You & Me

**Pretty Much obsessed with the violins and video for this song --> EnJoY!

Paul

It’s always a pleasure to see people taking life into their own hands; especially when it comes to the arts! 2011’s ‘Paul’ was written by long-time friends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost whom also starred in the movie. Both English Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are writers, actors and producers of their own vision and that’s a heap of inspiration for all those with ideas they wish to bring to fruition.  

This Adventure/Comedy/Sci-Fi exceeded my expectations. I was very skeptical in the beginning but the film was very well made and gave high delivery on the laughs! There was romance, comedy, action, adventure and sentimental moments too. Well-written, great acting and loads of ‘a-hah’ moments that not only kept the audience entertained but stimulated throughout! 

Pegg and Frost spent $40 million USD to hire some of today’s big honchos in the acting world and had the film directed by Greg Mottola. Bringing the laughs and adding their star power were  Blythe Danner, Sigourney Weaver, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Jesse Plemons, Jane Lynch, Bobby Lee, Jeffrey Tambor, and Canadian Seth Rogen as the voice of ‘Paul’.

The Change-Up

2011’s ‘The Change-Up’ written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and directed by David Dobkin, was a light Comedy starring the usual suspects. This time, no leading lady, but two leading men, Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. You’ll want to keep the children inside for this one; this film is Rated R for very strong sexual content, nudity and drug-use; which although I found un-necessary at times did turn out to make me laugh. 

Hollywood has excelled at the cookie-cutter recipe for movies depending on genre; for this instance, comedy, there was a lot of crude and provocative humour, followed by retrospection, the ‘a-hah’ moment and then the heart-warming and positive ending. Not a bad formulae but a bit mundane at this point.

Leslie Mann and Olivia Wilde also join in the fun as love interests and capture not only the hearts with their chemistry with cast-mates but with the audience as well. ‘The grass isn’t always greener on the other side’; a great reminder that we can’t always fill the shoes of someone else!

The Exam

“There is one question before you, and one answer is required. If you try to communicate with myself or the guard, you will be disqualified. If you spoil your paper, intentionally or accidentally, you will be disqualified. If you choose to leave this room for any reason, you will be disqualified. Any questions?”

This 2009 Mystery/Thriller was reminiscent of other movies like ‘The Cube’, however it still kept the audience’s attention till the very end. Written and Directed by English Stuart Hazeldine it was a clever and obvious low-budget film (all in one room) that kept viewers on their feet with trying to figure out a confusing riddle given to our main characters at the very beginning.

Starring Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, Nathalie Cox, Luke Manly, and Chukwudi Iwuji all with English backgrounds they all gave incredible, stable and credible performances. Gripping and electrifying from start to finish, it was a film that kept the mind captivated and engaged just as it’s characters were. Not your usual thriller and a wonderful exception to the usual played-out rules!

Daddy's Home

It’s being a passenger on planes that you get the chance to catch up on movies! I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to do that now. The last one I had the pleasure of catching was ‘Daddy’s Home’ starring the ever-hilarious Will Ferrell. This 2015 Comedy was Written by Brian Burns and Sean Anders and directed by Sean Anders.

Very simple yet powerful story-line of Father versus Step-father and Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and Linda Cardellini managed to make all of it believable and heart-warming. With an estimated budget of $50 million USD, it grossed $150 million back at the box-office and even garnered 1 win and 3 nominations for delivering the funnies! 

Laugh-out-loud funny moments and a great message!

The Invitation

Starring the newly-talked-about actress Emayatzy Corinealdi, who drove Writer/Director Ava DuVernay into the spotlight and pivoted her career in a whole new direction gaining not only nominations and wins but also continuous leading roles shortly thereafter. She once again snagged a wonderful lead spot for Director Karyn Kusama’s film ‘The Invitation’.

Written by partners Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, this 2015 Drama/Thriller is about a dinner party of friends who reunite after a tragic incident. The friends except for one are completely oblivious of the illboding events that are revealed slowly. Three wins and 1 nomination that year, although it wasn’t a blockbuster it managed to triple at the box-office.

I loved that this film wasn’t the ordinary Thriller/Horror, but instead quite sensible in reactions and pacing. The perfect example of what a Hollywood party really is all about. With the twist of events almost towards the end, this psychological thriller kept the audience wanting to know more and more about the characters and the real reason why they were all ‘invited’. Strong acting, and makes for a night of unexpected fun!