Pitch Perfect - movie review

I realize that my first two reviews have been of kind of heavy movies, so this time, I'm gonna go with something a little bit more light-hearted.

Pitch Perfect is about competative collegiate acappella. Yeah, I know, but hear me out.

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is an aspiring DJ/music producer who reluctantly goes to college (according to her dad's wishes), but hates it there. She doesn't really try, and is just waiting for it to be over so that she can give her dream career a real shot. But when she's recruited by an all-girls acappella group, the Barden Bellas, she becomes part of this random group of girls, with a lot of spirit (with the risk of sounding cheesy, here), and a highly ambitious, controlling leader, Aubrey. Aubrey simply refuses to accept Beca's input, even though it could really help them win against their male counterparts of the university, the Treblemakers, in the huge competition they're in. Lots of drama, comedy and singing ensues.

 

The thing about this movie is, you think you know the story. And sure, you probably kind of do. But it's still great to watch, and the dialogue is really funny and original. The characters are a fun blend, some with really weird quirks and personalities (like the creepy Asian girl who talks so quietly it's nearly unintelligable, but when she speaks, she always says something completely fucked up). Personally, I think the main character, Beca, is really cool, not to mention Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), who's just generally awesome. The two commentators that show up throughout the movie (Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins) provide some hilarious, at times very inappropriate commentary, and there's lots of singing, obviously, but it's not a musical, and it doesn't get cheesy, like Glee. It's all really funny, and yes, there's a love story in there, of course, and it's a really sweet one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. At times, it was surprisingly unpredictable, and it's really funny, and I've always had a soft spot for movies that involve singing (musical or no). I'd give Pitch Perfect 4 out of 5 stars.

- You call yourself Fat Amy?
- Yeah, so twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back.
  - Aubrey and Fat Amy

Bronson - movie review

Another movie review? Already? Well, what can I say? I love movies. I really do.

For some reason, I decided to watch another Tom Hardy movie. I can't believe I haven't realized what a great actor he is, before. I mean, he's done so many different types of roles. Lawless (Forrest), RocknRolla (Handsome Bob), Inception (Eames), and let's not forget The Dark Knight Rises, where he was so awesome as Bane. And he does it all so very, very well. Which is why I felt intrigued by his movie Bronson, from 2008. And I must say, I wasn't disappointed.

Bronson is kind of a biopic, about Britain's most famous (and apparently most violent) prisoner, Charles Bronson. Born Michael Peterson, he robbed a post office at age 19, got sent to prison for 7 years, but ended up staying there for a total of 34 years, 30 of which were spent in solitary confinement. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly, once you get to know this guy in the movie), he loved it there, and really wanted to make a name for himself. To him, as he puts it, the prison cells were hotel rooms, and the prison a place for him to hone his skills. The name Charlie Bronson, which he later took on, was a fighting name, for when he made money as a fighter on the outside.

 

Alright, so this movie is awesome. It reminds me a bit of A Clockwork Orange, in some way, and it blends humor with violence and the gritty with the theatrical (literally, as Bronson narrates the movie from a stage with an audience), and the character Charles Bronson is sometimes just bizarre. He really is bizarre, which becomes more and more clear throughout the movie. A few favorite scenes of mine; When he takes a prison librarian hostage in his prison cell to get the guards in there (so he can fight them), and ends up stripping down and rubbing grease all over his naked body (getting the librarian to help him), to prepare for the coming fight. Yeah, sure, 'cause that makes a shitload of sense. And how about the time when he decides to strangle a fellow inmate, mostly just to get out of the mental institution they've put him in, or when he decides to get naked again, cover his entire body in black coal, and make art? You get the idea.

Overall, this movie is hugely entertaining. It's dark, but there's a weird sense of humor there, which made me laugh out loud more than a few times. The music is so wonderfully mixed with weird scenes, the narrating on the stage is original (apt, since all Bronson seems to want is fame and attention), and as always, Tom Hardy does a great job portraying this odd, bizarre and charismatic character. Bronson probably isn't for everyone, but it's great, nonetheless. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

All my life, I've wanted to be famous. I knew I was made for better things. I had a calling. I just didn't know what I had. Not singing. Can't fucking act. Kind of running out of choices, really, aren't we?

- Charles Bronson

Lawless - movie review

Alright. So, time for my first movie review on this blog. I thought I'd start off with the last movie I saw, easily enough, which was the gangster movie Lawless.

Let me drop my first impression on you: oh my GOD! This movie is AMAZING. And that's pretty much how it continues... But let me get into it properly.

Lawless takes place during the prohibition era in the US, when liquor was illegal and moonshiners made a shitload of money selling their stuff to the mob, who then sold it to the people. Basically. The story here revolves around three brothers; Forrest, Howard and Jack Bondurant. They're bootleggers in West Virginia, and when the authorities, including a new deputy, want to put an end to their profits and control them, trouble ensues. Suddenly, they're not safe anymore, as they refuse to bow down.

This movie has a bunch of actors that would make me watch a movie just because they're in it. Gary Oldman, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska and the always awesome Tom Hardy... Need I say more?

Okay, so, needless to say, I really enjoyed this movie. Pretty much everything about it was great. I didn't really have any expectations. I didn't even watch the trailer first or check what it was about. I just heard good things from two people I know have good taste, and decided to watch it. And I'm so glad they gave me this tip.  

Lawless is about bootlegging, and it is a gangster film, but most of all, I feel it's about family, and trying to get by. These guys did what they had to, to provide for themselves and the community, and the fact that they're brothers makes it all so much more personal. The characters are interesting and are portrayed wonderfully; Howard (Jason Clarke) is a hothead, Jack (Shia LaBeouf) is the youngest and isn't always the best at making decisions and being an adult, while Forrest (Tom Hardy) is the strong, silent type, who kind of holds them all together and seems unkillable. And we've got Gary Oldman in a surprisingly small role, I think, as the mob boss Floyd Banner, not to mention Guy Pearce as the sadistic, disgusting (and I'm not just talking about that appalling hairdo) deputy, Charley Rakes. He does an awesome job. You really can't express in words how much you hate his character, when you see this movie.

Personally, I just fell completely in love with Tom Hardy's character, Forrest. I just love how he's so big and strong and perfectly capable of killing someone, but he's never mean. He's always so calm and stable, barely ever says anything (he mostly just grunts), and he's really kind and protective. Not to mention that he's shy and polite and a real gentleman (especially when it comes to Maggie, one of the lead women, played by Jessica Chastain). And Tom Hardy, as always, plays it all so very, very well. To me, he really is the highlight of this movie.

So, in short, I highly recommend this movie, even if you're not into the genre. It can be pretty bloody and brutal sometimes, but it's all done so beautifully, that it never feels redundant. I give Lawless 5 out of 5 stars.

It is not the violence that sets a man apart. It is the distance that he is prepared to go. 
 - Forrest

The Friendzone

Let's talk about the friendzone. Yes, this wonderful, half-assed, outside-looking-in place. We've all been there. Well, most of us. Maybe not you people who belong to that little exclusive group that's never been friendzoned by anybody (the rest of us kind of hate you, by the way), but most of us. What's the friendzone?, you people may ask. Well, kiddies, I'll tell you. The Friendzone is a metaphorial place where you're practically BFFs with a person you're in love with, because the person in question put you there, because they somehow forgot that it breaks your heart. But they do it because you're so awesome, and I really like you. You're a great friend! We've all heard that at some point, right?

The thing is, though, you pretty much only ever hear about guys ending up in the friendzone. What about the girls? What, we're never friendzoned, just 'cause we have boobs? Bullshit. Let me tell you something. You know how girls always seem to say that they want a guy who's sweet, sensitive, funny and who they have stuff in common with? Yeah, those guys almost always get friendzoned (sadly), at least by those girls. But think about it! You know how guys say that they want a girl who's funny, smart, geeky, likes video games/cool movies, who isn't afraid to speak her mind about things, and who isn't afraid of embarrassing herself all the time? Yes. We're the ones who get friendzoned.

Personally, I've always had a lot of guy friends, and I know how easily they seem to get over the fact that you have boobs and belong to the opposite sex, if you act the way mentioned here above. They like it and think it's cool at first. Oh, she likes geeky things and action movies and she's funny and really smart, and she likes having lightsaber fights! Yeah. They get over it after a couple of weeks. Then, you turn into a guy. Suddenly, it's like you slowly start morphing into a creature with a penis, and they forget that you're actually a girl. Hence --> friendzoned. Because straight guys don't want to date guys, and they especially don't want to date themselves.

As for me, I tend to end up in this friendzone (I've been outside of it, too, but that's not what this is about). And, like anyone else in that position could tell you, just because he suddenly starts forgetting you're a girl, doesn't mean you forget that he's a guy. No. Instead, you have to watch from the outside, while he hangs out and flirts with another girl, who's sooo cute and funny and girly, and you suddenly feel like some retarded seal, standing on the sidelines. And let's not even talk about when he starts asking you for girl advice (oh sure, then you suddenly have a vagina again), because of this other girl. It sucks. It really does.

I'm not saying that the friendzone for girls is worse than the one for guys. I'm just saying that guys aren't the only ones who get friendzoned. It happens to girls all the time. And it sucks just as bad. Just so you know.

So, I have a blog now

Alright, so it seems that I have a blog. I've had one before, but this one is different, mostly in the sense that it's a bit more anonymous. Okay, pretty much all anonymous. Don't ask me why. Perhaps I just wanted to be able to rant without people knowing who I'm talking about (I'd say it was for their sake, but mostly, it's for entirely selfish reasons - I know, I'm a terrible person).

As for why, exactly, I chose the name Monocle Fox... I honestly have no clue. I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'll have to make sure to put an actual, monocled fox in my header. Because anything less would be a disappointment.

So what will this blog be about? Like I said, I'd like to be able to rant about people and things without pointing anyone out, either by name, or simply from the fact that people are surprisingly clever and often manage to figure out just who you're talking about, if they know you (I'm not sure my sarcasm came through on the whole "surprisingly clever"-thing. If not, I'm stating it outright, here. Which defeats the purpose of sarcasm. But I digress.)

With all of this in mind, I personally (and probably slightly narcissistically) believe that whatever I write here is awesome. If not, funny, and if not that, at least thoughtworthy (I'm assuming that's a word, and if not, I'm still going to use it as one). And don't worry, there will not only be rants in this blog. There will also be little short-stories, probably (written by me), fun pics, and - since I'm a huge movie buff - the occasional movie review. Also book-related things. And TV-show related things. Maybe some art-related things (I promise it won't be in a pretentious way).

So, in short, you should really read this blog. You really should. It will make your life more fun. -ish.