Tag: JavierBardem

F1: The Movie

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

The blockbuster event of the summer has arrived! F1: The Movie follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a driver coming out of retirement for the first time in thirty years. After he is approached by his old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) to join his failing team APXGP, Sonny is paired up with a rookie named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Together the two must learn to put aside their differences otherwise the team will cease to exist.

I’d like to think that I’m not a total amateur when it comes to Formula One. My husband, being the sports fanatic that he is, always has the races on so I have picked up some things over the past eight years. That being said it was never something that really appealed to me. I didn’t think watching cars race around a track was interesting. And then this movie came around and made me rethink everything.

Right from the beginning I was swept up into this world. Pitt delivers a brilliant performance as our underdog protagonist. He’s got a major chip on his shoulder and as the film progresses the audience is let into his life. Idris is a star in the making. I wish we’d had more backstory to his character. These two men worked really well off each other; their constant jabs were comical though at the end of the day they had a lot more in common than they could have expected. The rest of the cast were stellar too. Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Abdul Salis and Tobias Menzies each added that extra something to the film. I also enjoyed Kerry Condon’s Kate McKenna, the team’s technical director. Her romance with Sonny did seem like an afterthought and either could have been developed more or scrapped all together. Give us a girl boss who doesn’t need a man!

I thought it was genius to film the races alongside actual stops of the 2023-2024 seasons. It made the feel so much more authentic. They used the exact same grids and we even had plenty of cameos by the real racers and behind the scenes people of the sport. Not only was it thrilling to watch and be part of, I also learned a lot.

F1: The Movie is what any summer smash should be. It’s got adrenaline pumping race sequences, a killer soundtrack and great performances. I’m not sure if I’ll start watching the actual races just yet, but I’m definitely not opposed to the idea anymore. Go and see this film on the biggest screen possible. You won’t regret it!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Dune Part Two

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The long awaited Dune sequel is here and holy crap was it worth the wait! I’m not the biggest science fiction fan, but even I have to admit that this instalment was on a whole other level. I was left completely and utterly transfixed on what was unfolding in front of me.

Picking up right from where we left off, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has joined forces with the Fremen and is getting closer to Chani (Zendaya) as a result. Despite the prophecy claiming he is the Chosen One, he does all that he can to stay true to himself while grappling with his inevitable fate.

Firstly, it’s important to note how visually stunning the cinematography is here. The way in which the landscapes were shot from the sand dunes to the various locations were literally out of this world. It was like an overload to the senses at times and I mean that in the best way possible. Just absolutely outstanding!

The acting here is top notch with everyone delivering career best performances. Chalamet solidifies the fact that he was the right choice for our leader; I wasn’t sure of him before, but now I am. It was great to have more of Zendaya on screen this time around as she really was the grounding force throughout. Newcomers to the group Florence Pugh and Austin Butler fit right in; the former was the perfect Princess Irulan while the latter was completely chilling as the sadistic Feyd-Rautha. Complete with Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgärd and Charlotte Rampling, there was nothing they couldn’t do.

While there were times where I felt the pace needed to pick up slightly and the open ending, I was engrossed the whole way through. I remember enjoying the first film, but this was so much more elevated. It was easy to follow, had great story arcs and an incredible score that fit perfectly. This is what cinema is all about – being swept away into another world and forgetting where you are for that moment in time.

Dune Part Two really is worth the hype that it’s been getting. Run don’t walk to your nearest cinema and enjoy it on the big screen. You won’t be disappointed!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

The Little Mermaid

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We all know the story of The Little Mermaid. Created by Hans Christian Andersen and animated by Disney in 1989, this beloved classic has finally gotten the live action remake treatment. Over the years, I have come to tread lightly when it comes to these because I’ve been let down so many times (except for Aladdin which was brilliant). So while I was interested in seeing where they’d take one of my top five Disney flicks, I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised with the film. The visual effects were stunning – yes there was a lot of CGI, but I wasn’t bothered by it. The vibrant colours of life under the sea was beautiful. I was completely transported away into this world that I almost wanted to pack my bags and become a mermaid myself!

The best part of the film, was of course, Halle Bailey. This is her film. All the people who were skeptical can step aside because she was born to play Ariel. She made the role her own while also incorporating bits and pieces from her origin. The facial expressions, mannerisms and her VOICE. Her fucking voice was perfection! When she sang Part Of Your World I had chills engulf my whole body and I never wanted it to stop.

In addition to Bailey, we had Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric who was a total clone of his animated counterpart. I was one of those little girls who had a major crush on Eric and to see him come to life like this was a treat. I thought the rest of the casting choices fit as well: Javier Bardem as King Triton was powerful though underused, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder was cute and ever so diligent towards Ariel and Awkwafina was laugh out loud hilarious as Scuttle. Unfortunately I didn’t care much for Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula as I’m simply not a fan of the actress herself. The stand out for me, however, was David Diggs as Sebastian. Every single moment of his was pure gold.

While they tried to bring this story into the 21st century, I didn’t care for many of the updates. The only new song I really enjoyed was Scuttle’s (though I might be biased because it had Lin Manuel Miranda written all over it). The added scenes didn’t really do anything to enrich what we already knew and the run time was a little too long.

All that being said, The Little Mermaid was much better than I ever thought it was going to be. Seeing this story come to life was a major nostalgia trip for me in the best way possible. I do think this is a step in the right direction for Disney going forward and hope it sticks.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Dune

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Based on the book series of the same name, Dune follows the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a gifted young man who must fulfill his destiny. To make this happen, he must travel to a dangerous planet to secure the life of his family and his people. His journey, however, will not be an easy one as multiple forces hunt for a supply of a unique and special resource that will change the universe forever.

Let’s get this out of the way: I am not a fan of science fiction. Most of the time I end up confused and missing out on half of the story because they are way too intricate for me to comprehend. So, my expectations for this movie weren’t very high. Here I was thinking I would be spending the entire time struggling to keep up. I can gladly say that the opposite happened though and I ended up completely entranced in the story. While it took some time for things to get going, once it did, I was fully immersed and could barely turn my eyes away from the screen.

With such a stacked cast, it was impossible for me not to enjoy the various performances. While I was initially interested in seeing Zendaya and Jason Mamoa, even I have to admit that I wasn’t as bothered by Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Paul. He’s not usually a favorite of mine. Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista and Stellan Skarsgård were all flawless in their roles. Rebecca Ferguson’s role as Lady Jessica was the standout however. She stole every scene she was in.

I think the most impressive part of the film was the world building and the sets. I don’t think I had seen anything quite like it before and I couldn’t get over how realistic it all looked. That is something that I admire most about this genre and Dune was no exception. I felt immediately transported to those places which I greatly appreciated. Additionally, the musical score was beautifully haunting and fit perfectly. Hans Zimmer is a genius. I had chills multiple times throughout.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Dune. It was very well done and I can say that it is worth the hype it has been receiving. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥