Movie Review: Jane Eyre (2011)

Plot: A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he’s hiding a terrible secret

I haven’t seen a worse plot description in my life on IMDb. “A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he’s hiding a terrible secret” – really? That is all they have to say about one of classical literature’s finest novels? Okay then. My review of the novel Jane Eyre should have alerted you already that I’d been lit up with fervor for this story, and I obsessively searched for a copy of the movie to see if it would hold up with my hopes. In fairness, the movie is now seven years old, so procuring a copy was no easy task. I eventually ordered one online and had to wait two whole weeks for delivery.

The 2011 version of Jane Eyre is fantastic, and very much what I wanted the movie to be. Mia Wasikowska is a fantastic Jane Eyre – she nails the passion of Jane so well. At first glance, Jane appears to be a mousy, plain girl who was lucky to receive an education. The viewer is naturally privy to more information – she was mishandled by her only relatives and her school was a strict and harsh environment. Yet Jane has an amazing capacity to care, noted when she takes care of her charge in Mr. Rochester’s home. Adele (Romy Settbon) is a French oddity in the prudish British countryside, and while the movie briefly references that she might be Mr. Rochester’s illegitimate child, the book illustrates better the responsibility Mr. Rochester unwillingly feels for her.

Michael Fassbender might be a bit too handsome for Mr. Rochester – in the book he is described as distinctly un-handsome (i.e. ugly) – but for intensity he is a fantastic choice for Mr. Rochester. The levels of the man – his harshness and anger towards the world and the façade he can give his more elite guests make him a really intriguing man. I would have liked it had they included his scene as the beggar woman, because it adds another level to his character – a shrewdness to not be deceived.

Judi Dench gives an – unsurprisingly – good performance as Mrs. Fairfax – her nervousness in keeping her master happy and the protectiveness she feels towards the inhabitants of the manor.

Jamie Bell is very convincing as St. John Rivers, and he makes the character more likeable than I found him in the book. St. John Rivers remains a really interesting character to consider, because he is on first glance the male replica of Jane – stern, middle class, quite plain, but further inspection reveals he has nothing of Jane’s passion and determination.

Jane Eyre is as dreary as its literary counterpart – incessant fog and rain makes the watcher feel as closed in as Jane must feel. I’ll definitely re-watch – it’s really good and made me miss the novel again. Again, I felt the movie could have included at least Mr. Rochester reclaiming sight in his one eye – the movie reunites the characters but with very little hope due to his poor condition.

Jane Eyre remains one of my favorite classical literatures. It is feminism at its finest origin – Jane’s determination to be an equal to Mr. Rochester. I have to delve deeper into this world – there is so much more to discover!

Rating: 8.5/10

April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 by Natasha Categories: Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, Romance, UncategorizedTags: Charlotte Bronte, classic, English Literature, Jamie Bell, Jane Eyre, Judi Dench, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Movies, Reviews, Romy Settbon 9 Comments

Movie Review: Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Plot:In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.

Rating: 9.5/10

So, I’m saying this at the start so I can get this off my chest: Is there anything more rewarding to a movie lover than an excellent film? I don’t think so, for very obvious reasons. I’m going to try and write out something for this but if you get halfway and decide that I sound like a lunatic, know that I loved this really really really.

Anyway, I can’t believe it took me so incredibly long to get to this. My sister, who really hates violence in movies, told me about the horrendous scalpings and I steered quite clear. I knew I should give it a try when my Bestie said that she thought I would like it a lot (and threatened to scalp ME if I didn’t educate myself in the Tarantino-business).

It is madly intense. The first opening scene is a nail biter and Christoph Waltz is utterly charming and utterly terrifying. He seems so calm and pleased about being called the “Jew Hunter” that you can’t help but wonder if he is truly insane, whether he is very cruel or incredibly ambitious. Honestly, I think the character is all three.

Then there is Mr. Waltz himself, who speaks English with the clear precision that people who aren’t speaking their first language use. Hearing his voice is so lovely. I can also sit and listen to him for days speaking in his native German. Gosh.

Then there is Mr. Bawnjourno Brad Pitt. It is so obvious that he is having the time of his life on set – he is so cocky, that ridiculous accent, the exaggerated mustache and the BAWNJOURNO. I’m still laughing my ass off at it every time I remember.

I also really cheered for the strong female characters, most notable Shoshanna Dreyfus. Melanie Laurent did an absolutely fantastic job with her portrayal as our Jewish heroine. She manages to portray that innate classiness of French woman while accurately expressing her dislike in anything Nazi.

I’ve discovered the following thing that I love about Tarantino: He is able to address heavy subject matter in a way that still has a few laughs but it never takes away that he is acutely aware of the atrocities he is addressing. He never shies away from a taboo subject and he never lends sympathy to the oppressors. Inglorious Basterds is such a film – I can’t even say the Nazis were terrible because that is too tame a word. IB does nothing to diminish that fact and shows through a little bit of humor and a whole lot of crazy what the Nazis were and how wonderful it would have been if the war had ended in such a way.

So, I hope you take it that I loved the film – if you haven’t seen it yet, put it on your Blindspot list and get it done!

#bawnjourno

January 15, 2016January 14, 2016 by Natasha Categories: Movies, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Inglorious Basterds, Melanie Laurent, Michael Fassbender, Nazi Germany, Nazis, Quentin Tarantino, Shoshanna Dreyfus 5 Comments

Links I Love III

Hallo! I’m back again with these – I enjoy making them so much 🙂 🙂

Have you seen that Gilmore Girls is (temporarily) being revived by Netflix? Yep! A quick list of what I want to see (I know there was at least ten million similar lists floating around, so I will keep it short)

• What happens to Rori – does she stay in journalism? Achieve her dreams? Marry Logan?
• What happens to Lorelai and Luke. I mean come on!
• What happens to the Inn
• Did Paris Geller become a doctor?
• What is going on with Kirk, Taylor, Miss Patty?
• How are they handling the death of Edward Hermann?
• Just what is Emily doing with herself?
• Lane?
• Sookie?
• Can we please fit in Jess Mariano somewhere?
• EVERYONE?

This pic has circulated the internet after South-Africa lost to New-Zealand 18-20 in the Rugby World Cup Semi-Final. Unlike Japangate, I’m not even mad that the Boks lost. They played amazing and either team could have taken it. I really adore the young guys in the Springbok team at the moment – Lood de Jager looks like a giant puppy running around and Eben Etzebeth is just plain hot. This pic of Sonny Bill Williams consoling the 21-year old Jesse Kriel was the sweetest, because SPORT. (and then after the All Blacks well deserved win at the Finals, he gave his medal to the kid. Can I please marry SBW now, please?!)

These alternative Harry Potter Halloween Costumes – so cool

Cracked is at it again with these creepy places – the doll island? NOPE, NOPE, NOPE

This post why straight men crush on Michael Fassbender. Well, I certainly know why straight women crush on Michael Fassender, but it was an entertaining read!

This guy Konrad who looks like Leonardo DiCaprio circa 1996 *buys airplane ticket*

November 4, 2015November 1, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Links I LoveTags: All Blacks, Eben Etzebeth, Halloween, Harry Potter, Jesse Kriel, Leonado DiCaprio, Links I Love, Lood de Jager, Michael Fassbender, rugby, Sonny Bill Williams 5 Comments

Marvelous Mondays AND Blindspot series 2015: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Plot: In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III.

Rating: 7.5/10

 

Now this is what I call killing two birds with one stone! My Blindspot choice for March is incidentally a Marvel movie so I was really happy to watch it and get both done.

In typical Natasha Fashion, I watched Days of Future Past first and liked it so much I needed to see the movie that came before it.  I did, and although First Class was really good it has nothing on Days of Future past. I think Future Past carries such a punch because the world of the X-Men is falling apart and that they are down to their last hope.

I once again loved James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in their respective roles. They are both so good at what they need to portray – McAvoy is a brilliant scholar and Fassbender is a powerful man determined to get his revenge on those who hurt him. Fassbender was slightly lame when he finally killed Shaw – he was immediately into the “villain” mode, and I think he worked too hard on reflecting the now slightly dark side of his character.

I also really enjoyed Mystique in here – she is still young and fresh and not as angry as she is in Days of Future Past. Jennifer Lawrence did a really good job with her – Mystique’s youth is evident but she’s faced the world’s intolerance her whole life because of her condition. I really liked how she undergoes transformation – you can see her skin changing. I do think Mystique’s skin looked way cooler in here, I read that Jennifer Lawrence had make-up for this role but her reprisal of Mystique in Days of Future Past wore a suit because she was so allergic to the makeup.

I still think Nicholas Hoult is way too adorable for it to be legal, and his struggle with what he is as Beast was sad and authentic.  It was nice to see Rose Byrne where she’s not being and idiot in some comedy – she can obviously do better than that and I would love to see her in more movies where she has a role and character development.

Kevin Bacon was entertaining as Sebastian Shaw – he was cold and ruthless and cruel. I thought the fact that he was also a mutant was a nice little twist to the story.

My biggest problem with First Class was the length – it was exceptionally long and not strong enough to carry it. It didn’t carry the emotional punch that Days of Future Past carried, and McAvoy’s broken charm in DoFP was more compelling than the roguish ego he had in First Class.

Overall a great film, but I still think that Days of Future Past was better done.

March 16, 2015March 14, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Marvelous Mondays, Movies, ReviewsTags: James McAvoy, Magneto, Marvelous Mondays, Michael Fassbender, Movies, Professor X, Reviews, Rose Byrne, X-men First Class 13 Comments

Marvelous Mondays: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Professor X: “So many battles waged over the years… and yet, none like this. Are we destined to destroy each other, or can we change each other and unite? Is the future truly set?”

Plot: The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants. (IMDb)

Rating: 8.5/10

As the first Marvelous Mondays post for 2015, I am actually bringing a post to the table. Yep, me! Zoë has already reviewed this movie here, and I am happy to agree with her that it was an excellent movie.

X-Men: Days of Future Past wasn’t a movie I was rushing to see or anything. I chose to watch it on a long road trip to make the time pass, and man, am I happy that I did it! I can’t recall seeing any of the other X-Men movies, and I was thus very surprised that I could follow appropriately. I do think if you have more knowledge of what went down in the other movies it would enhance the impact of this one, but there is enough information in to make sure you are able to understand the Mutants have lost basically everything.

It is a rare thing of beauty to witness two of the greatest actors of our time together on screen: Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. They have so much class and I really enjoyed how their characters can’t help but convey a sense of smugness when recalling their youth.

As if the two legends mentioned above are not enough, you get the unbelievable talent that is James McAvoy on screen as the young Professor. I have always been slightly indifferent to him even though rumours of his brilliance have always been rampant. He was so good and multi layered and real that I now desperately need to watch more things with him in it. He is definitely my pleasant surprise of last year!

I loved the graphics in here. The portals right at the beginning is just too cool and I wasn’t overwhelmed with CGI (hem, hem, HOBBIT). That scene with Quicksilver where he puts on his earphones was really a wowzer, I won’t lie. I also found the concept behind the Sentinels very sinister and really well thought out (yes, I know that they come from comic books but remember that I’ve never touched on the X-Men franchise before)

Even with my limited knowledge I found the entire cast well capable of their roles and well chosen. I really do like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and found those bone claws just intense looking overall. I thought Michael Fassbender was excellent as well as Magneto, at once very charming but it was also obvious that he was very dangerous and that it wouldn’t be a good idea to mess with him.

I think I can admit that I really don’t get the hype around Jennifer Lawrence, but I do find her a very good actress. She wasn’t my favorite in the movie but I liked what they delivered on her past and how she had to realize her decisions would ultimately make or break the Mutants’ future.

It was a lot of fun seeing Peter Dinklage as Trask. I do think that he was underused and it would have been very powerful to see why he hated the Mutants so intensely, whether he was just a complete racist (because that is how I perceived him in here), or if he had a possible reason for doing what he did.

I guess you can all see that I was very impressed with this movie, and that I think you should watch it if you haven’t already.

January 5, 2015January 1, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Marvelous Mondays, Movies, ReviewsTags: Charles Xavier, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Magneto, Marvelous Mondays, Michael Fassbender, Mystique, Patrick Stewart, Peter Dinklage, Raven, The Professor, X-Men: Days of Future Past 8 Comments

Marvelous Mondays: Days of Future Past by The Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger

Today’s Marvel installment if from my bestie Bkushi over at The Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger. If you haven’t, go to her site and quickly click on her follow button. I guarantee you it is worth it! Thanks for taking part mah friend!

“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.”
– Charles Xavier

SYNOPSIS: The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future. – via IMDB

So after all this time, I saw that Days of Future Past was still chilling on Chemistry Kidney’s list, and I thought this was unacceptable in the most extreme kind of way. How was this possible? Does this movie not deserve love, if not at minimum its due? Well, I am here to right that.

For one, I was really excited about this movie. I was excited because Bryan Singer was coming back for it. I was thrilled because it was part of the new segment of these movies, featuring James McAvoy (and you all know how I feel about him), Michael Fassbender and some more fantastic actors and actresses. I was over the moon because it was going to be a mash up of the old and the new actors. Initially I was not sure how this was going to work out, but I had faith. I avoided reading too much about this movie because I wanted it to be fresh and new when I went in.

I was so amped to see this, and I was not disappointed at all. Days of Future Past touts some simply amazing effects (especially Blink’s portals), and the cast handled their roles incredibly well across the board, too. The story, which should have been incredibly complex, is presented in such a way that it does not lose the audience, which is no simple feat to achieve. It never once comes across as though it is treating the audience as though they don’t have the brain capacity to follow it either, which is also great. Anyway, Hugh Jackman returns to helm the role of the insanely popular Wolverine once more and it was a much better outing for him, considering The Wolverine was such a let-down. Wolverine features prominently here, but it never becomes only about him. There was such a vast amount of characters in this movie, but it didn’t cumbersome, though there are a few I would have liked to see more of. Maybe in future movies. Too many characters usually result in a terrible ordeal, but the balance was struck pretty well here.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender take up their roles of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr and both excel at it once again (as though I expected anything else). McAvoy plays a more disillusioned and broken Charles, and he plays it fantastically. Tortured, bitter, depressed and prickly, he is holed up with Hank McCoy Nicholas Hoult plays Beast really well, and I think him and McAvoy work well together, too, and the arguments that Beast has with Wolverine are excellent. There was a ridiculously hilarious bit about the revered JFK and Magneto, and it had me laughing quite a bit, seeing as how I find the Kennedy assassination wildly enthralling. Anyway. Evan Peters, whose pictures popping up just before the launch of the film did nothing to allay worries about his character appearance (though his performance was never in question), stole the show in each and every single scene he featured. It was sheer perfection, and I think he was an excellent embodiment of Quicksilver. The film struck a perfect balance between action, drama, and wittiness, and needs to be commended for that.

I feel, sadly, that Peter Dinklage was criminally underused in here. Trask represented a character that could have been so much more intense and layered had they just spent some more time on him, though I understand the movie needed to move some things along (as it is, Days of Future Past comes in at 131 minutes). Still, I would definitely have enjoyed seeing more of him. A younger Stryker features too, and naturally I had fun with that. Jennifer Lawrence returns as Mystique, and is still impressive as ever in the role. The story revolves more around her decisions and the way she thinks than anything else, but it worked for this. She is an incredibly popular mutant, so that worked out just fine. I adored seeing Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen return for a last outing as the mutants we have come to love over the years, and while their roles were not huge, they were pretty integral to all that was happening. The Sentinels themselves looked great and were well done, and it is easy to see why they would be so terrible and scary.

Overall, there is a lot to say about this movie, but I am going to stop for now. Obviously I was rather taken with this movie. If you have not seen it, go now and rectify that immediately. This was some of the most fun I’ve had at cinema in a while, and it loses none of its rewatch value, either. It is my favourite X-Men flick to date.Days of Future Pastis fun, smart, fast and entertaining – everything an X-Men film should be.

November 24, 2014November 20, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Marvelous Mondays, Movies, ReviewsTags: Blogathon, Charles Xavier, Days of Future Past, Erik Lehnsherr, Evan Peters, High Jackman, James McAvoy, Magneto, Marvelous Mondays, Michael Fassbender, Movies, Nicholas Holt, Peter Dinklage, Reviews, Wolverine, X-Men 18 Comments

Marvelous Mondays: X-Men First Class (2011) by The Girl That Loved to Review

Today’s Marvel installment is by Sherise, who has an absolutely fantastic blog over at The Girl That Loved to Review. If you are not already following Sherise, you are missing out on some excellent blogging and I suggest you rectify this matter verrrry quickly :). Thanks for taking part, Sherise!

This may be incredibly unbelievable to some of you, but I have never seen any of the movies in the X-Men trilogy. Never. The only one I had seen before First Class was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It’s very weird when I think about it because I loved the animated X-Men cartoon show as a kid. So basically when I saw X-Men: First Class I was viewing it with fresh eyes. I knew generally about the most famous X-Men characters, but that was about it.

What drew me to the theater to see First Class it’s opening weekend, despite not being a big X-Men fan, was the combination of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. These are two of the best actors of their generation and they elevate the X-Men franchise to new heights. They may not be big box office names outside the X-Men movies, but they are integral to the success of First Class and why I love it so much. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender have intense chemistry. They are so much fun to watch bounce off each other. I would say First Class is one of the best comic book films ever made. It is very fun and light, but it also tackles some heavy issues.

James McAvoy first won me over in Wanted. I was lured into the theater to see Angelina Jolie, but came out raving about James instead. His work in First Class is phenomenal. He brings a lot of humor to the film, especially in the first half. I get so much joy out of seeing Xavier hitting on college co-eds and guzzling down beer. And the way he says “groovy” is just, well…groovy. I think James humanizes Xavier quite a bit. Xavier is not all knowing and wise. He’s still a young guy figuring things out. But he is also firm in his beliefs and his desire to help other mutants.

Michael Fassbender blew me away previously as Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. He was so sexy and smoldering. A man tormented by his inner demons and life that had been thrust upon him. Viewed through that kind of lens, Erik/Magneto is very much the same. Only in First Class it’s more like “You killed my mother, prepare to die!”

Any Princess Bride fans? What am I saying, everyone’s a Princess Bride fan. Anyways, Michael has the showier part than James. He even gets all the cool music! He makes Magneto so badass. First Class seems like one long audition to be the next James Bond. I’d watch that. While Xavier lightens the film, Magneto darkens it. He’s a pessimist basically. Michael’s charisma is incredible. I love near the end when Magneto floats out with Shaw’s body before him. He resembles a god. Throughout the movie I was blown away by him.

Okay, enough McFassy love, now let’s delve into some of the things about the film that don’t work. There are enough of them to keep this from being a truly amazing film. My biggest problem is Jennifer Lawrence and how Mystique is handled. Jennifer is fine when she is the human version of Mystique. But when she is blue skinned and yellow eyed… I don’t find her believable. Jennifer seems uncomfortable in Mystique’s skin. But when I think about it, maybe that’s the genius of her performance. Since Raven/Mystique can’t accept herself as she is. I wish she had more to do other than mope around about her appearance. I would have preferred someone older in the part though, someone more equal to James and Michael. The age thing isn’t a huge problem in First Class, but it becomes more prominent, for me anyways, in Days of Future Past.

Then there is January Jones as Emma Frost. Most of the other actors are amazing, bringing so much energy to the film. Then there’s January with all the personality of a limp fish. It almost works sometimes, since Emma is a ‘cold’ character. But more often I found myself laughing at how ridiculous she looks and her monotone delivery. And the diamond special effects on her skin looked absolutely terrible. It was horrendous. Rose Byrne is a better actress, but I hate her character. She’s basically useless except for paralyzing Xavier (well, Magneto did it too but…). And the romance between the two is even more useless.

Other highlights are Kevin Bacon as Shaw, the villain. He is convincing and it looks like he had a lot of fun with it. Nicholas Hoult is quite good as Beast. When he’s big and blue he looks like a cute teddy bear.

I love X-Men: First Class. Instead of focusing on huge fight scenes and special effects, Matthew Vaughn focuses on the characters and their relationships with one another. I find it incredibly interesting and fascinating. The way Magneto and Xavier love and need each other, yet are torn apart by their very different beliefs. And how Mystique has a different relationship with each of the two men. My love for this film is why I was disappointed with Days of Future Past. I likedDOFP, but it’s basically the Wolverine show with an emphasis on action sequences. Where were my McFassy scenes? They were so few. And there were even fewer between the older and younger Xaviers and Magnetos. I feel that First Class was a great opportunity to reboot the franchise that was then undermined by DOFP.My rating for X-Men: First Class: 8/10

November 17, 2014November 16, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: James McAvoy, marvel, Marvelous Mondays, Michael Fassbender, Movies, Reviews, X-men First Class 6 Comments