Tag: movies

Boston Strangler – Review

Disney Plus have recently released a movie about a famous murderer. Having seen the trailer, I was intrigued to see that Kiera Knightly played a journalist for the American Record, who took it upon herself to hunt him down. My Boston Strangler review is all about thoughts on this under-publicised film.

In A Nutshell

This movie is a true story of how a woman working for a prominent US newspaper wrote about a string of vicious murders. She had to convince her boss to let her deep dive into the killings and keep reporting on the continued investigation.

With many of the attacks involving a tell-tale signal, Loretta (Kiera Knightley) was starting to notice potential linkages. Despite being advised to leave it to the male reporters, she continued to push to see the evidence for herself and join the dots.

Set in the 1960s, this narrative was well told. The dim lighting and stylish cinematography make this an easy watch. The subject matter, however, is disturbing. Having said that, you see very little gore but mostly watch the lead up to each murder.

Positives

– The movie is well written with a good pace.

– Quality acting from Kiera and others.

– I felt intrigued and surprised throughout.

– The cinematography made it feel like you were taken back to 1960s America.

Point to improve

– If I am honest I was totally satisfied with this film but I do feel it would have made an excellent TV series. It deserved wider advertising and more credit.

Final Thoughts

With an audience score of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film is definitely well received. Kiera plays the lead cleverly and you really get a feel for what it must have been like working at a newspaper during a very traumatic time.

Thank you for taking the time to read my brief review of ‘Boston Strangler’. For another of my film review articles check out my thoughts on the recent Dungeons and Dragons movie.

Marry Me – Movie Review

I know it has just been Valentine’s Day and romance was in the air but that wasn’t the reason I decided to try the new Jennifer Lopez film. Being someone who likes comedy, dramas and big budget movies, I still have a soft spot for a cheeky Rom-Com now and again. My friend and I have gone to see almost every single J-Lo movie in the past and have never come out complaining. So, we were going to watch this film, no matter what! The Marry Me movie awaited us and here is my analysis.

Normally I like really deep and clever scripts, so this may seem a departure from the bookish films I often talk about. However, I also like cheesy stuff. For point of record, this movie stemmed from a comic book which was popular ten years ago. Going back to the cheesy bit, this picture feels like it is going to be oozing cheese sauce, but it has some brilliant nuances. I would go as far as to say it yielded a strong message.

Overview

Jennifer played a pop star (Kat) who was going to publicly marry another singer at a huge event, screened across the world. A twist caused her to find she had different options, mainly the appearance of a charming teacher (Charlie), played by the brilliant Owen Wilson. The chemistry between these two was lovely and very funny. Owen seems to have bounced back onto the screen recently, with a starring role in the Loki series on Disney too.

The story is about trying to go against expectation. A situation leads to a marriage which is unwanted but also creates great publicity. Kat was a believable character who was fed up with being used. She was starting to see beyond branding, selfies and non-stop documenting of her daily routine.

Thoughts

One thing that stood out was the soundtrack, which I later found myself downloading. The songs were catchy and modern with J-Lo showing off her voice and talent. The script was unpredictable (although one key idea was easy to see through to its conclusion) with funny elements and plenty of self-reflection by the characters. Supported by John Bradley (Game of Thrones) as her manager, Kat really explored what is actually important and what’s facade.

Apparently it was the most watched movie on Valentine’s Day but I went the day after. This movie was just the right amount of sweet, with a twist or two to make it worthwhile. If you want something to make you feel good, then try this. For a review of the last film I saw, click my write up of Belfast.

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Disney Is Magical – But Why?

When I was little I wrote to Disney magazine and asked if I could work for them. The response was a lovely letter and some really cute Disney character transfers, which helped me get over their subtle rejection. Many years after that I am still incredibly impressed by what Disney has achieved and the fact that the company keeps reflecting and building upon what Walt originally established. In my opinion, Disney is magical and this is why..,

Imaginative teams create these lasting delights.

From animated movies to TV series and documentaries, Disney has a way of making stories that entertain while asking questions, challenging perceptions and allowing viewers a great deal of escapism. I feel as though this is turning out like an advertisement but really I wanted this article to draw attention to some small Disney Plus programmes which focus on different aspects of the Disney organisation.

The little documentaries that I enjoy most are the ‘Disney Insider’ short programmes which are roughly 20 minutes long each. They give insights into the making of new Disney projects and behind the scenes at some of the most famous attractions at the theme parks. From finding out how animations are made to learning about some of the delicacies available at Disney Land, these shows have segments about all sorts of things.

Disney owns ABC television and produces books, toys and all sorts of audio output as well as theatre shows and cruises. So there is plenty for the Insider shows to cover and I look forward to what they choose to celebrate next. Within the Disney umbrella is Pixar too and they have a similar show called ‘Inside Pixar’ which allows us inside the amazing Pixar studios and provides us with extra details about their story making and creative processes.

History of Disney

As well as these little insights, there is also a documentary about how Walt started everything off and began to put together a team to design and visualise. ‘The Imagineering story’ tells us how his visions were translated into films, theme parks and a Disney culture. A group of elite artists, called Imagineers, have been coming up with ideas and concepts that have underpinned the Disney narrative ever since Walt got them started.

To add to this, a series of programmes about how some of the best known attractions came into existence is also available on the Disney Plus platform. ‘Behind the Attractions’ is great because it takes us on the journey from inception to opening day for features such as ‘It’s a Small World’ and ‘Star Tours.’ I especially loved learning about how the hotels developed over the years and the introduction of the monorail.

This set of programmes about how the magic of Disney continues to evolve is really interesting and satisfies my need to know details. Perhaps you also believe that Disney is magical or otherwise. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments. I hope that you enjoyed this post and consider following my blog for more articles about entertainment, books and the environment.