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NYAD | Film Review

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Diana Nyad (Annette Bening), a 64-year-old swimmer attempts to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. I have to admit, I probably never would have watched this film if the lead actresses weren't nominated for Oscars for their performances. The premise doesn't necessarily appeal to me. As expected, the film is exactly what it says, so you'll probably already know if it's for you or not. While the story is inspiring, it isn't the most interesting thing to watch. I have wondered whether it suits the movie format at all, because there is so much about the film that didn't work for me. And as much as I understand why stories about personal triumph and never giving up are important to tell, there were probably better ways to do it. I'm not sure if Diana Nyad ever wrote a book, but that would probably have been a more interesting way to tell the story. It seems to me that to really enjoy this film, you either have to have an interest in Nyad herself,

Jurassic Park | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I love the Jurassic Park movies! And when I say that, I include the Jurassic World movies (at least the first two!). I'm a huge fan of creature features, which I guess this falls into, so it was always going to be an easy decision to watch Jurassic Park again. Even without taking into account the way this film helped to form the landscape of sci-fi that we know today, the fact that the franchise has lasted as long as it has is just a testament to how impactful the first film was. But as well as being impactful, it's actually first and foremost just a good film. It's fun, it's thrilling, it's entertaining, it has great characters, and it has become iconic. While this first one may not be my personal favourite of all the Jurassic movies, I really like it and always have a great time with it. This is one that I'm sure most people have seen, so my recommendation doesn't really mean anything when the movie is this iconic. But if you haven't seen it, it'

One Day | TV Show Review

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After meeting and spending the night of graduation together, Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) go their separate ways. But as the years go by, they are unable to let each other go. I didn't know whether I was going to watch this show or not. I watched the original movie, so I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to get into it again! But after hearing the rave reviews, I wanted to give it a try. And I'm so glad I did because I loved this show! I loved it from the first episode. The actors have great chemistry, which is just one of the reasons the show works as well as it does. It's so nice to watch them together. Even in the scenes where they aren't physically together, it's really interesting to see the way their friendship is kept alive. While I liked the movie version, a TV show is the perfect format for this story. It's really nice to actually see the time it takes for two people to fall in love, and having each ep

Se7en | 100 Movies Bucket List

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I was so happy to see this one on the Bucket List! I've seen this film maybe 4 or 5 times now and I love it more each time I watch it. Not only is it such a successful psychological thriller, but there's so much to love about it. From the performances, the writing, the iconic ending, everything! It's a great first-time watch because you have no idea where it's going or what you're getting. You just follow these characters, you're along for the ride, and you get so much more than you bargain for. For me, the best thing about the film was the characters and the way they were written and played. Of course, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are highly revered actors, and the way they breathe life into characters that could have easily become one-note stereotypes (the jaded older detective and the aggressive young rookie) is really interesting to watch. They make the film what it is. I've found while writing these Bucket List reviews (if you can call them reviews) tha

Upgraded | Film Review

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An art intern, Ana (Camila Mendes), is invited on a work trip to London, where she meets a man who mistakes her for her boss. I love a rom-com, so no matter the concept, I was looking forward to seeing this film. But that was helped by the fact that I really like Camila Mendes as an actress, and the plot was an interesting one. I really liked this movie. It's kind of what you'd expect it to be, so you probably already know if you'll like it or not. The opening scene was great. The dialogue was fun, interesting, authentic, and I really wanted the dialogue to stay like this the whole way through.  For the most part the dialogue did stay this interesting, but I would have liked to see much more of the characters that were introduced at the beginning. While the story is very predictable, it's also a fun watch. I found I was more interested in Ana's job as an art intern, and the way that she wanted to progress in that world, than I was in her relationship. Because yes, t

The Silence of the Lambs | 100 Movies Bucket List

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Next up for the Bucket List was a re-watch that I hadn't seen in a really long time. This was the first movie of the Bucket List that I felt like I needed to watch again as soon as the credits rolled.  I don't know what it was about watching it this time around, but I didn't like it as much as I did the first time. I didn't really connect with the story, and it wasn't that enjoyable to watch. Because I already knew and liked the story, this didn't taint my view of it too much, and I expect it was just a case of not really being in the mood to watch it. But in general the film is great. It won a good few Academy Awards, the most deserving of which was for Anthony Hopkins, who was completely amazing in the role and stole every scene he was in. Though Jodie Foster was also excellent. It's a great film and it's entirely deserving of its 'classic' status. I just wish I had enjoyed it more this time around.

Rustin | Film Review

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Activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo) tries to change the course of the Civil Rights movement by organising the March on Washington, fighting both racism and homophobia along the way . I didn't know anything about this story before the film, which is a shame as Rustin should definitely be a more well-known figure when it comes to learning about the Civil Rights movement. But without understating the importance of the real-life man who did these things, the film itself falls a bit flat. The opening scene is really powerful, and seems to be giving a small taste of what's to come. I think if the film had been able to keep the tone it set here, it would have been great. The writing, for the most part, was great. When looking at the story as a whole, it is powerful, but while watching it, there was so many moments where it felt like we were just watching a combination of great movies that we've already seen multiple times. It wasn't as compelling as it needed to be. I foun