Watched, Read, Loved: October 2016

October was by far the slowest month in my year in entertainment. I’m really hopeful that this is the last semester where I will ever have to write a BSc Theoretical exam, so I’ve spent every moment that I wasn’t at work in front of a book. I really hope it will pay off – my heart won’t be able to handle the trauma of failing a subject. So it has been quiet on the entertainment front and even the blog front, but I’ve managed to include see and read some things here and there though, so here is a quick rundown J

Watched:

Bourne Supremacy

I really hope I wrote a proper review on this, because I can barely recall the film now. I know it was fast paced and good and very Bourne, and I guess that is what counts.

10 Cloverfield Lane

I LOVED this. The review should be up some time this week, and I am totally with the crowd on this one. It was a phenomenal performance from all three main characters, and they were able to create maddening suspense throughout.

New Year’s Eve (2011)

I was quite obsessed with this film (to get to see it), and it was so meh. It was probably one of the last films Gary Marshall ever produced, and I hoped it would be something similar to Valentine’s Day. In all essence it was but lacked the heart.

You Again (2010)

I enjoyed this on the most basic level. It had a pretty good message that bullying stays with you forever and it was nice to watch such a light movie where romance wasn’t the core of the plot.

The Choice (2016)

I have this game with Nicholas Sparks movies where I HAVE to watch it despite knowing it will probably end up being super crap. But The Choice is one of the better ones, certainly better than the awful Best of Me, and I has a somewhat of a decent time with it.

Read:

The Woman Who Stole My Life (Marian Keyes)

I finally finished TWWSTM. It was gigantic, and maybe 50 pages too long and then ended up with a rough ending, but this is the least bizarre book I’ve read from Keyes in a while.

Definitely Dead / All Together Dead / From Dead to Worse

Exam brain wants me back on books where I need no brain power, and I’ve been reading some of the Southern Vampire Mysteries again. I’ve actually been having a really good time with this non-Pulitzer material.

New Moon (Stephanie Meyer)

I’m slowly making my way through these books. Bella is a joy to behold in this particular novel, let me tell you. I always have fun with this – part enjoyment; part scoffing, and it has been the perfect read throughout exam time.

I am Number Four (Pittacus Lore)

This book is SO good. It is obviously a book that was written at the beginning of the dystopic craze; because the ideas are original and GOOD, and things are named intelligently (the naming conventions in other dystopian novels are quite ridiculous). I need to finish this still, but it is going well.

On a Life front, those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that I got myself a new car. It really wasn’t an option as I was in a car accident that wrote my little Suzuki Alto off. To say I was upset was an understatement, and it was pretty stressful sorting it out. I have to say my insurers were absolutely fantastic, and I will (and have) recommended them to anybody. However, it was the first car I’d ever owned, and I was so heart sore about the entire process.

It feels like a lot of things have happened the last month. I’ve had a dear friend in hospital, I’ve been in an accident, there was a break-in at my sister’s boyfriend’s house and another friend of mine got attacked and robbed at gunpoint.  So it’s been quite hectic. I’m in need of a Bilbo Baggins holiday to say the LEAST. Oh, I also went to a bachelorettes that was quite wild, and let me tell you, I was shocked at some of the actions there. I’ve been to a significant amount of wild parties in my young life, so when I am shocked, I am S.H.O.C.K.E.D. It feels like I need a peaceful December without any drama. I am on leave for two weeks at the end of December (hear me sobbing in gratitude), and I am so happy that I will get to a place where I don’t need to start functioning at 4:30 am. It will be great.

Anyway, what’s news on your side?

PS: Let’s not even talk about my Blindspot progress. It’s worse than the state of the American election right now.

PPS: I can’t wait until Hillary wins JUST so that Donald can shut TF up.

November 8, 2016November 6, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Books, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: 10 Cloverfield Lane, Abigail Breslin, Ashton Kutcher, Betty White, Bourne Supremacy, Charlaine Harris, Halle Berry, Hector Elizondo, Hilary Swank, I am Number Four, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bourne, Jessica Biel, John Goodman, Jon Bon Jovi, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Heigl, Kristen Bell, Ludacris, Marian Keyes, Matt Damon, Michelle Pfeiffer, monthly rundowns, New Moon, New Year's Eve, Nicholas Sparks, October, Odette Yustman, Pittacus Lore, Robert DeNiro, Romantic Comedies, Sarah Jessica Parker, Seth Meyers, Sigourney Weaver, Sofia Vergara, Sookie Stackhouse, Southern Vampires, Stephanie Meyer, Teresa Palmer, The Choice, The Woman who stole my life, thriller, Til Schweiger, You Again, Zac Efron 4 Comments

Movie Review: PS, I Love You (2007)

During a road trip to Ireland Holly (Hilary Swank) meets Gerry (Gerard Butler) and they fell in love. He follows her to Manhattan, and they get married and set up house.

Years later they still live there. They are still deeply in love, but they have their issues like any other couple. Holly isn’t able to settle into a job and is constantly stressing about the fact that she isn’t ready to have kids. When Gerry suddenly dies of a brain tumor, Holly is devastated and struggles to cope with the loss of her soul mate. She becomes a recluse and her friends are deeply worried about her. On her 30^th birthday, her friends and family show up at her house, gets her dressed up and takes her out. She also gets a cake delivered, with a note from Gerry stuck to it. In the note he tells her about his master plan to get her to move on – before his death he wrote a series of letters for her, and if she does the tasks he set her, she will continue to receive letters from him. He ends every letter with “P.S. I Love You”

Lifted by the idea, Holly starts to get her life back together. She and her best friends travel to Ireland, where she reconnects with his parents. There she meets William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). They sleep together, and she is horrified when she learns that he was a close friend of Gerry’s. William is very kind about it all and ends up telling her stories about their shared childhood.

Holly returns home and locks herself away again. Slowly, she starts to recover and realises that she has a flair for designing shoes. With new focus, she really does get better, and her mother finally reveals that she is the one who helped Gerry distribute the letters.

In the end, Holly and her mother returns to Ireland and she meets William again, with the suggestion that love may be possible for them.

Rating: 6/10

The plot is ridiculous, the idea of love after death overused and the characters embarrass the watcher more than they charm. Somehow, with everything going against it, it works out. I’m not Irish so I don’t need to act offended that Gerard Butler gives an offensive attempt at it. (I can however tell you that Ryan Reynolds speaking Afrikaans in Safe House is pretty damn hilarious)

Losing Gerard Butler would reduce many a woman to emotional wrecks, so I am totally on board on the sadness. Hilary Swank’s portrayal of the grieving widow worked out well enough, although I didn’t really get how she and Gerry ended up together, even though they had the cutest holiday romance.

The support cast was quite solid. It has Kathy Bates as Holly’s mom, Lisa Kudrow as one of her best friends and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as William. I thought Nellie McKay’s, who starred as Holly’s scatter-brained sister Ciara, acting was atrocious. She didn’t come through as scatter-brained; she came through as a coke head. Harry Connick Jnr., who played the friendzoned Daniel was rather funny with his incredibly socially awkward behavior.

This is pretty old, so if you haven’t seen it yet, and you’re an emotional soul, or in the mood for a good cry, you should watch it.

Favorite quote of all the things said in here: Gerry in a letter to Holly’s friends: “You’re going to heaven for being my baby’s friend”

January 22, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Gerard Butler, Hilary Swank, Kathy Bates, Movies, PS I love you, Review 2 Comments

5 Things Friday: Five romantic movies you have to watch

Happy Friday!

While you are reading this, I am probably running around like a headless chicken – my sister is getting married tomorrow. Many congratulations, sister and very-soon brother-in-law! May you have happiness and love in abundance for the rest of your lives. I am so proud of both of you.

Here is my installment of Five things Friday, and keeping with the theme of lurrrvee, Five Favorite Romantic movies I love and think you should watch.

Movie One: Crazy, Stupid Love

Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling star in this movie. Usually star studded films can steer horribly wrong, but I really liked this one. It had a few surprising twists and turns, and managed to be both funny and serious at times.

Movie Two: Dirty Dancing

Patrick Swayze dancing. ‘nuff said.

Movie Three: Letters to Juliet

I think this movie is seriously underrated. Amanda Seyfried is one of my favorite actresses (it may be because she is one of the only young Hollywood stars not acting out right now) and she is wonderful in this touching romantic film about finding lost love, and how you can achieve something if you never stop believing.

Movie Four: 10 Things I hate about you

This movie is one of my all-time favorites. Heath Ledger as a teen? It is hilarious to see 90’s high school kids as well.

Movie 5: PS I love you

Prepare the tissues. I cry every single time when I watch it. Maybe it is only because Gerard Butler dies. But it is still excruciatingly sad.

September 20, 2013September 17, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Five Things Friday, MoviesTags: 10 Things I hate about you, 5 Things Friday, Amanda Seyfried, Dirty Dancing, Emma Stone, Gerard Butler, Heath Ledger, Hilary Swank, Julianne Moore, Love, Movies, Patrick Swayze, PS I love you, Romantic, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Stupid Crazy Love, wedding 1 Comment