Cinema Weekend

Happy weekend, fellow bloggers! Time to relax, read a bit, and watch a movie!

Last week, I showed you my trippy side by recommending Jim Henson's Labyrinth, with David Bowie. This week, I want to show off my obsession with British films!

Seriously, I love British films--I love the writing, I love the humor, I love the actors...I just think they're such a top-notch quality, and so I wanted to share three(3) of my favorite British films with you!

1. The History Boys (2006, Comedy-drama)
- This film was adapated from Alan Bennett's 2005 Tony Award-winning play and features the original Broadway cast. Set in 1983, this witty, touching film revolves around 8 working-class schoolboys as they prepare for their examinations to get into Oxbridge (Oxford/Cambridge).
I am a history major, so that added another fun element to this film - there are a few major quote-worthy scenes in which subjects in history are broken down and analyzed in a really thought-provoking way. And of course, I love films that portray strong teachers! Hector reminds me of several of my favorite teachers, even though he, umm...well you'll have to watch it for yourselves!
- The film stars an incredible ensemble cast, including Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia), Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter films) and Frances de la Tour (Madame Maxime in Goblet of Fire) among others.
- Favorite quote!

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours."

- Rated R for language (hey, it is a British film after all)

2. Death at a Funeral (2007, Comedy)
Hilarious tagline: From director Frank Oz (aka, YODA) comes the story of a family that puts the F U in funeral...
- Daniel is a decent young man, married to Jane, still living at his father's home. When his father dies, it is up to him to organize his funeral. On this painful morning, the suitable grave expression on his face, Daniel is ready to welcome his father's friends and relatives. But preserving the dignity inherent in such circumstances will be a hard task. Particularly with an undertaker who botches his work, the return from the USA of his famous but selfish brother, his cousin's fiancé who has accidentally ingested drugs, the presence a moron who takes advantage of the sad event to win back the heart (or rather the body) of a woman who is about to marry another, of a handicapped old uncle who is also the most unbearable pain in the neck. To cap it all, Daniel notices the presence among the mourners of a mysterious dwarf nobody else seems to know...
- Once again, an incredible ensemble cast, including Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice), Keeley Hawes, Ewan Bremner, Daisy Donovan, Alan Tudyk, Rupert Graves, Peter Dinklage

- Rated R for language, partial nudity and mild drug content

And last but not least,

3. Starter for Ten (2006, Comedy-drama)
- Based on the 2003 novel by the same name, this story chronicles the misadventures of Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a student in his first year at Bristol University. A somewhat obsessive collector of general knowledge, Brian has been a fan since childhood of University Challenge. That TV show's famous catchphrase—"Your starter for 10"—gives the film its title. Upon arriving at university, he seizes upon the opportunity to join Bristol's University Challenge team. He promptly falls for his glamorous teammate Alice (Alice Eve), though he may have more in common with a counterculturalist chum, Rebecca (Rebecca Hall). Additionally, Brian finds himself caught between his new life, amongst the posh university set, and his old, with his working-class family and friends in the seaside town of Southend, Essex.
- Favorite quote!

"I admit it. I'd made some mistakes. Okay, some big mistakes. Loads of them. But you can't hide in your room forever feeling sorry for yourself. It's not practical. At some point, you've got to get back out there, face up to things, and confront your demons. Ever since I can remember, I'd wanted to be clever. Some people are born clever, same way some people are born beautiful. I'm not one of those people. I'm going to have to work at it, put in the effort, and if I mess it up, I'll learn from it. Besides, sometimes it's not about knowing the right answer. Sometimes it's about asking the right questions.

P.S.--I tried to put the trailers on here, but they kept screwing up my columns, so sorry about that!