Italy on a budget

My handsome hubby delighted me with this week's movie on DVD. It's a real favourite of mine due to its charming story of self discovery, regardless of romanticism. Based on the memoirs of Frances Mayes.

I highly recommend...

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN

Dir: Audrey Wells

Cast: Diane Lane (Unfaithful), Sandra Oh (Sideways), Lindsay Duncan (Lost in Austen)

Plot: While on vacation in Italy, a recently divorced writer buys a villa on a whim in the hope it might start a change in her life for the better (imdb).

Watch the trailer 

Nun too bad

So it's been quite awhile since my last post. My apologies, that's what happens when you love your job, buy a house then have a baby.

But we are back in business with a new look and to celebrate, I'll keep it short and sweet. This is the best film I've seen of late, recommended over and over again to me I finally saw it and wow! I never really got the hoopla about Jeremy Renner. He was great in The Hurt Locker and I always liked him in SWAT but with his aggressive performance in The Town, I'm on the bandwagon!
Affleck really made his mark behind the camera with Gone Baby Gone, a gritty twist on whodunit. The Town is dark, humanistic and you won't guess where it's going... Plus lovely throwbacks to Point Break ;)

THE TOWN

Dir: Ben Affleck

Cast: Ben Affleck (Argo), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Rebecca Hall (The Prestige), Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Plot: Falling for the victim of his last heist and with a determined FBI agent closing in, bank robber Doug attempts to avoid that one last job that could end it all.

Watch the trailer

Like this?  See

• Heat
• Layer Cake
• Point Break

Maximum security space

Remember when action films had the thinnest of plots, basically just a premise, but they were incredibly fun?! They starred some geezer hired for physique over acting chops? Villians were vile and even a bit mental? And the hero took smart arsery to a whole new level?

Now picture a film with all this but a truly talented actor at the helm. This is Lockout. The trailer had me in the first comeback! And a pretty rip snorting cast too.

I highly recommend a romp with...

LOCKOUT

Dir: James Mather & Stephen St Leger

Cast: Guy Pearce (Prometheus, LA Confidential), Maggie Grace (Taken)

Plot: A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the President's daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates.

Watch the trailer 

Like this? See\

• The Last Boy Scout
• Die Hard
• True Lies

First man?

This one can be a tad hard to get but is worth it if you can! A wicked little Irish comedy.

About Adam

CAST: Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned), Kate Hudson (Bride Wars), Frances O'Connor (Timeline), Charlotte Bradley (Veronica Guerin)

PLOT: Lucy has met the man of her dreams, Adam. But Adam has a talent for seduction. Just ask her sisters, her brother and her brother's girlfriend!

Watch the trailer

Like this? See

• Love Actually
• Tamara  Drew

Rockin' Robin

I am a big Mel Brooks fan and although most of these jokes will go over the heads of your average kid, the silliness won't!  I have a massive old school crush on the lead so may be biased but this remains a classic in our house.

Check out...

Robin Hood: Men In Tights

DIR: the legendary Mel Brooks (The Producers, Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles)

CAST: Cary Elwes (Saw, The Princess Bride), Roger Rees (The West Wing), Richard Lewis,  Amy Yasbeck (The Mask), Tracey Ullman, Patrick Stewart (Star Trek!), Dom DeLuise

PLOT:  When Robin returns from the Crusades, he is appalled to discover the life he knew to be over.  He must rise to the occasion and vanquish those responsible for his family's demise and get reacquainted with his long lost love... with singing.... in tights!

Watch the trailer

Or here's just a taste!

And if you struggle with some of the references, check out...

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

While I can't stand Kev-Cost I maintain that Alan Rickman is still one of the greatest villains of all time!  Plus this flick also has my fave Bryan Adams track and teenage crush!

PLOT: [Really?  You don't know the plot of Robin Hood? Get outta here!!]

CAST: Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Perfect Storm), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Morgan Freeman (), Christian Slater (Broken Arrow), Michael Wincott (Alien Resurrection)

Watch the trailer

The Last Rainforest?

Having recently spent a bit of time not far from the National Park from which this recommendation got its name, I thought it fitting, being school holidays, to recommend one of my favourite kids movies.  Educational and even topical. Plus a bat voiced by Robin Williams - can't go wrong really!!

Excellent cast (including cameo voices from Ton Loc, Cheech & Chong etc) and terrific soundtrack.  Plus brilliant colours and characters.
Check out...

Fern Gully

CAST: Samantha Mathis (Broken Arrow), Christian Slater (Windtalkers), Tim Curry (Home Alone 2), Robin Williams (Aladdin),
 
PLOT: A city kid helps a group of fairies save their rainforest home after he and some loggers accidentally unleash their destructive enemy, Hexxus.

Watch the trailer

Like this? See

• A Bug's Life
• How to Train Your Dragon

Thy Kingdom Come

You know my affinity for a good epic.  Now I'll concede that Orlando Bloom may annoy the crap out of you.  But here's a few excellent reasons to see this recommendation:
From the director of Gladiator and Alien, starring a former bond girl, 2 former gruff lions, 2 former werewolves, 2 former elves, and one of the greatest actors of his generation though you may not pick it's him right away!  Watch it if you love Gladiator, King Arthur, Lawrence of Arabia.
Check out....

Kingdom of Heaven

DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott

CAST: Orlando Bloom (PoTC), Eva Green (Casino Royale), Jeremy Irons (Appaloosa), Liam Neeson (Taken), Marton Csokas (Alice in Wonderland), Michael Sheen (The Queen), David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges)

Watch the trailer

Like this? See

• Master & Commander
• Gladiator
• Centurion

I'll be super impressed if you can tell me who plays this character just by their voice (without a google/imdb search)!