Four selected films, getting you to the end of June
Why four and why these? Well, our lives can feel as though we are in a mechanical continuum, immutably adhere. Our programmed switch, powering us ahead, as if it is perpetual. Leaving us a narrow window of sereneness. These four movies permits one gap a week to withdraw, entering an assortment of genres. A vast range of cinematography, from fighter jets to boy ballet dancers. We can concur their dissimilarities, yet they all possess substance and a recreational streak. All to be found on Netflix.
One
The Blind Side
The Blind Side is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by John Lee Hancock. It tells the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African American teenager who is taken in by a wealthy white family, the Tuohys. The film highlights themes of family, kindness, and perseverance, and stars Sandra Bullock, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy.
It’s the ultimate mixture of a soft, vulnerable story, hugging that benumbed, pitiful soul of yours, and a fierce, enthralling influence; a power house of femininity. Bullock’s twangy, cogent southerly accent definitely has a lot to say for its womanist core.
One day I had such a hankering to watch this film, wanting to escape back to Redneck Tennessee. But I was confronted with an obstacle. My friends had never heard of it. Please do not let their incompetence, shadow this films eminence. I was bewildered by their word and theatrically pressed play.
Boastful by their satisfied reviews, I am pushing for this film to be noticed by more. Even a delayed viewing, will continue its mastery.
Two
Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot is a 2000 British drama film directed by Stephen Daldry. Set against the backdrop of the 1984-85 miners’ strike in Northern England, it tells the story of an 11-year-old boy named Billy who discovers a passion for ballet, defying his family’s traditional working-class expectations. With the support of his dance teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy pursues his dream despite societal and familial pressures. The film is celebrated for its heartfelt narrative, strong performances, particularly by Jamie Bell as Billy, and its exploration of themes such as self-discovery, resilience, and the breaking of social barriers.
The nauseous, intolerable years of being disciplined and criticised by my strident, bullying Ballet teacher, has this film to thank. A 7 year-old Kate, romanticising a coming of age story, assuring myself that a lesson a week would grant me to dance for Sir Matthew Bourne. I may have neglected my Ballet days, but Billy Elliot remains a raw slice of escapism.
As a southerner, I wasn’t yet familiar with people from the North. Yet, Gary Lewis’s near incomprehensible Geordie accent was a good opener. If a potty mouth pushes a good giggle out of you then it’s one to watch. If you tend to tut at one’s blasphemy then keep on reading.
This film is a masterpiece of truth and significance. A glimpse of hope from a boy, once a lot like all of us.
Three
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is a high-octane sequel to the 1986 classic, featuring Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Now a seasoned Navy pilot, Maverick trains a new generation of aviators while confronting his past and adapting to modern aerial combat. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film combines stunning aerial sequences with emotional depth.
A candid statement – the edge of my seat. No exaggeration, no theatrics, my utter honesty when sat in that cinema, dripping in suspense. Me, my dad, and my mum, all rejoicing through Kenny Loggins, Danger Zone. The diameter of our eyes gradually widening, while being stuck on the tenterhooks that is Tom Cruise’s lingering ability to survive.
It’s a five-star rated movie, that annihilates your five senses. One being the roaring jets and the other four being the sight of fighter pilots playing football, on the beach, topless. Yes, that may be the only scene I’m being hauled to write about. But have no doubt, Top Gun is also sincerely acquainted with relentless action numbers, that struggle for a conclusion.
A 2023 summer triumph. From a star-studded revival, that established Cruise’s dumbfounding versatility, while boomers swim in nostalgia. It may just be your June favourite.
Four
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a psychological thriller film directed by Anthony Minghella, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. The story follows Tom Ripley, a young man with a talent for impersonation and forgery, who is sent to Europe to retrieve a wealthy man’s son, Dickie Greenleaf. As Ripley becomes enamored with Dickie’s glamorous lifestyle, his desire to belong leads to a deadly web of deception.
I couldn’t conceive a more ideal summer choice. Set in the quaint, visually charming Venice, bestowing a vacation of beauty. Law’s golden tresses, Paltow’s velvety expressions and Damon’s lucid glare. It’s a tasteful field of grandeur, with a cynical blend of barbarity.
I was a first time watcher only recently and the word twist might be below belt for its revelations, but it’s what constructed this film into a universal knockout 25 years on.
A 1999, fully haired Jude Law is twiddling his thumbs, anticipating your viewing. It’s a checklist piece, that you must tick off.
Sit back and enjoy
Kate x
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