F-Rated – Page 3 – cinemescope

100 Word Review – 10 Things I Hate About You

August 3, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, F-Rated, RomanceTagged adaptation, Allison Janney, Comedy, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Stiles, Karen McCullah, Kirsten Smith, Larisa Oleynik, Romance, Shakespeare, teen, The Taming Of The Shrew3 Comments

The best modern day retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew, without a doubt.

Kat (Julia Stiles) Is a strong-minded teenager who refuses to conform to societal norms. When her father decrees that her younger sister cannot date unless she does, Kat is thrown back in to the dating world.

Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Allison Janney and Larisa Oleynik all co-star in screenwriting team Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah’s (Legally Blonde, She’s The Man) excellent film.

Despite being based on an arguably misogynist text about “taming” women, this adaptation is upbeat, empowering and down right hilarious. WATCH IT NOW!

100 Word Review – Inside Out (2015)

July 30, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-RatedTagged Amy Poehler, animatio, Bill Hader, children, emotions, family, IMDb, Kaitlyn Dias, Mindy Kailing, Pete Doctor, pixar, Ronaldo Del Carmen, San Francisco3 Comments

I cry at every Pixar film, so let’s take that as a given.

Inside Out follows Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) from the unique perspective of her governing emotions, as she moves to San Francisco for her dad’s work. Meet Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader) and Anger (Lewis Black).

Despite a couple of moments where they chose the easy stereotype, Pixar are on top form. Pete Doctor (Up, Monsters Inc) and Ronaldo Del Carmen (Ratatouille, Brave) wrote and directed it. It’s already #48 on IMDb’s Top 250.

No wonder I laughed, cried and felt all warm inside.

100 Word Review – Sliding Doors (1998)

July 26, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-Rated, Fantasy, RomanceTagged Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Peter Howitt, philosophy, RomanceLeave a comment

I have never watched John Hannah cry in a film and not shed sympathetic tears. This film is no exception.

On the same day that Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) is fired from her job, she misses the tube by a split second. Her life splits into what could have happened had she caught the train, and what happened because she didn’t.

This is not a comedy. There are funny moments, but ultimately it’s a moving exploration of one woman’s life, and how she is affected by those around her. It’s a philosophical debate marketed as a romance, and it does both.

100 Word Review – Obvious Child (2014)

July 10, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-Rated, RomanceTagged Comedy, Drama, Gillian Robespierre, independent, Jack Lacy, Jenny Slate, Paul Simon, RomanceLeave a comment

Named after the Paul Simon song, this is a wonderful feature about the trials and tribulations of being a twenty something woman surviving in the modern world.

Donna (Jenny Slate) is a stand-up comedian coping with a nasty break up when she meets Max (Jack Lacy) and has a one night stand that changes her life and forces her to confront adult life.

Written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, based on her short of the same name, there is a distinct voice running throughout that, while it may not be to everyone’s taste, I cannot wait to hear more from.

100 Word Review – Across The Universe (2007)

July 9, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, F-Rated, RomanceTagged 1960s, Comedy, Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Julie Taymour, Musical, psychadelic, Romance, The BeatlesLeave a comment

Based on the music of The Beatles, this is a musical you don’t need to have seen to know the words to.

Jude (Jim Sturgess) moves from Liverpool to America where he meets and falls in love with Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). Set in the 1960s, the socio-political climate of the time makes for a dramatic background to this moving love story.

Director Julie Taymour (Frida, Titus) truly transports her audience. The film’s littered with references to the period, particularly within the music industry, but even if you only pick up the odd one it still makes for mesmerising viewing.

100 Word Review – Truly Madly Deeply (1990)

July 8, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-Rated, Fantasy, RomanceTagged Alan Rickman, Anthony Minghella, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, ghost, Juliet Stevenson, Romance, Whoopi GoldbergLeave a comment

Despite the absence of Whoopi Goldberg, this film is a billion times better than Ghost.

Nina (Juliet Stevenson) and Jamie (Alan Rickman) are in love, completely and utterly. When Jamie dies, Nina expects to be haunted by him, but perhaps not literally.

Written and directed by Oscar winning Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley), this is one of those films that will stick with you. Minghella wrote the film specifically for Stevenson and there is no doubt without her and Rickman’s tremendous performances there would not be a film.

It is full of heartbreak, humour and hope.

100 Word Review – We are The Best! (2013)

July 3, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-RatedTagged 1980s, adaptation, Coco Moodysson, Comedy, comic book, Drama, Lukas Moodysson, Netflix, punk, Sweden, SwedishLeave a comment

Currently available on Netflix, this is a must-watch film that everyone can enjoy.

Three young girls in 1980s Stockholm join forces against their school, their parents and The Man to create their own punk band. Who cares if they can play their instruments or not? It’s about more than the music.

This film, as the trailer (below) says, is “for anyone who’s ever been 13”, full of anarchy, chaos and humour. It’s written and directed by Lukas Moodysson, based on his wife Coco’s comic book.

It is a guaranteed feel-good film that will leave you feeling empowered and wishing for youth.

100 Word Review – Frances Ha (2012)

July 1, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-RatedTagged Comedy, Drama, Greta Gerwig, New York, Noah BaumbachLeave a comment

A truly wonderful film that speaks to the heart of anyone who’s ever pretended to be an adult.

Frances (Greta Gerwig) is an awkward twenty-something living in New York, surrounded by people who seem to have their life together but never seeming to manage it herself.

Co- written by Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach (The Squid & The Whale, screenplay of Fantastic Mr Fox), the feature was shot entirely in black and white. Combined with the light-hearted soundtrack, it gives the whole film a quirky feel completely in keeping with the main character’s eccentricities. Funny, sweet and genuinely moving, it’s fantastic!

100 Word Review – Big (1988)

June 25, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-Rated, FantasyTagged 1980s, Big, Elizabeth Perkins, family, Fantasy, Oscars, Penny Marshall, Robert Loggia, Tom HanksLeave a comment

This is one of those films that never fails to make me smile.

When Josh, a 12 year old boy, makes a wish on a carnival machine to be big, he doesn’t expect to wake up the next morning an adult (portrayed by a baby faced Tom Hanks). Forced to leave home and find his way on his own.

Co-starring Elizabeth Perkins and Robert Loggia, this film is just lovely. Hanks performance of a 12 year old stranded in an adult world is charming and the whole feature has a magical quality to it. Nominated for 2 Oscars, this film is truly unmissable.

(directed by Penny Marshall)

100 Word Review – Coherence (2013)

June 15, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Drama, F-Rated, Sci FiTagged Alex Manugian, Drama, Elizabeth Gracen, Emily Baldoni, Hugo Armstrong, James Ward Byrkit, Lauren Maher, Lorene Scafaria, Nicholas Brendon, Sci Fi, ThrillerLeave a comment

I don’t want to tell you anything about the plot of this film for fear of giving away something crucial, so instead I’m going to tell you about how this wonderful independent Sci Fi film was made.

Writer and director James Ward Byrkit spent over a year constructing the concept for this feature. The actors never saw a script. It was shot in one house over five nights. At the beginning of each shooting session each actor was given information about their character and what they should reveal.

The result is magnificent. It’s trippy, thought-provoking and just brilliant. Watch it!