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Falling Overnight starring Parker Croft and Emilia Zoryan

Posted on December 1, 2012 Written by ripitup

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Falling Overnight movie poster
Image via culture.com.

Falling Overnight starring Parker Croft and Emilia Zoryan

It’s official. I have a weakness for a good romance that takes place during a day (night). Before Sunrise and Forget Me Not, and most recently, Falling Overnight proved that.

However Falling Overnight is a lot more similar to Forget Me Not than Before Sunrise with its premise:

1)      The guy has a horrible disease.

2)      Guy has earned enough money pre-disease to sustain himself.

3)      He meets a girl who is full-of-life, starts spending time with her.

4)      As they spend the night together, they start falling for each other.

5)      He becomes conflicted over whether to tell her.

6)      He tells her.

7)      She…well, I won’t give away the ending by saying how either woman reacts.

Of course both movies are so much more than these sentences, but I just wanted to point out the things in common. Now of course there are a lot of differences too: the setting, ages of characters, the dialogue, the guy’s disease, girl’s life…

And there’s always room for another heartfelt drama/romance.

Falling Overnight Plot:

Elliot (Parker Croft) is a young guy suffering from a brain tumor and is set to have an operation the next morning. He runs into Chloe (Emilia Zoryan) at the shop she’s working for and she gives him an invitation for her art show that evening.

Elliot eventually goes, and they decide to spend more time together. Neither of them seems willing to end the night and they form a stronger bond than Chloe’s friends realize. Elliot will eventually have to share his secret, and it will be up to Chloe to decide where they go from there…

*

Simple. Heartfelt. Well-acted. I am happy that it was appreciated at many festivals, but I do have my complaints. The movie could have used 10 more minutes, spent on just Chloe and Elliot. They often have a lot of Chloe’s friends hanging around, and it really isn’t that hard to ditch your friends for a couple of hours.

I get that it is one of her friends’ birthday, and she needs to be there and she does spend time with Elliot- but when it is time to confess, Chloe’s reaction seems so soon, so strong. She comments about it, and it is a good sign that the writers know this. But I needed a bit more time between them for that reaction.

And I definitely needed more time afterwards. That being said, the ending is great. It is not melodramatic or depressing (well, all things considered). It is sweet, realistic and gives us the chance to add our own thoughts.

But I guess even my complaints are complimenting the movie. I liked the characters, and I wanted to spend a bit more time revolving around them. Too many other characters might add realism when portraying the life of a social, friendly young woman’s life, but it does steal time from the connection we need to focus on.

All in all Falling Overnight is a sincere effort from director/co-writer Conrad Jackson, actor/co-writer Parker Croft and co-writer Aaron Golden. Croft is impressive with the sincerity he brings to the role, and impressively this is his first leading role, as well as his screen-writing debut. I have a feeling he might be my generation’s Edward Burns if he keeps it up, maybe even getting to direct later. Oh, and I really liked Emilia Zoryan- and it was her first role.

It’s worth a shot. Yes, if I have to pick one, I’d go with Forget Me Not because I think it established the connection between the characters better, and in the end I found Eve’s emotional outburst more timely and more realistic than Chloe’s.

But the later you tell a story, the bigger chance people will compare it what has been done before.  But when the movie has heart, and the crew does a good job, it only adds to your recommended movies.

It’s only 86 minutes. What do you have to lose?

My favorite line(s):

Elliot: Gotta keep a pretty healthy sense of humor about shit like that or you go crazy. It’s like people talking like you’re supposed to live like you’re gonna die tomorrow…stuff like that. I mean if you think about it, it’s a very stressful way to live. You wake up and you just fucking freak out! Aargh! I’m gonna die tomorrow! I‘d better figure out what I’m supposed to do today because I’m dying tomorrow. I mean how are you doing man? I’m not great ‘cause I’m dying tomorrow.

Chloe: No. Don’t say that.

Elliot: Yeah, it is pretty morbid. But it helps.

Favorite Scene:

(you need to see the movie for this to make any sense at all!)

Where Elliot puts the dinosaur he made out of tinfoil on the dashboard.

Recommended One-Day Romances:

Before Sunrise

Before Sunset (sequel to Before Sunrise)

Forget Me Not

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: aaron golden, Conrad Jackson, drama, emilia zoryan, falling overnight, falling overnight 2011 movie, falling overnight movie review, parker croft, romance

Review for A Royal Affair starring Mads Mikkelsen: Denmark’s Submission to the Oscars

Posted on November 10, 2012 Written by ripitup

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A Royal Affair

Trailer, Expectations, Premise

I’d been looking forward to see A Royal Affair, and I am so glad it didn’t disappoint. It was as exquisite, touching, romantic and inspirational as I expected to be. And while it is primarily a romance/drama period piece, it has its genuinely funny moments.

It is one of those movies whose trailer gives you all the main points: a love affair between the queen and her husband’s physician, the idealistic views of the lovers making things even more complicated and the quite unique relationship between the doctor and the king.

However this is not a thriller, and we were never expecting plot twists. The trailer is supposed to be just a taste of what’s the come, and it does a wonderful job of doing that.

But while the affair gets to be the catalyst of bigger events, the movie is so much more than a love story (though it has become one of my favorite love stories ever).

The movie is about an era when personal freedom or free press doesn’t exist. When free-thinking get you despised or in trouble, and even if you are a princess, you don’t have a lot of options. And politics is as about personal interests, religious influences and manipulation as ever.

Plot

Denmark’s young king Christian (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) couldn’t have been less suitable for being a king: he is impulsive, childish, inappropriate and…well, he looks and acts crazy. He’d much rather sleep around with hookers, drink a lot and be oblivious to anything else around him. Of course this serves the court’s interest, as they do whatever they want and just get Christian’s signature. So while the court thrives, the country is in a horrible state: people are dirt poor, there is no freedom of speech or press, there’s corporal punishment for prisoners and serfs…

When English princess Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander) marries the king, she is willing to make the best of the arrangement. However her romantic illusions disappear when Christian treats her horribly, making her avoid him for good as soon as she delivers a son.

But things at the kingdom things are about to change tremendously with the arrival of Doctor Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), who has charmed the king with his unique way of approaching him. He is everything the court despises: a free-thinker.

Christian decides that Struensee can make the “boring” queen fun, and Struensee quickly realizes that she is a lot more like him than he initially realized, and as they spend more time together, the attraction and friendship soon turn into something much more intense.

A Royal Affair
Alicia Vikander and Mads Mikkelsen. Image:movie’s fb page.

They also realize that, together, using Struensee’s friendship with the king, can make a positive impact on the country. But everything will turn out to be a lot harder than they thought…

What Makes It Special: Set in the 18th Century, Yet Extremely Relevant

I’m absolutely in love with this movie. Hope it gets picked to be one of the foreign film Oscar nominees (and wins, should it be nominated.) It is just my kind of love story: two people share a connection on many levels, there is intense mutual love, they have fun together and most importantly, they fall for each other because of who they are- they can be totally themselves next to each other.

Then there are the universal and timeless concepts of freedom, freedom of expression (even those who are supposedly free don’t have that freedom here), individuality, oppression, religion, politics, ideals and sacrifice.

Last, but not least, there is the “unique” love triangle where the person loved by two people is not the queen, but the doctor. Christian despairs at the possibility of losing Struensee, and he started to enjoy the idea of being a king after he got into the picture.

In addition to the wonderful story, the acting is superb, and the set decoration as well as costume design would probably win Oscar nominations, had this not been a foreign language film. It has 2 Silver Berlin Bears: Best Script and Best Actor (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard).

While the movie as a whole can appeal to the masses, it will please period romance/drama lovers and Mads Mikkelsen fans even more. It might also come across as more meaningful for people who find that they don’t quite belong with the majority and society’s expectations.

It’s worth seeing more than once.

Also on Mads Mikkelsen

Elsker dig for evigt (Open Hearts) starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sonja Richter & Nikolaj Lie Kaas

After the Wedding starring Mads Mikkelsen – 2007 Best Foreign Film Oscar Nominee

Mads Mikkelsen Trivia

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: a royal affair, a royal affair 2012 movie, a royal affair movie, a royal affair plot, Alicia Vikander, drama, en kongelig affære, mads mikkelsen, mads mikkelsen a royal affair, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, romance

Beauty and The Beast : It’s Fun – Stop Wishing for Its Demise Already!

Posted on October 15, 2012 Written by ripitup

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Beauty and The Beast starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan
Beauty and The Beast TV Series
Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan. Image via onthedemo.com

 

It probably sucks that most TV writers can only have a short time of relief and feeling of success when a single disappointment about the rating figures can send a lot of movie writers and bloggers predicting the lifespan of the show, and not being generous or optimistic about it at all.

Sure, it is great to have sold a script, and then have your series picked up among so many others- but then you have to worry about keeping the interest level high, all the while knowing not all of your target audience will watch it when it airs on TV, that Nielsen doesn’t reflect the actual popularity of your show, and that a lot of weird viewers will stop watching it just because the lead guy is too “hot”, or the show resembles quite a few old ones…

Yes, a lot of people already started predicting and/or wishing the demise of Beauty and The Beast, but I’m not one of them. Let’s go over the plot, and then I’ll share my reasons of why it might be worth a chance.

*

NYPD detective Catherine Chandler (Kristin Kreuk) still hasn’t quite gotten over her mother’s death 9 years ago- the two assailants would have killed her too, hadn’t it not been for a mysterious “beast” that saved her. Of course her version of events was attributed to trauma, and she believed it when they said it was probably just a wild animal.

But a current case reveals clues about a dead doctor/military guy named Vincent Keller and as she digs, she realizes that Vincent Keller is “the beast” from that night-he tells her that he joined a military experiment without being fully aware of the consequences, had his DNA changed and gained the ability/curse to turn into a furious and freakishly strong beast when he got an adrenaline rush.

Even though he tries to get her to leave him alone for both their safety, she can’t- she decides that they will both be helping out each other- and make him realize that he is anything but a monster.

*

So there you have it- a police procedural led by a young pretty female detective, protected by her  ally – some drama, action, mystery and romance.

If you expected the wheel to be reinvented, this is not the show for you. If you don’t like to see pretty people on TV, this is not for you- although I have to say they haven’t gone half as overboard as The Vampire Diaries when it comes to casting attractive people. And you will have to live with the fact that the show is sci-fi, and not fantasy- as far as the beast is concerned.

If you’re OK with the cast of attractive actors, the sci-fi element, the case-of-the-week and the upcoming romance, great. So am I.

Now, people compared this to The Hulk. Scientist/experiment gone wrong/uncontrolled power/life led in secret? I see their point.

Some compared it to Moonlight, the short-lived vampire show starring Alex O’Loughlin – and I was too reminded of it.  The-not-exactly-human helping solve crimes and protecting innocent people/watching over the girl he saved years ago/partnering up and falling in love with her…Check, check, check all the way.

But come on-as much as I loved Moonlight and was sad to see it go, Moonlight was hardly the first to use the vampire-seeks-redemption-while-falling-in-love-with-the-girl-he-is-watching-over concept. Hello, Angel of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, anyone? He is a good vampire, has watched over Buffy ever since she became a slayer at 16, helped save people, fell in love with her…

But hey, I am definitely not saying Angel’s concept was original. It was cool and fun, but I’m pretty sure someone somewhere did it-many times-before.

So Beauty and the Beast is a fun show, with cliches I’d not change. It’d be a letdown if the Beast didn’t have his human sides, or if he was exactly Fairy-Tale-like-all fury , all the time. It’d sure suck without the emotional bond between its characters. Angel had Buffy, Mick had Beth (Moonlight) and hey, Vincent will have Catherine.

Now, I won’t be complaining a lot of if it is cancelled. I’m still not over Awake– now that show was emotionally gripping, extremely powerful and refreshing- and I still think cancelling it was a crime against creativity and good TV. I know it is all about ratings and revenues, but they give you more seasons, not necessarily good TV.

But I will be enjoying this show as long as it remains fun and on the air. I can’t promise not to mourn over Last Resort, however, should it be cancelled.

So sit back, and tune in if it’s your kind of thing. If it isn’t, good thing you have a gazillion alternatives.

 

 

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Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: alex o’loughlin moonlight, beauty and the beast, beauty and the beast 2012 tv show, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, drama, jay ryan, jay ryan beauty and the beast, Kristin Kreuk, Kristin Kreuk beauty and the beast, moonlight tv series, mystery, romance, thriller, TV shows

Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta-Jones

Posted on September 21, 2012 Written by ripitup

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Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta Jones.
Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta Jones. Image via 2snaps.tv.

Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) is already a legend with his death-defying acts and amazing tricks, even though the way he pushes himself drives his manager/friend Sugarman (Timothy Spall) crazy with the risks and challenges he takes.

Mary (Catherine Zeta Jones) is a Scottish woman who earns her living with her looks, ability to deceive and her assistant/daughterBenji (Saoirse Ronan.)

So when Mary hears that the great Houdini, who gets a kick of exposing scamming mediums, is challenging all mediums to tell him what his mother told him on her deathbed, she jumps at the opportunity to win against Houdini, and win $10,000 as well.

When the two meet, they manage to impress the other with their charm, unique outlook on life and passion. Her daughter also seems quite taken with Houdini, although Mary seems quite certain that Houdini might be more cunning than naive and might be playing her.

But no matter who’s playing who, things get very complicated when the attraction between them get stronger by the minute…

*

Death Defying Acts is a weird little drama/romance with no exciting scenes, apart from the couple of stunts Houdini pulls. Guy Pearce makes a perfect Houdini, but then that’s not exactly surprising since he easily becomes any character he plays. And Zeta Jones is gorgeous as always, but two good-looking, good actors don’t count for much when there isn’t much of an interesting story, the movie is PG and it takes ages to get to the romance.

The movie suffers a lot from its slow pace, and it never quite picks up. It’s not unwatchable, but I enjoyed the interviews, featuring comments about Guy Pearce impressed everyone by how he ended up more skilled than the stuntmen while he was doing Houdini’s stuff.

5/10.

Also on Guy Pearce

Guy Pearce Trivia

Lockout starring Guy Pearce & Maggie Grace

The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter & Guy Pearce

 

Also on Saoirse Ronan

Hanna starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana & Cate Blanchett

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: catherine zeta jones, catherine zeta jones death defying acts timothy spall, death defying acts, death defying acts movie, death defying acts movie guy pearce, drama, guy pearce, guy pearce death defying acts, guy pearce harry houdini, harry houdini, movies about harry houdini, romance, Saoirse Ronan

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