Educating Rita 10/02/10

So here we go...film number 2!

I had really forgotten just how special Educating Rita was. There is something really brilliant about the two main characters, Frank and Rita that I can’t quite put my finger on.

Well, this film is about a lovely, loud mouthed scouser called Rita who goes back to school, essentially. Her new tutor Frank is a former poet and romantic who’s boozy, dampened spark is reignited by feisty young Rita the moment she stumbles into his office.

It would be unfair to call it a love story as that would be undermining, but there are definitely elements of elated and deflated feelings in the pit of my chest that can only come from a good romance story. Student/Teacher films often leave me feeling a sense of pride and achievement and this film has found such a wonderful formula for this that doesn’t make it sleazy or in anyway obvious. The relationship between the two is so subtle but immensely satisfying and heart warmingly hilarious.

Michael Caine portraying Frank is effortlessly good for a man who says he never really “acts”. His character is rebellious for his status socially and within the university and yet there’s something so soft and vulnerable about him at the same time. Whereas Julie Walters is unsurprisingly brilliant as the fresh faced northern lass from a working class family. I found her character broke the stereotypical mould in a way that was so subtle and so liberating all at the same time.

In all the film was immensely enjoyable although it’s so hard to explain why because everything about it is so subtle. Each scene is filled with wit, affection, insightfulness and complete lack of pretension, and I think everyone needs to remember exactly why they love this film, otherwise you’ll keep flicking past it when choosing a film to watch!

Mood-O-Meter:
When you’re feeling like you want to turn over a new leaf and do something inspiring, or you need to watch some tender, tender acting without a “puke-up-your-guts” romantic plot, this is the one for you.
Best watched at any time of the day!

Tunes:
The soundtrack is awful; the only thing holding this film in time. I would love someone to take this film and polish it up with a brand new lovely piano score.

Refreshments:
This is definitely a tea and biscuits kind of film; or milk and biscuits if you’re more like me. Maybe a nice Caesar salad sandwich and an apple juice.

Dad’s verdict:
Despite watching most of this while on his laptop he managed to give it a 9/10 with the comment “It’s stood the test of time”. I agree up to the point of the music…but it’s so funny how all the clothes are back in fashion now!

Juno 09/02/2010

My first film of the project and the first film on my shelf is the orange and white striped, secretly main steam, but openly indie film that is Juno!

Juno is mainly a tender, teenage love story that hides itself well in an unusual category that is "lifestyle films".

What I mean by a lifestyle film, is that you watch it and you want to be like these people; you want to live in their surroundings, dress in their clothes and have Diablo Cody feed you witty remarks and “wizard” catch phrases as you go about your daily doings.

In a nutshell this film is about a quirky, bright eyed “individual” called Juno who falls pregger’s after a fun night in an arm chair. She wants to have the baby and give it up for adoption to a lovely, rich couple who live in a different world to her own working class background. But this isn’t a film about class, or struggle to be accepted in the world as a pregnant teen minority. Dangerous enough as it is to make a film showing an easy situation for a 16 year old girl up the duff, the point of this film is something much more tender and cool than what you would expect.

But with Ellen Page’s heartbreakingly tender performance (not to mention the want-to-be-like-her-so-freaking-badly “cool as hell” character), a cast that fit together better than a snappy jigsaw puzzle and a really genius twist that creeps up on you, this film is just cracking!

Mood-o-meter:

Best time for this film is when you’re feeling kind of quirky and in need of some “being weird” time. Like I said this is a lifestyle film where you just want to copy everything they do (apart from the preggers thing) but because their whole thing is being individual you feel you have to find your own cool quirky things to do, but they aren’t quite as cool as them so you have to find your own…oh, you know what I mean.

This film is probably best watched either early afternoon or stupid o’clock in the morning at a sleepover.

Tunes:

The soundtrack to this film is amazing! I really recommend this is bought and listened to or if all else false just buy the Mouldy Peaches. They’re so great for a good old crazy mood.

Refreshments:

To fit with the theme of the film, I recommend orange Tic Tacs, Sunny D and maybe some other American snacks like Oreo’s, donuts, hamburgers and fries…in any order that takes your fancy. If you actually are pregnant then maybe you might want it all in one?

Dad’s verdict:

My old man gives this film an 8/10 and says that the film wouldn’t have survived without the impressive characters and language. He thought the music was spot on and most important of all; it kept him interested.

Kudos to Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman!

My Project

Hey there!

Welcome to my DVD project; I don't quite know what to make of it yet, but I hope you can find something to take with you from this, whether it helps you find a film to watch or just something interesting.

Here's the story:

So I'm coming home from where I've been living and all my DVD's need to go back into their cases (they've been spending many months squished together in several DVD folders). So I was doing that and it gave me a chance to really look at what films I own. There is such a mixture there and I know that every time I want to watch a film I never know what I fancy. So I've challenged myself to bite the bullet and watch them all in exactly the order they are on my shelves. I'll take a picture so you know I'm not cheating.

After watching each film I'll blog a little bit about what I thought and some notes to go with it.

Well here goes, wish me luck! :D