Moonrise Kingdom

Star rating: ***

Starring Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis and others

Directed Wes Anderson

Having seen Darjeeling Limited, i was already familiar with Wes Anderson's style of film and this film was no exception. Set in 1960's, the film is based in a coastal town of New England called New Pezance and looks at life in small town America. The film follows the love story of two dysfunctional teens Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) who meet, fall in love and decide to run away together, all planned through a series of letters. Sam is an orphan and a lonely boy scout who has no where to go but is mature beyond his years. Suzy has a fondness for French music that she plays on her portable player, sc-fi novels and spies on her friends and family using her binoculars which make her feel as though she has special powers. 

This film is very much in Anderson's style of directing, deadpan detachment conveyed by Suzy and handwritten notes and maps. He does create a world entirely left to itself, in this instance, being run by boy scouts who end up going to look for the young couple. The actors Gilman and Hayward have done a great job in playing their characters and no matter how weird they come across, you can't help but be endeared towards them. 

Watch this film if you are looking to see something different this year with a touch of innocence and quaint country life. 

Teri Meri Kahaani

Star rating: **
Starring Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra
Directed by Kunal Kohli

There were a lot of expectations pinned on Teri Meri Kahaani. Directed by Kunal Kohli who bought us the likes of Hum Tum and Mujhse Dosti Karoge, this film was expected to have the same filmi masala script which draw in the audience and make them fall in love with the characters. Luckily the director also had the advantage of rumoured off-screen lovers Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra as his leads. Kohli really did have everything on his side and from the trailers, it did seem to come across as being a fun film exploring love stories in different eras.


The film is split into three different eras. First is the 1960s where an aspiring musician Govind (Kapoor) falls in love with actress Rukhsar (Chopra). The second is 2012, in world with social media and texts, Krish and Radha connect and decide to change their facebook status. 1910 is set during the struggle for India's independence where galli ka loafer Javed Ali falls in love with activist's daughter Aaradhna and tries to better his reputation. In each era, each couple loses the other through a misunderstanding or mishap and has to find their way back to each other. 

As stories go, the script really does let this film down. With all the key ingredients all there, it's a shame that more isn't made of the characters introduced to us. It almost seems as though Kohli couldn't choose which film to make so merged them altogether. What carries this film through is the chemistry between Priyanka and Shahid and they really do excel in their roles no matter which era. My favourite has to be the 1960s where Priyanka carries off Rukhsar rather effortlessly. Shahid's Javed is not far behind and his carefully recited shaayari does make the audience smile. The music score for this film is the better part of the script with some great songs like 'Jabse Mere Dil Ko' and 'Humse Pyaar Karle Tu' lighting up the screen.

A good masala watch but it would be better to just leave your brains at home.


Del says: "The film lacks continuity like most bollywood films and the ending seemed rushed just to resolve the storyline and didn't make sense. I enjoyed the music and the actors had good on-screen chemistry."

Mango Room, Camden

Mango Room in Camden was highly recommended so one rainy afternoon, i decided to go and check out what all the fuss was about. High class dining and Camden do not really go hand in hand but that's why i was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. With reggae music being played in the background, i was welcomed into a lovely restaurant with some authentic Caribbean furnishing. Menus were pieced together in brown leather (see below) but this added to the effect.

I wasn't very hungry so i had plantain and sweet potato fritters which were deep fried into potato balls. After getting over the fact it tasted like banana, i enjoyed them and they were lovely dipped in the mango chutney provided with them. We also had salt fish and jerk chicken and sweet potato mash which was adored by my partner who actually remarked that it was scrumptious. This is definitely one place i hope to visit again soon.

Del says:


"The food was really good and the decor was too. Although the portions were small and very pricey in comparison. I recommend the Aken & Saltfish and Jerk Grilled Chicken which are very famous West Indian dishes."

Tube Meltdown

Stratford Bus Station - Wednesday 6th June following the Central Line failure

The Central Line is in meltdown this week because there was a burst water main by Thames Water, the official sponsor of London 2012, which flooded the line with two million litres of water. The week before, passengers on the Jubilee line were forced to walk the tracks after they sweltered in the heat for two hours. The tube is getting worse day by day and as it is gets closer to London 2012, it only gets worse.

Evening Standard - Wednesday 6th June

Whilst i was stuck in the Central Line meltdown, i was reading the Evening Standard (above) which was praising the tube for its brilliance at handling the Diamond Jubilee crowds over the long weekend. I was astonished at the praise heaped on the organisers when frankly it was chaos. I made the big mistake of heading down to the river for the river pageant on Sunday and it was utter chaos. The process of 'kettling' being practised by the disinterested stewards and police was ridiculous. All the best spots to see the pageant were cordoned off and the bridges were reserved for the press only, of which only a few had decided to brave the wind and rain. Journey home was filled with packed out trains and tube station closures. I was disappointed and so angry. As the Queen's loyal subjects, we were prepared to go the extra mile but we were being blocked off and treated as a nuisance for even turning up.

Article by A N Wilson on the Diamond Jubilee

The tube is getting worse and no matter how much we pay for the fare, it doesn't seem to be getting better . Honestly, travelling on the tube is like being a sardines can no matter what time of the day it is. The Olympics are coming up and i am not seeing the light at the end of tunnel. I really am hoping for the best but i don't know what's going to happen when the trains are going to be packed at capacity. Good luck TFL, you sure will need it!

Prometheus

Star rating ***
Starring  Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce and others

Ridley Scott's Alien has become cleaner, elaborate but less interesting. The prequel to the famous Alien series was eagerly awaited and with a cult fan base, the expectations were high for this film. With an elite cast of actors, Prometheus had the premise to cement its cult following and answering all the unanswered questions from the previous films.

The film begins with the crew of Prometheus being awaken from their hyper sleep by android/human David (Michael Fassbender). The team of explorers are on their way to a distant planet to discover the origins of the human race in the darkest corners of the universe. There they realise that their makers/ engineers are not at all happy to see their creation and it leads to the crew fighting for the future of human race.

Though the film has a reasonable storyline as a stand alone film, i can't help but think that the fan base of the films must be truly disappointed. Where the classics had the tension of the crew being holed up in a claustrophobic ship, in Prometheus the crew are more than happy to go gallivanting around the planet in search of their next adventure. Most of the actors in this film have forgettable characters but Michael Fassbender has done a great job playing the creepy android who's agenda we never can trust. Noomi Replace is well cast as Elizabeth Shaw and her calm faith in God throughout the film whilst questioning the evolution of humanity is convincing. Some good characters but not a mark on the classic.

Films to watch out for this summer

As i am a big fan of both Hollywood and Bollywood, i am going to include both. They are in no particular order  and the only thing they have in common is that i am dying to watch them!

Teri Meri Kahaani - Starring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, this film promises be one of the best love stories ever made. Spanning a decade, the film follows the lovers through their journey through 1910, 1960 and 2012. The soundtrack is already creating big news so let's hope this film lives up to the hype.

Cocktail - Starring Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan, Diana Penty, this film follows a love triangle between the three in from what looks like, a very real time way.

The Amazing Spiderman - Starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, the film follows the superhero as he gains his super powers at high school and explores the truth behind his parents

The Dark Knight Rises - Starring Christoper Nolan and Anne Hathaway, this film is the third instalment in the Batman film series. Directed by Nolan, the film takes place eight years after 'The Dark Knight' and introduces new characters, Selina Kyle (Hathaway) and Bane (Tom Hardy)

The Avengers

Star rating: *****
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. , Jeremy Renner

Now you may think that i have missed the boat and i am writing this review too late but as someone very special pointed out to me, if it really is my film of the year, why haven't i written about it? In fact, i went to see this film after much anticipation, on the very first day it was released in the UK in cinema and absolutely loved it. In fact, i was so wowed by it that i had to watch it a second time to digest how great it actually was. Joss Whedon is one of my ultimate favourite directors (LOVED Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and he really did have a massive task on his hands to bring together some of the most well-loved superheroes.

I usually find that films such as this one that are hyped up so badly, usually are massive let downs but this one, i was blown away by it. The superheroes are bought together in this film by Nick Fury (Samuel. L. Jackson) after the Tesseract is stolen, an energy source which could destroy Earth. Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the loathsome dark brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the culprit and we get to see the brothers fight it out.

The film does belong to Hiddleston who makes a great job of playing a psychopathic villian and his monologues, in particular the one to Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is well acted. Scarlett is lacking in fight scenes in this film and really does look self-concious in the outfit. Robert is at his best playing the arrogant playboy and has some great scenes with Hemsworth and Evans with some fab one liners.My totally favourite character has to be Hulk who is almost childlike when he is at his most beastly state.

A great film, definitely worth a watch for all ages. The characters are all loveable and have been well played in a film which is swamped by superheroes.

Queen's Jubilee Weekend

Just walking around the capital at the moment, it's amazing how excited the city is for the Queen's Jubilee. Not only do we all get a four day weekend (woohoo!), everyone is doing their own little thing to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. I will be heading central to see the Queen's pageant tomorrow so i will try to post pictures from that later. In the meantime, check out the pictures so far from me.

Valentine's Park, Ilford

I had a great afternoon out with some of my old school friends where i stumbled upon Valentine's Park in Ilford and realised how beautiful it is. Plus it gave me a chance to check out my Samsung S3 camera.. which i promise i will review soon in a different post.

Rowdy Rathore

Star rating: **

Starring Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha

Rowdy Rathore. Even the name made this film out to seem rather ridiculous and i was expecting another Akshay film that was made in the name of comedy where the actor has created his own genre. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at the film. 

The story centres around Vikram Rathore (Akshay Kumar) who is an honest policeman trying to bring justice to a small village being run by gang-lord Nasser. When he is killed, lookalike small-time thief Shiva also played by Akshay is bought onto the scene to get even with the bad guys. The film is told in reverse and the entire first half of the film is taken up by Shiva's love story with Paro (Sonakshi Sinha). The problem this film has is that despite some likeable characters, but there is no story in the first half and the second half is rather predictable and lack lustre. 

Akshay does a good job playing Rathore and pulls off the action scenes convincingly which he would, as they are his forte. It is nice to see Sonakhi in a film where she actually has some life in her. In the parts of the film where she is required to speak she does well and her dance sequences heavily influenced by Prabhu Dheva and Sajid-Wajid are fun to watch. Randomly, Kareena Kapoor does make a guest appearance in the song 'Chinta' but we don't ever understand why she was bought in, in the first place. 

Music wise, i think the track 'Chinta' will not be forgotten by audiences any time soon as it is a running theme throughout the film. 'Chammak Challo' is a cute track and Sonakshi does a great job in this song with the routine.

Shopping Haul at Westfield Stratford

As promised, here is my shopping haul from yesterday's shop at Westfield Stratford.

My first stop at Primark bought some really fabulous items. First up were these great ballerina shoes which are flat but also extremely comfortable at only £12 each. I bought them in black and nude to balance out my outfits and also because I know how rare it is to find comfy flat shoes.

As the Diamond Jubilee weekend is well and truly upon us, I bought a really cute Hello Kitty tee for £6 which I will be wearing tomorrow at the pageant.

Next stop I went to Asda and found some bargain cobalt blue jeans for £14. I have been searching for these since forever so I am really happy I found them.

There you have it, my mini shopping haul.

Sanoobar

What to expect when you're expecting

Star rating: **
Starring Cameron Diaz, Matthew Morrison, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Anna Kendrick and others

If i had to name you the cast of What to expect when you're expecting, i would literally be here all day telling you them so i won't. Firstly i was quite surprised to find out that the film was not directed by the director of Valentine's Day but this film has the same feel to it. The story follows the lives of five different couples who are all facing the prospect of bring a little person into the world and are all battling their own dilemmas. The first is Jennifer Lopez' character Holly who is desperate to get pregnant but can't so is seeking to adopt an Ethiopian  child. Jules aka Cameron Diaz is a reality show presenter who gets pregnant on a dance show after having an affair with her dance partner Matthew Morrison. Elizabeth Banks aka Wendy runs a breastfeeding business and is keen to get the 'glow' pregnancy will give her and so on and so forth. As the prospect of the child coming becomes a reality, each of the characters face their own problems as you would expect.

Storyline-wise, this film is no surprise. In fact, you can guarantee a happy ending for each of the characters from the word go. Two things that stand out for me in this film are the two characters played by J. Lo and Elizabeth Banks. Jennifer's character aka Holly's desperate need to have a child does pull the heartstrings of the audience and she does play the role compassionately and sensitively.

Elizabeth Banks' role as Wendy wins hands down for me in this film. She begins with a naive outlook on pregnancy and realises all is not what it seems. Her outbursts are hilarious and even had a pregnant woman in my cinema audience clapping. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

Snow White and the Huntsman

Star rating: ***

Starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron 

Snow White and the Huntsman is a very gothic take on the old fairytale but has been adapted well for a largely adult audience. We are all familiar with the old tale so i won't bore you with the storyline but it is fun throughout the film trying to guess what happens next. 

Kristen Stewart, who seems to have playing a depressed neglected girl down to an art form is at her best in this film and does handle the role of a rather abused Snow White well. I have to say though, Chris Hemsworth plays his character as the Huntsman to the tee and really carries the Twilight actress through. As a widower out for revenge, Chris does create the lighter moments in the film but after playing Thor, the fight scenes are pretty much an everyday job for him.  However, the real hero of this film is Charlize Theron. I have never really seen any films with the actress in it but she is fantastic as the evil queen. Her ruthless quest to be the fairest of them all is highly believable and her expressionless face does her credit as she doesn't step a foot wrong. A great film to watch this bank holiday weekend, as long as you totally ignore Kristen Stewart.