Thursday Movie Picks: Non-English Language Movies

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

I've been internet-less since September 2 — not one but two lightings struck my phone wire, the phone company guy showed up only yesterday to fix it and turns out it fried the modem too — which translated in no Netflix. Which forced me to watch stuff I own. Which ended up with me rewatching Linklater's brilliant Before trilogy. And since yesterday I saw Before Sunset not long before working on this, and it's set in Paris, for this week's Thursday Movie Picks I went double theme within a theme with three films in French set in Paris. 

Perfect Strangers (2016)

There are many rotten aspects in modern-day Italy and I consider the cinematic art to be one of them as the majority of Italian films hitting the screen nowadays are pure trash, reason why this is the one category I tend to avoid (the most). There are, however, some exceptions now and then, that one film that, either because of its cast — usually Alessandro Gassmann — or its trailer, I'm interested in seeing. Paolo Genovese's Perfect Strangers (Italian: Perfetti sconosciuti) falls into the latter category as the trailer was very funny. Imagine my surprise when I found myself watching a funny, entertaining but also very clever and thought-provoking comedy-drama.

Thursday Movie Picks: Hostages

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

When it comes to the hostage genre, I'm the first whose mind goes to action flicks because, let's be honest, nothing says "hostage movie" like an action movie. But there's so much more to the genre and that's the way I decided to go with two of my picks.

Monthly Recap: August 2019

They say time flies when you're busy but I didn't do much in August other than working and yet here we are, a blink of an eye later and it's September already and I'm struggling to write something because, as I just said, I didn't do anything in August.

Thursday Movie Picks: Actors in Multiple Roles

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

What's better than a great performance from an actor? Two great performances from the same actor. In the same movie. Which is exactly this week's theme. Okay, maybe we are not asked to pick great performances but that would be too easy, right? I mean, one could pick Adam Sandler for Jack and Jill and, I don't know, it just feels wrong. So, without further ado, here's my highlighting multiple performances from an actor in a film.

Thursday Movie Picks: Witness

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

How is it Thursday already? Time really flies when you work all the time which applies to me so much since this is the first day off I have since last Tuesday. I mean, last week's Tuesday. Of course, all work and no play left me very little time to work on my Thursday Movie Picks post — I know, again — so I leave you with my picks involving witnesses. 

Rocketman (2019)

I was around 17 when I was introduced to Elton John's music and it was love at first sight sound. No matter what mood I am in, there's always room for his music in my life because, whether it's a sad song, a happy, joyous one, or something just danceable, he always makes me feel something. It comes without saying that I was very excited about Dexter Fletcher's Rocketman and, having read plenty of positive reviews, I also had very high expectations. Expectations that were met as Fletcher's is a flamboyant and highly entertaining musical fantasy film, an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.

Thursday Movie Picks: The Mrs Robinsons

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Between my brother’s birthday — which is today —, problems with my car and a fight with a coworker, I completely forgot to work on my Thursday Movie Picks for this week. So without any introduction whatsoever — and probably very little written below —, I leave you with my picks featuring a relationship between an old woman and a young man, aka the Mrs. Robinsons, a theme suggested by Getter over Mettel Ray. 

Monthly Recap: July 2019

How is it August already? I mean, it feels like yesterday when I almost fell asleep watching John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum in theatres — Keanu kept me awake, if you know what I mean — and yet it's been two months already. I guess time flies when you have a job you don't hate like and that gives you the chance to have interesting conversations with interesting people. Job aside, my passion for cooking is back which means I'm blessing my Instagram followers with pretty food photos — you're welcome — and apparently, I have a new crush. Okay, it's not new, but it's definitely a crush. I don't know how he feels about me but I see the potential. Also, my commitment to sleeping more is definitely going somewhere.

Thursday Movie Picks: The Great Outdoors

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Although I love nature, I wouldn't exactly say I'man outdoorsy person as I've never been to camping and the only thought of sleeping outdoors where wild animals and all kind of insects and spiders live makes me shiver. Some people love the outdoors though, and some love making films about it, so we could have an outdoor themed Thursday Movie Picks. Just kidding. Seriously though, here are my picks for the week

About a Boy (2002)

Hugh Grant often plays such unlikeable characters — Bridget Jones's Diary, Two Weeks Notice, and Paddington, to name a few —, he has over the year become an actor I particularly dislike. His charm is undeniable though and since he's also quite a good actor, I figured I should check out more of his work. About a Boy was my first pick — Netflix has been shoving it on my face for the whole month — and I'm glad I gave it a shot because it is a funny, sweet and heartwarming feel-good film.

My Top 3 Sandra Bullock Romantic Comedies

Whether she's starring in a comedy or a drama, Sandra Bullock always brings that something that lifts the film — reason why she's the first actress I've fallen in love with and she still is, after countless years, my favourite actress.

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Crimes

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Whether they happened in real life or it's just fiction, crimes always make for a very compelling subject; when properly executed, of course. Today, for the last Thursday Movie Picks of July 2019, we are asked to pick 3 to 5 crime TV series. Without wasting any more of your time, here are my picks — I went with a season as opposed to the entire series as these are shows I significantly enjoyed one season over the other(s). 

Thursday Movie Picks: Blockbuster Flops

My brother lives for blockbusters. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but these huge movies are pretty much all he watches. And don't you dare to tell him a film suck if it made tons of money at the box office because, in his logic, if a movie makes money then it's great; if it doesn't make money, then it's not. Now and then, however, there's that one film he hates and, coincidence or not, that film usually bombed. These are the movies I'm focusing on after my hiatus for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Four years after the brilliant The Hurt Locker, which earned her an Oscar for Best Director, Kathryn Bigelow came back with another war film, Zero Dark Thirty, the film I've been meaning to watch but kept putting off because of its genre and length for the past seven years. Netflix adding it to their catalogue was the push I needed to finally watch the film and I'm glad I spent 157 minutes to watch it as it turned out to be such a gripping thriller all the way through, with great performances from its cast.

Monthly Recap: June 2019

Life's been good to me in June. If you take away some work-related stress — that's more than normal, right? Some people are just the worst! — and the power steering in my car that didn't work one Wednesday evening, after 6+ hours of work and with an hunger-aching stomach, and had to call my dad because the wheel was so hard I couldn't even exit the spot where I parked, everything went pretty smoothly. And I even reduced the amount of coffee I drink and I'm somehow managing to sleep a bit more.

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Gangsters

Gangsters make for a fascinating topic, you can’t deny it. Reason why I love watching movies about them. It’s not the same when it comes to TV series though as I add these shows on my watchlist but, most of the time, never start them. So, yeah, this week of Wandering Through the Shelves’s Thursday Movie Picks was a tough one for me.

Alles ist gut (2018)

When dealing with a subject as sensitive as rape, films usually go for the unexpected act of extreme violence followed by its devastating and dramatic consequences, and that usually leaves room for little else. Thankfully, that's not the case with Eva Trobisch's Alles ist gut (All good), a restrained debut that provides an interesting, rather unique and compelling perspective on sexual abuse and its psychological effects; a film Netflix can finally be proud of. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Period Dramas

I don't know about you but period drama makes me think of drama related to something bloody... anyway, that's the theme for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, the movie genre, I mean, not the other thing. And since I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, I decided to go with three films starring actors I love. 

Movie Clichés About Bartending That Are Actually True

From the animated sitcom The Simpsons to Stanley Kubrick's horror The Shining, the world of fiction is filled with bartenders. Some are most iconic and popular than others but they all have a thing in common, they always bring along clichés.