Tag: EmilyBlunt

IF

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John Krasinki is back in the director’s seat with a completely different type of film. Bea (Cailey Fleming) is going through a tough time. When she moves in with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw), she ends up befriending one of the upstairs neighbors named Cal (Ryan Reynolds). Cal is on a mission to reunite IFs, or imaginary friends, with new children as their old ones have grown up and forgotten about them. He enlists the help of Bea and together they embark on a magical adventure.

Where the film exceeds is in its casting. Fleming is a great pick for our protagonist. I’ve never seen her before, but her performance was endearing and relatable. Reynolds seems to dial it back a bit from his usual song and dance to give Fleming more of the spotlight. He’s still a very important player though and the two worked well together. For me it was the different voices that brought the IFs to life that I had fun discovering: Steve Carell as Blue, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom, Louis Gossett Jr. as Lewis, Akwafina as Bubble, Emily Blunt as Unicorn, George Clooney as Spaceman, Bradley Cooper as Ice and many more.

Unfortunately there are some pacing issues that are evident throughout. Things take too long to get going in the beginning. There’s some groundwork that needs to be set up with the audience learning about Bea’s life which is fine, but I wanted more time with the IFs! I also felt like it wrapped up way too quickly in the end.

The moral of the story of getting back in touch with your inner child really spoke to me. I was one of those kids who had an imaginary friend and I could totally relate in that I don’t even remember who they are anymore. Just because you grow up doesn’t mean you don’t have to forget the parts of you that made you happy when you were younger. These sentiments really tugged at my heartstrings.

Overall IF was an enjoyable film that the whole family can enjoy. It will certainly resonate with children for the beloved friends they will meet along the way, but I think it is the adults who will get the most out of it. Though it may have gotten a bit muddled along the way, it is still worth checking out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

The Fall Guy

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Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is the best stunt man around. When an on set injury results in him breaking his back, he’s hesitant to get back into the game – that is until he learns his ex fling Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) is directing her feature debut and according to her producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), he’s the guy for the job. But Colt has been brought onto the project with ulterior motives. Mega movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor Johnson) has disappeared and it is up to Colt to find him so they can finish filming.

Fresh off the success of two of the biggest films of last year are Gosling and Blunt. Individually they know how to do their thing and they do it perfectly. But when they are together, that is when the magic happens. The way in which Colt is determined to win Jody back despite her efforts not to give in is one of my favorite tropes. I would be more than happy for these actors to star together in many more projects to come.

Director David Leitch got his start as a stunt man himself and this is an ode to others is this part of the industry. Stunt people aren’t always given the appreciation they deserve which is crazy to me. The sequences we see throughout are unique, pulse pounding and really push the limit. I couldn’t decide which one was my favorite. I also thought it was a nice touch that the audience was able to see some behind the scenes footage of them being made.

Some have said that the comedy didn’t entirely hit the mark, but I still found myself giggling more or less the whole way through. Maybe that was more due to the circumstances that our characters found themselves in at times. For example, Colt crying in his car while listening to Taylor Swift was just so perfect! I also liked the crime parts of the story. I didn’t feel like they were far fetched and I felt like it fit with everything else that was going on.

The Fall Guy was one of my most anticipated films of the year, but I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. It made me laugh out loud, was filled with incredible action sequences and the chemistry between the two leads was some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It just left a huge smile on my face. The summer blockbuster season has officially begun!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Pain Hustlers

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From director David Yates of various Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films comes Pain Hustlers. The story follows down on her luck mom Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) who is dreaming of a better life for herself and her daughter Phoebe (Chloe Coleman). Thanks to a chance encounter with one Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), she lands a job at the failing pharmaceutical company where he works. As drastic changes begin to occur, she can’t help but wonder if it’s been for better or for worse.

I was looking forward to this one. A film helmed by two of the biggest stars of today? Sign me right up! Unfortunately that’s about all it had going for it. So where did it all go wrong?

First and foremost, this is not the first time we’ve seen the subject tackled. This year alone we’ve had various takes on similar drug crises. This take unfortunately doesn’t add much to what we already know. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but it doesn’t shed the light on anything new and therefore doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The performances here are enjoyable enough. Blunt is believable as the scrappy mom who will do whatever she can to provide for her daughter. I wanted to root for her even when she continued to make questionable choices, though she certainly made it hard. Evans, on the other hand, has been playing similar variations of the same character for a while now and it’s beginning to feel tired. The two did have a good chemistry though that made their scenes work. The supporting cast in Catherine O’Hara as Liza’s mother, Andy Garcia as Dr. Neel and Brian D’Arcy James as Dr. Lydell were fine enough.

I truly believe if Pain Hustlers came out at a different point in time, it would have had more of an impact. The story is an important one, but it’s something we’ve seen many times before which didn’t help. I wanted so badly to like it, but my expectations simply weren’t met. I hate to say that it felt like a slog to get through, but I’d be lying if I didn’t.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Oppenheimer

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From the brilliant mind of Christopher Nolan comes Oppenheimer, a biopic based on the true story of the father of the atomic bomb. Starting as a student studying abroad, J. Robert decides to come back to America to share what he’s learned. We see the events that follow after, through the Manhattan project and the Trinity Test, ultimately leading up to a catastrophic conclusion.

In a complete 180 degree turnaround from Barbie, this is a film that is not to be missed on the big screen. While the three hour run time certainly threw me for a loop (and boy did I feel it), I am so glad that I didn’t give this one a miss.

Cillian Murphy dons the titular title in stride. Not only does he physically resemble Oppenheimer, he gives a masterclass in acting in this role. After working with Nolan on so many projects throughout the years, it was lovely to see him take the helm. Major props go to Robert Downey Jr., however, who portrays Lewis Strauss, Oppenheimers’ frenemy. In a career best performance, this surely won’t go unnoticed during awards season.

In fact, the film boasts a wide range of celebrity cameos including but not limited to Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett and Matthew Modine to name a few. Some had very small, but impactful roles. That being said, it would have been nice for Pugh and Blunt’s characters to be fleshed out more.

The serious tone that is carried throughout the film was encompassed with brilliant sound effects. The Trinity Test sequence, in particular, was done in such an amazing way that I was literally gripping the edge of my seat. In addition to these sound effects was an equally justifying score. It’s like there was an impending sense of doom looming over the entirety of the film that wouldn’t let up until the very end.

If I were to describe Oppenheimer in one word, it would be epic. I read another review just this morning saying that this film should obligatory viewing in schools and I have to agree. The sheer importance of this piece of history is something that is just as prominent today and should never be forgotten.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Jungle Cruise

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Based on the Disney ride, Jungle Cruise tells the story of Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and her quest to find an ancient tree deep in the Amazon that holds the power to heal. Together with her brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall), they enlist the help of Frank (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson), a skipper who knows the river like the back of his hand. Their journey won’t be simple, however, as they are faced with all that the jungle has to offer as well as several foes who covet finding the tree too.

This was a ton of fun! I am so glad I made us watch this in the cinema because we got to experience it the way it was supposed to be experienced. I truly loved everything about this movie. It was full of humor and heart and I cannot get over the amazing chemistry that Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson had with one another. Their back and forth banter was captivating to watch and I could have watched them all day long. I must say though that Jack Whitehall really impressed me. He stole every scene that he was in and I could not stop cracking up at his lines.

The plot itself was interesting and kept me entranced the whole way through. I was on the edge of my seat and just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next, I had to think again. Time completely flew by and I didn’t want it to end.

Once again, Disney really outdid themselves. The effects were next level and at times I really felt like I was there. I had high hopes for Jungle Cruise and it did not disappoint. I was left a permanent smile on my face that I am sure won’t go away anytime soon. Fingers crossed they end up turning it into a franchise because I would totally be onboard.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥