Plus, I've finally watched the Mad Max trilogy, and although I wasn't impressed I'm glad I've finally seen it. New release Mad Max: Fury Road, however, is in another league entirely and completely deserves the full five stars!
LEGALLY BLONDE
* * * *
Channel 5 // 2001 // DVD
"When a blonde sorority queen is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back and, once there, learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined."
(ALL IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com)
It's the film that introduced the world to the bend and snap, proved women can actually love fashion and still pursue academically demanding careers (who knew?!) and provided one of the greatest takedowns of all time with Elle's "deactivating the immonium thygocolate" speech. Legally Blonde is enormous fun, endlessly quotable and never gets old, if anything it just improves over time like a fine wine.
Every time I watch Legally Blonde I immediately decide that I want to go to law school, only to remember that I'd make a truly rubbish lawyer. I'll settle instead for rewatching in a few weeks' time...
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD
* * * *
2015 // In U.K. cinemas now
"In Victorian England, the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor."
I'd been looking forward to finally seeing Far From the Madding Crowd for months, and luckily it fully lived up to all expectations. This David Nicholls penned adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel is beautiful and romantic, and really hits the spot for those of us already mourning the end of BBC1's Poldark a few weeks ago. Total Film described it "for genre fans" as "pure period drama porn" and I couldn't agree more...
Carey Mulligan shines as Hardy's thoroughly modern protagonist Bathsheba Everdene. She boldly states that she intends to "astonish" us all, and here Mulligan succeeds in spades despite the formidable task of following in Julie Christie's footsteps in the celebrated 1967 version. Mulligan's heroine is strong, steely and independent, expertly switching from authoritative (the scene depicting her dismissal of the smug bailiff is a joy to behold) to girlish (under the charms of the dashing Sergeant Troy) without losing her determination. This is a woman triumphing in a man's world while retaining her femininity, and it makes for excellent viewing.
It helps that Bathsheba's three suitors are so excellently cast, and the chemistry in each strikingly different relationship is just wonderful. Belgian man of the hour Matthias Schoenaerts smoulders as sheep farmer Gabriel Oak, and although he falters with the Dorset accent his warmth and solid screen presence more than makes up for it. The sexual chemistry between Gabriel and Bathsheba underscores the entire film, and while his actions are more measured and deliberate than Alan Bates before him, his restrained nature emphasises the simmering tension between the pair even more. Michael Sheen - brilliant in everything - is wonderfully melancholy and tragic as the middle aged bachelor William Boldwood, and his performance is complemented perfectly by the arrogant youth of Tom Sturridge's Sergeant Troy. A moustachioed heart-breaking soldier that sweeps Bathsheba off her feet, Troy is a real cad, and Sturridge ensures he has a real air of danger. The iconic outdoor scene where he shows off his swordsmanship skills to Bathsheba is wonderfully shot.
The costumes here are beautiful, if not potentially a little too modern. That being said, they are truly stunning. As Wendy Ide at The Times has pointed out, Bathsheba's tailored gingham dresses and tipped hats have a distinctly rebellious Vivienne Westwood feel, and her fitted peplum leather jacket and tweed jodhpurs are wonderfully reminiscent of her 21st century namesake, the fearless Katniss Everdene. While they may not be totally historically accurate they're a visual treat. Likewise, the landscapes and scenery are equally breathtaking.
Far From the Madding Crowd is as whimsical and impressive as I hoped it would be.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
* * * * *
Sky Movies // 2014 // DVD
Is there any point in me reviewing this again?! Not even a little bit! I love Captain America, and I don't care who knows it.
MAD MAX // MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR // MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME
* * *
Sky Movies // 1979-1981-1985 // DVD
"In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang."
"In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits."
"A former Australian policeman is rescued by a tribe of children when he is banished from a desert town and sent into the desert to die by the desert town's evil queen."
I really, really wanted to like the Mad Max trilogy, but sadly I just can't get on board with it. Maybe it's because I cannot abide Mel Gibson, or that unfortunately I struggle to take to low-budget action films, but either way this trilogy did nothing for me at all. I hate that I'm saying this! None of the three held my attention past the first twenty minutes, and personally I found them totally bonkers and - dare I say it - boring. I wish I could have had a totally different reaction!
However, the action is pretty good, and even though I wasn't overly impressed it's hard not to objectively appreciate how exciting, innovative and bold these films are. Also, the costumes are wild in the best possible way! I can understand why these films are such a hit, sadly they just weren't not my cup of tea at all.
MAX MAD: FURY ROAD
* * * * *
2015 // In U.K. cinemas now
"In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland."
I was thoroughly disappointed by the original trilogy, and having been met by a tidal wave of gushing, rave reviews from critics over the last few days I was understandably wary of Fury Road. Would it be as epic as journalists were making out, or would I not take to it as I did with the trilogy? Bizarrely, I loved it, and rest assured it deserves all the stars and praise the world is bestowing on it.
Make no mistake, there is very little actual plot to be found: Fury Road is essentially a 120 minute action sequence that's so unrelenting you'll feel exhausted by the end. There is no rest-bite from the action at any point: no time for extended character development or pesky dialogue, and no opportunities to catch your breath. While this would make most films completely unwatchable, Fury Road relishes in it and leaves every other action-packed film in recent memory to eat its dust. The acton (I've said it too many times now...) is astonishing. It may be set in a post-apocalyptic world but it feels so, so real, which is mostly due to the lack of CGI. Over 80% of the effects in the film are the product of intricate stunts, practical effects and detailed makeup, and in a world where blockbusters seem to rely solely on CGI for awe-inspiring "wow" moments, this is truly refreshing. It really does add to the excitement and produces no end of jaw-dropping "did they really just do that?!" reactions. Director George Miller has put his $150million budget to good use and made the sort of action film the world's been dreaming of and has desperately needed.
Also, women have never looked so bad-ass or unapologetically tough on screen. The actresses may be statuesque beauties primarily known mostly for their modelling careers rather than their acting abilities, but here none of them are used as eye-candy, damsels in distress or to further Max's story. These are fiercely strong, complicated women - the treasured wives of a warlord - fighting back and escaping captivity from a hideously patriarchal world with awful customs such as farming women for their breastmilk. Hilariously, men's rights activists are up in arms at the portrayal of women in Fury Road and the central theme of women escaping abuse, and are encouraging like-minded misogynistic individuals to boycott the film, labelling it as "feminist propaganda". As far as I'm concerned, that ludicrous assessment made it even more unmissable.
Charlize Theron - in particular - is utterly sensational. Her one-armed Furiosa is the undisputed hero of the piece, the trusted lieutenant who betrays the warlord Immorten Joe by liberating his wives and thus setting in motion the chain of events throughout the film. While she's risking her life at the beginning, Tom Hardy's Max is imprisoned like an animal and used as a human blood bank by Nicholas Hoult's Nux, rendering him briefly at the mercy of his captor. Furiosa is a true equal to her male counterpart Max, with her action and stunts just as exciting, intense, and awe-inspiring. In fact, they're probably even more impressive. She joins the likes of Emily Blunt's Rita Vrataski (Edge of Tomorrow) and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow (Avengers) as a three-dimensional, well-developed female character that's never reduced to a stereotype of her gender. If you can't appreciate how brilliantly awesome Furiosa is, then quite frankly you need help!
If it's not already clear, I was extraordinarily impressed with Fury Road. Don't go in expecting a fully formed story or a plot: approach it as two hours of mesmerising action and you won't be disappointed. The score is brilliant, the makeup and costumes are totally bonkers, and you'll be chanting "oh what a lovely day!" for hours afterwards. Double thumbs up from me!
What have you seen over the last fortnight? Have you been waiting eagerly for Mad Max: Fury Road or did you rush to see Pitch Perfect 2 (which I'm dying to see!)? Do let me know in the comments below!
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