Month: December 2020

If I remember correctly, I had stumbled across an article written about Life In A Year quite recently. It was this that got me interested in the story. I have to admit that the reviews were off putting and I almost didn’t even finish watching. But I’m not a quitter and I wanted to find out what would happen. After all, I am a sucker for my teen romance films. Unfortunately I’m still on the fence about this one. There were some things I liked, but overall it left me feeling rather indifferent. I guess I just expected more?

When Daryn (Justice Smith) meets Isabella (Cara Delevingne) one night while they are both attempting to crash a concert, their lives are forever changed.

Unable to get her out of his head, Daryn tracks Isabella down and asks her on a date. Isabella, though hesitant at first, eventually relents. But then Daryn finds out that she is sick and only has one year left to live. He comes up with a plan to give Isabella every experience he can possibly think of for the time she has left.

I actually quite liked the idea of the movie. I knew going into it that it was going to be sad, but because I never really felt the chemistry between the two leads, I struggled to really feel that emotion. Separately the actors were fine; I have seen Cara Delevingne in various other projects over the years and while she isn’t a favorite by any means, I don’t mind her work. I believe this was my first time seeing Justice Smith in anything and while he was also just okay, I was impressed with the scene he shared with his mom at the hospital.

Because of this issue, it was hard to me to relate to the story and to take anything away from it. I kept hoping for something new and different to happen, but it was all very predictable. There was just nothing to look forward to because I knew how the movie was going to play out down to a tee.

Overall, I am still glad that I checked this out despite my disappointments. It did make me cry which can sometimes be cathartic. Unfortunately my expectations were just too high.

Rating: ♥.5

Happiest Season was one of those movies that once I saw the trailer, I knew I had to watch it. The cast, the humour, the heart and the fact that we need all the festive movies ever right now – sign me up! I just don’t think I expected to love it as much as I did. It will definitely be one of those films that I watch every year around the holidays.

Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) are completely inseparable and totally in love. When Harper decides to invite Abby home for Christmas, everything changes for them. Unfortunately for Abby, Harper’s family are not exactly the most welcoming. Her father Ted (Victor Garber) is running for mayor while her mother Tipper (Mary Steenburgen) is busy with his campaign. Older sister Sloane (Alison Brie) quit her high profile lawyer gig to get married and have children and has regretted it ever since, while younger sister Jane (Mary Holland) was always overlooked by everybody. But nobody knows that Harper, always the ‘perfect’ daughter, is gay.

So now Abby is stuck at her girlfriend’s family house pretending that she and Harper are just friends and roommates. Raising many red flags for her and her best friend John (Dan Levy), she does her best to get through it. After all, it’s only for a few days right? And then there is Harper’s ex Riley (Aubrey Plaza) who keeps showing up everywhere that Abby is…

This movie had me in actual stitches. It was hilarious and I can’t praise the writing enough. Clea Duvall really outdid herself and I was impressed.

I touched briefly on the cast, but I must reiterate how stellar they all were together. So many big names on one project doesn’t always pay off, but that wasn’t the case here. I couldn’t get enough of them. Also, if you are still pigeonholing KStew for her role in Twilight, y’all really need to wake up. Girl has seriously grown up and is actually a diverse actress who I have grown to love watching.

Another thing that I loved about this was that for once we have a major motion picture that features a same sex couple in the forefront. I know that this has been improving over the years, but I cannot stress enough how refreshing it was to see the representation in such a popular movie. Neither characters were sexualized either which I appreciated greatly.

My favorite thing about Happiest Season was it’s depiction of family. We know that every family dynamic is different: some of us have great relationships while others may not be so fortunate. I feel like emotions are heightened during the holidays and the way in which this was portrayed throughout was a true illustration of these struggles. However, the movie also showed how we all just want to be true to ourselves while hoping for our family’s acceptance at the same time. I’ll admit that I was moved to tears on a few occasions because of how realistic and relatable it all was.

I want everyone to watch this movie. I cannot sing it’s praises enough and I am sure that you will be able to take away something from it afterwards. And I am keeping my fingers crossed that there’ll be a sequel!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

I was so excited to see The Christmas Chronicles 2. I remember absolutely loving the first instalment when it was released two years ago and have been hoping for a sequel ever since. This year I got my wish! My expectations for this one was higher than normal and I’ll admit that it did take awhile to get going, but when it did, I was completely engrossed. I loved it almost as much as the original and am still smiling about it days later.

The story picks up a couple years later. Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) is on vacation in Mexico with her brother Teddy (Judah Lewis), her mother Claire (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) as well as her mom’s new boyfriend Bob (Tyrese Gibson) and his son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). Unfortunately, Kate does not like Bob very much and fears that her mother has started to forget about her late father.

Fed up and wanting to return home, Kate decides to take matters into her own hands. Her escape route, however, goes completely wrong and she is instead reunited with Santa (Kurt Russell) and Mrs. Clause (Goldie Hawn). Together with Jack who ended up coming along for the journey, the four must work together to stop a troublesome elf from canceling Christmas forever.

Guys, the visuals in this movie are un-freaking-real. Mexico is already breathtaking, but when we are transported to the North Pole, I couldn’t get over how everything looked. The sweets, the elves, the toy shops in Santa’s Village and of course the house where Santa and Mrs. Clause live. I wanted to pack my bags and go there immediately!

I have to say that while I did guess a few of the plot twists ahead of time, it did not take away from my overall enjoyment. There were a few different things going on at a time which seemed confusing at the beginning. Luckily everything came together at the end of the day which is all that matters.

The Christmas Chronicles 2 is a wonderful festive film for people of all ages to fall in love with. The humour, intrigue, adventure and heart makes for an unforgettable experience that be appreciated for years to come.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥