I'm An Adult, And I Do What I Want: October 2014

Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Layman's Review: My Beautiful Launderette

Welcome to the Layman's Review, where we give you a simple overview and a rating of some of history's most famous films. We're here to entertain you with facts and trivia, and to help you decide if any of these films are worth your time and interest. For a full list of movies on review, check out my previous post 'The Very Sciency Science Behind Film Choices'.

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Film: My Beautiful Launderette

Director: Stephen Frears

Year: 1985

Running Time: 97 minutes

Big Names

Daniel Day-Lewis - Johnny

Gordon Warnecker - Omar

Saeed Jaffrey - Nasser

Derrick Branche - Salim

Plot Summary

Omar Ali is a young Pakistani man living in London under the Thatcher administration. After his ailing father sets him up with a job at his uncle’s car washing business, Omar finds himself entangled in the ego-driven world of business management. This coming-of-age story follows Omar through the trials of racism and ethnic clashes, familial expectations and his own rapidly-evolving ambitions - all the while he is hiding a torrid love affair with his longtime friend and “business associate” Johnny.

Top Quotes

“Aint nothing I can say to make it up to you. There’s only things I can do to show you…That I’m with you.”

- Johnny

“What am I going to do with you? Turn you into something damn good.”

- Nasser

“You must be getting married. Why else would you be dressed like an undertaker on holiday?”

- Papa

Fun Trivia

Daniel Day-Lewis starred in both 'My Beautiful Launderette’ and ‘A Room With a View’, which were released on the same day.

The film was a breakthrough for both Daniel Day-Lewis and director Stephen Frears.

The movie was originally made-for-TV, but was later made into a feature film.

Ratings

Jessica’s Rating: 4 Martini Glasses

Although the film does have some major footfalls - both the plot and the characters come off a tad erratic - ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ was a landmark film for its time. It tackles and conquers cultural divides, as well as the relatively unexplored notion of gay relationships in film. Quite a shocking film to see Daniel Day-Lewis make his debut in, when you have only ever seen him in his later roles!

Jeni’s Rating: 4.5 Martini Glasses

Haven't seen this film for years. So much of it seemed so dated, and so much was ground breaking for its time. I was worried it wasn't going to live up to my memories, but it is still a fabulous series of contrasts and conflicts. I even still like the cute water flight ending, and the bubble sounds with the credits.

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Got a fun fact of your own? Want to give us your two cents? Feel free to use the comment box below to submit Readers' Ratings, queries and thoughts.

The Layman's Review: The Shawshank Redemption

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Film: The Shawshank Redemption

Director: Frank Darabont

Year: 1994

Running Time: 142 minutes

Big Names

Tim Robbins - Andy Dufresne

Morgan Freeman - “Red” Redding

Bob Gunton - Warden Norton

James Whitmore - Brooks Hadlen

Plot Summary

In 1947, mild-mannered bank vice president Andy Dufresne is sent to Shawshank Prison for a heinous crime he did not commit. During his time in Shawshank, Andy makes a handful of enemies (The Sisters) and a select group of very close friends, among them Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding - a man who knows how to get things. It is clear from the start that Andy simply doesn’t fit in at Shawshank, but without any hope of parole, he must fight to make positive changes to the prison and to the people around him.

Top Quotes

“Get busy livin’, or get busy dying.”

- Andy Dufresne

“I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up rejoices.”

- Red Redding

“Lord! It’s a miracle! Man up and vanished like a fart in the wind!”

- Warden Norton

“”They say [the Pacific] has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory.”

- Andy Dufresne

“Only guilty man in Shawshank.”

- Red Redding

Fun Trivia

Morgan Freeman’s character “Red” was originally meant to be an Irishman. This explains the joke-line, “Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m Irish”.

Although Stephen King sold the film rights to “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, he never cashed the check.

Stephen King and Frank Darabont are very close friends.

Because it is set in a prison in the 1940’s, a huge percentage of the characters are male. In fact, there are only two women with speaking roles in the entire film, and they are bit-pieces. There are no women shown inside the walls of Shawshank Prison.

The Rita Hayworth film the inmates watch is "Gilda", which came out in 1946 - one year before Andy Defresne is sent to Shawshank.

Ratings

Jessica’s Rating: 4.5 Martini Glasses

I absolutely adore this film - it will always be one of my favorites. The storyline is gripping, the acting is superb, and it is a film you can watch over and over again.

Jeni’s Rating: 5 Martini Glasses

Shawshank - a carefully crafted work of art. This film didn't fade with second, third or forth viewing.

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Got a fun fact of your own? Want to give us your two cents? Feel free to use the comment box below to submit Readers' Ratings, queries and thoughts.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

18 Life Lessons We Learned From Films

Movies can transport us from reality to fantasy and back again. They can make us believe in magic long-since forgotten and tug at our wasted heartstrings. Like music, art, and books, films shape our lives and affect us more than we even know. A great movie can become like a friend: comforting and familiar at the times when we need them the most. They make us laugh, cry and think, and - if we're lucky - they remind us of key lessons to make it through life.

Here are just a few of my favorites. I hope you find them thoughtful, silly and - of course - educational.

#1: ALWAYS make sure the bathroom door is closed, not just "closed over".