Saturday 31 May 2014

MAY FILMS AND TV

There were some decent films and a bit of TV enjoyed during May.

MUD - Matthew McConaughey is an actor who I enjoy watching. I saw the trailer for this last year and liked the look of it. My son thought it looked awful. After watching it, I wouldn't rush to see a repeat or be inclined to own a copy. I wouldn't go so far as to say my son's instincts were right but in truth it's not the best film I've ever seen in my life. A bit slow in a lot of places.







Ever After: A Cinderella Story - Drew Barrymore is one of my favourite female actresses. There's something about her that comes across as refreshingly normal, which for all I know could be a carefully constructed anti-Diva persona that she has cunningly adopted to fool me. I do like her though, particularly in her two collaborations with Adam Sandler, who is someone else I have fun watching. The Wedding Singer and Fifty First Dates are films I never tire of.

Anyway the Cinderella film was repeated on TV recently and though I have seen it before, you can never have too much Drew in your life!






The Lincoln Lawyer - Matthew McConaughey again and in a much better film than Mud. I recorded this maybe 3 months ago and only just got around to watching it this week. I was vaguely familiar with the character - lawyer, Mickey Haller having read this first as a Michael Connelly book, along with most of his other Haller themed stories. It was long enough ago that I couldn't actually remember the plot or outcome, only going.......oh yeah..... as it all played out on screen in front of me.



X-Men: Days of Future Past. Currently showing in cinemas world-wide, my wife and daughters fancied this. So last Saturday evening we ignored the attractions of the Champions League Final on TV and went to Milton Keynes for a pre-cinema meal which was enjoyable as I got the chance to relax my dietary intake for an evening; before rolling up to a 90% empty cinema for the main event. Enjoyable and entertaining, decent effects and I like a bit of James McAvoy anyway. Only downside was that I think someone left the doors open as it was absolutely freezing in the theatre. We could have done with a few more attendees as we could have huddled together for warmth. I don't think I could have been colder if I had somehow been able to watch it from the street, whilst on my way home from the swimming pool after having my car and all my clothes stolen.




More X-Men: First Class. Well having decided on our cinema trip on the Saturday, we thought we had better watch the earlier film for some context, so the night before we watched this one on the small screen. Ok and a similar reaction to the one above. Decent effects and entertaining enough. I'm not sufficiently minded to have my wife run me up a Wolverine costume on her sowing machine, so I can indulge a secret repressed fantasy of mine to cavort around the back garden displaying my super powers to the neighbours.



NEDS - a British film from a couple of years ago, or Scottish if you're feeling parochial. Non-Educated DelinquentS would give it more context. A tale set in early 70's Glasgow, a swotty schoolboy, with an alcoholic, wife-beating father and a gang-leader older brother, gradually goes off the rails and embraces the gang culture. Unfortunately this one has only been half-watched as time didn't allow us to finish what we had started. I was enjoying this and will get back to it in the next day or so. Peter Mullan has a minor role and also directs, our main man Conor McCarron stars as John McGill. Some of the Glaswegian dialect was difficult to comprehend particularly the banter when the young gang members were doing their thing.





John Simm
Prey - UK TV starring John Simm. Simm is another actor who is compellingly watchable. Prey was a 3 part mini TV series/drama involving him as a man on the run after being accused of murdering his wife and one of his sons. Superbly acted and compelling viewing. Reviews said...."grittily British with compulsive appeal" and an "unabated misery-fest" ......... which sums it up nicely. The main detective in charge of pursuing the hapless Mr Simm was superb and probably stole the show - Rosie Cavaliero.




Rosie Cavaliero



12 comments:

  1. Looks as though you had some good views this month, Col. And personally, I never mind watching Matthew McConaughey...

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    1. Margot, thanks. I'm trying to think of anything else I have seen him in, but am drawing a blank.

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  2. Let's see. We did watch Ever After shortly after it came out, and my memory is that we liked it. (Liked The Wedding Singer also.)

    I would not mind seeing The Lincoln Lawyer but would rather read the book first, and who knows when that will happen. Haven't seen any X-men, would not mind trying the early ones. Prey sounds very good, maybe we will get to see it sometime.

    Sounds like you had a good movie viewing month. We are watching more movies (on the small screen) lately.

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    1. Tracy, I didn't think Ever After was my sort if thing, but I did enjoy it.
      Hope you get to both versions of The Lincoln Lawyer at some point.
      I'm surprised though that you haven't seen at least one X-Men film, but that said I wouldn't say your life is any the poorer having missed out, TBH.

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  3. Col, I'd like to see both the Matthew McConaughey films as well as "Dallas Buyers Club," and "X-Men: Days of Future Past," all of which I'll probably catch on cable whenever they're aired. I think McConaughey has evolved into a serious actor.

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    1. I'd forgotten about Dallas Buyers Club. I think he also had a small part in Wolf of Wall Street (Oscar?) - a film my son rates, but which I'm not too sure I want to see because I'm not a big Leo DiCaprio fan to be honest.

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    2. "Wolf of Wall Street" — I didn't know he was in it. I liked DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond" and "Catch Me If You Can" but not so much in "Django Unchained."

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    3. I've not seen the 2 you mentioned, and Django Unchained is a film I started but never finished - not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because of tiredness. Just haven't got back to it yet. McConaughey's Oscar was for Dallas Buyers Club, beating DiCprio. I thought mistakenly he had got the Oscar for Wolf film - but as supporting actor.

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  4. Glad you enjoyed your viewing month - I haven't seen any of these, and the only one likely to tempt me would be The Lincoln Lawyer. I do share your admiration for Drew Barrymore though.

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    1. Moira - The Lincoln Lawyer would have got the vote for top film, if I analysed my viewing the same as my books. Well worth a look if you get the chance.
      Prey would have been a close second.

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  5. I was curious about MUD and now I'm not...I like Matthew, too, and I knew there was a reason why I stayed away from MUD. I think my sister watched it and told me what it was about like he was a obsessed with a woman or something? IDK. The rest I haven't watched.

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    1. Keishon, I'd struggle to recommend it TBH. Too slow and yeah there's a women in the background. It was ok, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it! My son has a Love film sub that we take advantage of.

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