Wonder Woman: Saving men's lives, whilst not saying 'I told you so'.

What an unecessarily long title for this review, but you know me guys and girls, I like to break the mould... or something.

So, let's talk about it, that film that most people have been on the fence about since the little snippet of the Wonder Woman character expressed in Batman vs Superman in 2016. It's funny to see, in reflection, that most of the super hero/ comic book fans I have spoken too (mostly all my friends and family!) haven't been so excited about this film compared to others in the DC franchise that came previous to this one. I wonder why... None the less, I found this film a great one, both in it's astounding effects, style and story line.

From pmcvariety.com

Like most other off shoots of comic book based films, I try not to let plots and stories that have unfolded in the DC universe influence or detract from a films narrative, which some of you may wag your finger at me about. I will be honest, although I do like reading comics, I have never really taken a deep interest in Wonder Woman, or even the Justice League (shock), which made that usual statement of not judging a film by its comic counterparts cover even easier!

The story we are introduced to first in the film is the land of the Amazons, where, like the mythical stories of history suggested, only women roam. The Amazon ladies fight and become warriors to protect the World from the possible return of that quirky God of War Ares, who turned against Zeus himself to show him that Human's were totally stupid and didn't deserve his love (Kinda like the oldest child in the family who really doesn't like the younger sibling.) These ladies kick total bootay and the young passionate warrior Diana convinces her Mother to let her train, and grows up to be a tremendous fighter. This is all well and good, everyone is happy and then a WW1 plane comes crashing down and that's when the real shindig happens!

I will not give any more of the story line away, but have to express some great attributes of the film further. The acting is great, the actors picked for the roles really make you fall in love, or hate them, which is always great, and I was extremely happy to see the wonderful Ewan Bremner in this film since I am so obsessed with Trainspotting at the moment. This film is also quite dark in some parts which makes a horror/psychological film lover like me very entertained, and this aspect really helps make the film very entertaining through out without being depressing or to happy.

From justjared.com

Throughout I nearly shed tears, both for the emotional and empathetic dialogue throughout, and because (okay, hold on to your seats, I'm gunna sound.... different) I was proud that I was seeing a woman, kicking butt, flirting, being emotional AND being brave all at the same time. This film expresses something that I am happy to see being formed and expanding throughout cinema and tv shows alike: a strong woman who doesn't compromise. This may be what you guys roll your eyes at, but it's true. I also like how this film shows lines in the characters faces, like literal age lines, maybe I have just ignored it before in other films, but from memory I've never seen many characters (dare I say, especially 30 and below something characters!) have normal, human face lines. I just loved that.  The rollercoaster of laughing, nearly crying, feeling proud, feeling scared and humbled really added to my over all experience of the film, and I really haven't felt so much during a film since I went to see Moonlight!

All in all, go and see this film, if you've lost faith in comic book films, or just want a change from the usual boy bashing boy baddie up (which do not let me fool you, I love for more than film purpose reasons....) movie that we see quiet a lot, and feel all the feels from this film.

Until next time,
Jessiefer.

T2 Trainspotting. Reliving the Rave.

A week or so ago, I decided to take a well deserved trip to my local cinema after the twilight hours after work, and watch the sequel to the wonderful cult classic Trainspotting. For months I have been awaiting this classic films little brother, hoping and praying (as, clearly, I so often do) for it to be as good, if not as good as the original. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. 

From www.uncrate.com

This film is one of the best sequels I have seen since Critters 2, and does more than we expect of such a classic. T2 takes place 11 years after the original, where main character in the original, Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to his home town Edinburough, where he rekindles his relationships to his two main friends, Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller) and Spud (Ewan Bremner). This wonderful and quite heart warming scenario then turns sinister as out casted friend Begbie breaks out from incarceration (Who would have known that he would be there, eh?) and bumps into the threesome.....

Both Trainspotting films  periodically merge visually into each other through out the film, which with just my meager lines of writing, cannot convey the conviction and creativly this weaving past with present concept conveys to the audience. Just think about how our brains react when we see a landmark that a few years ago (whether it's 1 year ago or 20) we visited with that lover we had, you replay the scenario you acted out with each other to the minor details of their wrinkled shirt, or wind blown hair. Simply put, this splicing of memories and history is beautifully articulate to how we all recall, and works astoundingly for the story we watch before us. 

The story is a simple one, (which I shall not divulge in greater detail on here, for just to hear this rendition of the story without the fantastic screen accompliment may turn people away from the film) but is realistic and empathetic to more or less all of us, since we all know how ageing, rekindling friendships and even how dealing with addiction of some kind or another feels. This adds a heart warming vibe to the whole piece, or at least it did for me, and in turn actually made me feel like I was also reconnecting to my mates who I never quite forgot after all of these passing years. 

From www.odeon.com

Director Danny Boyle uses his characteristic cutting edge filming techniques as seen in his previous films (Slumdog Millionaire) to fill this movie with pleasant visuals that will make all who see this film feel like they are in these situations presented to them, whilst also, at times, adding in a real view look into the euthoric nature of drugs, sex and succeeding with scams, and the gritty times of rehab and recovery. It's truly an inspiring piece, and I recommend seeing it very much. 

Until next time, 
Jessiefer. 

PS, this is a little doodle I drew after seeing the film. I felt like my eyes where so dilated with inspiration (akin to if I were to have seen a handsome guy with a hand written poetry book in his hand )

PPS, Also, Johnny Lee Miller rekindled my teenage lust of guys with bleached hair (see, going back in history)

From pbs.twimming.com

Live by Night ... And the return of a bad blogger.

Hello and welcome to another blog entry to add to the million already littering the internet, expressing a fickle thing that everyone has (especially when it comes to the US government!): an opinion. This entry will document the feelings and emotions I had when watching the new film directed and staring Ben Affleck (who is the bomb in Phantoms!), along with his other  Hollywood Pal (maybe?) turned director Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Image from cinemablend.com and rights of Warner Bro's

Live by Night is a movie set back in the early 20's where flapper culture was thriving and gangsters were poppin' glocks all over the place.... We see a [very handsome] Joe Coughlin (Affleck) fall in love with an Irish immigrant turned lady mobster Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), who loves a little bit of love triangle related qurrels, and sneaking behind the big Irish mobs boss' back to have a little weekend canoodle with Joe. This true love obviously crashes down, like all Movie love triangles that involve a big bad person, when Albert White (Robert Glenister) catches onto what is happening and literally gives a swift, but accurate kick to Joe's unmentionables (a scene that made me half laugh (I know, I'm a sadist) and cringe due to the, I think, unjustified reaction of audible intense intakes of breath from the male cinema go-ers around me.) 

Of course Joe goes to jail, and is released over time, and seeks revenge. Typical mob flick right? Wrong... Sort of. Live by Night then goes on to become a capsule for a range of differing themes that I simply (although looking back on it, stupidly...) didn't see coming. Themes of racism, gender and mixed race relationships come into play, which all of you who know me in real life know I am a sucker for. We see scenes of the KKK and how lovely, heart throb (okay, Jessiefer, be calm, we all know you like Affleck!) Joe 'takes care of them' along side taking over a large part of the south of the US with his imports and exports of prohibited liquid from Cuba. Joe then goes on to fall in love with the beautiful Graciela ( Zoe Saldana) whom recovers the parts of his heart lost when Emma was taken away by Albert. 

From IGN.com.

The film, without giving away much else, is very interesting, and I really do recommend you all go and see it, It has a varied mix of action, romance and race themes which I think will keep all types of film go-ers happy and entertained throughout the majority of the flick. I loved the twists and turns, the (I believe) very accurate history of the time periods expressed (1920's - 1950's) was also very interesting to see, and the cherry on the top? The film just easthetically looks amazing! Live by Night is, to me, a little understated gem of unexpected film narrative, which although may not be on the top of your 'I need to see these films, especially now all the good ones have come out!' list, but is very much well worth the viewing. 

Please check it out and maybe leave your own thoughts on it down below, I'd love to hear from somebody else (I'm very lonely...... hgahahaha... no, really) and please do not forget to fall in love with Ben Affleck a little more .

Until next time,
Jessiefer. 

PS, here is a close up of the man himself.... Wit Woo

Etonline.com

Nekromantik 2: Power to the Ladies.

This will be a brief review of Nekromantik 2, mostly because me and words are not going together that well at the moment, and because in all due respect, most of the gist of this film is expressed in Nekromatik 1's review too. 

I found that  the story line to N2 was pretty concise, and much better than the other Buttgereit films I have seen thus far. The plot follows a necrophile lady by the name of Monika (one of the most beautiful ladies I have seen in a B Movie in a long while) who digs up the previous film's protagonist Rob. 

After taking Rob's newly decaying corpse into her highly decorated flat, we see that she has chosen her prey based on an article in a Newspaper (I'm assuming this article expresses how Rob was a necrophile, but from what I can remember, it doesn't out rightly say that) and has decided to indulge in her dead body loving desires with somebody who understood them. 

This story is interjected by another person's story. We see Mark (a character that will become key in the middle scenes of the film) doing a voice over for his... shall we say awesomely bizarre job of being a porno voice over artist (where can I sign up to a job like that?!). We see him and his co-voice over female colleague having to do several takes of a scene, as they aren't making realistic noises. 

After a scene that shows Monika's love making to corpse Rob, we finally have the scene where both characters meet for the first time, and see another movie within a movie from Buttgereit. After this, we see the full of life romance between the two develop, until they are so involved that Monika needs to make a painful decision- does she devote herself to a live man, or to her corpse? She hesitantly chooses her alive and kicking man, and decides the right thing to do to Rob is to chop him up into smaller pieces. As she chops him up, she is devastated, and you can really see that even though he was dead, she really loved him. (aahhh trueeee loooveee) 

After a while, we hear that Mark isn't fond of the way that Monika makes love to him, she demands that he is deadly still, and takes 'weird photographs of him' (there is a lovely scene where we see Mark hanging from the ceiling, expecting him to be dead but unfortunately he isn't) he is unnerved by these demands, but continues to see Monika as his love for her is deepening (such a deadly romantic comedy <3) 

Mark calls unannounced at Monika's flat during an all girl film evening (featuring the key oddity of the night, Robs severed head), and after the ladies leave to give the couple some alone time, they continue to watch a video of a seal being cut up, which leaves Mark disgusted and angry. Mark expresses that Monika is perverse for watching such films, and leaves in a rage-filled mood. 

We then see Monika having a quiet and reflective walk along the beach, where we suspect that she is understanding the repercussions of her 'perverse' actions with Mark. We then see the couple kiss and make up in the most literal of terms, and are thrown into a full blown (haha) sex scene. During this, we see Monika reach for a cleaver knife and, you guessed it, cuts Marks head (not that one!) off. She then lovingly crowns Marks shaking body with Robs mummified head, and for the first time in the film, orgasms. 

The closing scenes are the best throw in clips I have seen in a film, and well, let's just say you'll be like 'HOW, WHAT, WHY, BUT THAT CANT BEEEEE!' when you see it. 

All in all, I am glad I saw this continuing part of the Nekromantik films, as even thought it wasn't as shocking as the first installment, it was still pretty good, and well, the scenes of dead body love making still really got to me! I later saw a 'Behind the making of' film (I shall link below) that expressed that Buttgereit saw this film as a woman positive film, as it was about a woman getting what she fully wanted sexually, which I do agree with, and it was refreshing to see, especially in this exploitation/b movie genre. It's definitely worth a watch, and it is a stunningly visually beautiful film, even the corpse is a work of genius!! 

Until next time, 

Jessiefer.