The Holiday

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... The Holiday!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th February 2023

This movie came to me as something of a challenge. Because one thing that attracted me was the knowledge that it was a rom com with Jack Black in a key role. Nothing special about that you might think but the writer/director, Nancy Meyers, said the role she gave Jack was one especially written for him. Personally I feel that Jack Black can only play one character so to see him try something different is certainly welcome.

So what we have here is a Christmas movie (two months late I know but stay with me here) where a British woman (Kate Winslet) and an American woman (Cameron Diaz) switch houses and the adventures they have in the other country.
So yeah, I liked this one. Some say the rom-com may be cheesy and archaic but there still much to admire in this movie. Winslet is fun to watch, Black certainly stretches out to try something new and Diaz does this shtick with ease. There's some great laughs and these characters are treated with an empathetic eye. Sure it may be predictable but I will certainly welcome any rom-com that takes it's subjects seriously and doesn't really on gross-out humour and embarrassing situations - must be that feminine touch at play here.
You know, on the DVD case, there's the a critic quote that says that this is better than Love Actually. And I will not contest it.

Sing Street

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Sing Street!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th February 2023

Anyone heard of this? It's a an Irish movie from 2015, telling the story of a Dublin lad who sets out to form a band. Yes we all know the story of teens that form a band (ie School of Rock and K-On!) so what does this movie bring to the table?

To me this movie' strengths lie in it's setting and the music (of course). In it's setting, we see a Dublin in the mid-eighties, what with accents and slang all over the place as well as a glimpse of life in the working class. It may not be pretty but the less-than-glamourous lifestyle gives the film some grittiness which is both different and welcome.
As for the music, we get a whole clutch of UK bands from the era (ie the Clash, the Jam, the Cure, Duran Duran). As this was my era of youth, one would think this would be up my alley. And I will certainly welcome any movie that shows us eighties music without succumbing to the obvious. It's also fun to see our protagonist absorbing what he learnt from hearing new acts.
And our protagonist has an older sibling that proves to be a vital force in his musical education - something that resonates with me
So yeah great movie. And it's also fun to see Aidan Gillen in this too.

Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th February 2023

So again we head into the anime well to tackle the latest entrant in a widely-known franchise. meaning we have a niche of a niche here.

For the non-anime geeks among us, Sword Art Online is a widely-known franchise. But it is also quite the polarising one. It has it's fans sure but it has it's haters who cite dull characters, poor plotting, squandered potential and that the abridged series was a considerable improvement.
Personally, I have a soft spot for Sword Art Online as it was the first anime i saw after a number of years away from the medium. It reignited my interest in anime and, later on, proved to be a handy basis to build a relationship around.
That being said, am I aware of the arguments made against Sword Art Online? Yes.
Do I enjoy it regardless? Yes.
Do I think it's two leads, Kirito and Asuna, are a couple worth shipping? Yes.
Do I wish that the makers ditched the rest of potential love interests and focus on these two? Dear God Yes..

And as it happens it helps to be a fan of franchise because in regards to this movie, it provides what you expect. It doesn't do anything different and it won't win over any of it's critics. It's playing to the fandom which is nice if you're in on it but meaningless if you're not.
Its Sword Art Online on autopilot which, as I type those words out, makes me realise how depressing such a notion is.

Brooklyn

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Brooklyn!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd February 2023

Once again, this is a case of a movie that had been on my 'to watch' list for so long I'd forgotten why I put it therein the first place. But I am glad I did around to watching this.

What we have here is a story of an Irish woman who leaves Ireland for opportunities in New York. And right off the bat, this is a unique take as a lot of immigrant stories are male-led - rare is the immigrant story that is female led. And you know what? This movie is indeed marvellous. The location footage is astonishing, the portrayal of Irish in New York is well done and our lead, Saoirse Ronan, does a magnificent job. And, as is often the case, it is not the story that is told but HOW it is told.
Truly a very beautiful movie.