Hidden Gem: Wild Child

The past few weeks I’ve been trawling through some of my chick-flicks, including a few firm Hilary Duff favourites (The Perfect Man, A Cinderella Story) and some of the DVDs that used to stick in my head long after watching, such as Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and How To Win A Date With Tad Hamilton.

Girly marathons aren’t usually my thing, but it’s really helped me get in touch with the more feminine side of myself – a side some of my more intuitive friends like to pretend I don’t have!

But, while I trawled through my collection I noticed one particular film I bought on offer but hadn’t gotten around to watching yet.

Since I checked out Wild Child, I have firmly stuck it on my list of films I can play in the background. I knew I’d enjoy it, but I wasn’t expecting to like it quite as much as I did! With charming characters, a playful look at the difference between American and English cultures, and numerous witty one-liners, it’s fantasticly entertaining. Main character Poppy Moore’s attitude to being locked up in an English boardng school is bitter and turbulent, with a deep-seated anxiety to escape. But, with a background like hers, it’s not hard to see why she finds it so difficult to relate to her new peers.

The students of Abbey Mount are, as a whole, far more reserved, and compared to Poppy’s previous best friend, her new room mates turn out to be much more genuine. It’s hard to understand why someone as sharp and intuitive as Poppy is taken in by her false friendship with Ruby, when even her own younger sister sees through the mask:

Lets be honest… if our “false” friends pulled this kind of face at the prospect of a goodbye hug, it might be easier to work them out from our real friends… but in the real world, it takes patience and experience. In some cases, as in Poppy’s, the lesson has to be learned the hard way.

Still, it makes for fun viewing!

Kirsty Watkinson

Scrap Book: Ahiru and Fakir

For this week’s scrap book, I’ve chosen one of my favourite sketches. I’m always a huge fan of Princess Tutu, and the convoluted relationship between Fakir and Ahiru is by far one of my favourite parts of the second half of the series. Watching them go from hostility and confrontation to trust and friendship is one of the most uplifting things about the series, and Fakir’s appreciation for Ahiru’s constant optimism and determination to suceed really warms the heart. This was easily one of the pictures I enjoyed working on the most out of everything I’ve shared in the scrap book section of the blog:

The quote is, obviously, one of Ahiru’s. While she acts as a passionate, spirited and positive influence, never giving up and always staying focused on whats important to her and her friends. But, despite her strengths, she knows she’s far from perfect – and that’s where she comes to realise (at least in the later episodes) that Fakir is a rock she can always rely on.

I hope I managed to convey this in my sketch.

Kirsty Watkinson

Article: Top 5 Emotional Scenes

This week’s article has been a struggle to inspire, so I decided to stop trying to be too topical and find something personal to write about. So here’s my very own list – the 5 most emotional, passionate and engaging scenes I’ve seen on film.

Ivana Baquero in Pan’s Labyrinth

From start to finish, Ivana plays the character of fantasy-struck Ofelia to perfection. Chasing her imagination through a war-torn part of 1900′s Spain, Ofelia’s fairytale adventures hook the audience and keeps them on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

Some of the more dramatic and engaging scenes would spoil the story, but this one is pretty tense – being chased by the Pale Man after she caves to temptation:

Paul Bettany in Da Vinci Code

One of the most impressive things about actor Paul Bettany is his maleability in acting. He can play someone so comically naive in A Knights Tale, and yet still give an explosive performance like his portrayal of religious hitman Silas.

Two things on this clip – It’s a realy graphic scene, so be warned before you watch it! And please, PLEASE… mute the music! It was the only version I could find, and it kind of spoils the effect:

Natalie Portman in Léon

Stalking a hitman isn’t the usual past-time of a 12-year-old girl, but Mathilda isn’t like most girls. Holding herself together long enough to survive the massacre of her family, she pleads with “cleaner” Léon (Jean Reno) to give her sanctuary and teach her the skills she needs to avenge the murder of her 4-year-old brother.

I don’t envy her in this scene – powerful stuff:

Mel Gibson in Braveheart

Being of scottish descent personally, this film is definitely one that stands out in memory. Mel Gibson’s prowess as a dramatic actor has been shown in many roles, no less than in Passion Of The Christ. Still, there’s something about the ending to this one that’s just so moving I couldn’t resist choosing it.

Instead of showing the ending (that wouldn’t be fair!) here’s a clip when they win. Not saying what they win, but they do win something:

Will Smith in Seven Pounds

I can’t think of many films that affected me as much as Seven Pounds. Watching it in the cinema on my own for a review, I remember crying buckets when I worked out what was going to happen. I’ve always been a huge fan of Will’s acting, but this performance was above and beyond anything I’d expected when I sat down to watch it.

Here’s part of the film’s opening – a hell of a long way from Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Men In Black:

Kirsty Watkinson

Hidden Gem: “Candy CANES?! Are you mocking me?”

So lately, I’ve been watching House a lot – Hugh Laurie is one heck of an actor! I still love the fact that even the director didn’t know he was English from his initial audition! It’s only when you watch his interviews on the DVD that you realise just how good his accent really is!

Picking one gem from the show is impossible, so that’s what I’ve gone for! But, to illustrate this, here’s the clip of Hugh Laurie’s audition for the position of House:

And, to compare… a topical Hugh Laurie interview on accents:

Finally… Some House hilarity:

House MD Funny Moments – Season 1

What a legend!

Kirsty Watkinson