Espionage le spoof

I watched this again this weekend and I still adore this film.  Proof that Cameron and Arnie can not take themselves seriously and still make money!

And how can you go past an infamous striptease and Harrier jump jets?

I highly recommend revisiting:

TRUE LIES

PLOT: When a top notch spy suspects his wife of having an affair, he unwittingly involves her in a current, dangerous operation.

CAST: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Predator), Jamie-Lee Curtis (A Fish Called Wanda), Tom Arnold (Rosanne), Bill Paxton (Titantic), Art Malik (Sex & The City 2), Tia Carrere (Wayne's World), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse)

Watch the trailer

Like this? See

• Lethal Weapon
• Die Hard with a Vengeance

Ruffle some feathers

This is without a doubt my feel-good comedy experience.  Classic Robin Williams, the guaranteed excellence of Nathan Lane and an ALL STAR CAST! 

I simply adore Agador and his ministrations about the house.

Whenever I need a bit of silliness, I just visit...

THE BIRDCAGE

PLOT: When his son plans to wed the daughter of a conservative American senator, the owner of a successful cabaret club and his drag queen partner attempt to play it straight when the meet the potential new in-laws.

CAST: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Diane Weist, Hank Azaria, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Christine Baranski

Watch the trailer

Like this? See

• Death at a Funeral (UK version)
• Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
• In & Out

Noir is the new black

I've been appalling at posting lately so I have a couple of excellent film noir recommendations for you!

Let's make this quick and dirty -

First up a film I always meant to get around to hiring and having recently done so, simply cannot believe it's been under my radar so long.  Joseph Gordon Levitt is fast becoming a fave of mine for his consistently excellent performances.  Although it's difficult to do well, when a film successful approaches a strict genre like noir from a new angle, I just adore the work.

BRICK

PLOT:  A teenage loner attempts to navigate the local underworld to investigate the disappearance of the girl he loves.

CAST: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 Things I Hate About You), Emilie de Ravin (Remember Me), Nora Zehetner ("Grey's Anatomy")

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Classic noir will never date, and the second recommendation is a perfect example.  Released in 1997, it's as good today as the first time I watched it...

An all time great movie, this won Kim Basinger an Oscar and introduced Hollywood to the talents of a Gumleaf Mafia. 
I give you...

LA CONFIDENTIAL

PLOT: After closing the case of a shooting at a diner, three cops separately re-investigate when everything seems too neat.

CAST: Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn

LOCATED IN: Thriller

Watch the trailer here

Christian-ity

In recognition that he has FINALLY been nominated for an Oscar - albeit a supporting one - here is the first experience of the Bale that inspired a lifetime of devotion.

You know how much I love a decent period adaptation.  Well coming from a family of all girls, you can't go past this one...  But watch out for that fatal Claire Danes chin wobble.  It's a doozy!

LITTLE WOMEN

PLOT: The story of four sisters growing up in post-civil war America.

CAST: Winona Ryder (Black Swan, Edward Scissorhands), Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman, The Virgin Suicides), Claire Danes (Temple Grandin, The Family Stone), Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking), Samantha Mathis (Broken Arrow), Christian Bale (The Fighter, The Machinist), Eric Stoltz (Pulp Fiction)

DIRECTOR: Gilliam Armstrong (Charlotte Gray, My Brilliant Career)

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Like this? See

• Anne of Green Gables
• Pride & Prejudice
• Jane Eyre

Comedy is my religion

What happens when a rabbi and a priest walk into a karaoke store?  No, it's not the beginning of a joke but rather a very amusing rom-com directed by none-other than Edward Norton himself.

My mother got me onto this DVD and I went right out and bought it the next day.  It's just really charming and has an amazing supporting cast also.

PS - Rick Springfield will never been the same for you again!

KEEPING THE FAITH

PLOT: Jake and Brian, friends since grade school, have both pursued a career in their respective religions.  But when an old friend comes back into their lives they each begin to question their relationship with her and how their faith impacts on this... Cue hilarity!

CAST: Edward Norton (The Italian Job, Fight Club), Ben Stiller (Reality Bites, Meet the Parents), Jenna Elfman (EdTV, "Dharma & Greg")

DIRECTOR: Edward Norton

Watch the trailer

Like this? See

• Definitely Maybe
• The Terminal
• While You Were Sleeping
• Hope Floats

For the winos

I live with a former wine rep and as such it's a pleasing occasion when our two passions combine - vino and cinematique.  So this month in deference to him, here are my favourite wine flicks.  Grab a bottle of your fave plonk and enjoy...

The first film is certainly more well known than the second if only because it won the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Golden Globe as well as an Oscar winning screenplay (it was also nominated for 4 other Academy Awards).  Personally I prefer the second film to the bromance ;) and I just can't resist a bit of Alan Rickman and a Doobie Brothers soundtrack!

SIDEWAYS

PLOT: To escape the disappointments of their lives, on the eve of Jack's marriage, his former college roommate, a passionate wine connoisseur, takes him on a tour of the Napa Valley.

CAST: Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist, John Adams), Thomas Hayden Church (Easy A), Virginia Madsen (), Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy")

Watch the trailer

BOTTLE SHOCK

PLOT: In the early days of Californian vintners, a stuffy Englishman set out to prove a Californian wine could beat a French one in a now infamous blind tasting in 1976.

CAST: Alan Rickman (Harry Potter, Love Actually), Chris Pine (Derailed, Star Trek), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping)

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Take a trip with me

I've been terribly slack the past month so I'm going to endeavour to catch up...

This week I'm recommending a flick I stumbled across and absolutely loved.  It's hardly an Oscar contender but it is a great 2 hours of entertainment.  Plus it's based on the book by Michael "Jurassic Park" Crichton and has an all star cast including a early roles for Anna Friels, Gerard Butler, Michael Sheen and Martin Csokas.

Check out:
TIMELINE

PLOT: After a corporation accidentally discovers a wormhole in time, a group of archaeologists travel back to the 14th century to rescue their trapped professor only to find they've arrived right in the thick of an historical battle between the French and English armies.

CAST: Paul Walker (Fast & Furious) Billy Connolly (The Man Who Sued God), Gerard Butler (300), Frances O'Connor (Mansfield Park), Ethan Embry (Can't Hardly Wait), David Thewlis (Harry Potter III)

Watch the trailer