MOVIE REVIEW: The Lovely Bones

I first came to Peter Jackson through The Beatles: Get Back, so I wasn’t prepared for how The Lovely Bones would hit — and wow, it hit.

Movie Poster/Still

Watching it with my lovely one helped me cope, at least a little.

(The Lovely Bones, with my lovely one. Had to.)

The film was a chilling, disturbing, and gut-wrenching trip. Disturbing was watching Susie get led to that underground pit — we had our lungs out screaming at the screen for her not to go. Gut-wrenching was the sister’s tense, heart-racing chase scene with Tucci’s Gacy/Dahmer hybrid of a character. And chilling? Every moment Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz were on screen and just… not vibing.

(Or maybe I’m just used to seeing her spark with Brendan Fraser and real-life partner Daniel Craig. Man, the screen’s gonna miss Craig’s Bond.)

The blend of dreamy fantasy with real-world horror was unexpected, and honestly, a breath of fresh air in terms of storytelling. But what's really striking about the film is how it avoids sexualizing Saoirse Ronan’s character, focusing instead on her emotional depth and journey, which is both rare and incredibly refreshing in this genre.

Needless to say: watch it! 

But make sure you’re not alone, okay? 

Thanks for this recommendation, and of course, watching it with me, lovey!

10 Elton John Songs Playing On Repeat

As I've written a few posts ago, I just watched the Sir Elton John biopic, "Rocket Man" due to the lengthy lockdown we have been having due to the Coronavirus scare.

Not only was I given the chance of viewing the film, I also had the chance of being introduced to other Elton John songs I haven't really given any attention before. 

Here are other Elton John and Bernie Taupin masterpieces I've completely been under the influence of during the past few days. 

1. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

I first heard this song on Elton John's Live Aid performance with George Michael, and again on the Music for Montserrat concert. 

2. Tiny Dancer

3. Crocodile Rock

4. The Bitch Is Back

5. I Want Love

6. Saturday's Night Alright (For Fighting) 

7. I'm Gonna Love Me Again

8. Rocket Man

9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes

10. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

MOVIE REVIEW: Through Night and Day

As hopeless romantics, we have been yearning for a love that would last a lifetime, one that would go on through days and nights of romance with the one you love. 

"Through Night and Day" promotional poster for Netflix streaming from Twitter.com

Filipino movie, "Through Night and Day", gave us a love story so watchable you could finish it in one sitting. It won't take you a whole day and night to satisfyingly finish the movie, with the tearjerking romance of Ben and Jen.

The film started off smoothly, a typical opening scene for a love story. Ben asked for Jen's hand in marriage after serenading her in front of a huge local bar crowd. Jen gladly accepted the proposal and the marriage planning was on.

Part of the marriage planning was them going to Iceland for both a vacation and a chance for their prenup photo ops. During this stretch of the film, the struggles of dealing with your significant other were shown effectively. There was Ben's annoyance of Jen's indecisiveness, while for Jen, there was Ben's short temper. The film proved to be prophetic when it said that you would really get to know someone when you're just by yourselves, like when you're traveling.

However, the tragedy of the film was only beginning by then. The persistent misunderstandings of the two led to a break up while they were about to head home, during Jen's favorite time of the day on her favorite place.

Years went on and they were apart with new lives. It was revealed that Ben's got a new fiancée, while Jen's got a new problem to deal with - a disease that would eventually get the better of her by the end of the film.

The events of the third part of the film weren't about resolutions but about redemptions instead. Upon knowing about Jen's sickness, Ben reached out to her by making time to make up for lost chances they should've had, had they not broken up. Ultimately, Jen's exit was ushered through a sunset moment with Ben - a much better sunset moment that would take the place of the tragic sunset moment they had back in Iceland. 

The best bit of the film for me was when they were both lectured about love and long-term relationships from their parents. Compromise, patience, and respect should always be important elements of a relationship. Love alone couldn't do the trick. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Rocketman

Due to the extensive community quarantine, we have been having, I finally had the chance to watch "Rocketman", the Elton John biopic, on a Saturday night. 

"Rocketman" movie poster starring Taron Egerton as Sir Elton John from Forbes.com

After "Bohemian Rhapsody", the Freddie Mercury biopic, received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans, came another biopic of a music legend. This time it was the biopic of Sir Elton John, a world-renowned musician responsible for hits such as "Your Song", "Skyline Pigeon", and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" among many other songs that he and composer Bernie Taupin have contributed to the music industry for more than half of a century.

The film was not exactly what I expected it would be. It was more of a (A) musical film rather than a (B) film filled with musical numbers. I don't know how to better distinguish the two other than explaining what differentiates A from B.

Take for example the movie "Sing Street". This movie featured an up-and-coming band in the era of the New Wave trying to make their entry in the music scene. The musical numbers were stitched into the narrative and the band was shown playing their instruments that accompanied the songs. To cut it short, there were no multiple narratives in one song number, no characters were dancing to the songs as if they were in a musical play. That would be B.

Otherwise, it would be A, which was what "Rocketman" was. And I thought it helped in telling a complicated story easier and it also helped to squeeze in storylines in the time allotted for the movie.

What differs "Rocketman" from "Bohemian Rhapsody" was the timeline considered for the main characters, Elton John and Freddie Mercury respectively. "Bohemian Rhapsody" opted to have the Live Aid performance as the conclusion of the film. That made it hard to squeeze in 15 years, more or less, worth of backstory to cover the rise of Queen. This also created the solution of stating a false story with regards to the timeline of Freddie Mercury's illness, just to make up for a good comeback story of the band via Live Aid.

As for "Rocketman", it had a good set up for the conclusion right from the start. We already knew Elton John was seeking the help of a support group, making the conflict present already in the beginning. What we didn't know were his reasons for reaching out to the support group. And these reasons were presented afterward. It was also a good choice not to make the conclusion in any way linked to Elton John's Live Aid performance, which was also one of the best performances from the event.

As for the accuracy of the movie's events, I couldn't react to the matter because I haven't checked about it. Although I have been listening to Elton John since I was a kid, I had not been into the details of his life outside his music.

With regard to the acting, Taron Egerton made a very good job of playing Elton John. What made viewers convinced that he was playing Elton John was the acting primarily. The looks and outside appearance were just confirmations that he was indeed Reggie Dwight.

With all these biopic films being made, especially with the rumors for the David Bowie one, I'd really be expecting a Live Aid documentary/film someday. Tall order though.

On an additional note, it was really inspiring to see the songwriting relationship between Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was amazing to know that the song's words and music were written separately but were still a perfect fit when bound together. 

The best day of the week to watch this film? How about Saturday night? Why so? 

"Saturday's night alright for fighting, get a little action in!" 

How Johnny English Referenced James Bond More Than Ever

After announcing that Bond 25 would be released on February 14, 2020, the producers moved it further for an April 2020 release date. Since Bond 25 has been delayed again, I think it would be just right that we feast our eyes with other films from the spy genre, films that are referencing, or spoofing, the James Bond franchise.

Johnny English Strikes Again movie poster from imdb.com

The third installment of the Johnny English movie series, "Johnny English Strikes Again" came seven years after the second one. As for me, I think this movie made reference to the James Bond franchise more than its predecessors ever did. That is maybe is an influence rubbing off from Spectre (2015) wherein there were references from all previous 23 Bond films, from Dr. No to Skyfall.

1. Plot

The film starts with someone hacking information about the British Secret Service agents, revealing their true identities, exposing their covers. This was the same plot used in Skyfall wherein Silva, a former MI-6 agent did the same cyber attacks on the British Secret Service.

Agents' cover being exposed in Johnny English Strikes Again

The list of agents in Skyfall

2. Theme

The film has the "Old versus New" theme, with Johnny English representing the "Old" and Jason Volta representing the new. Much like in Skyfall, where a very experienced James Bond tried dealing with his digital villain in an old-fashioned way.

Johnny English choosing the Aston Martin over the hybrid ones in Johnny English Strikes Again

Q and Bond in Skyfall

3. Pre-Title Sequence

A tradition set by the James Bond movies, this movie has its own Pre-Title Sequence.

4. From Russia with Love Pre-Title Sequence

That pre-title sequence is lifted from From Russia with Love's (1963). Seemingly, Johnny English is in a mission with his colleagues until it was revealed that it is only a training conducted by English to his students, just like when Red Grant was training with a SPECTRE agent with Bond's face in the start of From Russia with Love.

Johnny English training his students in Johnny English Strikes Again

Red Grant in a training with SPECTRE in From Russia With  Love

5. "Moneypenny"

This film has its Pegasus. This means that it is only right to have this film's version of Moneypenny. Named Lesley, Pegasus' secretary was played by Pippa Bennett- Warner.

Lesley in Pegasus' office in Johnny English Strikes Again

Eve Moneypenny in Skyfall

6. Pegasus' office

Bernard Lee's M was known to be an Admiral before he was the head of MI-6. That explains the painting of ships present in the office of Ralph Fiennes' M in Skyfall. For this film, Pegasus' office also has a ship painting present.

Pegasus in Johnny English Strikes Again

M and Bond in Skyfall

7. Dance, Fox, Gambon

These three older agents that returned as requested by the British Secret Service all have their own links to the James Bond franchise. Charles Dance was a henchman of the villain, Aris Kristatos (played by Julian Glover), in For Your Eyes Only (1981). Edward Fox played M in Never Say Never Again (1983) wherein Rowan Atkinson played a small role alongside Sean Connery, while Michael Gambon was offered the role of James Bond for Diamonds are Forever (1971).

Edward Fox in Johnny English Strikes Again

Edward Fox as M with Sean Connery as Bond in Never Say Never Again

Charles Dance in Johnny English Strikes Again

Charles Dance as a henchman in For Your Eyes Only

Michael Gambon in Johnny English Strikes Again

8. Exploding Pen

Q mocked Bond for wanting a more extravagant item in Skyfall (2012) by saying "Were you expecting an exploding pen?". Another reference of this was from Goldenye (1995) where Bond was given an exploding pen but with a shorter countdown timer of five seconds.

Exploding pen in Goldeneye

Exploding pen in Johnny English Strikes Again

9. P Scene

This movie also has its own Q Branch scene, which was also lifted from Skyfall. The gadgets are now some futuristic technology and not the traditional spy stuff seen in earlier spy films. To keep up with the theme of the movie, Johnny English still picks to be old-fashioned and asked for a gun, and a vintage Aston Martin, instead of asking for a hybrid vehicle.

P scene with Bond in Skyfall

P scene in Johnny English Strikes Again

10. Aston Martin

James Bond drives an Aston Martin, so does Johnny English.

Bond's Aston Martin DB5 in Skyfall

English's Aston Martin V8 in Johnny English Strikes Again

11. Chase scene

Most spy films have their own chase scenes. However, the car chase scene in Johnny English Strikes Again between Johnny English and Ophelia Bhuletova looks similar to the initial chase scene between James Bond and Xenia Onattop in Goldeneye. The location seems similar. Also, it was a chase between Bond and Bond girl, although she is a henchwoman. Notice the color schemes of the cars used in both chase scenes.

Bond's chase scene with Onattop, featuring the cyclists, in Goldeneye

Bond's chase scene with Bhuetova, featuring the cyclists, in Johnny English Strikes Again

12. Bar scene

The bar scene where Ophelia Bhuletova meets Johnny English is very alike with most of Bond's meeting with his Bond girl. One of those seemingly similar scenes is the bar scene in Skyfall. Another one is the scene where Bond meets Anya Amasova, also a Russian agent, in the Egyptian gathering in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

Bond and Severine in Skyfall

Bond and Bhuletova in Johnny English Strikes Again

13. Dance Floor, Curtain, Gun

The scene wherein Johnny English is highly energized by a drug and is then seen dancing in the dance floor while Ophelia Bhuletova was trying to kill him was one of the hilarious moments of the film. The part where Bhuletova hides behind a curtain and aims at Johnny English looks like the one from Thunderball (1965).

Gun pointed at Bond in Thunderball 

Gun pointed at English in Johnny English Strikes Again

14. Garrote Watch
Red Grant of From Russia with Love has the garrote watch as his choice of weapons. So does Russian agent Ophelia Bhuletova.

Grant's garrote watch in the train fight scene in From Russia With Love

Bhuletova's garrote watch in the dance floor scene in Johnny English Strikes Again

15. VR

Although it is not used well in Die Another Day (2002), the idea of having a Virtual Reality concept in a spy film started in that said movie. Pierce Brosnan's James Bond was shown in a shooting training using VR, while Moneypenny used it to fantasize Bond. Johnny English Strikes Again upgraded the use of the VR in a highly hilarious scene. VR and Rowan Atkinson seemed to be a good combination.

Bond and Q's VR in Die Another Day

English and P's VR in Johnny English Strikes Again

16. Student Driver

This has to be my most favorite among all other references made. After escaping Jason Volta's lair, Johnny English has to take over a vehicle for him to continue escaping. However, the vehicle he managed to get was occupied by a student lady driver accompanied by its instructor. Hilariously, English continued the driving lesson even when they were being chased by Volta.

Do you remember Mrs. Bell from Live and Let Die (1973) as she was getting her plane driving lessons from Roger Moore?

Mrs. Bell in Live and Let Die

The student driver in Johnny English Strikes Again

17. Crane chase

That previously stated chase scene ends when a crane blocks their way leaving only a little space enough for Johnny English and the student lady driver's car to pass through. Since Jason Volta's car is larger, he cannot pass through and continue chasing English. This very scene is reminiscent of how the very first car chase action scene of the James Bond series concluded.

As Sean Connery was driving, the Three Blind Mice follows him until they were blocked by a crane. Since they were in a hearse, they were not able to pass through and fell off the narrow road.

The obstructed funeral car in Dr. No

Volta's obstructed car in Johnny English Strikes Again

18. Six Bullets

During the final showdown with Jason Volta, Johnny English in a knight's armor is being shot at by Volta using his 3D-Printed gun. English remarks, 'Don't worry, he's only got six bullets in that thing!" Sean Connery also has the same remark before he shoots Professor Dent, played by Anthony Dawson, in Dr. No. "It's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six."

Bond and Professor Dent in Dr. No

English and Volta in Johnny English Strikes Again

19. Villain fight

The final showdown with Jason Volta involves a very unexpected weapon of choice for Johnny English. As English manages to be in possession of Volta's tablet, he tries to stop Volta's chopper. However, since English is not very good with computer and modern tech stuff, he throws the tablet to Volta which made him fall onto his head, just like when Bond throws a knife into Raoul Silva's back in Skyfall.

Javier Bardem (left) and Dame Judi Dench in Skyfall

English throwing the tablet at Volta in Johnny English Strikes Again

20. Main Girl

The main English girl (as opposed to Bond girl) of this film is Olga Kurylenko, playing a Russian spy working undercover against Jason Volta. Kurylenko also played the main Bond girl Camille Montes in Quantum of Solace (2008) and in another spy film with former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan in  The November Man (2014).

Olga Kurylenko (left) and Daniel Craig (right) in Quantum of Solace from supposedlyfun.com

Pierce Brosnan (left) and Olga Kurylenko (right) in The November Man from variety.com

Olga Kurylenko (left) and Rowan Atkinson (right) in Johnny English Strikes Again from entertainment.inquirer.net

MOVIE REVIEW: Goldfinger Part 1

We now come to the third Bond film in the official EON Productions James Bond franchise, the quintessential Bond film "Goldfinger".

Goldfinger movie poster from imdb.com

Although many Bond films take it as the best Bond film of all time, I don't. I basically do not like it because of this reason: Bond does nothing in this movie. There is no spying. Yes, he escaped his room and was able to know the plans of Goldfinger, but the film did not require him to do more spy work since he was already in the villain's lair. No need to track Goldfinger down.

Upon another viewing, I came to realize that he did something somehow. It was still him who made Pussy Galore turn to the good side.

The film opens with a pre-title sequence unrelated to the film's story. Disguised in a bird underwater costume, Bond appears and plants a bomb in a drug facility. After doing so, he removes his underwater suit and reveals a neatly dressed white and dry tuxedo. On a party, he meets a woman and is engaged in a fight scene. Not very shocking, right?

Sean Connery as James Bond in Goldfinger from filmforum.org

The theme song of this film was sung by Dame Shirley Bassey in her first calling, She would then sing two more times for 1971's Diamonds Are Forever and 1979's Moonraker. (Teeeeen-ten, tenteneneeeen...)

Bond's mission for this film is to watch over Auric Goldfinger. Goldfinger was suspected to be smuggling gold and yes, he was and more.

Upon meeting Goldfinger, Bond tricked him into losing a card match and on their next meeting, he tricked him again into losing a golf match with him, this time around. This made Goldfinger pissed, even killing off his woman, Jill Masterson as an aftermath of their first encounter.

Just as Bond and Jill finished their affairs in bed, Goldfinger sent his henchman, Odd Job to deal with the humiliation that Goldfinger had. Odd Job killed Jill by completely painting her in gold paint, which led to her demise. Bond was knocked out as he was reaching for the fridge to get some drinks. The introductory scene for Odd Job was quite memorable for me because of the resemblance that it had with the introduction to the series Hitchcock Presents. 

Bond was back in England, in a briefing in M's office. He was told not to make the mission a private vendetta, to avenge the death of Jill Masterson. After a separate briefing with M and the bank secretary for a gold bar, Bond met Q in his lab.

In here was the very first appearance of Q's lab, with very little gags in line with the testing if Q's prototypes. We were also shown Q's gadgets for Bond, along with his new car, the Aston Martin DB5. No invisible cars at this point yet, just GPS trackers, revolving plates, and an ejector seat, along with various insane weapons for Bond to use.

James Bond and his Aston Martin DB5 from fortune.com

Bond continued his mission on a golf course wherein Goldfinger was playing at. They were arranged for a match, and Bond took the chance to use the gold bar to distract Goldfinger into missing a shot. Goldfinger tried to cheat his way to win by having Odd Job (his caddy, too) release an extra ball. However, Bond realized that the ball was a fraud. Bond used it to his advantage by citing a rule concerning the use of different balls in a match. Goldfinger was obviously pissed and realized that it was also Bond who tricked him in Miami.

Odd Job showed off a special skill of him and his hat to scare off Bond.

Odd Job (left) throws his hat at a statue, with Bond (center), and Goldfinger (right) from 007james.com

Bond followed Goldfinger using the GPS tracker that he planted on Goldfinger's car after their golf match. Goldfinger flew to Switzerland along with his car. So did Bond. So did Bond.

While Bond was following Goldfinger in Switzerland, Bond spotted another car behind him. Realizing it was a woman on the driver's seat, Bond snooped in and damaged her car so she would ride in Bond's Aston Martin instead. What I loved in this scene was when Bond tried to show off but the woman stopped him mid-introduction. "My name is Bo--."

Bond eventually talked with the woman and suspected that she was up to something. Later that evening, Bond got in contact with her again as Bond was infiltrating Goldfinger's lair. Apparently, the woman was out for revenge for she was the sister of the murdered Jill Masterson, the one painted in gold. She was also killed by Odd Job after being chased. Bond couldn't protect her.

The car chase was one of the best of the series because of the gadgets used. The Aston Martin DB5 exposed its secret weapons during the car chase, but the best bit was when Bond used the ejector seat on one of Goldfinger's goon. 

Bond using the Ejector Seat of his Aston Martin DB5 from 007james.com

Part 2: https://angelorem.blogspot.com/2019/02/movie-review-goldfinger-part-2.html