Tag Archives: Rebecca Perfect Presenter

What are you watching at the cinema this weekend? @thereelfilmshow brings you #gonein60 #film #movies #whattowatch

7 Mar

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Well things are really starting to take shape for the team at The Reel Deal. Huge thank you to all that have so far been involved. But as you probably know by now, Friday is indeed Film Friday and I’m lucky enough to give you a micro movie review of what’s hot and what’s not at the cinema each week.

So if you want to have your own pocket size guide on what to watch at the cinema, then here it is, Gone in 60 Seconds. Its a short, sharp action packed look at what launches in your local multiplex week on week. This week is no exception, we’ve got testosterone heavy men shouting all sorts of homoerotic sayings in one of the films, a trip to an all star quirky quirky hotel in another, and something shooting straight out of errr…Mexico!

Now if you’re after more film fun, then we’ve got new strands of content launching too, including Joe’s Public, where presenter Joe Forrester goes around making the good people of London do lots of silly things to do with films.

And we also lots of fun additional footage coming your way too, for instance, here’s our very first junket interview for hit US comedy Ride Along.

This is just the start of our brand new channel, so make sure you subscribe, follow us on Twitter @thereelfilmshow and share to all your friends, The Reel Deal is all about real reviews and fun around films, so be a part of it too.

Thanks for your support. x

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Cinema costing you too much? Fancy a night out then try @vauxhallvillage this week #anniehall #moonrisekingdom #film

10 Feb

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When my friends told me it cost them £15 to go watch the Wolf of Wall Street this weekend, even though I’m a huge fan of the film, I was compelled to find somewhere SOMEWHERE that provided a much cheaper solution to watching great films for less. So, luckily I stumbled across Vauxhall Village.

Back for a second season, this company bring the big screen to original and unusual locations. This time round they’re turning a disused railway arch in Vauxhall into the tunnel of love for one weekend only. From the 13th 16th February film fans can come down to a mixture of screenings, ranging from the quirky art house and indie flicks, to the old school classics, as it seems that there’s something to suit all tastes!

So here’s the schedule:

February 2014

Thursday 13th – 7.30pm – Annie hall

Friday 14th –7.30pm – Romeo + Juliet (Baz Luhrmann)

Saturday 15th –2pm -Moonrise kingdom    4.30pm– Lost in translation   7.30pm – Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

Sunday 16th –2pm – Brief encounter   4.30pm– Breakfast at tiffany’s 7.30pm – Casablanca

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Who are Vauxhall Village? 

Vauxhall Village have previously brought us outdoor summer screenings in the pleasure gardens and festive delights in the railway arch, this time round love is definitely in the air. So its a great place to head down early to soak up the atmosphere, with friends, your other half, your family or your next door neighbour’s cat. They’ve got a bar so you can  sip champagne cocktail, in aid of Valentines day you can pick your loved one up some flowers at the flower stall, or just treat yourself to some chocolate fondue! Sounds like much more of a fun night out I think!

The films are being shown on a big screen at the back of the arch, comfy chairs, wireless headphones and cosy blankets will be provided.

Tickets – £7.50 from www.wegottickets.com/vauxhallvillage  with profits going to local homeless charity Thames Reach (even better!)

Make your Valentines day that little different this year and watch some fantastic films!

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Its #filmfriday so isn’t it time you hit the cinema? Here’s what’s on thanks to @thereelfilmshow #film #gonein60secs

31 Jan

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Yes film fans, its that time of the week (as in the end of the week – yippee!) And the fantastic team at The Reel Film Show have the best way of celebrating. Its a bite sized film show that brings you this weeks top films to watch at the cinema all in one whole minute!!!

Presented by little old me, this should be the only style guide you need to know your way around your local multiplex, so share it with your friends, and most importantly book that ticket to the cinema and watch some great movies!

Gone in 60 Seconds brings you the big movies that are being released every week and gives you a quick indication of whats hot at the cinema so you can make your mind up on what to watch over the weekend!

This week there’s something in it for everyone, boys, girls, cyclists!!! So make sure you tune in and subscribe to The Reel’s ace You Tube channel which is officially launching in the next two months. So beat the crowd and be part of a film going revolution!

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What are you watching at the cinema this weekend? @thereelfilmshow is here to help! #film #news

24 Jan

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So you may all remember that last week I posted a pilot of some content from a brand new film channel that I am presenting called The Reel.

Well, move over pilot and hello Episode 1! Sound fixed and every Friday you’ll be able to see my top recommendations for whats hitting the cinema each week. So, if you’re stuck for something to do this weekend, never fear Becks is here!

This week is totally action packed, there’s loads of great things going on at the cinema, so all I ask is you please support this show by sharing, following, tweeting (@thereelfilmshow) and subscribing. Also, it would be great to hear what YOU want from a film show.

In February we’re bringing you a bigger brighter version of a film show, hopefully something a little different that celebrates everything film has to offer from Independent Cinema, to fun facts and of course our very own thoughts on the big films coming out each week. So please do follow all the platforms which we’re posting on to stay tuned, if you love films then we’re creating this just for you!

Thanks for all your support and look out for Gone in 60 Seconds every Friday!

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The Gospel of Gekko, Wall Street and other stories told on film… #film #greedisgood

23 Jan

Greed

To celebrate not only last weeks release but also triumph at the box office, for the new Scorsese flick The Wolf of Wall Street, I thought I’d take a quick look down the road of all things Wall Street, and in essence I came to one big conclusion… Greed is Good!

Well, Gordon Gekko may have not necessarily been right but he was certainly on to something. As made clear by the recently revealed 2014 Academy Awards nominees the concept of greed remains a relevant (and prevalent!) topic in film. The reason being that we can all relate, on some level, to feelings of avarice. It’s not as if we must hold those feelings on any intimate level, but it’s merely the fact that money, more often than not, is seen as the solution to, and the reason for so many problems.

And in just the past seven years alone, there have been a number of notable films that dive headfirst into the topic to expose and investigate each and every part of it. A majority of these have been nominated for Oscars in the past and they’re now still available for you to view on either Blu-ray/DVD or through on-demand video services. One of them, the great American Gangster, is featured on the growing (and rather unique) Picturebox, where a panel of movie buffs handpicks the choices and rotates them every two months or so. This allows for a constantly fresh stream of films, which means other picks on this list should show up on there soon.

Now, here are seven movies about greed from the past seven years.

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There Will Be Blood (2007)– This best film nominee brilliantly portrayed goldminer Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) conversion to the oil business—and the immense lust for greed that came with it. All you have to do is remember the once-popular phrase “I drink your milkshake!”, which Plainview growled to make it clear that he would stop at nothing to take down every other oil man in Southern California.

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American Gangster (2007)– As is the case with any film of this ilk, American Gangster deftly examines greed through the activities of a crime lord and the police. It’s an gripping, true-to-life look at how avarice can lead to corruption (the cops) and inevitable downfalls (Denzel Washington’s Frank Lucas) in 1970s Harlem, New York.

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Greed serves as the driving force behind this Oscar winner through the juxtaposed lives of two brothers. One (Salim) sees money as the be-all, end-all solution and constantly chases it, no matter what. The other (Jamal) is fueled more by love. As you may guess, this leads to two very different outcomes for the siblings, with Salim struggling to overcome his feelings of avarice brought on by poverty.

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The Social Network (2010)– Rather than stick to greed in the purely monetary sense, the Social Network explores it through an unwavering desire to be accepted. That right there is the downfall of Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), who pushes away and pulls in everyone he can in his endless quest to fit in. It becomes clear that he doesn’t mind the money, either, but it’s not all about the bottom line.

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              Margin Call (2011)– In looking at the financial crisis that slammed the U.S. in 2007 and 2008, this slept-on indie film takes on the greed that spurred said issues. In particular, it presents a long night at the start of the crisis and how one investment banking firm “dealt” with it. The only downside is that Margin Call could have better presented how everyone else (the rest of the world) was impacted.

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American Hustle (2013)– In the context of this film, the subject of avarice deals more with ambition and the desire to capture the “American dream” of success and wealth. But the “hard work” done by the movie’s protagonists (played by Christian Bale and Amy Adams) is conning everyone they can, in particular the also-greedy politicians they are trying to take down with the FBI.

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The Wolf of Wall Street  (2014)– As the trailers have shown you, Martin Scorcese’s latest is all about living in excess after amassing millions through working on Wall Street. That overindulgence leads to more than money, though, as sex and drugs also play a major role. It’s basically a crash course in Greed 101.

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The Golden Globes, winners, losers and a few surprises! #film #awards #hollywood

13 Jan

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Well what a night it was last night. The first really big milestone (which most of the world is interested in – probably more because of the fashion than the film sadly!)  in the road to the Oscars. There were some expected big winners – Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave picking up the coveted Best Film award, Jennifer Lawrence scooping Best Supporting Actress, putting her front of the queue for an Oscar second year in a row, Cate Blanchette for her tour de force masterpiece in Blue Jasmine and Leonardo Di Caprio for his outstanding performance as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street (this picked up Best Actor in the Musical or Comedy section). It was also great to see Alfonso Cuaron picking up the Best Director award for the technically astonishing Gravity, the only other real contender to pip Steve McQueen to the Oscar post later this year – that will be an interesting race!Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 11.11.25

There were however a few surprises – which were totally deserved if not initially predicted. Firstly Matthew McConaughey picked up Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, something I thought was slightly missed off the BAFTA radar, but to be fair is going to be released in February so its understandable why its not yet nominated on this side of the pond, never the less greatly recognised in Hollywood and makes the Oscars race that little bit more unpredictable. I was however hoping for Chiwetel Ejiofor to scoop the Best Dramatic Actor award for 12 Years A Slave, and also something for Michael Fassbender in a supporting category, but they were both content supporting their director as he, rather unprepared and breathlessly accepted the Best Film win (as if he was really THAT surprised!) Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 11.07.41

Anyway, win, lose, it looked like a fantastic night with American Hustle doing very well and some of our homegrown talent being recognised across the pond – Idris you did very well!!!

What did you think of the Award winners, happy? Surprised? Annoyed? Let me know in the comments below, but for now, I’ll leave you with the full list of winners including the TV categories too (well done Breaking Bad and Michael Douglas for Behind the Candelabra!)

Film

Best Drama – 12 Years a Slave
Best Comedy/Musical – American Hustle
Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama): Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical): Leonardo DiCaprio –The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama): Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical): Amy Adams –American Hustle
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:  Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:  Jennifer Lawrence –American Hustle
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze – Her
Best Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty
Best Animated Film: Frozen
Best Score: Alex Ebert – All Is Lost
Best Song: “Ordinary Love” – Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

TV

Best TV Series (Drama): Breaking Bad
Best TV Series (Comedy): Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama): Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad
Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama): Robin Wright – House of Cards
Best Actor in a TV Series (Comedy): Andy Samberg – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Best Actor in a TV Series (Comedy): Amy Poehler – Parks And Recreation
Best Mini-Series or TV Movie: Behind The Candelabra
Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Movie: Michael Douglas – Behind The Candelabra
Best Actress in a Mini-Series or TV Movie: Elisabeth Moss – Top Of The Lake
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie: Jon Voight – Ray Donovan
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie: Jacqueline Bisset – Dancing On The Edge

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You’ll be howling at sheer brilliance of The Wolf of Wall Street! Here’s why… #film #review #filmreview

10 Jan

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After you’ve picked yourself up from your chair following the three plus hour rollercoaster ride of entertainment that is The Wolf of Wall Street, you’ll reflect (for hours, possibly even days) on what this film contained before coming to the inevitable conclusion that Di Caprio and Scorsese have a) the best bromance in Hollywood, and b) that The Wolf of Wall Street really is a modern day masterpiece.

Unbelievably, this is a true story and follows the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort a Long Island penny stockbroker who served 36 months in prison for defrauding investors in a massive 1990s securities scam that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world, including shoe designer Steve Madden.Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.35.59

Now this all sounds like thrilling, serious stuff, and of course it is, but cleverly intertwined with this is the knowledge that Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his merry band of stockbroker men, lived the most zany, outlandish lifestyle that really does only exist in the movies until their time is up.

Martin Scorsese is back to his very best in this punchy screen sensation that reminds us of the great and the good films from the late 1980’s and early 90’s. It’s hard not to describe this as Goodfellas meets Wall Street where DiCaprio plays our modern day Gordon Gekko to perfection! Although The Wolf of Wall Street is not for the feint hearted (it contains lewd behavior, copious amounts of drug taking, full frontal nudity and enough swearing to send your granny to an early grave) you cannot help but love and laugh through every minute of it!Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.34.43

Proving he’s the most qualified and under awarded man in Hollywood history Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off another stellar performance as Jordan Belfort, from the wide eyed rookie stock broker taken under the wing of Rothschild Bank to the greedy owner of his own unorthodox company, we see a true transformation of character right before our eyes, that will have us laughing and crying at the same time, and secretly urging him to come out OK in the end.

Jonah Hill again is perfectly cast as Belforts’ sidekick Donnie Azoff, the ‘loveable douchebag’ who supports his colleague and mentor to the end (sort of) and is often happy to remain the brunt of the jokes and rakes in the rewards of living this lavish lifestyle laid out for him. Margot Robbie is a surprise as the trophy wife Naomi Lapaglia who dons a fantastic New York accent and bombshell look to not only bring Jordan Belfort to his knees in lust, but to also secure her place as Hollywood hot property. Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.33.48

The only downside to The Wolf of Wall Street is that there are some excellent cameos throughout that you just wish would have hung around longer. Jean DuJardin plays the shrewd and straight talking Swedish banker who appears in the latter part of the film, and is a world away from his silent Oscar winning star in The Artist. But the real master cameo performance is Matthew McConaughey as Belforts’ first boss Mark Hana. In only a fraction of screen time, he captures the essence of the craziness of life on Wall Street in the late 80’s and hooks Di Caprio’s impressionable character onto the biggest drug of all, money. Its outlandishness will have you howling in your seat with laughter and re-creating a certain ‘chest chant’ for days to come!Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.35.11

The Wolf of Wall Street may be sexist, brash, punchy and full of what was wrong with the world pre-crash, but you’ve got to admit once watching this film, that they had one hell of a ball in their work hard, play hard lifestyles. The costumes, the humour, the references and the brilliant acting all captures this era perfectly, and with this creates, as previously stated, a modern masterpiece, three hours promises to whizz by like three minutes and you’ll be grinning and laughing all the way home. This film really has set the bar for 2014.

4.5 Stars

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Fancy yourself as a film maker? Are you a brilliant broadcaster? Then this is the competition for you… @onewm #journalism #filmmaking #film #movie #journalist #broadcaster

9 Jan

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Today sees the launch of two new categories: one for corruption reporting on any media platform, sponsored by Transparency International, and one for short film covering global issues in the One World Media Awards 2014.

This is the first year that all the One World Media Award categories are open to entrants from anywhere in the world, reflecting the truly global reach of modern media.

Now in their 26th year, the One World Media Awards have a long track record of rewarding excellence in media coverage of the developing world. They highlight the unique role of journalists, filmmakers and broadcasters in increasing cultural understanding and promoting fairness and justice worldwide.

The awards ceremony is attended each year by key figures from the media industry, education, government and development NGOs. The 13 award categories cover all media platforms, from television and radio to print and digital media. Highlights include the coveted International Journalist of the Year Award, won last year by Sue Lloyd-Roberts of BBC Newsnight, the New Voice Award given for young journalists under 32 years of age and the Special Award for an outstanding media organisation in the developing world making a real impact on people’s lives.

The 13 award categories for 2014 are:

International Journalist of the Year Award;

New Voice Award;

Radio Award;

Television Award sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

Press Award;

Digital Media Award, sponsored by Google;

Short Film Award;

News Award;

Popular Features Award;

Documentary Award sponsored by Bertha Foundation;

Student Award;

Corruption Reporting Award sponsored by Transparency International

Special Award.

Entry details

The closing date for entries is Wednesday 29th January.

For details of categories, eligibility, fees and how to enter, visit oneworldmedia.org.uk/awards.

The award ceremony will take place in London at Kings Place, London on Tuesday 6th May 2014.

 

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The London Critics Circle Film Awards announces its nominees! #film #filmtalent #movie #awards

17 Dec

 

Screen Shot 2013-12-17 at 14.02.52Celebrating the world of movies is starting to pick up pace with yet more awards announcements. The London Critics Circle Film Awards nominations are out and it looks like the fantastic 12 Years a Slave will lead the pack. In my mind its hard to see who will beat this for Best Film, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, however there are some strong competitors in Tom Hanks and surprisingly (but great!) Michael Douglas in Behind the Candelabra. It is however a huge shame not to see Idris Elba up there for what may well be the performance of his career in Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom, but unsurprisingly Naomi Harris is garnering much more buzz as Winnie.

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The race is still however wide open and there is definitely a long road to the Oscars, but these awards let us also celebrate some other great film offerings, my favourites have to be Filth in the best British film category, and great to see some nods for The Selfish Giant and the touching and superbly acted Philomena.

Here’s the list of nominations, who is your money riding on?

FILM OF THE YEAR
Blue Is The Warmest Colour
Blue Jasmine
Frances Ha
Gravity
The Great Beauty
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf Of Wall Street

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Blue Is The Warmest Colour
Caesar Must Die
Gloria
The Great Beauty
A Hijacking

BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
A Field In England
Filth
Philomena
Rush
The Selfish Giant

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
The Act Of Killing
Beware Of Mr Baker
Leviathan
Stories We Tell
We Steal Secrets: The Story Of WikiLeaks

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street
Michael Douglas – Behind The Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Adèle Exarchopoulos – Blue Is The Warmest Colour
Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years A Slave
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Tom Hanks – Saving Mr Banks
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Naomie Harris – Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave
June Squibb – Nebraska

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Christian Bale – American Hustle / Out Of the Furnace
Steve Coogan – Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa / The Look of Love / Philomena / What Maisie Knew
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave
Michael Fassbender – The Counsellor / 12 Years A Slave
James McAvoy – Filth / Trance / Welcome To The Punch

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Judi Dench – Philomena
Lindsay Duncan – About Time / Last Passenger / Le Week-End
Naomie Harris – Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Emma Thompson – Beautiful Creatures / Saving Mr Banks

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Conner Chapman – The Selfish Giant
Saoirse Ronan – Byzantium / The Host / How I Live Now
Eloise Laurence – Broken
George MacKay – Breakfast With Jonny Wilkinson / For Those In Peril / How I Live Now / Sunshine On Leith
Shaun Thomas – The Selfish Giant

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen – 12 Years A Slave
Paolo Sorrentino – The Great Beauty
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf Of Wall Street

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
Spike Jonze – Her
Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope – Philomena
John Ridley – 12 Years A Slave
Terence Winter – The Wolf Of Wall Street

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILMMAKER
Jon S Baird – Filth
Scott Graham – Shell
Marcus Markou – Papadopoulos & Sons
Rufus Norris – Broken
Paul Wright – For Those In Peril

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
American Hustle – Judy Becker, production design
Behind The Candelabra – Howard Cummings, production design
Filth – Mark Eckersley, editing
Frances Ha – Sam Levy, cinematography
Gravity – Tim Webber, visual effects
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Trish Summerville, costumes
Inside Llewyn Davis – T Bone Burnett, music
Stoker – Kurt Swanson & Bart Mueller, costumes
12 Years A Slave – Sean Bobbitt, cinematography
Upstream Colour – Johnny Marshall, sound design

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Gary Oldman

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Still out at the cinema and worth seeing Drinking Buddies @DBmovie @oliviawilde @MrJakeJohnson @AnnaKendrick47 #film #movie #review #LFF

15 Nov

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Drinking Buddies is set in and around the working and running of a brewery, where Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) are co-workers. She’s in a relationship with a wealthy older man (Ron Livingston) and his fiancé (Anna Kendrick) is keen to get their wedding plans moving along. Their friendship is very strong and they have a lot of similar interests, such as the beer they produce and they both share similar playful senses of humour. Their lifestyles revolve around drinking with their co-workers, and for the audience its hard to know whether or not what they share is friendship or something that little bit more.  Screen Shot 2013-11-15 at 15.27.20

The film is directed and produced by Joe Swanberg and is an honest and real depiction of friendships and relationships amongst late twenty-somethings. There is sexual tension, tomboyish playfulness and blurred lines around the line drawn between men and women who just enjoy each other’s company. The drama you witness within Drinking Buddies feels real and void of any “film like” over- dramatization; no dramatic realization that one person is with the wrong partner, and no overly thought out inner battles over whether or not each character should be with one another. Some would say it is exactly how you or I would deal with the various situations that present themselves – sit on them until absolutely necessary then apologize profusely! – With the right balance of humour, relatable trials and tribulations of modern day relationships and that awkward feeling where you’re pretty sure there’s underlying sexual tension between you and a friend – this film manages to capture issues that often burden the general public more than anything and yet depict it in such an enjoyable way.

Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson are incredibly believable as the lead characters who share this surface based brother/sister /best friend style friendship; and a lot of this is to do with the heavily improvised scenes which not only make the audience feel like they’re catching a glimpse through the keyhole of a group of peoples lives but also help you to dispel any potential distaste towards Wildes beautiful and likeable girl next door persona. You can understand why Luke likes Kate, she’s one of the boys, and is always the one up for some fun. What you do question within this film is why there isn’t any suspicion or doubt from each of their characters other halves. Their tactile approaches to each other can be a little hard to swallow sometimes and yet you’re still routing to see if they eventually take the brave step to cross that all important line.Screen Shot 2013-11-15 at 15.27.36

What these characters represent is often the realistic approach to potentially something better suited to ones self. Its clear to the audience that Luke and Kate would be perfect for each other, yet they never dare to do anything more than think about it. You will leave this film questioning whether or not there are regrets about someone or something that you have had the opportunity to pursue in days gone by, and having taken the safer option, maybe regretted after.

What the director manages to do with Drinking Buddies, is give its audience a glimpse into the days of the lives of people not so different to you and I, everyday jobs and simple pleasures that we all have, essentially, life is a simple construct and sometimes its not really worth the complication. With this in mind Swanberg delivers a film that is fun to watch, quirky in its own right and most importantly get you thinking. Its style is simple and poignant, so wont be everyone’s cup of tea, not much happens throughout, but what does happen manages to get you routing for those you’re watching, laughing at similarities that you most likely will see in yourself, and leaving hopefully with a smile on your face.

Drinking Buddies is still out in selected cinemas, so catch it if you can.

4 Stars

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