John Clark is a lawyer who writes Wills. He has a humdrum existence but a loving family that he seems happy with. One day on his home from work, he spots a beautiful woman gazing out of the window of a dance school. On a whim he gets off at the stop, and decides to take dancing lessons.

What follows is a very sweet and heart-warming journey about following your heart and finding happiness wherever you can.

What I LOVED about this movie is that he doesn’t leave his wife or family for this woman. In fact, she actively discourages him from pursuing her. But John finds something fulfilling and something he’s good at.

And the scene where he’s coming up the stairs to his wife with the rose, one of the most romantic scenes ever! You can tell he’s crazy about her even after 20 years of marriage!

A lovely heart warming film about dance, life and love.

5 out of 5 stars.

Random fact: About $4,000 worth of jewelry worn by Susan Sarandon during the filming of the movie was stolen and recovered at murder scene in Winnipeg on 4 July 2003. According to news sources, the jewelry was stolen from a vehicle on the movie set and found in a downtown hotel room.

Shall We Dance? [DVD] [2004]

This is one of the best Bollywood movies I’ve seen in a while.

Meghna Mathur is a small town girl with big city dreams. She wants to become a Supermodel, and after winning the local beauty pageant is determined to do so. With the help of her friend Rohit, she struggles to get auditions and make her mark in the fashion world. Eventually she gets a step on the ladder, but is competing against Shonali, the biggest supermodel of the time.

Meghna goes up the dizzying heights of success, crashes and then resurfaces in a fascinating world of Fashion.

At that start I liked Meghna, she’s spunky and ambitious, but is also so cute when she gets excited over the smallest things. But when she starts becoming more popular that’s where the story gets interesting and you’re not sue whether you want to keep rooting for her or not.

Shonali is addicted to drugs which eventually lead to her downfall until she’s flat on her face, and through Shonali we see the down sides of modelling.

Priyanka Chopra is amazing in this film. She really delivers in this high octane film about the fashion world. Arbaaz Khan is also a surprise in a more serious and very cold role.

All in all, a great film to watch if you’re interested in fashion.

5 out of 5 stars.

Fashion

I’d been looking forward to this film since I found out Ben Barnes of Prince Caspian fame was in it – not that I’ve seen the second Narnia movie.

Set in the 1920s, John Whittaker has married an American Racing Car Driver who is a widow. This is her second marriage. He takes her home to meet his eccentric English family, who all immediately hate her. She finds an ally in her father in law, Jim. John thinks Larita is imagining things when she tells him his family doesn’t like her, but Larita tries her hardest to fit in – in her own unique way of course.

This film is a funny period film. I haven’t had this much fun with a period film since Mrs Pettigrew Lives for a Day! The dialogue is fascinating and sharp. Larita is sassy, beautiful, funny but also sad and steely. John is fun loving but slowly realises his responsibilities once a few home truths hit him.

But its Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Whittaker who steals the film. Her firm dislike of her daughter in law is fun, but also the sadness, desperation and the way she tries to keep a crumbling family and house together is touching.

I’d recommend this film if you’re in the mood for a fun period piece with an edge and a bite.

5 out of 5 stars.

Easy Virtue [DVD] [2008]

Random Fact: In the vintage Monte Carlo scene which opens the movie, when Larita first sees John both her and John’s movements are slowed down while the rest of the cast play at ‘normal’ (i.e newsreel) speed. This was accomplished by filming the crowd, Larita, John, the background and the foreground mechanics separately against green screen and compositing them together at different speeds.

I don’t think I’ve liked a show this much since I became addicted to The West Wing. Slick dialogue, a 1960s setting and to die for fashion, yep, that’s my kinda show.

Mad Men is set in the 1960s and follows Donald Draper, an Ad Man working in Manhattan who is the Creative Director for Sterling Cooper, an ad agency. Donald is married with two children, a beautiful young wife in the suburbs and the perfect life. But its all a lie. Don is an assumed name he stole from another soldier who died in the war, his real name being Dick Whitman. Don is everything that a man of the time supposedly was. Successful, handsome and a hit with the ladies.

The show also follows Peggy Olsen, Don’s secretary who’s new to the organisation. Mentored by Joan Hollins, a veteran and with curves and a dress sense to die for. Peggy goes from secretary to Junior Copywriter and also deals with a huge revelation at the end of the season.

The show does deal with stereotypes and a lot of the dialogue and situations are politically incorrect, but the slick dialogue and storyline more than make up for it. Don, Peggy, Joan and the rest of the Mad Men cast makes this an extremely engaging show to watch.

5 out of 5 stars.

Mad Men – Complete Season 1 [DVD] [2007]

Random fact: Glen, the neighbor’s young son who forms a connection with Betty, is portrayed by Marten Holden Weiner, the son of series creator Matthew Weiner.

16 year old Amal is like any other girl in Australia. She hangs out with her friends, she crushes on boys and she does what every other normal teenager does. But Amal chooses this year to wear the head scarf, the piece of cloth that instantly makes a woman recognisable as a muslim.

Amal battles prejudices both from outside and from within, racism and some horrific events. But she also makes some surprising friendships and learns the limits of the male/female relationship when she finds that words and actions need to match or someone will get hurt.

I didn’t think I could get into this book, because its been a while since I’ve read a Young Adult book, but after the first few pages I was totally hooked.

Amal is easy to get to know, likeable and funny. She also uses a lot of Australian slang, which might be difficult to understand, but I grew up watching Australian soaps, so words like Daggy make sense to me. But don’t let this put you off.

This book is funny, light hearted with a serious message and touches on some difficult issues that rarely get addressed in this kind of fiction – forced marriage, culture vs religion, national identity, racism etc.

It seems heavy stuff, but within the context of the book its well handled.

A fascinating read for all ages.

5 out of 5 stars.

Does My Head Look Big in This?

A film about an anarchic girls school sounds a little over done, but this one is actually funny.

A remake of the original St. Trinian’s movies, updated with the brightest and best of British, this movie will make you laugh.

From the slightly insane Headmistress, Miss Fritton, to her more deranged pupils, this film will make you giggle. It has not only slap stick humor and funny situations, but a credible storyline.

New girl Anabelle, who also happens to be Miss. Fritton’s niece is landed in the school from hell. The Head Girl is a smart and street wise, Kelly who keeps the girls in order. The anarchic twins who are good at explosives, the posh totty girls who will do anything, the Chavs always willing to pick a fight and the Emos.

The girls have to save the school by finding £50,000 to stop it from closing. They also have to win School Challenge against their arch nemesis.

Of course the girls do save the school, in their own unique way of course.

This is a delicious comedy for a lazy sunday afternoon.

5 out of 5 stars.

Random fact: The movie was inspired by the original drawings of the girls of St. Trinians by Ronald Searle.

St Trinian’s [DVD] [2007]

My friend Gill has also reviewed this at Kiss my Sass. Check it out here.

Pushing Daisies Season 2 is much more mature, funnier and has more of an interesting plotline.

A lot of the humour comes from Olive and Emmerson this season. We see a lot of the Chuck/Ned relationship and how that’s impacted.

Also, Aunt Vivian gets a love interest this season, and Aunt Lily’s big secret makes its way to Chuck.

In terms of character growth, Emmerson and Chuck have a lot more this season, and have a bigger role to play in the storyline. I loved their dialougues which are just a delight to hear because the show is very smart, as well as funny.

The ending was a bit a of a cop-out because it did sadly, get cancelled, but I wish they could have gone another few seasons with this delightful show.

All in all, really enjoyed it and its well worth watching this delightful and refreshing take on death, mystery and life.

5 out of 5 stars.

Pushing Daisies – Complete Season 2 [DVD] [2008]

I’m probably the most unlikely Indiana Jones fan, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard Indy was going to come back to screen in a new film.

And finally I got to see this film and I was just…disappointed.

It seemed like a good plot. A crystal skull which gives the owner power to control nature and do unimaginable horrors. A kidnapped old friend, a mysterious young man, Russians and Cate Blanchett speaking in a Russian accent.

Dr. Jones, is tasked by a crazy Russian woman to help him find and return the ancient crystal skull to a lost Mayyan city. Along the way, Indy’s friend Dr. Oxley is kidnapped and has gone mad. Mutt Williams asks Indy to help him track Ox down. Marion Rookwood, from one of the previous films is also a part of the plot as Mutt’s mother. Indy solves puzzles and has a rollicking good time.

From the summary it sounds fantastic, but watching the film the magic was missing for me. Indy is now 65, cantankerous as ever, but not as fast on his feet. Although he can still outsmart the bad guys and has his sense of humour. I like getting closure on Indy, and I’m glad they made the film, but it just didn’t do it for me.

I thought the whole storyline with the Crystal Skull was not plausible, but I enjoyed the interactions between Indy and Mutt. And Indy and Marion.

All in all, if you’re an Indiana Jones fan, watch it to get closure but don’t expect the same magic as in the first 3 films.

3 out of 5 stars.

Random fact: The girl who punches Mutt in the diner scene is Sasha Spielberg, daughter of director Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw (Willie Scott).

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2 Disc Edition) [DVD] [2008]

I don’t normally watch movies at the cinema, but the one thing I will guaranteed is the Harry potter series. Apart from the fifth and 2nd film, I’ve watched them all in the cinema, and this is no exception.

Harry is growing up and has turned 16. After the events of the last book, Harry learns a lot more about Voldemort in this instalment and also finds love with an likely person. Ron and Hermione are also growing up, and Ron gets a girlfriend and grows up a bit more in this one.

Draco Malfoy comes into his own in the film, and I felt Tom Felton did more than just sneer in this film. He got a really meaty storyline that really changed the dynamic for his character and he showed some real depth in acting in this film.

I know a lot of people were upset about what was and wasn’t filmed, but to my mind, what was shown was amazing. Sure, I wish the last scene in the book had been shown, but the films are entirely separate of the books, which have more depth and detail.

Cinematically speaking, I loved the rich textures and use of colour to depict memories and evoke emotion. And my favourite has to be Luna’s colourful choices.

There’s also a lot more humour in this film, which I found great as its all going to get very serious and scary further on in the film. So, the humour showed that while these are dark times, people still need a laugh.

A fantastic offering and looking forward to the next one!

4 out of 5 stars.

Random fact: Dame Maggie Smith completed filming this film whilst undergoing radio-therapy as treatment for breast cancer.

The Interpreter of Maladies is a series of 9 short stories which deal with different aspects of life as an Indian, both in America and in India.

A Temporary Matter deals with a couple who have lost a child and are on the last edges of their marriage, when a power cut gives them some time to assess their relationship and be honest with each other. I found this story touching, and the ending gut wrenching.

When Mr Pirzada Comes to Dine deals with the sense of being exiled, through the eyes of a child who talks about Mr Pirzada who comes to dine with their family.

Interpreter of Maladies deals with a tour guide who works part time as a translator who is guiding an American Indian family around India.

A real Durwain deals with a woman who complains about all she lost in the partition between India and Pakistan as she guards an apartment building.

Sexy shows a woman having an affair with a married man.

Mrs. Sen’s is about a babysitter looking after a young boy.

This Blessed House is about a newly married couple and the house they purchase.

The treatment of Bibi Haldar is about a young woman with a mystery illness.

The third and final continent is about a man coming to America.

All of the stories are richly written, well described and make you think.

In some of them, they’re gut wrenching but because of the shortness of the narrative and the subject matter dealt with, really make you think.

All in all, 5 out of 5 stars.

Interpreter of Maladies

My friend Kris over at Bookheart has review both Interpreter of Maladies, and Lahiri’s other short story collection, Unaccustomed Earth. Check out her review here.