"We keep secrets from lots of people, including our self - and that we call forgetting."

While trying to steal a painting, Simon gets hit on his head. After that he can't remember where he hid the painting worth millions. A crime boss hires a hypno-therapist, to make Simon remember things that are forgotten.

I bought the movie on sale at a video rental place. I like going there, seeing movies that were previously "rental only" and then buy them. Anyway, Trance seemed interesting because... well for one thing McAvoy is one of my favourite actors. Secondly, I've heard people say good things about this movie. And thirdly, the plot seemed really interesting. It seemed somehow original. 

If I had to put this movie into a one category (not necessarily a genre) with other movies, Trance would belong to the same group with The Fountain and Slipstream. Trance is definitely not for someone, who only wants to watch a movie for fun. It needs concentrating and patience. Mostly because not concentrating might make you miss something. And being impatient may lead to giving up on the movie because so many things aren't explained. ... Yeah, but then again, who would want to see a movie with everything explained beforehand?

Music in Trance is also fantastic. Not necessarily a score someone would typically choose, but it works with not so typical storyline. The music was fantastic, and even though there wasn't lots of stuff happening all the time, it could be something little, but it was the music that made the atmosphere perfect. I count at least like three times they made scenes absolutely perfect and I just sat there like "Oh my god, this is the exact kind of movie I live for". Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Acting was also absolutely great. Not so many well-known actors, with the exception of James McAvoy and Rosario Dawson, who still aren't exactly actors everyone knows. But every casting choice was a spot on. No exaggerations, like hiring some super awesome hollywood stars, no. ... I'm not exactly sure what I meant by that.

But yeah, absolutely amazing movie. I recommend this to anyone who would want to see maybe a bit more complicated movie, that probably blows your mind.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

10 / 10

"She thinks she's found a magical land... In the upstairs wardrobe!"

I've never been a big fan of fantasy. ... Okay I have been once, but haven't been for several years. And Narnia didn't interest me at all. I've read the first book and I've seen it as a play. Now I thought I'd finally see the movie. ... Mostly because I liked one adorable character when I was little and he is played by one of my favourite actors so yeah.

Actually The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I mean sometimes book adaptations are freakishly bad. They are either too strictly to the book (first Harry Potter movie) or completely different (Percy Jackson). From what I remember from the book, I think The Lion, The.... I think the movie was pretty accurate but not too much, not like all the lines are straight copies from the book.

Characters are interesting, but I don't think they are worth watching another movie or reading another book. Especially Lucy is a very good character. And Aslan is great, except that he is basically Jesus. And well, my favourite character Mr Tumnus is of course adorable, but I don't know if there could be any more to the character, I mean something that wasn't already said. So yeah.

Movie was alright but not really my cup of tea.

☆☆☆☆

4 / 10

"But I don't want a whole new me, mother! I like myself the way I am!"

Penelope is a modern-day fairytale about a girl who is born with a nose of a pig, due to a curse in the family. The only way of breaking the curse is to find "one of her own kind" to accept her and love her as she is. This turns out to be quite a challenge, since all the blue-bloods run away when seeing Penelope. Eventually Penelope grows tired of this and runs away herself, finding her own way in the world.

Penelope was as amazing as I heard it would be. As a fairytale it would be much more beautiful and meaningful than those we are told when we are little. I mean I'd like to talk more about what in the end broke the curse but that would be spoiling, even though the quote I chose for the title already gives a lot away, doesn't it? If it does, it also means I don't have to explain so much why the end was so important. 

The film has some beautiful cinematography, great soundtrack and wonderful acting. Christina Ricci was absolutely magnificent, and so was Peter Dinklage and James McAvoy and mostly everyone. 

I'm currently trying to find one song from the soundtrack and this seems to be a big search, even though I have IMDb to guide me. (Just found it, Hoppipolla by Sigur Rós) Also now I've finally heard that "You're my sunshine" or whatever it is song, wonderfully horribly sung by McAvoy. At least I think it was really him, IMDb trivia doesn't mention it anywhere.

The movie is nice and beautiful in many ways, and it's very nice to kids as well as people my age - and probably people older than me. So if you have the time to watch it, please do. Amazing.

But now somebody might notice that even though I have nothing bad to say about Penelope here, I'm still not giving 10 stars. So what? Where did it went wrong? Well, it didn't go wrong. But somehow it seems like a movie that's... well it's worth watching once. I mean the meaningfulness came to life there. The second time won't be as magical. But I'll see it - maybe I'll watch it again and maybe I will change my decision.

(Also you've seen what kind of movies I like, so maybe that explains the rating also.)

☆☆☆☆☆☆

6 / 10

"Same rules apply."

Filth tells the story of a Scottish policeman, Bruce Robertson, who is everything but a nice guy. He's going for a promotion, which means eliminating several competitors. Also his holiday trip to Germany is about to get ruined because some Japanese student gets murdered, and even though that murder isn't the least interesting to Bruce, he still has to try to solve it.

First of all, I've been reading Filth by Irvine Welsh all weak. I don't understand that, because I read like 3 novels in 48 hours and now I'm stuck with Filth, have been for a good while. Why? It's quite like reading American Psycho, I need to take long breaks, because the text is quite tough.

And then I ruined the ending by watching the movie. Why`Why would I do that? Well, it's July, which means it's time for Camp NaNoWriMo. I need to write 50k word novel in a month, and I have a story in my head, I just need it on a paper - or computer screen. I'm a bit stuck, so I thought watching Filth would help. Well, it didn't. You see, I had a perfect ending planned for my story, everything perfect. But Irvine Welsh has done it before I did. So damn, now I'm unsure if I should go with that ending or not. Any help? 

But about the movie... whenever you read a book (even though you don't finish it) before seeing the movie, you almost count the differences and get annoyed the more differences show up. That happens to me every time, so I try to see the movie before reading. This time I didn't, and I was so annoyed at all the little things that were changed, and for the sake of what? I have no idea. But one  of the most annoying things were how quickly everything happened. I mean seriously, the tone of things changed so bloody quickly. I've read most of the book and it's still ridiculously sexist and disgusting and not at all sad, except few things. But the movie got sad very quickly and it didn't give the viewer the chance to enjoy the disgusting things. Actually that might not be bad thing. I'm almost glad they didn't mention Robertson's rash down there.  

So most of the changes were neutral - they didn't make it worse or better. And basically that's what bothered me mostly, they just were there and I have no idea why. But one thing that should've been there was the narrator's voice. It was there just in the beginning, but in the book Robertson's narration is the best part of the book - that or whatever the tapeworm said. (Yup I'm serious. (They didn't have the tapeworm properly in the movie, though. That's sad.)) 

But somehow the quick version, the movie, got to me easier and quicker than the book. The book just seems something that Welsh has written half-seriously, but the movie had more serious  tone. And if I'm completely honest, that's probably better. I mean the book tricks you into thinking that everything is fine, Bruce Robertson is completely okay. Which is not true, at least not according to what book secretly tells - and what the tapeworm tells. 

James McAvoy was absolutely fantastic. He can show to sides of a character - the devious, calculating Robertson, but also the sick, lonely Robertson - and still is the same character. It doesn't weirdly change into something else. Well, that's also thanks to good writing. But yeah, James McAvoy truly was the reason I sat down to read the book for a week until I gave up and watched the movie. He is magnificent though. (And thanks to Days Of Future Past I'm going through some weird McAvoy phase, even though I've been busy not watching movies.) 

Weird thing though, music was composed by Clint Mansel. I've heard his music in The Fountain which is total opposite of Filth. Weird, huh. But the music was well chosen - especially Creep in the end. In the end I wanted to have. I even had a sad slow song chosen for my ending - Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. Damn you Irvine Welsh, I'm shaking my knuckles at the sky.

In short, Filth was amazing. The book made me think it would be something completely horrible but I was positively surprised. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
10 / 10