Big Fish (2003)

“A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal.”

            I love a good story. I love reading literature where the story is so good and fascinating that I cannot put the book down. I love a movie that has such a great story I cannot stop thinking it about and want to watch it over and over again. My favorite kinds of stories are the ones where normal people do extraordinary things or have lived such a full life traveling or doing fun things. I long to have an interesting, full, entertaining life like the people I read about or watch in films or even of the real people I have read about in memoirs. I want to be able to say I did fun thing with my life. I long to travel the world and make new friends and create stories people will want to hear or be inspired by. Right now I am flat broke which means I cannot even go out to a local bar with friends or meet people and I live down the Jersey Shore where nothing fun ever happens and is far away from New York City(if you even think about Seaside and the beach… let me tell you it is completely overrated).

            I unfortunately do not have an imagination that lets me create stories to live vicariously through and let me escape. Well, maybe I do not need an imagination to live vicariously through and escape. Watching movies of various genres with all the talented directors and actors and actresses creating fantasy worlds and romance and adventure is my escape. For however long the movies run for, I am living in a world not my own and vicariously through the characters. One of the most perfect movies I ever sat through that let me escape to an imaginative world with colorful characters was Big Fish.

            Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) is dying of cancer. He and his son Will (Bill Cruddup) have not spoken in three years. Will does not like that Ed makes up these incredible stories about his life because he cannot find any truth in them leaving him to know nothing of who his father really is. The story that finally put Will over the edge was how his father caught a large fish in the river that no one else could ever catch the day he was born. He was so sick of Ed telling that story that he finally up and left.

            Will still struggles with his father’s exaggerated tales of adventure. His wife Josephine (Marion Cottillard) sits down with Ed one night and listens to his stories. Ed recalls how he met his wife at a circus he came across and all the things he did just to learn about her and find out where she lived and the story about how he won her over. Josephine and Will’s mother have no problems listening to Ed’s fantastic tales.

            Since Will is a journalist he checks on one of his father’s stories dealing with a woman named Jenny (Helena Bonham Carter). In stories she was once a witch when he was a small boy and her one eye revealed how they were going to die and how she became a woman in the 1970s who was Jenny’s mother and he helped to make her house habitable again. He realizes with this Jenny that his father’s stories have truth in them and that he needs to see past the exaggerations.

            As Ed lay dying in the hospital Will tells him a story about how they escaped the hospital and where they go to and how they got there. Will’s story is exactly like one of Ed’s.

            I know I did not go into explaining each of Ed’s wonderfully colorful stories but they would be too long to go into detail and me trying to coherently write them down would have been a nightmare for, not just me, but for all of you reading this. Also, the way Tim Burton created these scenes is so beautiful I would not want to spoil any of it for it in any way.

            I remember not really wanting to ever sit and watch Big Fish. The only reasons I sat through it were for my friend who is obsessed with Ewan McGregor and because of Marion Cotillard and Helena Bonham Carter. I adore both actresses and before looking up the cast I shamefully had no idea they were even in it. I also shamefully did not realize Tim Burton had been the director. I liked everything about Big Fish. I love the imaginative world Ed chose to live in and wanted to tell and how all of them had some truth. He did not make himself look like a completely good guy either. I liked how Will wanted to know the truth about his father and how he was frustrated by the tall tales. I think his frustration was down to the fact that he did love his father and wanted to know more about him besides the stories.

            I absolutely loved sitting through Big Fish. It made the world feel less small and brighter. It made me feel like I could go out and accomplish anything no matter how big or small. It opened up my eyes and my mind to the endless amounts of stories that could be told to make you feel better and help you make sense of the world around you. Creating stories in the way that Ed did can also help you cope with the world around you. Big Fish is a movie I cannot wait to sit through again. I cannot wait to be brought back into a world I can perfectly vicariously live through and be happy.

 

Cinderella (2015)

           The story of Cinderella has never really been my favorite. I feel so terrible for Cinderella the way her step-mother treats her. Remember the movie Ever After with Drew Barrymore? It is a great movie but I cannot watch it because of how the step-mother treated Barrymore it drives me insane! Oh my god I go crazy thinking about that poor girl and how she was so awfully treated. I just really hate seeing characters in an unjust situation where they are treated like dirt for no reason. Now I do like the cartoon Disney version to some degree. I am not all up on the Disney princesses except for Belle I love Belle. I was not a girly girl when I was little and Cinderella was really girly. So why, you may be asking yourself, did this silly blogger go see the live action Cinderella? How could I pass up a movie where Cate Blanchett plays the evil step-mother and Helena Bonham Carter is the Fairy Godmother? And also Hayley Atwell plays Cinderella’s mother at the beginning and I am girl crushing so hard on her at the moment.

            I am hoping we all know the story of Cinderella from our childhoods when we watched the cartoon version. If you have never seen the cartoon Disney version your life was an unhappy wasteland. Google it if you don’t you uncivilized person!

            There are however a few differences. Much more was added to Cinderella’s story such as her background with her parents and their home and why Cinderella did not just leave when she was suffering so much abuse. The house had been in Ella’s (Lily James) father’s family for two hundred years. Her mother and father loved her very much and created such a wonderful fairytale-like childhood for her. Her father was a merchant who sailed around the world. Wherever he went he brought home gifts for Ella and she cherished them unconditionally. Their beautiful home was filled with beautiful objects from his travels all over the world. Her mother becomes sick. She tells Ella to be brave and courageous and to always be kind no matter what.

            Over the years Ella’s grief and pain over losing her mother become memories. Her father tells her he would like to move on and marry someone else. The father brings her new Stepmother (Blanchett) and two stepsisters to the house. All three of them hate it because it is in the country surrounded by animals. The Stepmother immediately begins to invite her friends over for parties. The father is constantly away. His latest parting is bittersweet for Ella. He tells her he always thinks of her and her mother and their home whenever he is away.

            Months later a note comes to Ella that her father has died of an illness away from home. With no money coming in the Stepmother relieves all the servants of their duties and places the duties onto Cinderella as Ella is now called. One day Ella becomes furious and rides away on her horse. She comes across a hunting party. The party belongs to the prince (Richard Madden). Ella does not recognize him as the prince so using his real name, Kit, he tells her he is an apprentice at the castle. They part ways without Ella ever having told him her name. After their meeting, Ella is all Kit can think about. His father wants him to marry a princess. Kit comes up with the idea for a party where princesses will come as well as the common people so he can find Ella.

            So if you do know the story you know what happens. But here there is another added storyline with the Stepmother finding the glass slipper and making a deal with the Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgard) that she will be made countess and her daughters will marry into nobility if she keeps Ella out of the way.

            As much as I hate Disney sometimes for how much money they make and throw around money for their movies they always have amazing, top notch casts. Lily James deserves so much credit for her Cinderella. She was perfect. She is exactly how I would picture a real Cinderella to be. I am just going to say that Cate Blanchett is Queen of the Universe. Well, in my book she is one of several Queens of the Universe but right now because of this movie she is Queen of the Universe. I hope she is somehow nominated for some awards next year. I do not mean an Oscar but for like a Golden Globe. Blanchett just did a bad, scheming, conniving woman too well to not be recognized. Helena Bonham Carter actually narrated the movie. If life was fantastic I would want Helena Bonham Carter to be my Fairy Godmother like she was in the movie. What type of character doesn’t this woman make her own and dominate? For the few minutes Hayley Atwell was in I adored her. As I said I have a raging girl crush on Atwell right now. When she died in the movie I was like “no Peggy Carter come back!” I was not too crazy about her being a blonde with horribly dyed eyebrows. I will say that the casting of Atwell and the actor who played the father and James as their daughter was great. Good job Disney casting. Richard Madden as Kit… hot damn that man can be my Prince Charming any day! That man is gorgeous!

            The costumes need a major mention. They were beautiful. The colors in every costume just popped and fit the characters so well. Sandy Powell was the costume designer. She is one of my favorite costume designers. Powell is most noted for her many collaborations with Martin Scorsese. The mark of a good costume designer is when their clothes they created add more the characters on screen. That is exactly what Powell’s costumes did: they made the stepsisters looks eccentric and out of their minds, they made the Stepmother look regal and 1930/1940s glamorous, they made Richard Madden’s beautiful blue eyes glow and also added warmth to Kit. I would love for there to be a book written about the costumes for this movie… if someone who make something like a book about the costumes in Cinderella happens to read this MAKE IT HAPPEN!!  

            I really enjoyed this live action version of Cinderella. It was just perfect. Every character gave you the feels in some way (if you do not know what “the feels” are then obviously you have never been a true passionate fan of anything in your life. How can your life be that sad? Do you not like anything?), they moved you either into feeling sad or happy or annoyed or angry. Even the sets were moving they were warm, loving, and inviting. What I liked about this Cinderella was that, yes I was angry with how unjust Ella was treated by the Stepmother but the story did not drive me crazy like Ever After. I guess because one, it is a Disney movie and the characters cannot be totally evil and two, how on earth can I ever hate a character Cate Blanchett plays? She is just was to amazing as the Stepmother to hate the character. Hell, I do not even dislike her, Blanchett was that good.

             I absolutely recommend going to see Cinderella in theaters. It was so wonderfully and creatively made all around. 

Dark Shadows (2012)

“My name is Barnabas Collins. Two centuries ago, I made Collinwood my home... until a jealous witch cursed me, condemning me to the shadows, for all time.” 

            First let me get myself prepared for all the things that will come flying at me before I begin this post…… Ok I am prepared….

            I am not a huge fan of Johnny Depp….. wait, wait let me finish!!!! *darting all the items being hurled at me*. Geez, people can be so touchy!

            Let me start again… I am not a huge Johnny Depp fan but every once in a while I see a movie of his where I actually like him. I do not mind him as an actor but sometimes he just drives me nuts. I found myself really enjoying him as Barnabas Collins in his new Tim Burton feature Dark Shadows. I actually enjoyed the entire movie.

            Barnabas lived his mortal life in the late 1700s. He left Liverpool, England with his mother and father and moved to Maine where they ran a very successful fishing and boating business. As Barnabas got older he became a playboy messing around with several women. Unfortunately he had messed with the wrong woman. Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) has worked for the family ever since she was young and has loved Barnabas all her life. He does not love her, he loves a young beautiful woman named Josette. Angelique is a witch and created a spell that made Josette walk to the edge of a cliff and kill herself. Barnabas jumped after her but Angelique turned him into a vampire so he could spend the rest of eternity suffering over his lost love. She then has the whole town of Collinsport turn against him for being a monster and they chain him and bury him.

            Two hundred years later in the 1970s the few remaining descendants of the Collins family still lives in the lavish Collinswood home that Barnabas’s father had built. The family has been hit hard throughout the years owed to Angelique who is still alive and running her own business against the Collins’s. One night a group of construction men stumble upon Barnabas’s coffin. They make the mistake of opening the coffin and they pay with their lives.

            Barnabas returns to his family home. He is greeted by Elizabeth Collins (Michelle Pfeiffer) who is the head of the family. Barnabas lets her know that he is a vampire and also the secret passage where his father’s fortune has been hidden for all the centuries. He helps to rebuild the family business and clean up the mansion. Angelique finds out Barnabas is back and still wants him more than ever.

            Things happen to piss Angelique off and she wreaks havoc on the family and Barnabas.

            The story was actually really good. I found it to be interesting with a lot of back story. the characters were so good and the actors did a fantastic job bringing these crazy people to life. Helena Bonham Carter was the whole reason I even thought of seeing it for and she did not disappoint whatsoever. She was not really in it too much but to me she stole the movie. Johnny Depp was his great. The man does have a gift for delving into his characters and really becoming them. All the praise in the world goes to Eva Green. Really the woman just made the entire movie she was so damn incredible. Green was the perfect villain. There was one scene where she smiled the most sinister smile I have ever seen; you will know exactly what I am talking about when you see the movie. The rest of the cast was alright. Michelle Pfeiffer was good in her role as the matriarch of the family trying to keep things as normal and proper as they could be. Johnny Lee Miller was a slim but it is always good to see him in something. Chloe Grace Mortez was a typical moody teenager made more so by the fact that she listened to moody 1970s music like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

            I liked Dark Shadows so much I cannot wait until it comes out on Blu Ray. I enjoyed the story and the performances so much. I especially liked the theme of family Barnabas says right off the bat that family is everything and he proves it by helping his very distant relations just because they share the same blood. But I must warn you that opinions of this movie vary a lot. While I liked it my two brothers and out parents were not too thrilled with it. Reviews for it were all over the place. I say see Dark Shadows and decide for yourself, it is worth seeing at least once.  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)



“I never wanted any of you to die for me.”

            It is very sad to think that the Harry Potter series in both book and film media are over. I came into the loving the series only two years ago when I finally had an open mind and a curiosity to read them (especially after reading the ridiculously horrible Twilight series and seeing the God awful first movie). Although I came late to the series when my friends and brothers had been reading them for years I am so happy I read the books and watched the movies when I did. I have such an appreciation for them and I understood a lot of things that I never would have had I started when I was younger.

            Today I went to the theaters to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. From beginning to end I was not disappointed. In all the darkness there were light moments like Ron and Hermione finally kissing (!!!!) as well as Harry and Ginny sharing a very nice kiss (I can be a sentimental romantic at heart when I feel like it). I even choked up a bit and had tears in my eyes in a few scenes. It was so sad to see the end of so many beloved characters. I remember reading the book and crying and it was worse with the movie because even though I knew what was going to happen it was even more upsetting to see it.

            Voldemort and his followers storming Hogwarts was incredible. The whole battle at Hogwarts was filmed and acted so utter perfection by the whole cast and all the characters past and present. I am giving this scene away because it was one of my all time favorite parts in the book and it was one of the best scenes in the whole series: Bellatrix goes after Ginny with all the Weasleys standing behind her. Mrs. Weasley gets this look of such anger on her face and she yells at Bellatrix “Not my daughter. BITCH!” Oh my God! I can still remember the first time I read that I was so excited. Thank God I was sitting alone when I saw this today because I was jumping around like an idiot!

            There are so many other fantastic scene scenes in this movie but I cannot give them away. If you have seen any of the other Potter movies you know that it does not stop for one second and that the story will always keep your eyes glued and your heart pounding.

            The cast was amazing. I do not think another series of movies will ever be as fantastically cast as Harry Potter was. Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint were perfection together. They were given these great opportunities as actors at an age when they had no idea what they were getting themselves into and right from the beginning just fit their roles so well and really made Harry, Hermione, and Ron their own. The rest of the cast as well were cast perfectly. Besides Harry, Hermione, and Ron I think the best casted character was Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix. I gushed about her in my review for The Deathly Hallows: Part 1but I have to gush about her again here. Bonham Carter took Bellatrix to a whole new level. The character is a twisted, creepy woman in the book but she just Bellatrix and made her even more twisted and creepy. Whatever movie I watch her in she just has the ability to add something more to her characters. There was a part in this film where I was just completely awed by her. It is not some earth shattering scene with earth shattering acting she was just subtle and it was great to see her in the scene with the other actors.

            Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was such an excellent way to end the film series. It neatly ties up and sums up the whole series and the three friends’ journey. I greatly enjoyed seeing the characters’ relationships grow and seeing that they were always there for each other. If you have read the book you know the very ending and it is a wonderful ending. The movie ends the same way (but DO NOT go reading the last page of the book!! My one brother did that). I have some very fond memories of seeing The Half Blood Prince with my one of my best friends and all her friends who are Potter freaks along with my little brother at midnight. Being with them and a theater fully of Potter nerds was so much fun. It was also my little brother’s first midnight show and he had such a ball (he was eleven at the time and is now twelve as of this writing). I am so happy that he and I have that something special to look back on. He still gets excited when we talk about it. My friends all love him as well because he is not a typical little annoying kid so that was another thing that made the night nice.

            After reading all seven books and seeing all of the movies I feel like I am finally in on one of the most amazing things to have ever happened in pop culture. I feel like a cooler person in some ways for now being a fan of Harry Potter (what a nerd haha). I love the world of Harry Potter JK Rowling brilliantly created and her world all the directors, cast, and crew were able to bring to life. All the movies were so excellently made especially Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2.

            Do not miss out on seeing The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in theaters especially because this is the last Potter movies in theaters. The story, direction, effects, actions, and acting are all utterly amazing