J'aime des films français!

My picks from the Alliance French Film Festival:

Every Jack Has a Jill

Jusqu'á toi

Quirky rom-com in the style of 2 Days in Paris. Guy wins trip to Paris, loses his suitcase which is found by lonely, introvert girl. Girl falls in love with idea of the suitcase owner. But is the real guy the same as the one in her fantasies? This movie questions if we have to let go of our expectations to truly fall in love.

Why see this movie?

Justin Bartha is a cutie and Melanie Laurent is so whimsical that you just want to go have coffee and a croissant with her. This film exposes loneliness, relationships and the search for love in such an endearing light that you want to believe that trans-Atlantic love will conquer all.

LOL (Laughing Out Loud)

Lock up your Parisian teenage daughters - this movie is an in-your-face portrayal of growing up and experiencing adolescent misadventures. The lead character Lola has to deal with a jealous ex, her burgeoning feelings for her ex's best friend, her divorced parents sleeping together and the painful restrictions of high school life. Meanwhile her mother (the beautifully chic Sophie Mareau) is hardly a perfect role model and is facing her own set of challenges in love and at home as a working mother.

Why see this movie?

I loved this movie for its realism although the teenage actors all look like they've stepped off the pages of French Vogue. I wish I could pull off the thrown together look - jeans, tee, scarf, leather jacket and massive handbag with comfy boots and perfectly tousled hair. Most of all though I enjoyed the examination of the mother-daughter relationship which always precariously balances between friendship and maternalism.

J'aime des films français!

Next film will hopefully be Coco Changel & Igor Stravinsky!

Paris When It Sizzles

To help prepare for a summer in Europe I'm watching Audrey Hepburn movies. If only my overseas wardrobe could be as chic as this, unfortunately it probably won't remain pressed in a backpack.

I've never been to Paris in summer before...lots of planning lies ahead!

The Proposal Review

The Proposal looks like your standard chick-flick, rom-com storyline. Boy hates girl. Girl hates boy. Girl is boy's boss. Girl blackmails boy into marrying her so that she doesn't get deported to Canada. Boy and girl are forced to spend a weekend together, fall in love and get married anyway.

Okay, so its not your usual storyline. But it does have Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in it. I have a soft spot for Sandra Bullock, she does the sarcastica humour rather well. And as for Ryan Reynolds...he has a scene with his shirt off. Do I need to say any more than that?

Nevertheless The Proposal had a lot of funny scenes in it and is a breath of fresh air from the no-brainer rom-coms of late. The only thing that perhaps stretches the imagination a little is the chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock. He's a little younger than her, she's a bit highly strung. But isn't that what a good chick flick is meant to do? Make you believe that true love between any couple, despite all odds working against them, is possible.

Summer Flicks

In the past week I've been to three movies which is more than I would usually see in a month, let alone a week! It is nice to escape the phenomenal heat (it was 42 degrees yesterday) and life in general by going to the cinema.

Slumdog Millionaire

This is a much-hyped about movie. The lead actor Jev Patel is from Skins and is perfect as Jamal Malik, the boy from the slums, who goes onto Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to find the love of his life. His clear run on the program causes the producers to think he's cheating - but he simply knows all the answers from various incidents from his childhood. The film gives you a gritty insight of growing up in the slums - the extreme poverty, the desperation and hunger, the loss of life. Although its essentially a love story about Jamal's search for his childhood sweetheart Latika what really struck me was the relationship between Jama and his brother Salim. They are complete opposites yet Jamal proves that it is possible to overcome adversity with your morality intact. 

Yes Man

Jim Carey is old. His faced is lined and he looks rather world weary. But no matter what Jim Carey has an endearing sweetness that surpases his comedian-actor peers like Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler. In Yes Man, Carey literally says yes to everything in order to take risks to get out of the rut he's been in since his divorce. But like all new age mantras, all the "yes" saying needs a bit of moderation. Yes Man is predictable and sweet but doesn't rise to the level of Liar, Liar. 

Bride Wars

Two best friends become enemies when their wedding gets accidentally booked on the same day at the Plaza Hotel. I love Kate Hudson, I like Anne Hathaway. But although there are some good laughs along the path of bride warfare it just misses the mark. The wedding plotline is a bit similar to SATC and how impending nuptials can make or break the marriage...but less on relationships and more on pre-wedding disasters! My favourite bridal sabotage movie will always be My Best Friend's Wedding, you can't top Ms Julia Roberts and the cast singing "I Say A Little Prayer For You".