Blindspot 2016: final rankings

WOW. I’m done! Can you believe it?! I most certainly can’t. My 2016 Blindspot list was the list I’ve bitched about the most, not because of the bad movies but because I struggled so much getting time to site down and watch the films I chose. I’ve been really bad with schedules, which really ddin’t help the matter. But anyway, let’s stop that now because yet I still somehow managed to see all each and every film listed.

My list of 2017 is up tomorrow, and I’ve at least seen a number of them in preparation with my bestie and the remainders are great films won’t feel like a bit of a chore to get through. I also have most of those films already available, which was one of the reasons I took so long with 2016’s Blindspot – struggling to find these films.

Here’s a rundown of from least favorite to favorite. The scores are listed, but I’m not too worried about that right now, just basically listing what I remember actually liking the most.

Spot #12: Home Alone (1990)

Rating: 6/10

This is definitely the movie on the list that I should have watched way early in my life to really love it. I can see why people my age would love it if they saw it as children, and probably has the same sentiment towards it as I do towards a film like Matilda, which again reminds me that I really want to watch Matilda again. Home Alone was lost on me, I really couldn’t find any interest in a story where the main character was a child.

Spot #11: Love Actually (2003)

Rating: 6.5/10

There are people that actually think that this is one of the best romantic comedies of all time. I could not disagree more. There are critically few characters that are even remotely likeable and I was highly offended by most of their actions. Eugh.The best thing about this film is Colin Firth and Alan Rickman, and if those two men can’t convince me that a film is worth it, nothing can.

Spot #10: Back To the Future (1985)

Rating: 7/10

The same as Home Alone here – missed my chance. It was much more appealing though as there were at least older characters, but I still felt my attention wavering once or twice.

Spots # 8 & 9: Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)& 2 (2004)

Rating: 7.5/10 and 8/10

Yes, I am fully aware that these are Tarantino films so low on my list, but I have my reasons – mostly (and I might get shot for this bout of honesty), is that I found the story a bit lacking on both and overly violent even for Tarantino. I am such a fan of Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds (my favorite), and Pulp Fiction, and these two didn’t get anywhere close to touching my top favorite films of his.

Spot #7: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Rating: 8.5/10

I had trouble finding films this year that convinced me of its originality, and ESotSM is one of the very few that could convince me that creative talent was still alive and well. I loved Kate Winslet with her crazy hair, I adored Jim Carrey, Mark Ruffalo was adorable and Frodo was a sufficient level of creep in here. Hey! Kristen Dunst didn’t make me gnash my teeth.

Spot #6: Warrior (2011)

Rating: 8/10

This movie! I was bent double with anxiety. Who must win? Does any person deserve to lose? Performances by Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy were phenomenal. I cannot accept that this film tanked in the box office, it is truly great.

Spot #5: Memento (2000)

Rating: 8/10

Another frequenter of my Blindspots has been Christopher Nolan. He’s such an intelligent man and it comes through in his films. Memento was this year’s pick, and I unsurprisingly loved it.

Spots #3 and 4: Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)

Ratings: 8.5/10 (both)

Yes, I agree. How haven’t I seen these two films up until now?! I lived for 26 years without the knowledge of how awesome Ripley was or how gross the chestbursters are, and although my life wasn’t sad before, it is all the richer now.

Spot #2: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Rating: 9/10

Both numbers one and two for me were really sad and thought provoking films that provided insight into the very best and the very worst of the human nature. Pan’s Labyrinth is the ONLY film that could have beaten out To Kill A Mockingbird.

Spot #1: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Rating: 9/10

The winner of the year is the gut wrenching and incredibly poignant Pan’s Labyrith. This is a bit touchy feely, but watching this film made me want to cry for two reasons – the beautiful directing and the sad story of Ophelia and her desperate escape methods from the horrors of her world.

Well, there we have it. I enjoyed the majority of this list – truly it is probably only numbers 10 – 12 that really grated on me, and yet I am not displeased about spending time with them. Did you do a Blindspot in 2016? Comment below t and I haven’t discovered your undoubtedly awesome page, send me the link below 🙂

January 12, 2017January 11, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Blindspot, Movies, movies, UncategorizedTags: Alan Rickman, Alien, Aliens, Back to the Future, Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, Carrie-Anne Moss, chestburster, Christopher Nolan, Colin Firth, Elijah Wood, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Gregory Peck, Guy Pearce, Harper Lee, Home Alone, Jim Carry, Joe Pantoliano, Joel Edgerton, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Kill Bill, Kirsten Dunst, Love Actually, Mark Ruffalo, Marty McFly, Memento, Pan's Labyrinth, Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, Sigourney Weaver, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Hardy, Uma Thurman, Warrior 9 Comments

Blindspot 2016: To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

Plot: Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his children against prejudice.

Rating: 9/10

YESSSSSS. Guess who is finally done with their 2016 Blindspot list?! MEEE! It hasn’t been easy. 2016 was such a busy, annoying year and I had some really heavy movies on my list. I was lagging behind all the time. It’s bad! Anyway, I finished this one up last night, and patted myself on the back.

To Kill A Mockingbird was so good. I loved Atticus Finch (I guess everyone does) and Gregory Peck was so good in the role. The character is kind and wise and ahead of his time. I appreciated that he stood by his morals even when it would have been a lot easier than just to punch someone. The children were surprisingly non-grating and their games reminded me of an Enid Blyton book. They were sweet and adventurous. Scout was so amusing with her tomboy ways and love for fighting. Her brother was a young miniature of their father – admirable when Atticus Finch is your father. The kid actors were also all very good – that is so rare these days.

TKAMB also deals with material that could only have been considered extremely risqué in the time the book was published as well as the movie. It is now so clear to me why the book was banned. An innocent black man? That must have boggled everyone’s minds back then!

It always amazes me that black and white films manage to show so much more than color films, being able to draw attention the smallest aspects of the shot. To Kill A Mockingbird is surprisingly easy to follow despite many events occurring at the same time, which in itself speaks legions about how well the film was written and directed.

I really liked this film – it’s not upbeat and it’s not depressing. It manages to show both the best side of humanity and the worst side of humanity all in one go, and makes you think a bit about on which side you really are. I only have one request – that they NEVER remake this film.

PS: Robert Duvall is Boo Radley?!?!

January 6, 2017January 3, 2017 by Natasha Categories: Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: 1962, Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, Brock Peters, classic, Gregory Peck, Harper Lee, John Megna, Mary Badham, Movies, Phillip Atford, racial prejudice, Reviews, Robert Duvall, Rosemary Murphy 7 Comments

Blindspot 2016: Memento (2000)

Plot: A man juggles searching for his wife’s murderer and keeping his short-term memory loss from being an obstacle.

Rating: 8.5/10

The entire point of Blindspot is to see things that we were supposed to have seen ages ago but obviously never did for a number of reasons, most notably laziness in my case. Memento is definitely one of these films, and after watching it I am so happy that 1) I finally got to it and 2) somehow avoided spoilers all this time.

Directed by one of the craftiest and most intelligent filmmakers of our time, Memento is some of Christopher Nolan’s finest work. And it should be clear that nearly all of his work is fine – Prestige was on my Blindspot in 2015, I loved Interstellar, Inception blew my mind on a level that I still haven’t written a review for it. Those Batman movies? Dark and heavy and undeniably brilliant. Memento is some of his earlier work, and definitely some of the best that he’s ever embarked on. The directing is excellent, naturally – the black and white and color alternating between past and present. GENIUS.

Guy Pearce plays Leonard, a man with short term memory loss. That alone fascinated me from a medical viewpoint.  Memories and retention of them are so fascinating and complex and the Nolan brothers managed to bring Leonard to life in a way that gives insight to the complexity of his problem. Leonard is highly organized and tackles his memory loss by notes and tattoos. I kept hoping he had some form of a tattoo on his back that would resolve a lot of his problems. Alas, he didn’t, but his tattoos on the front of his body were highly informative and disturbing. Pearce also gives the performance of his career in my opinion – tightly controlled and methodical, this role would have been a disaster in a less accomplished actor’s hands.

The other characters are all a bunch of shady fellows you can never quite pin down – are they bad, are they misusing our guy, what exactly is going down. Assistance is provided due to the movie moving backwards – Leonard never knows what he did yesterday, but at least we do. It quickly becomes apparent that Natalie (Carrie Ann Moss) isn’t what she pretends to be to Leonard, and it is very very easy to quickly learn to hate her. I STILL have no idea whether Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) is a villain or what. He’s most certainly not a good guy and is one of the best grey characters in the story.

The directing is unique and brilliant – stark black and white alternating between current events that are depicted in color – I have to admit I only noticed that part afterwards reading up about it – it is quickly clear that the movie is moving backwards in a way, but the clear difference isn’t something I immediately picked up on. I’ll definitely have to see this again at some stage.

So that is basically it for my second last Blindspot of 2016. I kicked against watching it, but in the end I was so entertained that it will definitely make one of my favorites of this year.

January 3, 2017January 2, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Blindspot 2016, Carrie-Anne Moss, Christopher Nolan, Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, Memory Loss, Movies, mystery, Reviews 9 Comments

Blindspot review: Aliens (1986)

Plot: The moon from Alien (1979) has been colonized, but contact is lost. This time, the rescue team has impressive firepower, but will it be enough?

Rating: 8.5/10

Ellen Ripley has been floating through space for 57 years after fighting off the Alien and destroying the USCSS Nostromo. When she awakes she is interrogated, the Corporation being as sceptic about her claims about the monstrous alien as they are angry that she destroyed their ship. She is released of her duties, and starts to do some menial tasks around the spaceship (I assume until she can return home as a really young looking grandma). However, when contact is lost with the exomoon where the Alien so nicely attacked Riply, the Corporation quickly forget that they mistreated her and want her to travel to the moon with a bunch of super strong marines and go see what is cracking. Ripley knows exactly what they are about to face – but can she convince her crew and get out alive again?

What I loved about this film:

Ellen Ripley – eeek!! She’s so badass and ready to deal with an Alien once again. She’s capable and smart and knows how to handle herself, despite being a bit shaken up by her previous trip. She’s the ultimate girl power and Sigourney Weaver couldn’t help but rock the hell out of that role.

The cat stayed at home – I was way too worried about that damn cat in the first film.

Burke (Paul Reiser) was such an ass. He seemed WAY too nice at the start of the film, way too friendly and accommodating, and I suspected his sorry ass from the start. What he did to Newt and Ripley was terrible, and eventually revealed himself to be a power hungry fool.

I really liked Bishop (Lance Henriksen) – I understand why Ripley didn’t trust him one bit after her encounter with Ash but he at least seemed capable of dealing with drama and proving Ripley wrong.

Replacing the cat as the-thing-Ripley-needs-to-save is Newt (Carrie Henn), the young little girl who managed to keep herself alive while the aliens killed her entire colony. I liked Newt, she was sweet and not nearly as annoying as I thought she would turn out.

Hicks (Michael Biehn) was a great character. He had sense and leadership and a dash of badass and it was appealing. I was glad that he also got off the moon – thank GOODNESS.

The pace of the movie is relentless. So much intensity passes in the (astronomically long, TBH), running time. It’s attack after attack and similarly to Alien, just when you think the Aliens are GONE, there is yet another one that pitches. It would have been annoying if it wasn’t so well directed and the aliens weren’t so imposing, and the final fight between Ripley and the Alien queen was great. I loved Ripley’s line and her subsequent killing of the queen – it reminds me SO MUCH of what Molly yells at Bellatrix before she kills her in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Is there something I didn’t like? Well, I really thought the running time was way too long – it is a James Cameron film, and we all know he can go on and on if you let him. I rarely have the patience to sit down for so long – I’m fully convinced that I have adult-developed ADHD (as improbable as it sounds). I managed to get through this because it is good – but my goodness, it was long.

Private Vasquez  (Jenette Goldstein) was embarrassingly stereotyped – she was so butch and overly foreign (I don’t even know what they were aiming for). It could have been a more subtler approach, but hey, it was 1986, so I guess I shouldn’t expect too much. It was nice to have another ass kicking female on board though, not some screechy pain in the ass like in the first film.

Aliens was obviously a fantastic film and avoided being a failure of a sequel. Despite sitting away two and a half hours of your life on this, you will probably really end up enjoying it as I did.

November 21, 2016November 20, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Alien, Aliens, Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, Burke, Carrie Henn, Extraterrestrial Life, Jenette Goldstein, Lance Henriksen, Michael Beihn, Paul Reiser, Sigourney Weaver, thriller, USCSS Nostromo 7 Comments

Blindspot 2016: Alien (1979)

Plot: After a space merchant vessel perceives an unknown transmission as distress call, their landing on the source moon finds one of the crew attacked by a mysterious lifeform. Continuing their journey back to Earth with the attacked crew having recovered and the critter deceased, they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun.

Rating: 8.5/10

Woohoo! I am catching up! I can do this! I now officially can actually watch a Blindspot and call it for the month it is. Anyway.

 

I had a blast with this. I loved the old school 1979 special effects. Loved it. CGI just misses the point at times, and I had a few giggles with the old technology, but I loved it too. I thought Ellen was as badass as any female character could hope to be. I thought the alien was super gross, and I really don’t appreciate how they used milky substances to get the point across. I might remember that for a while still. The growth spurt of the alien was impressive AF. I thought the cat was a bastard quite a few times (when are they not?), and he was just chilling there when the Alien killed that poor guy. Cats are asses. I really liked Dallas, I thought he could have lived a bit longer. The musical score was fantastic – proper tension building music that was alternated with periods of dead silence. It was incredibly effective. The tension that builds as a result is so creepy. Back to that alien, how gross was it when he birthed/got out of that poor unfortunate fellow? I must say, that glob on his face was also pretty gross man. It was also once again essential to note that Ripley was right at the very start to refuse access to the quarantined staff, but whoever listened to a woman when she was obviously right? Not a machine robot, nope siree. The dialogue was good, so much more superior to what movie writers wring out these days. Think about it – when last did you encounter a modern movie that had excellent writing? Rare, rare. My blindspots this year hasn’t always been satisfactory, but I really thought this is as epic as its cult status makes it to be.

 

September 12, 2016September 11, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Alien, Aliens, Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, cat, chestburster, Ellen Ripley, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian, John Hurt, Movies, Reviews, Ridley Scott, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kokko 12 Comments

Blindspot 2016: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Plot: When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a procedure to have each other erased from their memories. But it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with.

Rating: 8.5/10

Phew! I am so glad I finally got to watching one of the movies on my list. I have been terrible so far with Blindspots this year. I don’t know why – maybe I’m just way too busy and a lot of the movies aren’t looking that appealing for me. I’ve had some which really disappointed me – especially Love Actually and Home Alone. But I really want to finish this list even if I’m not doing this run next year. I mean, I really love the theory behind Blindspot, but I am personally way too rushed and disorganized to pull off watching older movies in specific time frames.

Anyway, back to the actual review here. I avoided reading anything about this movie before I watched it. I had heard that it was particularly good, but I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be an excellent decision, because it has been a while since I found anything to be so refreshing or unique.

The first thing that really impressed me is with how well this movie flowed. It was an effortless move shot to shot. I also really enjoyed that while there were parts of this film that could have been confusing it really wasn’t, and that the mystery didn’t cause confusion because it was so well laid out.

Another thing I really loved was that each actor/actress was in such a different roles they would usually get cast in. Jim Carrey is the star here with an unparalleled performance as the main character. He was painfully sweet and adorable, and just wanted to hug him and make him feel secure. It is standout work here in my opinion, some of the best of his career. Kate Winslet was also enormously surprising. I’ve always admired her work, but I am forever more linking her to Rose in Titanic, and Clementine can’t be more different to the classy Rose. I was always unsure whether I liked Clementine or not. She was dramatic and insecure and mistreated Joel terribly in my opinion. But she was also unique as a character and an entity in Hollywood scripts. It is rare to see such a perplexing oddball female character depicted. Elijah Wood was such a little creep as Patrick. I mean really, what he did was gross. Young Mark Ruffalo is also in here. I’m just loving the guy at this point. He is such a great actor, and I’ve caught a couple of films where he is in lately and every single time I thought him well layered and talented. Stan is really just every young guy around – a little goofy, enjoys his job but still not immune to the temptations life has to offer. He was worth a few chuckles because I just know so many guys like him at this point, though sadly not quite as attractive.As for the last female star, I can never really decide whether I like or dislike Kristen Dunst. I really liked her as Mary Stevo because she refrained from coming across as whining. She was so sweet and light at times, only to have her shocker revealed to her when she least expected it.

There are a ton of other things I really enjoyed – the story especially, but I won’t go into too much here because you want to watch this without spoilers. I also appreciated the length, it was just right. There is also something really feel good about this entire film, an underlying optimism that is absent from so many other films. It is totally worth the watch if you have the time!

September 5, 2016September 2, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Blindspot 2016, Elijah Wood, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Movies, Reviews, Tom Wilkinson 7 Comments

Blindspot 2016: Back to the Future (1985)

Plot: A young man is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

Rating: 7/10

I actually don’t have all that much to say about this film. I’ve struggled for a week or more with this review, because I’m feeling very blocked about it.

The rating I give is always based on my enjoyment of the film, and I try to factor in the quality, even if the film really wasn’t my style (like Birdman). A 7 generally means I enjoyed it in a detached way, not really connecting to the characters, but the film was good. Is Back to the Future good for its time? Undoubtable so. I think for 1985 it is a great film.

I really enjoyed Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. He has always been a good actor and is enjoyable to watch in his youth. I really enjoyed his attitude – it is so 1980’s!

I enjoyed the 80’s look of the film fashionably, which is much more forgiving than the 90’s look. The outfits were definitely flashback but I didn’t cringe that much.

The plot is naturally a bit silly, but I don’t think it was ever their intention to be anything else. I enjoyed this film in a detached way – I’m sad to report that it didn’t appeal to me all that much.

However, I am glad I watched it – it is always good to know what people are referring to! I think I might even make an effort to watch the remaining two, just to finally and completely have a grasp of it.

July 14, 2016July 13, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: 1985, Back to the Future, Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, DeLorean, Dr. Emmett Brown, Michael J. Fox, time travel 5 Comments

March to May: Watched, Read, Loved

I was all over the place with this post , claiming that I would do some monthly rundowns. I was planning to, I really was, but as you know life is a busy little bastard and all you can do sometimes is hold on for dear life and hope not to fall off the wagon.

In Cinema:

I’ve been to cinema quite a lot the last couple of months. There were a few films I wanted to watch before the internet spoiled everything, and for the most part I walked out relatively pleased.

1. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

The biggest problem with Batman vs. Superman? It lacked heart. Not all films should be lighthearted, but BvS had no comic relief and no passion – you need either of the two. I didn’t hate it though, but I do think that DC should have worked a little harder if they really plan to have a fighting chance in an environment so dominated by their biggest rivals.

2. The Huntsman: Winter’s War 

I will definitely watch this again – it is easy, comfortable watching, not necessarily great but it was quite fun. It also contains my husband, and that can’t be ignored!

3. The Jungle Book

Beautiful and charming, it impressed me with its gorgeous CGI and traditional storyline. Not my favorite Disney live action film, but it was good nonetheless. I am still the most excited for Beauty and the Beast next year. I CAN’T WAIT.

4. Captain America: Civil War

Woohoo!! This was so great! It probably deserves a higher score from me, because on reflection I had a blast with it.

At Home:

Blindspot:

March: Love Actually – it was OKAY. Not really my favourite romantic comedy and I won’t be watching it again.

April: Home Alone – not gonna lie, I hated this. I am way too old for this shit

May: Warrior Sooo good, but not something I’d recommend as a pick me up.

Other films:

Begin Again (2013) – I really enjoyed it! It is surprising and not really as close to a romcom as it might sound, and I especially enjoyed the track.

The Fast and The Furious (2001) – This way Throw Back was the best and entertaining. I had the best time even though it is as ridiculous, gawdy, a murky story line and terrible acting. It’s all about investing in the future films, you see.

Wild Child (2008) – Wild Child is a favorite movie of 2008 for me. It has everything – the teenage drama, the love story, the gorgeous hero, friendship, everything! I had to force myself not watching it again right after!

Series:

I’m rewatching The Vampire Diaries at the moment and having a complete and utter blast.  I stopped half way into Season two to focus on exams, but I am so onboard getting my ass to season 7 eventually! Can we just say #teamDamon all the way?!

Reading:

Last Chance Salloon (Marian Keyes) – hmmm, not my favorite Marian Keyes. It was good in some places but it took me ages to get through it – long, laborious reading.

Me Before You (JoJo Moyes) – surprising and good, well thought out, not overly sloppy.

The Welcoming (Nora Roberts) – for the life of me I can’t write a review on this for some reason. It is very bland, definitely some of Nora’s most basic work. It isn’t bad or offensive, just pretty tame and nearly put me to sleep in some places.

I finally finished Big Magic after months of searching for it! I’d love to read it again, with a highlighter and a note pad.

Currently also reading:

Evening Class by Maeve Binchy. – this book is a real drag, to be honest. I don’t get why the author is compared to the likes of Marian Keyes – Binchy writes books that make me fall fast asleep. I thought perhaps this book was different from the other one I read by her, but it is shockingly the same – the exact same format and story if you take away all the frills.

Collaboration:

I reviewed over on T9M’s site The Help (2011) – such an awesome flick!

I also reviewed for Kim and Drew‘s 80’s blogathon – When Harry Met Sally – what a great film, definitely worthy of a classic status.

What have you been up to?

May 20, 2016May 19, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Life, Life Lately, UncategorizedTags: Alan Rickman, Alex Pettyfer, Anthony Mackie, Batman, Batman vs Superman, Begin Again, Ben Affleck, Bill Nighy, Billy Joel, Blindspot 2016, Books, Captain America: Civil War, Charlize Theron, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Colin Firth, Damon Salvatore, Don Cheadle, Emilia Clarke, Emma Roberts, Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Evening Class, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavil, Home Alone, Hugh Grant, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, JoJo Moyes, Keira Knightley, Last Chance Saloon, Liam Neesn, Liam Neeson, Life, Life Lately, Love Actually, Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Mark Ruffalo, Martin Freeman, Martine McCutcheon, Me Before You, Meg Ryan, Michelle Rodriguez, monthly rundown, Nick Nolte, Paul Walker, Robert Downey Jnr, Rowan Atkinson, Sam Claflin, Sebastian Stan, The Fast and the Furious, The Help, The Huntsman: Winter's War, The Jungle Book, The Vampire Diaries, Tom Hardy, Viola Davis, Warrior, When Harry Met Sally, Wild Child 2 Comments

Blindspot 2016: Warrior (2011)

Plot: The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he’s trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament – a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.

Rating: 8/10

Warrior made it onto my Blindspot list because I’ve heard more than once that it is a solid film and it also cast one of my favorite actors, the incredibly excellent and talented Tom Hardy.

Warrior is never slow and it is never friendly. It is not bothering with being feel good, it is bothered with telling you a story. The story is harsh and gritty and there is heartache, disappointment and pain in an unrelenting pace. There is a bit of war trauma, it is part underdog story, it is about how destructive alcoholism can be, a tale of athleticism and respect and of having your own agenda and motives that other people can comprehend. In one short sentence, thus: there is so much emotion in here.

I LOVED it. I tend to lean more to lighthearted things in life – life can be so dark and difficult that I really think that entertainment doesn’t always need to be.  But to all rules there are exceptions and I attached to this like Donald Trump attaches to his toupees – passionately. As mentioned, Tom Hardy is an actor that hopefully everyone loves, and I think he is so solid. He impressed me again, especially for completely dropping his English accent and having an American one, the harshness of his character and the chilling ability Hardy has to make you run away and search for safety. Joel Edgerton was the stunning surprise in Warrior – I rooted for this character way more than I rooted for his brother. He had this sad desperation to him that was impossible not to sympathize with.

The way Warrior progresses also has so much merit. There are very little the audience isn’t privy to throughout Warrior, it is more a scenario about when the audience in the film themselves will learn certain things.

I also really enjoyed Frank Grillo, who, for some astounding reason, is fifty. I cannot understand the powers of Hollywood when it comes to age, I really can’t. The man does not look a day over thirty five! Anyway, leaving his longevity behind, I also enjoyed the seriousness of his character too. He came across as a decent, straightforward man who knew his business and would tell you his honest opinion, nothing less.

The last hour of Warrior focuses exclusively on what the entire film builds up to – Sparta, the massive MMA event. I first thought that it was way too much time allocated, but I changed my mind – that last hour is screaming, intense, hair gripping drama that made the entire film come together.

Warrior is obviously a new favorite of mine. Even if I never watch it again, I will always remember the sheer drama and beauty of the production. It is a sports flick however, and if you really dislike them you should probably steer clear. BUT, it is intensely good and powerful, and I really hope many people can recognize that – I was disgusted to learn that this film didn’t even earn its’ budget in cinema, a testimony to the bad taste of movie goers in my opinion.

Have you seen Warrior? Did you enjoy it?

May 18, 2016May 15, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, Joel Edgerton, movie, Movies, Review, Tom Hardy, Warrior 21 Comments

Blindspot 2016: Home Alone (1990)

Plot: An 8-year old troublemaker must protect his home from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.

Rating: 6/10

Can you please give me a shout-out if you only saw this movie as an adult and actually liked it? Because I just watched it in a stint to catch up on outstanding things, and let me tell you, this is really not my type of movie.

The parents are horrible. Who the hell forgets their eight year old child at home? I don’t care HOW many kids you have with you, you count them YOURSELF. Taking the word of a teenage girl is always a slightly questionable move, and when you trust her about her siblings and cousins you are asking for a disaster. The mom and dad are terrible. They ignore their child and hate him till he is missing.

Kevin is a terrible child. He is obviously a little punk in the making and needs time out. Preferably always. #reasonsWhyIDontLikeKids

His siblings – can someone just please all load them up with personality and manners? It’s missing.

Those thieves. Wow. I just don’t know.

The laughs and jokes are obviously cheap laughs for children. Skidding everywhere and falling all over the place is maybe funny for one scene and then never again.

Anyway, the best part about this film is the carols in the church being sung – it always sounds so perfect with snow and fairy lights. The little old man story arc was also very sweet.

I obviously didn’t like it all that much. But I’m glad I finally saw this!

April 25, 2016April 15, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Movies, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Blindspot, Blindspot 2016, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Stern, Home Alone, Joe Pesci, John Heard, Macaulay Culkin, Movies, Reviews, Roberts Blossom 8 Comments