Luke, on the other hand, is movie kinda guy. His collection of DVDs could rival mine of books. When we first got together, we would spend countless hours watching movies at home and a handful of pennies going to the cinema once or twice a week, back when it was £4.50 a ticket. Showcase Insider card holders, ya feel meeee. Over the past few years I've watched films less and less, partially due to my (soon-to-be conquered) fear of the cinema, mainly due to our Netflix subscription. This year I decided to make a little more effort and I'm pleased to report I've watched 10 new-to-me movies so far this year! Today I thought I'd share my thoughts on them, because isn't that what we bloggers do?
Genre: Superhero action.
Released: 2015.
★★★☆☆
I put off watching Guardians for a long time, mainly because I wasn't sure how I felt about a comical superhero movie. I prefer them to be a little grittier than something like Suicide Squad (which I loved but only 'cause of Harley Quinn) but I was pleasantly surprised. It's not my favourite Marvel movie by a long shot but it was entertaining enough. Plus Baby Groot. Watch the trailer here.
Cinderella. "Have courage and be kind."
Genre: Disney live-action remake.Released: 2015.
★★★★☆
My first live-action Disney princess film! Honestly, I adored Cinderella - so much so that she's now one of my favourite Disney princesses. Lily James is an absolute dream and Robb Stark as Prince Charming? Hello. It was fantastical and whimsical and exactly what I needed. There's something about Disney Princess movies that just lift my spirits and this was no exception. I also take a small amount of pleasure in the fact that it was directed by Gilderoy Lockhart. Watch the trailer here.
The Danish Girl.
Genre: Romantic drama.Released: 2016 (UK).
★★★★☆
Oh, this film. I adored it. Aesthetically it was so stunning - the setting, the outfits, the tonal mood of each shot - but it's also charged with emotion so intense it's almost tangible. Alicia Vikander was sensational and so deserving of the many awards she won for her role as Gerda. There are few films I watch that I think Luke will enjoy as much as me but he watched The Danish Girl a few weeks ago and agreed it was amazing. Watch the trailer here.
Genre: Sci-fi action.
Released: 2017.
★★☆☆☆
Blame! was my first foray into anime film and it was... a bizarre one. I'm into dystopian post-apocalyptic fiction and I'm also into anime so I figured this short film would be an easy watch but it really wasn't. I thought the animation style was laggy, clunky and out of sync and the plot was strange. I watched the first hour twice and failed both times to really get a hold on what was happening. It also distracted me that the voice actors of Kirito and Asuna had main roles and I failed to separate their voices from their new characters as I didn't find any of the characters in Blame! particularly compelling. Watch the trailer here.
Remember Me.
Genre: Coming-of-age romantic drama.
Released: 2010.
★★★★☆
God, this film fxcked me up. You know when you're watching something and there's a single defining moment when it changes from an okay film to an incredible one? The plot twist in this film honestly, truly blew my mind. I didn't stop raving/ranting/screaming about it for days afterwards and it didn't stray far from my thoughts for even longer. Watch the trailer here.
Genre: Disney fantasy adventure.
Released: 2016.
★★★★☆
I didn't get to see Moana at the cinema (despite counting down the days until it was released from when they announced it) so my Mum bought me the DVD and we settled down that evening to watch it together. I loved it! Moana as a character reminded me a little of Rapunzel, who is my absolute fave, and I loved all of the cultural elements. And the music! Oh, the music. Who knew The Rock could sing? It isn't the best Disney soundtrack in my opinion (Hercules, Tarzan and Tangled are my faves) but the only song I didn't like was the one with that weird crab. Oh and the little chicken was hilarious. Watch the trailer here.
Gone Girl.
Genre: Psychological thriller.
Released: 2014.
★★★★☆
Another film that unexpectedly blew my mind. Like Remember Me, there was a defining moment that left both myself and Mum absolutely reeling. Lots of eye-popping, squealing and wide-with-shock mouth movements happened. If you've seen it, I'm sure you know which scene I'm talking about. I've yet to stray into the world of crime thrillers so this film was a bit of a slow burner for me, especially at the beginning, but it really does consume you! Watch the trailer here.
Genre: Thriller.
Released: 2017.
★☆☆☆☆
I'm not sure why I decided to watch this because it's not my genre at all, but I was curious to see Bella Thorne act in something I hadn't seen on the Disney Channel. Unfortunately, she was the one thing I really didn't like about this film. I don't think her face shows much expression, or at least I didn't feel it from her, which in a film this intense is kind of necessary. Overall it was okay. I wouldn't watch it again. Watch the trailer here.
The Circle.
Genre: Techno-thriller.
Released: 2017.
★★☆☆☆
I watched The Circle directly after finishing You Get Me, when Dad was in hospital and I was at his flat and I wanted a distraction. Again, the main actress in this short film drew me in and once I got over her American accent, I did enjoy Emma Watson's performance. It made me think about a lot of things, especially regarding social media and the urge to share things that probably aren't suited for Instagram or Twitter, and it made me uncomfortable on several occasions, in the best way. It wasn't a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat type thriller, it was more subdued with undertones of discomfort. Watch the trailer here.
Genre: Disney live-action remake.
Released: 2017.
★★★☆☆
Another Emma Watson film, and another live action Disney movie. I've seen three now, having seen and disliked The Jungle Book last year, and in all honestly Beauty and the Beast didn't do much for me. I actually really like Emma Watson as Belle and Luke Evans as Gaston and yes it was visually so beautiful, but it was so similar to the animation that it seemed like a waste of time? Like, if I wanted to watch the animation I would have. You know? I know, people complain when it's too similar and people complain when it's too different but I'd have liked more of a spin on it. Watch the trailer here.
There's been a real mix of amazing and awful films this year! I think awful films are the reason I don't watch many others, because I'm so afraid of wasting my time, but I really think there's always at least one thing worth noting in a film, even if the rest of it was shit.
Have you watched anything good this year? Baby Driver is on my list!
Oooh you've got some really fab films on here! Moana and Gone Girl have probably been my favourite x
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