Love Romance Passion » Movie Reviews http://www.loveromancepassion.com Because Books Don't Fall Asleep Afterwards! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Movie Review: Boys Over Flowers starring Hye-sun Koo, Min-ho Lee, and Hyun-joong Kim http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-boys-over-flowers-starring-hye-sun-koo-min-ho-lee-and-hyun-joong-kim/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-boys-over-flowers-starring-hye-sun-koo-min-ho-lee-and-hyun-joong-kim/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:01:19 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=13522

What You Need to Know: Boys Over Flowers is a Korean TV romantic drama. It runs for two seasons with a total of 25 episodes. The series is based on a Manga series of the same title which I have not read. There’s been other adaptations of the Manga besides this one with differences.

Recommended: If you like/love/drool over Twilight; if you adore foreign films, especially Asian ones, and can read with ease lots of subtitles or know Korean; if you’re a girl lol---:D; if you like love triangles or if you like YA romances… any one of these and you should see this show; more than 3 of these and you’d be a fool not to see it!

Plot: The story takes place at an elite boarding school where only the top 1% of Korea’s wealthy children attend (and even then some of them can’t get into the school.) Geum JanDi saves a bullied male student from committing suicide while running clothes from her father’s dry cleaning business to the school. Journalists and the public voice are having a field day with it until the school’s president decides to offer a scholarship spot to the girl. From there JanDi runs into the F4, a group of popular boys that run the school, and immediately gets on Goo JoonPyo’s bad side. What follows is a wonderfully complex soap opera full of awesome.

The Love Triangle: (Lots of Twilight references ahead…just because it’s a common base for most to jump from…) It’s so hard to choose because they’re both like Edward Cullen more than Jacob Black.

One of the guys – Goo JoonPyo even has his own crazy hot wild hairdo. It’s curly! It’s adorable. I love it. He’s the possessive one and is basically all of Edward Cullen’s darker qualities, but with a tender streak too. Min-ho Lee who plays Goo JoonPyo has a very expressive face and a really hot body. Yum!

The other guy – Yoon JiHoo is all of Edward’s sensitive artistic aspects combined with his aloofness. Hyun-joong Kim who plays JiHoo is also very hot. I want to go to Korea and date these two boys (seriously! Wow!) JiHoo dislikes all the stupid drama at his school and often rushes to Geum JanDi’s rescue.

The girl – Geum JanDi is a very warm character. She likes to eat, stand up to bullies, and like Bella Swan prefers to stand on her own two feet and not accept monetary bribes or help from the guys. JanDi is played by Hye-sun Koo and the girl is adorable with big eyes. I love how she walks a bike back and forth when she’s not pedaling it – cute!

Final Thoughts: This show has it all – boarding school, school wide bullying/hazing, love triangle, side romances, drowning 3 times? 4 times? something like that, 2 physical disabling incidents, amnesia, lots of fainting and passing out immediately into dead sleeps, faked accidents, fake hospital stays, vacations, backstabbing, revenge, kidnapping, innocents getting setup, getting caught in a blizzard, three proposals, an arranged/forced marriage, estranged family getting reunited, and the kitchen sink in there somewhere too!

Rating: ★★★★★ – Don’t walk, run! Get a copy!

As of December 13, 2011 this is on Netflix (streaming).

Buy: Boys Over Flowers (Season 1), Boys Over Flowers (Season 2)

Buy: Season 1:

Buy: Season 2:

Buy: Geum JanDi's Moon and Star Necklace

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-boys-over-flowers-starring-hye-sun-koo-min-ho-lee-and-hyun-joong-kim/feed/ 3 Movie Review: The Three Musketeers starring Matthew Macfadyen, Orlando Bloom and Christoph Waltz http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-the-three-musketeers-starring-matthew-macfadyen-orlando-bloom-and-christoph-waltz/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-the-three-musketeers-starring-matthew-macfadyen-orlando-bloom-and-christoph-waltz/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:59:33 +0000 Sandra Scholes http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=13258

Reviewed by Sandra Scholes

As a movie this is going over pretty much the same territory as the others. There have been several movie interpretations of Alexandre Dumas's historical novel. Everyone has a favourite whether it is the 70's version or the 90's one. In this 2011 version the director has got certain members of the cast to look like the original 70's ones. Rochefort (Madds Mikkleson) resembles a dashingly menacing Christopher Lee; Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) resembles a young Charlton Heston, while D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) looks like an uncanny Michael York.

If you are one of those who liked the original version, and thought it surpassed even the 90's version, then you might be disappointed with this one, as it might take a lot more to have it come up to the standards of the original. The set design looks better, and the scope of the movie plus the CGI of the battle scenes far surpasses the technology of the 70's, but there is very little humour in this one.

If you are 15 to 20 then you won't even know about the 70's version, and will watch this with open eyes as if it's the first movie version you ever saw. If you liked the 70’s version and have an open mind, then you will appreciate the differences of modern movie making and take it for granted that it is an independent interpretation.

Set in 17th century France, young and cocky D'Artagnan sets about being a musketeer due to his father's wishes, but as he travels through the depths of period France, he blunders his way into three other musketeers who have fallen out of favor with the hierarchy. He keeps annoying the other musketeers without knowing it, and arranges a time for each to have a duel with him. When he does appear for the first one, the other two turn up as well, and he ponders what he will have to do. He doesn't have long, though, when he and the three of them are ambushed and have to fight their way out. The fact that D'Artagnan fights them off well enough proves he can fight better than they thought. This makes his blunder with the musketeers acceptable, rather than foolish.

The general plot of this movie is to have the evil Richelieu plot with Milady to steal the queen's necklace and in doing so they plan to infer that King Louis XIIII's wife is having an affair with the Duke of Buckingham. If this is the case, and the king believes it, he will have to have the cardinal take over his duties, and that's exactly what he wants. The musketeers have to intervene once they hear of Milady's plot with him, and get the jewels off her before the queen notices, and with a grand fete at the palace being arranged, the queen will be in big trouble if the jewels aren't around her throat on the day. Funnily enough, Freddie Fox who plays the king bears a striking resemblance to Ben Barnes of Dorian Gray and Narnia fame. He bungles through the movie and is another one like Orlando who provides some humorous entertainment.

D'Artagnan in turn finds out more from them, and their plight, and it doesn't take a genius to tell who the culprit is - the dastardly Cardinal Richelieu who wants to get rid of the musketeers for good so he can get a plan in place that's cunning and deceptive. Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich) is the woman all men are interested in who appears more out of her dress than in it at times, but who ducks and deceives all the way through the movie. She does a good job of it too, but she often breaks men's hearts once they find out how deceptive she is. One can't help but think that she is acting as though she is still in the Resident Evil movies due to the energetic fight scenes she manages to pull off as the character. Not to say that she doesn't act well in this, on the contrary, Jovovich has a powerful magnetic presence as Milady, and manages to hold her own in fight scenes. There is no surprise Jovovich acts as she does though, as this movie is directed by Paul W S Anderson. It is as energetic and action packed as it can get with him at the helm.

For a change, Orlando Bloom plays the bad guy, The Duke of Buckingham, a man he has act a little more camp as it gives the movie an air of comedy it lacks. Buckingham is only in it for a few times but his presence is memorable. For those who have not looked into the movie as a reviewer would, Luke Evans who plays Aramis resembles Orlando so much that it seems Orlando is playing two roles, and it acts as an amusing distraction from the plot.

The romantic element in this is the attachment of Athos to Milady de Winter, and her other suitors as well. She is cruel and manipulative, yet she has the ability to have men falling all over her.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Buy: The Three Musketeers

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-the-three-musketeers-starring-matthew-macfadyen-orlando-bloom-and-christoph-waltz/feed/ 1 Movie Review: Ever After starring Drew Barrymore, Dougray Scott, and Anjelica Huston http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-ever-after-starring-drew-barrymore-dougray-scott-and-anjelica-huston/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-ever-after-starring-drew-barrymore-dougray-scott-and-anjelica-huston/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:14:26 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=126

Ever After has been one of my all time favorite romantic comedies. Drew Barrymore is at her best in this Cinderella spinoff (the first of a long string that soon followed.) Her prince is played by Dougray Scott, a very handsome devil that captures the sulky spoiled regent character very well.

This movie is one of those movies takes place in France but everyone speaks English. Good thing too or you’d miss out on a lot of the subtle and fun expressions this cast of characters do on a regular basis throughout the movie. My favorite one is the sly glance Jacqueline gives near the very end. She’s a wonderful supporting character that you’ll love to watch.

Danielle, Drew Barrymore, losses her father at the tender age of eight. The very day following his first night with his new wife, the Baroness, played by Anjelica Huston. You would expect poison or some other form of trickery, but this is never revealed. From that moment forward Danielle’s life is changed irrevocably from the life of a wealthy merchant’s daughter to the unloved and unwelcomed position of an unpaid servant in her stepmother’s home.

Meanwhile, Prince Henry has lived a relatively easy life until his father has made the unpardonable declaration that he is to wed some Spanish princess he has never met. Horrified by this backward thinking, Henry runs away (and this is not the first time he’s run off either). He encounters Danielle during this mad escape when she knocks him off his stolen horse. Paying her for her silence of his passing, Henry takes off again as if the very devil were after him.

everafter

The money paid for her silence heavy in her pocket, Danielle runs back to the manor excited and bubbly at the prospect at being able to save a man who has been servant, friend, and father figure in her life. A daring plan to dress above her station and a sharp-tongued speech directed at his royal highness insure the release of her old friend but starts a delightfully enchanting tale of cat and mouse between Henry and Danielle as he pursues and she flees until finally she is caught.

If you’re looking for a Cinderella tale that features a headstrong, book-read, saucy female lead this is the movie for you.

Rating: ★★★★★

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-ever-after-starring-drew-barrymore-dougray-scott-and-anjelica-huston/feed/ 1 Movie Review: My Life in Ruins starring Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, and Alexis Georgoulis http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-my-life-in-ruins-starring-nia-vardalos-richard-dreyfuss-and-alexis-georgoulis/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-my-life-in-ruins-starring-nia-vardalos-richard-dreyfuss-and-alexis-georgoulis/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:41:55 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=3315

Wow, another movie that was totally trashed by reviewers is yet another one I really enjoyed watching. I think My Life in Ruins is a smash. It uses stereotypes to make everything appear awful at first and then slowly unravels the truth beneath the façade. You have obnoxious American tourists, an old lady that steals everything that isn’t nailed down, a gentleman who thinks he’s the life of the party, Australians you can’t understand even though they speak English, a married couple at each other’s throats, a moody teenager, divorced woman on a man hunt, etc.

Georgia, played by Nia Vardalos, must take this ragtag group of tourists through Greece. She knows everything there is to know about the ruins and monuments, but she’s disillusioned. Nobody cares about history or the treasures right before their eyes. Georgia has lost her kaffee.

georgiaandirv

Richard Dreyfuss plays Irv, the tourist who thinks he’s hilarious. Irv is rude, makes terrible jokes, and wears down Georgia’s every last nerve until she snaps. To her horror she finds out this is the worse trip for him ever not because she’s a terrible tour guide, but because his wife is dead and this is his first time abroad without her.

Poupi, a terrible name if there ever was one and one of the few things that was just this side of ridiculous in the movie, is the bus driver. Alexis Georgoulis is quite handsome under his beard and long hair. Poupi crushes on Georgia and helps her rediscover her love of Greece and love of life during this trip.

The romance is cute, the bad guy gets his dues, and you get to enjoy the fabulous scenery of Greece. Having been, I’m so glad they showed the Parthenon in Athens at night. It truly is an amazing sight to see. It looked magical in person and on screen.

My one major irk, and my mother’s too, who saw this with me, was Nia’s shoes. How on earth could that woman traipse around Greece’s ruins in high heels, tall platform shoes, etc.? It just isn’t possible. Delphi for instance, was repaved by the Romans in old marble monuments. The road is slippery and sweats in the summer months and it tricky to navigate in tennis shoes! The Parthenon has gravel and chunks of rocks everywhere, no way! She would twist an ankle and fall.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Buy: My Life in Ruins

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-my-life-in-ruins-starring-nia-vardalos-richard-dreyfuss-and-alexis-georgoulis/feed/ 2 Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:28:28 +0000 Sandra Scholes http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=11802

by Sandra Scholes, guest reviewer

I know it's kind of clichéd, but it's true. If you go see any movie this year, let it be this one. It's not one to let you down, and it's worth you sitting down and watching the other movies in the series first. Other than Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean this is the only movie out there that deserves all the hype that is thrown about it. This second part makes up for the rather slow first half of the Deathly Hallows. Now that I think about it, the first part was the build-up while the second part is all action, and a rollercoaster ride as you will be treated to dragon rides and fight scenes.

The movie begins where the last one left off, the three heroes are burying Dobby after his untimely death and it proves to be a sorrowful time for all, and the atmosphere of the movie carries this same mood over until they meet Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus's brother. None of them feel comfortable in his presence and no wonder, he is a pretty
unlikeable man with an ulterior motive, and, to be honest he looks like he would betray them all without another thought. Lucky for Harry and his friends, he is prepared to help them in their search for the Horcruxes as he has to find them and, if he can, destroy them as these are the pieces of Voldemort's evil soul.

Unlike in the previous movies, there is a great deal of tension that builds up from the start and gets progressively worse as the film goes on. It also gets darker too, even when viewers thought it couldn't get as dark. For those who have watched the films since the very first one, they will they will have noticed they have darkened right from The Prisoner of Azkaban, and after. Harry Potter has had to combat Voldemort's minions, and anyone else who gets in his way. In this movie Harry has to drop his weaker side, and show his friends that he is capable of handling the war that is coming. Voldemort is powerful, and the only way they can destroy him is to find the Horcruxes and destroy them one by one, thereby decreasing his power and the effect he has on everyone at the school. There is one Horcrux Harry has not taken into account, though, and it would be rather tricky for him to destroy.

If they are to find these Horcruxes, they have to make their journey back to Hogwarts, and this is as a dangerous as it gets for the three of them as the entire place has changed since they were once students there - it has become the haven of Voldemort and his supporters, so they will have to be careful if they are to service. Their only means of moving around Hogwarts unnoticed is to use potions and spells to disguise them while they search. At the start of this part of the movie, there are endless fights and magical cameos from characters that were in the films before. It ties up many loose ends we might have noticed in the other movie, and as well as deaths, there are a few revelations about a certain character.

So, Voldemort is still dangerous and his power has built since the first movie, the Malfoys are just as nasty, except that Draco has seen what happens to those in the service of their lord and has to make a decision of whether he wants to keep his allegiance with him, or against him. He knows he is the ultimate evil who was once Tom Riddle, but will he go against his father's wishes? There are characters you won't see much of, Hagrid only makes one appearance, the twins, Fred and George Weasley in fact you get to see more of Voldemort's minions than anything else, with the wicked Bellatrix Lestrange loving every minute of waving her wand and being generally bad. What is sad though is Slytherin's head, Severus Snape is as nasty and connected to Voldemort as previously thought. In fact, Harry, Hermione and Ron have their work cut out trying to find the last of the Horcruxes and bring Voldemort's evil reign to an end.

As you may have guessed, though, it's not going to be as easy as that. When death-eaters are stationed around the castle, and danger is all around the inside, nothing could be as hard. They do have help on the inside though, and to be honest, Harry has always had help from others since he became a trainee wizard. He has often thought that his parents, especially his mother have been around to protect him, and guide him to the things he needed, but is it the truth? Harry doesn't know, and yet he wants to find out what he needs to know.

Nothing in this movie is rushed, and even though the first part was slow, it served as a fitting build up to the rest of the story, which starts as soon as the three of them get to Hogwarts. From then on there is nothing but action, reaction and interaction, perfect pacing, and a final battle that isn't obviously tailored at having Harry win. Normally the hype of a movie isn’t as justified as it could be, but in this case, it is. The acting is perfect, the amount of characters, action, magic and ending make it the best movie out at the moment, and as I can see, nothing is good enough to top it anytime soon.

Rating: ★★★★★

Buy: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2/feed/ 3 Movie Review: Sense and Sensibility Miniseries (BBC TV 2008) http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-sense-and-sensibility-miniseries-bbc-tv-2008/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-sense-and-sensibility-miniseries-bbc-tv-2008/#comments Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:56:50 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=3718

I’ve always been a fan of the Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman version of Sense & Sensibility, but I must say this new miniseries has quite blown my mind. It’s wonderful, sumptuous, superbly acted adaptation. Andrew Davies did a fabulous job with the screenplay.

We all know the story behind Sense and Sensibility. It’s a tale of two sisters: one beautiful and romantic—the other pretty and far too sensible. The first, Marianne Dashwood, is vulnerable to any man bent on seduction. The second, Elinor Dashwood, is vulnerable to the dictates of society. She’ll lose her heart but keep that fact to herself, because young women should be reserved.

The first few times I saw this film, I was lukewarm toward David Morrissey, who plays Colonel Brandon. I warmed considerably to him by the third watching. He’s a great actor.

edwardferrars

Dan Stevens is gorgeous. Oh my, is he handsome. He’s so much fun to watch as Edward Ferrars. I wish he was in more scenes! Edward chopping wood in a wet, white shirt… be still my heart… sigh.

Hattie Morahan who is Elinor in this miniseries is stunning both in looks and acting. She’s quite moving to watch.

Charity Wakefield is lovely. I enjoyed her a lot. I know of a few people who did not, but I really thought she was exceptional.

Dominic Cooper as Willoughby… ugh. Not a fan. He’s so smarmy. Greg Wise from the other version was a much better fit in my opinion.

I disliked extremely the beginning seduction scene. It’s so disjointed from the rest. When I saw it the first time I thought I was watching a preview for another movie and it took watching it a second time to realize it was actually a part of the first episode.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Buy: Sense & Sensibility (BBC TV 2008)

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-sense-and-sensibility-miniseries-bbc-tv-2008/feed/ 0 Movie Review: Lost in Austen starring Jemima Rooper and Elliot Cowan http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-lost-in-austen-starring-jemima-rooper-and-elliot-cowan/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-lost-in-austen-starring-jemima-rooper-and-elliot-cowan/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:36:54 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=3308

This three hour BBC miniseries is just precious. It’s lighthearted, humorous, and perfect. Pride and Prejudice is revisited and reintroduced. Lost in Austen pays homage to Jane Austen’s original masterpiece while reinventing it. My friend, who is not a Pride and Prejudice fan—blasphemous I know!—loved this film. My other friend, who is a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, to the point of being a purist, loved it also. Two endorsements right there! Make that three as it has mine also!

It starts with the heroine, a representative for all modern women, reading the classic tale. She has read it so many times, she can say it by heart, practically see herself there at Pemberley running to Darcy—wait hold up!

amandaandelizabeth

Amanda Price thinks she’s going crazy what with Elizabeth Bennet showing up in her bathroom and all. It is just one more sign of impending institutionalization. Really, how could a fictional character appear in her bathroom? The lives of those in Georgian England are made up after all… right?

When a wall opens up in Amanda’s bathroom and Elizabeth affirms it is her house on the other side, Amanda can’t resist stepping through. Like Alice, Amanda has gone through the rabbit hole and is trapped in Wonderland. The door swings shut behind her, but Amanda is filled with only a slight trepidation as she descends into the madness that is the Bennet house right at the beginning of the story.

What follows is a fabulous, wonderful, delicious story of a modern girl trying to make the story happen only to mess it up. Every time Amanda attempts to fix things, it gets worse. Some end up married to the wrong person, new background on characters is revealed, and more. Who could imagine blustering Mrs. Bennett as a ball-buster? One of the things that I loved was how Wickham is redeemed in this version. How? Watch and find out!

I’ve been told that the American version is missing a scene where Amanda is singing. I noticed a jerky transition where it should have occurred. There are also a few minor things left out, so I’ve been told. I wish they hadn’t taken it out, I mean once you’re at three hours, what’s another fifteen or so minutes right? Anyway, it was marvelous. Get it from your library or buy a copy – you’ll love it!

PS: Elliot Cowan, who plays Mr. Darcy, in looks is a cross between Colin Firth and Heath Ledger. Yum! His wet white shirt scene... double yum! Take a look:

lost_in_austen

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Buy: Lost in Austen

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-lost-in-austen-starring-jemima-rooper-and-elliot-cowan/feed/ 0 Movie Review: Red Riding Hood starring Gary Oldman, Julie Christie and Virginia Madsen http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-red-riding-hood-starring-gary-oldman-julie-christie-and-virginia-madsen/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-red-riding-hood-starring-gary-oldman-julie-christie-and-virginia-madsen/#comments Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:42:15 +0000 Sandra Scholes http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=11551

by Sandra Scholes, guest reviewer

Remember the fairy tale? We all do, this movie is loosely based on it, and starts with two friends Valerie and Peter in the depths of a forest. They find a rabbit thinking it will feed them well over the winter months; but neither of them can kill it. Ten years later, the two of them have grown up, and Valerie is unhappy about the prospect of being married off to Henry, some rich kid she doesn't know. The problem is, she has already fallen deeply in love with the boy she knew from years ago, Peter, and her feelings as well as his have never changed. Her parents aren't too fond of her relationship with Peter, though, as he is only a poor woodcutter’s son, and in their eyes not a good match. Henry, her husband to be holds no interest for her as she feels as though she is being forced into wedlock with a complete stranger.

Back at the village there is a wolf on the prowl which has killed already, and the villagers have been plagued by its presence for years with no way of ridding themselves of its influence. Their first mistake was to think it was an ordinary wolf, but they soon find out from the local wolf finder general that it is actually a werewolf, one who is human until the full moon looms over them, and then it changes into a huge, ravening beast. The villagers are fools thinking that after a wolf hunt around their general area, they have found it, the source of their problems, and brought its head back on a spike as a warning to other would be wolves out there. What they don't know is that the real werewolf is still out there, and wanting blood.

So...the real question is who is the werewolf?

On first looking, you expect it to be a retelling of the old fairy tale, but this film is certainly not for children, and it is not just an old rehash of what we already know. The story starts with a difference, and though the main characters are there, there is a lot more going on in the village than you would think. This is pretty much where the fairy tale ends and the real story starts.

Valerie acts as the red riding hood character, who lives with her mother and grandmother. Her father is in the shadows where he seems to stay throughout the movie acting as though he doesn't really belong in the village. Viewers will be constantly wondering who the werewolf is, and there are many possibilities to choose from; the wolf hunter general Solomon who comes into the village and tells them what they need to know, even though he is suspicious himself, and owns a nasty set of nails that look like animal talons, Henry and Peter are perfect suspects too, as they are the love interests of Valerie, and she could lose out if either of them are the wolf. The grandmother or the mother could be the wolf too, as it doesn't seem to specify a gender, even if the voice of the werewolf is deep and male. You think it could be throwing you a red herring through the entire movie. One other thing that makes the movie much more interesting is after the villagers have been trying to placate the wolf with animal sacrifices, the werewolf under a blood moon is now on the lookout to find a human to bite in order to leave its legacy before it dies, so assume the werewolf is rather old as a human.

The deaths mount up, but you can't seem to get away from the romance element of this horror story. And who would want to? It is a nice change from the norm, a horror story that just has blood and gore in it. The relationship between Valerie and Peter is a strong one, and in her eyes, no amount of outside interference from her mum and gran, or her father can change how she feels. You kind of get the impression that if she was forced to marry Henry, she would, but she wouldn't love him in the way she does Peter, and would go and see Peter anyway. Theirs is a love that will never die, even if he turned out to be the wolf.

Red Riding Hood is a movie worth watching, even if it's just for seeing Gary Oldman in a change of horror role from being Dracula to playing a wolf hunter.

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: Red Riding Hood, Red Riding Hood (UK)

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-red-riding-hood-starring-gary-oldman-julie-christie-and-virginia-madsen/feed/ 0 Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-alice-in-wonderland-starring-mia-wasikowska-johnny-depp-helena-bonham-carter-and-anne-hathaway/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-alice-in-wonderland-starring-mia-wasikowska-johnny-depp-helena-bonham-carter-and-anne-hathaway/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:03:20 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=6629

I honestly thought I wouldn’t like this Tim Burton film. Everything looked just entirely too too much and over the top. The trailers didn’t really appeal to me. I went to the 2D version because it was cheaper, so if I didn’t like it I hadn’t shelled out a lot of dough to see it. I was surprised by how many kids were in the theater – I expected the movie to be dark and I thought it was rated higher for more mature audiences. It’s not. It’s pretty kid friendly actually. To make a long story short, loved it. Like LOVED it.

The Actors:

  • Mia Wasikowska is a wonderful Alice. Perfect from the tips of her curly blond hair to the points of her little toes. She’s a treat to watch.
  • In the trailers, Johnny Depp, looks and sounds so completely bonkers, I was afraid he’d overplay the part. But Johnny’s performance is surprisingly poignant and full of charm.
  • Helena Bonham Carter was another who I thought would overplay, but she’s every inch the Red Queen without being too much.
  • Anne Hathaway plays the flighty White Queen. I couldn’t tell if she was good or bad for half the movie (yes clearly I’ve not read the books… shh… bad reader no cookie.)
  • Crispin Glover was great as the Knave of Hearts also known as Stayne.
  • Voice actors Michael Sheen and Alan Rickman did wonderful in their parts.

The Costumes:

  • Alice Kingsley’s multiple outfits. You’d think the magic juice and cake would make her clothing shrink and grow accordingly, but it doesn’t. It leads to a bunch of hilarity and costume changes allowing Alice to fit into this new mad world.
  • I’m on the fence for Johnny Depp’s makeup as the Mad Hatter. On one hand I love it – and he can certainly wear it. The eyelashes are awesome. On the other hand I really dislike the purple on white skin palette.
  • Every costume for the Red Queen was gorgeous. It’s Tudor period meets Disney.
  • Did not like the White Queen’s costumes. Or more accurately put, I hated that Anne Hathaway had dark thick black eyebrows and thick black/mauve lips against all that white. Very bizarre.
  • Knave of Hearts face makeup was excellently done. He really looked like he had scars on his face.

CGI:

  • The scenery will blow your mind in a very good way.
  • All of the creatures and inhabitants of Wonderland (Underland) are highly stylized. I loved the White Rabbit and the March Hare the best. Go Team Rabbits. Er… Team Hares?
  • Absolem or the Blue Caterpillar looked like a wrinkled old man. I especially liked his forays into the real world.

Favorite Moments:

The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?
Alice Kingsley: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

The Mad Hatter: [to Alice] You used to be much more...muchier. You've lost your muchness.

Alice Kingsley: This is impossible.
The Mad Hatter: Only if you believe it is.

If you can’t tell by my quotes you should know some of the best parts in the whole film are between Alice and Mad Hatter. They help each other, save each other, rescue each other, look out for each other… I was very disappointed when Johnny Depp didn’t appear in the real world as either himself or as someone new for Alice to meet that looked like her old friend. I thought there was romance in the air there… perhaps for a sequel?

Overall a wonderful movie and well worth the price of admission. I think I just might go see it in 3D.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Buy: Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-alice-in-wonderland-starring-mia-wasikowska-johnny-depp-helena-bonham-carter-and-anne-hathaway/feed/ 7 Movie Review: Keeping the Faith Starring Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, and Jenna Elfman http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-keeing-the-faith-starring-ben-stiller-edward-norton-and-jenna-elfman/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-keeing-the-faith-starring-ben-stiller-edward-norton-and-jenna-elfman/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:21:34 +0000 Keira http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=1136

This love triangle features a priest, a rabbi, and a–oh you heard that joke have you? Well, drat there goes my punch line!

Anyway this movie is a bit old, but I saw it for the first time the other day and I’m so glad I sat down to watch it, VHS tape, preview ads, broken remote and all. Can you imagine? Wow! If you’re a person who has a hard time watching Ben Stiller because he stars in movies along the same vein as Will Farrell you’ll be pleasantly surprised by his comedy routine in this movie. There’s nothing over the top, gross, or poorly done on his part to disrupt the romantic overtones of the story.

Jake, Brian, and Anna were friends in eighth grade until tragedy struck and Anna had to move away. Jake and Brian continued on being the best of friends. They were both interested in religion and teaching each other about their faith. Eventually their interest lead them to seek becoming leaders of their respective faiths. Years of study, devotion, and passion for their cause lead us to present day where Rabbi Jake Schram (Ben Stiller) and Father Brian Finn (Edward Norton) are making a splash in the community. New York will never be the same. As luck would have it Anna Riley turns up after all their years apart, as a high power executive woman ready to kick butt and take names and with a little... erm... faith reconnect with old friends. She laughs herself silly upon hearing their occupations.

keepingfaith

Jake and Anna are immediately attracted to one another, but Jake must marry in order to receive his due (a promotion when the old Rabbi leaves for retirement). Unfortunately the woman must be Jewish and all the mothers in his congregation are trying to hook him up with their daughters and he can't say no for fear of offending them. When Jake gives up trying for the perfect Jewish girl, he pursues Anna with a vengeance and passion that leave them both stunned and Jake a little fearful. Nobody will understand - not his parish, not the board members, and most certainly not his mother.

Meanwhile, Brian is struggling his his vows of celibacy as he faces the undeniable truth: he's in love with his best friend, Anna. Every conversation, every touch, every look feeds into his confusion. He's reading more into her every action. When things come to a head after a teary phone call from Anna, Brian is stunned, hurt, and furious with his other best friend Jake.

Will the friends be able to patch up their broken hearts, misunderstandings, and keep the faith? Watch and find out!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/movie-review-keeing-the-faith-starring-ben-stiller-edward-norton-and-jenna-elfman/feed/ 0