Vera Drake [2004]

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Vera Drake is a 2004 British film which tells the story of an older woman who performs abortions in the 50s. It is quiet, subdued and heartbreaking at points, as she must ultimately face the consequences of her actions.

Vera Drake is portrayed as an incredibly positive, outgoing and slightly naive person, with a heart of gold, who is available and willing to help anyone who requires it. Married with two children, a son and a shy, introvert daughter, she goes on her day to day life, cleaning houses as a way to pay the bills. The harsh discrepancy comes when we find out Vera is also known, to many women, as the lady who performs abortions. She does it because she thinks she is helping girls out whenever they can't manage, and because she has been doing it for such a long time without any problems and without receiving any money for it, she is sincerely upset when one of her "patients" is admitted to the hospital in terrible conditions after it.

Misses Drake's world collapses when, in the day of her daughter's engagement, the police come knocking on her door, demanding information about her rituals, after the sick girl's mother tells the police Vera's name. That scene when the detectives come to confront the woman is probably one of the most moving, heartbreaking moments of the whole movie. We can easily see the change as she realises what she has done and what might await for her, we can feel her emotions, her terror, and her performance was quite extraordinary. I loved the fact that everything was quiet, there were no shouted accusations or cheeky attitude, there were only silent voices and normal conversation, as she admits to the detective and the police that she "help girls out, when they can't manage"; she answers the questions, but her mind always goes back to her family and her children in the other room.

Vera Drake is a bleak, rather slow movie- it seems like it's just waiting to burst, but there is no fire, not even at the end. The cinematography and the direction are wonderful and they perfectly use the 50s sets and costumes, which are all realistic, and I always smiled at the use of the very British language (Ta, crikey, be back in a jiffy). The supporting cast is very good, especially Richard Graham who plays her husband, the insanely talented Eddie Marsan as Reg, and I do have to mention the dorky Chris O'Dowd, as well, even though he had a very small part.

Imelda Staunton, portraying the main character, is, as expected, absolutely brilliant. She brings so much joy and kindness to her part at the beginning, but so much angst and fear after the reveal, and she does it with conviction, passion and immense talent. I was impressed by her performance, especially in scenes like the one where she had to take off the wedding ring.

Overall, Vera Drake is a very well made film, with a great lead performance and a sensible topic, but that might bore or unsatisfy some, just because of its slow, rather bleak rhythm. I liked it, but I wouldn't recommend whole hearted to everyone, it depends on what people usually like.

Friends with kids [2012]

Friends with kids is a 2012 film written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, who just happens to be Jon Ham's better half, as well. It's about two best friends, a guy and a girl, who decide to have a child together when time runs out, their friends start having kids and they can't seem to find the right person to start a family with.

I am afraid this review might turn out to be very short because frankly, there is nothing outstanding about this film, although it is entertaining and mostly delivers in every aspect. The script is one of the strongest points, yet I must admit the end is too good to be true, but hey, it's fiction, it's a movie, so I'll just take it as it is and enjoy it.The dialogue is witty and occasionally funny, and the actors make it work very well- it does have a realistic feel to it. Considering it is set in the present day of New York, I can't really say anything about the sets, the costumes or the direction- everything felt....OK. Really, nothing bad or good stood out!

One thing I particularly liked was the casting. Yes, Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm are one of the couples and they are surprisingly good in a non-comedic role, especially Wiig, who I was impressed by, but my favorites have to be Maya Rudolph and Chris O'Dowd. They are dynamite together and form a weird, but adorable and funny pair that light up the screen- O'Dowd, in particular, is on his way to stardom, just because of his charisma, English charm and talent, and I've loved Rudolph ever since the SNL day and I still think she is one hell of a woman. Adam Scott did a pretty good job portraying the sarcastic, often blind-to-the-obvious type of man who always goes for the easy route, whilst Jennifer Westfeldt offers a nice surprise, adding compassion, love and a touch of sweetness to the cast and the story. They form an odd couple, but I could see it happen in real life.

Overall, like I said, there was nothing very bad or very good to say about it. `Friends with kids` is a nice, normal, romantic comedy that you could probably watch anytime- put the DVD in, enjoy it for the almost 2 hours it runs, and then forget about it. I would recommend it just because it is a light movie that can be seen whenever you need something to cheer you up or take your mind off things.

Bridesmaids [2011]

Christmas is not a good time to watch a war movie, or horror or anything too dramatic. You should see something light, funny, interesting. My choice for the 26th of December? Bridesmaids! How was it? I loved it!

The movie, a comedy, had all the right elements: funky, a little bit excentric protagonist, a best friend, weird roommates and, of course, a funny situation that moves along the plot. But still, it exceled in many ways.

First of all, say what you want, Kristen Wiig is funny. Kristen is funny in her own special way, in the SNL way that made her famous and the jokes and style of the famous tv show transcend to the big screen, as well (obvious example, Annie vs Helen speech at the engagement party). The script, co-written by her, has some very funny lines and scenes and doesn't go over the top very often (exception being the very end, with the Megan & Air Marshall video).

3 key moments that had laughing out loud: (1)the last part of the airplane scene ("there's a woman on a wing..."), (2)Annie, in the car with Helen, trying to get Rhodes attention and (3)Lillian, showing up in her designer dress in her apartment, to show Annie. Funny for me, at least.(p.s. I love SNL, as well, some sketches are hilarious, and they have so many talented people in the cast: Kristen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, Taran Killam and so on).

Second of all, the story was simple, endearing, and of course, had the classic outline of a comedy (perfect friends, big situation, friends break up, they hit bottom, they reunite, they are both happy bla bla). You know the drill- but Bridesmaids had a little bit more. I don't know what- maybe it was Kristen Wiig, maybe it was Mellissa McCarthy or Rose Byrne (both fantastic from my point of view), maybe it was the chemistry between the women, or the lovely surprise provided by Chris O'Dowd (cool Brit, did you see him present the BIFAs? hilarious), or the funny script- I can't really say exactly, but it worked for me.

Other mentionable elements that I observed during the viewing: ..and the winners for the weirdest roommates in history are Gil and Brynn; did I ever tell you how much I love cupcakes?; Jon Hamm can play a very convincing jackass- maybe he is one in real life?; Megan is right by saying "you're your problem Annie, and you're also your solution!"- we should all learn from that one and stop complaining.

In the end, it was a great, smart comedy! I liked it! You should see it when you have the chance!