LetsJustBeRosie

Rosie, 18, Channel Islands, This is where i review and talk about films and Tv shows! please feel free to message me any recommendations or just for a chat!

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heart: treat yo self

bank account: please dear god do not do that

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Next Goal Wins (2014)

Director(s) : Mike Brett, Steve Jamison 

Cast : Thomas Rongen, Jaiyah Saelua, Nicky Salapu

Plot:  Documentary on the ‘worst national football team in the world.’ After American Samoa’s widely publicised heavy defeat defeat against Australia, and a 17 year streak without even a goal, The team enlist the help of dutch coach Thomas Rongen in the wake of world cup qualifying.

★★★★

Heartwarming tale of endurance, acceptance and hope. The directors managed to capture the culture and ideals of American Samoa through some beautiful shots of the Island, as well as raw interviews with the locals. The players individual stories make the film seem rather personal, and the story of Jaiyah Salelua, the first Transgender player in the world cup, was a really interesting and beautiful insight into how different cultures are more accepting than our own. The tension created by the football matches makes the film very compelling and one particular moment of triumph was so uplifting that it was hard not to smile constantly. Fantastic.

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Schindler’s List (1993) 

Director: Steven Spielberg 

Cast : Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley,  Caroline Goodall

Plot: A haunting true story of the holocaust. Schindler is a opportunist businessman who utilises jewish labour and recruits a Jewish Accountant (Ben Kingsley) to run his company. As the Holocaust gains momentum and the genocide gets harder and harder for Schindler to ignore, he finds himself compelled to help. 

★★★★★

Spielberg gives an unflinching and haunting insight into one of the many tales of heroism of the holocaust, although, as it should be, the film is more focused on the tragedy of those who lost their lives. The constant portrait shots of individuals reminded the viewer that there were simply too many victims to count. Neeson and Kingsley both give very poignant portrayals of people on two very different sides of the war.  Fiennes gives a repulsive portrayal throughout as the leader of a labour camp, but even he is given some dimension. The use of black and white with the iconic use of red is very effective in giving the film a historic, sombre atmosphere. The end of the film brings the viewer quickly back to reality, and is a  reminder that this happened, and should not be forgotten. A worthy classic. 

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Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The way he looks) (2014) 

Director: Daniel Ribeiro

Cast : Ghilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi, Tess Amorim 

Plot : Leo (Ghilherme Lobo) is a blind from birth teenager, navigating high school with the help of his best friend Gi, (Tess Amorim) A new student arrives who throws a wedge between the two, as well as setting Leo's feelings on fire.

★★★★

Having watched the short film i knew that i wanted to know more about these group of teenagers, and this film provided that. Acting from all involved was fantastic, particularly from the two male leads. Watching Leo deal with problems due to his blindness, such as wanting to go traveling, or bullying ( which at some points is almost unbearable to watch) is captivating and Ribeiro's script allows for a lot of suspense and speculation. The latter half of the film borders on dragging on due to waiting for some decisive action from characters, however the plot picks up just in time, and the conclusion is heartwarming and satisfying. The film has a very raw feel to it due to its low budget, and Ribeiro's inventive use of angles makes for an beautifully shot, charming film.

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Big Hero 6 Review (2015)

Directors : Don Hall, Chris Williams

Cast: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney

Plot: A bored Genius 14 year old named Hiro develops an odd friendship with a group of college students and an inflatable robot designed to be a robotic nurse, Baymax and band together to defeat a rather mysterious supervillan.

★★★★

This film was a lot of fun, with colorful and engaging characters and plot line but it was also simultaneously a rather unexpected punch to the gut, with the main character Hiro (Scott Adsit) frequently dealing with some rather tragic issues and their repercussions. This film felt a bit more complex than average children films, with the villain having some dimension and some of the humor being quite dry, which i really enjoyed. The jokes hit and all of the characters were endearing and none really perpetuating any stereotype, and i found the lack of a love interest to be rather refreshing. A highlight moment was when one character was told to 'Woman Up' and with the film clearly open to a sequel, this seems like a adequate and enticing origins story.

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Gone Girl (2014)

Director : David Fincher 

Cast : Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Niel Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens

Plot : When Nick Dunne's (Affleck) not so beloved wife (Pike) goes missing, he finds himself named as a suspect by the mass media, and by his wife's diary. Who is to be believed?, Who is the real criminal?

★★★★

This film was a very unsettling and uncomfortable experience, but in the best way possible. I found myself constantly on edge, the score constantly ramping up the tension, and, because i had not read the book by Gillian Flynn, i had no idea where the plot would take me and was regularly shocked. The performance of the cast was great all round, all delivering realistic complex performances which helped to ground the film when the plot was starting to get extremely unrealistic. Stand out performances  from Rosamund Pike who was just absolutely astoundingly terrifying and Tyler Perry who was hilariously likeable.

This film is very difficult to classify into one genre because although it is very sinister the whole way through, it is also satirical and funny, with regular bursts of dark humour from the main characters which momentarily lighten the mood until the next scene where no expense was paid when it came to violence. It is perhaps because i hadn't read the book that i didn't sympathise at all with Affleck's character, although he put in a great performance. The ending i found was unsatisfactory, as i had been preparing myself for a shock ending, but beside from the last sector  the pacing was great and it was excellently shot, with one particularly violent scene standing out. Overall apart from the subdued ending and a few unrealistic aspects, this film was brilliantly executed, and had me locking my bedroom door for fear of Pike's Amy making an appearance. 

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Jaws (1975)

Director : Steven Spielberg

Cast :  Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary 

Plot : A Shark Terrorises the Island of Amity, an american beach paradise gearing up for a tourist filled 4th of July, and since keeping the crowds out of the sea seems an impossible task, Chief of police Brody must try and kill the killer shark. 

X X X X

I absolutely adored this film, namely because of the stunning direction and cinematography. Every frame was absolutely beautiful, especially the underwater shots, and the suspense that Spielberg built up effortlessly made it a really compelling, fast moving film. The acting was very on point, except for a few very minor exceptions, and Roy Scheider was a refreshingly sensible character who kept the film relatively grounded. There were some unrealistic parts such as the aesthetic of the shark and some characters reactions, however that added to the charm of the film, and the whole time i caught myself almost screaming at the characters just to 'STAY OUT OF THE BLOODY WATER'. Overall, great watch, a definite and deserving classic. 

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22 Jump Street (2014)

Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Amber Stevens, Wyatt Russel

Plot: the plot for 21 jump street.... but at college 

X X X X

This is a comedy sequel which is actually better than its predecessor, a rare thing in the film industry, and the writers and cast know it. There are constant hilarious jokes about 'the 2nd mission always being worse' and the self aware comedy that made the first film so funny, is amplified here. This along with ridiculous antics, a killer script, and Tatum and Hill's brilliant performances, makes for a very entertaining clever film. Again i much more enjoy Tatum's performance, although i think Hill is better in this than he was in the first film, but i still cannot find it in me to like his character. Not every joke works, and there are some slow sections, but you find yourself enjoying yourself too much to care. The credits are by far the best i've seen in a long time, and overall this is definitely worth a watch. 

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21 Jump Street (2012)

Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Cast:  Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Dave Franco

Plot: Two incompetent cops (Tatum & Hill) are sent under cover into a high school to try to take down a drugs ring. 

X X X

Good lord this film was funny. I wasn't sure what to expect as i am not a huge Channing Tatum fan, but his delivery was hysterical, and the self aware comedy which characterised this film was brilliant. Don't get me wrong, not every gag in this film worked for me, but the majority did and the absurd last thirty minutes was brilliant, featuring  the best surprise cameo i have seen in years. I found i liked Tatum's performance more than Hills, mainly because in all of the films i have seen Hill in recently, he plays pretty much the same character, its not a bad character, just not an endearing one. I gave this film three stars, but it was very close to four.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Director : Steven Spielberg

Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman

Plot: Set in 1936, this film follows Dr Indiana Jones, a professor of archaeology, who is hired by the US government to find the biblical Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. He encounters numerous exotic obstacles on his way including snakes, planes, spiders, massive rocks and a lot more. Oh, and he has a whip.

X X X X

Lets get it out there, i was not expecting to like this movie. I was very much aware of how sacred it was to many, however i felt that maybe watching it for the first time as a 17 year old, i'd missed my time to enjoy it. I was wrong. The plot was entertaining, funny and gripping and the cinematography was breathtaking, especially in the opening sequence. Indy and Marion were extremely likeable, with their dry wit being laugh out loud funny, something i didn't expect. This film has aged remarkably well, with most aspects holding up to modern times, and the ones which didn't, perhaps most notably the stage fighting and special effects, only served to make the film even more endearing. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and cant wait to see what adventure Indy takes me on next.

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Chaplin (1992)

Director : Richard Attenborough 

Cast: Robert Downey Jr. , Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Rhys, Antony Hopkins

Plot : A full biopic of Charlie Chaplin's life, from a young poor boy to the legend he became

X X X

This film covers the life of Charlie Chaplin, someone admittedly i had heard of, but never known much about. Robert Downey Jr is absolutely captivating as Chaplin, bringing Charisma and depth to the role, however because the film covers Chaplin's entire life, it often felt as if the film was moving too quickly to try and fit it all in, skimming over parts of Chaplin's life which needed more screen time to fully capture. Because of the speed the film goes at, many characters don't have much depth to them and although Antony Hopkins plays his part well, it seemed a rather unnecessary interruption at points. I absolutely loved the opening sequence, and the ending was very touching. Overall i enjoyed the film, however this was mainly due to Robert Downey Jr performance, and Chaplin's own work that was inserted in.

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Airplane! (1980)

XXXX

Director: Jim Abrahams, David & Jerry Zucker

Cast: Robert Hayes, Julie Hagerty, Stephen Stucker

Plot:  Elaine (Hagerty) is an air hostess who's left her partner (Hayes) and he follows her onto the flight. Disaster strikes as half the plane is poisoned including all 3 pilots, leaving it to Elaine and the passengers to land the plane.

well this film is a disaster spoof movie which, if you have a sick sort of sense of humour, which i do, you will enjoys lots. The gags are hilarious and weird often with no context, adding to the hilarity, and how the cast kept such serious expressions i will never know. The filming is hilariously bad at points, but that adds to the humour and this is a film i will be quoting for a long long time.... 'And leons getting LARGER'

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Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

X X X X X

Director : Jonathan Demme

Cast : Antony Hopkins, Jodie Foster 

Plot : Clarice is a student at the FBI academy who is asked to go and interview Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist in prison for cannibalism and murder and what not, to try and get information on a killer who is killing young women and taking their skin. The film follows Clarice trying to catch this killer, without letting Lecter get into her head

Now needless to say this is a film i had very high expectations for, considering the hype around it even now, over 2 decades later, and i have to say it lived up to expectations. Antony Hopkins gives a chilling performance as Dr Lector and Jodie Foster is also wonderful. This film managed to always make you feel jumpy, without actually giving you anything to jump at. It was thrilling, clever and beautifully filmed, and the ending left me wanting so much more

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We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race and the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

Dead Poets Society (via writeswithafist)

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