Though the current season hasn’t technically merged into Fall yet, it’s cold and dark and rainy and I refuse to call this thing that is happening outside Summer. So, since I’ve accepted the fact that it’s Fall, this seems like the perfect time to look back at the Summer block busters and reflect on those good and really bad movies I saw. And that one specific movie that stole my heart.. forever.
This Summer marked the first time I was in a vicinity of a cinema the entire time, I literally worked in a place where I could see the people line up for tickets! So I took full advantage of the situation and spent a good amount of off days in the cinema, watching good and maybe not so good movies. Within three months I cinema-watched 10 movies, 4 of which I loved very much and 6 that didn’t really seem worth my money. That being said, I’m full on enjoying the fact that I live in the capital now because I’m a cinema-holic!
The first big block buster movie I went to see was 22 Jump Street and that just wasn’t the best way to start off the Summer. Yes, looking back I recall all those great moments but when I start remembering the rest, I just stop thinking about it all together. When I think about movies I want to keep thinking about them, I want to remember all those little details and tiny moments, rewatch the movie and live those moments again. 22 Jump Street is not one of those movies.
Those good feelings did happened with the next movie I saw, Chef – the biggest surprise of the Summer! It was full of heart and joy, celebrated food and life without really over doing it. The best thing about it, I saw it months ago and I still remember it fondly, I’m still reminded of it every time I see good looking food and that’s exactly what a good movie is supposed to do. I feel like this movie didn’t get the kind of attention it needed, it somehow almost slipped through the cracks but it deserves so much more than that!
Another one of those enjoyable cinema experiences happened thanks to Tom Cruise because seeing him die over and over again in Edge of Tomorrow brought a smile to my face. It’s not that I dislike the guy, I’m slowly forgetting is crazed out couch jumping and religious views, but all of that is still somehwere at the back of my mind. Still, I enjoyed Tom this Summer and I enjoyed it so much that I even rewatched this movie a week ago with great enthusiasm.
I finished off June with probably the most overrated movie, scratch that, overrated franchise ever – Transformers! The newest, Age of Extinction featured a new leading man, Mark Whalberg and a new sex object, a 19 year old Nicola Peltz. I fell asleep. The only other times I accidentally fell asleep during watching a movie was when I had a really high fever and when I hadn’t slept for 30+ hours. Feel free to make your own assumptions in regards to this fact.
With Maleficent, I knew what I was getting myself into. I suspected to like certain aspects of it but I wasn’t really prepared to love the whole thing and I was right. Angelina Jolie was stunning, I’m slowly finding her more and more appealing, Sam Riley was the highlight of the movie for me but the rest, the rest just was simply alright. The biggest problem I have with Maleficent is the fact that a movie can’t solely rely on its pretty CGI and cinematography, we get it, technology can make beautiful things but there’s more and more pressure to deliver amazing stories! That, and how the hell can’t an all powerful fairy, with all that magic, feel that her wings are locked up somewhere and go into the castle to steal them back?
Alright, back to the good stuff! There’s a certain connection between me and French movies, they are almost the only non-English movies I watch and I always like them. Quantum Love (Une Rencontre) tells the most unique love story I’ve seen in years, and it is told while being on the edge of realism and fantasy and it does it beautifully. There are couple of scenes in this movie that look stunning, the vibe is all so pleasant and Sophie Marceau looks amazing! The only problem I had with this movie was the fact that Francois Cluzet looks exactly like the French version of Dustin Hoffman, and it bothers me.
Only seen two movies twice in the cinema and Guardians of the Galaxy has the honor to be the best out of those two, or the best in general because it was hands down my greatest cinema experience this year so far! I say it all in my review, there’s nothing more left to say, I love it, I love it and I love it. Also, can’t wait for the sequel!
Despite the extra special beginning to August, the three following cinema experiences didn’t even come close to what I could consider good. Sex Tape sounded pretty awful and though I do find Cameron Diaz to be rather tolerable (I know many of you don’t but that’s okay) and Jason Segal is charismatic without even trying, this just didn’t work at all. The worst thing about it is the fact that I actually enjoyed the beginning, the first half was rather tolerable and funny but then it all went to shit. Yes, I wrote shit, that’s how awful this movie was!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was just as bad, it was bad on paper, it was bad on screen, it was bad everything but since it was the only option at that time, I went for it just so I could hate it for a reason. Most disappointing of it all, Noel Fisher was such a waste for this movie and Megan Fox looked different from every angle, stop messing with your face woman!
Last but not least, I ended my Summer with Let’s Be Cops, a comedy I hoped to love the most this year and now I’m sitting here thinking that I must be the most depressing person ever because I didn’t like any of the comedies this Summer! Though, no, I’m still capable of laughing because Chris Pratt made me laugh twice with the same jokes! The problem is the actual comedies that aren’t bringing it, either the jokes are flat or the plot is too heavy, or it’s just bad all around.
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Though I ended up disliking 60% of the movies I saw this Summer, I still like going to the cinema. That, and the fact that I love to walk out and look at the faces of all those other people, who look like they saw cinema magic, because it makes me feel like I know something they don’t. But it also makes me worried because when I hear another person telling me that they enjoyed Transformers: Age of Extinction, I’m going to kill somebody.
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Oooh Sophie Marceau – so lucky in Firelight! Another movie I HIGHLY recommend along with Fugitive Pieces 🙂
Tom Cruise’s dying screams are so funny, this was definitely the most enjoyable part of The Edge of Tomorrow for me 🙂 And the film making me perv about Emily Blunt!
My list of “to watch” is growing every day.. hopefully I’m able to get to it and finish it some time in the far future. 🙂
Indeed, Edge of Tomorrow had a lot of good and Tom dying was a big part of it. 😀
Jealous! I think I saw maybe 3 or 4 films over the summer. I miss going to the cinema every week! Agree on all films that I’ve seen, also really want to see Chef, damn! Hoping it’s at PÖFF.
Well, I saw mostly no movies during the summer for years and years, so that’s why I planned to change things up this year! 😀
Your Coffee Talks are life. I’m def going to check out Une rencontre; If you haven’t chenecked out Ne Le Dis A Personne (Tell No One) with Francois Cluzet, you should asap! I loved the summary at the end, glad you still love going!
Thank you so much for these awesome words!
I’ll add that movie to my list but unless I stop adding movies to it, I might never finish with it. 😀
You’re welcome ! Haha that might have been the truest thing I’ve read in a while. I’m up to 200 on my imdb list haha, hope you can get to it one day 🙂
Very good list of movies you have seen this summer. I agree with your thoughts on 22 Jump Street and Maleficent. For a sequel, it wasn’t bad. I just laughed a lot more at the first one then I did that, and you’re right. It wasn’t memorable. Never heard of Quantum Love, but I do want to check it out based on your recommendation.
Transformers: Age of Extinction is such an abominable, WORST movie I’ve seen in perhaps my entire life, not just this year!! I question people’s taste in movies if they LOVE that movie, ugh, I don’t know if you could even CALL it a movie, that’d imply it’s some kind of art form.
It truly was just god awful from the minute it started. I can’t even believe I stayed until the end… what a waste. :/
Ooo, sounds like you got to see a lot of movies this summer – love it when that happens! I actually enjoyed 22 Jump Street. I thought it was a pretty decent comedy, although I probably liked 21 better.
Chef is one of those movies I regret not seeing when I had the chance. I’ve heard multiple good reviews on it, so I’m definitely planning to see it when it’s out on DVD!
I loved Edge of Tomorrow and Guardians of the Galaxy, so I’m glad to be on the same page as you there!
I thought the newest Transformers was terrible (like the previous two), although I thought it might be the worst one yet. Horrible, awful movie.
Maleficent was just awful!
As for 22 Jump Street, what did you think of the ending credits? Best part of the film in my opinion.
Agreed. I did enjoy the scene where Tatum found out about the boss’s daughter.. it was a bit over done but it was still quite fun.