Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) Review

                          'Did you ever wish you could sometimes freeze frame a moment 
                              in your day, look at it and say "this is not my life"?'

With the recent announcement that a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire is in fact in the works, and is being directed by Chris Columbus (with the script is being penned by David Berenbaum), it seems only fitting that we take a look back at the original.

Whilst it is questionable as to whether the new cinematic venture will be successful, the original 1993 film (which is based on the novel by Anne Fine) could indeed be seen as a classic, which has been referenced numerous times in popular culture and was a box-office hit.

Starring in the leading role in this comedic film is Robin Williams, who portrays the talented voice actor Daniel Hillard, who is in the midst of a divorce from his wife Miranda, (Sally Field) who thinks he is too irresponsible and immature. Despite being devoted to his three children - Lydia, (Lisa Jakub) Chris (Matthew Lawrence) and Natalie, (Mara Wilson) Hillard struggles to reconnect with his wife, until he learns out that she is trying to hire a housekeeper. So, in order to spend more time with his distanced children, he dons a body suit, wig, facial mask and other womanly attire to become Mrs. Doubtfire – an eccentric but motherly Scottish matron, who gets into all kinds of trouble – especially when ‘he’ finds out that Miranda has a new beau in the form of Pierce Brosnan (who plays Stuart Dunmire).

One of the great things about the film is that is manages to successful pair actual comedy and hilarious moments with heart-felt and touching story-lines, making Mrs. Doubtfire more than ‘just another comedy film’. Needless to say, one of the funniest elements of the film is the ‘fictional’ Mrs. Doubtfire. Williams’ character manages to get up to a whole heap of antics whilst donning his Mrs. Doubtfire get-up, from having to stick his face in a cream pie after having his mask run over by a truck outside, to getting caught using the wrong bathrooms (not to mention that Williams’ character possesses some of the best lines in the whole film, and the entire dinner scene towards the end is just pure hilarity). It’s also interesting to see the switch in the dynamics of Williams’ performance; from one moment being the dad trying to make ends meet, to the next trying to be the believable nanny figure. But of course, there is the element of heart, and Mrs. Doubtfire has quite a sweet story to it, underneath all the gags and costumes. The performances from Hillard’s three children add the element of childhood innocence to the film, especially from young Mara Wilson (who went on to play the titular role of Matilda in DeVito’s adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel), who manages to warm the hearts of audience’s with her confident performance. 

After over 20 years, you would think that Mrs. Doubtfire would be just a fleeting memory in the history of cinema, but with the upcoming sequel, it certainly proves that it is not forgotten. Whilst the new film may be a bit hit or miss (I’m really hoping for hit, after all, it would be horrific to see studios taint the memory of the original), Mrs. Doubtfire remains a family classic, with Williams proving that he really has a talent for getting the most laughs out of people as possible, and always coming back for more. 

4 stars         Reviewed by Mel. 

You can also check out this review as a Hit Play feature on I'm With Geek.com, link available below: 
http://www.imwithgeek.com/2/post/2014/04/hit-play-mrs-doubtfire.html

Maleficent (2014) - New Banners & Posters!

New Banners and Posters have been released for upcoming dark fantasy film, Maleficent (which is set for release on May 30th later this year). You can check out all the deliciously dark posters and banners below: 

Maleficent hovers ominously over Elle Fanning's character, Sleeping Beauty, as she sleeps, surrounded by fairies and shrubbery - ooh, spooky. But check out that stare on Angelina Jolie - she's killing it. 

In another version of the poster, Jolie's Maleficent clutches a green vial in her hand, draped in her black cloaks and showcasing her horns menacingly. The touch of red lipstick really makes the character stand out in this poster. 

In this French Poster, we can see multiple characters including the fairies, Elle Fanning's Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent herself, amongst others. 

In this banner, we can catch a glimpse of Fanning, Jolie and what looks like Sam Riley, who plays Diaval, the human form of Maleficent's right-hand raven. 

So, what do you think of the new posters? And more importantly - does this get you excited for the release of the film? You can watch the latest trailer for the adventure, below: 

Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Official Audio) [Listen]

Lana Del Rey has released the official audio for her new track 'West Coast' on her VEVO chanel (which you can listen to below) and it's certainly something. The track is an eclectic mix of styles with multiple shifts in tempo, meaning that you might have to listen to it a few times before truly getting into the song. Considering Del Rey's style though, this track fits perfectly and possesses an intriguing sound that just makes you want to listen to it again, even if you are not sure of your feelings the first time you listen to it. Del Rey's voice certainly has that airy heavenly quality to it, that just makes you feel like you are elsewhere, drifting above high hill tops or something, which can be quite comforting if you need that element of escapism. The incorporation of guitar in the track adds in a Western element and combined with the echoes and Del Rey's voice, it sounds almost ethereal and divine. It certainly is beautiful, so we recommend you give it a couple of listens to truly grasp all of the different shifts, tempos and notes Del Rey reaches in the track. 

Game of Thrones - Season 4, Episode 2 'The Lion and The Rose' [Recap + Review]

Ok, it's fair to say, if you haven't watched this week's episode of Game of Thrones then you probably want to click off this article - right now. Because there will be spoilers, and when we say 'spoilers' we mean if you don't want to know of the events of the 'purple wedding' then LOOK AWAY NOW. No, seriously. Stop looking. OK! So, since you are still reading this, presumably you have read the books/seen the episode/don't really care either way about the outcome, so congratulations! 

Yes, the Purple Wedding is here, and it's a welcome occurrence after the events of the Red Wedding. In this glorious episode we finally get to see the demise of King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), the crazy psychopath that everyone loves to hate. And true to the nickname of the episode, he turns a purple hue, froths at the mouth, bleeds from his nose and eventually dies in his mother's arms. I'd say it's a tragedy but, well, it's not really. After all, everyone at the wedding looked as if they wanted to kill him anyway, as Joffrey bullied and insulted pretty much everyone. It's fair to say the real tragedy is that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) was, at the end of the episode, arrested by Cersei, (Lena Headey) who believed that Tyrion poisoned Joffrey (but come on, we all know the brains behind the operation was likely Olenna Tyrell). Fortunately, Sansa, (Sophie Turner) persuaded by Dontos, (Tony Way) managed to leg it out of there before all the drama ensued. 

Natalie Dormer's character Margaery was on point in this episode, and Dormer is rather good at playing the manipulative characters (see her portrayal of Moriarty in Elementary for further evidence of this) and it was a joy to watch her try to diffuse tension throughout the wedding, and prevent her 'husband' from killing anyone. Poor Tyrion, on the other hand, spent the majority of the episode being tormented by Joffrey, and also had to send Shae (Sibel Kekilli) away to Pentos, on the grounds that his Father would most likely kill her. Whether she actually sailed off to Pentos isn't really elaborated on, though Bronn (Jerome Flynn) suggests that she did get on the ship. 

The episode was packed full of hilarity, and numerous snide remarks were made, not to mention threats of violence, as Cersei insinuated that Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) was in love with Jaime, (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and of course, she said it in her usual threatening manner, and Jaime exchanged threats with Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones) about who would end up marrying Cersei. Apparently, threats are second nature to the Lannisters. Cersei also managed to share a fierce conversation with Prince Oberyn (Pedro Pascal) and Ellaria Sand, (Indira Varma) as herself and Tywin (Charles Dance) exchange numerous insults with the two, however polite they manage to make it sound. Cersei also manages to undermine Margaery's power, by making sure that the leftover food doesn't go to the poor, like Margaery wanted, but instead goes to feed the animals. 

Also back for this episode, is everyone favourite other psychopath, Ramsay Snow, (Iwan Rheon) as we see him hunting and letting his dogs maul a young girl to death, and also tormenting Reek (formerly Theon Greyjoy, played by Alfie Allen) as his Father, Roose Bolton, (Michael McElhatton) arrives back from murdering the Starks at the Red Wedding. Roose, however, isn't very pleased that he now has a mentally (and physically) damaged Greyjoy instead of a 'whole' one to trade for Moat Cailin. Roose, discovering from Reek that the Stark boys are still alive, sends his men to find them. Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) also makes a brief appearance, if only to kill a couple more people who don't believe in the 'god of light'. Super duper. 

Overall, the episode featured some killer moves (literally) and I think everyone will be suitably happy/shocked/delighted/distraught at the events of the Purple Wedding and will look towards the next episode to shed some light on what might happen to Tyrion, what has happened to Sansa and what will happen to everyone in Kings Landing now that King Joffrey is no more. 

The Big Bang Theory - Season 7, Episode 20 'The Relationship Diremption' [Review]

Following on from the highs of a successful episode last week, ‘The Relationship Diremption’ sees the split of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and a great love (no, it isn’t Amy) and he struggles to cope with the break-up, considering he has dedicated his life to the theory. It is rare that an episode in a series will be as good, if not better, than the first, but this week’s episode disproves the theory, as it was packed with hilarity and possessed solid storylines.

Following on from the under-developed relationship between Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Emily (Laura Spencer) in last week’s episode, we see the two back together, and on a double date with Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). 

To check out the rest of this review, where I delve into more of the episode and what was in store for Howard and Sheldon in the episode, then check out the full review at the following link: 
http://www.imwithgeek.com/3/post/2014/04/the-big-bang-theory-the-relationship-diremption-spoilers.html