Craig's Movie Club

So, I have seen a few good films in the last few weeks. Some were amazing and some were a bit blah. As I am a blog that literally talks about anything I thought I would give some little reviews. I warn you now there are some spoilers, so here we go -

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
This film was recommended for me on Netflix, and I decided to give it a gander as I love Aubrey Plaza's work on 'Parks and Recreation' and also Jake Johnson's work on 'New Girl'. The film centres around a reporter and his two interns and them chasing a story about some guy who has advertised for some one to be his sidekick as he attempts to time travel. It isn't a film that is bogged down with science fiction, I have no knowledge of psychics and I followed it just fine. It is a really good film. The relationship that Aubrey's character develops with the time traveller is quite special and in the end you don't want him to be this crazy guy that everyone thinks he is. Also there is a cameo from the awesome Kristen Bell so I was more than pleasantly happy with this film. The ending was great - a little bit of mystery so you can decide what happened.

The Blind Side (2009)
My love for Sandra Bullock has no limit. I will stand and cheer for anything she does (even the less than stellar 'All About Steve' which I happened to enjoy). I can't believe it has taken me this long to watch this film which gave my beloved an Oscar. This film is basically about a well off family that takes in a boy from the wrong side of the tracks and looks after him. He is built like brick shit house so he is perfect for American Football. They love him as if he is their own. The story is very touching and I got a lump in my throat basically every second line that was spoken. Sandra is amazing in it and totally believable portraying this woman that actually exists, as it is a true story. I love a film that makes me cry and with this film I was snivelling wreck.

Gravity (2013)
Another Sandra film, and this time I made sure I saw it in a cinema. YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS IN THE CINEMA. The effects are awesome, I found myself questioning half way through if they didn't actually film this in space. It is so amazingly done and so real (as far as I can gather). Sandra's performance was definitely award worthy and I hope she gets celebrated for it. The film it self is quite stressful, the story is about a bunch of astronauts that become under attack from high speed debris flying at them. It destroys the ship they were on and basically a bunch of the film is Sandra just spinning around in space.
You long for the safety of her's and George Clooney's characters as they aim to board the International Space Station to use their escape pod. Some of the shots throughout the film just left me open mouthed - my favourite was the scene where Sandra takes off her suit. This is in no way perverted, it was just beautiful. The fluidity of being in space, this might resonate with some people, but it almost looked like a baby in the womb (its a weird thought but it did to me). Apparently there are some scientific inconstancies but it should no way effect your enjoyment.

Rebecca (1940)
Someone at work knew that I  was a Hitchcock fan and they asked if I had seen this film, I hadn't so they borrowed it me. The horror when I found out it was over 2 hours long nearly put me off (my attention span can last comfortably for an hour and half to two hours. However my love for Hitchcock films and my co-worker sat me in my seat for the entire duration. It is a story of a woman who marries a recently widowed man, she moves in with him and finds her self constantly in the shadow of the deceased wife. The wife's cause of death is put under scrutiny, and is also revealed that the husband did have some part in the death, but he is found not guilty. The problem for me with this film is that it could have been a hell of a lot shorter, the first hour is incredibly dragged out and there is a lot of scenes that are not necessary. I almost turned it off half way through, already thinking of a lie about how much I loved it. I am glad I didn't. The last hour is great in comparison. Would I watch it again? No. I don't need to but I am glad I have watched it.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
I feel like this is one of those films that everyone has seen and I never did. It is a classic film that is constantly mentioned in popular culture. I always remember Phoebe talking about it on 'Friends' so I wanted to see it. So finally I sat down with it, I decided to watch the colour version (I'm a fan of fashion so I wanted to see the clothes in all their glory).
The film is a lot to take. You constantly ask yourself how much one man can take, how could he not snap? Its constant disappointment after disappointment. I started to question the film's title. Then we get to meet the amazing Clarence. At the lowest point of the main character's story, George, he contemplates suicide. Clarence, the angel to yet to receive his wings comes and saves him and shows him just how much influence he has had on the people around him. It is a beautiful last 45 minutes and really makes you question your own life. The ending made me cry like a sinner in church. I am not surprised this is a classic, it was perfect.