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Looking Forward To: A Royal Affair starring Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard & Alicia Vikander

Posted on September 3, 2012 Written by ripitup

A Royal Affair (En kongelig affære) starring Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Alicia Vikander

A Royal Affair starring Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Alicia Vikander. Image via distribution.metrodomegroup.com

English princess Caroline (Alicia Vikander) marries the not-so-stable Danish king Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) for political reasons. He is more interested in hookers than he is interested in his wife or the country. So he decides that he wants a fun queen and tells his doctor/advisor Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen) to make her queen fun.

However, what the obnoxious Christian didn’t foresee is that while spending time together, Friedrich and Caroline will fall in love and complicate things remarkably not just for Christian, but the whole-country.

Seductive, Intriguing & Award-Winning: A Royal Affair

The plot summary above is solely based on the trailer as I haven’t had a chance to see the movie yet. However the trailer totally hooked me: I love passionate love stories and a good period piece. While I don’t really like the idea of cheating in a normal relationship, I love stories where it’d be a sin not to cheat (see Revenge, or The Ledge for examples)- meaning the marriage wasn’t voluntary, divorce seemed unlikely or the husband is a (psychotic) jerk.

I’m also highly entertained by the “spend time with my wife/girlfriend (or husband/boyfriend) while I do something else” premises. We all know who gets the girl/guy in these stories.

And as for A Royal Affair, you don’t just tell your older, charismatic, sexy and smart advisor (Mads Mikkelsen) to make your queen fun and have the nerve to be surprised when you realize they are sleeping together. Just by looking at the trailer, I can say I’d be sleeping with Struensee too. Any sane, miserable-in-her-marriage- queen would.

It’ll be fun to watch Struensee making the “queen” fun, while having quite a lot of fun himself. And when people find out, it will also cause a lot of complications for the nation that Christian may not have the chops to deal with.

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel and based on the novel by Bodil Steensen-Leth.

Rated at 7.7 on imdb and winner of 2 Silver Berlin Bears, I’m so looking forward to see A Royal Affair (En kongelig affære). What about you?

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g11xkVjl7bM [/pro-player]

Also on Mads Mikkelsen:

Mads Mikkelsen Trivia

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

The Vow starring Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams and Jessica Lange

Posted on July 11, 2012 Written by ripitup

The-Vow-Movie-Poster with Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. Image via disneydreaming.

The Vow is Worth Seeing: Feat. Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Scott Speedman & Jessica Lange

The Premise

Sculptor Paige (Rachel McAdams) and record studio owner Leo (Channing Tatum) are happily married and deeply in love – until they have a car accident that gives Paige selective amnesia- the last 5 years of her life are completely gone, all of 5 years in which she met and has been with Leo. Leo does his best to help, but things get complicated when Paige’s parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange), who she hasn’t spoken to in 5 years, show up and want to make a fresh start by taking advantage of her lost memories (and anger towards them.) Leo somewhat manages to persuade Paige to come back with him, but whatever he does seem to either upset or annoy Paige so she decides to stay with her parents for a while.

And not only she doesn’t remember Leo at all, the last thing she remembers is being in love with her ex-fiancé, Jeremy (Scott Speedman)- who is more than willing to take her back as he was never really over her in the first place.

We are given lovely flashbacks to how their relationship has been like, making us root for her and Leo- with or without her regaining her memory.

Can Leo make her fall in love with her again? Can he really handle that his wife only seems to be developing a crush towards him when he is madly in love with her? Will Paige’s memory ever come back, and how long can Leo hang on before having to let go?

I Loved It, but I’d Planned on Hating It.

I was so ready to find The Vow mediocre, yet I loved it. OK, for me to find it bad would have been strange – given that I love Rachel McAdams and can’t resist a good-looking lead, in this case Channing Tatum, who plays a very romantic character.

But come on. Amnesia and the question whether true love could conquer that? It sounded like a Nicholas Sparks novel. But then again, had he written it, either Rachel’s or Channing’s character would probably end up dead. They don’t die, so consider this one a very positive and needed “spoiler.”

But The Vow, especially for the diehard romantics, is touching and heartwarming. While it has more clichés than we can count, it makes them work and at the end of the day, it is all that matters.

The Clichés: Good and Bad

-Two beautiful people deeply in love. Oh, and not an ounce of fat or flaw on either of them.

– A great cast (Jessica Lange, Sam Neill as parents. And I like McAdams too), with many pretty actors: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Scott Speedman (Underworld, Underworld Evolution, 24th Day), Dillon Casey (Nikita), Lucas Bryant (Haven).

-Amnesia.

-The compromising mother who just accepts everything because……Nah. See the movie. But if I had a dime every time the married got away with what he did….

The Vow: The Perks

– Good soundtrack

– Great emotional/entertaining moments.

– A happy ending that is quite realistic that is based on a true story.

– The ex wasn’t a cheater and/or a jackass.

Why It Can Win You Over – despite the clichés

The Vow won me over. Because as typical as the storyline was, it was still hard not to feel empathy for all the characters (apart from maybe Jessica Lange and Sam Neill’s-at least until towards the end.)

I loved the little details such as how Leo won his sister-in-love over with the made-up Thom Yorke (front man of Radiohead) story, and how the story pretty much ended on a better note for everyone (except for one- you can guess who.)

And in the end, it is the right amount of cheesy yet heartfelt romance. What if it is a chick flick? It is a darn good one. If you want to cut down romance and see a different kind of film from McAdams, watch The Lucky Ones or Red Eye. If you want the romance to be a background device and comedy in the center, watch Morning Glory.

Hell, if you want Scott Speedman winning the girl’s heart, watch Underworld Evolution. It’s filled with vampires and werewolves and Speedman plays a hybrid. And I do prefer him with long hair anyway.

But as far as romantic escapism goes, it is a pretty good one.

The Criticisms

Audiences love oversimplifying things. Some people are calling Paige a bitch, whereas some find Leo a stupid, insensitive jerk. Guess what? They are all right. And all wrong. Because they both needed help, and they just needed to empathize a bit more. And where was the therapy?

Leo and Paige needed therapy, you just can’t deal with something on your own – especially when no one involved can be impartial. Yeah- and a separate therapy session for her family please.

But people make mistakes, hurt each other and if there is a way to come back from it, they do. Whether the relationship is worth it makes all the difference. Theirs was.

Recommended for:

All fans of the cast. Although if you are watching solely for Sam Neill you are better off watching Alcatraz as he is the main character, who incidentally has a long-lost love who is/was in a coma. For Dillon Casey, who plays the sister’s fiancé, you can always tune in to Nikita’s second season.

Chick flick fans. And I am a romantic chick, so I am not using the term condescendingly.

Those who think Nicholas Sparks could write some happy endings.

For those who compare it to The Notebook (also starring Rachel McAdams), I will write a compare/contrast post just like I did for Keith and A Walk to Remember.

Rated 6.6 on IMDB, a 7 from me. My love rate? 8/10. Enjoy!

The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon & Emily Blunt

Posted on July 7, 2012 Written by ripitup

the_adustment_bureau_movie_poster_ — The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon & Emily Blunt. Image: collider.com

The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon & Emily Blunt

Dave Norris (Matt Damon) is a promising senate candidate for New York until a past college moment comes out and kills his chances. While he’s preparing for his defeat speech, he runs into the beautiful and interesting Elise, who has been hiding in the men’s bathroom from the security because she crashed a wedding.

Elise and Dave hit it off, with instant chemistry and compatibility. Their magical moment is cut short when David needs to the speech and she has to outrun the security. When he sees her by chance one morning on the bus, the magic is still there and now he has her phone number.

Unfortunately, fate has other plans. Literally. Agents of Fate, or The Adjustment Bureau as they call themselves, have already decided on Dave’s fate- it is to get elected in the next election- and keep getting elected until he becomes the president. They believe Elise is a distraction and he would never be that politically ambitious if they happen to get together. So they intervene-by kidnapping Dave and explaining the situation.

While David is determined to keep his free will, they take away Elise’s phone number and threaten to reset him, meaning they’ll erase his memories (and everything that makes him him.) if he happens to tell anyone about them. Disappointed and upset, Dave doesn’t seem to have much choice…That’s until he coincidentally runs into Elise three years later, and explains to her why he hasn’t called…

Of course it will be hard to maintain a relationship when the agents are determined to keep them apart. And it all comes down to one question: Which is stronger- free will or fate?

Do you believe in fate? If you don’t believe in fate…even just a little bit, the movie’s point might be obsolete for you. The movie isn’t for the 100% fatalists either. Agents represent the events we can’t control, coincidences are events even they can’t control, and then there is the freewill and the question of how strong it can be.

I believe in making our own paths, but I can’t claim that it is all my own doing. There’re many things that I can’t control or change, but I try not to stray from the path I’ve chosen for myself. And in that, I identified a lot with Dave. He’s honest, idealistic, passionate and a true romantic. He believes in fighting for what he believes in-no matter what the odds are.

The movie has shown a fun yet frustrating portrayal of things we choose vs. things we can’t, and overall it has a very positive message of what we can do with our lives if we want it enough.

I loved the movie, but why shouldn’t I? I’m a dreamer, a romantic and a stubborn writer who’s determined to make all her dreams come true. Oh, and I’ve always liked Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.

Written and directed by George Nolfi – based on Philip K. Dick’s short story Adjustment Team.

7 on IMDB. 8 for the entertainment value.

Other Emily Blunt Movies Featured

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen starring Ewan McGregor & Emily Blunt

Wind Chill starring Emily Blunt & Ashton Holmes

The Jane Austen Book Club feat. Blunt, Hugh Dancy, Maria Bello& Kevin Zegers

Other Matt Damon Movies Featured

The Good Shepherd

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Gorgeous, Entertaining & Heartfelt

Posted on July 1, 2012 Written by ripitup

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen starring Ewan McGregor & Emily Blunt. Image via movieposter.com.

Plot

Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is a fisheries expert with a respectable academic position in a dead marriage. He is stuck in his routines, and when he hears about the “insane” idea of the Yemen Sheikh (Amr Waked) through an investment company, he is sure that they have all gone mad.

The idea is to introduce “Salmon Fishing” in the Yemen. However he’s blackmailed by his boss into doing it, and his boss was blackmailed into it by the Prime Minister’s press secretary Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas.) She sees this as a crazy yet wonderful opportunity for good press.

The investment company representative, Harriet (Emily Blunt) is also extremely hopeful about the project; and along with the Sheikh’s (Amr Waked)’s unlimited resources, Alfred starts to find himself enthusiastic.

As Harriet and Alfred form a friendship with the Sheikh and each other, Alfred starts to loosen up, become full of life and get drawn to the emotional and natural Emily, who is the exact opposite of his wife. When Harriet’s soldier boyfriend Robert (Tom Mison) is lost in action, it’s Alfred’s turn to provide Emily with support and enthusiasm.

And while Harriet had spent a wonderful couple of weeks with Robert, can it really beat the connection two people find through a shared dream, friendship and the experience of a lifetime?

Then there’s the question of pulling the project off despite the lack of cooperation from the British fishermen and the Yemen Rebels….

Should You See It? Definitely! Here’s why:

1) Swedish director Lasse Hallström. Apart from a movie that I didn’t really care about (Dear John), Hallström has directed movies that filled me with warmth, lust for life and hope. They usually include a decent sense of humor, full of interesting characters, good actors and engaging emotional story.

Some of Lasse Hallström’s films:

His What’s Eating Gilbert Grape starred Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Mary Steenburgen, bringing Leo an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Chocolat starred Juliette Lewis, Alfred Molina, Peter Stormare, Lena Olin, Judi Dench and Lena Olin. An deven though I don’t like half of Depp’s movies, both Hallström- Depp collaborations ended up as Depp movies I loved.

Casanova starred Heath Ledger, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt, Sienna Miller, Charlie Cox, Lena Olin.

Hachiko: A Dog’s Story feat. Richard Gere and Joan Allen

2) The actors: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas were made for their roles, and so was Amr Waked.)

3) The two lead characters are just relatable, entertaining and sweet. I also loved the cultural empathy they display both towards the Sheikh, and the Sheikh to them. His “subtle comments” on Alfred and Harriet’s relationship are priceless.

4) The transformation of McGregor’s character

5) The lines. Especially the Sheikh’s use of British English and slang.

6) The project’s transformation.

7) The scenery, cinematography, the music

I’m not a huge Ewan McGregor fan. I think he is a very good actor, but he usually doesn’t pick my kind of stories. However I really enjoyed Big Fish and The Ghostwriter, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen became my favorite McGregor effort, as well as one of my fav. Hallström.

Emily Blunt is lovely, Kristin Scott-Thomas is hilarious- especially with her relationship with the prime minister.

Still, it might not be for everybody:

This movie will probably relate more to romantics and dreamers, people who emotionally and professionally put themselves out there to find success and happiness, and self-actualization. It’s also a lovely story about friendship and love, with the project providing the chances and the platform for it.

Currently at 6.9 on IMDB, and I do find it highly underrated. After all, it makes you laugh, smile, think, believe and dream.

Based on the novel by Paul Torday and adapted to screen by Simon Beaufoy.