Older vs. Newer Review: Seventh Heaven

Hello, my fellow movie lovers!

It is a big trend right now to remake movies that have already been made previously. Maybe it's to turn it into a series, or to go from animated to live action. I know that a lot of people are getting tired of this and want new ideas instead of reusing the old ones. Though I haven't done it a lot, I love to compare the older to the newer. Today I will be talking about a movie that was remade in 1937. Yep, you read that correctly, the remake was in 1937. So, hold up, you say, when was the original made? 1927. They converted it from a silent film, into a talkie! Remakes are not a new thing, almost as long as we've been making movies, others have wanted to do it again in their way.
Anyway, couple months ago I found these gems of films that are so sweet and no one knows about! I'm going to review them to let people know that it exisits!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


7th Heaven (1927):

Based on: the play by Austin Strong.
A sewer worker saves a girl from her abusive sister and then has to pretend that he's married to her because he lied to the police. All will be fine as soon as she can leave. With a new job everything seems to be going well, but is something else going to be put in his way?

Genre: Drama, Silent.
Length: approx. 110 minutes.
Costumes: 7, we see one person without a shirt, and others in underclothes. There is nothing fancy.
Script: N/A, as this is a silent movie. I did like the opening title card:
"For those who will climb it, there is a ladder leading from the depths to the heights---from the sewer to the stars---the ladder of Courage."
Crew:
Directed by: Frank Borzage.
Written by: Austin Strong, Benjamin Glazer, Katherine Hilliker, & H. H. Caldwell.
Starring:
Charles Farrell as Chico.

Janet Gaynor as Diane.

Gladys Brockwell as Nana.

David Butler as Gobin.
Albert Gran as Papa Boul.

Marie Mosquini as Madame Gobin.
Emile Chautard as Father Chevillon.
Ben Bard as Colonel Brissac.

George E. Stone as Sewer Rat.
Cinematography: 9, I was so impressed by the actions and expressions of the actors because with a silent movie you really have to show what they are thinking because they can't talk. There was also one part with climbing stairs where the cinematography was just so neat!
Cinematography by: Ernest Palmer & Joseph A. Valentine.

Music: I'm going to mark this as N/A because while the background music in silent movies can change a lot.
Quotes: Again, N/A.
Oscars won: 3: Best Directing (Dramatic Picture), Best Writing (Adaptation), & Best Actress (Janet Gaynor). This film was nominated for Best Picture for the first Oscar ceremony! Janet Gaynor's award was for a combination of three performances Street Angel, Sunrise, and Seveth Heaven.
Content: 8, there is a suggestive thing (just one with the Street Rat, the rest is so clean), war scenes, smoking, and some violence and abuse, but is shown as bad.
Originality: 10, I'll talk about this later, but I love this storyline so much!
Good For: Silent movie lovers, everyone.

Age Range: It is pretty clean, as I mentioned in my content section. It might be a bit boring for younger viewers, but it depends on the individual person.
Overall Score: 8.5!

VS.



Seventh Heaven (1937):

Based on: the play by Austin Strong and the 1927 silent movie.
In Pre-World War I France, an aethiest is tired of working in the sewers. When he saves an abused and suicidal girl, a priest helps him out. After lying about her to the police to save her from being arrested he is in a tough situation. He figures out a temporary situation, but with the world always changing will his plans be stopped?
"You aren't dead! Unless you keep thinking you're dead, then you are dead."

This is the picture that made me want to watch it!

Genre: Drama.
Length: approx. 102 minutes.
Costumes: 8, Nothing indecent at all, but nothing eye-catching.
Script: 10, no bad words!
"Street workers never speak to sewer men, that's part of the social system."
Crew:
Directed by: Henry King.
Written by: Austin Strong and Melville Baker.
Starring:
James Stewart as Chico.

'"One day you'll be yourself."
"Myself? What would that be? Myself?"'
Simone Simon as Diane.

Jean Hersholt as Father Chevillon.
Gale Sondergaard as Nana.
J. Edward Bromberg as Aristide.
Gregory Ratoff as Boul.
John Qualen as Sewer Rat.
Victor Kilian as Gobin.

Thomas Beck as Brissac.
Cinematography: 8, ah, I love black and white!
Cinematography by: Merritt B. Gerstad.
Music: 8, a nice score.
Music by: David Buttolph & Cyril J. Mockridge.

Quotes: 8,
'"You have a great head!"
"You have a great heart!"'
Content: 9, as with the original, there are war scenes, a suggestive thing, and violence and abuse, though shown as bad.
Originality: 10, Ah, this story makes me so happy!
Good For: James Stewart fans! Everyone!

Age Range: Same as the older one, but younger viewers might find a talkie more interesting.
Overall Score: 9!

Sorry, there is a lot of pictures of the same people because my skills at finding good ones were not up to par today!



Character comparison:

Chico:

L: Charles Farrell. R: James Stewart.

I love Chico so much! He's a sewer worker who claims to be a "very remarkable fellow" and is not scared of anything. He thinks that he doesn't need God, and therefore doesn't believe in him. He's tired of being treated like dirt and actually, to be on dirt, on the ground would be a step up in the world. This is my biggest complaint, that Gobin isn't nice to him because of that. I love his character, and I completely understand the need to seem big and "untouchable" and in charge because you are scared of people seeing your weakness.
Charles Farrell did really well with his facial expressions and everything, but (surprise surprise) James Stewart is my favorite. It is so funny, because in the talkie everyone has a French accent except him, but I still love it.


Diane:

L: Janet Gaynor. R: Simone Simon.

Diane is such a sweet loveable dear who I want to hug. She has been through so much and is tired of being what she is. She is scared and hurt, and so afraid of hurting others or being a burden. She just wants to thank people as she can and is so beautifully faithful.
As I said, Janet Gaynor won the first Best Actress Oscar for her performance, and it was so good, but Simone Simon was such a sweetheart, I just have to say that she is my favorite.


These two darlings are so precious! I love their reverse character arcs as Chico begins to show his fears and Diane becomes so brave. AH. These two deserve all the love!! Please, I need someone to love them as much as I do.

Conclusion:
Ah!! This story is so sweet! You know those books or movies that just make you so incredible happy and get warm fuzzies? This is one of them for me. When I watched this it has been awhile since I was so obsessed with a movie, and an older one, too! These plot lines are pretty much identical. The only differences are:
1. Diane's backstory. Her sister is still very abusive, but for slightly different reasons.
2. The added character of Aristide.
That's basically it! You might wonder, "Why would they remake a movie and not change any of it except by adding sound?" The answer: James Stewart. Jimmy makes every movie 100X better. But, he is my favorite actor so I might be biased. I saw the 1937 version first and absolutely loved it. It wasn't until a few days ago that I watched the original. The original is really good, I just kept imagining everything with the other actors. Haha! So yeah, both are great, but my favorite is the 1937.
I know that these movies might not be the thing for everyone, but they are so sweet, I would love for you, my readers, to watch them! I would recommend the 1937 first, but if you do that then you spend the whole time watching the 1927 thinking about it, hehe!

The Newer Wins!


Well, I'm off to rewatch the 1937 because all of this talk about it has made me so happy and I want to just laugh, cry, and full out "fangirl". Thanks for reading! Favorite silent movie? Favorite James Stewart movie? Tell me in the comments! And please, if anyone has seen either of these, WE NEED TO TALK.

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Okko's Inn (2018)

Hello, all!

I'm sorry that my posting this month has been so crazy. As you all know, it's a crazy world right now and I hope that all of you are staying safe and healthy.

My goal for 2020 was to review a wider variety of movies. I started the year off with a French film, La Belle et la Bête [Beauty and the Beast] (1946), and in March I talked about a few Irish movies. Since then I haven't done anything new! I've decided that it's time in 2020 to start with Japanese films! I reviewed Howl's Moving Castle (2004) back in 2017, but haven't done any since then.

My sisters and I watched this at the end of 2019 and really enjoyed ourselves. Now, I hope that you like this review!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


Okko's Inn (2018): 

[Original title: 若おかみは小学生！{Pronounced: Waka Okami wa Shōgakusei! Translation: "The Young Innkeeper Is a Grade Schooler!"}]
Based on: A series of novels by Hiroko Reijo.
After a tragedy a little girl goes to stay with her grandmother, who hopes that she will become the next Inn Keeper. She just wants to help and do the right thing, but she starts seeing...ghosts and spirits? She is trying to figure out fitting school, making friends, while learning to step into bigger shoes in her busy life. She misses her old life and she wonders, what does the future hold?
"The waters of Hananoyu reject nobody."
Genre: Family, Fantasy.
Length: approx. 94 minutes.
Costumes: 7, there were a few times when characters were in their under clothes or not wearing a lot, but the kimonos and other outfits were very detailed for animation!
Script: 10, no bad words.
Crew:
Directed by: Kitaro Kosaka,
Written by: Reiko Yoshida and Hiroko Reijo.
Starring the voices of:
Seiran Kobayashi (Japanese); Madigan Kacmar (English) as Oriko "Okko" Seki.
Satsumi Matsuda (Japanese); KJ Aikens (English) as Makoto Tachiuri "Uri-bō".
Nana Mizuki (Japanese); Carly Williams (English) as Matsuki Akino.
Ichiryūsai Harumi (Japanese); Glynis Ellis (English) as Mineko Seki "Obā-chan".
Ichiryūsai Teiyū (Japanese); Noelle DePaula (English) as Etsuko Tajima.
Masaki Terasoma (Japanese); Scott Williams (English) as Kōnosuke Minoda "Kō-san".
Etsuko Kozakura (Japanese); Colleen O'Shaughnessey (English) as Suzuki.
Nicolai Gorden(English) as Kosui Kanda.
Animation: 7, the animation is just what you'd expect out of a Japanese film, it's bright, colorful, and perfectly fun! I really liked it. My rating is a lower because the transitions were really rough, my sisters and I were getting "whiplash"!
Music: I know that there was music, but I can't think of what it was like at all, so I won't rate it.
Notes:
Quotes: 8, oh, there were so many inspirational quotes! Sadly, I was so busy watching that I forgot to write any down.
Content: 7, there are some scary and creepy things, death, smoking, and gross things.
Originality: 10, this was so adorable! I know that I've read or watched a few other stories with young children learning bigger roles, but I haven't seen one in this setting.
Good For: families, anyone who has lost someone.
Age Range: There are some scary things, but I think that most kids would be fine, then anyone who wanted to watch this could!
Overall Score: 8!
Bonus thoughts:
My sisters and I love to watch Japanese animated films. One of the librarians here got us started on them and when he got this one we wanted to watch it right away. My younger sister was super excited, but I wasn't sure. I mean, there's a boy floating upside down on the cover and the premise involves spirits? I'm fine with a movie with ghosts now and then, but I don't usually seek them out. We got started and there were a few gross things that I wasn't sure I would like it. Well, I was wrong. This movie is such a sweet one! It deals with grief, forgiveness, and growing and taking on responsibilities. They did everything really well, I was so impressed. If you are a fan of Japanese films, or want to give this one a try, I'd recommend putting it on your list!


Thanks for reading! How many Japanese films have you seen? Do you have a favorite?

MovieCritic

Book Review: How We Rise - by Brooke Riley

Hello, hello!

Brooke Riley over at Words in Her Soul has just released her debut book, How We Rise.

She has been working on this for a few years and finally indie published it last week. Way to go, girl! That takes so much work! Today I am going to review her book as part of her online book tour.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!

Disclaimer: I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.


How We Rise - by Brooke Riley:

Raegan MacArthur can't sleep at night because of the screams. She knows that the military camp down the road is torturing and killing anyone who dares to oppose the government. All she wants is for things to go back to normal. Peter Daniels is moving back to his hometown where he hasn't been for six years. He is so happy to be near his best friend Raegan again, but so much pressure is on him that it's hard to think of anything else. To do anything would risk getting killed, but when given the chance will they rise?
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult.
Characters: 9, can I talk about the conflict in everyone? It is amazing. You can tell all of the struggles that everyone is going through and it makes you pity and relate to all of them. This is really one of Brooke's strong suits!
My favorites:
Raegan: I want to give her a hug. She is so afraid of her family getting hurt, and wants to do what is best. Oh, and did I mention that she is homeschooled? I am too, and you hardly ever see that in stories, so I loved it!
Peter: He optimism despite everything that he's been through is amazing! I just want him to keep it up.

"I know that you don't want to be positive about this, but you'll never make it out of there if you stay negative."

Spencer: I feel like I didn't see enough of him! I love this guy.
Words: 7, there are a few bad words, but it's really mild and didn't bother me at all. Why I have a lower score is because there were a few places that the writing felt a little jarring to me. This is written in first person present tense, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE. It feels like you are with the characters while they do everything, not that your just reading about it afterwards.

'I want to memory to make me hate everything the government is doing more, so I fight harder.'

Notes:
There were a few things that were inconsistent:
Evan is described as having, "copper brown eyes" on one page, and the next he has, "cold green eyes".
Every start of a new perspective has the date written, which is a really cool idea, but being how I'm kind of obsessed with dates I realized that they were off. For example, it is written Tuesday, September 12th, 2023, and in 2023 September 12th will actually be a Monday.
There also seemed to be a few plot holes, where people knew things and it could've progressed faster because of that. If they knew these things then why didn't they do anything about it?
I'm willing to let some of these slide because I know that Brooke had planned a release date later in the summer, but was having technical difficulties and had to publish earlier than she would've liked.
Quotes: 8.

'"Hello?"

"I'm bored."

"Sorry, you must have the wrong number, I don't know anyone by the name of Bored."'

Content: 8, this is set in a harsh dystopian future where there is death, torture, abuse, fighting, and mention of bodies, wounds, and blood. There is also a divorce that happens prior to the book's start, but it is mentioned a bit. Sometimes I'll be reading a book or watching a movie and be really into what's happening, then there is violence and I start focusing on how terrible and intense it is and stop paying attention to the story. That didn't happen here! I was super impressed because it was all handled really well, as it was never so graphic that it disturbed me. I was too busy being pulled in by the emotional conflict!
Originality: 8. I believe that this is actually only the second dystopian book that I've read (my first was Fahrenheit 451), so I don't know what is too common in the dystopian genre, but I thought that this was very original! It is such a painful future, but then you really are cheering for the resistance group to defeat the larger government.
Good For: dystopian fans, anyone who is struggling with something, anyone who loves internal conflict in characters.
Age Range: As I mentioned in the content section, the violence didn't really bother me, but it could bother younger readers. This is young adult, so I would say 13 and up.
Overall Score: 8!
Bonus thoughts:
Sometimes when I read or watch something I'm not sure what I think of it and want to wait a few months before reviewing it. Or, I just review it and am kind of vague because I don't know how I feel about it. The moment I finished this book I wanted to write down all of my thoughts! Eeep! That's exciting for me to be so motivated!
I want to end on a high note, so I'll list what my dislikes followed by my likes.
Dislikes:
-2023 is really close. It's so close that I have plans for that year and the like. If this was set a little farther away I'd be more comfortable. Maybe 2033?
-There were some parts that seemed to repeat. The same characters telling each other the same thing without any new information. A few times I thought, "Didn't we already see this?" My motto with writing is "short and snappy" so I feel like there were a few unnecessary scenes. Which, you know, you could fill with more of Spencer...

Likes:
-THE CHARACTERS! They are the true heart of this story. I get tired of plot driven stories, but this is truly character driven and it is so refreshing!
-The stakes. Everything matters to the characters and the risks are high.
-All the hydration. This is just a weird quirk of mine, but sometimes it seems like characters never drink water and go through all the adventures bam, bam, bam, and I am sure that they should've died of thirst by then. These characters stay hydrated and I was so proud of them!
-Homeschool! What the government did made me hate them so much. Outrageous!
-The ending. The whole book I was considering giving it a lower ranking because of the inconsistent times, repeated actions, and the writing being a tad hard to read, but then the ending happened. OH MY WORD. I'm so impressed.


Congrats to Brooke! That is a huge achievement!
Thanks for reading! Check out Brooke's blog for other info on the book tour.

MovieCritic

"One Bad Apple" - by Rachel Kovaciny: COVER REVEAL!!!

Hello, my fellow book lovers!

Today is a very exciting day! Why is that? Well, Rachel Kovaciny has revealed the cover of her new book, One Bad Apple!

This book is the third in her Once Upon A Western series! In this series she retells fairytales set in the West and without magic! Her first two books are Cloaked (inspired by Little Red Riding Hood) and Dancing and Doughnuts (inspired by Twelve Dancing Princesses. I just read this for the first time last week and it was a blast! Look for a review coming soon). This third book is titled One Bad Apple, and I'm sure that you can all guess what it's based on.

Rachel has also has a story in the Five Magic Spindles collection, The Man on the Buckskin Horse, and she has written multiple short stories.

Okay, enough chat from me for a minute, time to start scrolling!


~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

You hangin' in there? This cover is so worth the wait!

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Voila!:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs... reimagined.

Fourteen-year-old Levi Dalton is numb. Hands tied behind his back, he's about to be hauled away for poisoning a beautiful girl and her kind father. The woman pointing her finger at him and accusing him of murder is the very same woman he hoped could teach him to heal illnesses, not cause them. The woman he idolized. The woman he trusted.

Levi knows he should be scared for his own life. But all he can think about is how graves always come in pairs.

Find here on Goodreads.

Release date: July 28th, 2020!

Find Rachel on:
Facebook
Instagram
Author Website
Personal Blog
Sign-up for newsletter emails


Okay, I need to talk about this cover now that you know as much as I do. Snow White is one of my favorite fairytales, and this sounds AMAZING. This cover is my favorite of hers so far! The colors are so striking! I LOVE how it looks like a mirror.

Anyway, you've heard enough from me. Make sure to tell Rachel congrats over HERE!


Thanks for reading! What do you think of this cover? Do you love the fairytale Snow White as much as I do?

MovieCritic

Announcing the Pixar Blogathon!

Hello, everyone!

2D or cell block animation is my favorite kind and don't really like digital animation. That is why it surprises people when I say that I am a huge fan of Pixar movies, which only use digital animation. Ack, I love them. I've seen all but three of their films. Their colors are beautiful and they create such emotional movies. Thinking about it, they really remind me of summer and June in particular, so I have decided to host a blogathon dedicated to them!

This blogathon will run from June 12th-14th 2020 and I invite all of you to join me! I know that summer is a busy time for everyone because of the beautiful weather, and I am personally busy because I work with my dad, but we also have a pandemic going on. No one knows how long it will last, and it is such a sad and hard time right now, but I thought that we could get together and talk about these awesome movies. If you watch them you are sure to be cheered up (just maybe after crying buckets, first).

The Rules:

1. You can write about anything that has to do with Pixar. Movies, short films, lists of favorites, you name it! Not sure which movies they made? HERE is a list.
2. Because they have only made 22 feature films I ask that no two people review the same movie. But, you one person can talk about one film, and another can include it a list of favorites, etc.
3. It is okay to talk about Pixar movies that you don't like (I mean, there are some that are not my favorite, too), but just be kind and considerate while stating your opinions, and remember that how much work went into each of these movies.
4. You can do as many posts as you want, and just post them on either  June 12th, 13th, or 14th.
5. Comment below (or email me at queen13movies(at)gmail(dot)com) with what subject you would like to cover, and with your blog name and a link to it.
6. If you want to do a guest post on my blog talking about one of them, that is an option! Just let me know in your comment here, then make sure to email your post to me three days before the blogathon starts complete with any photos that you want to use.
7. If you have any questions feel free to ask me!

The Buttons:

I had a ton of fun making these, and I would love that you would put one or two on your blog so that other people will find out about it and join us for the fun!

Claimed posts:

Movies Meet Their Match --- Movie Review: Brave (2012)
Revealed in Time --- Buzz and Woody's friendship in Toy Story
R. F. Gammon, Author [The Writer's Song] --- Growing up in Inside Out (2016)
The Pen and the Cross --- The Incredibles (2004)
Winchester North Star --- List of favorite Pixar shorts, & List of best Pixar moments.
Thunderbird Queen [guest post] --- A breakdown of A Bug's Life (1998).
The Classic Movie Muse --- The connection of WALL-E (2008) to Hello, Dolly!



I'm super excited for this! I hope that you can all join me!

MovieCritic

The Sherlock Tag of Ten

Greetings, dear friends!

It is time for something elementary, because the game is afoot over at Notes From a Hartfield Girl and The Winchester North Star, because Miss Woodhouse and Thunderbird Queen are hosting a Sherlock Blog Party!

All of May is featuring the BBC tv series. They created a tag that I am going to fill out today! I only watched it last year for the first time, but I would love to rewatch sometime because it is so complex while being really fun.

That being said, there are SPOILERS for the tv show Sherlock, so if you haven't watched it, don't read any further!


~ A Tag of Ten ~:

Would You Rather....

1. Spend a day with Sherlock or John?

I feel like this is all that would happen with Sherlock. I would not interest him at all. Nevertheless, it would be fun, and I would probably pester him with questions, like the little boy in The Sign of Three.


2. Watch the first episode or last episode?

I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but I actually didn't like the first episode. I don't know, I wasn't really excited about watching it and my sister was dragging me into it. I didn't really enjoy the entire first season, and I only got into it in season 2, episode 2, The Hounds of Baskervile. But, I loved the last episode! It was marvellous. The emotion made me cry.

3. Have Sherlock's mind or John's compassion?

*rubs hands together* Any excuse for quoting a James Stewart movie is a good one. Here is one of his lines in the movie Harvey (1950):
"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, 'In this world, Elwood, you must be' -- she always called me Elwood -- 'In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me."
I choose John's compassion!
(Can we also talk about in the episode Sign of Three when Sherlock said, "Here I was trying to solve a murder and John Watson saved a man's life. Ah! I love it!)

4. Work with Molly or Lestrade?

My first response was to say Molly, but it wasn't until I was reading other answers that I remembered where each of them work. In that case, I would say Greg Lestrade.


5. Face off against Moriarty or Magnussen?

If you can't tell, I'm groaning over here. This is such a hard question! Ugh, probably Moriarty just because he doesn't gross me out as much as Magnussen.


6. Be best friends with Molly or Mary?

Molly Hooper! Though, Mary is awesome, too,

7. Prevent the events of The Recheinbach Fall or The Six Thatchers?

The Six Thatchers was so horribly sad, I still can't process it. So yeah, that one.


8. Deal with a grumpy Sherlock or a grumpy Mycroft?

Not sure. I think that I could just ignore both of them until they are feeling better.

9. Ride in Mrs. Hudson's car or Mycroft's helicopter?

Mrs. Hudson's car! Haha!


10. Babysit Rosie or help plan the Watson wedding?

Is this even a question?? Babysit Rosie, of course!



A huge thanks to Miss Woodhouse and Thunderbird Queen for hosting this! I had a ton of fun! Check out the links in the comments HERE for more answers to this tag!

Thanks for reading! Where are the other Sherlock fans? Do you agree with my answers?

MovieCritic

Movie Review: This Beautiful Fantastic (2017)

Hello, hello, hello!

I hope that all of you are doing well! I'm really excited because today I am reviewing a movie that I just recently watched and absolutely loved! My sisters and I have been obsessing over this because it is just so good. I'll try to be organized while reviewing this and not just scream about how wonderful it is.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


This Beautiful Fantastic (2017):

"It's a world of beautifully ordered chaos."
Bella Brown dreams of being a children's author, but for now works at the library. One night after falling in her garden and ending up in the house of her grouchy neighbor, Alfie, she hires his cook, Vernon, whom he just fired. Her landlord warns her that she will be evicted in a month if she doesn't clean it up. With the encouragement of Vernon, and grumpy advice of Alfie she begins to make her first steps, but will she be able to turn the overgrown mess into something beautiful?
"I don't want to prod around in your obsessive little world longer than I have to."

Genre: Drama, I really don't know. Is there a genre for incredibly amazing?
Length: approx. 92 minutes.
Costumes: 10, It's just simple clothing, but I absolutely love it. All of the outfits fit everyone's characters so well.
Script: 10, there is some name calling (between Alfie and Vernon and is kind of hilarious) and Alfie has a few swear words, but it was really light while adding to his grumpy character and didn't bother me.
"You can speed read, but everything that matters takes time." (this is a paraphrase because I was so into the movie that I didn't realize I was writing over my own notes and making a mess that I can't read.)
Crew:
Directed by: Simon Aboud.
Written by: Simon Aboud.
Starring:
Jessica Brown Findlay as Bella Brown.

Tom Wilkinson as Alfie Stephenson.

Andrew Scott as Vernon.

Jeremy Irvine as Billy Tranter.

Anna Chancellor as Mrs. Bramble.

Eileen Davies as Milly.
Natalie Nasseraldeen as Rhian.
Nancy Nasseraldeen as Amy. (There is some confusion here as this is what the girls are credited as, but in the movie they call them by different names.)
Cinematography: 10! Can we talk about the flowers?? SO GORGEOUS.
Cinematography by: Mike Eley.

Music: 10, I wrote, "This music is making me happy." It is so airy and sweet and lovely.
Music by: Mike Eley.
Quotes: 10, everything that they say is just delightful!
"Food prison." (That was Vernon and it made me almost die from laughter.)

Content: 10, this is so clean! It was so refreshing to see a movie with nothing that bothered me at all.
Originality: 10! Okay, it's just a story about a girl cleaning up her garden, right? Yes, but there are so many other things and I love it to pieces.

THIS SCENE WAS A RIOT.

Good For: Everyone (seriously, you need to watch this)!!!
Age Range: This is rated PG (probably for Alfie's brief words), but absolutely anyone could watch this!
"You should doubt only a man who changes his story, I just repeat myself in the vague hope that one day somebody will actually hear me."

Overall Score: 10!!!!!!!!!!
Bonus thoughts:
Do you ever come across those perfect movies? Movies that are just so wonderful that everyone needs to see and appreciate how spectacular they are? Well, this is a perfect film! This movie is so marvelous! I'm trying to convey it to all of you but you can't see me jumping up and down, squealing with happiness. Just believe me, okay?

The characters are the heart of this movie. Right away we get to know Bella and care about her, and as soon as we meet everyone else we love them as well. I love the pure friendship between Vernon and Bella, as it is something that I feel like I don't see in movies a lot. I knew that it had Jessica Brown Findlay and she was amazing. Tom Wilkinson was splendid, and Jeremy Irvine's Billy was precious and adorable, but I was so unprepared for Andrew Scott, based on the other role that I've seen him in. Anna Chancellor's small role as the librarian was hilarious!
Bella's Luna story! We get a story inside a story which just added to the brilliance. I love it!!
This movie is about caring for people, kindness, flowers, stories, and happiness. What's not to love?? It bumped its way into my top ten movies of all time, and is both of my sisters's new favorite movie ever. So yeah, just please go watch it. If you are ever going to watch any of the movies that I have reviewed, make it this one. It truly is beautiful and fantastic in every way.



Thank you for reading through my excited ramblings! I am now incredibly happy because I talked about it. At first I couldn't find a lot of photos, but then I did and went a little over the top. There is no in between.
If you have seen this tell me your thoughts, and if you haven't, what are you waiting for??

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Knives Out (2019)

Good day to everyone!

I hope that you are all staying safe and healthy! Today I am going to review for you the latest movie that I saw in the theater, and that was back in January. I love mysteries and this one was a fun time. I hope that you enjoy this review!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


Knives Out (2019):

"The guy practically lives in a Clue board."
The famous detective Benoit Blanc is hired by an anonymous person to further investigate the suicide of the 85 year old mystery writer Harlan Thrombey. He finds that Harlan's family aren't telling him everything and tension grows as Harlan's will is going to be read. He finds himself in a mystery equal to the ones the man used to write, but is there a solution?
"I keep waiting for the big reveal."

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Drama.
Length: approx. 131 minutes.
Costumes: 8, just usual clothing.
Script: 5, so there was a lot of swearing. There are quite a few arguments where people yell bad words. One insult that I thought was hilarious was "Weak sauce."
Crew:
Directed by: Rian Johnson.
Written by: Rian Johnson.
Starring:
Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey. "You had to find a game to play with him."

Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey.
Riki Lindhome as Donna Thrombey.
Jaeden Martell as Jacob Thrombey.

Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey.

Katherine Langford as Meg Thrombey.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale.
Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale.
Chris Evans as Ransom Drysdale.
Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera.
Edi Patterson as Fran.
K Callan as Greatnana Wanetta.
Noah Segan as Trooper Wagner.
LaKeith Stanfield as Lieutenant Elliott.
Frank Oz as Alan Stevens.
Cinematography: 10, I'm going to give it a 10 because it was really cool to me. Most movies I think about the cinematography afterwards and say, "Eh, it was the normal." But it is rare that I find a movie where while watching it I think, "Wow! This is so neat!" Yep, those stick with me and this did exactly that. I love the aesthetic that goes with it and from the first it pulled me in.
Cinematography by: Steve Yedlin.

Music: 9, this music, like the cinematography, helped get me hooked! My first comment to my sister who went with me was "Creepy music!" (and that was a compliment). The score has a great amount of mystery, tension, and surprise, while being a little spooky at times.
Music by: Nathan Johnson.
"Physical evidence can tell a clear story with a forked tongue."
Quotes: 7, okay, so the reason that this has a lower rating is because of this one time where the dialogue was trying to sound really cool, but it didn't work and was hilarious to me.
It's when Jodi asks Benoit, "Do you suspect foul play?" There is a pause, then he replies, "I suspect foul play." She literally just asked you that, you could have just answered yes. Or, she could have asked, "Do you think something's wrong?" then he could have been all dramatic with the answer. Usually I'm not this picky, so I was surprised that I noticed this. Other than that, my sister and I quote this a lot, but I can't put most of them here because they are spoilers.
Oscars won: It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and I thought it was going to win because to me it was more complicated than another mystery Gosford Park (2001) which won the award in 2001, but it didn't.
Content: 6, it is a mystery involving death and some violence, scary scenes, along with a lot of smoking. Another thing is that one character vomits a few times, so there are several disgusting times. There are also one or two suggestive and racist comments.

Source

Originality: 8, this was an epic mystery. The way it was told was so great, I can't recall seeing anything like it! But, one note is about a name. When my sisters and I were little my mom would sometimes read us Choose Your Own Adventure stories, and our favorite was Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? - by Edward Packard. When we heard about this movie for the first time, we immediately thought of this book. This movie is a mystery about a man who has died named Harlan Thrombey. I don't think that you can get much closer than that! While it is pitched as an original story and I really liked it, I'm suspicious about the coincidence.

Good For: Mystery fans!
Age Range: It's rated PG-13 and I agree with that just because of what the language and content that I mentioned. As always, it depends on each person's comfort level.
Overall Score: 8!
"Close the book with a flourish."
Bonus thoughts:
I went to see this because of the great cast and director Rian Johnson (who directed one of my favorite STAR WARS movies, The Last Jedi (2017)), and came out really impressed. My older sister and I had talked about what we thought was going to happen but we weren't ready for this. Ah, it was so good! I mean, my only problem with it was all the bad words and smoking, but other than that it is one of my favorite mysteries because while it is a fun time and complicated, it also has a great message.
I'd never seen Daniel Craig in anything, but he did such a great job, I totally wasn't expecting it. And, he pulled off a southern accent!

I need to talk about Marta. She is now one of my favorite fictional characters! She is so sweet, kind, honest, and great. If nothing else that I have said has convinced you, you should all watch this for her.



Thanks for reading this far! Now I need to know if any of you have seen this! What are your thoughts? If you haven't, does this look interesting to you now? Stay safe everyone! And, Happy Mother's Day!

MovieCritic