Feeling like going to see a pretty good super hero movie? Go & watch : Venom. Humble review by Belen Delgado

1. Year: 2018
2. Genre: Action/ Super Hero movie
3. Rotten Tomatoes Score & My own: There is a big gap between the critic's scores of 30% and the audience score of 87%. I still do not understand why the critics are so harsh with this movie. I certainly agree with the score given by the audience. Both, my husband and I, loved the movie, it was highly entertaining and even funny at times. I also loved seeing the chasing scenes in the streets of San Francisco. A city i have visited several times , which I'm very fond of. In addition, there is an interesting twist about the issue SF faces with the increasing amount of homelessness. I would not be surprised if homeless people are already being used for some sort of testing in exchange of money and/or food. 
4. Do I recommend to see it? Well, I have not read the comic & I'm not sure if it is truthful to it or not, if you are very demanding with that, you may not like it, not sure. BUT anyway, if you like superheroes movies & Tom Hardy, you should give it a go. I did not have high expectations at all and I was pleasantly surprised! To those wondering whether to go or not because of the bad critics, I'd highly recommend to go and judge for yourself. You should see it in the big screen to be able to enjoy the action scenes. It won't be the same if you see it on TV and/or a laptop screen. I hope you liked my short review, do not forget to let me know what you thought of the movie ! 

   

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper do not disappoint, a must see : "A Star is Born " by Belen Delgado

• Year: 2018
• Genre: Drama/ Romantic
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95 % from critics and 97% from the audience
• Recommended by me ? : 9 out of 10 for me! As a member of the cinema, I was lucky enough to see a pre-screen of this film last week before it was shown to the bigger audience. It is a remake of an old movie from Barbara Streisand. Initially I went to accompany my good friend, Juan, who is a huge fan of Lady-Gaga. To be honest with you, I was expecting to leave before the end when I saw how long the movie lasted (135 minutes!). I did not know much about the plot and I thought it would be a promotion of Gaga's voice with very poor acting skills. Well, I was completely wrong. This movie surprised me from the very beginning from the moment when I heard Bradley Cooper's voice for the first time and I realized very quickly the great connection Lady Gaga and Bradley had in the movie. Bradly has not only acted on this film but he has produced, sung & directed it, too. What a talented human being! I have become a big fan of him after this film. Regarding Lady Gaga, well, she has proved one more time that she is not only a talented artist but she can also perform a very believable love story in her first protagonist role in a movie. Even though I could see what the end of this story was going to be like, I could not foresee how moved I was going to feel with the very last scene. I won't tell you much more so that you can see the movie and judge by yourself. Even if you are not a fan of Gaga, please understand that this film is not about her career or type of music, she performs Ally, a singer that was going to give up her dream until she met Jack. I do hope this film's soundtrack wins many awards. What are you waiting for? Go and get your tickets! 
• Some of the Highlights for me: The performance of "I'll never love again" by Gaga ( lyrics can be found here : https://genius.com/Lady-gaga-ill-never-love-again-extended-version-lyrics ) and their first performance together of "shallow" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A&list=PLlO3DHk_E9sizGUjQkfi7uZQ02dU2BJYV. Once you have watched the film, I recommend this interview: https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/lady-gaga-and-bradley-cooper-on-crafting-the-music-for-a-star-is-born/  . Another Interview with Ellen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf4sTQyloIQ 

                                                 

A beautiful romantic movie: ¨The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society¨(2018) by Belén Delgado

This movie deserved a separate post since I loved it so much. If you are thinking of watching a romantic movie, this may be the one:



Year: 2018
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79% from the critics and 78% from the audience
Recommended by me ? : Definitely yes! A 100% from me! Set in the UK in 1946. Beautiful scenery on the British island of Guernsey occupied by the Germans back them. A small island where a few inhabitants come up with a book club to cope with the nazi invasion using their imagination through reading books. Fate will bring liberal female writer, Juliet, together with the book club. A special connection starts via letters with the members of the club , which gets stronger once they meet in person. You start believing in true love again after seeing this movie. You can tell that it's based on a novel by the richness of their dialogues and its beautiful photography. I bought the book straight after I watched it and I'm looking forward to visiting the island of Guernsey one day!

Thinking of watching a movie? Quick overview of the last 8 movies i have seen by Belen Delgado

I haven´t been spending much time to write on my blog since January , which means I have a long post to write now with the last 8 movies i have seen in the cinema to help those undecided on what to watch. Let me add the list in order by the ones that I have enjoyed the most.

On the top of my list without a doubt i have, 1.Black Panther:

• Year: 2018
• Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy ( super hero movie! )
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96 % from critics and 79% from the audience
• Recommended by me ? : 100! It is a 10 out of 10 for me. It is one of those movies that you feel recharged after seeing it. It also makes a big difference to see this film in the big screen rather than from a computer or TV. I loved the strength and passion of the female fighters of Wakanda. Great visuals and performances. One of the best super heroes movies i have seen recently. Don´t miss it!

  2nd Movie: I , Tonya

• Year:  2018
• Genre: Drama
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% from critics and 88% from the audience.
• Recommended by me ? : Yes! I agree with the critics score.  A movie based on true events with 2 stellar performances from Margot Robbie ( playing the skater Tonya) & Allison Janey ( playing Tonya´s mum ). It is unbelievable how close they are to the real skater and her mum. After you have watched the movie, it is worth it to see a video of the real people they portray . See also article: http://www.thisisinsider.com/i-tonya-cast-vs-real-life-tonya-harding-scandal-people-2017-12#margot-robbie-plays-tonya-harding-the-disadvantaged-but-persistent-ice-skater-caught-in-the-middle-of-the-drama-1 . It is a harsh movie about the talented Tonya and how competitive skater´s competitions can get and the impact your upbringing can have on your life. Even though it´s a drama, at times you laugh, specially seeing the ingenuity of the bodyguard.

          

      3. Movie : Wonder

• Year: 2017
• Genre: Drama
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% from critics and 88% from the audience.
• Recommended by me ? : Yes! I agree with the audience score! I haven't cried so much with a movie for a long time. It is based on the best-seller "Wonder" and it deals with the reality of what it means having a disability and being bullied at school and how to face it with the support of your family. The little boy is played by young actor, Jacob Tremblay, he really gets into his role and you will love him after 10 minutes of the movie. Touching to see how a kid's imagination can help him to overcome bullying. His relationship with his mum is inspiring. Check out this article with the top quotes from the movie: https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/articles/2017/june/10-quotes-from-wonder-that-will-inspire-you-to-choose-kind/

         

         

      4. Movie: I feel pretty ( currently in the cinema near you! )

• Year: 2018
• Genre: Comedy
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 33 from critics % and 34% from the audience
• Recommended by me ? : Well, i disagree with both scores completely, I had so much fun! Within its genre, I would score it with a 75%. I want to believe the audience score is low because the movie has only been out for a few weeks. We went to see it last week and everyone was laughing out loud so much that it was contagious. You have to see this movie with the mindset that you are going to have some fun and do not expect a blowing-away plot. Amy Schumer plays a hilarious role that shows how anyone can be pretty inside-out believing in yourself and having confidence. One of the scenes where i laughed the most was the one about the bikini contest ( I almost choke! haha ). Looks it is not everything and having low-esteem can impact the choices you make in your life and how others see you. I actually thought of this movie when i went to spinning class and a lady fall in front of me. I promise I did not laugh but it was hard not to! Only because i remember one of the first scenes of the movie lol. 

         

         

         5. Movie:The Avengers : Infinity War

    

• Year: 2018
• Genre: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy ( super hero movie! )
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% from the critics and 92% from the audience.
• Recommended by me ? : If you are a super hero fan, hell yeah, go! You can't miss this film! I have not read the comics and my opinion is clearly from an outsider that loves super heroes. I loved seeing all of them together fighting for a common cause. I don't want to tell you  much not to spoil it if you haven't seen it. I would only say that i'm still upset about the ending. I know it is the first movie out of a sequel but for me super heroes movies should be invincible and makes everyone believe in the superpowers way far from reality. As I said to a friend of mine after watching it, i missed superman! He is my top favorite super hero and he would have sorted it all out in 5 minutes ( Note: I know he is not a marvel super hero lol  but dreaming doesn't cost much! ) . Now i have to wait until 2019 or 2020 to find out what happens next! If you have seen the movie already see some of the theories about the end of this film: a) https://www.joe.co.uk/entertainment/infinity-wars-weirdest-scene-may-hold-the-key-to-the-future-of-the-mcu-175694 b) hhttps://www.thewrap.com/most-plausible-avengers-infinity-war-fan-theories-spoilers-marvel/ c) https://www.inverse.com/article/44405-avengers-infinity-war-ending-fan-theory-avengers-4-captain-marvel

         

       6.  Movie: Ready Player

     

• Year: 2018
• Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Rotten Tomatoes score: from critics 74% and from the audience 84%.
• Recommended by me ? : Yes!  ( In this case I agree more with the critics review ) . If you are into futurist movies and how technology and virtual reality in particular is going to change our lives. I could relate with some of the ideas this movie shows. They are not very far from the near future. I found it very interesting and I do recommend it

       

 

      7. The Shape of Water

    

• Year: 2017
• Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% from critics and 74% from the audience.
• Recommended by me ? : I'm a big fan of Benicio del Toro but i still have mixed feelings about this movie. I did not know what to expect and i'm not sure i was ready to see a weird alien fish-alike having sex with a human. I know love overcomes barriers and it is all about using your imagination but i think this movie is a bit of a paranoia. You should watch it and make your own judgement. 

       

  

    8. Lady Bird

• Year: 2017
• Genre: Drama
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 99% from the critics and 79% from the audience.
• Recommended by me ? : I really enjoyed this movie and how it portrays the relationship of the adolescent that calls herself "lady bird" and her mum. Not sure though if i would score it so high. To me it was more a 70%. Irish actress Saoirse Ronan plays an excellent role. I still remember the scene when she opens the door inside the car on the move and falls! Her hormones drive her mad!

                                                      

First movie I have seen in 2018: ¨The greatest Showman¨ by Belen Delgado.

I could not have started the year watching a better movie than ¨The Greatest Showman¨. It is just what I needed : a powerful, joyful / beautiful musical that makes you want to join in and dance and sing along with them from the very first scene. The whole movie is directed as if it was performed on a stage, i found it very Broadway style: with passion, energy and colorful costumes and elaborated choreography. No wonder that this movie has been compared with "La,La Land"  given that Benj P. & Justin P. who are behind La La Land soundtrack, have written and arranged the soundtrack for this film, too. Needless to say that if you are not into musicals, you may not like this film! I'd like to point out that I very rarely go to see the same movie twice in the cinema and with ¨The greatest Showman¨ , I just did not have enough of it !The audience from the page www.rottentomaoes.com has given this film a score of 90% and critics only 55%. I do feel critics missed the point here.. this film does not have a complicated story-line, it is actually very simple but many people can relate to the fact that others may reject you if you look or act differently and the clash between different society classes is still quite present. This movie deserves a 100% score for me! A cast of talented singers & dancers! A movie for all ages that bring people together! I was very impressed to see how well Hugh Jackman sings! It is actually him singing all the time! He was even recommended not to sing by his surgeon due to some issues with his vocal strings, however, he put his health at risk and sang throughout the movie.

Handsome, young and talented "high school musical" actor, Zac Efron does not disappoint either with his charm ! Michelle Williams plays a beautiful role of Barnum's wife , they portray a beautiful love story. I do not want to spoil it for those who have not seen the film yet.

                                     

And of course, the whole talented cast of actors , singers and dancers that are part of the Circus's show blew me away. They have such chemistry together! Number one for me was the "beard lady" with her beautiful voice and persona played by Keala Settle ( https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/905127/The-Greatest-Showman-bearded-lady-Keala-Settle-Lettie-Lutz-Hugh-Jackman-Michelle-Williams )

Let me highlight a few learnings and best scenes for me: There are many other lessons  you can take from this film regarding success : The importance of taking risks, do not be afraid of failure, embrace it and learn from it. Do not let yourself by blinded by ambition and forget about the importance of spending time with your family. Success takes time , hard work and effort.

Some of my favorite scenes/songs:

1. This is Me : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLFEvHWD_NE
2. The Greatest Show : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5Sc0G7w90
3. From now On : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG4u3KI44pw
4. Never Enough : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRcH3TJvIPk ** This song is not originally sang by the beautiful actress Rebecca Ferguson but by the singer Loren Allred **
5. Rewrite the Stars : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MrmIJ28hvk

Recommended readings/videos:

• https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_greatest_showman_2017/#audience_reviews
• http://www.jmlalonde.com/quotes-leadership-lessons-greatest-showman/
• https://hellogiggles.com/reviews-coverage/movies/greatest-showman-broadway/
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1485796/awards
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PluaPvhkIMU
• http://www.justjared.com/2017/12/20/meet-loren-allred-rebecca-fergusons-singing-voice-in-the-greatest-showman/ 

I hope they win a lot of oscars and that one day they start performing on stages in Broadway. So jealous that in USA there are  "sing along" sessions in the cinemas . I'd love to go to one!

If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for!?

 

From the 2nd of January 2011 - Spain becomes SMOKE FREE!

From 2nd of January 2011 , Spain is finally going to join other European countries such as Ireland (that was the pioneer!), Italy, Germany, Uk or France and smoking is going to be banned in most indoor public places (bars, discotecs and restaurants) . It has not been an easy decision after an unsuccessful partial-smoking ban was introduced in 2006 which many bars failed to comply with. I only hope businesses get strict and make smokers respect this law because it has been too many years already of passive smokers suffering the consequences of this bad habit of smoking. Only in Spain in 2010 , five hundred thousand people have died due to smoking and still this is not enough to put off some smokers. ME, as a passive smoker who has suffered this bad habit since i was a teenager, I would have loved to be able to be at my university cafeteria having a coffee without having a dry throat or itchy eyes! Let's not talk about going out to clubs ..,next day you can feel the smoke in your hair, skin and clothes! Don't get me wrong if you want to be a smoker and you are happy with shortening your life and dying of lung cancer even though your cigarette packages are warning you of that , fair play with what but with what i don't agree with, is that smokers do not only put their health at risk but others, too who have chosen not to smoke. I feel sorry for the business who invested in their premises to have smoking and non-smoking areas (this is the government fault for putting a partial ban, with smoke only a full ban works!), they should be remunerated. It's not going to be easy for Spaniards to take on board this law and it's also up to the public to make it respected (I'll believe me if I see anyone smoking in a non-smoking area)! Spanish non-smokers friend that had to put up with the smoke, this is going to change! and believe me, smokers will get used to it and going outside for a smoke is not that bad after all, i'm sure many smokers will quit when they have to go in the cold weather to have a fag! but no worries according to the government there are still going to be some hotels with smokers bedrooms..in the end, you get something!

My last post of this year is about something positive and good for the coming generations ,such as my nephews and nieces! a smoke free atmosphere!!! and to my smokers friends : NEW YEARS RESOLUTION QUIT SMOKING!! do you know how much money you would save and how much better your skin and teeth would look like! and what about having a fresh breath all day long??!! think about it!!

Johnnie Fox Pub, probably the highest pub in Ireland - A must visit

Cuarto Salto Literario por Andrés Hernández :“Si tú me dices ven lo dejo todo… Pero dime ven" de Albert Espinosa

Su tercera y más reciente obra es la historia de Dani, un hombre auténtico cuyo destino lo marcan sucesos impactantes como la muerte imprevista de sus enanos padres en un accidente de tráfico y el encuentro con dos personajes de grandes enseñanzas durante su vida: El señor Martín, un viejo obeso y moribundo a punto de perder un pulmón y George un hombre mayor de mucha vitalidad que le enseña a luchar contra las vicisitudes y contradicciones de la vida, le enseña a aceptar su condición de enano y le vaticina un crecimiento (de estatura) durante su adolescencia.

Para mí se hace notar su talento de guionista porque es capaz de relatar tres o cuatro historias a la vez las cuales las entrelaza de una manera muy amena.

En la historia cuenta que su mujer lo acababa de dejar por los fallidos intentos de quedar en embarazo, el desgaste de la relación y el temor de que su primogénito llevase consigo los genes de enanismo. Su profesión es de investigador de niños desaparecidos; siendo su caso más reciente el rescatar al hijo de un juez que tienen secuestrado en la isla de Capri en Italia. Tiene un final feliz, repentino e inesperado… Un final que me gustó bastante y que no quiero que lo sepan porque recomiendo su lectura. Es libro muy sencillo de leer, dinámico, ameno, me lo devoré en una tarde de playa en Fuerteventura. Me gustó la manera descriptiva del libro y el manejo de los tiempos (no tan lineal como su segunda obra). Se nota que en su tercera obra Albert Espinosa logra algo de madurez. Si saca un cuarto libro, lo leeré con mucho gusto. Espero que no me defraudes Albert!!!