Disney/Pixar's Brave

Since I first set eyes on Toy Story at four years of age, I fell in love with Pixar films and every year I am genuinely excited for their releases. But when they release an animated film set in 10th century Scotland featuring a flame-haired female as it's protagonist? Even better!

I have to say I am immensely proud of my Scottish heritage (even though if you meet me I may grumble about living in Scotland, mainly due to the poor weather). Nevertheless, Brave does bring out the very best of Scotland, from its beautiful countryside to its exciting history and ancient folklore. It also creates a very positive impression for red-haired lassies (I am auburn, but when I was little I had a similar hair colour to that of Princess Merida). But enough about babbling on about where I'm from, the main purpose of this entry is to give a review on Brave. 

Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Brave is a fairytale set in the Highlands of Scotland in the 1100's. Of course every fairytale has a princess. Unlike all the other fairytales, Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald) is not your average princess. She prefers to shoot arrows (her favourite hobby is archery) and ride bareback on her Clydesdale horse, Angus, much to the dismay of her mother, Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson) who tries in vain to turn her into the princess that she wants her to be. Merida's father King Fergus (Billy Connolly) lost his leg to the giant bear Mord'u and ever since then wants his revenge and "wants to find the perfect way to make this devil die". In the meantime, the three Lords of the different clans accept Elinor's invitation to present their sons for Merida's betrothal. Of  course Merida is not happy about this and quickly finds a way to change her fate... and her mother. 

Brave hosts an array of colourful characters. The three Lords, MacIntosh, Dingwall and MacGuffin (voiced by Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane and Kevin McKidd respectively) are hilarious and their sons are equally as funny. MacGuffin's son speaks in what would be to others an incomprehensible Scottish dialect. However, he is in fact speaking Doric, which is a dialect spoken where I come from (Aberdeenshire). I laughed the first time I heard it in the film, even more so at the fact that non-Doric speakers will have no clue what the character is saying. Kevin McKidd who voices him is from Elgin, which is two hours away from where I live, but it is spoken mostly in the north of Scotland. Adding cuteness to the film, Hubert, Hamish and Harris the three triplets are always up to no good and are even cuter in bear cub form. They were without a doubt my favourite characters. The film has villains in the form of The Witch (voiced by Julie Walters) and Mord'u the Bear. The Witch has a huge part in changing Merida's fate, as the Will-o'-the-wisps lead Merida to her.

What I enjoyed most about the film was the mother-daughter relationship between Elinor and Merida. Of course there are fights, turmoils and trials, however there is nothing more important than a mother's love. It also shows you shouldn't be afraid to make your own decisions and to stand up for yourself.

I would thoroughly recommend Brave whether you are Scottish or not as it is a refreshing fairytale, which shows women can stand on their own two feet without the help of a man. It also is incredibly dark for a Pixar film, however the scariest moments only occur towards the end. A great film which will encourage people to come visit Scotland and explore its natural beauty.

Titanic Super 3D

This is hilarious... 'nuff said!

'Rock of Ages' Review

Last Thursday I took a trip to the cinema to see the hotly-anticipated Rock of Ages. The film, featuring an all star cast, is based on the Tony Award nominated stage musical of the same name.

The film is set in Los Angeles, 1987 and stars Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, a spaced-out rock star who comes back to play The Bourbon Room, a fictional club which gave him and his band 'Arsenal' their big break. The club is in a financial crisis and on the verge of closing, much to the dismay of owner Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and his technical assistant, Lonny (Russell Brand). Dupree must rely on Stacee's gig to save the club, all the while Stacee's band is on the verge of splitting up, much to the delight of his greedy manager (Paul Giamatti).

The film features different plotlines, the main one being about small-town innocent girl Sherrie Christian (Dancing with the Stars' Julianne Hough), falling for Bourbon Room barback Drew Boley (Diego Boneta). In true Hollywood style, it's your typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl, they go their seperate ways and then they just so happen to come back together and reconcile their love. 

If it weren't so important, the film could have done away with the love story, as it was boring and made the film drag for quite a while. The only thing delightful about the whole Sherrie/Drew storyline was Mary J. Blige who plays gentleman's club owner Justice Charlier. She acts as a mentor for Sherrie, who later works there as a stripper and tells her she can have it "any way you want it."

Catherine-Zeta Jone stars as the LA mayor's wife Patrica Whitmore, whose history with Staccee Jaxx has made her bitter and she threatens to destroy rock 'n' roll by cleaning up the city and turning the Bourbon Room into condos. As her character sums up the rock 'n' roll fiasco: "Stacee Jaxx spits out three things... sex, hateful music and..... SEX!"

Stacee Jaxx's persona attracts women and he has a dedicated possee of girl groupies following him around. However he seems intrigued by Rolling Stone reporter, Constance Sack (Malin Akerman) who confronts him over his unreliability and laziness, but eventually succumbs and falls for his roguish charm.

The cast all have surprissingly strong vocals belting out glam rock hits from the late 80's with souful Mary J. Blige outshining them all. After watching the film, there are some hits, which will never be heard in the same way again. These include Tom Cruise and Malin Akeran belting out 'I Want to Know What Love Is' while performing some *ahem* suggestive moves and Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand crooning to 'I Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore'. The odd pairing of Baldwin/Brand gives the film a more humorous approach and sometimes wishing the film was more about them than anything else.

Cruise has the definitive rock star voice, which was achieved by having five hours of rehearsals every day before and during filming.

If you're a fan of musicals, then do check out Rock of Ages. The film's storylines may seem a bit muddled, but that is overshadowed by the jukebox hits of Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey, which encourages you to don't stop believin'.

 

Mona Lisa

I have been to France five times and four out of the five have been spent visiting the romantic capital of Paris. We all know Paris is home to the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the monument of all monuments the Eiffel Tower.

But, Paris is also home to one of the world's famous art galleries The Louvre. The original structure of the building has been around since the late 12th century and the museum has been situated there since 1793. 

I can't remember much about The Louvre as I was only seven at the time. But what I do remember is viewing Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous paintings The Last Supper (1495-1498) and Mona Lisa (c.1503-1506). 

The Mona Lisa is one of the world's most famous paintings. The woman in the painting has captivated many a person for centuries and there have been many speculations as to who it may have been and at one point there were speculations that the "Mona Lisa" may even be a man. However, according to numerable sources the painting is thought to be of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Da Vinci painted Mona Lisa between 1503 and 1506. The oil painting was originally bought by King Francois I in 1518 and is now in its permanent home The Louvre. 

As the painting is so famous there have been certain measures used to protect her. Mona Lisa sits behind bulletproof glass so she won't be damaged should there be any attacks carried out. Unlike most art galleries and museums, photos are permitted to be taken of the Mona Lisa. Perhaps it's because she is protected behind the glass, but the permanent flashing of excited tourists takes away the time spent viewing how beautiful and magnificent this painting truly is.

Another part that fascinates me about the Mona Lisa are her eyes and her hands. No matter which way you go, her eyes are fixated and follow you, which gives a sense that she is always watching. Her hands are the most prominent feature of the painting, as they are delicate and Da Vinci purposely put the right hand resting over the left hand as he "chose this gesture to depict Lisa as a virtuous woman and a faithful wife"*

Of course, no one can ever forget that enigmatic smile. 

If you ever go to Paris, visit the Louvre. Although you may not get through all the exhibits in one day, make sure that you do visit the Mona Lisa and marvel at her beauty. Be sure to visit in the morning or before peak times, as the painting will be flooded with tourists from all over the world taking a portrait of a well known portrait. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG-A_qTAKEI

*Referenced from www.wikipedia.org/monalisa 

A Birthday Ode to Ms Monroe

It's almost a week late but I would like to give a birthday ode to the film star Marilyn Monroe.

Monroe was born Norma Jeanne Baker on the 1st of June 1926 in Los Angeles, California and in 2012 would be celebrating her 86th birthday. I think it's unbelievable that had she lived, she would be the same age as Queen Elizabeth II. I find it hard as she never lived past thirty-six years old and therefore will always be remembered as a young, vibrant, beautiful woman.

Marilyn Monroe died of a drug overdose on August 5th 1962. There have been many speculations as to how she died. Some have ruled it as murder, others say she committed suicide. However despite her untimely death, Ms Monroe will always be remember for her peroxide blonde hair, her glamour, her beautiful body and her sugary sweet voice.

Happy belated birthday and may you rest in peace.



Marilyn Monroe

01/06/26 - 05/08/62

Sister Act

I first saw Sister Act: The Musical at the London Palladium in July 2010. Having been a fan of Whoopi Goldberg and the film, I was ecstatic to see it. Unfortunately, the show does not contain any of the songs in the film such as 'I Will Follow Him' but the score is fantastic and many of the musical numbers are humorous and feel good. From the joyful 'Raise Your Voice' to the delightfully hilarious 'Lady in the Long Black Dress' to the toe tapping, hand-clapping 'Spread the Love Around' the songs will certainly have you up dancing off your seats!

I went to see it again on Friday at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen with my mum, my friends Tony and Roslyn and Roslyn's nephew Samuel. It was totally unexpected, as Roslyn's mum and dad dropped out at the last minute, so instead my mum and I got their tickets. It was a fantastic night out and I would recommend it to anyone. It's a feel good musical, so if you're feeling down, Sister Act: The Musical is definitely a show to lift your spirits! Can I hear an amen!

I have covered a song from the show called 'The Life I Never Led' which is sung by the character Sister Mary Robert. The video is below:

P.S. Sister Act: The Musical runs at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen until the 19th of May, so if you live in the area and want to see the show, then get your tickets fast!

Labyrinth

I am a huge lover of fantasy films and one of my all time favourites is the 1986 cult classic Labyrinth. 

The film starts with fifteen year old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) being forced to look after her baby brother Toby. Fed up of her life, she tells him a story and accidentally wishes him away to the goblins and their leader, the Goblin King Jareth (played by David Bowie). Sarah has thirteen hours to find her way through the labyrinth Jareth has set for her, otherwise Toby will be turned into a goblin forever.

Along the way she meets three good friends: a grumpy dwarf called Hoggle, a huge friendly monster called Ludo and a chivalrous dog called Sir Didymus, who also rides a err... sheepdog called Ambrosius. Together they solve the mystery of the Labyrinth, but will Sarah manage to get through the final hurdle of defeating Jareth to rescue Toby?

There are some memorable scenes, including the ballroom dream scene, which is the most enchanting scene I have seen from a fantasy film. Sarah looks very beautiful in her silver gown and Jareth devilishly sexy in his eye make up and sparkling royal blue jacket. People may be scarred for life after watching this film, as David Bowie wears too-tight trousers in his role as Jareth! 

I recommend watching Labyrinth as it is a thoroughly enjoyable film. It is also made by the master of puppetry Jim Henson and it proves that you don't have to use CGI in films to make it outstanding. The use of puppets is so original and so fresh. If only films nowadays were like this.