86 - The House Bunny

Connection To THE HELP - Emma Stone

So sue me - The House Bunny - is the sort of film I enjoy - funny, light, pretty (and likable) ladies - so easy to watch, it stars three women I particularly enjoy watching - Anna Faris, Emma Stone and Kat Dennings and is does have a good energy going for it (and no-way where's out it's welcome).

I have honestly seen The House Bunny about 4 times now - more times then I've seen Schindler's List (which I've seen 3 times), obviously List is a classic, which brings me to the reason I brought it up... it seems a lot of people can tend to ignore the virtues of a movie just existing to entertain and thus a film like The House Bunny is not meant to be brought up in the same breath as Schindler's List, it's just after a crap day and I just want to relax and there the only 2 films I could watch, The House Bunny is going to get chosen 9 out of the 10 times.

I think one of the appeals of The House Bunny (besides the three actresses I mentioned) is that it sort of takes the piss out of the whole make-over thing - I think most of the girls of this unpopular sorority more just need to get some confidence in themselves, the makeovers work from them because somebody finally believes in them, Emma Stone's character just is not comfortable in front of boys and it's never in doubt she's pretty to the audience (how many have films have pretty much told us the clearly pretty girl is meant to be ugly) and all the girls including Faris' ex-Playboy bunny all learn from each other.

Now like I said I'm not here to pretend it's high art, and it's not necessarily out original - it seems every college films involving sororities or whatever after have an underdog and an evil counterpart - of course when men, and other people start giving the girls attention they start becoming more like the other sororities until they can find the right balance.

Casting wise the girls all deliver likable performances including those I haven't mentioned like Rumer Willis and Katherine McPhee and Hugh Hefner plays himself and doesn't really do too bad, I would complain the Colin Hanks as Faris' love interest though as very little do - so much that he might as well have not featured in the movie at all.

Overall, a movie that I will probably see multiple times more and still like it as much, if you want some dumb but with a heart (much like Faris' tittle character) then this is the movie for you.

85 - The Help

Connection To PRETTY UGLY PEOPLE - director Tate Taylor (also Allison Janney and Octavia Spencer)

I feel like I've been burnt one too many times by films that have recieved Academy Award attention. It didn't help The Help (awkward thing to say) in my eyes that the film won an academy award (and nominated three further times) and to be honest on paper the all film sounds awards-batey - admit it they love films that deal with subjects like race.

Crash was the film I think that ultimately ended my interest in what was nominated, won etc, the awards were already on shaky ground before that (Shakespeare In Love winning Best Picture etc.) but the manipulative rubbish that was Crash killed it, so like I said if I know a film as got Academy Award mention it will go against it - sure I've liked films since then, note not loved - The Hurt Locker, Black Swan etc. and some of the wildcard films have nominated/won such as Bridesmaids and The Dark Knight are more in the love category (but like I said wildcard). 

So yeah I'm writing this all before watching The Help, just sort of let anybody reading know that there is some prejudice going in before watching it, couple this with the last film I watched is from the same director - Tate Taylor - and I could considered it the weakest thing I've watched so far, and in the interest of a positive though I absolutely adore Emma Stone so anyway on with the movie...

And I enjoyed up really liking The Help, it's hard to believe it was the same director as Pretty Ugly People - Collectively all the characters interested me (as appose to one) and it was story that I enjoyed following throughout, I wouldn't say it changed my mind on the Academy Award thing single-handedly but maybe it's warmed me to seeing some of the ones I haven't seen yet (such as The Artist).

I think this is the longest film I've watched so far since starting this, I consciously pick films that come in at under 2 hours and closer to 90 minutes the better to be honest - mainly so I'm not there sat twiddling my thumbs, this though comes in at over 2 hours and really didn't feel like it.

I felt like the film made good use of the time period it was set, having some knowledge of the time - such as civil rights - I think actually helps enhance the experience, and it's actually good to see a female-orientated film that is not really about the "boy".

Of the cast I most enjoyed Ocativa Spencer, proving in 2 films to me that she is one to watch, Bryce Dallas Howard was enjoyably bitchy and Jessica Chastain, I like the warmth she brought to the role, I can't leave Emma Stone who like Chastain liked what the warmness and the humanity she brought to the character.

My favourite scene is when Spencer who had previously been fired by Howard getting her revenge in pie form, Sissy Spacek's reactions for me really made that scene.

Overall, a film I really liked (love is perhaps too far), I can't falter the cast (even those I didn't mention) and the story kept me interested all the way through.