Movies: Month in Review {May/June/July 2019}
Eloise at Christmastime (2003)
This was very fun and sweet, and I'm sure it'll be a nice, cozy one to come back to now and again. Thank you, Natalie, for introducing me. ;)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
So, I'm not a Mary Poppins person. Not really, at least. I enjoyed an audio version of one of the books, and I've loved Saving Mr. Banks for a long time, and I like some of the movie's music, but that's about been the extent of my affection for the story/character/etc. for some time.
But then I watched this, and . . . well. ;)
I approve, fam. I approve wholeheartedly. :) I greatly prefer Emily Blunt in the role, and I love how the Banks children are all grown up yet are still the same people they were as children, just with more life experience, more disillusionment, and so on. (AND JACK AND JANE?!?! THE CUTENESS WAS REAL AND PLEASE, SIR, I WANT SOME MORE.) Plus, Michael's kids were adorable.
The song "Where the Lost Things Go" is so beautiful and touching, and "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" is a lot of fun (even though it doesn't make much sense XD). I didn't care too much for the scene with Mary's cousin/Meryl Streep, just because it wasn't My Personal Aesthetic, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed it. Charmed, as they say. I'm excited to watch it again. :)
The Impossible (2012)
I'd seen clips and stuff before, so I wasn't expecting this to be as emotionally affecting as it was. Joke's on me, I guess.
Excellent, hard-hitting movie with some deeply beautiful moments.
The New World (2005)
I LOVED THIS. AHHH.
I hope I review it sometime. I'd love to share more about why this movie was a near-perfect fit for me, and what it taught me or reinforced for me, and why it doesn't deserve whatever flak you may have heard about it, but that'd certainly require that review. So, here's hoping it gets done. ;)
Warrior (2011)
![The casino scene, in particular, is heartbreaking. Tell me about that and tell me about the scene that immediately follows it. They were shot very close together. We shot the one where Tom [Hardy] throws the coins at me in the casino first. I can tell you how the crew reacted: They got very nervous about it. I could feel them around me not wanting to watch that scene. We only needed a few takes because Tommy just really went at it. And it made people uncomfortable. It’s hard to watch that](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e7/d6/dd/e7d6dd9bdad087a1d0bddbb7e325713c.jpg)
I'm not into boxing/fight movies, but this was a good specimen. Not one I'd watch a lot, but it does offer a viscerally accurate perspective on familial dysfunction, abuse, and the fallout that occurs from that, even if the perpetrator later repents. And, of course, on redemption. (Plus, our very own Jennifer Morrison of Once Upon a Time fame is in it, so that's happy. :))
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
But then I watched this, and . . . well. ;)
I approve, fam. I approve wholeheartedly. :) I greatly prefer Emily Blunt in the role, and I love how the Banks children are all grown up yet are still the same people they were as children, just with more life experience, more disillusionment, and so on. (AND JACK AND JANE?!?! THE CUTENESS WAS REAL AND PLEASE, SIR, I WANT SOME MORE.) Plus, Michael's kids were adorable.
The song "Where the Lost Things Go" is so beautiful and touching, and "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" is a lot of fun (even though it doesn't make much sense XD). I didn't care too much for the scene with Mary's cousin/Meryl Streep, just because it wasn't My Personal Aesthetic, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed it. Charmed, as they say. I'm excited to watch it again. :)
The Impossible (2012)
Excellent, hard-hitting movie with some deeply beautiful moments.
The New World (2005)
I LOVED THIS. AHHH.
I hope I review it sometime. I'd love to share more about why this movie was a near-perfect fit for me, and what it taught me or reinforced for me, and why it doesn't deserve whatever flak you may have heard about it, but that'd certainly require that review. So, here's hoping it gets done. ;)
Warrior (2011)
I did not find that many new-to-me movies over the last few months, apparently. XD
What have you watched lately? What did you think of it?
My sister and I love Warrior. I still haven't seen Mary Poppins Returns.
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised by it. MPR is enchanting!
DeleteI love The New World and it was filmed here in Virginia too.
ReplyDeleteI know, it made me so happy that it was filmed on location! (Or nearly on location. ;)) I'm glad you love it, too.
DeleteELOISE?! =D Eloise was my favorite when I was a little munchkin!!! I was actually just thinking about those movies not too long ago, and thought it would be so much fun to watch them now as an adult. ^_^ (So thank you for reminding me of the fact that I need to go back and watch that, Olivia ;D )
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big Mary Poppins person as well, but, while I appreciated the story more in the sequel, I have to disagree with you on the role of Mary Poppins. ;) I much preferred Julie Andrews to Emily Blunt. I think mostly because Ms. Blunt's portrayal of her just seems a bit more cold and removed than in the original. Mary Poppins character in the original just seemed more sweet and happy to me... Anywho, just my opinion. :P
Well, perhaps "cold" is a bit harsh... Maybe a better way to put it is that I just found Julie Andrews' portrayal more endearing than Emily Blunt's. xD
DeleteI never really "got into" Eloise when I was a wee one, but this was fun. :D (Hee hee, you're most welcome!)
DeleteSee, that's so interesting, because *I* felt that Emily Blunt's Mary was actually more caring. (Just with a crisper exterior.) But, as you say, we both just have different takes on it, which is fine. ;)
Ah okay, that IS interesting! It's funny how we all can see the same things but in different ways. ;) And perhaps I just need to go back and watch them both again and pay attention to their different portrayals more, but that was my initial take on the two Marys anyway. :)
DeleteIsn't it? Interesting how differently God wires all of our minds and personalities to react to things different ways.
DeleteAnd, I mean, it doesn't mean either of us is "right" about the two different portrayals. It's truly just how each struck us, individually. ;)
DeleteI love Warrior and I never thought I'd like a film about cage fighting. Mary Poppins 2 was lovely - Ben Whishaw as Michael was my favourite.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Ben Whishaw was absolutely precious.
DeleteI had so many doubts about Mary Poppins Returns, but ACK!!! It was amazing!! Jane and Jack and the most precious couple!!!!! <333 It is such a sweet movie!
ReplyDeleteWasn't it wonderful???!! <3 <3 <3 Jane and Jack made me genuinely happy. :D
DeleteLooooooooooooooooooooooooved Mary Poppins Returns. It was a wonderful movie.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's funny for me to hear myself say that, because I loathed the Julie Andrews film as a small child. I was a truly fanatic fan of the Mary Poppins books--and my naive little 8-year-old self went into the movie expecting it to be a Faithful Representation of the books. Ha, ha ha . . . #nope. Not even close.
*cue smol Katie sobbing on the floor in front of the TV all afternoon*
SO I WENT INTO THE NEW MOVIE WITH SERIOUS RESERVATIONS. But, I am happy to say, Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda vastly exceeded my expectations!!! Emily Blunt really is the Mary Poppins of my childhood imagination, and they included so much more of the original magic, almost verbatim in some scenes (that thing where everything turns upside down? straight out of the books); and overall, the General Aesthetic was far closer to what I'd always loved about the book series as a kid. So, yep. I was most pleased. In fact, I think I would go so far as to say my scars from the first movie are--almost--healed. ;-P ;-P
I'm so glad you loved it, too, especially since I knew you loved the books. :D
DeleteAWWWW! Poor smol Katie. Wish I could comfort her. :( <3 :) I'm glad MPR has helped, at least a little. ;) ;)
I agree. Emily's Mary touched me much more, and the aesthetic was SO lovely.
Recently stumbled onto your blog and I have enjoyed your posts. I watched Eliose a couple years ago and enjoyed it. Mary Poppins Returns was so good! There were many aspects that I liked, but I still think Julie Andrews was a little bit better. Loved grown up Jane and Michael. Lin-Manuel Miranda did a great job bringing a new character to life.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad! Thanks so much for commenting. :D Jane and Michael were adorable. <3
DeleteYES, I enjoyed Mary Poppins Returns SO MUCH more than I expected! I really loved it!!! Especially grown-up Michael and Jane. <3 <3 <3
ReplyDelete(This is rather unrelated, but I've been wondering: Have you ever considered how you would dream cast an adaptation of Till We Have Faces?)
~ Catie
Same!!
Delete(Ooh! No, I can't say as I have, actually! I don't know that I can actually "see" TWHF as a movie, if that makes sense? Like, I don't know if the story lends itself to the screen . . . But then, if it was done right, it could be very good indeed. What do you think?)
I *completely* agree, and I had a feeling you would answer this way! I mean, I do have a pretty clear mental image of a few of the characters, but I think it would be a very difficult book to adapt into a worthy film.
DeleteYeah, it seems like it'd be tricky. :-P
DeleteSo, I'm guessing you've read it now?? What did you think of it? ;D
I want to see Mary Poppins Returns at some point, but... I'm not super excited about this one, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI want to see The Impossible too, but also not one that's high on my to-watch list.
The new-to-me movies I've watched lately have mostly been duds. Which is great for clearing off my TBW shelves, not so much for my morale, lol. One I really liked, much more than I'd expected, was 17 Again. I thought it would be cheesy, and it was a little bit, but it had a lot of heart too. Also, I came away impressed by how well baby Zac Efron could act.
I wasn't really prioritizing it, either, but I was happy I saw it when I finally did, sort of by chance. ;)
DeleteIt's a good one, but one has to be in the right "mood".
Oh, dear! Haha, yeah, I could see that being a little depressing. Oh, really?! Yeah, I'd seen the trailer for that a few times, too, and also thought it looked kind of cheesy and shtick-ish, albeit funny. Perhaps I'll have to reconsider.
I'd say 17 Again is a good movie for when you need something kinda like a Hallmark movie in the "this will be fun and cheer me up" way, but you don't actually want to watch a Hallmark movie.
Delete*nods* That makes sense. P'raps I'll try it. I've realized, though, that I don't tend to like stories that involve going back in time?? I don't know.
DeleteOh, this isn't a time travel story! The MC starts out 17, he makes decisions, life happens, he grows up, years pass, and he becomes a frustrated man nearing middle age who is convinced if he'd only made one different decision back in high school, his life would've been so much better. If only he'd gone to college instead of marrying his high school sweetheart and starting a family. And then this magical being disguised as a janitor grants him a do-over. He becomes 17 again, right there & then. Goes back to high school, but now alongside his kids, who don't know he's their dad. His wife is divorcing him, so she thinks he's just ignoring her because he's not coming over anymore, except now-youthful him is hanging out with their son a lot, so he's actually there and can see what he is losing if he gets divorced with fresh eyes, and... basically, he learns the value of his family and his life. It's like a funky spin on It's a Wonderful Life, in a way, but with partying teens and basketball.
DeleteNeat! I guess, maybe I don't have the correct term for what I mean by time travel stories, because, see, that still sounds exactly like a time travel story to me. XD
DeleteBut, still, I'm intrigued by what you had to say about Efron's acting.
The New World! Such a beautiful movie, slow but special, like a waltz. :) I love that one, too.
ReplyDelete<3, IrishAG
Yes!!! Ahhh, I'm so glad you agree. :D And that's such a beautiful simile for this movie! It's definitely slow but special. <3
DeleteEloise at Christmastime. *smiles* Happy memories there. That really was a fun movie. :D
ReplyDeleteHaha! Yeah, I think the "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" sequence was the part where I just couldn't keep quiet and kept making comments like "but...but...that doesn't make SENSE!" :P I did enjoy Mary Poppins Returns a lot more than I was anticipating (and I agree, Michael's kids were really cute), but I still love the first movie better. (Oh and yeah, that scene with Mary Poppins' cousin wasn't really my cup of tea either. It was just kind of weird, in my opinion.)
I've seen Warrior a few times, and really enjoyed it. It's quite emotional and not one I'd watch all the time, but I liked it.
Okay, now you really do need to review The New World because you've made me super curious to know what it's about and why you liked it so much and all that! I've actually never heard of it before so I have not preconceived ideas about it, and I would just very much enjoy hearing about it from you. :)
Lovely post, Olivia! I really enjoy your "Movies: Month in Review" posts. They're great!
Happy memories indeed. ;D
DeleteHaha, I believe so. ;) ;) Yeah, that upside down scene was a little weird, to me. (I mean. The whole story is weird and full of weird things. But those are COOL weird things and this was just, like . . . a weird weird thing. For me, personally. ;-P)
Yep. *nods*
Oh, do you really want to read about it?? I'm glad. And I do hope to review it sometime soonish. :)
Awww, thank you! I'm so glad you like them. :D
Oh, really? You don't like the old Mary Poppins? I haven't met many people who don't like it but I guess that's okay. ;) I quite liked the second one, but they're two vastly different movies.
ReplyDeleteI turned on "The Impossible" when it was playing on TV once, and I think I may have seen the gruesomest part within the first 5 minutes which prompted me to turn it off again. ;)
And I really would like to watch the New World! I know my older siblings watched it without me a few years back and I never fully forgave them, haha. xD
I saw the movie "Tolkien" at the cinemas and really enjoyed it.
I also saw "Confessions of a Shopaholic" reeelatively recently for the first time and thought it hilarious. ;)
Still plugging away with infrequent episodes of Gilmore Girls though. ;)
Alas, can't say as I do. (I mean, it's been a while since I've seen it, so I don't really remember too distinctly what my true feelings were; I just know I definitely didn't love it.) Nothing against it as a movie, of course! Just not my personal cuppa. :D
DeleteHehe, yeahhhh . . . it's kind of a movie you have to be sure you're down to watch. xD
I, personally, thought it a fantastic movie. So fantastic that I was willing to spend an uncharacteristic amount of gift money in order to obtain my own copy. :-P (Isn't it the worst when people watch a movie you've been wanting to see without you?? xD)
Oh, cool! Yeah I haven't gotten around to seeing Tolkien yet.
Isn't that a fun movie??
Haha, carry on. You'll get there. ;D