Nocturnal Animals (Ford, 2016)

What else could you expect from Tom Ford than something beautiful. The man knows what he is doing when it comes to making beautiful things, films being no exception to that. Nocturnal Animals tells two stories through a dual narrative set in different times and using different characters. The first narrative is from the point of view of Amy Adams, an artist that has issues sleeping. The dual narrative begins when her ex-husband sends her a manuscript of the book he has written and dedicated to her. The second narrative is that of the story the manuscript tells as Adams' character reads it.
The film is shocking and heartbreaking. Terrifying and satisfying. The stories combine so beautifully, the matching of imagery between the two narratives is incomparable. It leads the audience to believe something than immediately proves it false.
The performance of Jake Gyllenhaal specifically is mesmerising. Every time I watch a film starring this actor I fall more in love with the way that he performs and takes on his character. Gyllenhaal conveys such strong emotion throughout the entire film, sadly making the performance of Adams slightly less outstanding. However, I don't believe that is her fault, rather than how her character is. Her character is quite bland and unlikeable, which I do believe to be the point. As you feel sympathy for Gyllenhaal's character in both of the narratives even though in the first one he doesn't spend much time on screen.
Overall, this film is a master of cinematography and aesthetic. You know that this is a Tom Ford film if you have seen A Single Man, his only other film. Ford is about aesthetic, you only need to look at his design work to realise that. This film is beautiful, and should be watched by those that really appreciate film in a creative way.

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

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True Art

To me film is art. However, not all art is created equal. Anyone can create art with whatever means they choose, whether it be with a video camera, a pencil, a pen, paint, computer equipment, anyone can create art. True art however is something else entirely. True art is when you see it and are moved to feel emotion by whichever way it grabs your heart whether that be what it looks like, the meaning behind it or something it says to you that maybe only you can hear. True art speaks to you, although that same piece might not speak to the person sitting or standing next to you in the gallery. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. If you see it as art then it is art. True art moves the soul.

Film moves my soul more than any other art form. Literature and other more traditional concepts or art can also move me but not to the same level or on so many occasions as film does. Film, to me, is the truest art there is. It has the power to move to me tears on so many occasions. It reaches for my heart and refuses to let it go again. The most powerful is animation, animated film moves me to my very core. The films of Disney, Studio Ghibli, PIXAR nearly all have the power to move me to tears. However, few move me to a point where I just sit there afterwards and take it in. To name a few, Lilo and Stitch, Dumbo, Your Lie in April all move me to a point where I am unable to literally move from my seat or think about anything else, let alone watch anything else.

They move me to create my own art, they evoke emotion in me that few other things can. Film moves me to the point where I can't take it anymore. To the point where I hurt so badly that I can no longer stand watching it anymore (talking to you Dumbo). Maybe it's because they touch a raw nerve but I'm not entirely sure what they have in common apart from being animated. They make me think and feel the way that nothing else can. I believe that is the marking of true art, at least for me anyway.

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Anime revaltion

I have finally given in to the world of anime. I have always watched Studio Ghibli films but never really given into the world of anime series such as 'Attack on Titan', 'Death Note' etc. I decided to check out crunchy roll as that is apparently the best way to watch anime legally (and I refuse to watch things otherwise). I went for a genre that I new I would like, so went for romance. Scrolling down the title listing one particular anime caught my eye: 'My Little Monster'. Oh my gosh, I didn't know I would become hooked so quickly. You know you're past minor interest when you horrendously groan when the adverts come up on your screen. I didn't realise that I would get hooked so quickly, I thought I would enjoy it but I didn't realise that I would finish it within a few days during any free time I had that I wasn't asleep. I didn't even watch it when I was sleepy because I didn't want to miss a minute of this delightful programme.
From the character design (dear god, Haru is the cutest thing in the world) to their outright confessions of love that somewhat shocked me at first but you get used to it. I guess they just talk like that in anime. I love everything about it, and now I just need to find out if it was this specific anime or anime as a whole that I love. I have already begun watching my second anime, around 30 minutes after finishing 'My Little Monster'. (It's 'My lie in April' for anyone that is interested. So far so good, lets face it I'm already hooked.)
I don't know why I never gave in to anime, I mean it makes sense that I would entirely fall in love with it. I love animation and the art of animation, and really anime is just so beautiful its unreal. I love western animation, it is beautiful but in a different way. I don't think anime is anymore artistic than the animation Disney or PIXAR create. I hate it when people say it is because it's just different, not any more or less artistic just artistic in a different way. I look forward to my future anime adventures, woo!

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When you're down

I have compiled a list of films to watch when you are feeling down. Whether you want something to pick you up, let you escape or to get the tears out because lets face it, that always makes one feel better. Let's get started...

Number 1: Lilo and Stitch (2002)
This Disney film tells the tale of an alien called Stitch and a little earth girl called Lilo. It tells the story of how they help each other and those around them with their issues. This one is definitely going to get the those tears out, if it doesn't I don't understand your brain. However, after the multiple emotional teary moments it has an uplifting and very happy (yet still tearful) ending.

Number 2: The Lego Movie (2014)
It literally tells you that everything is awesome (try and tell me that you didn't sing that). This very funny film has punchy jokes, a killer song, and the voice of Morgan Freeman throughout most of it. How could it not lift you up when you're down?

Number 3: Say Anything (1989)
Absolute classic that will lift you and your expectations of men way way up. The story of blossoming young love between Lloyd and Dianne will let you escape whatever is going on in your life, even a hard break up believe it or not.

Number 4: Ghostbusters (1984)
Ok, if that song doesn't lift you up I don't know what will. It's just a fun film about a group of friends that run around NYC catching the ghosts that plague the city. A bit of romance is sprinkled in there among the the sarcasm and sliming to...I don't know, maybe because all films have a romance...I just like Bill Murray chasing Sigourney Weaver ok, it's funny.

Number 5: Back to The Future (all of them, the 1985, 1989, 1990)
The story of time travelling Marty McFly and Doc Brown as they go back and forth between past, present and future (although not anymore technically). This popular 80's franchise could lift me up from pretty much any funk I am going through in that moment, Marty is just so cute and it's just so funny, I love it.

Ok, so if you couldn't tell that I am literally in love with the 80's and so many of the films made in that decade then you clearly are blind and I apologise. Hopefully, this list will help lift you out of the funk you may have found yourself in. But y'know you could watch a majority of these films even when you aren't feeling funky, maybe leave out Lilo and Stitch (it's very sad in the middle but actually bring you down if you don't need to cry). Anyway, thanks for reading.

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Disney Favourites: Music

One of the best things about Disney movies is the music. I don't just mean the musical style Disney films like The Little Mermaid or Mulan but also the ones where nobody sings but there are still songs recorded specifically for the film like Bolt. This post is going to be all about my top ten favourite Disney songs, I would love to say it was 50/50 but it unfortunately is not.

• I Thought I Lost You - John Travolta & Miley Cyrus, from the 2008 animated feature Bolt
• I'll make a man out of you - Ensemble, from the 1998 animated feature Mulan
• Hakuna Matata - Ensemble, from the 1994 animated feature The Lion King
• Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride - Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu, from the 2002 animated feature Lilo and Stitch
• Just around the river bend - Judy Kuhn, from the 1995 animated feature Pocahontas
• I'm wishing/one song - Harry Stockwell & Adriana Caselotti, from 1937 the animated feature Snow white and the Seven dwarves
• A whole new world - Lea Salonga & Brad Kane, from the 1992 animated feature Aladdin
• Once upon a dream - Mary Costa & Bill Shirley, from the 1959 animated feature Sleeping Beauty
• So this is love - Ilene Woods & Mike Douglas, from the 1950 animated feature Cinderella 
• I see the light - Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi, from the 2011 animated feature Tangled

This list isn't in any specific order but would certainly have to be on my ultimate Disney playlist and in fact are on that playlist. I doubt that really surprises you if you have read any past blog posts of mine. Especially any Disney themed ones which are all linked below if you want to check those out. 

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Animation Rant - is it always for kids?

A TV show or a film that has been created fully through the medium of animation almost always simply gets dubbed as something for children. Even an Anime gets dubbed this way, which clearly
shows that the person saying such has never actually watched a full episode of an anime. Anyway, I don't believe that a piece of media should be labelled as something for 'children' simply because it was animated.
Moving away from Anime. I do realise that Disney primarily make 'family' features, and the same goes for Pixar and Dreamworks. However, that does not mean that these features are simply created for the enjoyment of children alone. For example, if you watch pretty much any 'family' film as an adult one should pick up on many adult jokes created through innuendos etc. Yes, you could say that these jokes are put in to make it 'bearable' for the adults in the audience. Which I don't think is really true, since animated media that is created purely for children do not have these jokes and yet parents, babysitters etc do, a lot of the time, also watch along with the children.

One of my very favourite animated TV series is the 'Regular Show' which plays on cartoon network, a TV network that shows other 'kids' shows. However, I don't think that I have ever watched a 'kids' cartoon series with the amount of balls jokes that this one has, or this nifty way to not swear. There are however some very disturbing cartoons on this network that I used to watch in my younger years (aka, like 12 years ago when I was 7) that may explain my mindset. Watching things like 'The Powderpuff Girls' or 'Courage the Cowardly Dog' recently I realised how disturbing these shows were, don't understand - I would advise googling 'him from powerpuff girls' (or just click the lovingly prepared link). This kind of thing makes me realise why my older siblings that are 10 years my senior would happily watch these shows with me.
I personally don't believe that anything should be dismissed because of what it looks like (wider universe stuff, get back to media). Just because an piece of media is animated doesn't mean that people should look down on it as just a 'kids' show. (yes I'm talking to the parents out there that let their year 2 children watch Family Guy because it's just a cartoon). I understand that children don't always understand the jokes or more adult references that are implied in 'family' animation but that doesn't mean that all things that are animated do it the same way.
Shows like 'Family Guy' should not be watched by children, they don't hide the adult references. There is literally an episode where one of the characters takes magic mushrooms and you see pretty much all of the rest of the episode through his very high brain.

I don't really have much to conclude on other that don't think that all things animated are created equal. As in don't think that simply because it is animated means that it is suitable for children. (I shall point out here that there are 'adult' movies that are animated).

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(Images used are not mine and I do not own them in any way)

Me Before You (Sharrock, 2016)

Let's start out by saying I have never seen 'The Mother of Dragons' cry so much and I rather liked it. Seeing a different side of Emilia Clarke as the lovely Louisa Clark in this newly released heart wrenching romantic drama.

The performance of Emilia Clarke in this film is probably what made this film what it is. The film itself is very well shot and is a somewhat strange mix of tear jerking sadness and rather funny comedic moments. The film is more of a very sad romantic comedy rather than a romantic Drama. However, this slightly confusing mix does not lessen the films value. It is what it is, and to me, the performance of Emilia Clarke really did make the film.
If you watch Game of Thrones the chameleon performance by Clarke in this feature really is astounding. Me before You shows maybe a truer version of Clarke, this character somewhat seems to be an interpretation of Clarke herself in personality much more than her character in the long running TV series Game of Thrones. A very quirky relatable girl that all in the audience can appreciate and relate to in one way or another.
The film has gotten some bad press from the disabled community for its overall message, which is understandable. However, this doesn't mean that the film itself is not any less enjoyable.
This feature is thoroughly enjoyable to anyone with an open mind to the world of romance and love between two slightly mismatched people. A lovely story about trying to save someone, but also about learning to let them go when you truly love them.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5


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Disney Favourites: Characters

Disney is my thing, I'm the Disney one in my Class even though there are a few others that I'm sure love Disney almost as much as me but are just not as vocal about it. This post is about my favourite Disney Characters depending on category that I have put them in because otherwise I can't pick and even then it is very hard for me. Ok, lets go.

Favourite Princess - Princess Aurora, aka. Sleeping Beauty. Fun Fact about me I actually cried the first time I met her and probably would now if I was to meet her at Disney again. (Mulan is a very close second because she is just so badass)

Favourite Female Character - Just got to be a toss up between Wendy and Tinkerbell from Peter Pan (the original animated feature, obviously)

Favourite Prince - Prince Phillip, from Sleeping Beauty. I just love him, not sure what it is but I just really love him. Although, really, have you really looked at him, so cute.

Favourite Male Character - Jim Hawking, from Treasure Planet. Amazing film that even people that "don't like Disney" (clearly lying to themselves) enjoy. One of my absolute favourites.

Favourite Couple - Aladdin and Jasmine, simply because of the way that he looks at her. oh my gosh, to be looked at like that is the dream.

Favourite Sidekick - This is a very hard one for me, I love just about all of them. The sidekicks are one of my favourite things about Disney films. Narrowed down to two I would have to say Genie from Aladdin and Mushu from Mulan

Favourite Animal - Bolt, a gorgeously animated dog voiced by John Travolta. What on earth could be better than that? I guess Mickey, because without him (and Walt) none of the Disney world would exist.

Favourite Alien - Stitch, obviously.

Favourite Villain - Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty not Maleficent (don't get me started on that). She just has such a presence and she owns the villain green and purple to a T.


Ok, ok, I realise that none of these characters are older than like the mid 2000's but I'm a classic Disney kind of fan. I do love the new stuff but the old ones just resonate with me on another level. I just kind of feel like the more and more movies they make the less and less they have an essence of Walt Disney about them.

Next up in my Disney Favourites series: Music

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The Jungle Book (Favreau, 2016)

Can I just start by saying that I love the original animated version of the The Jungle Book (Reitherman) from 1967. I would say that from where I stand on the remakes I'm always kind of like 'no, why Disney why? Just leave it alone. The original is amazing you can't top that' and I wouldn't say that I was wrong with that statement to an extent. Because to me those movies can't be beat by anything not even their new counterparts that were produced by the same company. The animated movies resonate with me in a way that these new live action remakes just can't.

Ok, ok, it may just be because I simply love animation and I grew up with those films. Those two factors make me insanely biased but I shall still say that these new versions are not as good as the animated features they come from. However, that does NOT mean that these movies are bad, in fact The Jungle Book (Favreau, 2016) is shockingly gorgeous (I do have a few less stellar notes but I'll get to those in a minute), the CGI is astounding. The acting by Neel Sethi is rather good and I can certainly see him making a name for himself in the upcoming months and years to come.

But, Disney are not doing great with the casting of their voice actors at the moment. I have an issue with the casting of Elsa in Frozen (Buck and Lee, 2013) she just doesn't sound right, and that seems to have occurred again in this live action Jungle Book. Myself, and the two friends that I saw the feature with, all agreed that some of the voices just weren't quite what we were expecting and even exactly what we were expecting. The voice of Kaa, Scarlett Johansson, was not quite right, she just wasn't scary more seductive. I didn't think it would be hard to be scarier than the original voice of Kaa, bearing in mind the same voice actor also leant his voice to Winnie the Pooh but she didn't quite manage it, although I wasn't exactly expecting that she could. The other much more surprising disappointment was Idris Elba as Shere Khan whom was scary but also not at all scary, because his voice didn't quite fit the character in a similar way to Idina Menzel in Frozen (Buck and Lee, 2013).

Overall, I would totally recommend this film. I can get past the two voices that I didn't quite like and the few scenes that they cut out quite disappointingly. My only warning would be don't go in thinking it's going to be an exact remake, which would be silly enough a notion anyhow, but it is a different film. Same story, different film almost entirely.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


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Zootropolis (Howard & Moore, 2016)

Can I just initially say oh my gosh I love this film! Disney has come back with a bang after Big Hero 6 (Williams & Hall, 2014). This animated feature is based around the idea that all animals (in a humanless world) have evolved at the rate that we did and created an utopian society where predator and prey live in harmony. Hence why the film was originally titled Zootopia.

The characters are fun, my personal favourite is Nick Wilde due to my love of Foxes and sarcasm of which he encompasses both, and relatable which Disney has done so well in recent films. The characters, despite being exactly that, seem real due to the circumstances that they are in which gives them more depth and makes it easier for one to connect to with them. 

The story is rather unexpected, however Disney have done similar things before but through these characters have doing something new and created a Disney film which has made me fall in love with Disney all over again. 

Overall, the film is fun and an easy watch. The characters are super fun and weirdly relatable. The animation is gorgeous, which not everyone looks out for but it is certainly a plus. Perfect for family viewing because no member, I don't think, could really find this film boring due to the exciting fun filled story and engaging characters. Filled with an inspiring message for the kids watching to not discriminate against one another because of the past or what they look like which is very much an issue that has always been around but is particularly getting a spotlight currently. 

Rating: 4.5 (I would give it five but it didn't beat my favourite Disney films, although may have gotten on to that list). Totally go and see this film for an easy watch that is fun and suitable for the people of all ages.

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Resolutions

This year I promised to myself that I would see as many new films as they came out as I could. So far so good it seems. This month I watched six films that came out in the months of December and January (mostly January).

This Month I have seen:

1. Room (Abrahamson, 2015) - This was the first film that I saw this month and it was just lovely. Brie Larson in her most moving role yet, just a beautifully made film with terrific performances from all involved.
2. The Danish Girl (Hooper, 2016) - Alicia Vikander needs to win the Oscar for her performance in this gorgeously made film. Her character is really the star of the film, and her performance was just so moving.
3. Joy (Russel, 2015) - I'm not the biggest fan of Jennifer Lawrence but this film has made me rethink my stance on her as an actress. Whilst watching this film I honestly just forgot that it was Lawrence, and I was just immersed completely in her performance. Also, great for a girl power boost.
4. Dirty Grandpa (Mazer, 2016) - Just a super fun and silly film that features Zac Efron naked or half naked a lot. Also, Robert De Niro is just amazing, any film with him cannot go badly, right?
5. The Big Short (McKay, 2016) - The editing, oh my gosh the editing! This film is just put together so beautifully, and uses such quirky techniques to talk to the audience directly.
6. Spotlight (McCarthy, 2015) - This film is just perfect. The way it handles such a subject is done just so perfectly. As much as I would love for Inside Out to win best original screenplay the script for this film is how this it creates the impact that it does on the audience. 

All of the films that I have seen this month were just great films for different reasons. The Best release is Spotlight (McCarthy, 2015) in my opinion, it just left me both speechless and motionless. 

I hope that this resolution continues throughout the year, I know it will at least next month as I already have five films booked already! I would have more but I reached my booking limit, oops! 

Love, Bethany Ann xx

p.s. hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a very Happy new year!

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