Last night I saw Yesterday, starring Himesh Patel and Lily James.
A world without The Beatles or Coca-Cola isn't a world I'd ever want to live in, but it's the warped reality that struggling English musician, Jack (Patel), experiences when he wakes from an accident. Jack was hit by a bus during a freak, 12-second worldwide blackout and seems to be the only person who remembers the most famous band that ever existed and the iconic soda.
Of course he doesn't have the formula for Coke, but he does remember a fair amount of The Beatles catalog of songs, so he begins to "write" them one-by-one and pass them off as his own. Of course, the world (again) loves them.
Side note: For those of us who are die-hard Beatles fans who absolutely hate covers of their songs, listening to him play their sacred hits throughout the film is as excruciating as you'd imagine.
By his side on his rise to fame is Ellie (James) who has known him since childhood and acts as his manager until he's recruited by a bigger fish, who arrives in the form of Kate McKinnon as Debra. She is a very welcome distraction, as is Ed Sheeran who portrays himself.
Although the film is marketed as this philosophical "what if" regarding the cultural shift that would happen if the band who influenced nearly every major rock act that came after them never happened, it's really just a mediocre romantic comedy about two people who don't have much chemistry and struggle to get past the friend zone. In fact, the film should have been called The Friend Zone.
As someone who counts Love Actually among the greatest rom coms of all time, I hoped that writer Richard Curtis would sprinkle his fairy dust on this couple as well, but instead all we got were a series of groan-worthy jokes (re-naming "Hey Jude" to "Hey Dude") and an odd twist at the end that contemplates what John Lennon would be doing today if he hadn't been murdered (for what it's worth, I don't think they even came close).
A film exploring an alternate Back to the Future-ish reality about how music would suck had rock 'n' roll never been blessed with John, Paul, George and Ringo? Now that would have been compelling.
Unfortunately, the greatest part of this film was the very end—when the real Beatles sing "Hey Jude" over the credits.
~~~
Showing posts with label Lily James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lily James. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
Monday, July 23, 2018
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
On Saturday, I saw Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, starring Amanda Seyfried and Lily James.
Sophie (Seyfried) is on the verge of opening the hotel her mother Donna (James/Meryl Streep) had always dreamed of running. She's having trouble with her boyfriend, trouble with the weather and trouble with nausea. Of course, she sings about all of it.
Through present-day scenes with her and flashbacks of her young mother at a similar time in her life, we explore the parallels between the two women in a more heartwarming way that I honestly expected.
Lily James does a brilliant job of conveying the spirit of young Donna (a role originated by the magnificent Streep), finding herself in a new life on a small island, pregnant with Sophie. We get the backstory on how she first met Sophie's three dads (in somewhat comical retellings) and see her bravery and fears surface in vibrant color.
The film is enjoyable, if not a bit sad at poignant moments, and the always-reliable A-list stars definitely deliver (they even let Pierce Brosnan sing again).
My only disappointments would be the under-utilized Cher and the slow pace of the first 30 minutes.
~~~
Sophie (Seyfried) is on the verge of opening the hotel her mother Donna (James/Meryl Streep) had always dreamed of running. She's having trouble with her boyfriend, trouble with the weather and trouble with nausea. Of course, she sings about all of it.
Through present-day scenes with her and flashbacks of her young mother at a similar time in her life, we explore the parallels between the two women in a more heartwarming way that I honestly expected.
Lily James does a brilliant job of conveying the spirit of young Donna (a role originated by the magnificent Streep), finding herself in a new life on a small island, pregnant with Sophie. We get the backstory on how she first met Sophie's three dads (in somewhat comical retellings) and see her bravery and fears surface in vibrant color.
The film is enjoyable, if not a bit sad at poignant moments, and the always-reliable A-list stars definitely deliver (they even let Pierce Brosnan sing again).
My only disappointments would be the under-utilized Cher and the slow pace of the first 30 minutes.
~~~
Tuesday, January 02, 2018
Darkest Hour
Yesterday I saw Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman and Lily James.
The film chronicles the time that Winston Churchill (Oldman) rose to power in Great Britain and chose to fight the Nazis instead of attempting a peace agreement with them.
For those who know history, the ending will serve as no surprise, but how Britain got there might. Many, including me, didn't know that there was ever serious thought given to a peace treaty with Hitler or that Churchill faced such brutal opposition from his own team for his resolve against Germany.
So, how exciting is that to watch? More exciting than you may expect, because suspense builds even if you know the outcome. And the raves about Oldman's portrayal of the great leader are not at all exaggerated—he inhabits him in a scary-authentic way. From his mannerisms to his intonation, someone we know as a slender, handsome man, becomes the pudgy, quick-tempered, quirky prime minister before our eyes. The performance is Oscar bait, for sure.
Also great is Lily James as Churchill's secretary Elizabeth. She is wounded when he's hard on her and hopeful when she sees him doing the right thing. Though her words are few, her expressions tell us everything we need to know. A perfect example of how women were treated in the era and how "the job" was perceived to be more important than standing up for themselves or expressing their opinions.
Darkest Hour is a satisfying, if not fast-paced, glimpse into a period of history we can't seem to stop re-visiting. See it for Oldman's performance, if nothing else.
~~~
The film chronicles the time that Winston Churchill (Oldman) rose to power in Great Britain and chose to fight the Nazis instead of attempting a peace agreement with them.
For those who know history, the ending will serve as no surprise, but how Britain got there might. Many, including me, didn't know that there was ever serious thought given to a peace treaty with Hitler or that Churchill faced such brutal opposition from his own team for his resolve against Germany.
So, how exciting is that to watch? More exciting than you may expect, because suspense builds even if you know the outcome. And the raves about Oldman's portrayal of the great leader are not at all exaggerated—he inhabits him in a scary-authentic way. From his mannerisms to his intonation, someone we know as a slender, handsome man, becomes the pudgy, quick-tempered, quirky prime minister before our eyes. The performance is Oscar bait, for sure.
Also great is Lily James as Churchill's secretary Elizabeth. She is wounded when he's hard on her and hopeful when she sees him doing the right thing. Though her words are few, her expressions tell us everything we need to know. A perfect example of how women were treated in the era and how "the job" was perceived to be more important than standing up for themselves or expressing their opinions.
Darkest Hour is a satisfying, if not fast-paced, glimpse into a period of history we can't seem to stop re-visiting. See it for Oldman's performance, if nothing else.
~~~
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Baby Driver
Tonight I saw Baby Driver, starring Ansel Elgort and Jon Hamm.
Baby (Elgort) isn't your average getaway car driver. He's young. He's distracted (by music of his own choosing). He's got a seemingly endless supply of sunglasses.
He's not meant for a life of crime.
This story, really mostly about him, is a ride in itself—a genre-bending, hilarious, tragic, sentimental, endearing, tense thriller that doesn't give you much of a chance to breathe between scenes.
Baby's boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey), promises him he can leave the life once he's settled a debt that's unbeknownst to us. He achieves this in a heart-thumping heist scene and calmly returns home, where he cares for Joseph (CJ Jones), an elderly deaf man, in a run-down apartment. He also gets friendly with waitress Debora, who works at a nearby diner.
All along, Baby has a continuous soundtrack playing in his ears. The excuse given is tinnitus, but his knack for making music from his secretly taped conversations leads us to believe there could be more to it.
He gets to know many of the criminals he drives for along the way. Smoldering Buddy (Hamm), evil Bats (Jamie Foxx) and others. They are suspect of his youth and his earbuds and his incredible skill at operating motor vehicles.
There are too many twists and turns to properly take the story any further without spoiling, so I'll leave it there and simply say: Edgar Wright has outdone himself.
I'm a fan of his other work (Shaun of the Dead probably the most recognizable), but this is better. It's smarter. Sharper. Faster.
Above all else, it has rhythm. Since the storytelling is woven through music that our protagonist selects for his various moods and jobs, the film radiates with a series of songs that wouldn't feel out of place in the world of Tarantino. And yes, there's violence. And some language too.
But it remarkably doesn't feel gratuitous, and the Georgia accent on our hero makes him all that more appealing. There's even a love story for the romantics to fall for.
I may have to see it again.
~~~
Baby (Elgort) isn't your average getaway car driver. He's young. He's distracted (by music of his own choosing). He's got a seemingly endless supply of sunglasses.
He's not meant for a life of crime.
This story, really mostly about him, is a ride in itself—a genre-bending, hilarious, tragic, sentimental, endearing, tense thriller that doesn't give you much of a chance to breathe between scenes.
Baby's boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey), promises him he can leave the life once he's settled a debt that's unbeknownst to us. He achieves this in a heart-thumping heist scene and calmly returns home, where he cares for Joseph (CJ Jones), an elderly deaf man, in a run-down apartment. He also gets friendly with waitress Debora, who works at a nearby diner.
All along, Baby has a continuous soundtrack playing in his ears. The excuse given is tinnitus, but his knack for making music from his secretly taped conversations leads us to believe there could be more to it.
He gets to know many of the criminals he drives for along the way. Smoldering Buddy (Hamm), evil Bats (Jamie Foxx) and others. They are suspect of his youth and his earbuds and his incredible skill at operating motor vehicles.
There are too many twists and turns to properly take the story any further without spoiling, so I'll leave it there and simply say: Edgar Wright has outdone himself.
I'm a fan of his other work (Shaun of the Dead probably the most recognizable), but this is better. It's smarter. Sharper. Faster.
Above all else, it has rhythm. Since the storytelling is woven through music that our protagonist selects for his various moods and jobs, the film radiates with a series of songs that wouldn't feel out of place in the world of Tarantino. And yes, there's violence. And some language too.
But it remarkably doesn't feel gratuitous, and the Georgia accent on our hero makes him all that more appealing. There's even a love story for the romantics to fall for.
I may have to see it again.
~~~
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Cinderella
Today I saw Cinderella, starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett.
The story of Cinderella is sewn so tightly into the fabric of our collective memories that the plot doesn't need repeating, so instead I'll just highlight the pros and cons of this live action rendition:
~~~
The story of Cinderella is sewn so tightly into the fabric of our collective memories that the plot doesn't need repeating, so instead I'll just highlight the pros and cons of this live action rendition:
- I missed the music. I like a little Bibbidi-Bobbiti-Boo with my fairy Godmothering and the fact there was only a drop of song here and there was disappointing.
- I loved the cast of ladies. Lily James was convincingly sweet as the star and Blanchett equally so as the villain. Helena Bonham Carter too.
- The pace was a little slow. Knowing every step of the story going in is an obvious disadvantage, but it's exaggerated when things don't move swiftly.
- The costumes and scenery were gorgeous. I loved getting lost in that forest and dancing across that ballroom.
- I wish there had been more of the stepsisters. Nasty as they were, they brought great comic relief to the story. But they were hardly there.
- The overall theme of kindness was well executed. The screenwriter did a beautiful job of capturing the true spirit of the fairy tale, sending the message that good people finish first.
~~~
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