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.

Frankenstein- National Theatre UK production

Frankestein is a 2011 National Theatre UK play directed by Danny Boyle, which not only was presented as a stage project, but also was broadcasted live in cinemas all around the country. It is a superb production, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Miller as both The Creature and Frankenstein- they switched roles every night, and so the two men got to play both roles in alternative nights. As expected, the show was not significantly different, but the two fantastic actors portrayed the parts in totally different ways. For example, from what I've heard, Miller as the Creature is much more dynamic, but also human; Cumberbatch's movements, especially in the beginning, are slower and he chose to act the part in much more raw, evil way, compared to his partner.

As you might now, it tells the story of a young man named Frankenstein who created a man, but was so shocked to see his project come to life, that he left him, running away. We experience the show from the creature perspective- we see him breathe for the first time, and then starting to learning to move, speak, eat and so on. After being beaten and considered to be a monster, he ends up at the house of a kind, old, blind man, who, unaware of the Creature appearance, takes pity in him and proceeds in teaching him how to read, speak and yearn for more knowledge and love. It is now when one of my favorite scenes occurs, as they talk about life, its meaning, why people act the way they do and others. I'm sure that if you've read the book, you will know what I am talking about. Tragedy comes when the old man's son doesn't approve of the peculiar human being, and so, it moves on and takes upon him to find Frankenstein and convince him to make him a female creature. Frankenstein agrees, but suddenly changes his mind moments before creating her, in one of the beautiful, touching scenes I have seen, as the Creature explains to him what he thinks love is and how it feels. The script, the lines, the dialogue, their interaction, everything was perfect. I think that was the point where I decided that I definitely need to read the book, as well. Infuriated, the Creature goes after the professor and ruins his wedding day, starting a long journey to the north with the scientist behind him, as Frankenstein vows to kill him.

I had the pleasure to see a screening of the production last week with Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature- he completely surprised me and I was floored by his performance. To start with, I was impressed by his commitment to the part- playing such an iconic, but also extremely peculiar and unique part, is a hard task, especially in the first half of the play, when he basically has to show us how a man learns in 20 minutes what we learn in 20 years. It's strange, yet appealing, and he convinced us all that he was the Creature. There were so many little details, so many gestures, hand movements and so on, that helped create the character and make us understand him. Miller is a force of nature and deserves all the credit, alongside his co-star, of course.

Benedict Cumberbatch played the part of the professor and had a more supporting role, although the second part featured a lot of key scenes between the two men. The talented English man, as expected, was fantastic in the part and had great chemistry with Miller, and I have a feeling that him as the Creature would have been just as interesting to watch, although, like I said, Jonny Lee was superb.

As for the actual production, I have to say that Danny Boyle did wonders. Everything was visually beautiful, especially the lighting, the score was haunting and appropriate to the play and you could see the director had a cinematographic vision.

The play was very well received in the UK, earning many accolades, including Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier awards (the Tony's of UK theatre), split between Miller and Cumberbatch. I know it will be shown in cinemas this autumn in Europe, but I really hope the people from the US or Australia or India will get to see it, too, somehow. It is a fascinating play/movie and I highly recommend it!

Hunger Games [2012]

Hunger Games is a trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins about a dystopian world and a girl who is forced to compete against 23 other kids her age, until only one survives.

Now, I am writing this review of the Hunger Games, firstly, as a reader of the books, and secondly, as a film viewer. Just to let you in on my take of the trilogy, I will say that the 1st novel is very good, it sets the mood, introduces the characters and it's a real page turner; the 2nd one is just as slow at the beginning, but after the 1/3 of it or by the middle, it picks up the pace and introduces great new individuals (like Finnick) and provides another page turning experience- I can't wait to see the film; the 3rd one is very disappointing for me and I do not look forward to watching it on the big screen, with the exception of some scenes.

As a fan of the books, you can understand my excitement previous to the screening of the film- I had heard so many great things about it and I love the casting, so normally, I had rather high expectations. After seeing it, I have to say it didn't fully rise to the occasion, at least not in my eyes.

Now, don't get me wrong- it is a very good movie, well made, with perfect casting, a good visual representation of the story, Panem and its characters, and faithful to the book. 

BUT, it did have some weak points that I can't just get over. First of all, the shaky camera- I knew it was a problem because this topic came up in every review I read, so I was aware of it; I agree it was a little annoying at times, although I understand the use of it, mainly to support the idea of reality TV.

Second of all, considering it's a teen movie and especially, after observing the soundtrack list before hand, I thought the music would be amazing, but it wasn't- I don't remember any of the songs; it was mostly orchestral and poorly used. 

My biggest problem was the lack of emotional depth....I could not connect with the story or the characters, even if I tried, and that just ruined the experience for me. Script wise, it was very faithful to the book; it added interesting new scenes (especially those between Seneca and Snow), and cut out the unnecessary ones (too many Capitol preparations), but it all felt very robotic, like scene A, switch to scene B....nothing made me cry or have an unusual reaction (the only moments I can exclude from this would be one of the tribute deaths and the cave scene; the second one just because I loved it so much in the book). How can you not transport that raw emotion and excitement that the book transmits from the beginning, to the big screen? Where did Gary Ross mess up? I am very curious- I can't figure out what he did or didn't do to make me jump off my seat or connect with the actor's performances.

Speaking of which, I thought the cast did a great job- I liked every one and not for a second did I think "Oh, that guy is not right for the part" or "They should have gone with X". Jennifer Lawrence delivers the best performance, considering she has the most screen time, and has good chemistry with the two male leads and the girl playing Rue. I, unlike some (or most) critics and bloggers out there, liked Josh Hutcherson, playing Peeta, because not only did he understood the character and portrayed it just like it was in the book, but also because of his charm, sweetness and likability factor. He is not your typical handsome Hollywood star and yes, he is short, but that is why all the girls love him- he is approachable and a genuine nice guy- you will notice that in interviews.  I was pleasantly surprised by Lenny Kravitz as Cinna- not an obvious choice (if you read the books), but very good anyway; another one of my favorites has to Woody Harelson- he just is Haymitch and I can't wait to see him in the other movies, as well. Stanley Tucci stands out as Caesar Flickerman, providing the most laughs, and a special mention must be given to Wes Bentley and his Seneca Crane beard (why isn't he in more movies?).

Overall, I think it is worth spending your money on a ticket, for many reasons:
1.Go with the flow and watch the movie that every one is talking about.
2.It is a faithful adaptation of a great book.
3.The cast is diverse, talented and  provides good performances
4.The capitol and Game center offers a new perspective of a possible world and is interesting to watch
5.Jennifer Lawrence in a role that will propel her to superstar level, and this time, she deserves it (*cough* Kristen Stewart)
6.Move over Robert Pattinson, with your brooding, sad looks- welcome Josh Hutcherson, the sweet, next door guy who will win millions of hearts all around the world with his charm and smile. I heard a lot of people calling him a wuss or stupid or silly, and I understand where they are all coming from, but I also know why little girls will love him. I'm in the middle here!

The book is entertaining, raw and powerful, it offers more emotional depth, and the feeling you get while reading the book is ten times better and more appealing than the film experience. But, I think that a second viewing is beneficial, at least for me- I have a feeling I will like it even more and understand and feel the story better. I never watch a movie in theaters more than once, but I might, this time. Still undecided.

Sunday night, after the first weekend, the box office number are huge- the 3rd biggest opening weekend ever, with over $150 millions domestically and $214 million world wide- it's safe to say we have a new Twilight-like phenomenon, but trust me, this one is worth giving it a try. Coming out of the theater, I realized almost all of the teenage girls were talking and gushing over Hutcherson- at one point, I passed by a group of 10-12 year-old girls who were jumping up and down, sharing their enthusiasm over Peeta.

I'm not saying Hunger Games is amazing and I am not giving it a 10/10- it sure has its flaws, but I do think it can't be missed. Hunger Games, in theaters now!

Tyrannosaur[2011] + Q&A w/ Director and Actress

A couple of days ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Tyrannosaur, the directorial debut of Paddy Considine, a talented British actor, known for his In America role. After the screening we were lucky enough to have Paddy and Olivia Colman, the lead actress, for a Q&A, but more about that later.

This film is considered to be one of, if not the best feature of British cinema in 2011. It tells the story of Joseph(Peter Mullan), a lonely and angry man who crosses paths with Hanna (Olivia Colman), a religious woman who suffers from domestic abuse (her husband, James, is played by Eddie Marsan).

We first see Joseph getting out of a bar/club, swearing and kicking evrything in his way, including his dog. He continues displaying his anger throughout the movie, going in and out of it, but we can always see a hint of regret, a flicker of humanity in him; he is a tormented man, who needs affection- he is constantly looking for a companion, even if it's his dying father, his much younger neighbour or the lady from the charity shop.

When Hanna comes into the his life, not judging or asking weird inappropriate questions, he feels relieved, but is also strangely attracted to the kindness of the woman. They both are, after all, messed up souls, looking for love, attention and safety. As expected, the two grow closer, but it isn't because of love- their connection is formed based on tragic events. I won't go into details, I 'll just say that, later on, the movie had one of the most dramatic and disturbing scenes I've seen lately, and it "hit" me, and probably others, as well, so hard, because of the sense of reality it displayed. It was sad, but you knew that it could happen to anyone, and it is, actually, happening right now to women all around the world.

Performance-wise, it is fantastic- Peter Mullan and Eddie Marsan are both forces of nature and deliver gut-wrenching performances (especially Eddie Marsan), but Olivia Colman is the one who shines. Her vulnerability, her desperation, everything about her portrayal of Hanna is spot on and very touching, giving a lasting impression on the audience.

Paddy Considine did a proper job with the directing and writing, especially the latter, as the movie script is one of its strong points. It had a very realistic feel to it and set a dark mood, starting with the lighting, sets and costumes, all the way through the dialogue and scenes. Special mention to the music and sound editing part, as it was remarcable and very good.

Tyrannosaur is a wonderful dramatic movie, that I highly recommend!

The Q&A after the screening started with roaring applause for the director, and especially for Olivia Colman, the lead actress. It was very informative and entertaining. Considine is a great guy, a straight-forward, no-bullshit kind of guy, who didn't have a problem saying "Fuck you Cameron" in response to a question regarding the prime minister's latest declarations. He talked about the idea for the script, his interaction with domestic abuse and how it all started, the fact that it was cronologically filmed in order to help the actors and so on. Olivia Colman is one of the sweetest, nicest women in the business and talked about the way she prepared for the role, how she got it, the time spent on set and gave us more details about the dramatic scene I was telling you about earlier. She even gracefully said a few words about her Bafta snub, although she didn't seem to upset about it at all.

Overall, it was a great experience- thank you Prince Charles Cinema! No publicity, I still had to pay for my ticket, but the cinema really is something else, I suggest you go there sometime!

p.s. The DVD/Blu-Ray is out today, go get it now!

New Year's Eve[2011] and a bad cinema experience

So, a couple of days ago I left cold London to go to an even colder home town somewhere in Eastern Europe. I missed my friends so we decided to go watch a movie. Since you can only find action, family or comedies ones in the cinema, my friend asked to go see New Year's Eve with her, and I, being the great girl that I am, said yes.

First of all, let me just say, actually, vent about a 2 horrendous people who I met there. Before going in, I waited 5 minutes outside, reading a magazine. Next to me was a couple- normal, right? Think again- they were laughing and talking aloud whilst looking around and probably gossiping(including me); they were being simply put- jerks. After my friend arrived, we went inside and guess next to whom my seat was? The douchebag and his girlfriend. And the laughter continued and I was starting to wonder if I had something on my face or did something wrong!Anyway, I ignored them....that was until the movie started and they were talking during it, not only to each other and for most of the time, but also on the phone- yes, you read it right, on the phone! And for the most important part of the movie, during the great, intentionally inspiring speech Hillary Swank gave, they were laughing yet again!Ahhh!I just wanted to punch them so badly!

Anyway, back to the movie! As you can imagine, it wasn't a masterpiece and there were so many bad things to it, so I am just going to write down some notes I mentally took during the screening:

- Wow, this poster just gave Photoshop a new definition! So unnatural!

- This script is horrible! So many cheesy lines and predictable stories!

- Michelle Pfeifer looks rather old- it's sad!IBut I still like her!

- Zac Efron is older....and fatter....and uglier! I knew I had a good reason not to like him since the beginning!

- Seriously, how many celebrities can you fit into one movie?

- Is it just me or is Jon Bon Jovi a pretty decent actor?

- Oh yes, Seth Meyers is on screen- that is where my money went to! Thank you! (did I ever tell you I love SNL?)

- If only I had a hot (well, ZE isn't, but you get my point) delivery guy who would be willing to make my dreams come true....

- Even Ryan Seacrest showed up; I like him, you got to admit the guy is charming- perfect TV host

- Oh my goodness, Sofia Vergara is so adorable and sexy...and pretty funny!

- Why is Lea Michele's character named Elise? she is obviously Rachel from Glee!

- Ok, can we skip the De Niro, Swank, Dushmel parts? 

- Oh yes, Seth Meyers, Jessica Biel and the magical vagina are back on screen- and are making me laugh! Thank you!

- This fast paced, storyline mixing situation is getting weird. It doesn't have consistency, I get confused sometimes, especially when they start connecting the characters, always trying to figure out who was with who! Let's just get it over with!

And then, after a great, extremely predictable ending scene with Raise your glass on the background, New Year's Eve was over!

The End!

Final thought- recommend or not?

The boys will probably hate it or think it's too cheesy for them!

The girls- hmm, well, it's funny in some parts+ you have a lot of celebrities! Give it a try on DVD!

October- the essentials

Hey,

Autumn is here, October has past and it was a great month for me, since I got to watch a lot of interesting movies at the London Film Festival!

Inspired by the great Andy Buckle(who watched 41 movies this month only), I decided I should give a short recap of what I've seen in October plus some few honorable mentions of great blog posts!

In cinemas: Crazy Stupid Love, The machine that kills bad people+A trip to the moon(in colour), 50/50, Restless, Carnage, Take Shelter, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Miss Bala, Ides of March, An American in Paris

At home(DVD or other illegal sources:): Bicycle thieves, Another Earth, Let me in

All in all, for October, JUST 13 movies! Dissapointing, I know! But hey, in my defense, I am post-graduate student with classes and essays to turn in, so cut me some slack!

I've also squeezed in some TV, mainly 30 rock, Castle and some episodes of The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural!


This month I've been much more active on my blog, but also reading and posting on other blogs. I have discovered some great ones, I have constantly viewed others, and here are some honorable mentions:

Nikhat from Being Norma Jean has one of the most colourful, funny blogs out there. I love the fact that everytime I open her blog, I always discover a new, great song. Also, her Thoughts posts, like this one, for example, are very good!

Alex from And so it begins has been on my watch list almost every day. I love his style, his posts and it doesn't hurt that we have similar opinions and tastes in film-sometimes, not always. Two honorable mentions for him:  10 best criterion DVD covers and his new series, In character. P.S. Does Paul Bettany qualify for that? He is great!

Similar situation with Andy Buckle- great blog, very useful, always updated, the best reviews  (have to admire his passion for films). This month, his classic throwback gets an honorable mention

I can relate to the lovely Ruth, as university has been taking up some of my time, as well, so this post was interesting. Keep up the good work!

I always check CS's  Sharing the Blogging Love posts, hoping I am there (I had that honour a couple of weeks before, when I reviewed Revolutionary Road and it made me so happy, for some unknown reason). Also, I try to comment on the Which is better? series, like this one.

FlixChatter.net is a wonderful new blog I discovered a couple of days ago thanks to this post dedicated to one my favorites, Rufus Sewell!

Scott from Front Door Cinema has two lovely daughters that remind me of my nephews and an awesome blog, to top that. He is going to re-watch Shame in his local film festival- I am very jealous of him because of that- and, go figure, he also has DVD giveaways (hint: I have never won on these kind of competitions; hint2: Sin City would look so good in my DVD collection). A lot of love for him for always trying to comment on each post!

Phil on film has done an extensive LFF coverage, but I love this interview with the star and director of Miss Bala.

Bonjour Tristesse has such a wonderful blog and great writing style, that I always feel guilty that I can't really comment on her post- I don't watch a lot of international movies, unfortunately. This week, she did a similar post about the month of October and I am very happy to be there, on her list!

Tyler from Southern Vision always makes me feel like a kindergarden girl when it comes to movies- his knowledge on films is fantastic and I hope I'll get there someday! Interesting post right here!


Another great thing: my blog stats are off the charts! I remember on the 1st of October I had 300 something views, and now I have around 800. It's crazy!


Thank you guys for all of the support!

Hoping for a great November, full of interesting movies!

2 in 1 post!

Hey guys,

So lately I have been going to a lot of movies and I have a rather poor bank account to prove it (tickets+transportation+Coca Cola each time, not a good idea).

Instead of doing 2 different posts, I decided to do a short one, as the movies I saw didn't really give the inspiration to dedicate an entire post for each one!

Thursday, with the help of Time Out Magazine, I got into a screening of Miss Bala, a mexican drama about a woman who wants to be a beauty pageant queen, but gets mixed up with the wrong people just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a very action based movie, with raw, violent scenes that look and feel real. The leading lady, Stephanie Sigman, offers a very good performance (considering it's her first), taking us to through hard times with believeable reactions. Although I loved the movie and felt that it delivered something new to the cinema, I left the theater thinking the pace was always the same. A goes to B goes to C the end. Yes, the scenes were real and her reactions matched that, but I would have liked more from it, just something to raise my pulse a little bit! Oh...and the movies is based on a true story! You should check it out if you have the chance!

Friday, it was time to see Ides of March! First of all, I don't get the title...I should google it (Did that, now I see)! Second of all, I really enjoyed myself! I thought it was a very smart movie, very alert movie, with good performances and correct direction (I am saying that just because, out of all of the movies I saw recently, this seemed like a normal, nice one, with usual shots, nothing exciting in this department, but still very good). I don't know if it's good or bad, but considering the movie had Gosling and Clooney in it, you can imagine my surprise when I realised the best performance was given by Paul Giamatti (strictly my opinion). Don't get me wrong, all of the cast is good (Hoffman, Wood, Tomei, Max Mingella etc), but I loved him; Ryan Gosling and George Clooney played it safe, and I would be surprised if they get a nomination for this. Actually, thinking about it, Gosling delivered a strong performance, but can it top the one in Drive?No. The best part of the movie was the script: I loved the pace of it, the twists, the dialogue, the feel of it! One of the best big Hollywood movies I have seen recently! All in all, a very good movie you should watch!

Extra one: Saturday, I went old-school and watched An American in Paris at the British Film Institute, in one of the most beautiful cinema theaters I have ever seen! I won't review it now, instead it will be safe in my movie jar for when I'll do a musical week...if you are interested! :)

Take Shelter [2011]

Sunday was a beautiful, productive day for me and I love it!

I went and saw Take Shelter. Previous to that, I had heard many wonderful things about it and I was looking forward to catch it at the London Film Festival.

Let's start with the good things. Michael Shannon gives his best performance to date and one of the best of the year as Curtis, a 30-something working man who starts having hallucinations about an apocalyptic event. I loved the way he interpreted the part, the emotions, the insecurities and the crazyness he showed during those 2 hours. He is brilliant! Also a very pleasant surprise was Jessica Chastain, who is the revelation of the year for me- she's not just beautiful and talented, but possesses a great quality that just attracts you to her, a very old Hollywood vibe. I think she has a bright future ahead of her and I expect great things from her. Chastain won't get a nomination for her role (unless no other big names surge ahead), but I sure hope Shannon does- he truly deserves it!

Another big thumbs up for the script. I thought the idea was original and I liked the development of the movie, especially the line of actions that lead to the end; Jeff Nichols delivers both as a screenwriter and as a director.

Now it's time to cut some points off: it lost my attention numerous times during the screening. I always say that if a movie doesn't make you check your watch, then it is a good one or at least an interesting, worthwhile one. I did check my watch on this one and my mind started wondering what should I do after the movie. I am not saying it wasn't good, because it was, but it was lacking in some areas. It was like an EKG, who spikes at certain times, but usually stays in normal levels throughout the day.

The end was surprising and I think http://nevertooearlymoviepredictions.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-i-saw-take-shelter.html is a great article if you want to know more, especially his/her 3 options of what the ending was trying to say! Hope you don't mind I linked your website!

Overall, it was a good movie, but if I were you, I would see it on DVD or wait for it to be online!

Today is the last London Film Festival I will be checking out- Martha Marcy May Marlene- review tonight or tomorrow!

Restless [2011]

"Restless" was a little bit of a game changer for me. Watching this movie was an experience I will not forget anytime soon.

It tells the story of two young people, Annabel and Enoch, who share an interest for death and funerals, and the development of their romance. The two characters are strange, awkward, funny and so loveable, that you can't help falling for them, worrying for them and rooting for their love story, although we all know the ending will not be pretty.

Mia Wasikowska is wonderful as the sweet, energetic and calm Annabel; she just surprises me every time I see her on screen and this part is something she hasn't done before...and I love her for that. The big surprise was Henry Hopper, the son of the late Dennis Hopper, who, for his first leading part, was amazing as the sad, unsure Enoch. Great supporting parts were provided by Schuyler Fisk (Annabel's sister) and Ryo Kase (Enoch's ghost friend). The script, the story is pretty simple and straight-forward, but the magic lies in their interaction, the way it was shot, the cinematography, the soundtrack...it creates a great background for their love story to develop. Some reviews were not as kind as mine, but please go see it before you make up your mind.

This film was an emotional rollercoaster: at the beginning, you're curious, afterwards you enjoy their sweet romance, then you feel anger for Enoch's inability to help her, and in the end you just cry. It was one of saddest, heartbreaking movies I have ever seen. Don't think the end was shocking or anything, it wasn't, but the simple things that we were all expecting to happen were portrayed in such a way that no one left the theater when the credits rolled. You could hear some whispers, some quiet sobbing, but everyone was affected by it...I have never seen anything like that before. When I left the room, I could see that everyone had tears in their eyes, just like me; I cried.

Afterwards, I decided to write the review in a Starbucks. I never know if it's better to write right after you saw a film or just let it past a couple of hours. Usually my best ones are written minutes after seeing a movie. The sensation I had after this one was overwhelming: I can't really put my finger on it, but I was very impressed by it. What I can tell you that one feeling has stayed with me: I wish, one day, my film could trigger these emotions in someone's heart just like it did to me.

"Restless" will probably not have the same effect on you, maybe you will think it's boring or just a silly romance, but please do give a try and I hope you like it as much as I did! It has become one of my favorite movies of the year!

London Film Festival

Hey guys,


It's the 12th of October and today is the first day of the London Film Festival! As you may know, I live in the beautiful British capital and I am so excited for this event! I already bought tickets for 5 shows:


The machine that kills bad people- Friday 14th Oct: Rossellini's rarely-seen satirical fantasy, now restored, about a photographer whose magic camera has the power to kill the greedy and the corrupt.


Restless- Sunday 16th October: An affecting and delicate teen romance which confirms Gus Van Sant as one of Hollywood’s most astute and sensitive chroniclers of American youth.


Carnage- Wendsday 19th Oct: The Brooklyn bourgeoisie under the microscope in Roman Polanski's beautifully acted adaptation of The God of Carnage.


Take Shelter- Sun 23rd Oct: An extraordinary tale of ordinary madness.


Martha Marcy May Marlene- Monday 24th Oct: Newcomer Elizabeth Olsen stars in this atmospheric story of a young woman recently escaped from a cult-like commune.


+ I will be queing for Shame or 50/50 on Saturday, the 15th of October; depends how lucky I am and where I can get tickets!Wish me luck!


For more information about the films or the festival, check www.timeout.com/lff or bfi.org.uk


Of course I will be reviewing all of the above and I hope to see you soon on the blog if you are interested in these specific movies or just to hear more about the festival!


I did wanted to see other movies like A dangerous method, Wuthering Heights, Ides of March or Descendants, but I couldn't schedule them in or I couldn't get tickets!


Please do let me know if you have any requests or recommendations or anaything like that, I am up for anything new!


Hope you have a great day!
Aziza or you can call me Diana :)