Category: Movies

Shotgun Wedding: Is It Worth The Hype?

It is hard for me to decide which film to watch next. My tastes are varied and one minute I am watching a thriller, the next a laugh-out-loud comedy. Not very often do I sit down to a Rom-Com but these are little indulgences from time to time.

Lately, I have seen a couple and both were really sweet, funny and kept me interested. Shotgun Wedding has been promoted on billboards in my city and pushed really hard as a Prime Video treat. These are my thoughts on this exciting new movie.

This is not J-Lo but it represents the cheesiness of Rom-Coms; a cheesiness I quite like.

In A Nutshell

This is a movie of two Jens: Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Coolidge. There is a guy in it too that I recognised but wasn’t sure why. He (Josh Duhamel) was due to marry J-Lo on an exotic Philippine island. Now, I do have a soft spot for Jennifer Lopez Rom-Coms and that is one of the reasons I popped it on. The question is – Was it any good?

Darcy (J-Lo) had a celebrity ex who showed up at her wedding randomly, in the guise of Sean, played by Lenny Kravitz. Her father was annoyed that he didn’t pay for the wedding and they had taken cheaper options, organised by husband-to-be Tom (Duhamel). It is fair to say there was some resentment between Tom, her father and Sean.

A mix of comedy, romance and action; This movie was really fun and quick paced. Moments of hilarity were often lit up by Coolidge but let’s not take away the jokes that J-Lo properly earned.

A dramatic twist of fate caused the wedding to be upturned by pirates. I’d better not give too much away. Suffice to say, adventure ensued and more comedy arose from it.

Favourite Elements

I was sure this film would entertain me but I hadn’t expected it to be such a witty production. It had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions.

Some of the positive points included:

– The script was fast and often really humorous

– Jennifer Lopez had moments of sweetness, of being a feisty action heroine and of playing the comedienne

– Jennifer Coolidge was hilarious as the mother of the groom

– The plot was exciting, if unrealistic

– The setting was lovely (with beautiful countryside and beaches)

– There were genuine hold-your-breath moments of action.

Negatives

– Some elements were predictable – although isn’t that always the case with Rom-Coms?

– They could have chosen a better actor for the father – he was a bit wooden

Final Thoughts

This Shotgun Wedding film popped up for free on Prime Video (assuming you are a member) and I checked it out. It was very funny and fast paced with great contributions from Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Coolidge. It was a good length (1 hour 40 minutes) which I consider the perfect movie duration.

So YES Shotgun Wedding is definitely worth the hype.

Rom-Com score ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half

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Thank you for taking the time to read my movie review. I hope that you will check out Shotgun Wedding. Drop a comment of what you think of it.

For the review of a film I recently enjoyed, check my Empire of Light Film Review. I appreciate any support and if you follow my blog you will make my day.

A Man Called Otto – Film Review

As I have mentioned previously, I am trying to go to the cinema more often than usual, especially as so many award nominated movies emerge. Following my review of Empire Of Light, I decided to pop along to my local movie theatre and check out ‘A Man Called Otto’ today.

What Drew Me To This Character-Orientated Movie?

Tom Hanks was promoting ‘A Man Called Otto’ on the Graham Norton Show the other Friday when it first caught my imagination. Apparently an adaptation of a Swedish novel – ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman – this story was about an older man who was rather miserable and full of spite. Some new neighbours moved into his street and tried to soften his character slightly. The premise was interesting and I knew Tom would portray the lead role brilliantly.

Otto protected a little street like this.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% audience score

A Sweet Narrative

Otto had lost his wife recently and was pushed out of his job, taking a severance payout and entering retirement reluctantly. He lived in a street where the parking was protected and he made sure that only those with permits dared to park in his street.

The neighbours knew that he did his daily ‘rounds’ and tried to engage with him despite his sour mood. The reason for this grumpy attitude was exposed later in the story. Needless to say he had a fairly harrowing backstory.

A family moved in and started to offer him food parcels and company. Marisol (played by Mariana Travino) was superb as a chatty, pregnant neighbour who wouldn’t take no for an answer and was determined to bring a smile to his tired face.

Recurring Theme

While Otto was constantly trying to find ways to kill himself and join his wife beyond the grave, amusing circumstances disturbed his plans and kept him busy. Marisol worked hard at bringing some fun into his world and giving him something to care about.

A set of challenges faced by other neighbours made his life more difficult still. Otto’s narrative was wonderfully outlined by a good script and careful direction. Tom’s wife, Rita Wilson, persuaded him to make the movie version of the book and she also came on board as producer. Similarly his real-life son – Truman Hanks – who played a younger version of Otto, did a brilliant job. He was the spitting image of his famous father.

Things I liked about it

– Incredible acting by the lead actors

– A flowing storyline with carefully placed nuggets of information that enhanced the narrative.

– Clever direction with emotional flashbacks.

– It had moments of real humour.

In A Nutshell

I laughed and cried whilst watching this wonderful story unwind. Hanks was amazing in this role and Mariana deserves an Oscar for supporting actress too. In my opinion, it was really well written and the different elements fitted together superbly.

I would give this movie a five star review and totally recommend going to the cinema to see it. Now I will have to go and read the original book.

If you found this review helpful, please comment below and consider following my blog for future book and TV reviews as well as environmental articles. A recent TV review I wrote, which might grab your attention, was focused on House of the Dragon.

If you have Kindle Unlimited, perhaps you would like to check out my original short stories. I would appreciate some reads to celebrate the fourth birthday of my book Short Dates. Thank you so much for checking out my bookish blog,

Empire of Light – Film Review

Winter is movie award season, with the Golden Globes, Oscars and Baftas, so usually the really interesting films come out around this time. So I have been going to the cinema fortnightly in order to keep up with all of the recommended pictures that have been arriving. And yes, I love nothing more as a blogger than to write a film review each time.

This is actually Scarborough but looks like the film setting of Margate.

This weekend I was lucky enough to go and see a Sam Mendes film. After his epic 1917 war movie where he told a story using just one camera, a harrowing narrative at that, I knew his new one would be worth a watch.

What Was It About?

Olivia Coleman led it as a schizophrenic woman who worked front of house in a 1980s cinema. She was joined by a solid cast, including newbie Michael Ward and her creep boss played by Colin Firth.

Mendes also wrote the screenplay and told of how Hilary (Olivia) was very depressed and living a very mundane existence until a new guy started to work at the old Empire cinema. Stephen (Michael) was fun and intriguing so she soon latched onto him and was quickly smitten. At the same time, she observed racism against him by motorbike gangs (apparently Mods and Rockers).

Acting Prowess

Olivia played her role with skill and her performance definitely stood out. I would say it was her best acting yet – and she already has a high standard back catalogue. Michael was outstanding as the likeable ticket collector who was charismatic and torn. His dreams of going to university had been put to one side but he was determined to make the most of everything by dancing, having fun and making the most of life.

In A Nutshell

I enjoyed the film which was 1 hour 55 minutes long but felt shorter. It has mixed reviews as it is very much a character drama. Don’t expect action and adventure. I found it sweet, well written, nostalgic and it handled mental health cleverly. People were easily misunderstood or misjudged on the 1980s and there was little support available for mental health problems.

Final Thought

Check out Olivia Coleman’s beautiful film if you get the chance. Meanwhile, perhaps consider following my blog and dropping a comment below or checking my Matilda review. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review.