Film Review, Film Reviews, Writing

Cineworld Unlimited Update: #FilmReviews

shelleywilson72

Unlimited Update

I’m a bit behind with my film review posting. January ended up being 74 days long and yet I was still surprised to find it was February already!

I didn’t use my Cineworld Unlimited card as much as I’d hoped in January due to illness and various events, but I’m hoping to make their #100Filmsin2019 challenge by the end of the year.

To start me off I’m reviewing the three films I did see last month.

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns 3.5*

My daughter wanted to see this one, so I dutifully tagged along. However, I was surprisingly pleased with how they put this together. It’s still got the original feel and mix of animation and ‘real life’ as the first Mary Poppins film with plenty of colour, ceremony, and dance.

It’s not a re-make of the original which was what worried me. Instead, it’s a new story centred on the kids of the original Banks children. Emily Blunt is lovely although her accent is possibly too clipped for this generation. There’s plenty of fun and upbeat songs to tap your foot along to. As we approached the end, I did long to hear a familiar song, but no, you get an entirely original score with this one!

I was happy to see Dick Van Dyke make an appearance which is what bumped it up by half a star for me. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed it which is what it’s all about.

Green Book

Green Book 5*

I can’t recommend this film enough. BEST movie I’ve seen in a long time. Set in the 60s in America, a world-class pianist played by Mahershala Ali (who was fantastic!) hires a driver and bodyguard played by Viggo Mortensen (also incredible!) to accompany him on a concert tour in the Deep South.

It’s about friendship and understanding during the segregation and how two men from different walks of life become bonded. There are so many laugh out loud moments in this film as well as deeply moving scenes, and it’s all put together so well that you are literally on this journey with them.

If you haven’t already seen it go NOW. If you have, go again!

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots 2*

Two hours of my life I’m never getting back!

Within half an hour I was praying that someone’s head would be taken off at the neck so I could go home. Dull, boring, and crammed full of unnecessary scenes that made no sense.

Artistic licence was in full flow in this film! I longed for a battle scene but instead got two queens hiding between the washing lines and hoping to become life-long friends.

The only redeeming quality was the acting by Saoirse Ronan who played Mary Stuart and Margot Robbie who played Queen Elizabeth. Both fabulous actresses who gave their all.

I was glad when the credits rolled. It didn’t do it for me.

Published by shelleywilson72

Hello, I'm Shelley, an English multi-genre author. I write young adult/middle-grade supernatural and fantasy fiction and motivational adult self-help. I'm a proud mum of three and live in the West Midlands, UK. I love travelling in my VW camper, reading about Tudor and Viking history, and obsessing over to-do lists!

15 thoughts on “Cineworld Unlimited Update: #FilmReviews”

  4. Great stuff, Shelley!!! I shall put Green Book on the watch list for sure – and give both Marys a miss! Historical films are often so disappointing, and the TV series too filled with schmaltz – let us stick to Vikings instead!

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  6. Green Book is on my list to watch. Not sure about Mary Poppins (might wait until it’s on tv) and have no intentions of watching Mary Queen of Scots! I notice Gemma above didn’t like The Favourite which I’m going to see next week. A friend who did enjoy it said it was because it focussed on characters we don’t know and that Mary Queen of Scots could have been better had it not simply re-told a story we all know – with untrue bits thrown in!

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  8. The first few words spoken in the trailer made me decide I would never watch Mary, QoS. Then I discovered David Tenant was in it. Oh well, it’s bound to be on telly one day and I can skip through the bits he’s not in.

    Incredibly rarely for me, I went to the cinema twice last month, both times to watch a historical. One of them was The Favourite, which I found a bit overwrought, but lovely to look at. I knew that historical accuracy would be sacrificed to the story on both occasions, but I’m beginning to think that such films should have a health warning at the start. Too many people believe that what they see on the screen really happened.

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