil the showing for others in the cinema by crying, shuffling, talking and needing the loo a dozen times!

Tigerlily · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:43 pm Post subject:

I watched Withnail and I over the weekend. I last saw it in 1993. The more it went on the funnier it became and I couldn't stop tittering. It's really good.
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Reading: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Reading Challenge 2009: 8
2008: 4
2007: 10

Karen · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:58 am Post subject:

The Changeling 4/5
I thought I had the gist of this film from the trailers, but they really only give the start of the story and it does not pan out anything like you might expect. It's the story of Christine Collins, a single mother in LA in the 1920's. Her 9 year old son goes missing, the police in another state find a boy and which the police return to her as her son Walter. It's not her son but the authorities will not listen and make her take the boy home. The film is then about her fight with the authorities to listen to her and carry on looking for her son. It's a very dark and sometimes macbre story, but very well told and very well filmed too. Angelina Jolie is excellent in the role. I don't know how well the film sticks to the true story, but it felt genuine and not at all Hollywood Sugarcoated. It's not a feel good film, and it's quite long at about 21/2 hours, but definitly worth a watch in my opinion.

The Flying Scotsman 4/5
This is the the story of champion cyclist Graeme Obree. How he came to be a cyclist, his battle with mental illness, how he broke several world records in his short career.

Lauzc · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:08 pm Post subject:

Coraline - 3.5/5
2009
A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home - and save her family

Coco avant Chanel - 4/5
2009
The story of Coco Chanel's rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.
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handmade by Laura Croxson

Karen · Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:46 am Post subject:

I'm hoping to see the Coco Chanel film but might have to wait until it comes out on dvd. We seem to have quite a few cinemas around but they all show very mainstream films. I've yet for find somewhere that shows something a little different.

Managed to watch a couple of films on dvd over the weekend.

Confessions of a Shopaholic 2.5/5

Only average, but better than I thought it would be. It passed a couple of hours on a boring Saturday TV night and went down well with pizza and a glass of wine!

The Visitor 4.5/5

No mega big names in this film, but a great film none the less. Walter is a University professor whose life is very lonely and stuck in a rut after his wife dies. His college send him to attend a conference in New York, once he gets there he finds a couple of strangers have moved into his New York appartment. He allows them to stay and in the space of a week starts to become involved in their lives. Some lovely moments of humour in what is really quite a sad story about the lives of four people and the huge impact they have on each other over the space of just a couple of weeks.

Karen · Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:34 am Post subject:

The Proposal 4/5

4 out of 5 for no other reason that it was a great film to take my teenage sons and my parents to see one afternoon. Nothing to offend anyone, predictable, but still funny and enjoyable for all.

Skellig 4/5

My eldest son read this as a set book at school - it must be 6 years ago now! He loved it, brought it home, demanded that I read it and pestered me until I did! I loved it too so we were both very keen to see this film. Dominic remembered the book detail much better than I did, but I thought it was a very good dramatisation, as did he. Probably better because our reading of the book was not too recent. Tim Roth is a brilliant Skellig.

New in Town 3/5

Another of those predictable Romantic Comedy type of film, but quite good for family viewing where you have teenagers - and to be quite honest gives me a welcome breather from Top Gear and SciFi. Just average this one.

eightlegs · Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:41 pm Post subject:

Karen · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:35 am Post subject:

Karen · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:43 am Post subject:

Coco Avant Chanel 4.5/5

Had a supper and film date with my husband sans teenagers last night - a special treat because it was my film choice too!

I loved it, I have no idea how much of it was true, but it seemed plausible for the era. Would recommend it. It is in French and so has subtitles, but don't be put off by that. The subtitles are really quite subtle and don't distract from the visual story.

katey · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:21 am Post subject:

I loved Coco Avent Chanel too

my next one will be The Time Travellers Wife.
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Katey
xxx

Books 01.09- 18 (5)
Books 02.09- 12 (4)
Books 03.09- 9 (1)
Books 04.09- 3 (0)
Books 05.09- 3(0)
Books 06.09- 8(1)
Books 07.09- 9(0)
Books 08.09- 10(1)
Books 09.09- 3(1)
Books 10.09- 9(1)

Target for 2009- 100 (15)- 16(2) to go!

Karen · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:09 am Post subject:

Lauzc · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:

katey · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:12 pm Post subject:

Karen · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:09 pm Post subject:

The Time Traveller's Wife 3/5

I was quite indifferent about going to see this and left the cinema quite indifferent to it too. My husband was keen to see it and my sons slightly more enthusiastic than I, so we did a Bargain Tuesday at the nearest Cineworld. They all enjoyed it more than I did too, my husband and eldest son really enjoyed it. I thought it was fine but nothing more and my rating of 3/5 is down to the rest of the family rating it better than I did rather than just reflecting my view of it.

It seemed well put together, the time line worked, I could pick up no confusing flaws in the time travel side of the story, so I don't really know why I am still so ambivalent about it. The book did not appeal and I did not get any more than a couple of chapters in before I abandoned it completely and returned it to my friend so I can not claim the book was great and the film did not do it justice. I will be interested to hear the views of others - I know lots of people loved the book and so wonder how they feel about this film version.

katey · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:22 pm Post subject:

I went to see The Time Traveler's Wife last night and really enjoyed it. Whilst there were some issues with it (IMO it came across as a little bit cheesy), I did have a blub (and not at the same bits as the book). It was fairly true to the book, although there were a obviously ommisions and changes which made it seem a bit rushed.

The actress who was Clare portrayed her well, Eric Bana was not such a good Henry, but he is delicious.
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Katey
xxx

Books 01.09- 18 (5)
Books 02.09- 12 (4)
Books 03.09- 9 (1)
Books 04.09- 3 (0)
Books 05.09- 3(0)
Books 06.09- 8(1)
Books 07.09- 9(0)
Books 08.09- 10(1)
Books 09.09- 3(1)
Books 10.09- 9(1)

Target for 2009- 100 (15)- 16(2) to go!

Karen · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:38 pm Post subject:

Glad you enjoy The Time Travellers Wife Katey, I think the whole premise just did not appeal to me, hence me being very luke warm about it all.

Finally watched Sweeny Todd last night. I thought it was really good and enjoyed it tremendously. I normally avoid 18 rated films - I find they tend to go over the top with all things gratuitous, but this was excellent. My husband will be the butt of family jokes for a long time - he hid behind a cushion for all the throat cutting bits!

Lauzc · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:20 pm Post subject:

Welcome to Babbling Books, Guest. We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay and Wish You a Merry Christmas!