In Review: "Paddington"

In the next year or so, there are quite a few nostalgic movies heading into theaters. Christmas of 2015 will see a CGI'ed "Snoopy" movie. March of 2015 will see a live-action "Cinderella" (which already looks visually stunning). The next installments of Jurassic Park and Star Wars are coming. Oh, and "Jem and the Holograms" is also coming (remember that 80s TV show about rock stars who also kick butt?). So we must ask the question, how well do we remember our childhood? Were Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown ever a "thing"? Were Cinderella's stepsisters beautiful with ugly hearts or just ugly? And the ultimate Star Wars question- who shot first?

"Paddington" is no different. I personally did not grow up on the British bear (I was more of a Corduroy type myself), but I do remember reading the book at least once when I was little. I remember a little bear waiting at a train station with a sign around his neck, a red floppy hat, and a blue coat.

The movie is able to do what "Curious George" (2006) was able to do- capture the memories we created as children and expand our imaginations beyond the books.

The Plot

A young Peruvian bear is forced to leave his home for London. He arrives at Paddington station in search for a new home. There, he finds the Browns who agree to take him in for the night until he can find the English explorer who visited his family in Peru many years ago. Of course, with a bear in London, trouble is bound to happen.

Unlike the book, the movie develops a villain intent on stuffing Paddington for her taxidermy collection. (Yeah, I think it's a little out there too)

The Stars

Originally, the part of the lovable bear went to Colin Firth, but after a few tries at the voice, it was agreed that Firth did not have the voice they were looking for. I guess that kind of depends on how old we think this bear is. Ben Whishaw ended up voicing a much younger and more active version of the proper bear. I think the original bear from the book would have been perfect for . If you take a look at the TV series of Paddington (1997-2009), the character is very similar to this movie version- constantly getting into trouble but always polite and sometimes very literal. 

The Message

Home is more than where your feet are. Home is all about the people who surround you and care for you. And you, always, always protect your family.

This lesson is mainly for Mr. Brown who has trouble accepting the young talking bear into his family.

Overall

A simple adventure of a bear-out-of-the-jungle is transformed into a heartfelt story about family and home. The story is rounded out with internal family discord (a great way to start action off right off the bat) and a villain. We learn where Paddington came from, why he was at that train station, and if he had any family before coming to London- all questions that were never fully answered in the book series.

The cinematography and special effects help in widening the setting of the story. There is one scene where the family is gathered together watching a black and white video on a projector screen. Instead of simply watching the footage, Paddington walks through the screen and into the colorful 3D world where he used to live. There is another time when the audience meets the family and later is able to evaluate the change. This is done by showing a dollhouse replica of the Brown's home with each character in their rooms, walking around, talking, and going about their daily lives. This is clearly able to portray how divided and separated the family is from one another.

Overall, this movie surprised me. I was not expecting it to be as charming, as heartfelt, and as visually exciting as it was. The only real downer here was that the villain was not fully developed. Yes, we find out her back story and why she wants to stuff this adorable bear, but the reason doesn't seem good enough. We aren't able to see how this reason affects her. She's just a crazy lady chasing around a talking bear.

If you grew up with the books or just like adorable talking bears, go see this one. You won't regret it.

3 out of 4 Red Hats

In Review: "The Book of Life" (2014)

I finally get to see this movie! (Thank you people who post movies online illegally) Right when I saw the trailers for this Halloween release cartoon, I knew I had to see it. But life got in the way, and I'm just watching it now. I have to say, it was definitely worth the wait.

The Plot

The writers must have studied the "How to Make a Great Story" checklist:

Have an original idea that is based off of something familiar (troupe/tradition/toy)
Have a great villain who is truly human
Have the right guy win for the right reasons

In my opinion, all of the best (and most liked) stories/movies/TV shows are based off of these simple rules.

The story is original yet familiar. Two boys are in love with the same girl, and they must fight for her love (classic troupe- "Monte Cristo", "Twilight"- I am not saying this is a good story, "Dawson's Creek"). It's set in Mexico during the celebration of the Day of the Dead (familiar and original). The twist is that the great Mexican spirits get involved- La Muerte (ruler of Land of the Remembered (like heaven)) and Xibalba (ruler of the Land of the Forgotten (similar to hell)). Xibalba is a great villain because he doesn't play fair and therefore we don't like him. But La Muerte can bring out his sensitive side so we don't entirely hate him.

The hardest part of the formula is the last part. The right guy has to win for the right reasons. So if the bad guy does win, it has to be because the good guy needed to be punished or learn a lesson or whatever. If the good guy wins, then it has to be under the right circumstances. So you can't have the good guy win if he cheated.

Ok, done with the theorizing. Back to the story.

Some school kids go on a field trip to a museum, and instead of taking the kids on an old regular tour, the pretty tour guide lady takes them to the back of the museum where she shows them The Book of Life, which contains all of the stories ever written. And she begins to tell the tale of Manolo and Joaquin who are both in love with Maria. When the three are but little ones, the spirits La Muerte (see description above) and Xibalba (see above) make a wager to see who will win Maria. La Muerte chooses Manolo and Xibalba chooses Joaquin. Manolo's father wants him to be a bull fighter like the rest of his family before him, but Manolo only wants to play his guitar and sing. Joaquin's father died in a great battle and is recruited into the army with the expectation that he will be the same. The two best friends grow apart from each other, and Maria is sent away to boarding school.

Years later, they fight for her love and all manner of plot twists and adventure ensues. (I won't give it all away. That's the best part)

The Stars

This was a chance to showcase some of Hollywood's greatest Hispanic actors... and that did not really happen. Some actors fit the parts very well-- Channing Tatum as Joaquin (seriously genius casting) and Ron Perlman as Xibalba (another version of "HellBoy"-- but others fell surprisingly flat-- Zoe Saldana as Maria and Ice Cube as the Candle Maker. Ice Cube doesn't make any sense when he adds in his African American and urban lingo into the mix of a Mexican story. If he was written that way that's fine, but it just doesn't ring true to the origins of the story. Saldana also seems to force the feminism so much so that Maria is more annoying than endearing. She could be witty and clever, but she comes out pushy and snobby.

There are definitely some great Hispanic actors representing here though! Diego Luna ("Milk") plays the romantic Manolo, Hector Elizondo ("Princess Diaries) (of Puerto Rican descent) plays his controlling father Carlos, and Kate del Castillo ("Under the Same Moon") plays a perfect La Muerte.

The Message

Be true to yourself. A message that is mainly reflected in Manolo who struggles to be himself around his overbearing father, in competition with Joaquin, and for himself. There are also themes of how helpful family can be (may be the reason that Manolo won and not Joaquin, who doesn't have any family). There is also an overall theme of life stories and how individuals decide how they are written, not that it is all predestined.

Overall

I really did like this movie. But as it can sometimes happen with animated films, gags and jokes are thrown to the younger half of the audience to make them laugh. Usually these moments are funny to children, but annoying to adults (or anyone older than 7). The mariachi band fills this comic relief spot with only childish and flat humor. And with Ice Cubes total miss of the all-knowing, all-wise Candle Maker, this movie gets bumped down a notch or two.

If you are looking for a movie to explain the basics of the Day of the Dead and what it means to the people of Mexico, this is your movie. The film however is not 100% accurate when it comes to all of the lore of the day and the culture. La Muerte is similar to Santa Muerte, a female skeleton saint who is known for helping people find safe passage into the underworld. Xibalba is the same name as the Mayan underworld, a place of suffering. The reason the people of Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead has nothing to do with whether they will be sent to "The Place of the Remembered" or "The Place of the Forgotten". But the film does do a good job in showing how this seemingly creepy tradition is in fact a beautiful celebration of life and family.

I am also in love with the fact that the animation is almost entirely done to look like wooden figurines. It's just a new way of telling the story. And it's just so pretty! Every shot is a work of art on its own with massive amounts of detail and color that looks like... well, candy!

3 out of 4 Sugar Skulls

If I Owned the Oscars...

The Golden Globes were just on this past weekend and that is the official start of award season!! (and the Oscar noms just came out yesterday) A time of year when we all sit back and watch people we have never heard of receive awards for things we don't actually understand. Sounds fun right? Even though I claim to be a film enthusiast and have all the up-to-date info on the world of Hollywood, I regretfully also fall behind of having watched every single movie that is nominated during award seasons. But, I have watched a handful  of really good movies this year that will most likely be forgotten in the Academy's nominations. So I thought that I would make my own awards free of mispronounced names (Adele Dazeem), regretful wardrobe choices, and music that overpowers every acceptance speech.

I will format it just like the Academy Awards (watch them on Feb. 22 this year). I will give you the nominees in this post and look out for my winners on a later date.

Note: I have watched all of these films. I promise I'm not cheating. I have also only included topics I feel comfortable nominating. I know nothing about sound editing so we are skipping that one.

**= means the Academy also nominated the film for that particular category... like that means anything *cough* "The Lego Movie" *cough* "Life Itself" (all serious snubs on this year's nominations)

P.S. I made this list before the nominations came out on Thursday. This is totally unbiased! Well, except for the fact that I was the one who made the list...

Best Picture:

"Into the Woods"

"Guardians of the Galaxy"

**"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

"The Lego Movie"

Best Actor:

Jack O'Connell- "Unbroken"

Jon Favreau- "Chef"

Robert Downey Jr.-  "The Judge"

John Hamm- "Million Dollar Arm"

Kevin Costner- "Draft Day"

Jake Gyllenhaal- "Nightcrawler"

Best Actress:

Emily Blunt- "Into the Woods"

Helen Mirren- "The Hundred-Foot Journey"

Angelina Jolie- "Maleficent"

Shailene Woodley- "The Fault in Our Stars"

Best Supporting Actor:

**Robert Duvall- "The Judge"

Bradley Cooper- "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Miyavi- "Unbroken"

Chris Pine- "Into the Woods"

Best Supporting Actress:

**Meryl Streep- "Into the Woods"

Melissa McCarthy- "St. Vincent"

Rene Russo- "Nightcrawler"

Naomi Watts- "St. Vincent"

Best Original Screenplay:

**"The Grand Budapest Hotel"- Hugo Guinness and Wes Anderson

"St. Vincent"- Theordore Melfi

"The Judge"- Nick Schenk, David Seidler, Bill Dubuque

"Chef"- Jon Favreau

Best Animated Feature Film:

"The Lego Movie"

**"How to Train Your Dragon 2"

**"Big Hero 6"

Best Cinematography:

**"Unbroken"- Roger Deakins

**"The Grand Budapest Hotel"- Robert Yeoman

"Into the Woods"- Dion Beebe

"Nightcrawler"- Robert Elswit

"The Giver"- Ross Emery

Best Costume Design:

**"Into the Woods"- Colleen Atwood

"Guardians of the Galaxy"- Alexandra Byrne

**"Maleficent"- Anna B. Shepard

Best Director:

Rob Marshall- "Into the Woods"

Dan Gilroy- "Nightcrawler"

**Wes Anderson- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Original Song:

**"Everything is Awesome"- "The Lego Movie"

"Immortals" from "Big Hero 6"

"For The Dancing And The Dreaming" from "How to Train Your Dragon 2"

"Afreen" from "The Hundred-Foot Journey"

"Yellow Flicker Beat" from "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1"

"We're Doing A Sequel" from "Muppets Most Wanted"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

"The Hunger Games 2: The Mockingjay"- Simon Beaufoy, Michael Arndt

"Into the Woods"- James Lapine

"The Fault in Our Stars"- Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

"The Giver"- Michael Mitnick, Robert B. Weide

Movies for a New Year and a New You

If you are looking for a way to get inspired to start a new when 2015 rolls around look no further. There is a list of movies with total makeovers, transformations, how to deal with life changes, and new starts that will get you thinking about what your New Year's Resolution should be as well as what is waiting for you in the year ahead.

Also, there are a bunch of movies I just recommend watching to start the New Year because they're fun.

1. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Bridget decides to make a whole diary of resolutions for the new year, including finding Mr. Right and ignoring Mr. Wrong. But she finds that is much harder to do than she thinks. This is not my favorite rom-com. Ok, it's on the very bottom of my list. Bridget is shown as pathetic throughout the whole movie. But I guess that makes you feel better right? You also get really great resolution ideas, and reminders of those ones you should've done last year.

2. Someone Like You (2001)
Jane just went through a serious and tragic breakup. She is forced to move out of her ex's place and into a guy friend's place. The two can barely stand each other. Let along live together. Then she decides to write a column explaining the science of dating and the reasons behind why girls like her get dumped. When she thinks she's got it all figured out, life flips on its head.

3. First Wives Club (1996)
After years apart, three friends meet again at their best friend's funeral. After a long night of drinks, they realize they all have something in common -- they're all divorced and long for justice. Together they get revenge on their ex's in the most brutal ways. They also rekindle their friendship to start a whole new life as single women.

Bonus: It's now a musical and will start it's run in Chicago in February.

4. Cinderella Man (2005)
This one is a little different from the others. During the Great Depression, James and his family have lost their house and a way to feed their family. In order to support his family, Jimmy takes up boxing once again to feed himself and his family. Talk about a comeback story!

5. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
This movie is all about people dealing with their problems. Pat now lives with his parents and has no job. He also deals with bipolar disorder. He feels so alone and unable to live with himself, until he meets Tiffany, who also has problems of her own. Together they support each other and learn to live their lives.

6. Last Holiday (2006)
Out of the blue, Georgia finds out she is going to die in three weeks. After a life of keeping her head down and following the rules, she decides to take her life into her own hands and spends all her money on a vacation in Europe. This movie proves that all we have is this moment and the present. Great advice to start your new year off right.

7. The Holiday (2006)
This movie makes a second appearance on my blog. If you didn't watch it last week during Christmas, you can watch it this week for New Years. Two girls on different sides of the world have the same problem-- they need to forget about the men that have used them and abused them. The solution-- switch houses for a nice, quiet Christmas alone. But fate had a different idea, and now the girls find true love knocking at their door.

8. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Diane Keaton is your go-to if you ever want to feel better about yourself. She always seems a little bit more pathetic than you feel. This movie is no exception. A writer feels stuck in her life, unable to do what she really wants. Until... she buys an Italian villa in a country she has been to once with money she doesn't have. And she and her two gay friends are going to fix it up. What could possibly go wrong? She learns that life is meant to live and not be watch from the sidelines.

9. The House Bunny (2008)
Anna Faris is a Playboy bunny! But then she gets kicked out for being too old. In order to find a real purpose for her life, she decides to help a sorority be the hottest girls on campus instead of the biggest dorks. Along the way, she meets a smart guy who isn't falling for her normal tricks.

10. Return to Me (2000)
Bob feels like the luckiest man alive with a wife he adores. Grace has lived her life in a hospital with a fatal heart disease. All of the sudden, Bob has lost his wife and Grace has gained a new heart. Bob and Grace meet and fall in love. Both must learn how to deal with the changes in their lives.

11. P.S. I Love You (2007)
If you don't know about this movie, you really live under a rock. Gerard Butler and Hillary Swank. Gerard Butler dies, but leaves Swank letters to help her move on. Bring out the tissues!

12. The Intouchables (2010)
Please bear with me here. I know it's a French movie with English subtitles. But it is so worth it! Phillippe is a quadriplegic who is mad at the world and ready to live up. Driss is also ready to give up. He can't feed his family and seems to always be getting into trouble. Until Driss accidentally applies for a job as Phillippe's caretaker and assistant. The odd pair have to learn to deal with each other and that maybe together they can make this life worth living.

13. The Princess Diaries (2001)
Mia is a classic geek who doesn't fit in at her high school and feels invisible. Until her royal grandmother tells her that she is in fact a real-life princess. She gets a makeover on the outside and the inside, realizing that being royal is more than a crown.

14. Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Another Anne Hathaway film! Andy moves to NYC to be a journalist, but instead gets a job as the assistant for the vicious Runway Magazine editor Miranda. Andy learns to find her own voice and style.

15. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
Yes, there is a reason I picked the sequel. (If you don't know about these magic pants and the four friends it brought together one summer, watch the 2005 movie) This movie is more about how the friends must learn to deal with the changes in their lives. Bea deals with her past and her new relationship with her grandmother, Tibby is learning her trade, Lena is getting over a boy, and Carmen is meeting a boy. It's all about how life comes at you in unexpected ways and teaches you new lessons.