Tag: PrimeVideo

The Idea Of You

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Adapted from Robinne Lee’s acclaimed novel The Idea of You, follows Solène (Anne Hathaway), a forty year old single mother who meets Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), lead singer of the most popular boyband on the planet August Moon, while at Coachella. Their undeniable chemistry develops into something more, but Hayes’s celebrity status and Solène’s age threaten to come between them.

I read the book earlier this year in anticipation of the film. It instantly became one of my all time favorites. I didn’t think anything would be able to come close to its perfection. Overall I was pleased with how it turned out and felt like it stayed true to the source material.

Hathaway has never been better. This woman does not age; she is not only gorgeous, but her interpretation of Solène was so on point. As you get to know her, you just want her to get her happy ending. Galitzine, on the other hand, has shown that he is a dynamic actor who is up for pretty much everything that is thrown his way. He was the perfect choice for Hayes. Harry Styles comparisons aside, he made Hayes his own complete with the British accent, dark smouldering look and tattoos to boot. The two flickered brightly when they were on screen together and made me feel all the feels.

There have been a few instances portrayed on screen where the woman is older than the man in the relationship. She’s often shown as being in the wrong whereas if it was the other way around, the man would be patted on the back. The fact that these two individuals just want to be together regardless of what society expects from them was refreshing. It didn’t come without its backlashes and these were hard to watch, but it was extremely realistic and I appreciated how the film explored it like it did in the book.

The Idea of You is one of the better book to film adaptions that I have seen. Thanks to the incredible casting and sizzling attraction between Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, the characters that I fell in love with in the book were able to come to life. While I wasn’t a fan of the changes they made to the ending, this is a film that I will happily revisit in the future. Until then, I will be singing along to all of August Moon’s hits.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Musica

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Directed, written and starring Rudy Mancuso, this coming of age love story follows Rudy (Mansuco) who is an aspiring creator. He has synesthesia; every noise he hears he turns into a rhythm. This has proven to be quite difficult in his day to day life, especially in dealing with his mother Maria (Maria Mancuso) and his girlfriend Haley (Francesca Reale). But everything changes when he runs into Isabella (Camila Mendes) at the fish market. Suddenly the prospect of figuring out his future doesn’t seem so bad.

I have never seen a film like this, but I loved every moment of it. There were some scenes that seemed to be right out of Stomp. The way in which each rhythm, melody and dissonance were depicted was so unique – at times it was like an overload to the brain as well which I guess is just how Rudy felt on a daily basis. As these moments came on screen, I grew to enjoy them more and more. My favorite was when Rudy and Isabella were in the playground and he was trying to explain his situation to her.

The casting is spot on here, with Mancuso proving that he is a triple threat. Mendes shines as the girl of his dreams and it’s no surprise that the two fell for each other while making the film. You can’t help but feel for Reale’s Haley and laugh at J.B. Smoove’s Anwar, Rudy’s best friend. But it is Mancuso’s real life mom Maria who is the scene stealer. Not only is she absolutely hilarious, but she is everything you’d expect a Brazilian mother to be. I really liked seeing their authentic chemistry come to life on the screen.

New York City and Newark pose as the backdrop of the film. In some ways they could be additional characters. They are constantly brought up by the characters, particularly in Mancuso’s case, when he is trying to figure out what it is he wants to do with his life and I liked how they were never forgotten.

Musica was truly a delight. Mancuso has created a beautiful story that everyone can relate to. While his character didn’t always do the right thing, this was integral to the plot and it all came together nicely in the end. With great cast chemistry and stellar music performances, this isn’t a film I won’t soon forget.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Upgraded

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In this spin on The Devil Wears Prada, we meet Ana (Camila Mendes), a down on her luck intern who is passionate about art. Always in debt and sleeping on her sister’s couch, Ana dreams of one day impressing her boss Claire (Marisa Tomei). When she is invited along on the trip of a lifetime and is upgraded on the plane, she meets Will (Archie Renaux) who ends up mistaking her for her boss. Ana doesn’t correct him and sets off a string of events in her wake.

Carlson Young of the Scream television series tries her hand at directing here. The film doesn’t necessarily break the romcom mould, but it’s still got all the ingredients needed to make for a pleasant viewing. It helps that our leading lady is extremely relatable in her misfortunes and that you can’t help but root for her as things start falling into place.

Mendes has a few feature films on her back now, and with Riverdale officially being over, I’ve appreciated the various roles that she has taken on. I wasn’t as familiar with Renaux’s previous work though I felt like his chemistry with Mendes was organic enough. Lena Olin who stars as Will’s mother Catherine was an absolute treat while Anthony Head was equally as delightful as family friend Julian Marx. And as much as I wanted to like Tomei’s Claire, a modernized version of Miranda Priestly if you will, I could not get past her accent!

This was a true rags to riches story and I had fun embarking on the rollercoaster ride. I also love when the main character goes to a new country and have all their dreams start to come true, so this was pretty much right up my alley. There were still times where its unrealistic scenarios had me rolling my eyes in disbelief making it hard to look past.

Overall, Upgraded is a cute enough romantic comedy that is perfect for this time of the year. Though it borrows ideas from other well known stories, the incorporation of the art world was fresh and exciting. This may not be one that I will revisit any time soon, but I appreciated it for what it was.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Role Play

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Emma (Kaley Cuoco) seems to have the perfect life: a doting husband Dave (David Oyelowo), a big house in the suburbs and two adorable children. But Emma has a secret – she’s an assassin for hire and has been trying to get out of the game for years! When Emma and Dave decide they want to spice up their marriage, Emma’s past comes to light as she’s recognized and exposed.

These types of films start off promisingly enough and I don’t know why I’m still taken aback when they all turn out the same way. It’s like you can almost tell exactly how the plot is going to play out, especially if they hit a streaming service.It’s a pity really, but it’s something I think that we have all gotten used to by now.

I swear I just watched a film that had this exact same storyline (The Family Plan). Having a female assassin for a change was refreshing and Cuoco did a fine enough job as our lead. I thought it was pretty impressive that she filmed everything while pregnant and nobody knew about it! But that’s about where the enjoyment ended.

The jokes didn’t land. They were all things I’ve heard before. The incorporation of Dave in Emma’s double life started off on a promising note that soon faded too. I found Connie Nielson’s Gwen annoying and not very threatening for a villain; I would have much rather had more screen time with Bill Nighy!

Overall, Role Play was another run of the mill action flick with no substance. It was fine to have it on in the background on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but if I’m being honest I’ve already forgotten a lot of what happened.

Rating: ♥️♥️

Totally Killer

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Thirty five years ago, the Sweet Sixteen Killer murdered three teenagers. Now he’s back and ready to claim his next victim. Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) is willing to do whatever it takes to stop him even if that means accidentally traveling back in time to 1987. Determined to prevent these attacks from happening, Jamie teams up with her teenage mom, Pam (Olivia Holt), and her group of friends.

Spooky season is my favorite season of all and this movie was the perfect way to get into the spirit. Ever since I watched Scream a couple years ago, I have become somewhat of a fan of slasher films. They’re not too scary and I think the unique ways in which the characters are killed are always unique. This time around was no exception. It was reminiscent of Scream mixed in with the Back to the Future and proved to be a lot of fun.

Shipka seems to have made a name for herself in this genre, but she does it well. She was the perfect heroine here donning the hat of a leader and stepping up to change the future. The fact that she was so incredibly 2023 in the past was funny; the movie being self aware in this sense could have gotten annoying, but instead had me laughing with each and every joke. The casting choices were expertly chosen as well, especially as each teen looked so much like their adult counterpart.

Having the film set in the 80s was a brilliant choice. It gave the dark atmosphere a pop of color. The throwbacks to fashion and song choices were perfect and really helped set the tone. The horror elements could have been elevated even further though it all came together at the end of the day.

I expected Totally Killer to be a C-list film that I’d just have playing in the background. Instead, it was some of the most fun I’ve had while watching a film in a while. While it didn’t necessarily break the slasher film mode, it was different enough to stand apart from the pack.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

One True Loves

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For six years, Emma Blair (Phillipa Soo) and Jesse Learner (Luke Bracey) were the perfect couple, traveling the world together and falling deeper in love with every passing day. But when Jesse goes away on the trip of a lifetime and his helicopter goes down, Emma believes that he’s dead. Moving on seems impossible, but with the help of her family, she manages to get back on her feet. She even gets a second shot at love with childhood friend Sam (Simu Liu). As life gets back on track, Emma receives a call that changes everything – Jesse is alive after all. Suddenly she is faced with making an impossible choice for her future.

I have literally been trying to watch this movie for a month so you could imagine how happy I was when it finally hit Prime this weekend. Considering the fact that I was a big fan of the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I was curious to see how the adaption would hold up. There were some good parts, but there were, unfortunately, some not so good ones as well and overall it could have been much better.

Let me start with the good. I thought the casting choices were spot on. Soo as Emma was excellent. She first stole our hearts as Eliza Hamilton in the stage production of Hamilton and I am so glad that she’s breaking out into more projects now. Her performance was genuine and filled with earnest. I also loved Liu as the leading man here! Give this man more romance roles because he absolutely smashed this. Bracey was fine as Jesse, exactly as I imagined he’d be and it was hard to choose who I wanted Emma to be with.

Where I think this film suffered was in its marketing. Produced by Buzzfeed Studios, not a lot of people knew about it and it shows. With a bigger budget, I think it could have made for a decent enough. And as for the changes that were made, while I understand this is normal, I felt like the constant flashbacks came off as confusing and the way in which the scenes were cut together seemed choppy and uneven.

Am I still happy that I finally had the chance to check out One True Loves? Of course I am! It made for some easy Friday night viewing after a hectic work week. While this film may have missed the mark, it wasn’t all bad.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Somebody I Used To Know

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Real life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco join forces to bring audiences an unconventional romance in Somebody I Used to Know. Ally, who produces a superficial reality TV show, finds herself at a crossroads when she gets the news that they may not be picked up for another season. On a visit in her hometown, she runs into former flame Sean (Jay Ellis) and the two spend a magical night together reminiscing about their past. As if she wasn’t confused enough, Ally really doesn’t know what to think when she finds out that Sean is actually engaged to Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons).

I don’t know why Brie isn’t in more mainstream movies. Whenever I see her pop up, I am reminded of her charm and charisma and the fact that she can sell any type of role. While I do see why people found Ally to be an unlikable character, I have to take the opposite stance. It’s clear that Ally is going through something life changing – she doesn’t know if the job that she dedicated so much time to is even hers anymore and that prompts her to question everything she ever thought she knew about herself. You can’t blame her for holding on to the one thing that reminds her of who she used to be, even if that person is engaged to be married.

This movie does not end up in the way that you think it will. In fact, the journey to the end destination is actually not as predicable as one may think it is. For starters, I love how we as an audience are introduced to Cassidy and how, just like Ally, we are instantly rooting for her to find happiness. She’s spunky and she knows what she wants. Not to mention the fact that although she sees right through Ally’s ploys, she still gets a kick out of her and the two develop something of a friendship. I also really appreciated how the movie focused a lot on self love; Ally having put her career over Sean back in the day and Cassidy wanting to continue with her band in the present.

With a delightful supporting cast of characters including but not limited to Danny Pudi, Olga Merediz, Haley Joel Osment and Julie Hagerty and set in a beautiful Somebody I Used To Know was absolutely perfect to watch for Valentine’s Day.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Shotgun Wedding

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Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) are all set to get married in a lavish wedding in The Philippines. The walk down the aisle won’t be an easy feat, however, with their ever clashing families and Darcy’s ex Sean (Lenny Kravitz) showing up unexpectedly. As the cold feet start to slowly seep in, the unbelievable happens just hours before they’re set to say I do – the entire wedding party is taken hostage by a group of pirates and it is up to Darcy and Tom to save them before its too late.

I’d been looking forward to checking out Shotgun Wedding. Lopez, hot off her success from last year’s Marry Me is back in another action adventure romantic comedy romp, though I should mention that I preferred the former. Still, this one wasn’t awful. Her chemistry with Duhamel worked surprisingly well (I can’t help but wonder how it would have been seeing Armie Hammer in that role instead) and they certainly got themselves into some crazy predicaments. Just when things would calm down, they would ramp right back up again.

The supporting cast had some standouts too. We had Cheech Marin as Darcy’s dad Robert and D’Arcy Carden as his girlfriend Harriet, both who made for some fun moments. But it was obviously the always charming Jennifer Coolidge who stole every scene she was in. She’s been having such a brilliant year and she one hundred percent deserves it.

With the beautiful and exotic beach location backdrop, Shotgun Wedding was the perfect escapism movie. It wasn’t amazing by any means, but there were some laughs here and there and a couple twists along the way that did actually pack a punch. Easy viewing at its finest.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Something From Tiffany’s

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Based on the novel of the same name by Melissa Hill, Something From Tiffany’s is a charming new romcom that is perfect for the holiday season. It follows Rachel Meyer (Zoey Deutch), a restauranteur who has been waiting longer than she’d like to admit for her longterm boyfriend Gary (Ray Nicholson) to propose to her. When a crazy mix up happens that lands Gary in hospital and his gift for Rachel is accidentally mistaken for someone else’s, Ethan Greene (Kendrick Sampson) enters the picture. Planning to propose to his own girlfriend Vanessa (Shay Mitchell), he’s stumped when she opens a set of earrings instead of a diamond ring. Can he and his daughter Daisy (Leah Jeffries) fix this in time for Christmas?

The first word that comes to my mind when I think about this movie is cute. Super duper cute. It has all the perfect ingredients for a feel good romantic comedy that is so necessary at this time of the year. With the New York City backdrop, I was sucked in from the get go. It was as if the city served as its own character. Seeing the twinkling lights, beautiful decorations on storefronts and buildings alike and the Christmas trees, I really felt that holiday spirit.

Deutch and Sampson had great chemistry together. As soon as their characters met, I was anxiously awaiting how their journey would carry out. While it took awhile to navigate and figure out, I am glad that they were able to lay some ground work in regards to their relationship. Starting off as friends and realizing over time that they actually had feelings for one another was done well. I also liked the way in which Rachel connected with Daisy over the fact that they both lost their moms at a young age. They developed a lovely friendship themselves and Rachel even taught Daisy how to bake bread!

As soon as I heard about Something From Tiffany’s, my interest was peaked. Especially considering the fact that Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine were producing it. I knew it wasn’t going to rock my world by any means, but I enjoyed it for what it was. It was just what I needed at the time and I look forward to revisiting it in the future.

Rating: ♥♥♥

The People We Hate At The Wedding

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When Alice (Kristen Bell) and Paul (Ben Platt) receive invites to their estranged half sister’s (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) wedding in England, they couldn’t be more disappointed. They may have been close when they were kids, but something happened that prompted the three to lead separate lives. Their mother Donna (Allison Janney) hopes this occasion will get them to reconcile.

Sometimes a comedy is just what the doctor ordered and although The People We Hate At The Wedding was pegged as so, the genres did get a little muddled along the way. Mostly over the top and not at all realistic as a result, I couldn’t help but laugh at certain antics our characters found themselves in (the bachelorette party comes to mind). However, as the layers are peeled back and we learn about the events that transpired between the three siblings, the film takes a turn for the dramatic. I’m not sure if the shift in tone actually worked or if it ruined the vibe it otherwise had.

The all star cast of Bell, Platt and Janney is what initially drew me. Bell and Platt, in particular, as a snarky brother sister duo sounded like a dream come true. I only wish I could have been warned as to how unlikable these characters were! At the beginning, the audience feels like they need to root for them and in turn dislike other sister Eloise. However, as the film progresses, we start realizing the opposite. I think this would have been even more impactful had we had more insight to Eloise’s life in London and how she always felt left out.

At least the supporting cast and Eloise are a breath of fresh air. On the plane ride to London, Alice meets Dennis (Dustin Milligan). He’s clearly introduced as a love interest, yet its unfortunate Alice spends most of the time yearning after her married with a baby boss. Then there is Donna’s first husband and Eloise’s father Henrique (Isaach De Bankóle), who’s there to stir up trouble.

Overall, The People We Hate At The Wedding started off strongly and did manage to keep me entertained the whole way through. It’s just a pity that it lost the bite it had from the get go. I understand what they were trying to do, but it wasn’t executed properly.

Rating: ♥♥.5