Review: The Big Wedding DVD

Last Sunday my husband and I sat down for a quiet evening in, we put on The Big Wedding and got the snacks out. Some time together and a good movie was just what we needed - sadly he ended up in bed before the film finished as it did not manage to keep him engaged.

The Big Wedding has a really strong cast, with Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton, Amands Seyfried, Topher Grace, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams and I therefore expected great things from it and don't get me wrong it is a watch-able movie but just not fabulous like I expected.

Without spoiling too much of the film I'll say that Don and Ellie (De Niro and Keaton) have to pretend that they are still married. Divorced many years ago, they are now thrown back together to offer a 'good front' to their adopted sons birth mother who decides to fly halfway across the world for his wedding day. Don's current girlfriend has to move out and Ellie moves back in but not without any issues.

The film focuses on the wider family and the wedding weekend, you get a glimpse into all their lives and learn a few home truths from the past which spark some consequences for the future.

The film is billed as 'an uproarious romantic comedy' and I have to say that is a real overstatement. I hardly laughed during the film and whilst there are a few sex scenes it is nor massively romantic, except perhaps a couple of fleeting moments. The performances are good though, as you would expect from such established actors and this means the film is watch-able.

Take a peek at the trailer and see what you think -



The Big Wedding is out on DVD/ Blu-Ray from 14th October, you can pre-order on Amazon for £10.00

Certificate:   15
Run time:     89 minutes

Review: Playing For Keeps DVD

Tonight I realised that at times I can be pretty shallow. I sat down to watch Playing for Keeps, which had arrived for me to review and I looked at the write-up and wondered why I had said yes to this DVD and then I spotted it starred Gerard Butler and remembered that I'd watch anything with him in!

Luckily this film turned out to have more going for it than just Gerard. It is a really easy watch with a simple storyline and some great stars. It is the kind of film that you do not have to concentrate too hard on, you can just enjoy it and relax. A classic romantic comedy.

So what's the storyline?
George is a former sports star who is down on his luck and in need of a break. Realising that he has next to  no relationship with his son he moves to Virginia to be close to his ex-wife and son. Slowly he starts to build a relationship with his son and soon he is coaching his soccer team. Georges good looks attract the attention of some of the soccer mums and then he is busy fighting (but not too hard) off the Mums and starts to let his son down yet again. George then gets a lead on a sports presenters job and get distracted yet again... but will he resist the charms of these women and win back the family that he loves?

Who steals the show?
Generally I think the acting was really good from all the stars, I particularly liked Jessica Biel as the ex-wife Stacie and Noah Lomax does a superb job as Lewis, George's son. Dennis Quaid is a great laugh and Catherine Zeta-Jones rocks the rich bored housewife/ mum character.

There are so many stars in this move it is unreal - as well as those mentioned above there is also Uma Thurman and Judy Greer.

My favourite part of the movie?
When George opens up and tells his ex-wife how he feels about her, very touching and well acted on both parts.

Is it an award winner?
In my humble opinion no, this film is not going to set your world on fire but it is a nice easy watch that is pleasant and great for date night or girlie night in. Go and enjoy.....

Film Details
Rating: 12 (mild swearing a few times)
Run time: 105 minutes
Release Date in the UK: 20th May 2013

You can order the film from Amazon ready for its release, the price is £11.25 for the DVD and £15.50 for the Blu-ray. Both contain some special features -

• Deleted Scenes 
• The Playbook: Making Playing for Keeps 
• Creating An All-Star Team: The Cast of Playing for Keeps 

This DVD was sent to me free of charge for the purposes of this review. 

I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Warner Brothers - Now is Good Review

I'd not heard of Now is good when Warner Brothers offered it to me for review and neither had I heard of Before I Die, the book it is based on but when I read the plot synopsis I thought why not? - I'll give it a go.

And I liked it, I wondered if I would. As it started Dh spotted it was a BBC film and groaned, informing me they were often slow. I then made the mistake of googling some reviews to see what people thought and most stuff I came across was not very positive but I'm glad I make up my own mind.

It's a really sweet film, it won't blow you away but I found it very watchable and it captured me. I did feel as if I was taking a journey with Tessa, the 17 year old central character, from her failed attempts to lose her virginity to the first snatched hug on a bus with next door neighbour Adam, right through to the pain of her Dad realising it would not be long before he lost her.

Tessa found out four years ago that she has leukaemia, chemotherapy is just making her feel more ill so she decides to enjoy the rest or her life and make the most of it. A bucket list is compiled and Tessa sets about doing all the thing a teenager might try for the first time, drinks, drugs, sex and of course love.

When Tessa learns her cancer has spread and the doctor urges her 'to do the things she wants to do' she asks how long she has left and it is clear the answer is not long.  It is a hard pill to swallow when someone is only 17 and after this we see some of the best scenes where Tessa and her dad go trough a power struggle.

Dakota Fanning and Paddy Considine

I found Paddy Considine excellent as her Dad and Dakota Fanning pulled off some brilliant scenes as a hurt, scared and abrasive teenager with a lot of attitude. Jeremy Irvine is very easy on the eye and is convincing as a young man in love who has to grow up very quickly.

The film has a bit of everything - touching love scenes, cringe-worthy teenage antics, a harrowing scene, where Tessa has a horrendous pumping nose bleed and her pathetic mother has no idea what to do and even the odd joke to break the tension.

I'm glad I watched Now is good and I'd happily recommend it. Now is Good is released 21st January 2013, you can pre-order it from Amazon for £11.99.

Run time - 99 minutes
Rating - 12
The DVD also comes with a UV copy to be able to download for use on your tablet

Take a look at the trailer and see if you fancy.......



Disclosure:  I received this DVD for the purposes of this review.  I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Review: Friends with Kids DVD

Sometimes life gets too busy and you just need to stop and take a break.  I got to this point late last week.  I’d been at work training all day, my husband was working the evening, I had finally got all the kids to bed and I mentally shouted stop and slumped down on the sofa.  The kitchen still needed tidying after our dinner, the dining room floor looked like a full scale food-fight had happened but sometimes you have to say who cares? I certainly didn’t, time out was the order of the day.

That left me with the taxing decision - what would I do that meant I could enjoy my chill-out time that evening?  A long warm bath?  Nah the kids were not quite asleep yet, I don’t think I could deal with the chit chat! Get my craft box out and makes some cards? Hmm I don’t think I even had the energy to manage that. Sit on the sofa and watch a DVD with a hot chocolate? Yep sounds like a winner and what a fabulous film I had to watch.

Friends with kids was released on DVD and Blu-ray earlier this week on 12^th November and I can promise you if you buy this for someone for Christmas they will not at all be disappointed.  I loved this film, not just a little bit but a whole lot. I will most definitely be watching it again and again and I am already planning to get some girlfriends round next time dh is working in the evening.

The main plot running through the film is that two single 30 something friends see how having kids is messing things up for their married friends and decide there must be a better way. So they agree to try for a child together but to carry on their single lives, dating other people, Of course there are lots of laughs and uncomfortable moments as they decide to get intimate in the name of falling pregnant.

Once the baby arrives there are all sorts of issues that this non-couple have to deal with, things that those of us who are parents will be so familiar with – the baby blues, a baby who won’t stop crying, jealousy,  babysitting. Of course all the normal trials of being a new parent are exaggerated by the fact that the parents do not live together and are not in a traditional relationship.

As well as the storyline around the central couple Jason and Julie, there are also two more couples who feature heavily in this film and form part of the tight friendship group. It is really interesting to see how these friends respond to the unusual situation that Jason and Julie have put themselves into. And it is interesting, I can't say I know anyone in real life who has decided this is the way forward for them.

Now I’m going to be mean and not give too much away about this film, as I really would not want to spoil the plot for you. It is such a good film and for me it panned out just the way I wanted it to, there were laughs, tearful moments, my heart jumped in my mouth at a couple of points and the ending worked. However, I did find myself tweeting as it ended ‘ohh I wanted more’ but that was not because it didn’t give enough, I just could not get enough.  I see a sequel in the future…

I will happily give this film a 10/10 for a great night in with the girls.

You can buy Friends with Kids now on Amazon for just £10.00.  It is a snip!

Playtime:  103 minutes

Rating: 15

Staring: A brilliant cast many of which were in Bridesmaids together - Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm.

Check out the trailer and see for yourself how fab it is -