Bria Lou Reviews

I feel like I get more and more excited for Christmas and Blogmas every year! In terms of Blogmas, I definitely feel like I've found a tried and tested method that works for me, so as usual I'll be reviewing Christmas movies for the 24 days leading up to Christmas, starting from the first of December. Which means that Blogmas officially begins in 3 days! It's always really fun to pick the movies I'll be watching. I'm not as far ahead at this point in the year as I usually am (I'm currently watching day 7 as I write this), so I hope some of my picks end up being great! As always I'll be ignoring my usual ratings in favour of my Christmas rating system: Title  (How original? How creative? How fun?) Originality  (self-explanatory) Christmas Spirit  (Is Christmas integral to the plot, or could the film's events have happened at any time of year?) Christmas Music  (again, self-explanatory) And that's everything! I'm really excited to get started. My n...

                                                  Wow. I can't believe I actually did it - and a lot sooner than I thought I would! I finished watching all the movies in October and as great as finishing it felt, not having a set list of films to watch every day has kind of thrown me. It's been nice to be able to watch films just because I love them, but I have really missed watching all these new ones. Completing this list has made this year a really great one for film. I've seen so many amazing films. From the great first-time watches that I'd always been meaning to see (like 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'The Dark Knight'), the great first-time watches I'd never heard of before (like 'Oldboy' and 'Léon: The Professional', the re-watches that I loved more this time around (like 'The Prestige' and 'Up') and some familiar all-time favourites (like 'Back to the Fu...

And number 100 in the 100 movies bucket list is the film that I personally believe is the best film ever made - Back to the Future! I left this one until last because it's my favourite movie of all time and there was no way I wasn't ending the challenge with it. I've probably seen this film and its sequels upwards of 100 times, so it's weird to sit down and actually write something about it when it's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. So I'm gonna start with the music and score, as this was the thing that stood out to me the most on this rewatch. Now of course, if you've seen the movie and think about the music the first thing that comes to mind is probably 'The Power of Love' by Huey Lewis and the News, and that makes sense because it's an amazing song. But the entire soundtrack and score are so iconic. Every sound in the film has a purpose and every song has become iconic (if they weren't already). It's clear how much...

  And just like that, we're on film 99!  This is one that I deliberately left until second to last because it's one of my all-time favourite movies. I don't even know where to start when I talk about all the reasons I love this film. But let's start with the cast. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone and Vera Farmiga within a list of other great actors. With a cast like this, you expect good things and they certainly deliver! All of the roles are really well written, authentic and fleshed-out, and the actors play their parts so well. In a story like this where there are so many secrets, twists and surprises, the audience's feelings rely on how we feel about these characters and the cast is a really important part of that. Because the actors are so amazing, the audience gets to be really involved in the lives of these characters. But more than the characters, the film is so good because of the story. ...

Next up, and third to last on the bucket list, is Casablanca - a film that I'd never seen but had been waiting to watch all year. When I took a film course at uni I watched a couple of Humphrey Bogart movies and always liked his performances. So this film had always been on my radar, even if I hadn't had a strong desire to watch it until now. It wasn't really what I thought it was going to be.  For a start, it sits in the romance genre. And while it is definitely the story of a relationship, and there is romance within it, I wanted more. A lot more. The actors had great chemistry, but I never really felt like their characters had the epic love story that the film tried to portray. Having said that, I did absolutely love all of the characters. Even the ones we're supposed to hate are written and portrayed really well, and feel extremely authentic. I found it really interesting the way the nightclub essentially becomes a character in and of itself. And it's probably o...

Next up for the bucket list was a highly anticipated first-time watch. The first time I heard of this film was back in school during an English class - we had to pick classic films to write essays on and one of my classmates picked this one. I didn't completely know what it was about, but since then it has always been in the back of my mind to watch eventually. And it didn't surprise me at all that it was on this list. When I was trying to find somewhere to watch it, I did some accidental research about it. I had no idea it was so controversial, and seeing that made me want to watch it even more. But ultimately, I ended up having quite negative feelings on the movie as a whole. For one, I'm not someone who shies away from violent movies, even when the violence is graphic. But there was something about the violence in this movie that kind of put me off. It wasn't really about the violence itself, or the way it was done, but more about the character. It's hard to foll...

After a harrowing accident, popstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is putting her life back together and embarking on a world tour. But after witnessing a suicide, she begins to experience strange occurrences - the strangest of which is a smile that seems to follow her wherever she goes...  Having absolutely loved the first film, I was so excited to see where this next one would take the storyline, and it seemed really promising! This is the first review I've ever written where, after watching the film a second time, my opinion has changed so much that I've had to take my review down and rewrite it. The first time I saw this movie I was disappointed and didn't really like it. However, after watching it a second time, I liked it so much more! For a start I liked how it began. It directly connects itself to the first film in a really interesting way, and that was fun to watch. Especially because it makes us as the audience feel more familiar with this world than the actual characte...

Next up was another first-time watch that I hadn't heard of. As someone who isn't a huge fan of classical music, this wasn't a film I was particularly looking forward to. But that was mostly because I thought this would be a straightforward, completely factual biopic. So my expectations couldn't have been further from the truth! I really liked this movie! For a start, it was so much more fun than I thought it was going to be. And this comes entirely from the character of Mozart (played by Tom Hulce). He was so great! He's eccentric, hilarious and such a great character to follow throughout this story. But more than that, the story itself is so interesting. Having the story told from the point of view of Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), a character who had such a complicated relationship with Mozart, was fascinating. The actors worked really well together playing off the different dynamics from each of their points of view, which made the film a really intriguing watch. ...

  Next up for the bucket list was another movie I'd never heard of. The premise was an interesting one, but a 2.5 hour samurai movie wasn't something that I was itching to see.  Nevertheless once I started watching it I became really engrossed in the story and characters. For a start, the acting was great. Nothing about the film felt inauthentic, the characters felt like real people and when you're watching it, you're instantly rooting for them. This is also down to the writing and direction. Every aspect of the way the film is made has been done really well. While the film wasn't one of my favourites, there's no doubt about the way it has shaped cinema. It's regarded as one of the most 'remade, reworked, referenced' films in cinema, and the basic premise shows how true that is. I feel like I've seen a good few films based loosely on this premise and it always works because it's a classic underdog story. If you've never heard of this movi...

  Next up was one of my most highly anticipated re-watches. I probably watch this film once a year - I love it too much not to watch it, but it's sad enough that I don't need to watch it more than that. I don't remember the first time I saw the film, but I remember the effect it has always had on me. The movie is so powerful, it has so much to say, with messages that could still be applied to the world today. I can't praise either the filmmaking or the performances highly enough. You can tell that the film was made with passion and respect, that everyone involved put everything they had into telling this story in the right way. And that includes the actors. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were phenomenal in these roles, their chemistry was amazing and I can't imagine anyone else playing these iconic characters. This film is also one of those rare cases where a movie is better than the book it's based on. The movie is based on a short story, and the story is a g...

Next up for the bucket list was a film that I hadn't heard of. I'm familiar with Charlie Chaplin, but moreso for his silent films than for anything else, so I didn't really have any idea what this film would be about. And once I did look up the premise, it wasn't one that I was particularly excited to see. I knew that it probably wouldn't be one of my favourites, so it wasn't a surprise that I didn't love it. For a start, as a fan of some of Chaplin's other movies, this movie felt very different, which caught me a bit off guard I appreciated the satire, but it might just be that it isn't as funny for a modern audience, or maybe that it's just not my kind of humour, but a lot of it didn't work for me. It also felt way longer than it needed to be. The runtime itself wasn't a problem as it's just over 2 hours, but a lot of the scenes felt like they could have been shorter. The themes of the film were very ambitious for when it was made. ...

This one was a re-watch that I was really looking forward to seeing again. I first saw it around the time Joker came out and I remember really liking it, so it was one that I saved until later in the bucket list so I could have something to look forward to. But weirdly, my experience of it was completely different on this re-watch. The things about the main character that I found endearing originally put me off this time around. I didn't really like the character at all and I couldn't connect with him. I also didn't find it as profound as I remember finding it the first time. The love story didn't feel as innocent or endearing and I never felt truly invested. I don't know if it's because of how AI-heavy the world is right now, but it just felt really weird. I do like the concept, but I think the characters are where it fell down a bit for me. And that's not to say I hated the film this time. I still think it's a good film that's well-made, it just wa...

While on the run, Eddie Brock and Venom (Tom Hardy) are pursued by a dangerous military organisation. But when aliens from Venom's home world come to Earth, the pair have to make a devastating decision that will change their lives forever. I watched the first Venom movie when it came out years ago, didn't really like it that much, and subsequently didn't watch the second. But totally randomly last week I decided to re-watch the first movie, and ended up liking it enough to also watch the second. And as soon as I finished that, I went to the cinema to see this new one. I really liked this film - it was so much better than I thought it was going to be! My favourite thing about this franchise is the relationship between Eddie and Venom, and for me this film was the best version of the characters together. Because, while the comedic moments between the pair are still there, there's a lot more heart in this story than there has been previously, and this is especially evident...

Of all the movies I watched for the bucket list, this one was without a doubt the hardest to track down. Thankfully I managed to find it but it was looking impossible for a while! I ended up watching a version that didn't include the musical numbers, so I had to listen to the soundtrack separately, which felt really weird. But at the same time, I don't feel like anything was missing from the story by not having the songs in it. I'd never heard of the film before, but an almost 4-hour long movie about cricket wasn't exactly enticing. Thankfully the film is a lot more interesting than it sounds! There's a lot of underlying themes, and even when the scenes are about cricket, the game isn't really the most important thing. It was really fun spending time with these characters and seeing them interact. The one thing I didn't expect from this film was for it to be so uplifting. Even though it's not entirely sunshine and rainbows, you fall into step with this g...

  After meeting by chance one evening, Amanda and Wendy realise they have something in common - they are both experiencing grief and want to make the men who destroyed their families pay. Knowing they can never exact the revenge they crave, they come up with an idea: if you kill for me, I'll kill for you... The premise of the book is deliberately vague, but I think the main idea of it is enough to give you a flavour of what the story is about. I have mixed feelings about this book. There's so many things about it that I really loved, but there are also a few things that I could have done without. To start off, the first two chapters are absolutely riveting. I feel like it took no time at all to bond and connect with the characters. Not only are the chapters exciting, but they're also really visceral. You feel like you're living in the scenes with the characters. It would have been amazing if the whole book had stayed like this. The story is told from two points of view,...

At this point in the bucket list we start getting to the films that are a bit harder to find. I had never heard of this film before seeing it on the list, and I didn't look it up before watching it (beyond searching for a platform to watch it on), so I had no idea what it was about. Sometimes when I'm watching the bucket list movies I write a couple of little notes to remind myself how I felt about it, as I don't give them full reviews. For this one, the only thing I wrote was 'harrowing' and I think that describes it well. The film doesn't shy away from anything troubling or uncomfortable, and it doesn't try to sugar-coat what the characters are going through, or what their lives were like. Apparently it's loosely based on true events and that feels really evident. Because of that, these characters feel extremely authentic. Whether you're familiar with their lives or not, you empathise and sympathise with them because it feels like you're watchi...

Next on the list was 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'. This isn't one I was particularly looking forward to.  I've never been a huge fan of Westerns, so watching what is probably the most famous Western for 2 and a half hours wasn't high on my to-do list.  But because of that, it was actually a much more intriguing watch than I thought it would be. It took me quite a while to really get into it, but once I got the plot and focused on it, I found the story was a great one. What made it great for me more than anything was the characters. I really enjoyed watching them interact. And as someone who had only seen Clint Eastwood in 'The Bridges of Madison County' and 'Million Dollar Baby' before this, I definitely gained a newfound respect for him as an actor. Whenever I think of Westerns, my mind instantly goes to 'Back to the Future 3', even though the actual movies aren't like this in any way. But this movie was the first to directly remind ...

While attempting to go straight, former criminal Moke's (Josh Brolin) efforts are derailed when he is reunited with his twin brother Jady (Peter Dinklage), who convinces him to join a cross-country road-trip to retrieve the score of a lifetime. I remember seeing the trailer for this a few months ago and being surprised by the actors involved, because no one seemed to be anticipating its release at all. I wasn't particularly interested in the plot, but as a fan of a few of the actors in it, I wanted to see it. And after watching the film, I understand why no one was really talking about it. But let's start with the good things! The characters are great. Jady and Moke are fun characters to spend time with, and the actors had great chemistry. If nothing else in the film felt realistic, their brotherly banter worked. At the beginning, it was funnier than I expected it to be. This unfortunately didn't last and the film got less and less funny as it went on, but for a while t...

  This is the second movie for the bucket list that I forgot to write a post for! I saw this back in May so my memory might be a bit rusty, but it was a re-watch so I'm pretty clear on the plot and how I feel about it. I liked this movie. I probably liked it the same amount this time that I did on my first watch. It's a great story, told in a really interesting way. And while I probably didn't find it completely interesting the whole way through, it was worth it to get to the twist. For me, a plot twist is such an underrated device. I love them so much I actively seek them out in both movies and books. A good plot twist can make an otherwise bad movie re-watch-worthy. There are a few twisty movies on the bucket list, and this one has one of the best twists. Even if you don't like the movie as a whole, the twist makes everything so much more interesting. Another thing the twist does is make you want to watch the film all over again. I saw it months ago now, and I really ...

  Amidst a series of murders in LA, aspiring actress Cheryl (Anna Kendrick) crosses paths with a serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) on a dating show. I was really excited to see this film as soon as I saw the trailer. Even in that short space of time it got across a tense, sinister atmosphere that made the film seem like a really interesting watch, especially being a true story. Thankfully I loved the film, and the atmosphere it created was part of the reason why. From the first scene we understand the tone and can already kind of guess how the rest of the film will feel. The tension was created expertly. There were multiple times while watching the film where I was holding my breath without realising, and this feeling didn't go away until the film was over. In the last 30 minutes particularly, I actually had to pause the film to remind myself to breathe because it was that intense. Those 30 minutes were so well written and crafted - I don't think I've even seen a full-on horro...

  This is one of two Bucket List movies that I forgot to write... which tells you how much of an impact it had on me! I didn't know anything about this film before I put it on. I didn't know the genre, who was in it, or anything apart from the runtime. Going in blind to this film this late in the list felt really weird because the film actually felt kind of familiar. Obviously before starting the bucket list challenge I knew that there would be a few films based on or set in a war, but I had no idea how many! So this one felt a bit like some of the other movies I've already watched, and it wasn't one of my favourites. It had some great moments, but when I think about the film overall I didn't really get anything from it. I never felt connected to the characters or the story. So as well made as it was, it wasn't one I particularly enjoyed, and it's not one I'm rushing to re-watch.

While struggling with a sick wife and two children, Nick (Michele Morrone) hires an AI android called Alice (Megan Fox) to help out around the house. But when Alice becomes self-aware, Nick finds that he and his family are suddenly in danger. I've watched a few AI-based horror movies in the last month or so, so I was in the mood to give another one a shot. As I'd somewhat enjoyed the others, I thought I'd like this one too. Unfortunately, I didn't like this one much at all. For a start (and this is my fault as I've already mentioned seeing a few films with this concept recently) but the AI-gone-bad premise is no longer new. And when a film uses the concept but doesn't bring any new ideas, it starts feeling a bit stale. This one didn't really have anything new to add to that conversation, and so it didn't feel original. Having said that, I did like that it got right into the story straight away. We know the family, we know their circumstances, we know how...

  The next bucket list pick was a much-anticipated re-watch! I left this one for the bottom half of the list, like a good few others, so I could have something to look forward to towards the end. This is such a lovely film! I was actually really surprised to see it on the bucket list. I knew it was very well-liked by both critics and fans, but I had no idea it had been nominated for (and won) Oscars, so that was a nice surprise. The comedy genre is really sparse on the list, and while this is also a drama, it's so nice to have something light-hearted here - especially because light-hearted films like this can often provoke a bigger emotional reaction than intense dramas. For me, as good as the direction and writing of the film is, the best thing about it is the characters and the actors who play them. This family feels like a real family from their first moment on screen. The characters are all written really authentically, they compliment each other and the actors had great chemis...

In 1982, Viv Delaney is working the night shift at the Sun Down Motel when she mysteriously disappears. 35 years later her niece Carly decides to investigate. Working the same shift as her aunt decades later, can Carly discover the truth about the motel before she suffers the same fate as Viv? I've been trying to get a bit more into horror and after reading 'Clown in a Cornfield' earlier in the year, I wanted to find something with similar spooky vibes. I'd heard great things about this one! I liked this book. It wasn't perfect, but it was a really enjoyable read. I really liked reading the story from both Viv and Carly's points of view. I'm not usually a fan of more than one point of view in a book, but I think this one did that really well. Both of the characters felt like the main character and they were both really interesting to read about. The story works because reading Viv's point of view gets the reader invested in the mystery. So when we get to...

  My next pick for the bucket list was Memento, which I was really looking forward to! I'd seen this once before a few years ago and really liked it, so I was glad to see it on the list. In true Nolan fashion it's time-bending in a way that could have easily been confusing if the wrong person had directed it. In fact I think it's probably one of the least confusing Nolan movies because of how well it's directed. It's also written really well. When you watch the scenes play out, you realise how much time and thought has gone into every single thing that happens. For me, the best part of that was when things that seemed insignificant suddenly became really important as we went further into the past. One thing I didn't know before this second re-watch is that the film (which is originally played in reverse order) has the option to be played in a linear order. I haven't looked into watching it chronologically because I love the originality of the reverse order, ...