I've been going through a total Woody Allen phase of late... AGAIN! The truth is, I love the guy. He's a comic genius! The way he can superbly contrast a romantic comedy with a drama, telling stories about everyday seemingly mundane, Manhatten lives... Oh, if only life were like one of his films! Last night, I revisited Melinda and Melinda. Two different versions of one girl's life. A tragedy and a comedy. The film starts off with four friends discussing life, and raising the question: is life inherently tragic, or comedic?In both versions, a very distraught Melinda interrupts a dinner party and from there, the film unfolds, with two different playwrights give their take on a similar version of events. One sees life as a never-ending drama, whereas the other sees through the gloom, and gives it a positive spin. Will Ferrell plays the part Allen would've played, had the script been written in the 70s or 80s - and does a fine job of it, too. You can hear and see Allen in his anxious dialogue, as well as his mannerisms. Radha Mitchell plays Melinda in both versions, and also stars Chloe Sevigny, with Steve Carell also making an appearance. 9/10
Biutiful is a Spanish drama, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez, and you can tell! Like many of his other films, the main protagonist in this film is doing it tough! It's a hard life, and whilst he struggles to be a good person for his wife, his kids and in his working life, life just continues to get harder and harder. A brilliant film, but be warned: It's heavy, and certainly not a feel good flick. I would recommend having some light relief such as Zoolander, on standby for when the credits roll. 7/10
Babies is kind of in the spirit of Baraka and Home, in that there is no dialogue, just an hour and a half of wonderful cinematography, following four newborn babies from four corners of the world; Mongolia, Japan, the US and Namibia. It documents the babies lives from the day they're born till they take their first steps and it is absolutely visually STUNNING! 6/10
Bridesmaids I'm not usually one for the box office classic, but Bridesmaids is an exception.... If you are feeling lost, single and a little bit despondent - you must see this film! It's hysterical! I loved every minute of it - Reminiscent of the Hangover (just as funny), this one is clearly for the girls, which the guys can't help but also giggle! 11/10
Humboldt County Not quite a comedy, not quite a drama, Humboldt County is a wonderful story about Peter Hadley, a fledgling medical student, disillusioned by the high expectations of his father. A chance meeting sees him questioning his life, and its meaning during a week spent in the home of an aging hippy family, in the woods of Humboldt County. Living a sustainable existence off the grid, with cannabis as their cash crop, Jack and Rosie in true hippy fashion take Peter into their family as though they are old friends. Peter eventually realises that life does not need to be governed by the expectations of others or mainstream society, and that you can do, and live any way in which you so choose, outside of a positivist paradigm. I loved this film, not because the script and plot is brilliant, but because it is the life that I secretly wish to live myself! 8/10
