I'm Lou -
A writer, blogger, book and movie reviewer. If you're looking for honest opinions, spoiler-free reviews, and the random rambles of a story-obsessed writer, you've come to the right place!
3 Month Favourites | July - September 2023
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It's crazy how fast this year is going - how is it already October?! But anyway, here are the things I've been loving for the last three months!
Favourite Movie (1): The Blackening
I reviewed this movie HERE, and from reading that, it's no surprise that this film ended up in my favourites. I absolutely loved it and think more people should be talking about it!
Favourite Film (2): CODA
I missed this when it first came around, but remember how praised it was and that it was nominated for a few Oscars, so it was on my radar. I finally got around to watching it and I really really loved it. It's about a girl who is the only hearing member of her deaf family and, amongst other things, her love of singing. It's a really powerful story beautifully told.
Favourite Film (3): A Man Called Otto
I reviewed this HERE, and you can tell from the review how much I loved it. I was sobbing by the end, so that tells you something. I haven't read the book it's based on yet but it's definitely on my TBR.
Favourite TV Show (1): Only Murders in the Building
I'm only on season 2 of this show, but I absolutely loved the first season. It's about a group of neighbours who become unlikely friends when they try to solve a murder in their apartment building. I've been slowly making my way through it and am having a great time with it.
Favourite TV Show (2): Derry Girls
I hadn't heard much about this show while it was originally airing. It was actually a clip on Twitter that made me want to start watching it, and when Netflix added the third (and final) season, I watched the episodes back to back and completely fell in love with the show, and the characters. I really wish there was more of it!
Favourite TV Show (3): It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
I feel like every time a new season of this show comes out it ends up on my Favourites list. Though I have to say that so far this is the best season yet! I've loved the first few episodes and can't wait to watch more!
Favourite Song (1): Monsters
This is such a beautiful song. I had heard it before but only properly listened to it in July and fell completely in love with it. Definitely one to listen to if you've never heard it before.
Favourite Song (2): Monster
I went to see Frozen in the West End in August, and this new song completely stood out. The show was amazing in general, but this song was the main thing I took away from that experience. Not only is it a beautiful song, but it adds a lot to the story about Elsa's state of mind, and would add a lot to the actual Frozen movie too.
Favourite YouTuber: Zoe Sugg
I don't always include this segment in my Favourites posts, mainly because I don't watch YouTubers the way I used to, and I get something different out of watching them than I did when I was a teenager. But one thing I have always loved is vlogs, particularly Zoe's. She vlogged every day in August and it was really nice to have something to look forward to every evening.
Favourite Actor (1): Margot Robbie
I've seen a lot of Margot Robbie in the last few months, mostly by coincidence. And while I didn't really like 'Barbie' as much as I wanted to, she was great in it. Plus, I also saw a number of films starring her that I did like, such as 'The Wolf of Wall Street', 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', 'Babylon', and I really enjoy her performances. Though to be honest I've been a fan since she was in Neighbours, so it's never been a surprise that I love her as an actress.
Favourite Actor (2): Anne Hathaway
I've loved Anne Hathaway for as long as I can remember (thanks to 'The Princess Diaries') but like Margot, I've seen so many of her movies in the last few months, which has just cemented my love for her. My absolute favourites that I saw for the first time last month are 'The Intern' and 'Interstellar'. I obviously loved them for very different reasons, but Anne was amazing in them both.
Favourite Actor (3): Matthew McConaughey
And finally, Matthew McConaughey is another actor that I've seen so much of in the last few months. My favourite of the films I've seen are 'A Time To Kill', 'Frality' (which in underrated!), 'The Lincoln Lawyer', 'Dallas Buyers Club' and of course 'Interstellar' and he has been amazing in everything. I've also loved a lot of his rom-coms in the past, but I definitely prefer him in a thriller.
Favourite Book (1): Greenlights
Staying on the Matthew McConaughey train, after seeing a lot of his films and interviews with him, I decided to buy his memoir. Now, I usually only read fiction (I have one biography on my TBR at the moment), so I had no idea whether I'd like it or not, but I absolutely loved it. Not only the way the story was told, but the story itself. Matthew has had a really interesting life and the book is a really entertaining read.
Favourite Book (2): The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
I reviewed this book HERE, and while it's the second book I've given 5 stars to this year, it's probably the fourth book I've given 5 stars to in the last 5 years. I'm really really picky when it comes to books, but this was great. It was beautifully written, I loved the character of Addie, and the story itself was so interesting. I really loved it.
And those are my July - September favourites, full of things I'm still loving! What have you been loving recently?
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
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! But my high expectations were probably why I ended up being so disappointed with the final result. I know that this is definitely an unpopular opinion, but I didn't really like this sequel. However, I did like how it began. It directly connects itself to the first film in a really interesting way, and that was fun to watch. Then it kind of went downhill. For me personally, I didn't love the character of Skye Riley. I didn't really feel connected to her, and it never felt like the film allowed me to get to know her that well. So as much as the events are
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,
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
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
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