Do you want to feel with a very aesthetic movie?" Les jeunes amants" - The Young Lovers(2021)

 

1. Year: 2021
2. Genre: Romantic/Drama
3. Critics point of view & My own: Pages specialized in cinema reviews like IDMB give it a score of 6,5 out of 10. ( see https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13462472/ ). My own personal score would be 8 since it really fulfilled my expectations. I knew I was going to like this film...even though when we stepped in there were only 3 other people in the cinema screen but that did not me put me off. French cinema usually has random and long dialogues, unexpected or abrupt endings and photography and angles of the different scenes played a very important role. This movie has all of this and its piano soundtrack gets you into the love story of the 2 protagonists: 73-year old Fanny Ardant , playing Shauna and attractive 49-year old Melvil Poupaud playing, Pierre. It is set in between Paris and beautiful Ireland. The plot wants to show that you cannot really choose who you fall in love with and sometimes even though there can be a big age difference and/or health issues, love can overcome all of that. I do not want to be a spoiler but it was a long time that I had not cried in the cinema ... this movie moved me. And no, it is not the movie of my life but to me that a movie made me feel , the director has such sensitivity to portray their love story with beautiful photography and colors, the Irish clouds, the rain, the piano music.... To finish this short and humble review, let me highlight one sentence that the male protagonist, Pierre stated "let me love you since we still breathe the same air" ...
4. Do I recommend to see it? If you like French cinema and are in the mood of seeing a slow pace but beautiful romantic movie, definitely yes. Trailer of the movie here:

          https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2557592345/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk 

          

 Note: This film will always be very special to me since it was the first time I went to the cinema with someone that has bumped into my life and made me be myself again. 

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!?

 

Last Movies I have seen: "Beauty & the Beast"(2017) & "Ghost in the Shell"(2017)

Beauty & the Beast

Genre:  Musical; Fantasy/Romance
Recommended?  Of course! If you love this classic fairy tale that has been turned into a musical with Disney animated characters. One feels like a kid again . I could not stop smiling and even though i knew the story from the beginning to the end, i was looking forward to seeing it so much and i was not disappointed! Young and delicate actress from Harry Potter, Emma Watson plays her role as the "Belle" very well. What was surprising for me was that in some countries of Asia, the movie is not being shown due to what was considered guys scenes. 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Agree with the score? I would have even given it a 90% if not a 100%. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite children's tales and i'll never get tired of seeing it in the cinema and/or books. 
Did you know?  Did you know that "Beauty and the Beast" was written by a French novelist called Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in the XVIIIth century? Disney converted into an animated feature in 1991.

Trailer can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Nl_TCQXuw ( I wouldn't mind going again!)

Ghost in the Shell

Genre:  Science-Fiction
Recommended?  This movie needs to be seen in the big screen, i'm sure it loses a lot if you see it on TV and/or on a small screen. I love movies about the future; I knew what I was going to see and what to expect and it's what we got. On top of that , the city where the story unfolds, reminded me a lof of Hong Kong, a place that I loved and living now in Asia, i could definitely picture the future with digital Ads in the air (not very far from where we are now ) & human robots. I'm not a bit fan of Scarlett Johansson but I do give her credit for the role that he plays in this film. Modern robot with a soul from a previous human that are incredibly strong and help to fight terrorism with excellent vision and precision in their movements. Her roles is very believable. She looks amazing , too , which is in fact, very annoying lol. 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61% (audience) - Critics 47%
Agree with the score? No, we would have given it a 80% . It was very entertaining. 
Did you know?  This move costed around 110 million of $ and so far after the movie was released on March 31st 2017, they have earned around 155.5 million $ (according to Wikipedia).

"5 Top Movies I recommend out of the last 18 we have seen in the Cinema By Belen Delgado

My parents' love for the cinema influenced me to start my passion about seeing films in a proper setting: in the cinema, with popcorns or nachos & a soft drink. 
I started to write in this blog years ago due to my short-term memory about movies I see. Not sure why it is but usually I only remember whether i liked the film or not. This is one of the main reasons why I started this blog. 
Since i moved to Asia it has been more challenging for me to keep up with my 3 blogs, time just goes faster here! 
I had a mini backlog of films to write about from 2016 to yesterday and today I have decided to tackle that. I can't write to the level of detail that I usually like but let me at least share with you the title of the film, genre, whether I recommend it or not and the Rotten Tomatoes score that I usually agree with ( in case I don't, I'll let you know, too). 

* Doctor Strange (2016). 
Genre: Action & Adventure; Science Fiction. 
Recommended? Yes, Entertaining! Excellent special effects.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88% (audience) 

* Passengers (2016). 
Genre: Science Fiction. 
Recommended? Yes, Entertaining! 
They could have done much more with the original idea of the plot though.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%( audience) ( Agree!)

* Fantastic Beasts (2016) 
Genre: Fantasy    
Recommended?  Yes, why not.  
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81% (audience)

* A Monster Calls (2016) 
Genre: Fantasy/Drama 
Recommended?  It is a must! Beautiful film, different from other movies you may have seen recently. It reminded me a little bit of "Pan's Labyrinth"( another great film, in case you haven't seen it ! 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84% (audience)

* Bridget Jones Baby (2016) 
Genre:  Comedy    
Recommended? It is a must if you are a fan of the Bridget's series and if you have read the books like I did ( Yes at that time i was single and i felt like Bridget so many times ..) ! I hadn't laughed so much in a very long time. 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69% ( audience). To me it was a 90%!!

*Mike & Dave need wedding dates (2016) 
Genre: Comedy   
Recommended? No!Avoid!  ( Don't even ask me why I went to see this one.. I guess i was brain-dead at that time.. aw, wait i remember.. Andres chose this one!)   
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54% (audience, 35% critics, i have to agree with the critics..)

* Dirty GrandPa (2016) 
Genre: Comedy    
Recommended?  Yes, why not! Entertaining. It depends on your mood.  
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45% ( audience)

* The Purge, Election Year (2016) 
Genre:  Horror    
Recommended?   No! Avoid! Extremely violent, there is already enough violence in the world.I liked the first movie and the second one but not this one.  
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 49%

Since 2017 started we have continued our passion for cinema & we have seen the following films:

* Why Him (2016) 
Genre:  Comedy  
Recommended?  Yes! Very funny ( If you like American humor, as I do)! James Franco is not only very attractive but also very hilarious in this movie! 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59% (audience)

 * A street cat named Bob (2016) 
Genre: Drama    
Recommended?  Yes (if you read the book like I did and you like cats) 

It is based on a true story. You can follow James Bowen and his cat on Facebook,too. I always wanted to see them in London but i didn't manage to. He became too famous after his book became a bestseller. If you look carefully you can see the real James at the end of the movie. I never saw homeless in the same way after I read this book.

A short video about the Real James & his cat Bob: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdYTaoftSgk 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

* La La Land (2016) 
Genre: Musical/Love Story   
Recommended?   Yes! Beautiful film! (If you like musicals & Ryan Gosling, you can't miss it! If you are not fan of musicals, do not bother, you will probably hate it..)    
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84% ( Agree!)

* Split (2017) 
Genre: Suspense/Horror    
Recommended?  It is a must!   
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%   James Mcvoy's is stellar in this movie! He reminded me a bit of Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Terrifying at times the multiple personalities of the protagonist. James Mcvoy is without doubt one of the best European actors of this time. If you haven't see his movie "Filth"(2013), you should. Another of his masterpiece terrifying performances!

*The Light Between Oceans 
Genre:  Drama   
Recommended? Yes! Beautiful film! I cried so much but you what? There is nothing better than a movie that makes you feel, even if it is sadness.    
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62% ( I disagree with this one it's a 90% for me, i loved it and i could relate to the protagonists pain. Excellent chemistry between Michael Fassbender & Florence Clery )

* Fifty Shades Darker 
Genre: I can't even classify it.. 
Recommended?  No! Avoid!              
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56% (audience) - I'm afraid i have to agree with Rotten tomatoes critics score on this one 9%, is even generous. OMG is so BAD!! 

*Manchester by the Sea 
Genre: Drama    
Recommended?  Not for me but some people love it and his score in Rottentomatoes is very high, too.. and it the main protagonist has even won an Oscar. The protagonist's life cannot get any worse than what it is in the movie..seriously. After this film we started to talk about how lucky we are in our lives right now. 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80% (audience)  I'm the odd one here since i found it boring at times and then very depressing..I don't understand that high score. However, I can understand why the protagonist won an Oscar, he plays very well his role. Very credible.

 *Jackie 
Genre: Drama      
Recommended?   No! Avoid!  ( And I was very interest in the history of what happened when Kennedy on the day he was killed but i expected much more.. )   
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66% ( To me not even a 30%.. Natalie Portman plays very well her role but in general, thought the movie was very boring.. i even fall asleep for some of it. )

* Alone In Berlin 
Genre:  Drama  
Recommended?  Yes,Why not. 
Interesting and based on true facts. It shows what a revolutionary man tried to bring awareness about Hitler's regime through post-cards left in different parts of Berlin anonymously. It would have been much easier now with Twitter! 
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42% (audience) . To me it was a pass : 50%

 *Trainspotting 2 
Genre: Drama/Comedy    
Recommended?Yes It is a must!  Best movie I have seen this year so far! It shows a sad reality of a drug underworld that can be seen in most cities around the world. In this case in Edinburgh.  ( Needless to say if you didn't like Trainspotting 1, do not even bother.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%                     

Top highlights of Trainspotting since i watched it yesterday and I remember it well: I loved this movie even more than the first one! Worth the wait all this years to see the trainspotting "gang" again! and Franco is a very bad, bad hombre! Great soundtrack , too!

Best monologue of the film: 

"Choose life,Choose Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and hope that someone, somewhere cares

Choose looking up old flames, wishing you’d done it all differently
And choose watching history repeat itself
Choose your future
Choose reality TV, slut shaming, revenge porn
Choose a zero hour contract, a two hour journey to work
And choose the same for your kids, only worse, and smother the pain with an unknown dose of an unknown drug made in somebody’s kitchen
And then… take a deep breath
You’re an addict, so be addicted
Just be addicted to something else
Choose the ones you love
Choose your future
Choose life”

So to sum up, see below the movies that I truly recommend: 

                                                   T2  Trainspotting  : 

" I loved this movie even more than the first one! Worth the wait all this years to see the trainspotting "gang" again! and Franco is a very bad, bad hombre! Great soundtrack , too!"

SPLIT : 

"James Mcvoy plays a stellar role in this film! He reminded me a bit of Anthony Hopkins in "The Silence of the Lambs "

                                                 A Monster's Calls : 

" A love story between a mother and his son that uses his imagination to get away from the sad reality of his mum's slow death due to cancer" 

                                                 Bridget Jones Baby: 

"I hadn't laughed so much with a movie for a very long time. Who doesn't love Bridget clumsiness?" 

                                         The Light Between Oceans : 

"Such a beautiful sad love story , loads of chemistry between the protagonists. I cried a lot at the end.."

                                           La La Land: 

" I'm a big fan of musicals. Impossible love story, excellent music and very colorful photography. It is true that it can never be compared to the classic old musicals from Hollywood, however it is a very good attempt."

Note:* I have had some issues with the formatting writing this post, apologies and i hope you can read the content.

Humble review of "Indignation" (2016) by Belen Delgado

Beautiful slow-paced drama set in the 50ies. The setting and type of dialogues reminded me a bit of the movie "Dead Poet's Society".This film is based on a best-seller Philip's Roth novel and it is also the debut as a director of James Schamus. Rotten Tomatoes Audience rated it with 90% and critics with 80%. Although I really liked it, to me it was something in-between the 2 ratings, I'd score it with a 70%. It is a beautiful love story , which is told with a lot of elegance and style. A very aesthetic film. Sad to see how in those times there was not a lot of freedom of speech and/or a complete lack of understanding of any mental-related illness. You became easily isolated if you did not comply with the strict moral rules of those times.  Some of my favorite scenes were the conversations between Marcus ( the male protagonist) and the college's Dean and the first date of the 2 protagonists and how Marcus reacted after it. You won't see much action and/or impressive special effects in this movie, this film it is about a complicated love story and what society was like back then.

See trailer below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELKsrUssyQE

Humble review of a movie I have watched recently: Nerve (2016) by Belen Delgado

Nerve 

This teen-thriller tells a story that is not very far from reality. An-online illegal app. game where you have two options either to: view/follow or to play the actual game and earn some generous monetary reward and also followers/fame. Handsome & talented James Franco little brother, Dave Franco, is the male protagonist along with Emma Roberts. There is a lot of chemistry between the 2 of them and they play very well their role of being the most viewed players with their "dare" proposals to earn big amounts of money in short amount of time putting sometimes their own lives at risk. This movie shows the new generation of Millennials that are obsessed with the internet, phones, interactive app. games and the concept of fame based on the amount of followers you may have. I loved the freshness , fast-pace and originality of the plot. Not the best movie of my life but very entertaining. I probably would have chosen a different ending but well, it is a North-American movie where the audience should be mainly teens ( well excluding me lol) so the ending had to match that. In the real world it would probably be much different. Some of my favorite scenes: The first dares where they are in the shopping center and then on the motorbike blindfolded. Rotten Tomatoes audience rated this movie with a 74% and critics with a 64%, as you can see it is definitely, a pass! I agree with the audience. Even though I did not have high expectations before watching this movie, it was much better than I thought!

And one last thing, if you are wondering why I'm still watching "teen" movies, well I'm actually very open to the movie genre that I watch , that keeps my view of the world more open and I can learn also from different generations from mine.

Excellent movie, recommended: "Sing Street" ( 2016)

Best movie choice! I could not be wrong since I loved the director, John Carney ( you may know him from the movie "Once"). "Sing Street" is a mixture of the 80ies music & clothing with the beloved green Ireland where I lived for 11 years: Ireland! So many good memories of areas I used to walk by in Dublin and surroundings. I also have to admit that had so many pieces of clothing that they were wearing in the film! Such a beautiful story about a kid that builds a strong bond with his friends and older brother to conquer a girl through music.  So glad to hear the Dublin accent again, we even had some tears but I also laughed out so loud sometimes that I had to control myself. The scenes where the kids from the band changed their style depending on the vinyl record they listened to and the ideas they come up with for their videos .. HaHA, so funny! Some of my favorite 80ies bands can be listened to: Spandau Ballet; Duran , Duran; The Cure; Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, well actually a few of these groups, I know them because of my older sisters (e.g. The Cure or Phil Collins) . I was very lucky to have had such a rich influence based on the different bands that my 3 oldest sisters liked! I have to say that I even liked the original songs from this film and I have been listening to their soundtrack since last Saturday! If you go and see it , just tell me if you enjoyed the scene where they play at the school and the lead singer dedicates the song to the priest .. ( So cool and brave!!!).



And guess what? Rotten Tomatoes has scored this movie with a 97% ( top critics scores) and 94% (by the audience) . I couldn't agree more! Come on! Go and get your tickets!!

Thinking of going to the cinema? See below a short review of the movies I have seen recently by Belen Delgado

As you may know, I moved to Singapore a few months ago, I no longer have the cinema membership card but we have kept up with the tradition of going to the cinema a few times a month since it is since we love doing. Choices of movies to see is much more limited here but we have been lucky, out of the last 4 movies we have seen, there is only 1 that I would not recommend seeing. Let me start telling you a bit about each of them:

Me Before You ( Recommended for romantic movie lovers!)- 2016

In a scale from 1 to 10 for romantic movies, I'd give it a 9 just based on the fact that I truly believed their love story and those emotions made me cry like a baby. I have not cried with a movie so much for a very long time. You know when you go to see a film with a friend and/or your husband/boyfriend and they start laughing at you because they notice that you are sobbing in public? Well, that was me yesterday. I just could not control myself. If you check "Rotten Tomatoes" Review the audience give it a 82% but critics give it a 57%. I can see why critics may have given it a lower score, it does not have a super original plot and you cannot call it a "master piece", however sometimes a simple story that the public can relate to , played by 2 excellent actors, can touch the audience. The movie is an adaptation of the bestseller book by Jo Jo Moyes. It is about a relationship that blossoms between a paralyzed young handsome Londoner and a his bubbly happy-go-lucky caretaker.  And have I mentioned that Sam Claflin is such a handsome and charming British man?

See trailer of the movie below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh993__rOxA

Equals ( Not great acting but entertaining) - Romantic-Sci-fi film - 2016

We went to see this film because some of it was set in Singapore but we did not know much about the plot. Well, it turned out to be very entertaining. If you ask me to give it a score, I'd give it a 6.5 since I think they could have done much more with the idea that having emotions will be considered a "terminal illness" in the future and the world will be ruled by multinationals that will have heavy controls to make sure that no-one has emotions and they are able to just go to work, eat & sleep and eliminate anything-else that could provoke any type of feelings. Also I'm not a big fan of Kristen Stewart but It was great to discover Nicholas Hoult . Let me be a bit superficial for a change, if you ask me why I liked the movie, I can highlight 2 things: The utter perfection of Nichola's look and I also found very interesting the fact that multinationals could be ruling the world and getting rid of anyone that has feelings. In a way, that is not very far from what many big business would like to have to be even more profitable. If emotions come in the way of business goals/priorities, they may not be achieved. Who knows if in the near future the so-called illness in the movie "sos" will actually exist and big multinationals will have the utter control of the world!. "Rotten Tomatoes" critics gave it a score of 48%. Not the movie of my life but it was entertaining. Go and see it!

See trailer below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RTN3HnQV3c

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising ( Just do not waste your time..) - American Comedy.- 2016

Critics from Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 62% , in this case I have to say that they have been very generous... come on! a 62? and you will be wondering why I went to see this film. Well, the answer is simple.. there were not other movies at the time that we want to go to the cinema. We did not have high expectations. There were a couple of scenes where we laughed but if you ask me if I'd recommend it, I'd say no. Just go and spend your time doing something else. To me, it does not even get a 5.

Mon Roi ( French love story - Highly recommended! ) - 2015

We were very lucky to see this European film in Singapore since there are not many of them in the cinemas. We had to read the subtitles but we did not care, at all. I, personally, love French movies because I know that I'm going to be presented with an original story along with funny & witty dialogues. This is exactly what we got, a unique film about a torrid love story between an emotionally unstable Giorgio and lively Tony. They are both over their 40ies and they go over a passionate but unhealthy love relationship, very far from being a perfect love story. The movie shows that you do not choose who you fall in love with and everything you can put up with if you love someone very much. There is great chemistry between both protagonists. Truly recommended it, I give it an 8.5 out of 10. This film is from 2015 and although we saw it in the cinema a few weeks ago in Singapore, you may not be able to see in the cinemas in your country. Rotten Tomatoes scored it with a 73% ( critics) and 93% ( the audience).

See trailer below: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hpRsa_doS4

Movie recommendation: Brooklyn (2015) - A 10! By Belen Delgado

Probably one of the last films I have seen this year. What a way of finishing another year of cinema. It made all of us feel and get into the protagonist's mind. A beautiful story set in the 1950ies in Ireland and New York. As an immigrant in Ireland, I could relate to Ellis 's feelings when she had to leave her family to move abroad to an unknown country in order to make a living since she had no opportunities in her country. She went on her own and had to start a new life, make new friends and start all over again at a very young age. The only contact she had with her family back in Ireland was through letters. She is very homesick , she finds love and at some point she is in the dichotomy where she has to choose whether to live in USA or going back to Ireland to be close to her mum. Very touching movie that shows how hard it is to be far from your family and also that not everyone is successful when they move abroad. Also losing a member of your family and not being able to see them for the very last time; Going back to your home country and seeing that you see things through different lenses but those who never left remain being the same. At some point you become a citizen of the world and you adjust to your new life style; just like Ellis. Just like a lot of us.

One of the best movies I have seen in a long time: "Crimson Peak" by Belen Delgado

I haven't written about movies I have seen for a long time now but after seeing "Crimson Peak" I felt that I have to do it to inspire my friends that can appreciate movies like this to go and see it. It is unbelievable how divided the audience is regarding this film, either you love it or you hate it. According to Rottentomatoes reviews, critics scored it with a 70% and the spectators with a 61%. I cannot understand those who cannot see the sensibility, beauty and excellent photography of Guillermo's del Toro horror love story. Those who complained that it is not a scary movie, well you are right, it was never meant to be one... It is more of a Gothic love story and you can clearly see the director's style from previous movies such as " Pan's Labyrinth" or "Julia's Eyes". I have not seen a movie of Guillermo del Toro that have not loved and this one is no exception. I really enjoyed the vibrant colours, the scenes with the butterflies , the delicate clothing from that era, the beauty of the slow movements of the protagonist hair, blood, ghosts and chemistry between the protagonists. One of the highlights for me was the last scenes between the 2 female protagonists that lead to the end and the dance between Edith & Thomas with the candle. What a poetic way of telling a story.. Thanks Guillermo !! Last but not least if you have not seen the other movies from Guillermo that I have mentioned above, go and watch them, they are very original and fascinating.

Movie I saw recently: Andreas (2015) by Belen Delgado

I had the pleasure to see this film with my best friend, Matteo, we used to go together to the cinema a lot when I got my cinema membership card. It is the type of movie that you have to see in the big screen to live the action and effects. Yeah, you know what is going to happen next and that the Americans are going to rescue the world at the end (of course there is an American flag at the very end for those who had any doubts..). The film is basically about an earthquake taking place in the beautiful city of San Francisco, they destroyed the entire city in the film. It must have been difficult to watch for those who live there. At the end of the movie our adrenaline was high, i wanted to be rescued by a big guy like Dwayne Johnson. I have to say that I was entertained and in the best company. We laughed a lot! (and no, it was not supposed to be a comedy..).

A couple of movies I have seen: "Magic Mike XXL"& "Ted 2" by Belen Delgado

A couple of more movies I have seen:

"Magic Mike XXL" -> Well what I can say about this film, I knew it was going to be bad but I was not expecting to be bored at some parts of the movie. Channing, I love your dance moves but you are such a bad actor.. OMG. There was not much dialogue but when there was, it was bad. Anyway, I had a smile on my face when there were dance scenes of the guys, yeah, I'm simple and easy to please but I don't see those type of guys dancing as male entertainment that often. Usually the real ones as tacky and I do not find them very attractive. My favourite scene was the one in the petrol station, when one of the guys is challenged to make smile the grumpy cashier from the petrol station with his dance moves. That was funny lol. If you ask me if it's worth it to see this movie, well ,no, not really but I didn't want to miss it , so I didn't!. See below photo of my 3 favourite ones from the movie.

"Ted 2" -> I really liked the first movie and I thought I was not going to like this one, well, I actually laughed and out loud. Ted is hilarious, what a nasty Teddy Bear. I'm not going to ruin the funny scenes so that you can go and see it. Of course, TED 1 is much better but you will be entertained with this one, too.

Last movie I have seen by Belen Delgado "Amy" (2015)

I was not a big fan of Amy but of course I could recognize her talented voice and I wanted to know more about her life. I never understood why she was a drug-addict and how come people who loved her let her die like that. Well , after having seen today's documentary in the cinema about her life, I understood many things that were unclear to me. The documentary is real since it's Amy, herself, talking (real interviews and videos); her best friends, her mum, her ex-husband, her father etc. I did not realise how much is about her life in her own lyrics. The conclusion I have drawn after watching the documentary is that she was a young victim of her own life's issues with bulimia, depression, drugs, unexpected fame, the harassment of the paparazzi and meeting the love of her life, Blake, that would lead her to her death. Some people tried to take advantage of her fame ,  among those, her father , as you can see in the film, he started filming her life on St Lucia's island where she was trying to rest and recover (this can be seen in the film). This film has to be a difficult one to watch by her family , friends and biggest fans. It was difficult to watch for me, too, i cried in 2 scenes of the film, one of them was when I saw her innocence when the idol of her teens age , Tony Bennett announce her grammy award. It was so genuine.



Another beautiful moment of the movie I want to share with you , when she sang with Tony Bennett:



We all knew the sad end, it was a kind of chronicle of a death foretold. You could either love her or hate her but one thing is undeniable: She had an special gift that will never be forgotten: Her voice.

Humble review by Belén Delgado " Unfriended" (2015)

I did not have huge expectations about this movie but i wanted to see it since it was about the impact cyberbullying ( or at least, that's what I thought!) and this is something very close to my daily work. I have to say that it is a pity that with such powerful topic they did not use it in a clever way. Rotten Tomatoes has given this film a 62%. I'd give it a 40%, spite all i was entertained but if you ask me if I'd recommend it to anyone..uhm : NO. Let me tell you a bit more:
What is shown it´s a mixture between fiction and reality but it does have , unfortunately parts that are real. Teens can be very cruel and use social media sites and/or apps to harass other teens to lead them to suicidal thoughts, like the movie shows. It´s scary how quick a video and/or photo can become viral. In only a matter of minutes, insults and abusive comments can be posted online with all the consequences that this can have on people's lives. To sum up, this film is about a dead spirit that comes back via social media (Facebook) to take revenge on the the teens that made her commit suicide due to a video that was posted online on Youtube. Not sure who decided to make the scenes of the killings so tastelessly violent.. it could have been done much more elegantly and the moral of the story could have been remained. For those who have kids that will be teenagers once, make sure they are all aware of how to combat and report cyberbullying since the big tech companies are all well aware of it and have processes in place to take action quickly against the cyberbullies. No to cyberbulling!