An OK film but not the best one of my life: "Now you See me" (2013)

Maybe because I went to see it on a Friday evening, not a good day since I'm more demanding with whatever I do because it's the end of my week or maybe because it isn't the film of my life, not sure but I did not love this movie. We were entertained and I liked the magic tricks but some of them are unexplainable and the explanation they try to give, did not convince me. Some of the highlights for me were when they robbed the bank at the beginning, when they are asked by the FBI in the cells and the role played by Woody Harrelson as a mind-reader, he is definitely the best in the film. Michael's Kane role is very short and not stellar (such a good actor with such a short and meaningless appearance) and Morgan Freeman keeps you interested for a while but not even his explanations of the tricks made much sense for me (only the one with the mirrors). One of the lines i remember is " too many French in a room for me" (OMG, I laughed out loud with this one). Not many more highlights.. a movie i even forgot I watched when someone asked me if i went to the cinema over the weekend. And yeah if you ask me if i like the end.. uhm .. well no.. but don't get me wrong, we were entertained, I'd say my husband liked it more than me , maybe I had too high expectations because someone said that it was the best movie of the year .. which is definitely NOT the case but you can go and judge by yourself. I have to agree with the critics from rotten tomatoes who gave it a 47%. It's a pass.

My favorite character from Glee found dead by Belén Delgado

This is the third post I write about Glee, the first one being about the series and how much i liked it and the second one a brief review of the concert I saw live in the O2 with the whole cast. I'm so glad I did not miss that concert, it was just like the tv series, full of positive energy and beautiful versions of famous songs combined with their dancing. What a shock this Sunday morning when I woke up, I checked my phone (as usual, it's the first thing I do lol) and I saw on the Facebook News Feeds that Cory Monteith was found dead at the age of 31 in a hotel room in Vancouver. I could just not believe it!! Such a young talented man!!! Another victim of vice! I will not be able to see him singing anymore with his partner and also member of the cast, Lea (Rachel in Glee). For me, Glee will never be the same without Finn (Cory's character). He was so nice, friendly and charismatic!! Why people are so fool to think that drugs can lead to anything good??!!! Cory, wherever you are right now, your soul and talent will remain , I'm watching videos where you were interviewed and gee you were so natural , handsome and young.. I can imagine how Lea is feeling.. if by any chance you read this Lea, you have the support of your Glee fans! Unfortunately we cannot control the wrong choices the person you love make ..



Here a video of his best performances, my favorite one is "we've got tonight" , "losing my religion"
"just the way you are"

and "Don't stop believing":



Here a link to my review of the Glee concert in Dublin:


http://avivihquesondohdiah.blogspot.ie/2011/07/glee-on-tour-in-dublin-o2-2nd-july.html

Here a video of Cori and Lea:

Good propaganda for Google: The Internship (2013) by Belén Delgado

Critics in rottentomatoes score it with a 36% and the audience with a 66%. Before going to see this film you have to know what you are going to see. For example, I went to see it to have a laugh since I like the 2 main comedy actors in the film: Vince Vaughn and Owen Nilson. I also found appealing the idea to see the Google headquarters in California which I happened to see when I was there but only from outside. Once you have these expectations, is ok, this is what you actually get: a few laughs and very good propaganda about Google ,which is considered one of the best companies to work with in the world. We enjoyed the film and we were entertained so for me it has the pass mark. It´s probably one movie I´ll forget about in a few weeks but at least I got what I expected! I have no doubts and I always knew that working for the giant Google as full time employee has a lot of advantages and benefits. I´m not going to tell you much more about the film because then I´ll spoil the moments when you may laugh and then it won´t be funny anymore but see if you laugh when: They have their first interview with Google, when they receive the rules for all interns, when they go out with their project group, when they win the last challenge! So yeah, if you are member of the cinema as we are, go and see it one day that you don´t want to think much, if you can´t see it in the big screen, it´s o.k. it´s the type of film you can see on TV or in your computer. Anyway, if you miss this film, it won´t change much either..and yeah the ending is predictable from the beginning!

Recommended movie " Behind the Candelabra" (2013) by Belén Delgado

I love going to see a film based on a true story where you learn something new about people who have marked an era, in this case in the era of music and entertainment. This film is about the life of the American entertainer of the 70ies, Liberace who was a genius pianist and vocalist with a sense of extravagance and  over the top costumes and coats for his shows. The audience score it with a 97% and critics with a 93% in the rottentomatoes page, I´ll give it a 80%. He was the best paid entertainer in the world between the 50ies and 70ies and he was also the predecessor of Madonna or Lady Gaga in the sense of drawing´s the audience attention not only due to his talent but to his costumes and appearance. The highlights of the film for me are the stellar role of Michael Douglas as Liberace, he even talks and move as him, unbelievable. The film shows Liberace´s controversial life for that time with a lot of respect, Liberace never admitted being gay in his life and sue all the media that tried to confirm that. Matt Demon plays his lover, Scott Thorson , who Liberace had having him an OP on his face just to look more like him. Matt looks young and fresh and you really believe in their relationship , you forget that they are acting. You really have to love someone to allow having your face changed to look like somebody else (this is a true fact ).The movie shows how their 5'year relationship evolved until they break-up. The short role of the 80ies actor, Rob Lowe in the film is also memorable, he is the crazy weird looking Liberace´s cosmetic surgery doctor. Liberace died of AIDS and Scott is in prison at the moment dying of Colon Cancer.  All in all, I´m glad I got to know the very talented pianist Liberace, you can see original performances of him in youtube, you may want to judge him on the life style he had (I don´t) but his talent is undeniable and his music will be there for generations to come. I leave you with his original piano performance of the Boogie which can be seen in the film.

Before Midnight by Belén Delgado (2013)

Last witty dialogue-heavy movie of the trilogy from director Richard Linklater with the unconventional actor Ethan Hawke and talented French actress July Delpy. I have to say that out of the three movies , this is my least favorite but still I loved every line of their conversations. This film reminded me of the old movies when there used to be an elaborated script full of dialogues among the protagonists. Nowadays, this type of cinema is being lost, which I think is a pity. "Before Midnight"  is about how the relationship of Jesse and Celine evolved after 9 years together. The setting is in beautiful Greece where they show a bit of its landscapes and of its delicious food and excellent weather. It's all about the conversations they have, they make you think. You can relate to them. I should be on Celine's side but actually find her a bit annoying at the end, she is a bit nuts lol although I think they both make a beautiful and charming couple. I'd love to remember so many lines that I liked about their conversations. Some of the highlights for me are when Jesse pretends to have received a letter from the future from the 80-year old Celine and it narrates that on that same night they had the best sex of their lives, this was the way Jesse wanted to win Celine back after a very long fight between the two. I like the simplicity and realism of the film, they are just regular people that connect with each other. I love the hypothetical questions that Celine asks Jesse all the time, I actually do that a lot , too LOL , questions as: "If we meeting for the first time again right now as I'm , will you approach me?". I have always been a fan of Ethan Hawke, i like his acting and his mature and masculine voice, I could be listening to him forever...,yeah he looks much older but I do not care! I'm not going to reveal anything-else about the movie so that you can enjoy the dialogues as much as I did. This film is only recommended if you have seen the other 2 films and if you you liked the other 2, it's for romantics, not for everyone. I liked it but I didn't love it, my husband enjoyed some of the dialogues but he got a bit annoyed/bored with Celine .. maybe because he doesn't like arguing that much and Celine loves to have an argument! The good thing was that after the movie, he realized how easy-going I am!

The audience has given "Before Midgnight" a 90%, the critics a 98%, for me is a 75%.

A movie to avoid: " World War Z" by Belén Delgado

I can't go to sleep without warning you about this movie .. yeah, I know I also had high expectations.. specially being a movie with Brad Pitt in it after so long and a war of zombies (those who know me, will remember my passion for zombies!). Well, it had a good start and it went from bad to worse towards the middle of the film (the worst thing is that based on the ending, they imply that there could be another movie! NOOO!!). I really tried to engage with the story and how they wanted to resolve the situation of being invaded by zombies but no, no, it was not convincing at all. We were also in shock with one of the scenes where they show Israel with high walls where they were saving the people from the zombies that tried to climb the wall. Did they mean something else with those zombies being on the other side of Israel ? Well, maybe they didn't mean anything but we could read between lines..  Then the spooky and weird movements of the zombies got from scary to funny and a few of us started to laugh heavily . I found personally funny when Brad goes walking in the middle of the zombies as if he was some kind of superman with his blonde hair! At some point of the movie you star to wonder how come a common human being can survive so many accidents (car accident, plane accident, being beatin by a zombie..) and still being so good looking and healthy. You need to be Brad Pitt to survive all this and still look hot lol. It's definitely a movie to forget and we were really pissed off after it finished!! We could have gone to see another film! Well, at least it made us laugh!!! IF you ask me , will you recommend it? NOO, NOO, NOO!!!

The critics  in www.rottentomatoes.com score it with a 64% for me it does not even get to 40%! The only good thing was to see Brad Pitt again and the scene on the plane with all the zombies inside. Another film on my list that I'll forget.. - AVOID!!!

And I went to see: "Man of Steel" (2013) by Belén Delgado

I'm going to summarize it in a few words:

Amazing effects, fights in the air in a great setting with skyscrappers, speed, violence (not a movie for kids at all.., too many destructive fights) , fantasy and a bit hairy new superman (played by Henry Cavill), in my opinion  hot body but someone should have shaved his chest lol. I personally prefer the traditional superman story: Old superman is more likable and nicer, I find the new superman a bit mean and too violent, this new superman is not so clumsy as the old one, I liked when he pretended to be clumsy and when he took off his glasses in the phone-booth and became superman! However, I cannot say that this new "Man of Steel" did not entertain me, specially due to the special effects and speed. One of the highlights was when Superman hit Zod (brilliantly played by Michael Shannon, he is SUPER BAD!) after he attacked his mum  on earth (Don't mess with superman!!) or the final fight with Zod flying among skyscrapers  I would have reduced it by 30 mins, a bit too long for my liking. My husband loved it, for me I give it a 7. If you get the chance see it in 3D, go! You can tell by the scenes in 2D that it's totally made to make you feel part of the fights in 3D! I ain't telling you anything else, so that you can judge by yourself. According to rotten tomatoes, the critics rated with a 56% and the audience with 82%.

Recommended: The Great Gatsby (2013) by Belén Delgado

The critics are divided regarding this film, the same with the audience, either you love it or you hate it. Well, I'm among the ones that loved it! I read the book too many years ago to remember small details so I did not pay attention to whether it was truly faithful to Scott's Fitzgerald novel. I got carried away by the original angles of the photography, the vivid colors,  the 1920'ies clothing, hairstyles, jazz, dance and style of life in New York at that time. After the film you feel like having a whiskey lol I'm sure my husband who loves whiskey will have one just after it. The joy described at the magnificent parties that the millionaire Gatsby threw, makes you feel like going partying with them. I don't think I have ever partied so hard like those peoople lol. To me Leonardo di Caprio plays such an excellent role, he has evolved so much as an actor since the Titanic film, he makes you be in Great Gatsby's shoes and feel sorry for him. I also liked the way"Nick Carraway" narrates the story, the scenes done for a 3D movie full of dynamism and the love story behind it. You truly pity Gatsby, it has to be a book, of course, these men who do everything just to be close to a woman and die for love, do not exist. By the way, I love the ending, the way Gatsby falls into the pool, his old bath-suit,  the water, the blood , the image of the killer.. BEAUTIFUL..upps sorry!! You didn't know the end?!! Nooo!! Anyway, It's your decision whether you want to see it or not, you may hate it but I'm definitely glad that I didn't pay attention to the haters and I went and saw it in the big screen!

Excellent Film: Star Trek into the darkness (2013) by Belén Delgado

What an amazing film!!! The crew of the enterprise takes you to a different dimension, always being faithful to the original series. I personally have a strong link to Star Trek because people used to say that my father looked similar to Spock. Even the original Spock (actor, Leonard Nimoy) has a short scene in the film. I found it fascinating, very original with great effects. I loved the way London will look in the future according to this film, I could definitely see it like that. The mixture between humans and not humans and different planets. I even found the fights they had elegant and not too over the top. My favorite character is definitely the bad guy, Kahn, played by superb British actor Benedict Cumberbatch (I usually find the bad guys the most interesting characters in a film!). The way he looks and the way he talks, it is just what a bad guys in a science'fiction movies should  look like!!! No disrespect to Zachary Quinto playing the XXIth Spock but I do not think he is to the level of the original Spock, although he tries hard and I still loved the movie! Chris Pine also plays an excellent role as the captain of the crew. Star Trek into the Darkness, made me disconnect and be transported to another world, i truly enjoyed it and it even had a comedy touch!  . I do hope there are many more Start Trek films to come!!! The audience in rottentomaotes score it with a 99% for me it´s a 100%!! My husband also loved it.  I don´t want to reveal any more details so , go and see it!

I leave you with a video I found of the original Spock:

The last 3 movies I have seen - 2 of them to be avoided and the last one undecided (by Belén Delgado)

I have a backlog of movies that I have seen so far, so I´m going to summarize 3 in this post. The first one being :

21 and Over - From time to time we like to go and see one stupid American movie not to think much bit with this one, really, not even without the thinking, it didn´t even make me laugh. It was full of cliches and even discriminatory comments about foreigners living in U.S.A. Such as the way the portray Mexicans to be violent and dangerous.

I was bored and I wanted it to end. It was predictable and repetitive. Avoid!

OZ the great and Powerful - I´m a big fan of the original Wizard of OZ and I had high expectations before going to see this film. We went to see it with my little nephew and niece. I´m just going to leave you with the statement my nephew made at the end of the film: " Have we paid to see this? really?" (  Hemos pagado para esto?. )I couldn´t agree more!!! Kids are always right! Yeah, it has beautiful colors and photography but again I was bored..

The Place Beyond the Pines - This film is way better than the above 2 but still, it did not convince me much. In rottentomatoes site the audience has given it a 81 % http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_place_beyond_the_pines_2012/ for me it´s just a 60%. Cutie Canadian actor Ryan Gosling played an excellent role, you really feel sorry for him in a way. He´s actually one of the reason why I went to see this film, I like his style and he didn´t disappoint me. It becomes a bit of a soap-opera towards the end ( a bit predictable, too). I can´t tell you that it´s not worth going and see this film, for this one, you can go and make your own judgement. It did not blow me away but I didn´t hate it. I still have mixed feelings.

Time for a thriller: Side effects (2013)

I cannot tell you much about this movie, otherwise, I would destroy the thrilling effect! What I can tell you is that you don´t expect how the film ends and what you think the protagonist´s problem is,it is not. You start watching the film thinking that you know what is about and then you realize that you didn´t have a clue lol. I personally wanted to see it for a very simple reason, just to see Channing Tatum, yeah he is not a great actor but he has the looks (I know, I know it sounds a bit superficial..)! but he did not talk much in the film and his role was a bit short to my liking.Some of the highlights for me, the role played by Jude Law and actress Rooney Mara, remarkable. If you ask me if I would recommend this movie, well, it´s entertaining , there is a bit of a drama and thriller but it wont be the film of the year or anything.., it really depends on what you are looking for. So that you get an idea , the critics in Rotten Tomatoes page gave it a 85% , the audience scored it with a 76%.