Summary: It is a cold winter day. Grace and her best friend Judith go for a ride with their horses, but a terrible accident changes her life forever. A truck hits them, Judith and her horse are killed, while Grace and her horse Pilgrim are seriously injured, both physically and mentally. In an attempt to bring Pilgrim back from his now savage condition, Grace's mother Annie takes them to Montana in search for Tom Booker. Tom is a "horse whisperer", a cowboy with the ability to "communicate" with horses. In the land of the Wild West Annie will change the way she sees life forever, as the wise cowboy slowly heals the souls of Pilgrim and Grace...

I finally managed to get round to watching The Horse Whisperer last night. This film seemed to be a big part of my life ten years ago when it first came out. My friend Christine, who has horses, was very much into the teachings of Monty Roberts and told me about his life, about how he applied his techniques of training horses to children too, he and his wife fostered 47 children beside their own 3 and I know that many of them were "hard-to-reach" children who benefitted from Monty's motto of "Leaving the world a better place than he found it, for horses and for people. . ." I never saw the film at that stage. It was always on my list.

It was my understanding that the film was loosely based on Monty but either I mis-remembered that or it was based on a couple of people.

I was utterly enchanted by it - I loved this film. I loved the ranch setting and the people and the horses and the lighting the whole way through and the romance aspect (as always) . . .

I am not a great fan of the later films by the (getting older looking) Robert Redford but found him to play Tom Booker as a genuine and sensitive man with a past in this one. I loved his theory that he fell in love with his first wife because "he loved her" not because it was right. He knew he was in with a chance with her when she started to look at him the same way she looked when she was playing her cello. Awww.

Kirsten Scott Thomas is an actress I usually like but in this film she blew me away. I thought she looked lovely and was totally drawn into her world and her relationship with her daughter, the young Scarlett Johansson and the blossoming friendship with Redford.

When she is *fired* from her job, presumably because she has spent too long away from it, everything seems so simple. She could leave her life behind and settle at the ranch with relative ease. I like the idea of giving everything up for a simple life. . . if you have everything you need do you still need a high powered job too?

The film did not finish the way I wanted it to. I was shocked by the end and really expected a different final scene, based on the knowledge I had of Monty Roberts and his family life. Of course, this makes it a better film but I did go to sleep upset.

SHOULD YOU?: Yes. Most definitely. If I am not the last person to see it! Yes, it is a love story but it is a beautifully filmed love story and I would recommend this one to you.

DID I?: Yes. I think the next time round this one might hold less mystique for me - there was a lot in the relationship stories that captivated me and I think I lose that the second time round in most films but I WILL be buying this dvd and I will be watching it again.

This one might be with me for a while.

So. There are two stories here.

One is the visit to Storm Cinema in the Oddysey in Belfast and one is the movie report itself. I have seen quite a few movies recently and just have been too busy to write them up. Keep watching for reviews of Night At The Museum, Happy Feet and have I done Casino Royale yet? Can't remember! If you are very lucky I will share with you my passion for the series Green Wing too. OMG I love that series!

This afternoon was the first time I have been to the Storm Cinema since the new booking system has been put in place. There is no longer a dedicated section of tills for buying your tickets - every till is multi-tasking as food and drink outlets AND tickets. It seems that this has been in place since the end of July at least - but I haven't seen it before. I didn't like it. There are no signs up to explain the new system and when I inquired about where to buy tickets I got a *any of those tills* and a shrug. I suppose theory is that, as a customer, you have only one queue to stand in rather than two, and I can see the logic in this but in practice it doesn't work well.

I wanted to buy my tickets at 3pm for the 5pm showing so I could go to a restaurant in the meantime. I had to queue for ages behind people wanting food. There really ought to be a *Ticket Only* queue. THEN I had to queue again for my popcorn later. Only about 3 or 4 tills were open and there was a considerable queue forming.

N'uh!

My advice would be to book ahead - there are machines on the left hand side as you enter (again - VERY poorly signposted) and I think I would go that way next time.

On the other hand - I do like Storm. They are a little more expensive than my local cinema but the seats and view of the screen are much better. I considered the VIP lounge this afternoon but decided against it on cost grounds - in the end there were less than 20 people in the whole cinema anyway. It is a good idea, bearing in mind my total inability to accept other people making noise in the same room as me while I am trying to concentrate then the VIP room makes total sense to me. At a tenner a head, though, it is a tad pricey if you are forking out for a meal as well which is the main reason you would go to the Odyssey - to double up on a meal and the cinema.

Maybe next time. . .

Jacqui and I went to see The Holiday. I have mixed thoughts about it. There are some logistical things that annoy me in movies and this had a couple of them in it.

Two totally unrelated girls are having a hard time in their romantic and personal lives and hey presto, without any kind of vetting of each other at all they arrange to swap houses, managing to pack and leave within 24 hours. Nope - I couldn't pack THAT quickly! Not even for a weekend away never mind two weeks!

It does have similarities to other films running through it - one that springs to mind is Bridget Jones - Kate Winslet's character is in love with her cad-of-an-ex and needs to get away from him. Cameron Diaz's character has just broken up with her man and needs to get away from her stressful life - they swap houses and fall in love with the men they find at their new residences. . .

I enjoyed Kate's acting and character much more than Cameron's - I just never believed her - she seemed to be acting over the top most of the time taking poor Jude Law with her, whereas Kate was much more steady. I suppose Cameron was portraying someone mentally burned out but it didn't work for me. My big surprise was that I really enjoyed Jack Black - I have never really seen enough of him before to form an opinion of him - but I did like him in this. His girlfriend here was also the girlfriend - Erica- in 40 Days and 40 Nights which I loved her in and which is one of the funniest films ever.

Where did they leave their keys? Both the girls approach the new houses and kinda just walk in. Didn't they know they were supposed to leave keys under the flower pots on the front door step?

How does the insurance work when you swap cars like that? Surely it takes a while to sort out insurance cover for someone else's car. . . in another country. . . it took us about a week to get a cover note for our own car when the registration number changed recently - how do they get cover overnight?

Jacqui pointed out something that had annoyed me too - although Jude Law was portrayed as being a fine upstanding citizen by sleeping over at his sister's house when he had a little too much to drink, Cameron is *allowed* to walk around the local shop swigging from a bottle of wine and then driving home. Jack Black also enjoyed an evening of drinking and then walked towards his car in the driveway in a "I am about to drive home" kinda way. . . Is this an American thing or am I nit-picking?

If the car driver couldn't drive down the lane at the beginning of the movie because he wouldn't be able to turn at the end - how come the next time we see him he has not only driven down the lane but was facing in the correct direction?

If Cameron couldn't walk down the lane in her high heels without slipping in the snow, how come she can run the whole way down it at the end in the same heels and the same snow? How come people can walk in heels?

I noticed there were several fires in grates in the cottage - did you seeee how easily that fire lit? Have you ever lit a real fire? Have you ever seen a fire light that easily? Do you know how much hassle real fires are? They aren't just romantic easy peasy things you know. . . . (I used to live in a house with fireplaces in every room including the bedrooms.)

Ok, that is about all I want to pick on now. It's just that these are the sorts of things I am thinking about when I am watching a film I don't really get all the way in to.

Should you? : Um. . . It is a nice wee Christmas / New Year story and if you want to go see it - go now while it is still in season. You could just wait til it comes out on dvd though and save yourself the queue at the popcorn stand. . .

Did I? : I did like the wee love stories, I enjoyed Jack Black and Kate and I really had tears in my eyes for Eli Wallach when he walks into that room full of people at the end.

It isn't any worse than some other films and it is nice to see people not letting a little thing like thousands of miles stand in the way of a little romance. . .

Ok. Why didn't anyone tell me? The Devil Wears Prada is such a Mac Fest it is unbelievable! Almost every scene has four iMacs in it!

Andy goes to work for a fashion magazine where everyone from the front-of-house receptionists have what looked like 17 inch iMacs, to the magazine editor who shows off a, umm it looked like a Powerbook to me but it might have been a MacBook Pro, might have to check that one! it was positively obscene how many Macs were in this film!

Right up to the point where Andy goes to work for a less creative firm where suddenly every where there are PCs! So funny.

Suffice to say, I drooled the whole way through. The only part that made me drool MORE was where she whipped out a Bang and Olufsen phone and gave it away. OMG I WANT ONE OF THOSE! Now THAT obsession predates my Mac obsession by about 20 years!

Anyway, apart from the Macs, the film was grand. She shouldn't really have been given the job that a million other girls would have killed for. She wasn't fashion conscious at all and until the day she went for the interview she didn't know anything about the magazine or it's famous editor. But she did get the job. The film is about her finding her way in fashion, becoming the most efficient assistant ever and slowly losing touch with her real life friends.

Along the way she starts becoming friendly with Christian Thompson (Simon Baker). I spent ages looking at him in a "he is so familiar but I can't remember who on earth he is!" way. I hate it when I can't place an actor - I spend more time thinking about that than watching the film. Finally I realised he was a longer-haired, older version of the actor who was in one of my favourite Hallmark programs The Guardian. It was the same guy - but his hair was soooo weird! He was so handsome in The Guardian.

Andy goes on to realise the error of her ways and tries to mend things with her boyfriend by throwing her mobile phone in a Paris fountain. Hasn't she ever heard of water damage???

I wasn't convinced by a couple of things. I don't think that she, as second assistant would ever have become as friendly with Nigel. I don't think Nigel would ever have risked HIS job by donating the clothes that he did to her cause and I definitely don't think he would have confided in her. It would have been more believable for me had the clothes been on loan to her but at the end when she makes the phone call to Emily it is apparent she considers them hers to keep or dispose of as she wishes.

I don't think she would ever have just walked away from Meryl Streep in Paris, I think she would have finished the evening at least. After all, if she resigned there and then, who paid for the flight home? Did the magazine? Sorry. Am I getting too picky?

I loved Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly. I don't think I have ever seen a movie with Meryl in it that I haven't enjoyed. I loved her white hair (although I have seen it suggested that a real fashion editor would never have allowed herself to have white hair!) but I see this as a statement about older women in the workplace and really hope that this role will help women in these positions be taken more seriously - yea yea yea - I started taking the whole thing a little too seriously there myself! This topic was explored a little in the film where Meryl's character was about to be put out to pasture but managed to fight back, at least this time. I really liked the scene with the really vulnerable Meryl totally without make up. How many actresses of 57 would have allowed that? Meryl Streep rules!

Should you? : Oh yea - why not!? Dude it has Meryl Streep in it!

Did I? : Yes I did. Didn't you read the bit about the drooling? The fashion part probably went over my head a little. I could see the difference between the Before Andy and the After Andy but couldn't really help you point out the difference between a Dolce and a Gabbana. ( :P )

The opening credits were worth it too. . . . KT Tunstall!

Don't forget to let me know what you think of it.

Ok, so I am too tired to even think about doing a proper review on Saw 2 as well as Saw 3 right now. Jacqui and I just did all three in two nights having been to a very packed cinema for the last one.

If you ever see a review from Jacqui on this film don't. believe. a. word. she. says. because. she. didn't. see. ANY. of. it! She cowered away behind her coat and fingers and had one ear pressed firmly against her shoulder and another plugged shut with her thumb. I spent more time laughing at her than grimacing at the movie. Her words on leaving the cinema were "I am NEVER going to see another scary movie with you again!" Looks like I have a vacancy for a cinema buddy then.

The film was very gory but I couldn't take my eyes off it. Ok, I watched a few bits with my hoodie right up to my bottom eye lashes but I never really turned away. I thought it was a bit disjointed - leaving things hanging - but they all came together in the end. Lots of the loose ends from the first two were pulled together - all but one in my mind are all tidied away. You shouldn't really be persuaded to go see 3 without having seen the first two - just would be too confusing.

Out of the three of them I think I enjoyed the first one the best because of the sheer surprise to me that I enjoyed a scary movie. Saw 2 was ok but Saw 3 really took the prize for the gore and stomach churning scenes. I have to admit there were plenty of things I saw coming that just didn't surprise me at all. When you go in to watch it - just remember that I told you "Jeff is a dumb ass." He doesn't learn from his mistakes that much and totally misses that perhaps he ought to be thinking "What IS this thing and why is it round this woman's neck?"

Am enjoying my foray into scary stuff - ain't so bad really - haven't seen anything to make me scream. Yet. Bring it on!

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Dawn and I went to see The Lake House tonight. I wanted to see it last week but it wasn't playing yet.

Last week we saw An Unfinished Life instead. It had Josh Lucas, Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman in it. Josh was a bit of an extra in it, Jennifer was ok, Morgan didn't get about much and for most of the film (having not seen any trailers or literature on it previously) I sat thinking how silly Dawn was for thinking that the older guy was Robert Redford - there was no way that was him - but it WAS awful like him - they must have picked that actor cos he looked like Robert Redford. . . I went on like this until the end credits when I said "It WAS Robert Redford!" and Dawn looked at me as if to say "That is what *I* said an hour and a half ago!"

I can't say the film was any great shakes really, which is why I am only talking about it now! Definitely do not need to see it again. Wouldn't rush out to buy it. Unlike tonight's offering which has already made it on to my list of Favourite Films.

It is basically about two people who make a connection for having lived in the same house, start to correspond via letters put into the mail box but somehow are living two years apart. I have seen this time difference thing done before, of course, but this film really worked for me. Having Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in it was enough for me in itself! I love both these actors and can't believe it has been so long since I saw a decent Keanu film. I have missed him.

He has changed a little in that time. Obviously older looking. I think he has lost some of the boyish cuteness he had but the maturity he has now makes up for it!

I knew what to expect in this film, knew there was a time difference and I suppose there were plenty of expected turns in it. I DID see a lot of things coming, anticipated a couple of other things and didn't have any problem keeping up with the time difference thing. There was just one point that Dawn and I couldn't figure out. We aren't too sure how the book gets there - it isn't explained anywhere - but I am happy to assume that it was put there on purpose.

I had totally forgotten that these two had worked together before, until one scene had a bus screeching down a street and I thought "OooOOooo - SPEED!" and then thought "AaAAaa SPEED!!" Takes me a minute or two at times.

I'm afraid I am am sticking to my genre - it was a nice gentle romance and I did root for the happy ending and I did cry in at least two places, I would see it again and I will probably buy it on DVD.

I don't normally enjoy black and white films, in fact I can't remember when I last watched one. But I also can't remember why I don't enjoy them, so I might start to watch a few more. The problem is - with The Grapes of Wrath I may have spoiled myself for other films. The contrast and tones and lighting were just superb and so beautiful I don't think any other black and white will come close for me.

The reason I picked it up in HMV was because of the links to one of my favourite photographers Dorothea Lange. She documented the era in stills photography the way Steinbeck did with film.




I bought this photo a couple of years back but have never put it up anywhere. Must put that on my list of things to do. . .

Dawn and I went to see the Da Vinci Code this evening. The cinema car park was full to the brim and we had to park miles away and walk. Tut.

On the way in to the cinema there was at least one man standing giving out leaflets and trying to engage people leaving the film in conversation about what they thought about it. That sort of thing really annoys me - dude - I know where you are every Sunday and if I need you I will turn up and talk to you there ok?

Last week Jacqui and I went to see Silent Hill and we were two of six people in the same cinema we were in this evening. Tonight there wasn't a seat to be had in the whole theatre.

I felt the film was very close to the book, I did enjoy it and it made both of us jump a couple of times. Tom Hanks doesn't look like himself in it.

It can all be summed up in the conversation Dawn and I had on the way back to the car.

"Jac read the book and didn't like the film as much as the book."

"Sharon read the book, has been told the film isn't as good and is afraid the film will spoil it for her."

"Susan read the book, loved it, watched the film and loved it too."

"Dawn HASN'T read the book, loved the film and is afraid she wouldn't get past page one of the book!"

Other than that - Dawn ate ALL the popcorn by herself and it was a BIG box - and she wanted another box too.

Burrrrrp.