Although I’ve seen this film recommended to me several times, probably because I enjoy Meryl Streep’s acting so much, it had somehow never appealed. The title is rather off-putting, and the theme, I gathered, was related to high fashion, a topic which does not interest me in the slightest. But when I saw the DVD for a pound at a UK charity shop, in excellent condition, I couldn’t resist.
I’m glad I went ahead and bought ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, because it was a surprisingly enjoyable, if undemanding film. Anne Hathaway co-stars as the somewhat hapless Andrea who wants to be a journalist but manages to walk into a job she knows almost nothing about, working as a personal assistant in an exclusive fashion magazine office.
While Anne Hathaway is great in the role, it reminded me forcibly, more than once, of some of her other roles; in particular as the frumpish princess in the ‘Princess Diaries’, and also as Cinderella in ‘Ella Enchanted’. She’s grown up a bit in this movie, but looked fine to me at the point where the entire staff of the fashion store were laughing at her and calling her ‘fat’. Her eventual transformation is rather inevitable.
Meryl Streep, however, shows, once again, her amazing versatility, in a role unlike anything I have seen her in before. She plays Miranda, the owner of the fashion magazine, a snobbish, bullying and frankly nasty person who seems to care little about anyone other than her spoilt twin daughters.
While much of the fashion discussion left me mystified, the storyline is essentially character-based, charting Andrea’s gradual successes which are only in part due to her make-over, and contrasting them with what - and who - she begins to lose. She has to make a lot of difficult decisions, and I didn’t know how the film would end; it could have gone either way.
I didn’t find the film particularly amusing, although there were some light-hearted parts, and it didn’t need a great deal of thought. But I liked the theme of making conscious choices about careers and relationships, and the way the film clearly shows - without being too overt about it - how easy it can be to become unpleasant, even vicious to one’s colleagues and friends when ambition is too strong.
Overall, it made a pleasant evening’s viewing. Rated 12, presumably for the relatively mild bad language. But as far as I recall there’s no violence, and no overt scenes of intimacy or anything else that would warrant a rating above PG. Not that I would expect it to appeal to children or younger teenagers, particularly.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
I expect Amazon recommended this film to me because Morgan Freeman is one of the main characters, and I’ve very much liked other DVDs where he has starred. I put it on my wishlist a couple of years ago, and was given it for Christmas last year. It’s taken this long to decide to watch it, and we liked it very much.
The story starts with the aftermath of domestic violence. Jean (Jennifer Lopez) finally makes the decision, pushed by her eleven-year-old daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) to leave her boyfriend. They make their way to her father-in-law Einer’s ranch, but he is still grieving the loss of his son, and blames Jean….
It takes a while for the movie to get going, after the initial drama, as there’s a lot of backstory to understand. But I like a gentle pace, developing characters and rounding out the past. Einer is brilliantly portrayed by Robert Redford, and his only friend Mitch, who is seriously injured, is played by Morgan Freeman.
The plot itself is perhaps predictable: ‘Heidi’ is probably the story best-known for a crusty old man who has his heart melted by his granddaughter. But the circumstances are very different in this film. Griff is interested in farming, riding and even car mechanics. The close friendship between Einer and Mitch works well and is quite moving at times. It’s a good device to show Einer as a likeable person underneath his bitterness.
Overall it’s a story about coming to terms with the past, about forgiveness, and emotional healing. It's also about the need to live life as it is, rather than continually regretting the past. But the direction and the acting make it above average. We were particularly impressed with Becca Gardner as Griff, which was apparently the actress’s debut in films.
There are places where the story becomes quite tense: a bear is stalking the neighbourhood, and, mirroring this, Jean’s ex-boyfriend is trying to find her again. The contrast is shown between the natural tendencies of a wild animal and the cruelty of a human. There’s more violence than I’m comfortable with, although it’s necessary for the story and there’s nothing too gory.
The rating is 12 (PG-13 in the US) which is probably due to the violence and some instances of ‘strong’ language. There’s nothing else that would make this unsuitable for children, and the inclusion of a child may make this more appealing to younger teens.
Definitely recommended.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
I happened to spot this DVD in a charity shop when I was in the UK. Meryl Streep is always good value. Moreover, I was intrigued at the idea of her working with Steve Martin, who is listed as one of the co-stars. The plot sounded like a typical light romance, so I forked out a pound and brought it back to Cyprus.
We thought it would make ideal viewing for an afternoon when we were both somewhat tired but wanted to snuggle up on the sofa together. I hoped it would be uplifting. But I hadn’t expected it to be such a thoroughly enjoyable film, if perhaps a tad slow to get started.
Meryl Streep stars as Jane Adler, a contentedly divorced woman who has three young adult children, and is about to experience an empty nest. Her ex-husband Jake (Alex Baldwin) is rather irritating, although smooth-talking, and is now married to a much younger woman, who has a rather hyperactive small son.
Jake and Jane find themselves meeting at mutual friends’ parties, and then at the graduation of one of their sons Jane is priding herself on being relaxed and polite around him, when circumstances throw them together one night, and they wonder whether there’s still a spark of attraction….
Steve Martin, meanwhile, plays an architect who is designing and overseeing a major extension to Jane’s house. His character is very like most other parts he has played: charming, a little shy, and prone to clumsiness. That was fine in this film, as he provided a very likeable contrast to the somewhat bumptious and jealous Jake. But of course Meryl Streep’s part is the most complex and also the most interesting; as ever, she plays it to perfection, utterly believable in the role of a middle-aged, attractive woman who is a great cook and slightly over-protective mother, but rather insecure about relationships.
There were a couple of places (involving Steve Martin) where we laughed out loud; his timing is excellent, and he worked well with Streep. Jake and Jane’s future son-in-law Harley (John Krasinski) was a surprising hit too, a likeable young man who saw things he shouldn’t have done, and if a little exaggerated in his role, did it very well. I found myself warming to him rather more than their three children, who never really developed characters of their own.
The pace wasn’t rapid, and there wasn’t a whole lot of plot, but until the end I wasn’t certain where it was going to go. It was quite emotive at times, and we were both totally absorbed in the film. Bad language was pretty mild and although there are several intimate bedroom scenes, they are tastefully done, with implications rather than anything explicit.
I was surprised that it had a 15 rating (R in the US): there’s no violence at all, nor anything remotely frightening. I suppose it’s due to there being a fair amount of drinking and some use of soft drugs, although mainly for comic effect. However as the plot features a middle-aged romance, it’s unlikely to appeal to teenagers.
All in all this made a nicely made and enjoyable ‘rom com’ - recommended to anyone who likes this genre.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
I was staying with a friend; she suggested a film one evening, when her daughter was there and we were all feeling quite tired. I hadn’t seen this one and it looked interesting, so we watched it, and while it was a bit slow at first I liked it very much by the end.
‘A Good Year’ is about a high-flying and somewhat cold-blooded businessman called Max (Russell Crowe). We see a flashback of him to start with, a young boy (Freddie Highmore) learning to play good chess and taste good wine with his beloved Uncle Henry (Albert Finney). But then the story moves forward to his adult life, and we see the adult Max buying and selling stock, putting people out of business, and caring almost nothing for anything or anyone else.
Max (receives a message that his uncle has died and left him his entire estate. At first he decides to sell, but then makes the trip to France to meet his lawyer… and events conspire to keep him at the estate rather longer than he expected.
The overall storyline is somewhat predictable; it’s a fairly well-worn theme to have someone forced into a more relaxed lifestyle and discover what is really important to them. It could have been jaded, but I thought it was very well done. Perhaps Max is a bit too obnoxious at times, but there’s supposed to be a bit of humour in it. I don’t find that kind of thing amusing, but then it makes the scenes where he’s caught at the chateau more acceptable somehow. Those who like slapstick would probably find some of them quite funny; they were nicely done without going on too long.
There are one or two unexpected events that add to the change-of-heart storyline, and some that’s predictable, including a romance. I don’t know that I’d want to see it again, but it was pleasant to watch, and some of the scenery is sumptuous.
Rated 12 (PG-13 in the US) which I think is a tad low; there’s quite a bit of bad language and, if nothing actually explicit, a great deal of implied suggestive content. There are also scenes of a young child tasting wine, which could be shocking in some contexts. I’d have rated the film as 15. However it’s unlikely to be of interest to anyone under the age of about 18 or even older.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
I was staying the weekend with a friend, and she suggested watching a DVD one evening. She pulled out a few of her favourites, and suggested this one. I hadn’t seen it, but it sounded interesting, and Helen Mirren is always worth seeing.
'The hundred foot journey' is about a young man called Hassan (Manish Dayal) who works as a cook in his father’s restaurant, initially in India. We meet the family as they move to Europe after a devastating attack, and the first half hour or so is a chapter of problems, some of them mildly amusing in a schadenfreude kind of way. It’s very much a paternalistic extended family, ruled over by the delightful Papa (Om Puri).
Eventually they decide to settle in a small French village and buy a derelict restaurant which they upgrade and convert…
Unfortunately they are opposite - 100 feet away from - a high class French restaurant which has a coveted Michelin star, and is owned by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). Her chefs are highly trained and look down on other kinds of food and cooking - all except for Marguerite (Charlotte le Bon), a sous-chef in training, who is rather attracted to Hassam, and takes an interest in what he’s doing.
Hassan, it turns out, is not just a good cook but has a stunning gift for tasting spices and getting things exactly right; the culinary equivalent of perfect pitch, as one review put it.
There’s not a whole lot of plot; it’s character-based and mainly features the conflict between the two restaurants, as well as the inevitable clash of culture as French and Indian cuisines compete. Those looking for fast action or excitement would do better to look elsewhere, but for those who enjoy light but somewhat thought-provoking dramas, this is an excellent example. The ways that the conflict is eventually resolved are not all predictable,and some of the onscreen chemistry is quite powerful,
There are some caricatures, inevitably, but as a study of culture and character, I thought this excellent. Uplifting, and with the benefit of some stunning scenery. I was thinking that it would be a good one to add to our collection at home, only to realise that in fact it had been on my wishlist, and I have a copy already. Definitely one to re-watch.
This film is rated PG, which slightly surprised me as there are some quite intense and disturbing scenes, albeit brief. However there are no explicit scenes, and almost no bad language, which raises it still further in my estimation. I doubt if a child would be interested in this film anyway, but other than the intense scenes, there’s nothing unsuitable for even quite young children.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
This isn’t a film I had heard of. But relatives had been given the DVD, so we decided to spend an evening watching ‘45 years’. The back of the box told us that it was about a couple in Norfolk who were preparing for a party to celebrate 45 years of marriage, when a letter arrives to disrupt the husband’s peace of mind…
The letter is from someone he loved and lost nearly 50 years previously. Inevitably it brings some poignant memories back to him. As he talks to his wife, she realises he hasn’t been entirely honest with her, and she becomes anxious and uncertain herself.
That’s really it, as far as the plot goes. This is not a fast-action film, nor is there any mystery or even growth. The ending is positive, on the whole, but leaves the story open; it could go either way. The reason this film won awards is not the plot, but the way it’s made.
Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling as the couple Geoff and Kate are superb. Initially shown as comfortably and contentedly married, walking their dog, going into town, doing errands, we gradually discover that there are many depths to their marriage and to Geoff’s past. The scenery is pleasant, the pace slow, but absolutely right for a character-based emotive story.
The film is divided into days, each introduced briefly, as we see Kate making preparations for the party. Sufficient is shown to see that this is going to be a big occasion, but never so much that it becomes dull. The problems inherent in growing older are shown without self-pity. Geoff had a serious medical problem four years earlier which is why they are celebrating 45 years rather than 40.
I was a little puzzled about when the film was supposed to be set. Made in 2015, it mentioned 1962 as the date when Geoff’s tragedy occurred, and that he was 25 at the time. Presumably he met Kate a few years later, and I thought at first that it must be fully contemporary. Much of it seems to be appropriate to current country life. Kate wears jeans, a travel agent uses a modern flat screen terminal. Yet neither of the pair have mobile phones and in the scenes showing them walking through crowds of people in the town, there was not a single person staring at or using a phone, which suggests perhaps the earlier part of the 21st century.
Rated 15 (R in the United States), presumably because there is one drawn-out intimate bedroom scene; nothing explicit as such but from the dialogue and implications it’s clear what is going on. There’s no violence or smoking or nudity, and only a few instances of bad language; however, I can’t imagine that the storyline would be of the slightest interest to children, or indeed anyone under the age of about forty.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
I doubt if I would ever have come across this film, which was made in the mid-1980s, had it not been for the recommendation of a friend. I put it on my wishlist and was given it some time ago. We finally decided to watch it at the weekend and found it mesmerising…
‘Children of a lesser god’ is set in a school for the deaf and hard of hearing in the United States. A new speech teacher, James (William Hurt) has just been appointed. His job is to encourage students, mostly teenagers, to be motivated to use language even though they cannot hear and to find reasons for doing so. His methods are somewhat unorthodox but he quickly becomes popular, at least with the teenagers he is working with.
It doesn’t take him long to notice Sarah (Marlee Matlin), a young woman in her twenties who is working as a cleaner. He learns that she was herself a pupil at the school some years previously, but that despite being highly intelligent she preferred to stay on to work at the school in a menial role rather than venture out elsewhere to study or work. He also discovers that she does not speak or lip-read, and is determined to find out why…
The story is essentially a love story between two very different people but it’s also, for the era, quite a thought-provoking and sensitive look into ways in which society looks askance at those who suffer from a disability. Sarah gradually reveals her rather sordid past, and her fear of failure, or of being considered stupid; James gradually realises that he needs to adjust to those whose needs are not the same as his.
The acting is excellent, the settings believable, the dialogue crisp, and the story moved at just the right pace for our tastes. I was a little surprised that there were no subtitles for some of the very rapid signing, although in most cases a ‘hearing’ person translates; but perhaps that was deliberate, to show a little of how deaf people feel when in the presence of those who are speaking rapidly without looking at them.
Marlee Matlin in particular was brilliant in the role of Sarah, with a very expressive face that communicated as much as words could have done. The actress is herself deaf, and this was her debut film role, for which she won a well-deserved Academy award for Best Actress.
The film is rated R in the United States, for several instances of ‘strong’ language, and implied nudity and intimacies; however it’s rated 15 in the UK and as young as 12 in some other countries. It’s not the kind of story that’s likely to be of interest to anyone under the age of about 14 or 15 anyway, in my view, but is certainly worth watching by anyone wanting to know a little more about attitudes to those with hearing difficulties.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews
