5 TO 7 - review

5 TO 7
Director: Victor Levin
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Bérénice Marlohe, Lambert Wilson, Glenn Close, Frank Langella, Olivia Thirlby

Synopsis: An aspiring novelist enters into a relationship with a woman, though there's just one catch: she's married, and the couple can only meet between the hours of 5 and 7 each evening. 

And so passes another Friday off, where I pursue my favourite pasttime of viewing films, curled up in the cinema, just me, my crochet and a small box of Maltesers. This Friday took my to a lovely piece of cinema 5 TO 7. Very Woody Allen-esque, the kind of romance that I haven't seen since Audrey Hepburn. Ok, maybe I've seen some good ones since then, but that's what 5 TO 7 reminded me off. A classic piece of romance that could have been played out by Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Sound like a treat to you? Well if it does then you should definitely go and catch this film while you can. Sadly I don't think it's going to have a very long season (there were only 4 other people in the cinema this morning and the staff mentioned that it wasn't pulling very big crowds) and that's disappointing because it deserves an audience.

Brian, a young 20-something, would be novelist (Anton Yelchin) in New York takes a chance and crosses the road to approach a beautiful woman (Bérénice Marlohe) having a cigarette and looking all glamourous, he flirts with her in French and it goes well. She asks him to meet her at the same place the following Friday. He does, and he also asks her out to which she replies that of course she can but she's only free from 5 to 7. Not realising that this means, lets start a beautifully French extra-marital affair, he agrees to meet her again. The poor pet is distraught when he discovers what 5 to 7 means, and that she is the wife of a French diplomat (Lambert Wilson) who has a mistress of his own, and ois the mother of two beautiful children. His ethics prevent him from going any further with an affair, but his attraction to her only lets him keep his moral code for three short weeks. They continue to pursue the affair, he is welcomed into the family along with the husband's mistress and a whole stack of high profile guests.

Bérénice Marlohe and Anton Yelchin

image via IFC Films

Brian befriends Valery's mistress Jane (Olivia Thirlby) who is somewhat helpful in her advice on how to deal with this very unconventional situation, but Brian quickly spirals out of control and cannot cope with the rules of the 5 to 7 life that he is leading. He introduces her to his parents, the spectatularly cast Glenn Close and Frank Langella, who play the Jewish parents well. Sam (Langella) constantly pesters him about law school and cannot grasp the concept of his son being involved with a married French woman, and Arlene (Close) who knows that there are "two forces in on earth you never want to be fighting, Mother Nature and love".

Glenn Close and Frank Langella

image via IFC Films

It is a certain kind of romantic who can sit through a film about a love that is doomed, knowing that heartbreak is iminient. We have all had that one love that we know is doomed and yet we pursue it anyway, always living in hope that it will all work out for the best, knowing in our hearts that it won't.  5 TO 7 brings that hope to life and although the film is full of clichés, there are some laugh out loud one liners, and some truly tender moments that make you sure you can believe in true love, which is a rare commoditiy in this world.

Bérénice Marlohe and Anton Yelchin - seriously he is so adorable

image via IFC Films

The direction is spectacular and if I didn't know that Victor Levin was the director, I could swear that Woody Allen was in there somewhere. For those of you that don't like a Woody Allen film, his influence is there in a good way, trust me. The casting is exceptional and it is one of those films where I didn't see actors, I saw people, which is a nice change for me. At an hour 35, 5 TO 7 didn't feel like a long film, which to me is the sign of a captivating storyline, and I'm telling you, this film deserved the award it won at the festival season in 2014 and the nomination it received at the 2015 - Nominee Best Narrative Feature (2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival) and Best American Film (2014 Traverse City Film Festival), both audience awards, so it just goes to show that people know what's they're talking about.

If you like the story of a doomed love, and you miss the romantic films of yore, the set aside some time to go and fork out your 20-something dollars to see 5 TO 7, I highly recommend it. It has quickly become onw of my favourite romance films of the year.

4 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

FINDING DORY - trailer release

FINDING DORY

Director: Andrew Stanton & Angus MacLane

Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Eugene Levy, Ty Burrell, Kaitlin Olson, Ed O'Neill, Diane Keaton, Dominic West, Idris Elba

Holy snapping duck shit your guys the trailer has dropped for FINDING DORY and although it's a teaser and although it's only a minute forty, this little Disney fanatic is pretty excited!!

Hitting cinemas in Summer 2016, this is bound to be a smash hit with Disney Pixar fans all around the world! 

Synopsis: FINDING DORY reunites the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about family along the way.

Featuring the voices of Ellen DeGeneres (Dory), Albert Brooks (Marlin), Diane Keaton (Dory's mother) and Eugene Levy (Dory's father), this is bound to be a funny and yet slightly emotional adventure for our favoutie fishies!!

Check the trailer out here: 

xoxo

The Blonde Bombshell

MAN UP - review

MAN UP
Director: Ben Palmer
Cast: Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Olivia Williams, Ophelia Lovibond, Rory Kinnear, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Sharon Horgan

Synopsis: A 34 year old single woman, Nancy (Lake Bell), hungover again, exhausted bt the endless fruitless set ups by her friends, travelling across London to toast another 10 years of her parent's successful, happy, magical marriage runs in with with a 40 year old divorcee, Jack (Simon Pegg), who mistakes her for his 24 year old blind date. Nancy, deciding to go with it, happens to hop on the most chaotic yet hilarious journey of her life, which neither of them will forget. There is drinking, truths, an old stalker class mate with a long standing crush, lost divorce papers, lost hopes, competitive indoor sports and Jack finding out the truth that Nancy isn't his blind date. MAN UP is a romantic comedy about taking chances, finding yourself, making decisions and rolling with the punches.

MAN UP opened at the cinema on Thursday this week, but I was fortunate enough to see it a couple of weeks ago on a flight on my snazzy in-flight entertainment ap on my shiny little iPad (look at me and my bad self!), but due to life kind of getting in the way I didn't get around to writing up my review. My plan this year (call it a resolution if you like) was to make time for the things I love and generally I have been much better at this, but the past month has gotten away from me and I forgot to make time, so tonight I am setting some of that most precious comodity aside. I took myself to the cinema yesterday and now I am catching up on some review writing.

I actually wasn't aware that this film was screening in cinemas this week, I thought it must have already been out ages ago because I watched it on a flight, so it's quite fortunate that it has only just opened, so I can tell you all about it and you can decide whether or not to go and see it for yourselves. I picked this film on the plane because it was one of the only ones I hadn't already seen, and because it had Simon Pegg in it and I have quite enjoyed his films in the past. The trailer looked alright, a comedy of errors about the perilous world of dating in the 21st century.

Simon Pegg and Lake Bell having the best date ever

image via StudioCanal

Nancy (Lake Bell) is stuck sitting with a bubbly 24 year old Jessica (Ophelia Lovibond), reading a riveting piece of self-help fiction who is trying to tell her how to fix her life. You know the type, the person who you just want to slap upside the head with their youthful optimism, and unrealistic ideals. Well, I know the type because I've been around the b lock a few times and I'm slightly jaded, so I felt Nancy's pain and wnated her to shut her trap just as much as Nancy did! Jessica is due to meet a man for a blind date under the clock at the station using her self-help book as her tell-tale sign that it's her. Jessica decides that Nancy needs all the help she can get, so leaves her with the copy of the book and off she pops to get herself a new copy. Nancy exits the train and unwittingly stands under the clock where she is approached by Jack (Simon Pegg) who mistakes her for his blind date. Not quite sure what is happening, Nancy goes with it and they spend a magical night together until the shit hits the fan and the truth comes out.

Ophelia Lovibond with her ridiculous book and youthful ideals

image via StudioCanal

This comedy of errors involves copious amounts of drinking, bowling, lost divorce papers, an awkward drink with Jack's soon to be ex-wife and her new partner and snippets of the anniversary party which Nancy is missing. All hell breaks loose when Jack discoveres that Nancy isn't really his blind date and they go their separate ways, denying their feelings and blah blah blah, you lied, I can't believe you could do that, blah. Not to worry though, in true hollywood fashion everything all works out just the way you think it will.

Just go with it

image via StudioCanal

There is nothing supremely magical about this film, but it has it's funny moments (most of which appear in the trailer), and it displays a fair bit of truth when it comes to the messed up world of dating when you're over 30. A time when people no longer have baggage, but entire luggage sets, a time when suddenly your dating pool is filled with divorcees and people with children. All the things that make it all the more complicated when you're trying to navigate your way through the already tricky dating world.

The film is well set, cast and the directed, but there just isn't anything incredible about it. There are a number of films out at the moment that I would recommend you spend 20-something dollars on before you spend it on this, but if you are a Simon Pegg fan then you will enjoy this film. It's got some laughs and if you're a cynical non-believer there are moments that will ring true with you, but the ending will make you scoff.

3ish out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

THE DRESSMAKER - review

THE DRESSMAKER
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse
Cast: Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson


Synopsis: Based on the best-selling novel by Rosalie Ham, THE DRESSMAKER is a bittersweet, comedy-drama set in early 1950's Australia. Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet), a beautifil and talented misfit, after many years working as a derssmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, returns home to the tiny middle-of-nowhere town of Dungatar to right the wrongs of the past. Not only does she reconcile with her ailing, eccentric mother Molly (Judy Davis) andunexpectedly falls in love with the pure-hearted Teddy (Liam Hemsworth), but armed with her swweing machine and incredible sense of style, she transforms the women of the town and in doing so gets sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.

It's been a few weeks since my last review, indeed it's been a few weeks since I've seen a film because, well, because life. Tell you what though, I got back to my true love with a bang! Friday morning I took myself off with Sissie to see THE DRESSMAKER, and it was as glorious as I had hoped it would be. As an added bonus, this lovely film had a scene shot in my local cinema (The Sun Theatre) indeed, it closed the place down for a day which I was most put out by at the time, although I did get the chance to see some movie making in action, so there was a plus even if I didn't get to see a film that day. The film starts off as a magical comedy-drama about the return of the prodigal daughter to her home town after many years of being away working as a dressmaker at some of the most prestigious Parisian fashion houses. She returns to find out the truth about her past and right some wrongs.

Known to the townsfolk as a murderer, her return is not welcomed by most, least of all her mother, who claims not to remember who she is. Together with the local police officer (Hugo Weaving), her eccentric mother and a local boy who loves her for who she is not who the people say she is, she sets about putting the pieces of past together and righting the wrongs done to her. At about two thirds of the way through when I thought all was coming to a neat little conclusion, the film takes an unexpected turn and then spirals into a world of "wtf is actually happening right now". The third act doesn't quite fit with the tone of the rest of the film, but gee willickers it was good even if it didn't quite make sense.

welcome home Tilly Dunnage

image via Universal Pictures

THE DRESSMAKER has some "holy shit" moments, and plenty of laugh out loud hilarity in the small town of Dungatar, and it will keep you entertained the entire way through. There is truth in the grudges held by the small-minded people of this small town, and the gossiping, rumour mills that exisit within the community. I mostly enjoyed the "screw you" attitude of some of the key characters, not least of all Tilly Dunnage, her mother Molly and her true love Teddy.

Kate Winslet shines in this film, she is powerful and commanding and captivates the audience with her powerful presence on screen. She is given every opportunity in this script to shine as the leading lady of this film, and even though I was a little put off by the enormous age gap between her and her leading man Liam Hemsworth, their chemistry is undeniable. He is unflappable in his convictions and his pure heart shines throughout the whole film.

Tilly and Teddy - true love against the odds

image via Universal Pictures

The supporting cast of a great number of talent Aussies also shines, and this is a prime example of quality Australian cinema that should not be missed. Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson, Gyton Grantlet, Barry Otto and many others truly bring this film to life and give it all the magical qualities that make it so thoroughly enjoyable.

Hugo Weaving

Judy Davis, Sarah, Snook, Kate Winslet

Mark Leonard Winter, Sarah Snook, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson

images via Universal Pictures

Overall, even aside from the surprise plot twist and wtf ending, THE DRESSMAKER is a lovely piece of cinema and I definitely recommend spending the 20-something dollars on taking yourself to the cinema and indulging yourself.

4 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell