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12 Dates of Christmas (2011)
Time is precious
12 Dates of Christmas is instantly forgettable. Time is precious and don't waste yours watching this. Groundhog Day did it much, much better.
Amy Smart is cute and you may get warm tingles every now and then. However, it's cheesy and the message is more how to avoid spending Christmas alone and get a partner rather than kindness and/or forgiveness. It's also very commercial, schmaltzy, gaudy and lacking in imagination considering where it could have gone with the story line.
I'll try and think of some positives: the dog on the bed is pretty good, the baking lady is cool and Amy Smart does have a nice smile. Still, watch something else - like Groundhog Day for the fiftieth time.
An Education (2009)
More chocolate please
Based on the memoirs of make up artist Lynne Barber, An Education follows the life of a young girl growing up in London in the 1960's. Rather than remaining relatively unknown, this quaint little English tale was revived and adapted to the big screen by writer Nick Hornby and Italian for Beginners director Lone Scherfig.
Set in Ealing, An Education focuses on the life of Jenny, a 16 year old school girl studying to get into Oxford University. Life appears to be coasting nicely for this gifted middle class girl, until one day an older self confessed music lover decides to rescue her and her cello from the pouring rain. With a beguiling manner, David glides into the world of Jenny and her parents with apparent ease, offering her more than she has ever had. Classical concerts, dinner parties, Paris, Jenny's world becomes intoxicating, with her old life appearing a bore. And it is while turning her back on her books, that Jenny begins to realise her education is just beginning.
The film holds a stellar cast, seeing a whole heap of English big names gather for the show. The lead, Carey Mulligan, puts in an outstanding performance, and it is good to see her here again working with the lovely Rosamund Pike after their stint on Pride and Prejudice (the book is also discussed in the film). Pike is entertaining as the benighted dame, and Mulligan appears completely natural as the clever and precocious 17 year old discovering life, who also handles some difficult scenes well. Peter Sarsgaard, being American, puts in a credible performance as the Ealing man of town, and Alfred Molina and Olivia Williams put in better than average performances. Emma Thompson also plays a good if only small part as the resolute headmistress.
An Education is well shot, with the locations suiting the story nicely. I also enjoyed the dialogue, which containing enough wit and sincerity without getting too carried away with itself (which was helped by the acting). The story, however, is one significant aspect of the film which lets this one down. It began nicely, was lifted by the acting, and then appeared to fizzle into predictability in the last quarter. I would have liked to have seen a little more zing, or a slight twist at the film's end. Instead, despite all the film's positives, I was left feeling a little disappointed, like the chocolate had just fallen off my ice-cream.
Worth watching for the fine performances.
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
Love Hexigon?
Another adaption of a novel. I am usually very keen to see a good novel transformed onto screen, even though the result can often be less than satisfying. Well, I hadn't read Evelyn Waugh's pre-WWII love story set in Northern England, so I'll just say that my perspective was not tarnished by expectation as I sat down for this one.
Brideshead Revisited is seen through the eyes of Charles, played by Matthew Goode. After leaving his somewhat aloof father, Charles heads towards Oxford to study history. Really desiring to be an artist, he soon captures the attentions of the bibulous and eccentric Sebastian, played by Ben Whishaw. The two quickly become friends, and Charles is taken to Sebastian's place of upbringing, Brideshead, by which the former becomes instantly mesmerised. Enter Sebastian's sister Julia, whom Charles quickly takes a fancy to, and you have a love triangle. Well a love square really, if you involve Brideshead itself. Well then you could throw religion in there for a love pentagon if you wanted to. Actually come to think of it, you could also throw alcohol in there for a love hexagon (which I think would be a better title for the film). Anyway, I will come to this.
The film started off well, with settings that convinced me of its time and class, and music that suited this nicely. Brideshead itself was beautiful, and I found Ben Whishaw's performance immediately engaging. Also, I love Emma Thompson, put her into a film and I usually find my way there one way or another. All was good so far. Throw in Sebastian's infatuation with both Charles and alcohol, Charles' infatuation with Julia and Brideshead, a stormy kiss, Venice, some nice art, and I am now interested.
The return from Venice. By now the fire of the film is crackling heartily. Sebastian is devastated due to events I won't disclose, which accelerates his relationship with alcohol, pushing him into the anti-social corners of the world. We have now lost the best actor and gained two other prominent characters, Brideshead and Catholicism. It was as at this point that I felt events began to hit the rim and spill onto the floor.
The newest characters now figure as a centre piece in the life of both Charles and Julia, although they failed to convince me in doing so. Julia's devout actions at the end of the film seemed a little sudden and forced to me, as did Charles' apparent relentless pursuit of all things desired. By now I had the impression that I was meant to be engrossed in loves lost, choices made, and the centrepiece of Brideshead itself, and I almost was. But instead I was left feeling a little unconvinced.
The film did, however, leave me with the impression that the book would be worth a read. I wanted to like this film, and in many ways I did. I just felt like it had a little trouble pulling itself together in the last quarter.
Worth watching for Ben Whishaw, Emma Thompson, and the setting, which is exquisite.