movies – Film Fanatic

Book to Screen Adaptations: How Loyal Should They Be?

Hello Readers,

Many great stories portrayed on screen, big or small start their journey as a previously published written work. Most of the time this is a book or graphic novel but could also be an interview for a biopic or an article in a newspaper/magazine.

Many people whose favourite work of fiction is about to be adapted visually want it to remain as true to the story as possible. This is not always practical due to the production company’s budget, the length of the tale, the nature of the story or trying to adapt something to fit with today’s society – more diverse and inclusive of different people’s characteristics.

Other times, the owner/author of the base for the project will work on the script and make changes that they approve and feel fit with the theme of their story. These changes are more likely to be accepted as they have still come from the imagination where the work was created.

I think that a project will always benefit from the original author being involved whether as an executive producer/consult or as the writer/showrunner. Things being changed to be less boring/more dramatic for the viewer is not always a bad thing but when that starts to erase the heart of the work and change the fundamental message, it can upset those who were looking forward to watching something they loved on the page be brought to life on screen.

I am going to cover a few examples and their different approaches to adapting for the screen. All of these are projects that I enjoyed first as a book/graphic novel which made it into cinemas or onto streaming services.

Red, White and Royal Blue (2023)

This book was very popular when it hit the shelves as Casey McQuiston’s debut novel in 2019. The story was their alternate reality to give themselves and readers hope after the 2016 Presidential Election. It is told from Alex’s POV, he is the son of the female POTUS with a Mexican father in congress and has a journalist sister. In the lead up to his mother’s re-election, he helps to uncover a plot to bring his mother down and works to flip his home state of Texas to blue. The heart of the book centres around his enemies to lovers relationship with Henry, the Prince of England. The two collide in a PR disaster at Henry’s brother’s wedding but when the two are forced to be best friends, a real friendship starts.

Henry and Alex carry out a secret friends with benefits arrangement whenever they happen to be in the same city with only their closest friends and sisters in the know.

The book was adapted as a film produced by Amazon Prime and released on streaming in 2023. Many fans loved the adaption as the director also a queer Latino man, focused mostly on Alex and Henry’s love story, a part that is often repressed in films. I did enjoy the adaptation and have re-watched it again but I felt there were a lot of changes to Alex and Henry’s story that altered their motivations and characters.

With so many characters and interweaving plot lines, I think this adaptation would have been better as a series. While the romance is a large part of the story, Alex figuring out his bisexuality and having the bravery to admit his feelings to someone not allowed to be gay in the public eye; the politics and his passion for helping Texas to become a blue state was an important part too. We still see Alex helping with the campaign and even having a working summer in Texas but the political story was diminished with characters being erased and bundled into one.

Fundamental changes to Alex’s persona include not having his parents divorce. In the novel, they broke up when Alex was 11 and his father moved to California to become a senator there. His mother lives with his stepfather, Leo in the White House who worked in tech but became a house husband so she could focus on becoming President. Alex’s sister, June is also not a character in the film and has been folded into the characters of Zahra, the President’s chief of staff and Alex’s handler and Nora, the Vice President’s daughter. Without June, there is no White House Trio and no Super Six when they party in LA.

Another fundamental change was the character of Miguel. He and Alex had hooked up in the film at a conference and Miguel was the one to leak Henry and Alex’s romance, partially out of jealousy. He may have been bribed by the President, Ellen’s rival but it’s not as clear. He does not exist in the book and while Alex did hook up with his high school friend who in the book has a boyfriend, there is no adult encounter for Alex until Henry. The character of Rafael Luna has also been erased. He was a mentor and role model of Alex who was gay and was an example that Alex could be himself and go into politics. Rafael was part of the plot to bring down Ellen but only under duress and in the end, he came to his senses.

As for Henry, his siblings, Philip and Bea are both present but their characters have been shrunk. In the book, Bea is presented as a wild musician who snuck out of the palace to play secret gigs and unfortunately had to go to rehab for cocaine addiction. This led to her being labelled the ‘Powder Princess’ and more of a recluse. The Bea of the film did not have this back story and is merely used as a plot point for Henry to be able to voice his feelings for Alex aloud. Henry’s mother is merely mentioned in the film but in the book is suffering from depression after her husband’s death. She is a key player in getting the Queen to agree to letting Henry and Alex be out and proud.

I do understand the change from Queen to King given the recent death of Queen Elizabeth and the way that Queen Mary is portrayed unfavourably in the book but I think Stephen Fry was not the right age for the King and as a well-known gay figure, I couldn’t imagine him objecting to Henry and Alex’s relationship.

Henry’s mental health challenges were also written out in the film. In the book, they are subtle until he confesses to Alex about suffering with anxiety and depression since his father’s passing. With his mother falling into depression and Bea going into rehab, he lost all his support system so when first meeting Alex in 2016, his self-esteem is at an all time low.

There were other smaller scenes taken out of the story for the film such as meeting at Wimbledon, going to LA, Alex’s graduation from university and Alex working in the campaign office in Washington but these did not affect the story as much as the above points. I still enjoyed the film as its own entity but in comparison to the book, the book takes it every time.

Heartstopper (2022-)

Based on a much loved web comic, Heartstopper has since graced the shelves in print form with the fifth volume of the graphic novel coming out this December. The author and artist, Alice Oseman has had a lot of creative control over the television series that debuted on Netflix in 2022. She has written all the episodes, served as creator and executive producer on the show and even done some of the art seen in the background.

This involvement has delighted fans and even with some changes, as Alice has made them herself for story or plot reasons, the fans trust her writing enough that the series has been very well received and was quickly renewed for a second and third. The third is currently in production now with all the cast still on board despite having become very successful in the last 2 years.

Heartstopper started as a spin-off project from Alice’s debut novel, Solitaire about Tory Spring and her dealing with undiagnosed depression all while starting a new school and tracking down a mystery blogger. Charlie, Tory’s younger brother and his boyfriend Nick are side characters in the novel who Alice decided needed their own story.

Now 10 years on there are 4 published volumes, 2 novellas, 2 companion books and 2 series of a Netflix show about the couple. The story starts with Charlie aged 14 meeting Nick, 16 at school. Charlie has a secret boyfriend, Ben and 3 best friends, Tao, Aled and Elle. Elle has just moved to the girls school as a trans woman and Tao is missing her. Charlie is then seated next to Nick, a typical rugby lad in his form group and falls head over heels for him. The problem is that everyone thinks Nick is straight. The two quickly become thick as thieves and after a kiss at a party begin another secret relationship. After Ben’s treatment of Charlie, Nick and Tao fight over Charlie’s wellbeing especially after he was bullied the previous year when he came out as gay.

The graphic novels and show deal with heavy themes such as trans/homophobia, assault, mental health issues, bullying and self-harm but overall they have a lovely warm tone and have really helped many LGBTQ+ teens and young adults realise that life is not all bad and that they are worthy.

The main changes in the show are Charlie and Tory’s younger brother being written out and the character of Aled changed for Isaac. The addition of Imogen as a barrier between Nick and Charlie was also a change but she was added for some drama. The characters of Ben and James in Series 2 were also expanded along with Isaac’s asexual storyline. More trans characters were added as Elle’s friends along with the possibility of her moving away to art school.

I think all the changes to the show have been well crafted and nothing has taken away from Nick and Charlie’s personalities. Charlie is still a geek who is good at maths, running and playing the drums. He still has mental health issues and struggles with telling people his worries. Nick is still a rugby lad with a love of Marvel films, hoodies and dogs. They move the conflict with Nick’s father to the second series but I think it works and I love that they kept the fact that Nick can speak French as a surprise for Charlie and the gang to discover.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (2010)

One franchise that the fans and author both didn’t like is Percy Jackson. The first two books: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters were adapted into big Hollywood blockbusters but with the author not being involved and major changes, it left the fans upset.

As a action-adventure film by itself it works: the actors are charismatic, there is some funny dialogue and the main plot points still exist with the presence of the Greek Gods. However, the age of the main trio was changed along with the ending of the first film. The second one had many, many changes that dumbed down the film.

In the books, Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old from New York discovers that his absent father was actually the Greek God Poseidon and the gods have been living in America for a few centuries. His mother sends him to Camp Half-Blood for protection where he meets Annabeth and learns that his best friend Grover is actually a satyr and his teacher is really a centaur. He learns sword skills and how to fight strategically but when fate comes calling he has to complete a quest to save society.

One of the major plot points changed was that Percy has a big fight on the Empire State building with Hades who wants to overthrow his godly family on Mount Olympus. The ending originally entailed Percy being betrayed by fellow camper Luke and bitten by a deadly spider and that is how the audience learns that the Son of Hermes has been lured to the dark side.

Another change was the chemistry between Annabeth and Percy. They are not meant to get together until the fifth book when they are 16 but in the film they have many flirty moments which totally negates their strong dynamic as friends first.

Luckily for fans, another adaption is happening as a Disney Plus series with the author, Rick Riordan now heavily involved. There have been a few changes to the ethnicities of characters which updates the series and helps the audience to see that people of all races can be heroes. Percy’s hair is also dark blonde, the actor’s hair but I don’t mind that so much as after seeing Walker Scobell in another film, I think he will make a great Percy. The actors are all also young and playing the ages of the characters in the books.

I was a big fan of the books and eagerly await the new series that is coming around Christmas time this year.

Good Omens (2019-)

This television series is based on an older book from 1990 by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. As Terry Pratchett is no longer with us, Neil Gaiman took on creative control and became the showrunner/writer/executive producer.

Series 1 follows the book with Angel Aziraphale and Demon Crowley uncovering a plot between Heaven and Hell to cause the Apocalypse and wipe out life on Earth. This series was very faithful to the original book with barely any changes to the characters other than perhaps diversifying a little.

For the second series, the show has gone beyond the books but Neil Gaiman assured fans that it was very much based on the ideas that himself and Terry had when discussing a sequel to the book.

I think Series 2 was great and without the Apocalypse storyline we got to see much more of Aziraphale and Crowley and their lives together on Earth for the last six thousand years. There is also the development of the love story that many fans had hoped for and based on the chemistry between the actors in the first series, fan art had already appeared.

With such a cliffhanger at the end of Series 2, the future of the series hung in the balance but the producers and Neil himself have pretty much confirmed its looking good for a third and final series of the show.

With a show going beyond its source material, there is not much to compare it to but as it has been written by and based on ideas by the original authors, I think one can consider it as faithful to the book.

There are many adaptions happening all over the world virtually every day, good and bad but remember if your favourite book gets an unfavourable one, then the book is always there to be re-read.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

What I Have Enjoyed at the Cinema This Month

Hello readers,

In the last few weeks, I have seen a few interesting and entertaining films at the cinema including at the London Film Festival so here is my review. While summer blockbusters are over, the rest of the year promises interesting releases both at the cinema and on streaming. So when the autumn weather finally does appear, there will be lots to watch on the big screen or curled up on the sofa at home.

The Creator (2023)

If you’re looking for a film that covers current world issues, then The Creator hits right on the mark. Hollywood writers and actors are just coming to a close on a historic union strike over the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what it means for their industries. Studios have already been using AI to create title sequences and there were talks of using it to generate written content and scanning an actor’s likeness for unlimited use.

The Creator looks at a world where AI was invented and integrated into society much earlier than it was in reality. Mankind begin to rely on AI for many household tasks, driving them around, factory work and running the digital space. A devastating nuclear bomb hits Los Angeles killing over one million people and sparking a war between AI and humans.

There are two types of AI, those who fully look like robots and those with human likeness’ having been given the faces of real humans. They are more complex and can do many jobs that humans do not want to do.

In the film we see Josh (John David Washington) with his wife, Maya (Gemma Chan) in an unspecified East Asian country. America has outlawed AI and forced it into hiding on New Asia where AI is still used for the police, farming and the robots are accepted by the people as citizens.

American soldiers attack and while escaping, a pregnant Maya’s boat is blown apart. Josh was actually sent undercover to get close to Maya and her father, Nirmata (The Creator) who made the advanced version – simulants and is rumoured to have made a weapon designed to kill all enemies of AI. Torn with grief for his wife and unborn child, Josh goes back to America to live a quiet life.

Five years later, the American army come knocking. Their new weapon, NOMAD has been launched and flies over the world, scanning and destroying any AI robots it finds. They know Josh is the best connection to Nirmata’s location and filled with hope that Maya is alive after some convincing footage, Josh joins them.

What happens next is an all out war between the Americans, New Asia and its AI friends. Josh finds out that Nirmata’s weapon is a powerful simulant in the form of a child. Together they journey New Asia seeking Maya.

I loved the universe that was created for this film and it really showed what could happen if AI was integrated into society. It was interesting to see the Americans as the enemies, particularly as this is an American made film but after reactions to other attacks on national soil, I am not surprised by their retaliation. I thought the bond between Josh and the child was emotional and this connection only deepens as the film’s plot develops. There was such a mix of technology and old traditions, especially in the small villages that made the film feel realistic and also hopeful that if AI ever becomes sentient in that way, society could integrate.

Watching this film in IMAX made it much more intense and I felt that I couldn’t look away. There was plenty of action scenes but the quieter scenes were poignant and added a lot of heart to the characters. I would definitely recommend watching this one in the cinema and it was a great start to the autumn cinema season. I give it 5/5.

Maestro (2023) – Netflix in December

Bradley Cooper directs and stars as Leonard Bernstein, a New York City conductor and composer from the 1950s, 60s and so on who is known for West Side Story and conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

We see his rise to fame from age 25 as a wannabe musician to a global success with many bows to his string in a lovely sprawling New York Estate. Leonard is eccentric with wild hair and an untameable energy that he pours into his compositions. He also has a variety of male and female lovers with no strong direction until he meets Felicia.

He falls madly in love as they both rise to success, her as a Broadway star. In the later years, with three adult children, Leonard’s discreetness about his relationships with men starts slipping and Felicia is diagnosed with an illness.

The use of black and white and musical elements in the first act of the film helped to demonstrate to the audience how playful Leonard was and never took life too seriously. He saw it as a musical where he could act in any way he wanted with no real consequences. As soon as he gets his taste of fame, conducting the Philharmonic, he realises that to reach a certain level of notoriety, he must keep up appearances.

His later years are in full colour with some very impressive prosthetics showing himself and Felicia (Carey Mulligan) age into New York arts royalty. Bradley Cooper played the character with a lot of depth that is uncovered as the film goes on. His whimsical and spontaneous nature is paired down in public and that is reflected as we only see his public persona as husband and father, rather than his gay affairs.

They come back on screen when he grows to be around 60, turning grey and having had such a successful career that he starts to not care as much as to who knows about his proclivities. Felicia is worried about the children finding out, particularly Jamie (Maya Hawke) who is particularly perceptive.

Carey Mulligan always plays a good role and rather than choosing to see her as the victim here – a wife whose husband would rather play for the other team – I think she has chosen her life and only starts to become intolerant of Leonard’s lifestyle when it endangers the family image and how their children would view their father. She focuses on her own career on stage and screen and keeps close bonds with Jamie and Shirley, Leonard’s sister (Sarah Silverman).

The tone of the film often felt frenetic with Leonard’s intense energy and dramatic conducting scenes, leaving him looking as though he had just taken a bath. One of the best scenes for me was when he is conducting a large orchestra and choir in a church. You can really see his passion for music and tell how his directions make the piece better.

There were many laugh out loud moments, for example when Leonard runs into David (Matt Bomer), ex-lover and now new father in the street with his wife and child and joyfully tells the baby, ‘I’ve slept with both your parents’ and then runs away in glee. The film does take on a sadder tone at the end but Leonard’s gift for music and lust for life pulls you through.

I thought this film was excellent and really captured the spirit of the New York Arts scene at the time and painted a full and varied picture of Leonard’s life. Though brilliant, he had flaws and those are not shied away from. There were some industry heavyweights producing the project including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg so there shouldn’t be any doubts in the quality of this film. It was amazing to see it on the big screen in the Royal Festival Hall at Southbank but if you haven’t managed to get tickets this year then the film will be coming to Netflix this Christmas along with a limited cinema release.

I give the film 5/5.

Priscilla (2023) – Mubi

While many people will have seen Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis that debuted last year to great reviews and Oscar nominations, we did not really see much of Priscilla Presley’s story in there. Sofia Coppola’s new film changes that.

Priscilla focuses on Priscilla’s relationship with Elvis and his treatment of her for the duration of their marriage. We don’t see anything of Elvis that Priscilla doesn’t see and most of the film is set at Graceland where Priscilla spends the majority of their relationship.

The story starts when Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) is 14 years old. Her father has just been shipped out to West Germany in the late 1950s and she is bored. She goes to the diner and does her homework but hasn’t made any friends. Another soldier, Terry and his wife invite Priscilla to a party at Elvis’ house as he likes to meet people from back home. Despite the 10 year age gap, the two hit it off.

Priscilla is thrilled that a star such as Elvis would pay attention to her and manages to convince her parents to let her go to another party at his house. They start a sweet courtship and share a kiss before Elvis goes back to America. Priscilla thinks of him for the next two years. When she is 17, Elvis rings her up and sends for her. She goes to Graceland but after taking a pill, passes out for two days.

Unable to be apart from her rekindled love, she manages to convince her parents to let her permanently move there as long as she enrols in a good Catholic school. Elvis treats her like a queen with gifts and trips to Vegas but begins to control how she dresses and her appearance.

Priscilla then hears rumours of Elvis being involved with his various co-stars in Hollywood. He denies it but also gets angry at Priscilla and sometimes violent with her when she questions his commitment.

To a modern and educated audience, the relationship looks basically like grooming. Priscilla falls deeply in love with a man that is a different generation to herself and also absent for two years but she does start to gain more control when Elvis falls down an alley of drugs and performing.

From what I have seen, Priscilla Presley though she left Elvis, still holds him in great contempt, recently celebrating the 45th anniversary of his death at Graceland, their former home. This film was based on her own book and she was a producer on the film so even if she does not hate him for what he did, she wanted to tell her side of the story and explain why she stayed so long.

The casting of the film was excellent, particularly as Cailee Spaeny looked so young and small next to Jacob Elordi as Elvis and his various friends/cousins that they hung around with at Graceland.

While Jacob Elordi may not receive the praise that Austin Butler did for his portrayal, I think he did a brilliant job with showing the side of Elvis that Priscilla experienced. Even with her, we see his charming persona that many women went crazy for. I think with the hair and the voice, he had more of a look of Elvis than Butler did but this film was not about him.

It was great to see Priscilla find her own life in LA towards the end of her marriage but with the time jump between the situations, it was hard to imagine how a young isolated woman would have found the courage to make new friends and flirt with her karate instructor, all with a young baby and married to the biggest icon on the planet.

Overall, I enjoyed the film but it did leave me feeling quite sad for the life that Priscilla wanted and could have had if Elvis had not been cheating on her and taking all the drugs. It was interesting to only hear mentions of the Colonel in this film whereas in Elvis (2022), he is the narrator and basically the main character of the story. Perhaps this was to show that Priscilla didn’t really know the influence that the Colonel had or the control he wielded over Elvis. There was one time when the Colonel suggested that Elvis take some time for himself and Priscilla stayed at Graceland waiting for him without questioning it.

Looking into the story, some parts were concertinaed for the film so events weren’t quite as shocking as depicted in the film but as Priscilla was involved, the film was very accurate and you could feel her feelings in every scene as they played across Spaeny’s face. It is clear why she won Best Actor at Venice Film Festival. I saw the Special Presentation at the London Film Festival and Cailee Spaeny was there and read a great message from Coppola. The film will be hitting cinemas on Boxing Day and streaming on Mubi sometime in the future. I give it 4/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Cruella and A Quiet Place Part II

The use of sound in this film elevates it from your usual gore fest filled with horrific creatures and gruesome deaths. One of the characters is deaf and in the sequel she takes over the role of the patriarch and becomes the one to find a safe haven for her family. We get to experience sound the way she does, when the film shifts to her point of view. It was a great technique that helped the viewer relate to a deaf character when this can be tricky to do if you do not know anyone who is deaf in the real world.

Hello Readers,

Welcome to my new series Summer of Cinema. The cinemas have reopened and I together with thousands of others have been going to watch the films that we have been waiting for in the last year. I have made the trip twice this month and I am planning to enjoy the experience many times this summer. I will be continuing my series with a review of every film I see in the cinema this summer, of which I hope there will be many. Time to once again sit back, relax and enjoy the magic of the big screen.

Cruella (2021)

I chose this film for my return to the cinema as I was interested in the concept. A 101 Dalmatians prequel of Cruella in 1970s London and in the fashion world. What’s not to love? The film starts with how Cruella ended up in London as a young child in the 60s and jumps to her life as a common thief with her two friends and their dogs. Cruella who is first known as Estella, gets a simple job at Liberty’s and after an avant-garde unprompted window display, she goes to work for the House of Baroness, a notorious fashion house. Estella then decides to become an even bigger presence in the fashion world than the Baroness and to do this she must unleash her bad side – Cruella.

The film was a bold move for Disney as even though the film is a 12, it is pitched towards a younger audience as well. I think the film bridges the divide between a film for younger audiences and older ones. Many people in the screening were adults. This was a fresh take on a villain’s back story and it created a world that had not been associated with Cruella De Vil in other iterations. Whilst we know Cruella as the dog-napping rich old woman with little joy and a grudge against spotty dogs; Estella in this version is fun, kind-hearted and poor. Later in the film when she takes on her Cruella persona, we see some of the Cruella we have known in other films appear. She is a more toned down version than the original and no dogs are harmed in the film.

One of the best parts of the film for me was the fashion. There were so many wonderful and striking designs made by both the Baroness and Cruella. While the Baroness took measured risks and presented as prim and proper; Cruella smashed the expectations and matched rock’n’roll and feminist angst with a runway show. Seeing Cruella’s ideas to outshine the Baroness get even more outrageous and punk was a fun highlight.

Emma Stone was wonderful in the role and her accents were on point both as Estella and the slightly posher Cruella. She played all facets of Cruella seamlessly. I was initially sceptical of Emma Stone’s casting as Glenn Close gave such an iconic performance as Cruella. My fears definitely were vanquished after seeing the iconic performance that Emma gave. It was like she was born to play the role.

I thought that the other actors were all amazing in their roles, especially Emma Thompson as the villain and the children who played the younger versions of Estella and the gang. My only issue with the whole film was that Estella and her friends were around 11/12 years old then it jumps to 10 years later but the actors playing them in the 1970s look at least 30 and not in their early 20s. Emma Stone could just about pull this off but the other two were pushing it. Once I let this go, I enjoyed the story and let go of realism.

The music for was another iconic part of the film with some great classic 70s tracks that paired with Cruella’s bold fashion pieces created a punk rock London scene that I would love to experience.

Overall I give this film 10/10. Every element was on point and my expectations were lowered as it is a Disney film but I feel like the film was suitable for all audiences especially with the period setting and witty dialogue. If ever there was a prequel or continuation of a well-loved classic to live up to or even surpass the original, it would be Cruella. A warm welcome back to the cinema and a great start to a Summer of Cinema.

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

In contrast to Cruella, I have been waiting for this film since it was announced that there would be a sequel. I do not normally enjoy ‘horror’ films such as these with monsters and jump scares but A Quiet Place bridges the gap between ingenious filmmaking and scaring for scaring’s sake. At the heart of the films is a family that represents everyone. Their struggle to survive in the post-apocalyptic world, especially after the death of a child and the man of the house touches a nerve with many, especially after the past year.

I am especially attached to the characters because of the actors. John Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt play husband and wife as well as John directing both films. This is rare in the film world and of course their on-screen chemistry is reflected by their real life bond. They already know how to move around the other and as they have children of their own, acting as parents is second nature to them. The actors who play the kids, Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds are two of the best young actors in Hollywood today and both do excellent jobs reprising their roles in the sequel and picking up where the first film ended.

While a direct sequel, this film also has a flashback to the first day of the apocalypse and we get to see a glimpse of who the family were before they became survivalists. We get to see John Krasinski and their other son again amongst other members of their small town. The town is actually a replica of the one we see in the first film. I personally did not notice any difference but then again three years have passed in between the two films.

We also have a new character introduced, Emmett who takes over John’s role as the adult male. While Emmett does help the family out when they are being pursued by monsters, it is Millicent’s character who assumes his role as the protector and forward thinker. She becomes the one in charge of saving the family after she hears a clue on the radio and goes to search for an island that she believes will be a new home for her family. In the other storyline, we see Emily Blunt step up to protect her new baby and her son, Marcus who gets badly injured at the start of the film.

The family flee their burning house to find somewhere new to hide when they come across a disused flour mill, or so they think. After being pursued by a creature who we get to see up close for the first time, Marcus gets caught in an animal trap and they seek shelter. By coincidence, the mill is being occupied by Emmett, a friend from before the meteor struck. He offers them shelter and after Regan (Simmonds) leaves to find the island, he goes to get her back and the two form a father-daughter bond.

Marcus then steps up as the man of the mill and looks after his baby sibling while his mum ventures to the nearest pharmacy for medical supplies. What follows are tense encounters with the monsters all set to a backdrop of a genius soundscape that helps the audience immerse themselves in the characters’ world.

There were a few jump scares and seeing the monsters close up wasn’t pleasant but again this film centred around family and human survival. There were twists and unexpected moments that had me holding my breath, not daring to make the slightest noise. Leave your popcorn at home again for this one.

Overall I give this film 9/10. I think some elements could have been expanded slightly and it was missing something that makes a film 10/10 for me but it was a worthy sequel and the acting was on point. Another great venture for John Krasinski and co.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Paddington 2, Breathe and Murder on the Orient Express

Hello readers,

I know I haven’t posted in 2 weeks but I have been temporarily preoccupied with university tests and coursework. I am back today though. This week I thought I would post about films I only saw in the cinema as I have mainly been watching Christmas films on DVD and Prime. The films mentioned below I have seen in the past couple of weeks at the cinema.

Breathe (2017)

I saw this film a few weeks ago but it has still stuck with me. The film tells the true and heartbreaking story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge) and his wife,Diana(Claire Foy, The Crown). They get married and travel to Kenya for Robin’s job. Diana reveals she is pregnant. Suddenly, Robin wakes up with a fever and he can’t move his body. He becomes paralysed due to polio disease. This is 1958, he is given two years to live. He goes back to live in a hospital in England as he cannot do anything for himself. He then persuades Diana to get him out of hospital as he wants to live out his last days at home. He then keeps on living. This film shows the power of love in the face of epic adversity. It also documents the invention of a mobile chair that changed the way the severely disabled lived their lives. This film is jolly and a real heart warmer once you come to terms with Robin’s struggles. Other notable performances are by Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) , Tom Hollander (The Night Manager), Amit Shah (The Hundred-Foot Journey), Hugh Bonneville (Paddington), Stephen Mangan (Episodes) and Dean Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones). Andy Serkis (actor – Rise of the Planet of the Apes) directs and Jonathan Cavendish (producer – Bridget Jones Diary), Robin and Diana’s son produces. Overall I give Breathe 5/5.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

The classic novel by Agatha Christie is transformed in this new adaptation by Kenneth Branagh. Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective needs a holiday so his friend suggests a 3 day trip on the Orient Express, which his father owns. Poirot is enjoying his first class experience until a passenger is murdered in the middle of the night. The train travelling from Istanbul to Paris gets grounded by an avalanche in the Swiss mountains so there is nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. As the tagline goes, everyone is a suspect. This film depicts the era of the 1930s down to the finest detail. Kenneth Branagh’s moustache is also a great costume piece. This murder mystery will become a classic for years to come. There is a reason Agatha Christie is the best selling novelist of all time. Her stories are timeless. An all star ensemble cast feature: Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) as Hercule Poirot, Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous Liaisons), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project), Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love), Olivia Colman (The Night Manager), Tom Bateman (Snatched), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Red Tails), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Derek Jacobi (Frasier), Lucy Boynton (Sing Street), Sergei Polunin (The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall) and Marwan Kenzari (Wolf). Overall I give the Murder on the Orient Express 5/5.

Paddington 2 (2017)

Image result for paddington 2 poster

The sequel to the well-loved Paddington (2014) definitely lives up to the original. Based on the Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond, Paddington 2 continues Paddington’s story. He has settled in with the Browns and now is friends with all the neighbours. In Mr Gruber’s Antiques shop he finds the perfect present for Aunt Lucy’s birthday, a pop up book of London. The book written by Madame Kozlova whose fair is in town turns out to be very valuable and is stolen! Paddington is in the wrong place at the wrong time as he tries to catch the thief and now he is in prison. It is up to the Browns to try and catch the real thief. This lovely and delightful tale will put smiles on the faces of both children and adults. This film features a quintessentially British cast: Michael Gambon (voice) (Path to War), Imelda Staunton (voice) (Vera Drake), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Ben Whishaw (voice) (The Hollow Crown), Madeline Harris (Man Down), Samuel Joslin (The Impossible), Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral), Jim Broadbent (Iris), Julie Walters (Billy Elliot) , Ben Miller (Johnny English), Jessica Hynes (W1A), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm- 2009) and Tom Davis (Free Fire). Overall I give Paddington 2 5/5.

Other films I have seen are The Florida Project (2017) and Jurassic Park (1993).

Happy Watching,

Robyn 🙂