The Layman's Review: Withnail & I

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: Withnail & I

Director: Bruce Robinson

Year: 1987

Running Time: 107 minutes

Big Names

             Richard E. Grant - Withnail 

             Paul McGann - & I / Marwood

             Richard Griffiths - Monty

Plot Summary

Two out-of-work actors find themselves fed up with their drug-addled lives in London and decide to set off on a mini-break to a cottage in Penrith. Far from rejuvenating, the adventure turns sour immediately upon arrival, and the housemates find themselves “on holiday by mistake,” and tackling one fiasco after another. Griffiths stars as Uncle Monty, an unseemly yet endearing character with an inexplicable vegetable obsession. 

Top Quotes

“I feel like a pig shat in my head.”

             - Withnail

“GET IN THE BACK OF THE VAN!”

             - Policeman Two

“Give me the valium. I’m getting the FEAR!”

             - Marwood

“All right. This is plan. We get in there and get wrecked, then we’ll eat a pork pie, then we’ll drop a couple of Surmontil-50’s each. That means we’ll miss out Monday, but come up smiling Tuesday morning. ”

             - Withnail

“I’m preparing myself to forgive you.”

             - Monty

Fun Trivia

• In the credits, Paul McGann’s character is listed only as ‘& I’, and his character’s name is never mentioned during the film. However, according to IMDB, Withnail’s partner-in-crime has the surname ‘Marwood’ in the script and he gets a letter with his name on it. 

• Other actors considered for the part of Withnail include Daniel Day-Lewis and Kenneth Branagh, two actors from other films we have already reviewed. Day-Lewis was Johnny in ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ and Branagh played King Henry in ‘Henry V’. Incidentally, Bill Nighy was also considered for the role. 

• Director Bruce Robinson has two cameo roles in the film: first, as the barman in a pub; second, driving the car on the highway headed back to London.

• Despite playing a raging alcoholic in the film, actor Richard E. Grant does not drink. He is actually a ‘teetotaller’ due to health reasons: his body cannot metabolize alcohol and is therefore highly intolerant. 
• Side Note: Richard E. Grant has one of the best, most perplexing “Personal Life” sections on Wikipedia. You may want to check it out here. 

Ratings

Jessica’s Rating: 5 Martini Glasses

I absolutely loved it. This film is hilarious with its unique, very dry humor - and it has some superb one-liners. Fabulous cast. A new favorite, no question. 

Jeni’s Rating: 5 Martini Glasses

So relieved to find it was still as brilliant as I remembered it to be. Ludicrous, drunken and drug-filled, yes, but still brilliant. It’s a combination of scenarios set up to deliver brilliant one-liners, but with a storyline that is more reminiscent of a coming-of-age film. Just loved watching it again.

** For the record, we write up our reviews separately. The fact that we both cite the film's one-liners as a main draw was purely coincidental. And yet quite telling... **

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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. 

Devon: Where We Stayed and Ate

Lodging and Food in Devon

My family and I recently took a weekend vacation down to Devon to celebrate my youngest cousin’s first birthday. Below you can find some basic information on my B&B, as well as the pub we had our big lunch in. I highly recommend both, so if you find yourself in the area you may want to look into these two establishments. 

Where I Stayed

Town: Barnstaple, Devon

Lodging: The Poplars

Website: http://www.barnstaplebedandbreakfast.co.uk/

Cost (per night): £80 for double occupancy

Number of Nights: 2

Amenities: Complimentary Full Breakfast, Wireless Internet, Cable TV, Private Bathroom, Tea/Coffee/Cake in Room, Back Yard

Notes: The Poplars is a lovely “guest house” located on Runsam Road, a quiet residential road in Barnstaple and within walking distance of shops. This B&B offers two rooms, one with two single beds and the other with one double, and a live-in proprietor. Maggie, Saul and their children are friendly and welcoming - a joy to spend the weekend with. 

Breakfast is included in your room price and is full English-style. It is also delicious! 

Off-street parking is available, and there is space on the street as well.

** This B&B also has a live-in family dog - be aware if anyone in your party is allergic! **

View From My Window - Back Yard

The Breakfast Room

Where We Ate

Town: Georgeham, North Devon

Pub: The Rock Inn

Website: http://therockinn.biz/

Price Range: £2.50-£8 for starters / £5-£20 for mains, including sandwiches

# In Party: 24, including 6 children

Amenities: Children’s Menu, Word Search with Crayons, High Chairs, Outdoor Seating, Private Rooms, Separate Tabs

Notes: This pub was the perfect place for a large family and friends lunch catch-up. If you have a group, try to call ahead and book a reservation. The Rock Inn is extremely accommodating to larger parties, and we were sat in a spacious room at the back of the restaurant. The kids had their own table and space to play around outside. 

Our servers were attentive, knowledgable and friendly. They also allowed us to split our orders onto separate tabs to make payment easier. They met all of our needs to great satisfaction - and the food was very yummy! 

Private parking is available next to the pub. If you have multiple cars, you might try parking in the nearby lot at Glebe Field off Newberry Road. Parking in both spots is free. 

Grape Vines Growing in the Conservatory 

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Also, if you're visiting the area you may want to drop by Woolacombe Bay Beach - beautiful even on a windy November day! A great place for families, couples or a quiet book read. 

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

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: 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. 

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".

Source: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

#2: Make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.

Source: The Girl Next Door

#3: If you make a girl angry, the next logical step is to buy her a Fender Strat.

Source: 10 Things I Hate About You

#4: Never ever, ever, EVER get your chest waxed. It's just not worth it.

Source: The 40-Year-Old Virgin

*This clip contains explicit language. You've been warned.*

#5: You might be happier living life as an animal.

Source: Brother Bear

#6: If you ever find a real-life place where nothing very bad could happen to you, buy some furniture and give the cat a name.

Source: Breakfast at Tiffany's

#7: If all else fails, say you work for the city.

             Source: Dazed and Confused

#8: There is nothing more courageous than standing up for what is right and what you believe in.

Source: Dead Poets Society

#9: If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.

Source: Dodgeball

#10: You'll be happier in big-lady jeans than you will be starving yourself.

Source: Eat Pray Love

#11: Always ask how to pronounce names like 'Nietzsche' to avoid embarrassment.

Source: The History Boys

#12: Don't let your fears get in the way of your greatness.

Source: Hook

#13: Rule 76: No excuses; play like a champion.

Source: Wedding Crashers

#14: Even though you keep fumbling for the right words, all you really wanted to say was 'thank you'.

 Source: In the Land of Women

#15: Best friends are for life.

 Source: The Adventures of Milo and Otis

#16: If you're a bird, I'm a bird.

 Source: The Notebook

#17: Laughter truly is the best medicine.

  Source: Patch Adams

And finally, possibly most importantly:


#18: We accept the love we think we deserve.

  Source: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Layman's Review: The Usual Suspects

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: The Usual Suspects

Director: Bryan Singer

Year: 1995

Running Time: 106 minutes

Big Names

             Kevin Spacey - “Verbal” Kint

             Gabriel Byrne - Dean Keaton

             Chazz Palminteri - Dave Kujan

             Pete Postlethwaite - Kobayashi

             Dan Hedaya - Sergeant Jeff Rabin

Plot Summary

Five criminals - four veterans and one rookie (Spacey) - are brought into a lineup and questioned about a robbery in Queens. Claiming innocence, the five men agree to pull a revenge job together before “retiring” to Los Angeles. Once in L.A., however, they are approached by a man who claims to work for the mysterious Keyser Söze - a man of terrifying power and violence who feels he has been wronged by each of these “usual suspects”. Söze gives the men a task in return for forgiveness; this task lands Roger “Verbal” Kint back in police custody, where he is forced to recount the events of the past six weeks. 

Top Quotes

“Keaton always said, ‘I don’t believe in God, but I’m afraid of him.’ Well, I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Söze.”

             - Verbal Kint

“Old McDonald had a farm, e i e i o. And on that farm he shot some guys. Badda boom badda bing bang boom.”

             - Michael McManus

“Really? I live in Queens. Did you put that together yourself, Einstein? What, do you got a team of monkeys working around the clock on this?”

             - Todd Hockney

Fun Trivia

• Kevin Pollak resented Stephen Baldwin’s method acting approach to the character of Michael McManus, which led to an ongoing feud between the two men.

• In order to maintain a genuine level of secrecy and ego, director Bryan Singer convinced each of the five actors playing “the usual suspects” that his character was actually Keyser Söze. The truth was only revealed to them at the initial company screening. 

• Writer Christopher McQuarrie worked at a law firm and a detective agency before writing the script for ‘The Usual Suspects’ and named all of his characters after people he had worked with.

• Many of the scenes and shots are unscripted or unintentional, including when Redfoot flicks his cigarette into McManus’ face, and Hockney’s reaction to Fenster’s unintelligible accent. 

• Director Bryan Singer loves the movie ‘Jaws’, which was vetoed from our viewing list by yours truly. 

Ratings

Jessica’s Rating: 3 Martini Glasses

My problem with this film is that the ending, which reveals the long-anticipated identity of Keyser Söze, isn’t rivaled by the rest of the movie. The entire plot hangs on the twist, which doesn’t seem epic enough to justify the first 105 minutes. 

Jeni’s Rating: 3.5 Martini Glasses

It’s worth watching twice, because then you get to see some of the clever plot twists which you might have missed in an initial viewing. However, it is not a film I would watch over and over again.

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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: Henry V

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: Henry V

Director: Kenneth Branagh 

Year: 1989

Running Time: 138 minutes

Big Names

             Kenneth Branagh - King Henry V

             Derek Jacobi - Chorus

             Robbie Coltrane - Sir John Falstaff

             Judi Dench - Mistress Nell

             Paul Scofield - King Charles VI 

             Emma Thompson - Princess Katherine

Plot Summary

Offended by King Charles VI, King Henry V of England declares war on France, and leads his troops into a series of battles, culminating in a bloody skirmish at Agincourt. The young king intends to claim France as part of his kingdom, and yet ends up falling for Princess Katherine. Henry also finds himself facing difficult monarchical decisions, as former friends betray his trust and test his ability to maintain impartial rule. 

Top Quotes

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; or close the wall up with our English dead!”

             - King Henry V

“Customs curtsy to great kings. We are the makers of manners, Kate.”

             - King Henry V

Fun Trivia

• Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson were married in real life between 1989-1995, before splitting due to Branagh’s affair with Helena Bonham Carter. They have acted in a number of films together, including ‘Dead Again’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and were also love interests in the latter. 

• More recently, Branagh and Thompson shared the screen in 2002’s ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’; they acted alongside Robbie Coltrane, who played Falstaff in Branagh’s adaptation of ‘Henry V’. 

• Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh both appeared in the 1996 rendition of ‘Hamlet’, as Hecuba and Hamlet, respectively. 

• Kenneth Branagh has directed four other film versions of Shakespeare plays: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (1993), ‘Hamlet’ (1996), ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ (2000) and ‘As You Like It’ (2006). 

Ratings

Jessica's Rating: 4.5 Martini Glasses

"I'm a sucker for most anything Branagh or Shakespeare-related. Also, I believe that Shakespeare's histories are some of the most difficult to adapt and keep captivating, and 'Henry V' was beautifully done. Jacobi's rendition as the chorus was unique and - frankly - stellar."

Jeni's Rating: 4 Martini Glasses

"The beginning was quite enthralling, but I did get slightly bored in the middle. I like this version, but I think there are better Shakespeare adaptations out there."

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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.