When in Rome - review

New York art curator Beth has been down on her luck in romance ever since her boyfriend dumped her a year ago and when her sister calls her to let her know she’s getting married in Rome, finding love is the last thing on her mind.

With work at the forefront of her mind, Beth doesn’t have time for anything else in her life, but when she meets best man Nick she feels a spark between them. As they spend time together during the reception she starts to believe she could make room for love, but when she later sees him with another woman, she takes herself and a bottle of champagne to the nearest fountain to drown her sorrows.

As she expresses her frustration to the Fountana De Amore - aka the fountain of love, she takes coins out of the fountain in an attempt to save the people who put their trust in the fountain to find them love, but by doing so she redirects their love towards her resulting in hilarious scenes both in Rome and back home in New York.

As Nick tries to reconnect with Beth, she again feels herself falling for him and opens herself up to the possibility of love, but when she discovers the spell she’s caused and finds out one of the coins belonged to Nick, she’s unsure whether his desire for her is real or not causing her to have to make a huge decision.

This comedy was a really fun watch and had me laughing out loud. With an all-star cast including Angelica Houston, Don Johnson & Danny DeVito, this is a movie about love I wouldn’t have wanted to miss.

It’s also made me want to add the Fountana De Amore to the list of places to see when I eventually make it to Rome (although I later found out that this particular fountain was invented just for the movie).

Doctor Zhivago - review

Omar Sharif stars as Yuri Zhivago, a young doctor and poet who falls in love with a nurse volunteer, Lara despite having a wife and child living in Russia during political conflict and war.

With Yuri’s story told through the memories of his older and estranged brother Yevgraf as he searches for his niece, we see the social and economic divide between Russians during the war. As the rich carry on with life as usual, the poor suffer the harsh winter and we learn how in times of conflict and hardship, there is still room for love to 

blossom.

I’ve always known about this movie, mainly the fact that it’s over 3 hours long and set in Russia, but apart from that I didn’t and still don’t know anything about it.

I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the movie as I felt I needed a history degree to know what was going on, but reading between the lines and watching it without trying to concentrate on the politics; I discovered it’s essentially a love story which knows no boundaries.

Thankfully I watched this movie with a cup of tea in hand as most of it featured heavy and very cold looking snow and although it didn’t have anything to do with Christmas, just the sight of snow made me ready for the Christmas season.

Message in a bottle - review

During a run on the beach Theresa Osborne discovers a bottle washed up by the sea. Half buried in the sand, the bottle contains a heart-felt letter addressed to Catherine from Garrett which touches Theresa who is struggling with loneliness while her son spends time with her ex-husband.

Intrigued by the letter, Theresa shares it with colleagues back at the Chicago Tribune and before long the letter is front page news in an attempt to trace the author. With half of Chicago writing in response, Theresa gets a lead when the bottle and logo on the letter are traced to a boat restorer in North Carolina.

Determined to meet the author herself, Theresa sets off on a journey to discover the story behind the letter and who Garrett Blake really is, but while she doesn’t reveal the reason for her journey, she and Garrett form a bond that leaves them incapable of not falling in love.

Starring Kevin Costner & Robin Wright Penn, Message in a bottle is a tear-jerking, romance which would melt even the hardest of hearts.

With a storyline which reaches out to viewers and captures them until the end, this movie is a definite watch for those who believe that love really does exist.

Lying to be perfect - review

When overweight Nola is told by her editor that she doesn’t have the image to be an advice columnist, Nola invents Barbara Apple, a slim confident writer who excels at giving advice and who is swiftly given the job.

With Nola as her editor, Barbara’s advice is followed by every woman in the country including Nola’s friends Nancy & Deb who decide that after being denied a seat at a restaurant to follow Barbara’s advice and make a pact to lose weight together.

As they each create a goal for themselves, Nola is excited when she meets Chip, a guy from work who offers her a ride home after her car breaks down and is happy when they arrange to meet up again.

With each of the friends beginning to lose weight their confidence soars, but when Nola is informed by her editor that a book is being put together of Barbara’s columns and she will need to make an appearance at the book launch, she has a problem as no one apart from her knows that Barbara doesn’t exist.

As the launch party gets closer, Nola realises she needs to tell someone about her problem and confides in Nancy who settles her fears and encourages her to tell everyone the truth, but when Nola discovers that the man she has been seeing isn’t who she thinks he is, the existence of Barbara Apple becomes all the more important.

Based on the novel The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer, Lying to be Perfect was an enjoyable TV movie. 

Perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

An Education - review

In 1960’s London Jenny is a typical 16 year old schoolgirl who with her ambition to go to Oxford University wholly supported by her strict father, can’t wait to grow up.

On the way home from school one day she is offered a lift from a handsome stranger who shares her interests and begins to fall for her. Flattered by the attention of an older man Jenny embraces an education in life and allows David to show her everything she’s missing out on, despite the advice of her teachers to concentrate on school.

With the support of Jenny’s parents David persuades them to allow him to take Jenny to Paris where they spend time with his friends and he decides to propose. As Jenny prepares to begin her new life as a wife, her parents are fully supportive, but when Jenny learns how David and his friends make their money and discovers he’s already married, she ends their relationship.

With the realisation of what she gave up to be with David, Jenny does all she can to get back into school and pursue her dream of attending Oxford, but when her head-teacher (Emma Thompson) isn’t impressed with her behaviour and doesn’t allow it, she wonders if she will ever be able to achieve her dream that she’s worked so hard towards.

Starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Saarsgard, Dominic Cooper and Emma Thompson, An Education is an excellent move which I would definitely recommend.

One to watch.