Update #2

 Steel Magnolias

So for the first half of this film, I was very much like "...what?" But I had been warned that would happen. It was all big hair, Deep Saaaaath Draaaawls and, shall we say, just a touch right-wing. But you have to stick with these things. The laughs were partly in that kind of I'm-mildly-horrified-by-these-people kind of way, but Shirley Maclaine's character was a superb lovable bitch, and Sally Field is just the Queen of Everything. Also, I love Dolly Parton. There. I said it.

It did get a little bit too schmaltzy at the end, and whilst I saw where Julia Roberts's character was coming from, I still found her frustrating for most of the film. But whatever schmaltziness crept into the end of the film was overruled by Sally Field's "I just want to hit something!" monologue. What. A. Woman. 

***

The Art of Getting By

Yet another mildly disappointing foray into the world of indie cinema. When I saw the trailers for this, I thought it was going to be a touching, charming, The Perks of Being a Wallflower-esque tale of the difficulties of being a teenager who doesn't live in a John Hughes movie. And whilst it did have an interesting leading character, some good background from both of the 'mother' characters, and a nice touch with the years-worth-of-homework-in-three-weeks thing, ultimately my thoughts were:

Because to be honest, through most of the film I was silently screaming at the main character to just get a bloody grip. I mean come on, kid, stop pouting and get over yourself. 

**

One Day

I have to say, this film was better than I remembered it being - the one-liners are very well crafted, and there's just a general air of wittiness to the whole story. The characters are what make this, film and book; the angrily political, Northern, takes-no-shit would-be writer is a character so well put together not even Anne Hathaway's wincingly bad Yorkshire accent can ruin her. The male lead (Jim Sturgess) manages to successfully rattle though roguishly charming, total asswipe, long-suffering husband and normal person with a constant childish adorability - which is character development at it's very best.

What kind of lets the story down is actually the story itself. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, it just doesn't have the pazazz (well how would you spell it?) and originality of the characters. Also - and this is my main issue - the ending Really Pisses Me Off. I don't have a problem with bittersweet endings, but I am not happy to be sat enjoying a pleasant, easy-watching film when suddenly a desperate-to-be-interesting plot twist comes barrelling out of nowhere (literally) and then the film ends, leaving you with this "...what the BLOODY HELL just happened?" feeling. 

***