Foreign Films- A Different Kind of Art

It's always interesting to discover something out of the ordinary. Stumbling across something we normally wouldn't think of checking out, could at times turn out to be quite amusing. That's exactly how I feel about foreign movies. We've gotten so used to watching Western movies that we never consider what others have to offer. All the time thinking , this is as good as it gets, nothing can be better than this movie, or that story was the best, these actors are superb, no one can top that. On the contrary, I have discovered that foreign movies are true contenders for western movies. There's this thing about them that I find genuinely appealing, both story-wise and acting-wise. Yes at times it's not the big mega production type with the big names, but you know what, that works! The simpler the better apparently. Because when a story is simple and normal and innocent it just has a different feel to it. I haven't seen a lot of foreign films to call myself an expert here, but I've seen my fair share and so far I like them all. Although my genre has been somewhat the same for all the movies I've seen (those sad-dramatic-romance-types- that- rip-your-heart-apart-and-make-your-eyes-leak-without-you-realizing- it!) yeah those movies are my guilty pleasure and I love it! I'm a sucker for these stories and I can't seem to get enough of them. So far it's all about the Japanese movies, man they can deliver some good heart-wrenching drama! The acting isn't bad not at ALL, as most people would assume, and just because the leads hardly ever kiss , or if they do, it's the most G-rated kiss ever, doesn't take anything away from the beauty of the story being told through the eyes of their characters. When a movie is like that you can't help but feel the authenticity and purity of the story and that just makes it 10-times better! Also a very important aspect (personally for me) when it comes to watching these movies, if they don't make me cry, whether its tears of sadness or joy, then I can't really say I liked it that much. There's always a specific moment, or scene, or word or maybe just a long stare between two lovers that will get to you and bring  on the waterworks. I LOVE THOSE MOMENTS!
Now it's not all about the romance , I've seen other genres as well, action and thrillers, from countries including, Germany, France and Sweden. I must say I liked the Swedish one the most, it was pretty intense and shit just escalated quickly in that one I remember thinking "What the hell is happening!! Everyone is getting shot at!", they were all interesting and I would definitely watch more of them.
So like that old saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover" just because its not some hot-shot drop dead gorgeous leads on the poster , doesn't mean it'll be a bad movie or the acting would be bad or the story just wont be interesting. Give it a chance before you judge it, you might discover something quite fascinating.

Catching Fire- and the Revolution Begins

That's right people! The revolution is just around the corner, the spark has been lit, and what a flame it produced. The catching fire movie was everything I expected and more to be honest. It was so beautifully done, that it had me (someone who's read the books and knows what's gonna happen) on the edge of my seat! The acting, the effects, the dialogue, everything was done perfectly. I had tears in my eyes during simple scenes, but because I knew what they will bring, I just couldn't help it!

I have been waiting for this for almost a year and a half, and it was worth it. All the new cast members were great, including the fan favorite 'Finnick Odair' played by the charming 'Sam Claflin' who most fans had their doubts about, claiming he wasn't good enough to play the role, (and that's what they thought about Josh when he was cast as Peeta) and again they were wrong. He did the role justice and has cemented his place in our hearts forever!( Right next to Peeta!!)Yes forever. That's how incredible he was. And don't get me started on 'Johanna Mason' played by the feisty 'Jena Malone' she was absolutely brilliant!! She had the right amount of anger and awesomeness mixed with a little bit of sadness, which I believe was the right combination that made her so great. The rest of the original cast was remarkable as usual, Jennifer and Josh have such an adorable chemistry on the screen, and because of how the story develops in the second book, we got to see more of it in the movie. Their story takes some interesting turns and it was nice to see them come to life. I remember gushing like an idiot when I was reading about them in the book and thinking to myself how cute they're gonna look when they're acted out. And I was Right!! 

It was well worth the wait, and I won't be seeing it just once, there are definitely going to be marathons of the first two movies while we wait for the third installment to come out. It's gonna be a long wait, but it just gets better and better (so to speak). As a book reader and knowing what's heading my way I must say I have a lot of eagerness and anticipation for the coming movies. Even though I know what's gonna happen, that's doesn't take anything away from the story I believe it just makes me more excited, because while you're reading you get to play it out in your head, using your own imagination, and when it's adapted into a movie, and it's actually better than you expected , that just adds more to the delight of seeing one of your favorite stories come to life.  Not all book adaptations are lucky like that, but this one sure was and I'm glad of it! It's what will keep us coming back for more every time, and what will make me personally watch the movies more than once. Catching Fire is definitely worth a second, third and fourth watch... It was simply that good. And it was a great sequel (which is supposed to keep us calm and entertained till the next movie comes out) that brought us the right amount of thrill and excitement that will without a doubt spark something bigger in the coming adaptations, and boy will we be waiting with our bows and arrows for the revolution to begin!!

November- The Month of Epicness!

November is finally here, ahh November November how we have longed for your arrival with Splendor, and all the nice things you bring with you. Other than the fact that its finally beautiful to go outside, cuz the weather is just AhMazing! Ironically, It's also the month which brings us closer to the big screen! :D

With premiers of big movies such as Thor 2 (LOKIII) , this looks like a decent sequel, can't wait to see it. But what is really EXCITING about the coming of November is the fact that CATCHING FIRE IS FINALLY HERE! Well almost it comes out in 2 weeks! BUT STILL, it's like actually finally close, we're finally gonna see it come to life, OMG SO MUCH HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK, I can't wait to see it on the BIG SCREEN! One more thing PEETA!! AHH JUST PEETA!! Really need I say more! Oh yeah FINNICK! (Without spoiling it for non book fans) So that's something to look forward to in the coming days with great EXCITEMENT. ( man capitalizing certain words just makes the post look more exciting!! I can't help it words just must be capitalized when talking about Catching Fire) 

Hmm what else there's something else I'm sure there is, something a very crazy bunch of followers, (more like millions of fans) have been waiting for, something that will redefine tv!! Seriously no over reaction! Oh yeah DOCTOR WHO'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!! The episode we've been waiting for since like FOREVER!! An episode which will bring us some happy, sad, emotional, exciting, adventurous, down right EPIC MOMENTS! We won't just have one doctor this time, no no no, we're gonna have TWO! 10 is coming back for a special appearance and he's bringing someone with him the beloved fan favorite Rose! WOHOO! It's gonna be something, it really is, just imagine 10 and 11 on the same screen at the same time interacting and talking and just being their own version of the doctor we have all come to love throughout the seasons! 

The date has been saved for a whole year now!! So bring it on! We're prepared!! 

Whovians all around the world are prepared and ready for whatever you will throw at us Moffat! 

What Maisie Knew- Heartbreaking at Times, yet Delightful in the End

What Maisie knew tells the story of a 7 year old girl stuck in the middle of a very bitter and ugly custody battle. The whole movie is mainly seen through the eyes of the little girl "Maisie" played by "Onata Aprile", who was simply amazing in this performance, she doesn't say much, but she really doesn't have to her face does all the talking! She conveys all her emotions with a simple look, her eyes are very expressive and that's really what catches your attention. The way she simply looks upon her mother (played by Julianne Moore), who was just remarkably great at being horrible, when she asks her a question that you obviously shouldn't be asking a 7 year old!! Or when her father is trying to explain why he has to leave without taking her with him, she absorbs all that information in and responds with a simple look or nod, which her parents always took as a sign that she understands and is ok with whatever horrible decision they are making. You definitely feel for the little girl , she's going through one of the most dreadful things possible, a divorce, and from the beginning we can see that her parents aren't really meant to be parents. Her mother is an aging rockstar who can't face the fact that she isn't as successful as she used to be, and her dad is an art dealer always traveling from one place to another, they are simply not responsible and are obviously the kind of people who are never gonna change they're lifestyle to accommodate the fact that they have a child now! A child who requires attention and love, not in the form of gifts, as they seem to believe. So of course there has to be some good in this poor girls life, its not all sadness, and that is when we are introduced to the delightful characters of "Margo" the nanny played by the very cute "Joanna Vanderham" and "Lincoln" the bartender/Stepdad (her mother's boy toy) played by the adorable "Alexander Skarsgard" these two at first are simply the parents way of having someone to look after their daughter when they couldn't, which was really most of the time, and along the way Maisie finds herself accepting them as her caretakers because they give her what a child at that age really needs love, caring, and most importantly selflessness. They didn't ask to become parents to a child that is not their own, but they couldn't ignore what was happening in front of them to that little girl, it just wasn't right. Maisie develops such a wonderful relationship with both these characters the one with Margo is already there from the beginning because she's been her nanny for a while and she understands her completely, but with Lincoln it took some time for her to get used to him, and I gotta say watching Alexander Sakrsgard being all cute and adorable with that child was the cutest thing ever. Their scenes together really were some of the best in the movie, he comes into this girls life unexpected and slowly becomes a permanent fixture, she finds herself depending on him to always be there for her mainly because the poor girl never experienced what a "normal" 7 year old child's relationship with their parents should be. Like I said the whole movie is seen from Maisie's perspective, and I think it was really nice and different to see how a child that is going through something as awful as a divorce, observes and understands the little things she witnesses, and how they help her act and grow along the way. It's not easy for a child no matter how old they are to go through something like that, and this story shows it, but it also shows that sometimes you find your family in the most unexpected way. You get what you can from the situation you're in and Maisie does exactly that, she is young and some may think not mature enough to understand and perceive the situation she's in, but I think she knows exactly what's going on and she finds her way through it all because of the kindness and caring she is shown by her nanny and a complete stranger.
If you're into contemporary movies then you'll like this, the acting, the setting, and even  the lack of dialogue most of the time really help make this a heartbreakingly cute story. Absolutely Loved it!!
  
And just to prove just how cute Alexander and Onata were, I present  EXHIBIT 1!! Enjoy!