REVIEW: Pitch Perfect 2

Hi chums!

It's been a while since I've been to the cinema to watch a musical, so this was a long awaited film for me - as in, it's been in my calendar since about March!

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It's no secret that I love musicals and since Pitch Perfect I also have a new found love for acappella! This film was fairly different from the first, it was still mainly focused around Beca but Fat Amy has a bit more screen time too which is always  good! 

Much to my enjoyment the 'rift off' was back but in a different form, and there are several familiar faces back too - not just the ones that are on the film poster - so look out for those!

As seen in the trailer there is a more cultural feel to this film and the German singers are INCREDIBLE, the first song they sing which can be heard in the trailer is almost haunting it's so good!

The only things I didn't like about this film as much was the occasional sexual and racist comments made - no harm is meant by them, but I feel like a few too many are made.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film and it was so nice to have old and new characters joining together and creating so many cool songs!

Have you seen this film yet?

Abi :)

REVIEW: Insurgent

I watched this last weekend as part of my birthday and really enjoyed it - minus all the loud, jumpy gunshots (I'm a sensitive soul!). 

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It followed on nicely from the first film, Divergent, and what I liked most was that the relationship between Tris and Four really developed and they grew stronger as individuals too in order to fight and stand up to the evil Jeanine!

I thought Naomi Watts played a very good Evelyn (I'm not going to say what/who she is but you'll understand when you watch the film!) and I liked that Four's past was explored quite a bit, as we knew quite a lot about Tris after the first film and so I think it was right to explore Four a bit more in this film.

Another thing I really liked was the sense that everything was so dramatic and that time really was of the essence, without giving too much away, time really is running out for Tris as she's desperate to not be found as Jeanine tries to hunt her down (not personally though of course!)

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The only thing I didn't like was the ending as I felt like the film series could have just ended there, maybe the third film will follow on nicely but the cliffhanger ending I was anticipating didn't arrive.

Overall, I really did enjoy this film (as jumpy as it was for me) and I am looking forward to seeing the final chapter on screen (hopefully) next year by the sounds of it!

Abi :)

What I Did For My Birthday

Hi chums!

I had probably the best birthday yet last weekend so I thought I'd tell/show you what I got up to!

This has to be one of the nicest things to wake up to on your birthday! I got so many lovely and feel so lucky, if you haven't already and you're interested then check out what I got in my previous post!

Birthday cake!

I then drove to Cabot Circus (Bristol) where my boyfriend and I did a bit of shopping before going to the cinema and watching Focus - it was very good!

We then went to Za Za Bazaar which was lovely and then went out for a few drinks!

The next day was a lot more relaxing, we went to a spa in Gloucester where we had a back, neck and shoulder massage and full use of their pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room! After that we got a lunch which was included in our pay package so that was nice! In the evening we drove back to Somerset and went to see Insurgent, this was so good but very jumpy for someone whose not too keen on loud noises!

The last day of the weekend was spent at the beach to enjoy the sunshine! We also went to an arcade where we lost all of our money on 2p machines!!

Abi :)

Review: Into The Woods

I know I'm late to jump on this bandwagon BUT I did actually watch this a couple of weeks back and have only just come about to write my review!

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When I saw the trailer for this I knew right away I'd want to see it: a musical, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick and many more famous faces - what more could I want!? Oh yeah, the fact it's DISNEY!!

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The film is very clever in the sense that it captures many fairy tales and puts them all into one, there's elements of: Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella and Jack and The Beanstalk. The film is actually based on the Broadway musical going by the same name which I thought was very cool and how amazing would it be to see this live on stage!?

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The basic synopsis is that a baker and his wife wish desperately for a child but a witch has laid a curse on them and only if they bring her: a cow as white as milk, a slipper as pure as gold, hair as yellow as corn and a cape as red as blood will the curse be lifted! You can probably already picture the individual fairy tales just by that list but what I liked was the fact that I thought I knew what the film would be like and then suddenly other characters are revealed and more events occur and it keeps the audience on the edge of their seat!

Overall, I really liked this film and will now be taking some of the songs with me for my road trip around Europe!!

Abi :)

REVIEW: The Imitation Game

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Last year the town down the road from me was buzzing: there was so much traffic and a lot of delays and  it looked as though it was a town from decades ago, the reason: they were filming The Imitation Game (eek!) A few of the local boys I know were actually extras in the film too (in the flashback scenes from the school) so that was super cool to know!

I've always been a fan of biopics and films based on real events so wanted to watch this when I saw the trailer a few months ago. The film is based on the life of Alan Turing who was a great mathematician and computer scientist and during the Second World War worked for the British Government to break German ciphers (codes). I can't really say much more than that without spoiling the film, but the film does explore Turing's relationships and sexuality which is nice as it allows the film to be more accessible to people (like me) who don't really understand coding and Enigma. 

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a very convincing Turing with mood swings and varied emotions displayed throughout the course of the 114 minute film. If you're a Downton Abbey fan (also like me!) you'll recognise Allen Leech who plays John (plays Tom in Downton) in the film and is also another very interesting character...

The film has been nominated for a whopping 8 Oscars including Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. I'd really recommend this film to anybody who loves biopics, Benedict Cumberbatch or anything to do with World War Two!

Abi :)

Review: Annie

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As some of you may know, I LOVE MUSICALS so when I saw the trailer for this film I really really wanted to see it! It's a remake of the original and some things have changed a lot, Annie herself is physically very different from the original Annie which I think is good as this film really captures the multicultural society we all live in. 

I loved the songs, my favourites include: "Tomorrow", "It's a Hard Knock Life" and "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here" the songs aid the upbeat feel to the film, however I did feel that because the songs are quite old and already well-known, performing them in a 21st century set up seemed a little mismatched. 

I think the time in which this version of Annie is set also means that some of the characters are less realistic and believable for example Cameron Diaz's character Hannigan should (in my opinion) be a lot like Ms Trunchbull from Matilda during the majority of the film, so having an actress like Cameron Diaz playing her made this character less believable for me. 

Overall though, this is a feel good film and the songs are great to sing along to as well as enjoying a happy ending!

Abi :)

Review: Paddington

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The other day my boyfriend and I went to Bristol to soak up some of their Christmassy atmosphere, whilst there we went to The Vue to watch Paddington which I had been wanting to see for a while. We paid a little bit extra so that we had VIP seats which were leather, spacious and SO comfortable!

Although only a PG I fudging LOVED this film! I thought it was so funny (my secret inside childishness came out) and I loved how they made London look so lovely and scenic, from the streets of London to the tourist hot spots to the inside of the Natural History Museum it was cool to watch a film on screen with places I had been to and walked myself. 

Paddington himself was very cute and his clumsy ways reminded me of myself, his naive and innocent perspective and manner was very endearing too.

This is another film with a very good cast with Hugh Bonneville delivering some of the funniest lines whilst Nicole Kidman (who is one of my favourite actresses) was the 'baddy.' 

Have you seen this film yet?

Abi :)

My 2014 Favourites

TV Programmes

Eastenders
Scott and Bailey

Waterloo Road

Holby City

Silk

Songs

Let It Go - Frozen

Hopeful - Bars and Melody

Outside - Calvin Harris ft Ellie Goulding

Don't - Ed Sheeran

Thinking Outloud - Ed Sheeran

Ghost - Ella Henderson

Rude - MAGIC!

All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor

Films

The Theory of Everything

Cuban Fury

Before I Go To Sleep

22 Jump Street
Paddington

Food

Apples

Green grapes

Mandarins

Cadbury's Chocolate

M&M's

Scents

Yellow Diamond (Versace)

Mist You Madly (Soap and Glory)

Makeup

Great Lash Mascara (Maybelline)

Anti Blemish Solutions Foundation (Clinique)

Makeup brushes (Sleek)

What are your favourites of 2014?

Abi :)

REVIEW: Gone Girl

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I really enjoyed this film, I read the book and loved it - you can read my review on the book HERE - it was the first time in a while I'd read a book to a film before I'd watched it!

There are a few differences between the book and the film which is inevitable, there was a lot more blood than I anticipated especially towards the end of the film and the film itself it quite visually dark reflecting the dark characters and story line. 

Another thing I loved about the film was the music and underscores especially in eerie and tense moments it aided the scenes very well and added a lot of tension to the already tense moments!

As some of you may know I LOVE CATS (as stated here, here and here!) and there's a gorgeous ginger one in this film which you get to see lots in the film so I was more than delighted!

Abi :)

REVIEW: The Theory of Everything

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I LOVED THIS FILM!

It is about the life of Stephen Hawkins - predominantly the marriage to his first wife - it is both entertaining and touching and brought tears to my eyes in many parts of the film. The cast is exquisite with Eddie Redmayne (who is stepping more into the limelight and playing a number of parts to perfection), Felicity Jones Maxine Peake and Emily Watson too. 

I love the amateur/vintage type shots (watch the film and you'll know what I mean!) as they give a nice realistic insight into Stephen Hawking's private life. The film is also very cinematic and colourful which I really like, it's a nice film to watch even if you don't understand all the scientific language spilling from the mouths of the characters!

It has so far been nominated for four Golden Globes and there is Oscar buzz surrounding the film too, one for Eddie Redmayne me thinks!

I would strongly recommend this film for anyone who loves a romantic, biopic or entertaining film!

Abi :)

Lifestyle Ladies Award

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I was amazed to see that I had been nominated for this award by Hattie and I am so grateful - thankyou!

Here are my answers:

Who would play you in the movie of your life?
Hmm...Meryl Streep maybe, because she's a good, versatile actress so could do a good job of conveying all my emotions haha!

Are there any lyrics that have stayed with you through your life so far?
None that spring to mind, but usually when I listen to a song I can agree with and relate to the lyrics, loving All About That Bass at the moment!

What is your go-to film/TV show that always makes you feel better?
Mamma Mia or Pitch Perfect! I love musicals!!!

Which Disney Princess do you relate to most?
Urm..not too sure I look a bit like Belle with brown hair but that's about it haha!

Do you watch YouTubers? If so, who are your favourites?
Yup, Zoella, Fashionrocksmysocks and just some other random ones!

Would you rather be a writer, singer, painter or actor?
WRITER EVERYTIME!!

What is your favourite starbucks drink?
Caramel Frapuccino but I had a Pumpkin Spiced Latte the other day which was very nice!
If you could learn to speak any language in a minute which one would you choose?
Spanish as it's the most widely spoken language and I took it as a GCSE, I wish I could be fluent in another language!

Are you a cat person or dog person?
I LOVE CATS!!!!!!!!

If you could be any supernatural creature, which one would you be?
Urm..I don't know maybe a witch because they have a cat...I'm obsessed with cats haha!

I nominate (a different) Harriet from Confessions of Harriet!

Hope you enjoyed this chums!

Abi :)

Harry Potter TAG

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Genevieve created this and I thought I'd give it a go!

1. First experiences of Harry Potter? Probably when the first two films used to be on TV
2. Which film have you watched the most? Probably The Chamber Of Secrets as they ALWAYS seem to show that one on ITV!
3. What was your favourite Harry Potter film? Probably the fifth one, the Order of the Phoenix because it's where everything seems to get quite a bit darker
4. Favourite moment out of all Harry Potter films? Probably in the last film where you really see what Professor Snape is really like: a lovely character!
5. If you could be any character from Harry Potter who would you be and why? Hmm Luna Lovegood I thing as she always seems dreamy, happy and quirky and I thought she was very pretty too!
6. If you could learn one thing at Hogwarts what would it be? Either how to be invisible or how to travel in time...probably the last one!
7. Favourite teacher at hogwarts? Professor McGonagall, she was like a Mother to Harry and all the students really and I love Maggie Smith!

I tag anyone reading this!

Abi :)

Views, Beach, Cinema and Famous Actors!

Last week I went to a place called Ham Hill, it’s basically a high up area where you can look down on the surrounding towns and villages. The hills looked so green in the evening sun and there were lots of pretty pink and purple flowers I wish I knew the name of!

We then went to Bridport and saw Broadchurch being filmed which was a nice surprise although we inevitably weren’t allowed to take photos of what was being filmed. Further down the beach there was a bigger surprise awaiting us. David Tennant, Olivia Coleman, Arthur Darvill and many other actors and actresses were doing a photo shoot for the highly anticipated second series! After a quick dinner of cheesy chips which were sooo good, we headed back to our home town to go to the cinema.

We watched Before I Go To Sleep which I really liked however I did find it a bit scary and jumpy in some parts! The cast was very strong and I thought Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth made an excellent team acting together to convey the eerie plot! 

Abi :)

My Favourite...Actresses

Hi chums here's another favourites post with a list of my favourite actresses (obviously I couldn't give you an extensive list so these are a few that spring to mind!)

Zooey Deschanel

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Celia Imrie
Jennifer Saunders
Rebel Wilson
Sandra Bullock

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Nicole Kidman

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Meryl Streep
Emma Thompson

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Melissa McCarthy
Renee Zellweger

Hope you enjoyed this!

Abi :)

The Great Gatsby Book Review

I've recently got back into reading again (I haven't read a book properly in about a year!) and read The Great Gatsby I actually really enjoyed it. The first chapter is quite difficult to get into, but stick with it because it is a very good book and it's short too (less than 200 pages) so won't take long to read!

One of the things I love about the book is the description, when talking about the parties the description is incredible enough to create a vivid picture of the scene in my head. "In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars." I just think it's such a unique and original way to describe the party and the coming and going of guests, just beautiful - and this sort of vivid description flows through the entire book!

I also love how the author (F. Scott Fitzgerald) writes in a way that is quite poetic yet truthful and as a result many of the books phrases and lines are used as quotes. My favourites are:

"That's the best thing a girl can be in this World a beautiful fool"

"Gatsby looked at Daisy in a way that every young girl wanted to be looked at"

"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead"

The famous last sentence of the book!

If you haven't seen the film I'd really recommend it! I love the costumes and the music in it and obviously Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan are both very good! I'll leave the trailer here: 

If you haven't read the book or watched the film I'd really recommend them!

Abi :)

Official Fifty Shades of Grey Trailer

Hi chums!

Yesterday the official Fifty Shades of Grey trailer was released, ready for the anticipating eyes belonging to the loyal fans who have waited months for this. For those who (somehow) don't know, Fifty Shades of Grey is a trilogy written by E.L.James which soon became bestsellers across the World. 

The books follow the...um...erotic (shall we say!) relationship between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey - hence 50 Shades of Grey - and they both discover different dimensions of not only their relationship but also themselves. 

You can watch the trailer here:

Personally I'm really looking forward to it. I read all the books - it was all ANYONE was reading so I had to jump on the bandwagon - I borrowed my friends books which had been passed round most of the year! I enjoyed them quite a lot: they're well-written and always had cliffhangers and twists and turns throughout the story. Whilst watching the trailer I also found the Film Blog of The Guardian had done a review on it. THIS is the review, it's a good read and very entertaining! 

The film is out Valentines Day 2015 - let the countdown begin!

Abi :)

Drawings of UP!

People always seem to love the question 'what are your hobbies?' even filling in a job application usually requires you to give some insight into what you do in your spare time! I don't really have many 'hobbies' as such, I just tend to do whatever I fancy doing! Sometimes it's playing my keyboard, drawing or listening to music.

So I thought I'd share with you some drawings I've done of UP - I went through a massive phase of the film, I love it!

Abi :)

Sex and the City - Review

HI!

The other night I was feeling quite tired but it was embarrassingly early to go to bed so I decided to hunt through my collection of films: I chose Sex and the City. 

It's set in New York and follows the lives of  four women; Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York and Miranda Hobbes. 

And so it begins!

What I love about this film is that is shows different variations of relationships. It's a fact universally acknowledged that no relationship is 'perfect.' Miranda in particular is a career driven woman and she starts to put her job before her relationship - something which I personally feel is just seriously not okay. But the truth is, that is what some people do and the film reflects that.

So stressed is Miranda about work she doesn't even notice what's on her lip!

One of the scenes I love is when Carrie is trying to sort her wardrobe out - with the help of her friends, some sneaky champagne and a casual catwalk! 

I love that forty-something Sarah Jessica Parker looks about twelve in this scene - so adorable!

Further on in the film Steve (Miranda's husband) confesses to her that he's slept with someone else as a result of not getting enough love and attention at home due to her ridiculous work ethic. Obviously Miranda is furious - the father of her son has just cheated on her after all - but my point is what did she expect? If you don't make someone feel wanted is it not foreseeable that they'll just look for love and attention elsewhere? It may be surprising to some that as a girl I don't take Miranda's side, but I honestly hold very little sympathy for her in this scene.

I really feel for Steve in this scene - he knows he's done a bad thing and has apologised profusely

As if one crisis wasn't enough. Carrie and Big (can't get my head around this name!) decide to get married but days before the wedding Big begins to get cold feet and on the day of his wedding he desperately rings Carrie who is oblivious to her future husbands mindset and is in bliss in her Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. When Carrie finally rings Big after seeing he's not at the wedding she realises he's not coming at all...In a way I really really love this part in the film, I love the way that the girls rally round Carrie to hurl her away from anymore humiliation.

The girls rush Carrie out of her wedding - girl power!

Carrie is clearly not to be messed with

One of the lighter and funnier moments is when Charlotte drinks some shower water accidentally and ends up pooing herself in front of her friends! It even makes Carrie laugh for the first time since her (non existent) wedding day.

The facial expressions she pulls in this scene are Oscar worthy!

One of my favourite characters in this scene is Carrie's assistant Louise played by Jennifer Hudson. I love how passionate she is about love - if only there were more people like her in the World!

Doing her thaaang!

Perfectly placed sushi...

I found this sushi scene hilarious! The fact that it's (literally) the ONE time Samantha has done anything for another person and in the end she ends up eating the sushi off her own body because she's waited there for hours - sods law!

Overall, I really liked this film it definitely has the right balance between humour and some more emotional scenes which I think females in particular would have no problem relating to. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone who has maybe not watched the film - all I can say is that it's almost like a fairytale ending...

Hope you enjoyed this review - hope to do another one soon!

Abi :)

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