Seen & heard: September

Seen...

 

1. Filled with stock characters who never undergo much development and about whom we know very little, apart from that which is relevant to move the plot forward, I nevertheless really enjoyed I Give It A Year. Filled with crude, laugh-out-loud moments (three words, "tits or face," will haunt me for a while), it was a superior rom-com and perfect for a lazy Friday night in.  What on earth did they do to the gorgeous Anna Faris, though, to turn her into such a cliche of the frumpy girl-next-door?!

2. Silver Linings Playbook was the first film in a while that I've been unable to finish.  After about 40 minutes, we decided to switch it off and just read the wiki entry to find out how it ended! I'm hard-pressed to say exactly what left me cold about the film, except that I found the characters hard to sympathise with or connect with. Did you love this film; am I missing something?

3. About Time was really wonderful.  Just as Hollywood blockbusters don't present a realistic portrayal of American families and homes, I don't go to a Curtis film for social realism. I go for the posh-but-wacky characters, the bumbling heroes who win the girl, beautiful shots of London, and gorgeous bohemian upper class houses.  You get all of this with About Time, but also more.  What started as a classic 'girl-meets-time-travelling-boy' (btw, what is it with Rachel McAdams and time travellers?), becomes a love story about parents and children, about memory and loss.  Massively worth seeing, but take the tissues.

4. If you asked me what I was looking forward to most - The Boy coming back to Leicester, or us being able to start watching the Game Of Thrones boxset - I would have been hard-pressed to answer.  But, although having my boyfriend living in the same country has been nothing but wonderful, I'm slightly underwhelmed by GoT.  Is it because I know exactly what's going to happen at all times?  I've read the first book so recently, that I'm constantly being the irritating viewer who winces before something happens, or who pipes up, "that's not how it is in the book." 

5. I'm a long-time fan of Alan Partridge, and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa did not disappoint. I thought it did a very good job of extending a half-hour TV show to a full-length film feature.

Heard...

1. Looking forward to seeing Midlake later in October, and to hearing their new album in November.
2. Hearing the rumours that Veruca Salt are recording new material - yay!
3. Listening to Wake Up, a collaboration between The Roots and John Legend.  Perfect music for chilling out with my boy.