If someone were to ask me, “What did you do this weekend?” Well, the short answer would be “Toby Stephens.” Ahah, well ok so it came out wrong, didn’t it? I meant, my weekend pretty much consisted of watching/listening/tumblr-ing about him, my long-lifeless tumblr has been set ablaze now by Toby’s fiery charisma.
I did manage to fit in a few movies… one of which is Some Like It Hot, a Billy Wilder classic that I mistakenly thought it’s one of my Blind Spot list.
Oh well, the good thing is I finally watch that movie as it’s a lot of fun, but the bad part is that my Blind Spot post is going to be late. I’ll just have to post a double review next month then.
As for the other two movies I saw, here’s my quick thoughts on them:
I really don’t know what came over my hubby and I that made me want to rent Leap Year. Well my friend Ashley and I were talking about Matthew Goode earlier in the week but I wasn’t intending to watch the movie this weekend. In any case, it turns out to be such a dud. For some odd reason, iTunes listed the Rotten Tomatoes rating as 100%, which was so surprising to us to see a rom-com got a high rating but as it turns out, the real RT rating is 21%!!! Ok so I don’t always agree with the critics but this movie is everything I dislike about today’s rom-com: vapid, banal, clichéd and immensely unfunny. There’s nothing romantic nor funny about this movie, gah!
The whole thing revolves around a girl who flew from Boston all the way to Ireland to propose to her cardiologist boyfriend on leap year. Of course along the way she falls for someone else [yawn] Amy Adams‘ cute-as-a-button charm might’ve worked for Enchanted but here she comes across as dimwitted and shallow as her character is supposed to be. Goode seems bored throughout the whole movie and can’t say I blame him, his talent is utterly wasted here anyway. Right from the start, everything about the plot is so contrived that even the slight 1 hr 41 min running time was such a drug all the way to its predictable conclusion. I doubt even Toby Stephens could save this movie for me, though it’d probably make it a million times more watchable 😉
We actually wanted to check out this one after we saw Captain America 2. Funny how Chris Evans often mention in interviews how bad his movies are, ahah. Well, this one is actually not horrible, but not exactly good either. Set in the 1920s, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond is a societal drama about a rebellious Memphis débutante Fisher Willow who can’t stand the suffocating Southern tradition and the narrow-minded people surrounding her. Bryce Dallas Howard looks the part and she’s pretty believable in the role. Evans play the handsome but penniless suitor Fisher hired, passing him up as an upper-class suitor to her friends. He seems ill-suited for the part despite his best effort, not to mention his touch-and-go Southern accent, ahah.
The screenplay was apparently written by Tennessee Williams himself back in 1980, not sure why it took 28 years for the film to finally got released. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof is the only Williams’ work I’ve seen so far and this one definitely not as memorable, but the story is mildly intriguing. I just didn’t find Fisher’s journey as particularly engaging, the most memorable part is actually Howard’s scene with a dying woman played by Ellen Burstyn. There is an odd lighting technique during this scene where the whole room suddenly dimmed out and a spotlight appears on top of the two characters conversing on the bed. That’s really strange to see a technique used on a stage performance, not sure what that’s all about. Overall it’s not a complete waste as Leap Year, so I’d still recommend it if you’re a fan of Tennessee Williams.
Falling Madly…
Well, in case you missed my tribute from last week, I’ve been struck with a seemingly-incurable Toby-itis. Hence there’ll be a heck of a lot more Toby Stephens for the unforeseeable future 😉
I watched a myriad of Toby clips on Youtube, he’s had such a varied career, even starring in a Bollywood movie called The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey where he’s sporting a Scottish brogue AND actually spoke Hindi.I’m not talking about a couple of sentences here, but he held multiple conversations with the Bollywood actors throughout the movie! My admiration for him just went through the roof!
The two clips I watched most were Jane Eyre 2006 and Black Sails, though both are period pieces, the roles couldn’t be more different from each other. And that’s what amazes me about his chameleonic quality.
This interview on his role as talking about his role of Mr. Rochester has broken the record as the vid I’ve watched the most in a single weekend. Don’t ask me how many times, I’ve lost count already… This interview on his role as Rochester in Jane Eyre 2006 has broken the record as the vid I’ve watched the most in a single weekend. Don’t ask me how many times, I’ve lost count already…
Thank goodness for youtube where I get most of my Toby watching as it’s really tough to get access to most of his previous work. I’ve ordered a few dvds but it’ll take a week before those get here. I never thought I’d say this either but THANK YOU Michael Bay for hiring Toby as Captain Flint in Black Sails. Thank goodness for youtube where I get most of my Toby watching as it’s really tough to get access to most of his previous work. I’ve ordered a few dvds but it’ll take a week before I got my hands on those, so I had to turn to youtube to get my Toby fix.
I never thought I’d say this either but THANK YOU Michael Bay for hiring Toby as Captain Flint in Black Sails.
So that was my weekend. What did YOU watch folks, anything good?
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
This is going to sound crazy but I didn’t find Leap Year to be all that terrible. We had fun with it. It is certainly fluff, no doubt about it. Yet for some reason my wide I had a few giggles and were entertained. Haven’t really ran out and watched it again though! 🙂
I wish I could say the same Keith. I just didn’t find it funny for the most part, and everything just seems so contrived and predictable to me. The only two things I like were Matthew Goode’s beauty & the Ireland scenery 😀
I’m glad you enjoyed Some Like it Hot, even if it didn’t fill your Blind Spot!
I actually watched one of Marilyn Monroe’s early acting roles in The Asphalt Jungle over the weekend. A gorgeous noir, and an even better study of the weaknesses of the human spirit. I also re-watched Touch of Evil on Blu-ray.
I actually haven’t finished yet, still have a half an hour left to go. It’s a lot of fun, but I’m not in love w/ it as I thought I’d be though. I’m not a fan of Monroe’s style from the two movies I’ve seen her so far. Who’s the main cast of The Asphalt Jungle? Was it Bogart?
Ha ha, Ruth that was priceless: What did I do this weekend? Answer: Toby Stephens. That didn’t sound weird at all, lol.
Wow I totally forgot about Leap Year, now I remember it was heavily promoted during the winter dump season a few years ago. It pretty much came and went without no one noticing it at the theater. I feel the same way about a movie I watched for about 30 minutes, since I’m currently staying at my parents’ and don’t have my home theater, I was flipping through HBO channels and saw Identity Thief. Boy I don’t know how that movie made so much money, it’s one of the most annoying movies I’ve seen in a while, I stopped watching after 30 minutes in. I just don’t get the appeal of Melissa McCarthy, I find her to be annoying and not funny at all. I didn’t crack a smile during the entire 30 minutes I endured.
Ahah well in a nutshell it’s not entirely inaccurate. He covers so many media, radio, tv, movies, etc that it’s fun to binge on his work! 😀
Leap Year is just awful to sit through, I just don’t see any redeeming quality to it at all, so banal and unfunny. I feel the same way about McCarthy even just from watching trailers of her movies. I find her irritating and unfunny as well.
I have seen Leap Year…. fucking crap! Matthew Goode even dissed that film. I saw some films this weekend. A few good first-timers in No and Powaqqatsi but I also saw The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones which was crap. I also re-watched a few films that was on TV like LittleMan, The Sunchaser, and Pacific Rim.
Ahah, I’d agree w/ your swift assessment on Leap Year. Crap through and through. Oh you saw Mortal Instruments?? I interviewed some of the cast a while back and even then I knew it’d be crap! I do love Pacific Rim though.
Very sad to see all the hate for Leap Year! I ranked it in my top 10 favourite romantic movies of all-time. I see the points you make with your arguments but I still love it. This is the great thing about debating movies with other people! 😀
Sorry! I really thought it’d be all right, really I did. But hey, I’ve loved other stuff that people consider crap too so we can’t always agree w/ everyone right? 😀
Leap Year just looks awful! I’ll be steering well clear of that one! I managed to catch up with Locke, which was excellent, although not at all what I thought it’d be!
Hi Chris, it doesn’t just look it, it IS awful! Locke is great, amazing that they managed to make it tense without anything happening.
Although I don’t walk out of the cinema, I do turn off movies at home that are just not working for me. Leap Year was one such victim – I think I managed about 20 minutes 🙂 That BBC version of Jane Eyre was a good one wasn’t it? I like how it gave plenty of time to the characters instead of rushing through the plot.
Hello Natalie! I wish I had turned it off as I already knew what’ll happen at the end anyway. I hate it when they made the guy who got cheated on to be such a douche bag just so we won’t feel bad he gets dumped. Plain awful!
Oh you’ve seen the Toby Stephens’ Jane Eyre then? I can’t wait to rewatch it again when my dvd arrives next week!
Jane Eyre is my favourite book! Although I haven’t found a version that quite lives up to it yet, the Stephen’s version is very good. Have to admit Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton are more like the characters I have in my head but that version is so rushed at just over an hour and a half. Enjoy your re-watch!
You could just belatedly make Some Like it Hot one of your Blind Spot movies. I doubt anyone would take offense.
And you really do have Toby-itis bad, don’t you? 🙂
I was thinking about that but nah, I think it’s against the rules to change it after the fact 😀
Ahah yeah, I’m terribly afflicted. Seems there’s no cure for it 😉
🙂
Thanking Michael Bay? I’ve seen everything now, Ruth!! 😉
Ahah, well ONLY because he cast Toby Stephens in Black Sails! I hate most of his movies, esp Transformers, ugh!
Are you familiar w/ Stephens at all Mark? I feel like since I’ve been sour on GB since he’s become too Hollywood-ized, I admire actors like Toby who didn’t go that route, y’know. Plus he’s soooo talented! 😀
I am somewhat familiar with him, Ruth. I can’t say I’ve seen a whole lot of his stuff but I’m aware he’s Maggie Smith’s son and I’ve seen him here and there. I still think he’s waiting for a signature type role but I reckon that will happen.
Seems that most people only know him as Dame Maggie Smith’s son but he’s really a great actor in his own right. I think you’d enjoy The Machine, Mark, it’s a low-budget, character-driven sci-fi in the vein of Blade Runner, Toby’s great in that. I just hope he continues working, preferably in films but really he’s good in anything.
Sorry your weekend watching wasn’t great. What was the Blind Spot movie you supposed to see? Toby Stephens seems soo charming. I haven’t seen him in a movie, I guess.
I love Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, but I agree that Leap Year isn’t a good rom com. I love her outfits though.
I saw Anchorman 2 which isn’t bad. I find it suprisingly better than before. Hilarious.
Hi Andina! Well it’s not too bad, just one rotten movie but a bazillion of great stuff of Toby so it evens out, ahah. He is charming & immensely talented, once you’ve discovered his work, you’ll be hooked, trust me 😉
Leap Year is just awful to sit thru, I can’t really find any redeeming quality about it and I actually like Matthew Goode! Haven’t seen Anchorman sequel tho I did laugh a lot watching the first movie.
Leap Year is so awful! I love Adams (sort of) and find Goode incredibly charismatic and yet that movie was such a boring and dumb, dumb, dumb movie! LOL.
Hi Andrew! Yep, we’re in agreement about Leap Year. I generally like Adams and Goode is gorgeous but that movie is just vapid.
Some Like It Hot is a film I’ve been meaning to see for a long time along with Sunset Boulevard, which is a shame since I’ve seen a couple of Billy Wilder movies and have loved them all.
It’s a lot of fun, esp the pairing of Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon! I need to see more Billy Wilder movies!
Always nice to rewatch Some Like it Hot! I had a very long weekend (Monday and Tuesday off as well). Saw Spiderman 2 at the cinema and on Netflix I watched Narco Cultura (very shocking documentary about the effect Mexican drugcartels have on a town), Best Worst Movie (documentary about Troll 2), Straight Outta L.A. (2010) (documentary made by Ice Cube about the Raiders, which wasn’t that good), Red Obsession (2013) (documentary about how the Chinese are raising prices of Bordeaux wines) and Layer Cake. So a lot of documentaries and two “normal movies”.
Oh it’s not a rewatch, I’ve never seen it before. Nice long weekend there! I’ll check out your review of Amazing Spiderman 2, I’m not terribly excited about that one.
It is such a funny movie with a couple of laugh out loud moments, really enjoy Some Like It Hot. My next weekend will be an other nice long one so I’ll see what I can squeeze in there. Maybe working out the next blogathon, had a great idea for a new one last week.
I pretty much only had time to feed my crush as well and just saw Fugitive Pieces – it actually turned out to be a beautiful movie, I hope I’ll find the time to properly review it. I heard Leap Year is awful, shame because Adams and Goode sound like such a lovable pairing.
Hello Sati! Well I hope you’d stop by later today as the topic is on obsession/crushes 😛
Oh what’s Fugitive Pieces about? Does that star Stephen Dillane by any chance? Funny we’re both crushing on someone with a similar name, ahah.
Yep 🙂 He plays a guy who escaped Nazis when he was a boy and he deals with his memories of his lost sister and horrible things he saw during war in present time. It’s kinda like Atonement but with more romance and uplifting ending 🙂
Some Like It Hot is a great movie to mistakenly watch. 😀 Did you have a different Wilder movie on your blind spot list?
Yeah, I didn’t regret watching that at all. The movie I had on my Blindspot was The Apartment w/ Jack Lemmon as well. I think I might’ve put Some Like It Hot before but I changed it w/ something else, hence the confusion 😀
Ooooh, even better! The Apartment is one of my favorite movies. Enjoy 🙂
Yeah I’m definitely gonna see that one next, as well as Rebecca as I’ll be doing a double Blindspot post to make up for this month.
Rebecca is great, too! Can’t wait for your post.
Glad you finally watched Some Like It Hot, Ruth. I haven’t seen Leap Year or The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, though I’ve been mildly interested in them for years. I might give them a chance at some point, even if they’re not great movies.
I watched several 2003 movies (like The Return, The Barbarian Invasions, and Whale Rider) over the weekend for my CinSpec Awards. I also watched both versions of Solaris, but I prefer the original one.
Hi Josh! I’d still recommend The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, but not Leap Year unless you’re a die hard fan of Amy Adams.
I still haven’t seen either Solaris movies, but I’m more curious about the original, glad you think it’s the better one anyway.