movie – Yellywelly

Bridge of dreams

19 Jul 20171 Aug 2017 Yelly

In early 2000, I went to VideoCity (a now non-existent [I think!] video rental business in the Philippines not unlike Blockbuster video) and rented out the the only Gwyneth Paltrow movie in the store that I hadn’t watched yet. I didn’t know what the movie was about…just that it had Gwyneth Paltrow in it and the sleeve was yellow (Yellow was a favourite colour at the time).

And so began my (and my sister’s) love affair with the movie Sliding Doors. We were obsessed. We watched it all the time. We had it on in the background whilst doing chores (even whilst vacuuming and washing the dishes – yes in a whole other room of the house!). It came to a point where we would say the lines of the movie and collapse in giggles for no apparent reason. I think we drove our brother crazy because we’d have the soundtrack on constant repeat.

I don’t think it helped our anglophilia, if anything, it made it worse!

And this is a major reason why I wanted to see the Albert Bridge…for the longest time! I wanted to see if the bridge was as beautiful as it looked in the movie. It wasn’t just for me. It was for my Duckie too. I was going to take a picture to send back.

Now I have. And boy, did that bridge look phenomenal!

Yelly Writes

Me before Me Before You

13 Sep 201613 Sep 2016 Yelly

I’ve read the heart-wrenching book (twice – yes, I thought I could handle it. I was boohooing half-way through the second read because I knew what was to come! My eyelids were sore from all the tear-Kleenex soaking.). I think most of the people who wanted to watch the movie version of Jojo Moyle’s wildly successful book have seen the movie. I’m one of the stragglers. Mostly because Alan didn’t want to watch the movie. I’ve not yet taken to watching a movie on my own here yet.

But I’ve seen it now. Despite the reviews about how it glorified suicide, I think some people took the wrong way and didn’t notice that the movie was about falling in love and letting yourself spread your wings and widen your horizons.

I don’t know if I can review the movie objectively. I’m still sobbing, so, obviously, it has touched me and affected me. It hasn’t made me cry as much as the book, and strangely, Emilia Clarke wasn’t how I pictured Lou at all, but Sam Claflin was a good Will (Sam’s features sort of fit how I pictured Will Traynor in my head). It’s hard to dig into the meat of the story when you only have two hours to go through everything written (if you haven’t read the book, you need to! Remember to get a box of tissues, a bottle of water – you’ll need the water for the possibly dehydration because of the possible crying – and the book.). But it was a good movie. I don’t think Jojo Moyes would be too disappointed.

But now, I’m going to nurse my sore eyelids.

Yelly Writes

Les Mis – finally!

5 Feb 201330 Sep 2013 Yelly

To say that I was excited about seeing Les Mis was an understatement. I could hardly sit still in the train on the way to the cinema. I’d been so looking forward to seeing the movie since they started shooting scenes in Greenwich in April 2012.

Les Mis is one of three of my all-time favourite musicals (the other two being Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera) and the prospect of seeing a movie version of the musical was certainly exciting. I told myself to not expect too much, because after all, the cast weren’t West End or Broadway performers. But I also knew that Cameron Mackintosh had a say in the production and after seeing the interviews, I understood that the cast and crew understood how beloved this musical was that they wouldn’t do anything to taint it. I’m sure everyone involved in the movie wanted to do their utmost best because like me and countless others, they loved the musical too.

So after waiting for so long (waiting to get better from illness and waiting for the snow to stop falling and start melting), armed with Kleenex, I made my way to see the movie I’d waited to long to see. And it didn’t disappoint. I cried buckets, enough to make my eyes sting the whole time after. The familiar themes of young love, unrequited love, transformation, forgiveness and redemption did not fail to touch my heart (and my tear ducts!).

While live theatre performance is in a different league entirely, this version of Les Mis was something to be seen. You could see in the actors’ performances how much they loved this musical. Hugh Jackman reminded me a little of Colm Wilkinson, but don’t get me wrong, his Valjean was his Valjean. Amanda Seyfriend was a hauntingly beautiful Cosette, and she didn’t warble too badly too! Anyone who can cry and sing at the same time as well as Anne Hathaway did deserves an award! I was quiet pleased that they chose Samantha Barks for Eponine because she did brilliantly. I wasn’t too impressed by Russell Crowe’s singing but his acting made up for it because he was Javert! But I think the performance that stole the show was Eddie Redmayne’s! Who’d have thought he’d make this amazingly romantic Marius?

I don’t really want to say too much just in case you haven’t seen it. But if you can go and watch it, do! Oh and remember to bring kleenex…or maybe a beach towel!