Seen & heard: February

Seen...

 

1. A Chorus Line
Emma, Leanne and I 'watched' this on a recent DVD and pizza night.  I say 'watched', because as is the way with these things we actually spent most of the time gossiping rather than concentrating on the film, but as I pretty much know it off by heart it didn't matter too much. 

2. Because I Said So
I saw this film ages ago but can't have remembered much about it, because on second viewing I HATED it!  Diane Keaton, usually so appealing and relatable on screen, plays just about the most irritating character I've ever had the displeasure to view: a controlling mother who won't stop interfering in her youngest daughter's (played by Mandy Moore) life.  This is a terrible waste of a great cast.

3. Warm Bodies
I loved this book when I read it in November, so I was super-excited about the film release (especially because it stars the extremely hot Nicholas Hoult).  The movie is pleasingly faithful to the book; one of the things I was worried about was how they'd fully capture the humour of R's philosophical musings on being a zombie, but the voiceover does a good job.  Funny, sweet, romantic, exciting, gory... this would be a perfect date movie (as long as your date isn't too squeamish). 

4. The New Normal
I've been really enjoying this new sitcom on E4, despite it's tendency to indulge in cheesy platitudes at the end of each episode.

5. Funny People
I thoroughly enjoyed this comedy-drama, written and directed by Judd Apatow and starring his usual roster or actors (wife Leslie Mann, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill).  Adam Sandler essentially plays himself: a former cult stand-up comedian turned big budget sell-out, when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer he starts to re-examine his life, with the help of wannabe comic Rogen.  It's long (146 minutes, to be precise) but well worth watching.

6. Martha Marcy May Marlene
I loved this insidiously creepy film when I saw it last year at the cinema, and enjoyed it almost as much second time around.  The ambiguous ending will keep you thinking for hours afterwards.

Heard...

I was talking about music to my head of department the other day, and he was complaining that he hardly listens to female-fronted music anymore.  I have the opposite issue: at the moment I'm completely obsessed with female vocalists.

1. Jessie Ware's latest single, If You're Never Gonna Move, is totally my new jam.  I listen to it constantly, and I'm pretty sure everyone else in my department is sick to death of hearing it on repeat, but it is Such. A. Tune.

2. Don't Save Me by LA sisters Haim is still being played a lot round my way.

3. I finally found a copy of Lucy Rose's album (I'm doing my best to buy CDs only from indies, so no just clicking on 'Buy it now' on Amazon... I have to find a shop with what I want in stock, which is easier said than done it seems) and am loving it.