Bright Star

Bright Star tells the story of the romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne and the ups and downs they go through. It's quite a simple film and story, but wonderfully told. The costumes are lovely, acting is good and the settings are beautiful.

I've never really been into poetry, I may be dense, but I don't really get a lot of it, and I won't deny that the only reason I wanted to see this film was because of Ben Whishaw, who plays Keats. I think he's lovely. But I did enjoy hearing the poetry that was recited throughout the film. I doubt it will make me become a huge poetry fan, but it was nice nonetheless.

Be warned though, you should have tissues at the ready when watching this film. If you're a romantic at heart, it will cost you some tears. It's quite sad in parts, but very enjoyable overall.

8/10

I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle is based on Dodie Smith's book of the same name. It follows the life of the eccentric Mortmain family, with teenager Cassandra being the main character. The Mortmain family are very poor, and live in a crumbling old castle. Cassandra's elder sister, Rose, desperately wants to marry for money, so when two American heirs to their castle arrive, it seems like all their problems will be over.

I loved the book, and was curious to see what the film would be like, and I thought it was adapted very well to screen. The character of Cassandra was very likeable, as were most of the characters but, like with the book, I tried hard to like Rose, but just couldn't. She came across as very irritating and self-obsessed.

The scenery was lovely, acting was good, but I wouldn't say it's the most exciting and riveting film ever. I'd describe it as fluffy, romantic fun.

7/10

Pretty Woman

Good old romantic comedies.

They never fail to make you feel good. Pretty Woman is no exception. The film follows prostitute Julia Roberts who is hired by the very successful Richard Gere for a week as an escort for a few business events.

I liked the storyline for this film. It was very much like a lot of other romantic movies, yet it felt so different. Julia Roberts is really great in this film. She is totally likeable. You really warm to her character and feel sorry for her. Roberts and Gere are extremely good together on film.

The soundtrack is unbelievably 80's (technically though, this is a 90's film as it was released in 1990). I loved it :P Regardless of the cheesy soundtrack, it's a timeless film. Quite easily one of the best romantic comedies of the past 20 years.

9/10

Pride & Prejudice

I've never read the novel or seen the 1995 TV adapation with Colin Firth, but this 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice is wonderful.

First off, it's a beautiful film. The scenery is gorgeous.. it was all filmed on location around the UK, some of the places I've actually visited. I especially like the wide shots of Lizzie walking. They last quite a while and are just gorgeous. And the scene of Lizzie in Pemberley looking at the sculptures is really lovely. The cinematography is excellent. It's just such a wonderful film to watch.

The acting is very good too. I especially like Brenda Blethyn as the very excitable Mrs Bennet. There's some good comedic moments with her. Same with Mr Collins. Amusing to watch.

The soundtrack, by Dario Marianelli, is superb. It fits the film perfectly. One of the most enjoyable soundtracks I've heard. Add this to the excellent acting, scenery and overall story, and you've got a wonderful film that you can watch over and over.

And if only people still dressed like that.

10/10

What Women Want

Wouldn't every man love to know exactly what women are really thinking?

That's what happens to Mel Gibson in "What Women Want", a funny, entertaining and interesting romantic comedy. At the start of the film, Gibson's character is quite chauvinistic, but that soons changes as he basically finds out what it's like to be a woman. Sounds weird, but it really works well on screen.

There are plenty amusing scenes, especially the one with Mel Gibson using leg wax, putting on tights etc in the bathroom. The acting was really good and the majority of the characters were likeable enough. The only character that I didn't really warm to was Nick's daughter, Alex, who was a typical teenager complaining about her father constantly throughout the film.

Good film overall.

7/10