Again, Again! Films I have Re-Watched in 2024

Hi Readers,

After using the app Letterboxd, I started adding up the films I have re-watched this year so I have had this post in the back of my mind to discuss. There are a wide range of genres listed here and many of these films I have not watched for years and wanted to revisit. There are a few, of course, such as Mamma Mia! that I watch at least once a year and Wicked which I re-watched again after a couple of weeks in the cinema as I loved it so much.

2012 (2009)

This film falls into my favourite sub-genre of film: natural disaster films. This one certainly is a disaster with practically the whole world ending and our heroes racing to find an escape. Through connections, John Cusack’s character discovers arcs designed to survive the extinction level events and with his family and ex-wife’s new partner, they journey to survive. It’s a race against time across America and the world as a whole. The group meet various characters along the way, both friends and foes.

I last watched this film a few years ago and enjoyed it at the time but there’s something about 2000s visual effects and plot lines that is so different to the films of the 2020s. The family themselves are likeable and even the characters that you are supposed to dislike, have redeemable qualities. The film itself is a wider commentary on the uber-rich in the US and further afield. Should only those who can afford it, deserve to survive?

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

This was my first re-watch since seeing it at the cinema and it was on a projector so felt similar to the big cinema experience. I enjoyed the film as much as the first time but knowing what happens did take a little of the drama and jeopardy away. Still a fun film and I enjoyed the makeover of the genre to make it more up to date in terms of attitudes but also the technology and visual spectacle.

Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret? (2023)

This film is such a cosy watch and the dilemmas of the teenage protagonists feel very relatable despite the film being set in the 1970s. I first saw this film at an outdoor cinema so watching it at home was a different experience. I think this is a film that I could revisit every year or so as on the whole, its very re-watchable with a great cast and nostalgic themes in terms of the period setting and also reminding you of how it feels to be a pre-teen and all the issues that one worries about.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

I wanted to re-watch after hearing about the sequel (the musical on the West End is now playing too) and I loved the fashion and characters but of course, some of the dialogue and attitudes towards dieting culture are outdated.

I’ve seen people comment that Nate is the real villain of the story because he doesn’t like that Andy is more successful than him but I think the societal pressure on women to be high-flying career women while juggling a long-term relationship, motherhood, friendships and quality time with yourself is the real enemy.

Nate was very supportive of Andy but he thought her industry was not as important as his and therefore never saw her career as more important than their relationship or events with their friends. Andy began to see the importance of her industry and enjoyed working in the exciting, evolving world of fashion in NYC even if it was not her true passion.

Miranda was a stern character but to be successful as a woman even in a female-focused industry required more of her attention than she was prepared to give her husband. He also did not appreciate the benefits that her career and lifestyle in fashion offered.

It will be interesting to see how the magazine industry will be presented in the sequel with Emily being in a powerful role and Miranda’s legacy fading into an increasingly digital world.

Life (2017)

I watched most of this film on a plane years ago when it was new and I might have finished it at some point but this year was when I properly sat down and watched it all. I enjoyed it but I think it wasn’t anything too dissimilar to other space jeopardy films. The humour and alien foe added something but what I think made it enjoyable was the cast. Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal had good on-screen chemistry while Rebecca Ferguson and the other actors provided more of the dramatic acting. During press, Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal got along really well and that came through on screen. I would like to see them in a film together again.

I don’t think I would watch this one again but I am glad I was able to sit down and watch it all through.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

This was originally going to be an honourable mention but of course I ended up re-watching it as I tend to do every year. My family have seen it many times since it originally came out. We like the music of ABBA and the cast and story work really well together. The summer setting gives it a great warm feeling and brings some sun to the winter. I love all the songs and while there are a lot of older themes in the film, it doesn’t feel too intense or adult and everyone can enjoy it. I do also like the second film but nothing beats the original. I have heard a third film is in the works so it will be interesting to see how they do that film, especially as interest in ABBA has had a resurgence with their hologram show in London.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

I re-watched this film so myself and my family could go and see the new one in cinemas. I saw the first in the cinema and enjoyed it. I have not actually seen the original Ghostbusters films so it was interesting to see it rebooted for a new generation. The cast were good and of course the visual effects and plot were updated so watching the originals may not be as impressive as they were in the 1980s. I liked the inclusion of a female Ghostbuster and that the girl character was the nerd and the older brother was trying to be popular as it is often the other way around.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023)

I actually watched this over a couple of days simply because it is very long. I saw it first at the cinema and it was a great experience and I wanted to re-watch when it became available on streaming. There were some extra songs that were not included in the cinema release and it was cool to be able to relive the concert in my own living room. This tour has been widely talked about and I hope that a new version is released including the Tortured Poets Department section of the show. I did not get to see the concert in person but the quality and camera angles of the filmed version were so good that I think I would be disappointed in person especially if I had to sit far away.

Bros (2022)

I first saw this film at the BFI Film Festival and I enjoyed it but the story was a little more complex than the average rom-com with Billy Eichner wanting to make it more authentic to the gay experience. Watching it again helped to put it together in my head and I tried to focus more on the humour and the characters than the plot and the on and off nature of the relationship. The film is the first adult gay rom-com to have the big studio backing and it is surprising that it took so long. They did sanitise it a little to appeal to wider audiences but there were plenty of gay experiences and references shown if a little exaggerated. I liked that the lead characters were gay in real life as it gave more reality to the story.

Wicked (2024)

Of course this film has been talked about widely since it came out with many audience members going to see it multiple times. I am included in this and I wanted to see it again as I loved the film and the scenes and songs. It will definitely be great to re-watch once it hits streaming but the spectacle of the film is really felt on the big screen. The second time, I knew the plot so I tried to focus more on the backgrounds and the little details but there is so much visually and aurally to take in, I think it would take a few more re-watches to fully appreciate everything. This film has set a new boundary of what can be achieved in the industry and I am excited to see what arrives next to try and compete with this film. The second film has been announced as coming out in November 2025 and I am eager to see what happens next and how it is presented.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Romantic Comedies are now promoting smart, successful and powerful women… and they’re still funny

Charlize Theron plays Charlotte Field, the Secretary of State of the United States. She has all the power, a team of advisers and not much down time. Her love interest, Fred Flarsky, played by Seth Rogen is a journalist who’s just been fired and dresses like he’s going to a 90s rave. Charlotte holds all the power between the two and it is her career on the line throughout the film.

Hello readers,

It’s been a while since I have done a post, just over six weeks but with university ending for this year and England suddenly becoming a warm country I haven’t found the time. I then saw a great film last night that I knew would make a great review. Long Shot starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen is a romantic comedy but one I had not seen before with the woman more powerful than her love interest. The way of Hollywood and other film industries is that the woman will have a job as a secretary/bakery owner/journalist/teacher or something else. These jobs are, of course all valid and necessary but her male love interest will be a banker/CEO/policeman/her boss or someone with more authority and power. In Long Shot, the roles are flipped.

Long Shot Poster

Charlize Theron plays Charlotte Field, the Secretary of State of the United States. She has all the power, a team of advisers and not much down time. Her love interest, Fred Flarsky, played by Seth Rogen is a junkie journalist who is forced to quit his job and dresses like he’s going to a 90s rave. Charlotte holds all the power between the two and it is her career on the line throughout the film.

Although of course, this is still the real world and the United States of America so even though Charlotte is successful, she is still treated as unequal to the male politicians in the film. She is talks about being asked what her skincare routine is, what designer she is wearing or being treated as just a pretty face. She has to work twice as hard as the men just to be taken seriously as a politician.

The film showed me that women in positions of power often have to fight harder for longer to gain the respect that men seem to gain more easily. The President of the United States in the film played by Bob Odenkirk and is a TV star who previously played the president on a TV show then decided to run for office. I thought that was a fun twist and The President decides he won’t be running for a second term to get into movie acting which he sees as more ambitious then being POTUS.

The main story of the film is that Fred leaves his job then goes to a benefit with his successful friend, Lance, played by O’Shea Jackson Jr. They run into Charlotte who used to be Fred’s babysitter when he was a teenager. Charlotte decides that to up her humour points, she has to hire Fred to write her speeches. The two go on a tour promoting Charlotte’s ‘bees, trees and seas’ environmental plan that she has been passionate about since she was 16.

While touring around the world, Fred and Charlotte reconnect and get to know each other better. Fred helps Charlotte to relax more and develop interests outside of her job. As this is a Seth Rogen film, he off course smokes weed and one hilarious scene involves Charlotte and Fred going clubbing in Paris after having taken drugs. Charlotte then has to deal with a hostage situation whilst still high.

The villain of the film, Parker Wembley played by Andy Serkis in some prosthetics, runs Wembley News that makes ridiculous claims and tries to discredit Charlotte. He continues trying to get a meeting with her after she persistently turns him down. It is his actions that almost ruin Charlotte’s career.

This film is laugh out loud funny which was not compromised despite the politics and feminism woven throughout the plot. There were no politically incorrect jokes or degrading comments made about women that were not self-aware or seen as bad within the film.

My friend Terry who I went to see the film with said that she liked the way that Charlotte “manages to achieve her goals without compromising her beliefs and still get the guy.” Terry also said that Charlotte “felt really real to me. She felt like a real person. You don’t often feel that in rom coms, especially with the female characters.” I agree with Terry and I think that a big part of the reason we both liked the film was that Charlotte was a smart successful woman but she could still be vulnerable and she still had feelings and hurdles to overcome in the film with her romantic life and her job.

I loved this film and Seth and Charlize had great chemistry that helped make their relationship seem believable. If you like rom coms but are tired of the man always being in power and the woman shown as weak, sexualised, ditsy or nerdy then this is the film for you. It is a 15 and there are some raunchy scenes but nothing too intense, it is a rom com after all.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

P.S. Other films I have enjoyed since last writing a blog post are Shazam!, Dumbo, Avengers: Endgame, Wild Rose, Wine Country, Ideal Home, Dog Days, The Perfect Date and The Last Summer.

TV series I have loved watching since my last post are The Society, Dead To Me, Now Apocalypse, Timeless, Z Nation, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Durrells, Special and On My Block.

My Weekly Recommendations 27th November

Hello readers,

I know it is Monday but I went home from university this weekend so I was extra busy with my parents so apologies for the late post. I will be doing some different posts soon but for now here is another rendition of what I have been watching this (last) week.

Cinema:

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

This film charts a story of two men meeting in 1980s Italy, they initially dislike one another but then they migrate to lovers. Sounds simple, which the plot is, yet it is 100% effective. The beautiful scenery of a hot Italian summer, the French language combined with Italian and English, the sensual soundtrack and costumes all come together to create a romantic love story that also explores being gay in the 80s and lusting after someone older then having to lose them. The main character Elio (Timothée Chalamet), a 17 year old who is a gifted musician at first dislikes the loud all American student that comes to stay for the summer, played by Armie Hammer. He gradually realises his feelings for Oliver(Hammer) are not hate but love. Chalamet’s performance is stand out, his emotions are always written all over his body unless he is trying to hide them. He looks French, his parents holiday in Italy but is American. His accent and piano playing are also spot on. Hammer is also great in his role, knowing when to be forward and play hard to get. Also starring are Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man) as Elio’s father, a professor of archaeology who invites Oliver to be his student; Amira Casar (Versailles) as Elio’s mother; Esther Garrel (17 Girls) as Marzia, Elio’s girlfriend who he gradually drifts away from as he becomes closer to Oliver and Victoire Du Bois (From the Land of the Moon) as Chiara, a girl who dances with Oliver and proceeds to lust after him.

A gorgeous film that made me smile and empathise with Elio even though I am not a boy in 1980s Italy. Chalamet made you feel Elio’s jealousy, fear, excitement, sadness, happiness and boredom. He truly brought Elio alive. Overall I give Call Me By Your Name 5/5.

DVD

Two Weeks Notice (2002)

This charming little rom com set in New York City starring Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality) is definitely a feel good movie if you need to be reminded what it is like to love and not be loved back. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy, a lawyer who uses her Harvard education to fight against social injustice. She is offered at random a position as lawyer by George Wade (Grant) who is the face of Wade Corporation, a development company trying to knock down every old building in the Big Apple for their own gain. Lucy, who regularly protests against George’s company accepts the job deciding she can do some good from the inside. She excels at her job and becomes the one George turns to for everything, what outfits to wear to his divorce settlement. Lucy decides he is too demanding and quits for her own health. During her two weeks notice, whilst seeing her replacement, June cosy up to George, Lucy starts to feel one emotion for George she never thought she would: love. She continues to be professional and not let her rare feelings get in the way of quitting. A classic Hugh Grant film in which his character has some shocking similarities to Donald Trump pre 2016 who incidentally turns up for a surprise cameo during a benefit. I liked this film, definitely one to watch if you love Hugh Grant in Love Actually or Sandra Bullock in The Proposal. Also starring are Alicia Witt (88 Minutes) as June Carver, Lucy’s replacement; Dana Ivey (The Adams Family) as Lucy’s tough talking mother; Robert Klein (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) as Lucy’s dad; Heather Burns (You’ve Got Mail) as Meryl, Lucy’s friend and David Haig (My Boy Jack) as Howard, George’s business partner and brother. Overall I give this film 4/5.

Amazon Prime

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

C.I.A agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill, Superman) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer, The Lone Ranger) a KGB operative are forced to work together to reach a common goal in the 1960s when the tension between Russia and the US is at a high point. Both agents have no choice but to work for the mysterious organisation. The film starts with an epic car chase through the streets of Berlin, where Solo and Kuryakin fight each other but are then forced to be a team. They meet Gaby (Alicia Vikander) a car mechanic who’s uncle has connections to the Vinciguerra family. Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki) is building a nuclear bomb and Solo, Kuryakin and Gaby must work together to stop their common enemy from destroying the world as they know it. This film is cheesy and a parody to movies of the time, adapted from a television series of the same name but ultimately a good watch. The blossoming romance between Vikander and Hammer who pose as a couple to be wed gives the film a softer edge. There is also violence but it is more comic and entertaining than gruesome. Hugh Grant also appears as a British agent bringing in reinforcements for the final mission. The dynamic between Cavill and Hammer also gives some classic masculinity that Guy Richie, the director is famous for. Also starring are Luca Calvani (When in Rome) as Alexander Vinciguerra, Victoria’s husband and Sylvester Groth (Inglorious Basterds) as Gaby’s Uncle Rudi. Overall I give The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 4/5.

Hope you enjoy my 3 picks this week, other honourable mentions include Sleeping with Other People (2015) and What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012).

Happy Watching,

Robyn

My Weekly Recommendations 19th November

Hello readers,

I know I missed last week but I thought I would catch up with my thoughts on films I have seen this week.

Cinema:

Borg vs McEnroe (2017)

This film about the Men’s Wimbledon Final in 1980 was a great in depth look at how competition and the media affected the players involved. Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason), a Swedish tennis player trying to break the record for 5th consecutive Wimbledon title is up against John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf), a US player known for his quick temper trying to win Wimbledon for the first time. The film follows their journey from childhood as young tennis stars to the final. The actors truly commit to the role and embody their characters not just by looking like them but by being them. I was shocked at how emotional and heart warming the film was, Borg had to deal with his extreme fame and how he cannot even walk down to the street without people running up to him chanting his name and McEnroe has to try and show the media and the world that he is good enough to beat the 4 time champion and not loose his temper. This film also stars Stellan Skarsgård (Thor) as Borg’s coach, an ex-Wimbledon quarter finalist who has backed him since he was a teenager, Robert Emms (War Horse) as Vitas Gerulaitis, an American tennis player and Ian Blackman (Hail Caesar!) as John McEnroe Senior. The actual match played between Borg and McEnroe was an amazing sequence, the whole film had been leading up to this match and you want both players to win. Overall I give Borg vs. McEnroe 5/5. 

Amazon Prime:

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

This film is a 90s rom com classic and I don’t know why I haven’t seen it before. The story follows Kat played by Julia Stiles (Bourne Ultimatum) and her sister Bianca played by Larisa Oleynik (The Babysitter’s Club). Bianca really wants to date the cute, popular guy Joey (Andrew Keegan) but her dad says she cannot date until her older sister Kat does. New boy at school Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) also wants to go out with Bianca but when he learns of her dad’s rule he conspires with new buddy Michael (David Krumholtz) to get Kat a boyfriend. Enter Patrick, a cool, clever, school-hating bad boy with a motor cycle played by the young Heath Ledger (Batman Begins). He starts dating Kat for a price paid by Joey. Kat and Patrick get closer but will she discover their relationship is all a sham? Based on Shakespeare’s play, The Taming of the Shrew, this is an American teen movie with a twist. Also starring Gabrielle Union (Bring It On)as Bianca’s best friend; Larry Miller (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) as Kat and Bianca’s dad; Daryl Mitchell (Galaxy Quest) as Kat’s crazy English teacher and Allison Janney (American Beauty) as the guidance counsellor who likes to write erotic novels. Overall I give 10 Things I Hate About You 5/5.

Box of Broadcasts

Deux jours, une nuit (2014)

I saw this film via a streaming service provided by my university but it is available on DVD and possibly other streaming services. This film is different to most films in the cinemas because it wasn’t made on a big budget and most of the actors were not professionals with dozens of credits. It shows a woman, Sandra played by Marion Cotillard (Inception) one of the few names in this film, as she goes around her small French town trying to convince her co-workers to vote for her to keep her job rather than their bonuses. She had a long period of leave due to depression but she feels better and wants to go back to work. The only thing standing in her way are her colleagues. Whilst this film is realist, showing ordinary activities like making dinner, buying food, travelling in the car it has a pull to it that makes you feel for Sandra and you hope she succeeds in her mission. Also starring are Fabrizio Rongione (Rosetta), Catherine Salée (Blue is the Warmest Colour). All the other actors and actresses are virtually unknown. The Dardenne Brothers who directed this film like their films to be realist and full of people we don’t recognise so that the audience is more invested in the characters and setting and not thinking where they know each actor from. This film really struck a chord with me and showed how vulnerable yet strong women can be. Overall I give Deux jours, une nuit 4/5.   

I hope reading these reviews inspires you to check out these films or maybe some of the actors in them. This is my weekly selection. I have watched a few others this weeks that deserve a mention: No Strings Attached (2011), I Am Not A Witch (2017), The Bad Education Movie (2015), Bring it On (2000) and The Mummy (2017).

Happy Watching,

Robyn