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ratingtheframe · 4 years ago

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Enola Holmes, The Devil All the Time and i’m thinking of ending things: Everything I watched in September.

Thank God we are almost at the end of the year. With October just around the corner and 2021 in full view, it seems like the film industry is slowly piecing themselves back together after months of being on a complete hiatus. Cinemas are slowly starting to return back to normal and streaming services are now full to capacity with content.

Netflix in particular has some exciting things to come and the successful release of Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes and Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time, has proven that their ability to produce outstanding content hasn’t been stunted at all by COVID-19. Here are the 31 titles I watched this month and for you to add to your watch list.

Searching (2018) as seen on Netflix

Searching recently came onto Netflix, however the film was actually first released in 2018, screening at Sundance Film Festival. It had a very impressive response and grossed $75 million worldwide and with a budget of only $880,000 it was certainly a success. I rate this film highly, due to the simplicity and execution of it, with a lot of twists and turns in appropriate places. Structurally, the film is flawless and it’s clear a lot of thought had gone into the payoff of the entirety of the film. Certainly an indie filmmaker's dream and a film to watch to learn about the “less is more” rule of screenwriting.

Score: 10/10

Zodiac (2007) as seen on Netflix

I’ve been avoiding Zodiac on Netflix for a loooong time, and after watching it I wonder why I didn’t check it out sooner. David Fincher’s (Fight Club, Panic Room, the Social Network) thriller based on the case files of the “Zodiac Killer” stars the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Junior and Jake Gyllenhaal, all of which had amazing on screen chemistry. The dialogue and structure is Aaron Sorkin-esque as you figuratively become one the detectives, unravelling the case as the two and a half hour film delves deeper and deeper. You honestly feel as if you become one of the team whilst watching Zodiac and just for that, it goes down as a praise worthy film with a perfect structure and surprising twist to the end. Zodiac is the thriller of thrillers.

Score: 11/10

I See You (2019) as seen on Netflix

Now a film like I see you has me questioning

Netflix’s

choices a little. The film scores handsomely on

Rotten Tomatoes

, with a metric score of

78%,

which is quite high for a largely gimmicky film. I can’t quite fault the overall concept, however the story itself fell flat by the end. Things just seemed to mount too much to the point that it became overtly inauthentic and questionable. Instead of paying attention to the movie, I found myself picking up all the irregularities such as why a police man would suffocate someone, drive them to their own home and then shoot them in the head. Surely a policeman would just leave her in the woods? On a brighter note,

Judah Lewis’ (Babysitter: Killer Queen)

was quite praiseworthy in his performance, but it wasn’t enough to drag the film out of a hole of confusion.

Score: 2/10

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) as seen on Netflix

If there is one film that you NEED to watch from this list, it would be Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The crackhead energy in this film is OFF THE CHARTS as Johnny Depp and Benecio Del Toro play two drug addicts exploring Las Vegas. The production design in this is marvellous and really captures the psychedelic world the two men enter every time they’re high. I particularly enjoyed Depp’s narration throughout this; his voice is the most sensual yet hilarious thing to listen to for 2 hours straight. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is HILARIOUS and such a well rounded, off the wall film to watch.

Score: 12/10

I’m thinking of ending things (2020) as seen on Netflix

Even though I watched i’m thinking of ending things nearly a month ago, I’m still recovering from it. Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) directs this satisfying yet highly confusing tale based on the Iain Reid book with the same title. Despite it’s perplexing plot, I certainly can’t fault the film’s performances or set design. Jesse Plemons, Jess Buckley, Toni Colette and David Thwelis made a surprisingly good ensemble and the makeup in this film is probably the best I have ever seen. HOWEVER and this is a big however, the waywardness of the story can’t override the success of artistry behind the film. I feel like there’s becoming a trend where films are visually perfect but make zero sense. By sense I mean a clear, concise story, that has character journeys and some sort of resolution at the end, no matter how big or small. I’m thinking of ending things that had just about NONE of these elements, and that doesn’t make it a bad film at all. It’s certainly not a film I’ve seen before and perhaps it raises the questions whether films need to make complete sense in order for them to be good. We can take a look at experimental cinema to delve deeper into that theory, for within this type of cinema, films can still be appreciated even when they are confusing. Perhaps the meaning of i’m thinking of ending things, is more powerful and higher than the average movie goer can understand, but still appreciate.

score: 9/10

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) as seen on Amazon Prime

Again, another film I’ve been avoiding for a loooong time and regret not watching sooner. The film stars Andrew Garfield as a devoted Christian who goes to war to serve his country, but refuses to carry a weapon yet lives to tell the tale. Preacher Desmond T. Doss saved the lives of between 50-100 men on Hacksaw Ridge during the Second World War. He was heavily commended for his service and the film itself earnt 6 Academy Award nominations. It’s a story that was born to be on screen and it’s hard to believe it was all true. Andrew Garfield’s performance was exemplary and he is definitely underrated as a truthful actor.

Score: 10/10

Fear (1996) as seen on Netflix

I am sucker for a thriller, good OR bad and this one from 1996 was surprisingly decent. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in their early days, Fear follows a pair of young lovers whose strong relationship turns into a possessive one, when Witherspoon’s character, Nicole learns the true intentions of her boyfriend. It's a 90s teen flick that isn’t talked about enough and certainly an easy one to get sucked into as a guilty pleasure.

Score: 10/10

Make Up (2019) as seen at the BFI Southbank

Make Up first screened at the London Film Festival last year and was later released this year. I wanted to catch it at the festival and was glad it made it into cinemas. The eeriness of the british film directed by Claire Oakley, was a slow burnt, intriguing watch, however as artistically visual it was, a satisfying resolution to the film was missed. The payoff of the story was easy to define despite it’s ambiguity, however it wasn’t as hard hitting as it should’ve been, which is common in most indie features. The better ones expose ideas and truths in a punchy way, such as La Haine or Whiplash. The film’s genre was also undefinebale and although the story was interesting, I wouldn't be inclined to come back for more of it.

Score: 7/10

Zoolander (2001) as seen on Netflix

I’m not a huge comedy fan, however it’s about time I watched Zoolander, for it’s probably one of the most iconic films of the early 2000s. The film follows a model targeted by a fashion brand who wants him to kill the prime minister of Malaysia. Anyone who was anyone in the 00s is in this film, from Naomi Campbell to Lil’ Kim, Paris Hilton, Donald Trump, Lenny Kravitz, Natalie Porter and even David Bowie. How they managed to get these famous faces as well as the actual cast (Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell) onto this film is certainly a mastery at casting. As far as comedies go, Zoolander is iconic and a must watch for those who are thoroughly in love with these types of outlandish films.

Score: 8/10

American Pie (2001) as seen on Netflix

This is the my first time seeing American Pie and for someone who hates comedies, it thoroughly made me laugh. I definitely had to look past at the amount of misogyny and questionable scenes in this film and just sit back and enjoy it all. I felt that all four leads (Jason Briggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Chris Klein and Eddie Kaye Thomas) were well casted as an ensemble and were really down to earth in their performances. They were authentic in being high school boys still figuring themselves out and in the end I found each one to be highly likeable. As a comedy, this is definitely a go to and an iconic film from the early 2000s.

Score: 9/10

Clemency (2019) as seen on Amazon Prime

A Sundance Film Festival graduate, Clemency was a deeply moving and well shot film that exposed the shocking reality of prison inmates on death row in the US. The word clemency is essentially a term used to define an act of mercy by the justice system, who at the last minute of a prison’s life can grant “clemency” if they feel worthy of doing so, stopping them from being executed. Factors such as new evidence or a parole grant can influence this decision and this film shows the abrasiveness of such an idea. Imagine being a prisoner moments away from death and because of Clemency, you sit there thinking your life can still be saved. But as this film depicts, this isn’t always the case and the masterful acting of Alfre Woodard puts this grief into context beautifully. Her performance ignited this film and it was easy to see this story got to her on a deeper level, that went beyond serving a character. A seriously good film that is professional, dynamic and heart wrenching.

Score: 10/10

Gladiator (2000) as seen on Netflix

I never saw myself as someone who would like Gladiator, however Ridley Scott’s Oscar winning film thoroughly surprised me in an unexpected way. Moving past the amazing visuals and outstanding production value of this film, the actual story itself was just so damn good. It had an excellent, Hollywood worthy structure that saw a hefty and clear journey of it’s lead, Maximus (Russell Crowe). I was VERY surprised to see Joaquin Phoenix play alongside Russell Crowe, who gave a great performance as a bratty roman emperor. Gladiator was nominated for 12 Academy Awards in 2001, which is unsurprising seeing as it's a pretty much flawless film, with the character’s fierce journey being the main contributor to this.

Score: 11/10

American Pie 2 (2001) as seen on Netflix

Now sequels are known to be the downfall of some films, especially as the first films were okay on their own. However, I definitely enjoyed American Pie 2 as much as I enjoyed the first. The performances of all characters seemed to get better with time and it still remained outlandish and hilarious to watch.

Score: 9/10

3096 days (2013) as seen on Netflix

When you laugh more at a film than you should have, there’s something clearly wrong. This Netflix film based on the true story of the kidnapped Natascha Kampusch was directed by German-American director Sherry Hormann. This is gonna sound whack, but one of the most annoying things about this film was the lighting. It felt as if it was never truly dark in this film and because of that, it distracted from the fear of the situation young Natascha was in. Lighting plays an important role in thrillers and horror films, as the idea of these films is to keep people constantly on edge and the dark is something that does that perfectly. I felt safe when watching this film and although it’s meant to be a biopic, I don’t think it captured Natascha’s situation as best as it could have. Another thing that really let the film down was the dubbing from German to English. This is a pet peeve I have with films, but is understandable seeing as the majority of people are too lazy to follow foreign language subtitles and miss out on some of the best films ever made. Because of this, it forces foreign language films to cater towards an English speaking market so the film becomes more viable. I would’ve respected this film a lot more if it was completely in German and had English subtitles.

Score: 5/10

Cruel Intentions (1999) as seen on Netflix

About a year ago, I saw the Glenn Close and John Malkovich film version of the french novel Dangerous Liaisons and I fell asleep. Maybe it was the film I had seen before it that had made me nod off or the fact I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. However, Cruel Intentions follows the same story with younger leads; Sarah Michelle Geller, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon and is set in the modern day. As you can probably tell by now, I am a sucker for a 90s teen movie and Cruel Intentions was all that and more, for the performances and story structure in this film were top notch. Ryan Phillipe is a much underrated actor and heartthrob, playing a jealous and callous Sebastian, the step brother of Sarah Michelle Geller’s character, Kathryn. Both of them were spiteful, abrasive and mean and I LOVED IT. Their non-fuckery was enviable as they cheat and turn the lives of others upside down. Reese Witherspoon was an angel in this film, and I thoroughly appreciated the strength of her character throughout. Cruel Intentions sits highly as a film from the 90s and boasts a hoard of young talent from that era.

Score: 10/10

Wildlife (2018) as seen on Netflix

If you are in love with Paul Dano as much as I am, you’re gonna want to marry him after you find out that he’s also a director. His first feature Wildlife, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan as a couple battling the demons in their relationship whilst caring for their young son. I really really REALLY can’t wait to see what Paul Dano directs in the future based off this film. It’s everything I love about a good indie film; well shot, a perfect cast and a touching story. It truly is a beautiful film and one I would recommend to my indie lovers out there.

Score: 10/10

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012) as seen on Netflix

My excuse for not having seen The Perks of Being A Wallflower is that I thought it would be yet another predictable high school blunder, with flat dialogue and basic character arcs. And I was half right in that. The first half of the film (mostly exposition) was filled with cringey dialogue and basic high school motifs that set up the film. Some moments were overtly far fetched and it took me a while to fall in love with the main character instead of feeling desperately sorry for him ALL THE TIME. Ezra Miller, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman all together as an ensemble was whack casting that just about worked. However, once we made it through the blizzard of exposition and got to the heart of the story, it truly was a touching and tear jerking movie to watch and for that, it scores highly. “We accept the love we think we deserve” was the ringing message of the film and certainly something I carry around with me daily as I reflect on the unfulling crushes I’ve had in the past.

Score: 9/10

The Devil All the Time (2020) as seen on Netflix

Probably my most favourite film on this list, The Devil All the Time is pure ART. I have a full review uploaded onto my tumblr account so please do check it out to see an in depth review of the Netflix film. All I will say is that it is a must watch film with an unreal cast and story.

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/629443058079055872/the-south-of-america-meets-gritty-gothic-horror

Score: 11/10

Way of the Gun (2000) as seen on Amazon Prime

Ryan Phillipe and Benicio del Toro star side by side in this action packed crime thriller about two guys who kidnap the wrong woman. Simple in it’s log line with the potentiality to be limitless in its telling; ie the basis of every good film. Juliette Lewis (the it girl of the 90s) also stars in the film and really compliments the performances of both leads. Any film that Juliette Lewis is in, is a good film and she is an actor with a very impressive portfolio of work under her belt.

Score: 9/10

Judy and Punch (2019) as seen on Netflix

I’ve been waiting since the end of last year to see Judy and Punch and was thrilled to see it had been put onto Netflix. However, after watching it, that thrill deteriorated and what was left was a disheartened feeling towards this film. It’s a shame to say this, seeing as the story of Judy and Punch is so satiable and fulfilled in its possibilities of telling it. However, probably the biggest problem within this film was its pace; it was too quick of a film. The beginning was organic and smooth, but as it went on it started to become continuously rushed. There were characters I didn’t have time to get to know and actually didn’t even end up knowing their names. There’s a point in the film when Judy is welcomed into an isolated society outside of her home, most of which in that society were women. I would’ve liked to get to know them better and see how they influence Judy’s character and revenge on her husband. The film felt very rushed, which is a shame because everything else; acting, production and story were well aligned.

Score: 6/10

22nd July (2018) as seen on Netflix

I remember the 22nd July 2011 as clear as day but for all the wrong reasons. On this day, 77 people in Norway were killed by a terror attack caused by a right wing, anti-immigrant supporter, Andres Brevik, who was a member of a radical organisation and spent nine years preparing his attack on Oslo and Utøya Island. The most shocking part of this massacre was what happened on Utøya Island, which was the main body of Netflix’s film 22nd July. Viljar Hanssen was a teenager attending a political youth camp on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. Whilst on the island with his younger brother, a bomb went off in the centre of Oslo, outside a government building, killing 8 people. By the time news of the attack got to Utøya Island, its perpetrator had also arrived, and begun gunning down the kids on the island. 69 people were killed, most of which were under 18. Viljar Hanssen was shot five times, in the head, arm, legs and hand. The attack lost him an eye, several fingers and bullet fragments still remain in his brain. He also lost close friends and the ability to perform in many activities he used to do growing up. His ordeal and that of many on the island, is captured in 22nd July, that from beginning to end, approaches this story with sensitivity and facts. Out of the many events I have heard of that include a massacre of some kind, this attack always sticks out in my mind. The perpetrator was truly merciless in his rage against immigrants coming into Norway and he made sure to express that hatred in such a shocking and profound way. The entire story is one that is so hard to believe and is important in preventing future attacks of this kind.

Score: 11/10

Les Misérables (2019) as seen at Curzon Bloomsbury

Les Misérables was nominated for Best Foreign Language film this year at the Oscars and despite it being thrilling and highly well made, I felt quite disappointed by it. The film was accurate in exposing the many communities now prevalent in France today and it was definitely one of those gritty, Cannes worthy films to sink your teeth into. It's not a bad film at all, it's just one I found hard to relate to and therefore I switched off whilst watching it. In fact, I think Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a better contender as Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars and I was left fuming when I found out it hadn’t been nominated in that category. Les Misérables is a film I’d recommend but found it hard to love it overall.

Score: 9/10

A Cure for Wellness (2016) as seen on Netflix

The logline for Shutter Island (2010) is as follows: Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.

And the logline for A Cure for Wellness is as follows: Lockhart, an executive, is sent to a wellness spa in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company's CEO. At the centre, he encounters strange activities that make him investigate the illness of the people.

Notice anything? They are literally the same film and it's not just the loglines that share an alikeness. On watching A Cure for Wellness, I noticed how similar it was to Shutter Island, from the location, to the colour grading, costumes and even lighting. Both films are almost identical and I pretty much hate both films anyway. I’ll admit, A Cure for Wellness has a better story and tells it better as well, but if it's just a rip off from Shutter Island, is it all that good? I appreciated the production value of this film yet it was hard to tear it away from Shutter Island’s own production. Overall, I found it quiet gimmicky and too close to Shutter Island for it to have much originality.

Score: 6/10

U want me 2 kill him? (2013) as seen on Netflix

The only thing that let this film down was the acting. There’s something about solely British productions that rub me the wrong way. Admittedly, their structure is always good and the story is well put together, however the artistic side of these films lacks in parts, from acting to set design. U want me 2 kill him? Is based on a true story which really alleviated the film. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this story and it was an interesting, engaging plot. However, its production value and acting is what let it down.

Score: 7/10

After (2019) as seen on Netflix

So in short, this wasn’t a good film. The twist was satisfying, however the rest of it was just plain annoying. Any film that uses reality tv type music in its montages pisses me off. It's just such a cringey way of showing emotion on screen and I’d much rather they use music with no lyrics or music that actually conveys the emotion of the scene. The relationship between the leads, Hardin and Tessa (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Josephine Langford) was very predictable and the conflict between the two only made up like 5% of the film; 2.5% at the beginning and a further 2.5% at the end. For the rest of the 95% of the film, they were pretty much happy throughout, meaning the story had nowhere to go, besides the fact that Tessa’s mom disapproves of Hardin. But besides that and a shocking revelation..that was about it. No one died, no one was really hurt. Hardin was made out to be more troubled than he actually was (his dad is chancellor of a college for fuck’s sake) and I found myself laughing when I shouldn’t be. As for After We Collided, I can’t wait to tear it apart this month.

Score: 4/10

Miss Juneteenth (2020) as seen at BFI Southbank

Miss Juneteenth is the underdog movie of the month for me. You can read a full, in depth review of it right here:

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/630357041253400576/she-my-dream-now-miss-juneteenth-review

Score: 11/10

Monsoon (2020) as seen at BFI Southbank

Why this film was praised by critics is unknown to me. The number one thing that this film did wrong was not showing ANY conflict on screen whatsoever, the characters merily TALKED about conflict. Conflict and actions based on those conflicts is what moves a story forward, and this film was certainly static. The story follows a man (Henry Golding) and his return to Vietnam as he learns about the war and the life he left behind. But the film shows no war, no deprivation or heartache that many vietnamese people had to go through. It's just filled with empty shots of Vietnam and Henry Golding looking out at the city. Why not just make a documentary about The Vietnam War with Henry Golding presenting it, as that is what this film was virtually. You can’t get away with nice looking shots to produce a praise worthy feature. Maybe I’m getting the wrong jist of the film, but in terms of its telling, I didn’t feel anything at all whilst watching it and if I didn’t feel anything, I wasn’t thinking about anything because it was so mundane.

Score: 5/10

The Riot Club (2014) as seen on Amazon Prime

I’ve had a strong soft spot for Sam Claflin since he played Finnick in The Hunger Games. My crush on him was further confirmed with The Riot Club a British Production based on Laura Wade’s theatre play Posh that shows the ongoings of Oxford’s Riot Club. The group of ten men are all self entitled posh twats who think their education and parent’s money allows them to act in a horrendous way, with their initiation ceremonies and club rules. Sam Claflin plays Ryan, a 1st year student at Oxford and one of the Riot Club’s newest members. Max Irons plays Miles, another new member of the club, who becomes the focal point of Ryan’s jealousy, causing him to do some unspeakable things in one night out of envy for Miles. The ten men in the film work brilliantly as an ensemble, which is unquestionable seeing as five of them went to Guildhall School of Music and Drama, three went to LAMDA, one studied drama at University and the last went to Bristol Old Vic. All the leads in this film are well trained and it's clear to see that in their performances. A really enjoyable, yet eye opening film that exposes the privilege of some living right in the UK, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron, who were former members of this heinous club.

Score: 10/10

Enola Holmes (2020) as seen on Netflix

Hmmm...there is a great deal of hype going around for this film and with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Enola Holmes is well liked. This is understandable, seeing as Fleabag’s director Harry Bradbeer directed this film for Netflix and the cast includes the likes of Millie Bobbie Brown, Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin. I have never seen Millie Bobbie Brown in anything and yet I don’t think she’s doing anything special for me at this moment in time. As a viewer, I am 100% not into actors talking to the camera, a communication technique that I think should stay in theatre. I get this is a big part of Fleabag however I think Enola Holmes could have done without it. Another movie pet peeve is when the opening of a film explains what the film is about directly, something Enola Holmes did in an artistic, yet blatant way. Audiences aren’t dumb and will catch on with given clues, there’s no need to go through a character’s entire history in the opening of a film. For kids aged between 8 and 12, this film is great and Enola Holmes makes a great hero for many young girls. I don’t fall in this age bracket and therefore I enjoyed it a whole lot less.

Score: 6/10

American Murder: Family Next Door (2020) as seen on Netflix

Netflix is known for producing some of the finest, most eye opening documentaries out there. Despite this one being quite simple using found footage, its impact is certainly something that grew organically throughout the documentary. You can read my full review of American Murder: Family Next Door here:

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/630780350645354496/netflix-documentary-delves-into-the-murder-of-a

Score: 10/10

Peppermint (2018) as seen on Netflix

I was thoroughly shocked to discover this film was made 2 years ago. You’d think we’re past a time of creating bad films that actually get released, but I guess we’re not. Peppermint was released in the same year as The Favourite, Blackkklansman and A Star is Born, three courageous films, all of which were showered with awards. Peppermint had two major problems; 1) it was boring and 2) the lead wasn’t orchestrated properly. The mexican drug cartel who murder the protagonist’s (Jennifer Garner) husband and child was almost insulting. Because it felt so inauthentic and gimmicky, I didn’t really understand why the drug cartel in the film was even mexican. Peppermint proves that a good story can turn bad in the wrong hands. The script was quite terrible and surrounding that was the nonsensical, half asked directing which saw Jennifer Garner get way too many injuries to still be alive in the end. The whole thing just had my eyes rolling, as nothing about it was original or provoking at all. In fact, the film didn’t even EXPLAIN how Garner’s character became a bloodthirsty vigilante. It merely showed us her training as a cage fighter. Das it. Nothing else in her character made her into this dominant and highly skilled fighter who takes down an ENTIRE DRUG CARTEL ONE HANDED. It, made, no, sense and sits a good example of how NOT to make a film. Also the only reason why it was called Peppermint was because of peppermint ice cream...yeah I don’t get it either.

Score: 2/10

And that is September, which marks an entire year since I’ve been critiquing movies and in that time, I’ve watched well over 350 films. There’s a lot more to come though, for the London Film Festival commences in October and titles such as Dune and the No Time to Die await a winter release. Stay tuned!

#movie review #netflix #movie recommendation #SeptemberMovies #movies #the devil all the time #enola holmes #zodiac #reviews #im thinking of ending things #cinema #bfi london film festival #bfi southbank #curzon

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harry-sussex · 5 years ago

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KATIE’S TOP 10 15 BEST ROYAL WEDDING DRESSES OF ALL TIME

15. Princess Madeleine in Valentino (Sweden, m. Christopher O’Neill, 8 June 2013)

The only thing I can say I hate genuinely about this dress is that it never sat right off her shoulders. It looked like it was slipping and sliding all day. Other than that, wow, this dress is gorgeous. The color is beautiful, combined with that fantastic tiara and gorgeous veil. Lace but not too much lace. Absolutely beautiful!

14. Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in Ove Harder Finseth (Norway, m. Crown Prince Haakon, 25 August 2001)

I love a simple wedding dress, and Mette-Marit really hit it out of the park with hers. I love that she was involved with the design. I love that she accessorized really minimally to let the dress and that fabulous veil shine. The only thing I’d like to have seen is a bit more bling in the tiara, but she still looked absolutely beautiful!

13. Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg in Oscar de la Renta (France/Austria, m. Prince Jean-Christophe Napoleon Bonaparte, 19 October 2019)

This dress is so far out of my comfort zone, but it is absolutely fabulous. So quirky, so intricate - I’m in love! It’s classic Oscar de la Renta and it fits her beautifully. I’m not a fan of what the cape does in the chest area and I would never, ever wear this myself but it’s a work of art! Absolutely fabulous!

12. Camilla Parker-Bowles in Anna and Robinson Valentine (United Kingdom, m. The Prince of Wales, 9 April 2005)

I think this is stunning for a second wedding. The color, the gold accents, the classic Philip Treacy headpiece - absolutely magnificent. It looks bridal without being juvenile, and it’s gorgeous while still being appropriate for the occasion. I’ve always loved it!

11. Crown Princess Victoria in Pär Engsheden (Sweden, m. Daniel Westling, 19 June 2010)

The combination of the simplicity of Victoria’s gown with the Cameo tiara and that gorgeous, intricate bouquet is exquisite. The Cameo needed something simple to let it shine and Victoria and Engsheden did not disappoint. The color and material were perfection and this is how you do an off-the-shoulder short-sleeved look! Combined with no necklace to really let the whole look shine, this is one of my favorites!

10. Beatrice Borromeo in Armani Privé (Monaco, m. Pierre Casiraghi, 1 August 2015)

This is the first of three (yes, three) mentions of Beatrice Borromeo on this list. She’s gorgeous and would have made a beautiful bride wearing a trash bag but this dress is something else. It’s classic bridal with just a touch of high fashion and I love it. That lace is so, so delicate, only someone as graceful as Beatrice could have pulled it off. Her veil is gorgeous and although I missed a tiara, she’s literally sparkling in the delicate, shimmery fabric!

9. Catherine Middleton in Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (United Kingdom, m. Prince William, 29 April 2011)

What a love affair the world has with this dress, the modern icon of all wedding dresses! It would have been easy to overwhelm Kate’s figure with a full skirt, but Sarah Burton nailed the proportions perfectly. The lace is exquisite from her neck to her shoes. I love how she brought back lace sleeves in bridal fashion. The peplum detail on the back of the skirt is incredible. It fit her like a second skin in the best way and she looked every bit the fairytale princess walking down the aisle. Her veil was just the right length, too - not too long but not too short. It’s no wonder this is the new iconic wedding dress!

8. Meghan Markle in Clare Waight-Keller for Givenchy (United Kingdom, m. Prince Harry, 19 May 2018)

I’ve said before that I love a simple wedding dress, and Meghan did not disappoint. The boat neckline was so flattering on Prince Harry’s bride, and the color and fabric were just the right combination for her. I stood on the Long Walk during their carriage procession, and I could see Meghan coming from a mile away because she was literally shimmering in the sunlight. I wish it was better tailored - my only true grievance - but everything else was gorgeous. And that veil! What can I say about that veil? It literally sparkled in the sunlight going up the stairs to the chapel. I can’t say enough - and the fact that it included a patch of the dress they wore on their first date? My heart!! If this was better tailored, it would have been top 5.

7. Princess Eugenie in Zac Posen (United Kingdom, m. Jack Brooksbank, 12 October 2019)

The first reception dress of the list! Eugenie’s ceremony dress was pretty, but not my style. This, however... how could one go wrong with a pale blush cape dress that fit her perfectly? She looks like an ethereal goddess, like she’s descended from the clouds to grace us with her presence. The color is magnificent, the fabric so delicate. I don’t know how it’s possible to look so beautiful and so comfortable at the same time, but Eugenie and Zac Posen really pulled it off. This was such a pleasant surprise when comparing it to her ceremony dress - I loved it!

6. Beatrice Borromeo in Valentino (Monaco, m. Pierre Casiraghi, 25 July 2015)

Never in my life could I have imagined myself picking a purple wedding dress in a list of favorites, but here we are. Beatrice’s civil wedding dress was everything one could have expected from her - delicate, feminine, with an almost fairy-like quality that many couldn’t even dream to pull off. She literally looks like a goddess. The lace overlay cape was something out of a dream, and the natural flow of the skirt is magnificent. I love that the lace detail up top matches the lace detail at the bottom. Ethereal is the word I would use to describe this dress - absolutely heavenly!

5. Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein in Valentino (Belgium, m. Prince Amadeo, 5 July 2014)

The delicate details of this dress are everything! I love the matching neckline with the sleeve structure and the chest/mesh detail. I especially love how those details match the veil outline. I usually don’t like mesh paneling very much, but Elisabetta pulled it off beautifully. The simplicity of the skirt is complemented by the gorgeous overlay. Plus, there’s something so gorgeously simple about the twist in her hair that I just adore. The skirt is flattering and of the right proportion, and I love how vibrant the white is. This is truly one of my favorites - so delicate and feminine!

4. Claire Lademacher in Elie Saab (Luxembourg, m. Prince Felix, 21 September 2012)

Y’all know I wasn’t going to get through this list without my main man Elie Saab. This dress is truly a masterpiece, a piece of premier artistry. The lace detail is simply unparalleled, and it being head-to-toe does nothing to detract from the magnificence that is Princess Claire and Elie Saab. I love the high neckline and the minimalistic jewelry. Plus, that tiara with her dark hair and that gorgeous veil? *chef’s kiss* magnificent. Absolutely otherworldly.

3. Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy in Elie Saab (Luxembourg, m. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, 20 October 2012)

God, what a dress. What can I even say? That lace? Incredible. The skirt? Fantastic. The train? Phenomenal. Veil? Unreal. I really don’t have anything technical to say about this other than good Lord, it is out-of-this-world, show-stopping fabulous. Stéphanie’s usual style is not my favorite but it’s truly all forgiven because she pulled out the big guns with this royal wedding dress, the epitome of what a royal wedding dress should be. The only thing that heightens this above Princess Claire’s Elie Saab masterpiece is the color - it’s so gorgeous, so flattering, I have no words. Also, I’m a sucker for this kind of veil - mounted on the back of her head and thin enough to be transparent. The whole thing is mesmerizing - an absolute work of art.

2. Beatrice Borromeo in Armani Privé (Monaco, m. Pierre Casiraghi, 1 August 2015)

Beatrice’s second reception gown rounds out my favorites of hers from her wedding week. I love the simple lines of this dress - the v-neck is so flattering and I love that the straps are thin without being too thin. The A-line cascades down through the skirt beautifully, the belted waist ties the full thing together. The construction is truly magical, a genuine workpiece. I can’t talk about this dress without discussing the cape-like effect of the back. She looks like she is walking through the clouds with the gorgeous wispiness of the cape. I love that the pieces are separate, and I can only imagine what they looked like in motion. Armani truly outdid himself with this - it was perfectly constructed from top to bottom. A true masterpiece.

1. Lady Gabriella Windsor in Luisa Beccaria (United Kingdom, m. Thomas Kingston, 18 May 2019)

And finally, last but certainly not least - the inspiration for my future wedding dress if I ever get married. Lady Gabriella stopped me in my tracks when I saw this dress. Literally, I was walking and looking at my phone, and I stopped short when I saw it. The cape is just divine, that’s the only word I can use to describe it. It’s like Beatrice’s second reception dress, but kicked up a notch with that absolutely inimitable lace overlay. The skirt is proportioned beautifully, and I love how it flatters her figure without suffocating her. The shoulder/cape detail is heavenly. I could stare at this dress all day long, it is so magnificent. It is delicate and feminine with magnificent construction, structured and lined beautifully with an element of softness and romance that cannot be paralleled. It’s no wonder this is my favorite royal wedding gown of all time. It’s just extraordinary. I’ve done my best to explain in words but I simply cannot. This dress is incredible. Heart-stopping, show-stopping, jaw-dropping magnificent.

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allie1804-fan · 4 years ago

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Please Assist Me (Chapter 24)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10 , Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15 , Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23

Warnings: lots of fluff and a little smut!

Alex Said

I straightened my tie and checked my appearance one last time before looking over to Keanu – he was reading over his vows one last time, pen in hand worrying over a few specific phrases.

It was a Tuesday in early October and we were at a winery in Napa, California. When he had asked Sophia to marry him and they’d decided they wanted to go ahead before the baby was born, he’d called in a favour from one of the locations for his 90’s movie, A Walk in The Clouds and managed to secure a mid week slot for the wedding celebrations. Around 30 of us (closest friends and family) were staying for 3 days and another 20 or so were travelling up just for the day and night of the wedding. I was the best man, hence being in the room at that moment as Keanu worried over the vows.

Whilst he WAS nervous, naturally, he was also the happiest I’d seen him in a long, long time. Happy with his newly established family, happy in his relationship and delighted to be becoming a father himself at long last.

“Leave them now man, I told you, they’re perfect. You should finish getting dressed, time’s ticking on!”

He did a typical Keanu head shake to snap out of the funk he was in and got on with putting on his tie and shoes. He’d gone for a sky-blue shirt, for Sophia he said, who loved him in blue paired with a beige suit. On his feet, he had stuck to boots saying there was no changing that particular habit apart from on Oscar’s night!

Karina Said

The venue was dreamy. In the morning, the vineyard was always shrouded in mist over the hills , giving it an ethereal quality. I’d still been in school around the time my big brother had filmed A Walk in The Clouds so I was almost fan like in my excitement to be there, remembering seeing the film with a girlfriend back in 1995. The ceremony would be taking place in the courtyard and then there would be a lunch in the great hall and later afternoon tea in the gardens. Finally, there would be drinks and music in the evening and a BBQ buffet, again in the gardens.

I did a last check that everything was ready before heading up to Sophia’s room where I would be meeting up with her to take charge of Eva (who was being a bridesmaid) and Miguel (who was to be a pageboy). Keanu would head down to the courtyard first and then we would follow next.

Sophia looked gorgeous and the children’s outfits fit with hers and Keanu’s. Eva’s dress was ivory like her mom’s but her blue sash matched Keanu’s shirt. Miguel was also wearing a cream shirt and had a blue cummerbund.

He Said

I had had quite an agitated morning which was entirely my own fault as I was, as Alex insisted, needlessly agonising over a few words in my vows, but luckily, by the time I was down in the courtyard waiting for Sophia’s arrival, I felt less tense. Then calm fully washed over me as the music began and I turned to see Sophia come through the courtyard archway, followed by the children. She was a glorious vision! The bodice of her dress had quite a plunging neckline and was fitted over her, by now, more voluptuous breasts, the neckline edged with pearls. The skirt flowed down from just under the bodice and consisted of lacey layers of silk giving the impression of a cloud of ivory silk walking towards me. She held a small posy of roses in front of the bump which she handed to Karina as she stopped by my side. I grabbed her hand and squeezed. I could feel my eyes prickling and slowly let out my breath to try and keep it together. I looked down at her and saw she was doing exactly the same!

We hadn’t shared our vows beforehand. She went first, a decision we had made mostly at my insistence. I didn’t want to be the leading man / dominant force - she deserved to take centre stage for once.

“Keanu you have already brought such joy into my life with your love and care, your willingness to take on not just me but Eva and Miguel too, making a new family with us. And I know you will work just as hard to build a stronger unit once this little one arrives.

We can’t always be together, but every time you return to us, you are our safe haven”

I smiled to myself knowing what I was going to say in just a few moments. When she finished a moment or two later, I heard a few “ahhhs” from the guests. It was my turn to take her hand in mine and share my vows.

“Sophia, this relationship of ours started off as a working relationship and it took us a long time to admit that our feelings were running deeper! (much to the frustration of some of our friends and family sitting here today!) I’m so glad that now, we always share our feelings and that I can share anything with you.

Being with you, we each have the space to be our own people, pursue the paths that bring us fulfilment and yet still come back to each other and meld in a way I’ve never been able to do with anyone before. When I come back to you, you are my safe haven (and no I didn’t know you would use those same words!)

I can’t wait to build our family on top of the new one we’ve already become. I’ll share in the joy of Eva and Miguel growing into such amazing young people and I look forward to the same with the little bundle on the way.

I love you and I’ll always love you.”

When the celebrant said I could kiss the bride, I leaned her back as low as I dared before kissing her with the guests clapping heartily.

Later on, as we sat together on a swing seat in the gardens, chatting to friends, visions of the ceremony kept popping into my head and making me smile

“Hey Keanu, where did you go?” Sophia asked, pulling me from my reverie.

“Huh?, oh” I replied hugging her closer to me “Just remembering this morning, what a glorious vision you were and how funny it was, us using the same words in our vows”

“Face it you two, you’re so MFEO!” Karina chipped in.

Sophia turned her head and looked into my eyes and I leaned in for a soft kiss.

“Get a room!” was the cry that then went up from Rob!

She Said

I woke early the day after the wedding – that was getting pretty usual for me – either the baby woke me with its movements or I just found it difficult to stay comfortable as the bump got larger. That morning I didn’t mind as it gave me time for reflection on the success of the previous day.

Keanu had been a vision in my favourite suit of his, a light beige one paired with a sky blue shirt he knew I would love too.

Both his vows and his after-dinner speech had been precious. The mirroring of our words in the vows has choked me up and in his speech he’d joked that all would be well so long as he remembered to keep video call appointments when he was away!

Alex’s Best Man’s speech had also been funny, remembering when he first heard about me and how he’d known there was something brewing for about a year before we would admit it to each other even without a magical phone booth to go to the future and check if he was right!

The evening festivities had started beautifully too with our first dance which of course had been to “This never happened before”. Sandra, one of the few non family guests we had, had joked about me stealing her guy!

As I smiled at this warm memory, Keanu stirred next to me, nuzzling into my neck.

“Morning sleepy head”

“Morning Mrs Reeves”

I chuckled at that.

“How about making it official” he offered, pushing closer to me, his morning erection making its presence known “Your mom is in charge of the kids for the morning so we’re free to spend this wedding morning as we wish remember.”

“mmm, sounds good”

I turned over, slowly obviously, to kiss him.

“thanks for everything yesterday, it was truly perfect and that’s mostly thanks to your organisation of course”

“mmm and your contacts and you footing the bill”

“that’s what I call team work” he said laughing before kissing me again. Words weren’t needed any more. Our love making was slow and gentle but no less passionate. Keanu was always so giving, so focussed on my pleasure and I was quickly ready for him, thanks to his hands and mouth preparing the way. I chose to straddle him and rode him for a little while. I figured, at 29 weeks, I wouldn’t be able to do that for much longer. After I’d come that way, I moved off him and he positioned himself behind me , his hard cock pushing inside, rubbing over and over again against my entrance and g spot whilst he reached round to rub his fingers over my clit.

I pressed my leg, which was slung back between his, down against him as I came, screaming into the pillow and then I felt his fingers pushing hard into my hips and his hot cum flow into me as he moaned low in his throat.

Afterwards we lay and basked in the afterglow and talked about the next 3 months. He had been trying to persuade me to come to the Matrix 4 premiere in early December.

“After-all, you’ve proved here that you can rock maternity glamour wear!”

“But it’s almost 2 months away, I’ll be enormous by then!”

“Promise me you’ll think about it, though. If you’re not feeling up to it, then fine but can we not rule it out? I want to show off my wife to the world”

I duly promised not to rule it out, though I found it hard to imagine anyone could make me look good enough for me to willingly go to a premiere when that far pregnant!

@fortheloveoffanfic @kindainlovewithk’eanu @omg-imagine @iworshipkeanureeves @fics-not-tragedies @ficsnroses @keanureevesisbae @penwieldingdreamer @witty-wallflower @paperplanesandwallflowers @bitchyslut99 @ladyreapermc @toomanystoriessolittletime @fanficsrusz @keanuficfiles @bitchyslut99

#keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves fanfiction #keanu #keanu reeves #romance with boss

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moonwest · 6 years ago

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Full Ben Whishaw Interview in Sunday Times Magazine

Ben Whishaw, the voice of Paddington, the millennial Q in the Bond films, the next generation of Mr Banks in Disney’s epic Mary Poppins reboot, is fresh off the plane from LA. He is wearing a navy shirt, dark wool trousers and a fluffy knitted hat over his lush curls. It’s a strange combination of quirkiness and elegance. At the start of the year he won a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice award for his captivating portrayal of Norman Scott opposite Hugh Grant’s Jeremy Thorpe in A Very English Scandal. Of course he says he didn’t expect to win, and of course he says it feels great, but when I ask if this recognition from Hollywood means he’ll spend more time out there, he says: “No idea. I don’t feel it’s my world. I just sort of dropped in and it was a lovely thing. I would like to drop in more often. Maybe it opens doors. I guess we’ll see.”

For now, it’s back to the day job. Whishaw, 38, is rehearsing a play called Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, in which he plays a man who likes to dress up as Marilyn Monroe. “We just got the costumes,” he says. “I wear a dress that’s a replica of the one she wore in The Seven Year Itch — the white one where the wind comes up. They’ve also given me the bum, hips and breasts. I don’t think they’re as big as Marilyn’s, but they’re proportionate to my body. It’s a strange thing. I’m not playing Marilyn, I’m playing a man who’s infatuated with her. The play is set in the year she died and he’s in mourning for her. Apparently there was a spate of copycat suicides that year.”

To research the role, Whishaw has been reading a book called Fragments. “It’s bits of Marilyn’s diary, notes on hotel paper, poetry,” he says. “She writes beautifully. Arthur Miller was here with her when they were doing the film The Prince and the Showgirl, and she opened his diary and read about how disappointed he was with her, how embarrassed he was being around his intellectual friends with her. Apparently this was devastating to Marilyn. All these men say how difficult she was. It makes you want to strangle them. But she really was amazing. She had a lot going on, a lot of sadness on her plate, poor darling. To be a star in that star system and those men.”

If she had been born 50 years later, does he think she would have been part of the #MeToo movement? “I’m sure she would have. I’ve been listening to interviews with her. She doesn’t seem afraid of anything.”

Fearless and vulnerable. It’s a contradiction that could possibly describe both of them. “Yes,” he smiles.

Almost 15 years have passed since Whishaw, fresh out of Rada, was acclaimed as one of the best ever Hamlets in the Trevor Nunn production at the Old Vic. His portrayal earned him an Olivier nomination and opened the door to film and television roles. He voiced Michael Bond’s Peruvian stowaway bear in the two recent Paddington films and is lined up for a third, as well as an animated TV series for Nickelodeon. Perhaps his best known role is Q in the Bond films Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). As soon as he’s finished his Marilyn, he will begin shooting the next one, though no one in a Bond movie can tell you in advance what it’s going to be like. “I think they’re probably trying to figure out what to do with the storyline,” he says. “At least I know that my character is the same. Someone did tell me there might be a scene with Q’s cats.”

I immediately want to sort out an audition for my cat Roger Moore.

“Does Roger travel?” he asks. “Could he go to Pinewood? And can he cock an eyebrow?”

Yes, he can. That’s why he’s called Roger Moore.

“I’ll get onto Barbara Broccoli about it,” he says.

Whishaw has created an ever-widening niche for himself — he has made room in film, theatre and television for malleable, sensitive male characters that are sometimes described as androgynous, but what they really are is sexually ambiguous.

“Do you think I’m androgynous? I think I’m quite male-looking. Androgyny is different to non-binary, but I hate all these labels. I get mixed up.”

It’s true, there are many labels; nonetheless Whishaw is a 21st-century man. When you think of those macho actors of the last century, men like Rock Hudson, who revealed he was gay only when he was dying of Aids, it seems so different now.

Whishaw entered a civil partnership with the Australian composer Mark Bradshaw in 2012, but for a long time he did not discuss his private life. He would say things like, “An actor shouldn’t reveal their sexuality because it pigeonholes them.” Once he had come to terms with it himself, however, hiding it became difficult in a different way. “People assume there’s some juicy secret,” he says. “But I don’t agree any more with that statement [about being pigeonholed]. I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all, and since revealing my sexuality I haven’t had any negative effects.”

Perhaps that’s because he is such a skilful actor, perhaps the pigeonholes aren’t as rigid as they used to be, or perhaps the revelation has actually helped him. He shrugs. He doesn’t mind talking about it now, it’s just he can’t be conclusive.

At one point, Whishaw was lined up to play Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, although he was never given a contract or confirmed officially. Various versions of the biopic had been on the cards for about 10 years. Sacha Baron Cohen was in the frame first of all, then Whishaw, and ultimately Rami Malek. The film has been accused of not being ��gay enough”, but, for all the criticism, Malek’s career-defining role won him an Oscar.

We talk about how hard it was for Mercury to admit that he was gay and how he would refer to himself as bisexual. But then perhaps he was. He certainly had sexual relationships with women. “I think it’s very unfair when people say they’re bisexual and they’re accused of being gay really,” Whishaw says. “If we’re honest about these things, perhaps most people are on a spectrum.”

Whatever the risks he took in revealing his sexuality to the public, Whishaw found it much harder coming out to his family. “I’ve gone through a few difficult things,” he says. “There was a moment in my early twenties when I did not feel very good about myself. It was to do with my sexuality and not knowing how to be myself and hating myself. I did know [my sexuality], I just couldn’t tell anyone.”

When he eventually told his parents, they weren’t surprised, but he still struggled. He sought therapy. “It really did help,” he says.

He carries himself with such a sense of otherness that I am surprised to learn he is a twin. “We were born on the same day and we came out of the same place at the same time, but we are totally unalike,” he says. “Perhaps you can see we are related, but we don’t look alike. He’s blond. He came out first and was very pink and chubby. And I was this squashed, dark thing that popped out a few moments after. We were so different, but we were always dressed the same and taken everywhere together, even to things I was not interested in, like football. So I’ve always defined myself by him, but in opposition to him. I like everything different to him. There’s not a single thing we have in common, except we both liked the scary rides if we were taken to a park.”

Don’t twins normally have a kind of supernatural understanding? “No. No understanding, no telepathy. When I told him [about being gay], he wasn’t surprised, of course, but still.”

He notices a black crystal around my neck and I explain that it was given to me by my hypnotherapist.

“I’d like to try hypnotherapy,” he says. For what? “Smoking,” he says. “It’s so frowned upon. You feel ostracised from the world if you smoke. And there’s the hair twiddling thing.” He starts twiddling his hair. “I’ve probably been doing this for the whole interview.” He hasn’t, but apparently it’s been a lifelong habit. “I’ve done it since I was a baby. I don’t know why I do it.”

I recall the title of a Peter Cook anthology: Tragically, I Was an Only Twin. That’s what Whishaw seems like. I can’t imagine him with a brother. “My dad says if my brother and I were one person we would be an amazing, perfect human,” he replies.

It’s often reported that his father works in IT, but that’s not true. “He lives in the countryside and raises chickens behind a farm. He used to be a footballer and he now works in sports with young people. He’s not an IT person at all,” Whishaw laughs. His mother works in cosmetics. They split up when he was a young boy, but he has good relationships with both of them. He talks about them with love.

The last time we met, Whishaw told me he was afraid of meeting people. “I haven’t got over that,” he says. “I love people, but I’m just shy of meeting new people, especially when they’re famous.”

In particular, he was bashful around Meryl Streep, whom he starred alongside in Mary Poppins. “I’m so completely left speechless when I’m in the same room as her. Do you never feel that speechlessness come on you?” he asks sweetly. “Even though she seemed to be the nicest person, I was very timid and shy around her.”

It’s odd how someone so shy can look so confident — smouldering even — on screen.

He walks off in the furry hat that makes him look part man, part mole. It’s certainly a statement. But perhaps the most curious thing about Whishaw is we’ll never entirely know what that statement is.

Norma Jeane Baker of Troy is showing at the Shed’s Bloomberg Building, New York, April 6-May 19; theshed.org

#ben whishaw #norma jeane baker of troy #sunday times magazine

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televinita · 5 years ago

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Little Women (2019): Thoughts

REQUIRED READING: the prequel post about my background going in to this film.

SNAPSHOT VERSION: Though I have some casting qualms, and may adjust my opinions after I reread the book, mostly I think this is everything my heart has needed since the magic of the ‘94 movie was broken for me. My heart is very full.

FULL VERSION: Twice as long as the prequel post (a.k.a. 1800 words), starts below.

I did not expect LW to be the first Unexpected Comeback Fandom of 2020 (or a comeback fandom ever, really), but here I am, having spent every day since I saw this film mooning about this story and looking up different editions and supplemental books in the library catalog, so I'd better process how I feel about it while the memories are relatively fresh.

Most of my thoughts are on casting rather than specific scenes because like I said, I can’t remember the book super well, so I’d like to get my movie memories to fade so that the book can surprise me. Also because I think I will have a more in-depth post about them when I watch the film a 2nd time, whether that’s in theaters or on DVD. But here’s what I’ve got for now.

ON CASTING

In no particular order --

* Emma Watson is very pretty but it is so hard to take her seriously as an actress. She's just Emma Watson, Famous For Being In Harry Potter and Getting Hired For Other Big Name Projects. I feel like she's so consciously acting all the time. She made a not-terrible Meg, I guess? No worse than she made a Belle. But it was roughly as hilarious watching her try to be a mother now as it was watching her try to be a mother in the last Harry Potter movie. To the point that I just kept hearing the "Damn! I'm SO maternal!" song playing as her theme in the background at all times. * I realized 6 days prior to seeing the movie that Florence Pugh is recognizable because she's in Midsommar and honestly, that just ruined everything for me. I didn't even see that film, I just know it's gross and I would hate it and while she is not tainted forever like the 50 Shades actors, she is definitely too tainted for Little Women. Also I could not stop thinking about how I associate Amy with being very dainty and prim and Florence, while perfectly lovely, is not. * Laura Dern was kind of strangely modern and kooky for Marmee, but I love her as an actress and I loved that she was just like "HELLO STRANGE NEIGHBOR BOY, COME BE MY FIFTH CHILD." So I was OK with that. * ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH BOB ODENKIRK. What kind of anachronistic garbage. What crack were you on, because it was obviously not the good stuff. "Did I stumble into an SNL parody??" I wondered more than once. * Meryl Streep as Aunt March was AMAZING. Ten Oscars. * Beth consistently looked younger than Amy, so that was weird. She was okay but kind of childlike, and failed to make Beth my favorite like she is in the book. * JO! Saoirse Ronan is by far my favorite actress in this set, but I didn't think she was right for Jo going in. "Jo's not a redhead!" I said, indignantly stamping my foot, because my childhood-era love for this novel reigns defensively supreme like for no other classic besides Black Beauty. (another 1994 classic they should remake soon, even though I love that version. Just saying.)

But damned if she did not COMPLETELY embody every essence of Jo there is and make Jo my favorite character this time. Truly, nobody except Meryl Streep so thoroughly matched my expectations for their character. Ten Oscars, part II. Or at least the one she is actually nominated for. If Jo loses to ScarJo I will riot. * John was nice. I feel like he was exactly what he was supposed to be, which is to say kind of plain and milquetoast but perfect for Meg. I don't actually remember him existing in the novel, so that was an interesting game of "how important is this guy?" until suddenly Meg was getting married and I realized I did, in fact, have a very dim memory of a wedding from the book. I think I will like their romance more the second time around, though. * Mr. Laurence was VERY EXCELLENT. IDK why I know the actor, even after looking him up, but I liked him in this role a lot. His grandfatherly quasi-adoption of Beth was so sweet. * As for Professor Bhaer...UGH. I hated him on sight and my brain wouldn't even let me recognize who he was for like 3 scenes, I was just like, "who is this random boarding lodger and why are we focusing on that weirdo." I mean, he's objectively handsome? But he did not do it for me. He lacked the gravitas I expect from this character and his thick accent scraped my ears and drove me insane (update from the future: his accent is also driving me insane in the book, where I have peeked in at a few chapters as incentive to reread. whyyyyyyy). * LAURIE: maybe it's been too long since I read the book, but never could I ever have imagined I'd want to use the term "fuckboy" to describe Laurie. It wasn't even Ski Chalet's face so much as it was that in all present-day scenes (post-rejection), he is such an insufferable, melodramatic, pouting trash heap that I didn't want him to marry any of them at that point. (Also YOU STILL DIDN'T MAKE ME UNDERSTAND WHY HE GOES FOR AMY, so good job.**) However, I took especial delight in paying attention to all the cuddly platonic friend cuddling he heaped on Jo growing up, in focus or in the background, and I loved it...kind of a lot? The ship radar made noise. That noise is getting louder by the day, smoothing away his faults. He may have permanently taken up residence in my mind's eye as the new Laurie. ...this is the worst. Make it cease. (**update from the future, I am peeking at the book and it looks like it's a lot easier to understand both in text and when you're inside Laurie's head. He is still clearly sulking his way through Europe, but in a way it's easier to recover from. Also, I don’t have time to unpack this but as I finish the edits on this post I started 5 days ago, I’m starting to think I could not only ship Laurie/Amy, but believe in it from the start.) ACTUAL PLOT AND FILM QUALITY

+ The shifting between past and present was very jarring right off the bat, but after that I think it worked.

+ I loved the attic play rehearsals so much

+ I am so glad Jo’s shorn hair is both fleeting and as hideous as it should look, and not Pixie Cut Chic (Childhood Me wailed at that part reading the book)

+ I remember hardly anything about the book's Part II / Good Wives, so basically everything in their adult lives was news to me. Amy and Aunt March go to Europe? Jo goes to live by herself in New York? Meg marries a relative pauper? Any of this could be true to the book or just made up as an alternate idea to explore, and I would be none the wiser. That made it more fun. (NOBODY SPOIL ME ON WHAT'S TRUE)

+ It did not occur to me until just now that the part where Jo publishes her version of Little Women is not in the book (right?), but that was beautifully done.

+ The house interiors were breathtaking. It's not like I don't regularly watch period pieces, but this time there was just something about seeing an old house, like the ones I am often in for estate sales, decorated the way I always imagine seeing when I enter those homes, that kind of made me tear up. + The outside shots were pretty too + Jo made me cry with her I'm so LONELY! speech, rude. (I went into this movie thinking I was 100% on board to finally read Alcott’s sequels for their Jo/Professor content, and now I'm like 'ah damn it is gonna be the season for the Jo/Laurie AU novel, isn't it.')

+ A strike against Beth and/or the actress playing her: I did not cry about her death (in my defense I was busy crying about Jo's pain).

+ I did NOT remember precisely how Laurie & Amy got married, so even though I knew it happened eventually, I felt that sucker punch to the gut reveal just about as hard as Jo did. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR WIFE.

+ My mom said she’d heard this movie was lauded as being super feminist, which rarely goes well for me, but I thought it felt like really authentic "married women literally were not allowed to control their own income and it sucked" 19th century feminism, and not someone using their 21st century voice to claim this is how people would have REALLY talked if The Patriarchy Of Historical Record hadn't silenced/suppressed it. Nothing rankled me. I’m very confused by the people who think it says Jo is queer and/or didn’t end up with the Professor, but if that’s what you see then I guess it’s a win/win situation for all of us. + LOVED the closing montage. + Basically, at all times that I wasn't annoyed by the casting, I was feeling the same magic I did while reading the book and/or while watching the 1994 movie as a child. I can’t think of any parts I really hated.

IN CONCLUSION

Part of me is honestly kind of sad I didn't reread the book before watching this movie, because even though I usually prefer to go movie first and then get the Expanded Edition that is the book, in this case I wish I'd taken my last chance to properly visualize everything in my head on my own -- since I’ve mostly forgotten the ‘94 film -- before the new movie washed it away forever. This is one of the rare times I would have liked to hope and guess what would be shown vs. cut, and be able to anticipate the thrill of seeing the page come to life.

However, seeing it was the impetus I needed to finally take my childhood copy off the shelf (and thank heavens I have it, because the library request is backed up 3 or 4 deep for every copy), and it took all of 5 minutes to get instantly sucked into chapter 1 and feel such rapturous joy and familiarity that I consciously cut myself off and decided I am going to journal out my feelings after each chapter on this reread. So that’s something!

#the biggest surprise is that maybe Timothee Chalomet is not the worst thing ever #and I frankly do not know what to do with this loss of identity #little women #little women spiral

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maximows · 5 years ago

Text

Against the Odds - Chapter IX

Nobu,

MASTERLIST (mobile) AO3

Warnings: smutty SMUT, fluff, so much love, chaos, smoking, drinking (but not in a negative way) and swearing

“You ready?” Chris asked, opening the car door. As always, he wanted to open mine to maintain his Prince Charming reputation.

“Yeah, let’s let the world know.” I said as he left and walked around the car to let me out.

We had managed to keep out engagement quiet for months and decided to officially announce it during tonight’s Oscars. I had been nominated again and since we had decided to attend major events together, we thought it was a perfect occasion.

We were a month away from sending out invitations and we took the Oscars as an opportunity to go through our friends and colleagues again and decide who to invite. Although we did have a list and most of the invitations had already been filled out, be had some spare ones for people we might have forgotten about.

“I love this dress, by the way.” Chris said as he offered me his arm. “In a different way than last year, but still does things to me.”

I was wearing a strapless, golden Elie Saab dress with a long cut along my leg. Even though it was floor length, it wasn’t heavy at all. It had some golden pieces attached to it at the top through my waist to my thighs which disappeared around there to reveal a light pink tulle material which was semi-transparent.

“Wait till you see my wedding dress...” I gave him a wink. “I’ve finally chosen the cut.”

Chris smirked. “Don’t worry, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you in a wedding dress since last year.”

We walked up to our spot and Chris put his hand on the small of my back. I know he hated the cameras flashing in front of him and I loved him even more, because he only came here today to support me. I was trying to cut the photo call short, but they wouldn't let us. All I could do is serve them looks and glance at Chris sometimes. The word I would us to describe him was “gorgeous”. His beautifully styled hair and beard, which by the way, he doesn’t have to do anything to maintain... He looked back at me with his light blue eyes and smiled. And I smiled back. “Whatcha lookin’ at, doll?” he whispered.

“My fiancé.” I said, right before we were asked to move. We separated to do solo shots.

Be did actually cut those short, because we had arrived late, so the production team rushed us to move to the theatre. We sat in the front row. “Is this the right time to tell you that I’ve had a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio since I saw him in Romeo and Juliet?” I asked, after Leo came up to me to congratulate on the nomination. “And that he asked me out on numerous occasions?” We had met a few times during some occasions and he did hit on me hard, but the real Leo was a different person to the actor I fell in love with years ago. Also, I was nineteen when he first did and he's 16 years older. And he vapes.

“It’s the worst possible time and I hope he saw the huge diamond on your finger.” Chris mumbled and glared at Leo who sat down with his mom. “Because there aren’t many men I feel threatened by.”

“Is this why you got such a big one?” I raised my eyebrow, toying with the ring. “You jealous idiot.”

Chris smirked. “How dare you call your future husband an idiot?” he faked outrage.

I leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I love my jealous idiot aka my future husband.”

The show soon started and we watched it in silence, making comments sometimes. Chris loved the musical format at the beginning, mainly because there was a short clip from The Avengers and he was included.

We kept making casual small talk, mostly on ideas for the wedding.

“Do you want to film it? Like, hire someone to do a video?” Chris asked when another break was coming to an end.

“Sure, but I want it to be someone who doesn’t normally do wedding videos. I want it to be more original.” I said, looking around the theatre. “I’m hungry. They had snacks last year. I want snacks.”

Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out on the these small Oreo packs. “Hannah mentioned that you might get snacky, so I came prepared.”

“Perfect human being.” I sighed, looking him in the eyes.

For the rest of the show, I was holding on to Chris' hand. My movie didn't win any awards, before my category came up. I was very displeased, because I was really sure of the “Original score” award. It was putting more pressure on me and I could feel it. I had to readjust myself in the seat a lot, because my back was tense.

Chris noticed me squirming in my seat and started to rub his thumb against my hand. “Calm down, baby,” he whispered as the presenters came out. “You’re going to win and you’re going to do great.”

“I’m not, Chris.”

“You are. And I’m right here, I’ll help you up the stairs if you need that. I’m here with you.”

I saw the footage from my movie, Sweetest Heavens, appear on the screen and waited for the camera to focus on my face. I smiled and thanked God that my hand clutching Chris' was out of the shot.

“And the Oscar goes to...” Eddie Redmayne said as he opened the envelope and slid out the card. “... Emilia Dawson, Sweetest Heavens.”

I went blank for a moment, but realised what had just happened when I saw Chris stand up and clap for me. I still couldn’t believe it was happening, but figured that he stood up for me, so it wasn’t only my imagination. I got off my seat and gave my fiancé a quick kiss on the cheek before heading up the stairs. “I knew it.” He whispered as I pulled back. I just grinned widely, mouthing “I love you" as I headed up the stairs.

“Congratulations,” Eddie said, handing me the surprisingly heavy award. “it is very well deserved, Emilia.”

“Thank you so much.” I had to hold back tears already.

I walked up to the microphone, clutching the statue firmly. People were still clapping (Chris was one of the few who were standing up, dork), so I was guessing that the route from my seat to the microphone took less than 10 minutes (but it felt like forever).

“This is surreal... First of all, I’d like to thank the Academy, because you make these,” I held up the Oscar for a second. “Uh, this will be the only rehearsed part of my speech, because the win was so unexpected. I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in the production of this beautiful movie, especially Taylor, Stuart, Marie, Alexa, Helen, Jerry, Steven, Elle, Lisa, Pilar, Sara, Hector and Michael. It was an incredible journey making this masterpiece with you and I hope we find a way to work together again soon.” I said, looking at the crew in the crowd. “Also, Hannah, my agent, who has been a third parent to me for the last few years and has never failed me. Now, I’d like to thank my real parents for supporting me even when they had all the rights to think that acting was “just a phase” for me, for giving me the benefit of the doubt when I moved out at a very young age and for still putting up with me and being the best parents a girl could have. Also, thank you for staying up so late in the UK to watch this, even though you have work tomorrow.” I waved at the camera, knowing they were watching. “And last but not least, I’d like to thank my fiancé... Chris, they won’t give me enough air time to fully express how grateful I am to have you in my life and to be a part of yours. Thank you for everything.” I said, looking down at him. We were both holding back tears. Chris bit his lip as he grinned at me, when I took my last look at him, before going backstage.

Someone from the production team said that they would keep the award for me until the end of the ceremony. I gave it to them and grabbed a tissue from a box on the table. I walked up to the make up lady and asked if she could check out my face and give me a little bit more powder, because I was all shiny already.

“Hi there.” I heard Chris behind me and I immediately shot out of the chair to wrap myself around him. “Congratulations, Dawson.” He mumbled into my shoulder.

“Chris, I can't believe it!” I almost shouted. “How the hell...”

“I fucking told you!” he cheered. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”

Someone told me to go to the press room for the break in order to give some interviews. Chris waited just a few feet away from me and watched me answer questions. I was still a bit overwhelmed, by this whole situation, but tried to keep a clear head.

After the ceremony, a few tabloids asked me for interviews and they were straight up asking about Chris, who was already waiting in the car for me, completely ignoring the fact that I had just won the most important award in this industry.

“So when did this happen?”

“A few months ago actually.” I answered, fiddling with the ring on my finger.

“Are there any plans for the wedding yet?”

“Oh, we don’t know yet,” I straight up lied. “We’re just enjoying the engaged life for now, we're both a bit too busy to plan a wedding right now.”

I was very proud of myself for lying about the wedding. I do know that paps tend to follow me more around my birthday or other important dates they can figure out, but I never thought they could just stalk me the moment my wedding appeared in the picture. Chris is a very private person, while I’m more casual about it, but neither of us want any leaks around a special day like that.

Chris escaped the car as he saw me walk towards him. He took off his jacket and, God, Chris in a white shirt and bowtie did things to me. He opened the door for me as I said. “If anyone asks about our wedding plans, tell them we don’t have any yet.”

“Sure, they don’t need to know.”

“And they'd be really surprised to know that we had already planned most of it.”

“That’s an overstatement.” He joked.

We arrived at the Vanity Fair After party just as I changed into my another outfit in the car. Chris had a vital role in the process, because my dress was very hard to take off. “I gotta be honest, I’d rather take that dress off you under different circumstances.”

I was now wearing a black jumpsuit with a lace top. It was much more comfortable than dancing in a dress. I left the dress in the car, which was supposed to go to the Elie Saab boutique now. “I didn't bring any other shoes,” I said as Chris took my hand. “I might require a foot rub later.”

“Anything for my winner.” He smiled.

We went through the photo call again, saying hi to a few people on the way. Chris clearly forgot that there’s also photographers behind us, because his hand kept creeping down my spine to grab my butt. I didn’t complain. We’ve been silent about each other for the last two years, so we might as well put on a show tonight.

Jeremy walked up to us and we talked a little bit about the movie we're starting in a few weeks.

“Are you going to bring Ava with you? I'm coming with Emily, I can be your babysitter.” Chris suggested.

“Evans, there’s no way I’m leaving my only child with you,” Renner laughed. “You’re the fun uncle who does the most dangerous stuff with the kids.”

“Oh, come on. Emily, back me up on this.” Chris turned to me.

I just shrugged. “You did hang you nephew from the tree by his leg.”

“He asked me to!”

Later this month Chris, Dodger and I moved to Utah to film Wind River. Dodger loved the constant presence of snow. He would dive in or lay on his back and just play and it was the cutest thing on this planet. We actually got him a few sweaters which made him look adorable and he became the star of my Instagram account.

I had to do some training for the movie, including gun training. Chris and I found a gym nearby and went there together to work out. I mostly did cardio, while he did heavy lifting. I was a bit curious why, since he didn't have a Marvel movie this year, but I never really asked. I watched him lift weights while I ran on the treadmill. God, that was some view. He was laying on the bench, his biceps bulging every time he lifted. Wait, why is my mouth watering?

I looked around the gym. It was pretty late and Utah, so it was empty. I switched off the treadmill and walked up to him, holding my towel against the back of my neck. “Chris, let’s go.” I ordered.

“But I’m not done.”

“Chris,” I winked at him. “Come on.”

He finally realised what I was talking about and stood up. We were really enjoying our lives after engagement.

We spent 6 weeks in Utah. Chris left for a few days to film a video game commercial. Apparently, Chinese companies are not only willing to pay Hollywood actors a lot of money for a 2 minute commercial, but they also move production to the US, so their star don’t have to go to China.

Two days after he left, he sent me a text saying:

I have a photo for you, which I know you will love, but I kind of want to be there to see your reaction. What should I do?

What’s in that photo?

Me, in my clothes for the shoot. Actually, there’s a few photos.

I feel like this is either going to be very hot or very weird. I’m guessing you’d like to be there if it’s hot and could get me bothered.

So, do you want it?

He sent me a few photos in a row, all of him wearing military gear and uniforms. I honestly could feel my blood boil after I looked through them. He was wearing the vests, boots and they put some dirt on his face, but also his hair was perfectly styled apart from that one loose strand on his forehead.

How soon can you come back, my intended? And will they give you these clothes?

During the Civil War press tour we actually got paired for a few interviews together. The studio never consulted this with us, probably hoping that us appearing together would give the movie more publicity (like it didn’t have enough of it already). One of the appearances was Graham Norton after the London premiere. The photos from the event were already out and I couldn’t stop laughing at Chris for looking at my cleavage like he was still breastfeeding.

“We haven’t had sex in like 2 days and you looked so good in that dress, please don’t blame me.” He whispered as we were in the car on our way to the BBC studios.

“There’s people who have sex once a month and you’re complain about a 2-day break, Chris.” I laughed.

“Yeah, but these other people aren’t engaged to you, so…”

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Emilia Dawson,” Graham said as it was my cue to come out. I walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He then announced Jeremy and Chris. “So, Chris Evans, this is your first time on the show. How did this happen?”

“I have no idea, they never let me do the UK shows for some reason. I guess I’m just not the best ambassador for the US.” He shrugged.

“Well, that ship has sailed.” Jeremy joked.

“Jeremy has been here a few times, but Emilia has been here over 5 times now. The first time you came here was in 2010, when you were 18.” Graham said. “This is a photo from the first time you visited.” He showed a photo of me. It just screamed 2010. I was promoting one of the first American movies I did.

“Yeah, there it is. I think I still have that skirt.” I smiled, analysing the photo. “That was actually the first time my mum thought that I made it. Because I was invited to one of her favourite shows.”

“Well, your mum has a great taste.” Graham smiled sweetly. “Anyway, this is Chris’ fifth Marvel movie, Jeremy’s third and Emilia’s second, right?” We all nodded. “How does it feel to step off the Marvel set and move on to another, smaller movie?”

“Well, Emily and I have just finished a movie in Utah, which was then completely covered in snow, and I still don’t know if I prefer Atlanta in June or Utah in March.” Jeremy said. “But to be fair, those are the sets where you really feel your surroundings, you know what’s going on, that’s the beauty of indie films. With movies like Civil War, you often don’t know what’s going on around you, because we use a lot of CGI or it’s just a secret, so…”

“Jer, we’re here to PROMOTE Civil War.” I laughed, before he went too far with his rant.

“Oh, right,” he pretended to remember. “I mean, being on the set with these guys is really fun, we spend a few months together, thankfully everyone gets along, so it’s pure joy.”

“Clearly, some of you are closer than the others.” Graham whispered, covering his mouth with his card.

I rested my hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Yeah, Jerry and I are really close.” I said, knowing he meant me and Chris.

Chris cleared his throat. “I thought it was suspicious when you said you were just practising sex scenes with him.” Everyone started to laugh. I was really glad we could talk about us while not really focusing on our relationship that much.

“Emilia, I’m sorry he didn’t start with this, congratulations on the Oscar!” Graham cheered and was followed by the audience. “So how has life changed for you?”

“Umm, it hasn’t really... I actually moved for work soon after the Oscars and haven’t been home for the last two months, so I didn’t really get to enjoy it properly.” I explained.

“And where have you decided to keep it? Because Kate Winslet keeps hers in the bathroom, so is yours on display?”

“I haven’t seen it in quite a long time to be honest and I’m not even sure where it is...” I laughed nervously. “Do you think they can make a replica if you lose one?”

“I put it on the fireplace when we came back.” Chris said.

“Riiight, yes! Yeah, he’s right. It was there when I left.” I nodded.

“Oh, seems like we’re getting an inside look into the Devans household.” Graham joked, making both me and Chris narrow our brows at the ‘Devans’ thing. “In case any of you have been living in a cave for the last few months and don’t know that, Chris and Emilia are an engaged couple, congrats.” He turned to the audience who started to cheer for us.

“Devans? Really?” Jeremy questioned.

“Yeah, I’ve never heard it either.” I shrugged. “I don’t know if I like it.”

“It should just be ‘Dodger’s parents’ or ‘Dodger’s roommates’.” Chris said. “Devans sounds like a name some woman gave her child, because she felt Devon was too mainstream.”

I really enjoyed being on a talk show with Chris. After that conversation Graham didn't really mention our relationship. I think he had only done it earlier to use his opportunity as the first host to ever have us both on the show.

Right after the Civil War press tour ended, we came back to reality, which for us meant a lot of wedding planning. We really wanted just a ceremony for our families and friends. Turned out we had much more friends and family than we expected. The initial goal was nothing more than 30, but it was the number of family members we had to invite. In the end, we managed to close the list at 50.

Planning was a nightmare, especially until the end of May when we were both away and couldn’t get anything done. Up to a point, we were trying to organise everything by ourselves, but by January, we had hired a wedding planner. We just told her everything we were expecting and she would send us emails asking for confirmation. The moment we hired her, we decided to go in all the way and thought we could get married somewhere abroad. Chris wanted Italy, but I won with Norway, mainly because there were no free venues in Italy. But also, because I threatened Chris with a blowjob embargo, if we were to get married there.

Because we were trying to keep the wedding under wraps, we tried not to be seen in some places, so we wouldn’t raise suspicions. The cake samples, for example, were brought to our house, along with flowers. Claire, the wedding planner, also brought our guest list and asked us to make a draft of the seating arrangements.

“I like this one,” I said, chewing on the white chocolate covered raspberry cake. “but I think it might be too sweet for some people.”

“I love it and we should take it.” Chris said. I glared at him, narrowing my eyebrows. “What? It’s our wedding! The cake should suit us, not anyone else.” He continued with a full mouth.

“Would it be possible to make it vegan?” I asked the baker. “I never asked, but I’m guessing that a lot of our guests are vegan. We definitely should have asked.”

“Oh, come on. We'll just put ’Might contain gluten’ signs everywhere.” He shrugged.

“It will taste differently, but I can make it vegan.” The baker said, writing something in his notebook. ‘I’ll try to have it done in about three days.”

“Ok, thank you,” I said. “Claire, can we have the catering company prepare vegan and vegetarian options?”

“Yes, I’ll call them right away.” she nodded and left the kitchen to make a call.

“Chris, not everyone is like you,” I raised my eyebrow. “Now everyone will switch back to eating meat, after being vegetarian for a while, because they feel like they’re turning green.”

“Oh, that was low.” He mumbled.

They all left soon, after making final decisions. We chose flowers and napkins for the tables. Chris said that the napkins looked dangerously similar and he didn’t see a difference in colour.

Since tomorrow was Chris' birthday, we had a dinner reservation at Nobu. Chris thought we were going alone, but I actually had invited some of our friends to join. Scott made the reservation, so they could come in earlier and be there when we arrive.

“I’m going to walk Dodger, but I’ll be back in like 30 minutes, so don’t shower without me, alright?” Chris winked, taking Dodger's lead and opening the door.

“30 minutes on the dot, because we don’t have much time.” I smiled and rushed upstairs to our bedroom. I already knew what I was going to wear. It was a tight, off-shoulder black dress that reached around the middle of my thighs. I’ve worn it a few times already and I knew Chris liked it. I paired it with nude suede high heels, which were also among Chris' favourites. I had a whole section of clothes Chris loved.

I undressed to my underwear and laid down on bed. Chris had only been gone about 5 minutes, so I opened Instagram and scrolled through the main page. I’ve had this urge to post something about our relationship for a while, but knowing that talking about us during the Oscars and the recent press tour was already pushing Chris’ buttons, I didn’t want to bring this up. I got rid of my private Instagram a while ago, when people found out about it and started sending new countless requests. I didn’t really feel the urge to share stuff with people all the time, but like everyone else, I wanted to share some moments with other people. Just once in a while.

Chris’ birthday was a perfect opportunity to do that. We'll see.

I checked the time and it was way past the 30 minutes I gave him. I went to the bathroom to wash off my make-up. Chris was still nowhere to be seen, so I went back to the bedroom and found my phone. I connected it with our home sound system and played Beast of Burden. I untied my hair and brushed it, before taking my underwear off and entering the shower cabin. I stood in the hot water, trying to wash off sweat off my body. It was unbearably hot today and I could only wish it gets cooler when we go out.

I poured some shampoo on my hand and wanted to wash my hair. “Lemme help you.” I heard Chris’ voice behind me. He was leaning on the door frame, watching me.

“I think I can handle washing myself, babe.” I teased, spreading shampoo on my top of my head, before I started rubbing it in. In no time I head Chris slide the glass door to the side and join me in the cabin.

“I insist,” he whispered into my ear, before wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my shoulder. I smirked and tilted my head to the side in order to give him access. “That's more like it...”

I took a step back, pushing my butt into his crotch. Chris grunted as he looked down at his dick pressed against my ass. He leaned on the wall behind him and wrapped his arm around my waist to pull me down on to him. “I can’t believe my luck...” he whispered, palming my cheek and kissing and biting on my shoulder. “I’m marrying the most beautiful, the sexiest woman in the world.”

I turned around to look up at his face, wet hair and flushed skin from the hot water. I ran my fingers along his collarbone tattoo and placed my lips on it, while my hand travelled down to his abdomen. “How much time do we have?” I asked.

Chris smiled and lifted me up only to turn us around and push me against a wall. “Not enough.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. We kissed playfully, biting on each other's lips and tongues, Chris moved his lips to my chin and then neck. His fingers let go of my thigh only to sneak up to my pussy and rub his thumb against my clit. “I wish we could just stay here.” he breathed out, his lips on mine.

“You always wish we could stay in, old man.” I ran my fingers through his wet hair.

Chris' two fingers slipped into me and I gasped, throwing my head back. “Mm, you are so ready for me, baby girl.” He whispered against the skin of my neck. I whined as he moved in and out, still rubbing his thumb against my clit. “Tell me what you want.”

I brought him closer to my body, slamming my lips against his. Chris pulled his fingers out of me and reached out to the handle and turned the water off. He opened the shower and carried me through the bathroom and our bedroom to the study. My pussy brushed against his shaft and it made me moan quietly every time. He laid me down on the cold glass desk and sat on the chair. I felt his lips on my thigh. “Chris, please, just fuck me,” I groaned as his beard brushed against my skin. “Please.”

“When have you become such a cock slut, huh?” Chris whispered and licked my clit quickly, making my hips shot up.

“Probably the first time you fucked me, daddy.” I moaned, putting my hands over my breasts and playing with my nipples. Chris saw what I was doing and bent down in front of my pussy again only to spit on it. He slammed two fingers back inside me and started to move them painfully slowly. He put his hand next to my hip and leaned on it, curling his fingers inside me to hit the right spot. “Please, do it faster, let me cum, I’m so close...” I squirmed under his touch.

“In a second, baby girl, just a second.” he whispered. His thumb hit my clit every time he buried his fingers inside me. At one point I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt the built-up tension release on to Chris’ fingers. “Mhm, yeah.”

He took his fingers out and licked my come off them. “You’re so sweet, baby girl,” he said, stroking his length. “I’m gonna give you what you want now.”

Chris grabbed my calves and placed them on his shoulders. I watched his eyebrows narrow as his tip brushed against my entrance. His chest was still covered in water drops and his hair was damp. A lose strand of hair was sticking to his forehead. He finally lined his cock against my pussy and grabbed a hold of my hips to keep me from falling off the slippery wet surface. He pushed into me, his lips slightly opening.

I felt him fill me up completely and gasped as he stretched me out. “Mmm,” I moaned when Chris started to move slowly inside me. I was still so wet from the orgasm he gave me and now Chris was picking up the pace. He closed his eyes and bit on his lip, completely lost in the pleasure. The way he looked was enough to send me over the edge and to add his cock moving inside me, hitting my g-spot... I came for the second time today, but Chris didn’t stop. He grabbed a hold of my both legs, took them off his shoulders and turned me to lay on my side. A lot of objects set on the desk fell off as he pushed me rapidly, but he then continued to pound into me while also rubbing my clit to make me come even faster.

I couldn’t bear the overstimulation. I shut my eyes as we both came. Chris let out a low grunt as he thrusted into me for the last time. We were both panting, not able to catch our breaths. Chris turned me to lay on my back again, without pulling out. He leaned down and gave me a passionate kiss as he lifted me off the desk. “We need another shower,” he whispered against my lips. His cock slipped out of me and it made both of us moan. He looked down at the mess we made around my abdomen. I giggled as he lifted me up and carried back to the bathroom. My whole body felt like it was made of jelly, I couldn’t move my legs and still wasn’t able to stabilize my breathing.

“If sex with you is so good at 35, then I can’t imagine what it was like to fuck you 10 years ago.” I breathed out.

We obviously didn’t make it to the restaurant on time, but we only had a 20-minute delay. I was very surprised, when I noticed photographers as we arrived at the restaurant. Chris grabbed my hand as we escaped the car and smiled, “Do you think we still have our sex looks on?”

“I hope we do.” I said. Chris stepped in front of me to pave the way through the small crowd of paparazzi. I watched the back of his arms, the well-defined muscles that I gripped to keep myself close to him. Those two sizes too small Henleys he wears are really going to be the death of me.

We entered the restaurant and immediately went in the direction of our lounge. “Isn’t a lounge too big for the two of us?” Chris asked right before noticing people at our table. “Oooh, so that’s happening.”

“Yeah, we really would have stayed at home if I hadn’t made plans with them.”

Scott and his boyfriend, Adam and his girlfriend, Sebastian, Anthony with his wife and Chris Hemsworth were all sitting, waiting for us. I said hi to all of them, while they wished Chris a happy birthday. Scott walked up to me and we hugged, “Stella is here.” He whispered. I felt my muscles tense at the sound of her name.

“That explains the paparazzi,” I forced a smile as he let go of me and we sat next to each other. “Is she sitting at a table nearby?”

“I don’t know, I saw her at the bar and we just said hi to each other. We haven’t had any contact with her since last year, when Chris and her went out once.” Scott explained. I tried not to look around the restaurant. It was pointless anyway, the lounge was in a secluded area and you could barely see anything.

Chris and I agreed that I wouldn’t drink, so I could drive us back home tonight. By agreed, I mean Chris begged me, because he hates being driven around by strangers and he really wanted to drink tonight. Which is why everyone was getting shitfaced – apart from me.

My fiancé kept his hand on my thigh the while time we sat at the table. Because all of our companions have been invited to our wedding, it became the main topic of our conversation.

I actually spoke to Shaletta about getting married abroad. Unfortunately, she was on Chris’ side when it came to the location. Anthony and her got married in Dominican Republic, so she preferred Italy.

“I told you it’s a better idea. If you want to make our guests travel to Europe, at least make sure the conditions are bearable.” Chris shrugged and took a sip of his drink.

“Chris, do you think I want to get married on the North Pole?” I asked, “You clearly haven’t even gone though the places I’ve sent you, even though we have already booked the venue.” I snapped.

“So, why are you getting married there, if Chris doesn’t want it?” Seb asked.

“I’m a simple man, Seabass.” Chris shrugged. “My dear fiancée threatened me with a blowjob embargo, to put it in her exact words.”

Everyone laughed at his words, which made me a little bit mad, because I didn’t want it to look, like I was forcing him to do something. Chris noticed my lack of enthusiasm and rubbed his palm against my bare thigh. “No, but I gotta be honest, I would marry her anywhere. If it wasn’t for the fact that our families would murder us, we would’ve eloped a long time ago.”

“Yeah, Mom would be livid.” Scott agreed. “Lisa is a sweetheart, but she can kick ass when she has to.”

I tried to move the topic to something lightly less stressful and we ended up talking about the upcoming presidential election. Of course, Hemsworth and I were excluded from the conversation, but at least we didn’t have to worry about Donald Trump becoming president of our home countries.

“Em, have you thought about getting an American citizenship?” Adam asked.

I raised my eyebrow. “You’ve just finished talking about how a reality TV star has a real chance of getting elected as president, so here’s your answer.” I laughed. “No, to be honest, I haven’t given it any thought yet. The most important thing for me right now is to get married to this guy here and take at least a month off afterwards.”

Chris grinned and wrapped his arm around me. “True. Everything else is just supposed to provide fun for our guests.”

Thankfully, we didn’t have to leave our lounge to order new food and drinks, because at some point I saw Stella walk quite close to us. That was when Chris noticed her, because apparently, Scott only told me about her. Chris noticed that I got a bit uncomfortable and suggested we moved someplace else.

“She’s just your ex, love,” I smiled and put my hand on his cheek. “I’m fine.”

I actually got used to the fact that has dated a lot (at least for me) of women in the past and I’m bound to see or hear about them at some point, so I might as well just try to ignore it. I never considered myself to be a jealous person, but as it turns out, I just never met anyone I cared about enough to be jealous.

The Chrises, Adam and Sebastian went outside for a smoke, while the rest of us stayed behind. We were all leaving, but no one wanted to stand outside with the photographers, if it wasn’t necessary. I handed Chris his sunglasses, cigarettes and a lighter. When he asked me to keep them in my bag the only reason why I didn’t say no, was because we were celebrating his birthday.

After paying the bill for our table, the rest of us left. As I stepped out, I noticed Chris smoking a cigarette by my car. Without saying a word, he reached out his hand to me and placed it on the small of my back. “Thank you.” He whispered.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “What for?”

“Just generally,” he sighed, breathing out the smoke. “For putting up with a big, old, drunk meatball like me.”

I giggled and nuzzled my face into his neck. Despite the cigarette smoke, he still smelled incredible. “I love you, I don’t have a choice.” I whispered.

Chris chuckled and pulled away from me in order to walk back to a bin and throw away the cigarette. On the way back he put a gum in his mouth. Even though he had drank quite a lot, he didn’t look like it. “Can I kiss you now?” he asked as he approached me.

“I’ll make an exception, because it’s after midnight and your birthday.” I nodded lightly. It didn’t take long for him to come up to me and place his lips on mine. He tasted him alcohol, cigarettes and a little bit of mint. I got used to his smoking habit a long time ago, I just didn’t want his to know that, because it would not be a great motivation to stop smoking once and for all.

Chris placed his palms on my cheeks and deepened the kiss by sneaking his tongue into my mouth. I moaned quietly as our tongues touched and I felt a tingly sensation. His arm wrapped around my waist once again, pushing me against his body. I felt his arousal against my lower stomach and grinned at the fact that he was ready again, despite drinking quite a lot. Chris bit on my lip and then pulled away from me. “We should go, before we fuck against the car with photographers behind us.”

I narrowed my eyebrows. I actually forgot about them and realised that we had just served them with a full PDA session. “Yeah, yeah.” I nodded. Chris opened the driver’s door for me and then walked around the car to get in himself.

Chris sang the whole way back (it’s a thing he does when he’s drunk) and tried to hold my hand, but I wouldn’t let him, because I use a manual gearbox and have to keep my hand free all the time. “’m gonna buy you a car with automatic gear.” He mumbled with his eyes closed.

“I’m contractually obliged to drive this for the next two months, until they offer me another one.” I said.

“But you wouldn’t mind if we got a Tesla, right?” he asked. Chris knew that the only car that could make me switch from Jaguar, was Tesla, because I have a thing for electric cars and he know they only come with automatic gear.

“You’re willing to buy a new car, just so you could fool around with me while driving?” I laughed at him.

When we arrived at home, Chris was already asleep in the car and Dodger greeted us at the door, barking in excitement. He barely opened his eyes to walk back home. I told him I’d come in a few minutes, but had to walk Dodger out now. The dog got a bit excited to see us and I decided I should go out with him just in case.

When I came back, Chris was lying on the sofa in he living room downstairs. He always falls asleep there, because there’s a nice, cool breeze coming from the open terrace doors. He took off everything except for his boxers. “Baby, let’s go upstairs.” I said, sitting down next to him and gently nudging his bare chest with my finger.

He groaned and slightly opened one eye for a second before closing it again. “Let’s sleep here tonight,” He mumbled. “The air is amazing here, it should be our permanent bedroom.”

“Fine.” I sighed.

I went upstairs to change into the slip I wear at night and grabbed Chris’ pyjama bottoms and a blanket.

“Chris, wear these.” I said, handing him the pants. He looked up at me and groaned, but then took the clothing. While he was changing, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and grabbed some water for my fiancé as he will definitely need some in the morning.

“Have I ever told you that you look mesmerising right before bed?” Chris asked as I squeezed myself into the space between him and the back of the sofa. He had some trouble pronouncing “mesmerising”.

“Possibly,” I smiled and placed my hands on his hair as he moved to snuggle his face into my neck and cleavage. “Go to sleep, handsome.”

I woke up around 10am, when Chris was still soundly asleep. He moved down and his head was now on the same height as my stomach, with his arm around my hips. He pulled my slip up, so his beard was scratching my skin. He groaned lightly as I scratched his head, before reaching out for my phone.

Hannah had sent me an email earlier in the morning. I checked it out and saw a few articles with similar titles from Daily Mail, People and TMZ.

“Exes Chris Evans and Stella Smith unintentionally reunited at Nobu last night, where Captain America celebrated his birthday with new fiancée and friends”

“He cheated on me with Emilia Dawson, Stella Smith tells her friends”

“Chris Evans, Emilia Dawson walk into a bar – what now?”

I knew that if she sent me these articles, she thought I should read them, so I took a deep breath and opened the first one.

“... Smith arrived first, accompanied by a bunch of photographers, who were then surprised to see Evans and Dawson arrive about 30 minutes later. It is said that the engaged couple did not interact with Evans' ex, apart from a quick nod between Chris and Stella, when he was out for a smoke and she was leaving. It was visible that Emilia was quite uncomfortable knowing she’s somewhere there, but who wouldn’t be?”

“People from Stella's close surroundings have confirmed, that she’s been claiming Chris cheated on her with Emilia and they were still together when the Captain America actor and Dawson started dating.”

“... with Smith's new claims in the picture, we now look at the whole case in a different way. The cheating part would explain the tension between the exes during yesterday's outing. Apparently, the exes were even living together when the affair started.”

Great. Now I’m a homewrecker.

I came back to the email and checked what Hannah has written:

“Normally, I wouldn’t recommend that, but Chris’ and your movie comes out later this year and we don’t want another Angelina, Brad and Jennifer thing. I would suggest publishing a statement denying these allegations, containing some details, because if she’s actually been saying that, then we might be facing a bigger problem.”

Chris shifted and took a big breath through his nose. He stretched out his arms and looked up at me, with his sleepy, half-closed eyes. “Hi, sexy.” He murmured, before pulling my body close to his and scratching his beard against the soft skin on my stomach.

I smiled at him and found Hannah’s number, then simply texted her: “Do your worst.”

(Sidenote: I changed the name of one of Chris' exes, because I made her into a much bigger bitch than I thought I would)

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#chris evans #chris evans smut #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fic #chris evans x reader #chris evans blurb #chris evans imagine #fanfic

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possiblelove · 3 years ago

Text

Jade my lovely darling valentine this is so beautifully written like you have to stop writing like this because how do you have me sobbing like this over a fictional man I was not previously attracted to before reading this? at this point you could write reader x oscar the grouch and I’d still fall at your feet singing your praises. Just add me to all the taglists i give up you’re just too good.

I cba to add a keep reading thing because I’m doing this on my phone and I am not about to get up and find my laptop so apologies bc this is most likely going to be very very long. Also I’m definitely not going to finish typing all this up in one sitting so I’ll just keep adding to this as I reread so this is going to be v late but alas I do not care:)

This was such a dream to read, like I’m so obsessed with the idea of a beach trip with a big group?? and all the little jokes! The whole time I was imagining this with a soft polaroid filter typa vibe? Idk if that makes sense but it was just so warm and happy and alsxkajsk Sirius is such a softie which I am such a slut for, the whole sarcastic thing but he’s really a massive ball of fluff? A total sucker for it. And when the reader lost the bracelet he got her and he went down to the beach to help her look for it???? oh mein gottt don’t get me started at the lil spicy beach scene I’m telling you now Do Not. skskks the way this like kinda happened to me ugh brought back the memory in the best way possible as the sand was nonexistent this time. Yes I do remember the convo about sand and this was perfect, the best outcome (obviously)

*really deep inhale* THIS WAS SO GODDAMN SEXY I SCREAMEDDD I WAS MAKING ALL THE MOST EMBARRASSING NOISES YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND ILL NEVER RECOVER FROM THIS HOW COULD YOU???

You know I need to really start going on beach trips more because this is just too much I need this exactly plot to happen to me irl. I will fully blame you for any and all sunburns I receive trying to live this out.

this early dancing (1/2) | sirius black x reader

Sirius turned the camera on your faces. You rested your cheek against his arm and smiled shyly, happy to see his handsome grin.

“Stop hiding. We need a good one to look back on,” he said seriously.

“We take photos all the time,” you argued.

“Indulge me.”

summary blindly in love with your best friend Sirius you find yourself sharing a room with him on a group holiday to the seaside. it wasn’t ever going to go any other way [11k]

warnings fluff, smut, marauders era, mutual pining, idiots in love, she/her pronouns used for reader, fem!reader

note this is my thank you for 1850 followers and an early valentines gift! you guys are so kind and I’m more than grateful for everything. the poem featured is this and that by mary oliver. part two is finished and will be posted tomorrow

With your head sticking out the window of James Potter's people carrier you felt like you were flying, face tilted up to the sun to soak in the seaside warmth. You couldn't be far from the Potter cottage now, having played passenger as peacefully as you were able to for hours now whilst the boys took turns driving.

"Moons," Sirius said from behind the wheel. Remus lifted his eyes from the book he was fighting to read in annoyance - you hadn't left him alone since the trip had begun, and only with your head out the window had he managed to return to his well worn novel.

"What?"

"Pull her back in, would you?" he requested, nodding his head towards you. Remus' warm hand grabbed blindly at the short sleeve of your t-shirt until you conceded and sat flat again.

"Pull her?" James muttered from the front seat, tired from driving the first half of the road trip. "I barely know 'er."

"That 'barely' works," Lily complained from his side, though she wiped the hair from his forehead tenderly.

Marlene booed from behind Remus, which had her seat mates Dorcas and Mary laughing jovially. Emmeline took no notice of any of it at Remus' other side, also reading.

"I don't care how you do it, get her down," Sirius said in concern.

"She's down," you assured him.

"Lovely Y/N will live to see another day," Mary agreed, low voice soft and lilting.

You blushed from all the attention and shimmied down.

"She's embarrassed!" Marlene cooed, reaching over to pinch your shoulders.

Sirius peaked in the rear view mirror and grinned. "Don't be embarrassed, but please leave the dog like activity to me."

"If that's a sex joke, I don't get it," Emmeline said.

"And who does that surprise?" Remus muttered.

You laughed behind your hand, boiling now from the heat. You couldn't help from fidgeting, pulling the fabric of your shirt away from your sticky chest, concerned you looked a sight. Not that the other members of your troupe looked any better; Remus fought a good fight but ultimately didn't look as unbothered by the heat as he acted. James was openly complaining about the sun from the front seat, arguing that he should be allowed to sleep in the relative darkness of the back.

"Too bad, Pots," Marlene said, pressed up against Mary and Dorcas. Only the cool safety allowed them to maintain friendly contact without melting, you knew, and felt very jealous.

"We earned these seats fair and square," agreed Dorcas, legs thrown over your seat, sandal clad toes poking in between you and Remus.

"You cheated! No way can somebody win rock paper scissors 23 times in a row," James said conspiringly.

"Prove it."

You quite fancied that she'd cheated too, though you knew better than to give James any fuel for his fire. Sirius, despite the many years of friendship, had not learned this lesson yet, and so he said, "She definitely did."

"Thank you! Thank you, Pads," he leaned over Lily's arm to grasp his best friend's arm, "my bro."

"Ew, ew, ew! They're getting gooey!"

"They can't help their love," Mary said to Dorcas, patting her arm. "Don't give them too much shit for it."

Sirius leaned his head down to kiss James hand and almost crashed into an oncoming car.

"Lily! Tell your boyfriend's boyfriend to keep his eyes on the road!" Dorcas roared, sandals twitching.

You leaned forward to press your hand at the back of Sirius' neck. "Watch the road, loverboy."

"You got it, sweetheart," he said, eyes obediently on the journey ahead.

Determined to ignore the pleasure that shot through you at the sincere pet name you ran your fingers through the raven hairs at the back of his neck and noted how it was damp with sweat. You pulled the bobble from your wrist and pushed up onto your feet as tall as you could manage, neck craned against the roof of the van to pull his hair back from his face delicately until it was in a moderately neat ponytail at the back of his head. You made quick work of the bobble and tucked the piece you'd missed behind his ear.

"Thank you," he said warmly. Then, "Put your belt on, idiot."

You scratched the skin behind his ear lightly in acknowledgement, a silent you're welcome between you both, and sat back down.

James soon fell asleep against Lily's shoulder. She held his face to her chest tightly and kissed his forehead. You made yourself look away to study the book in Remus' hands.

Remus said something to you and you missed it, attention monopolised by Sirius' soft singing along to the radio. "Hmm?" you asked him, blinking.

"How's your car sickness?" he asked.

You smiled dismissively at your friend's concern. "Fine. Better if I don’t look down for a while.”

He nodded. You went back to your silence and found your stomach turning quickly after that, punished for trying to read while the van rocked. You pushed your face out the window again, eyes on the quick-approaching sea. It was a stunning blue, sunlight blinding you as it bounced off the waves. You squinted and held your hand up uselessly.

"Here," Sirius said, hand reaching back. He was offering his sunglasses to you through the gap.

"Thank you," you said. His finger danced a quick line over your hand, his own silent you’re welcome, and then he was back to driving.

You loved most about your friendship with Sirius the things you didn't have to say. You weren't sure when the scratching had begun, only that it had, and that the slither of intimacy drove you insane.

Pushing his sunglasses up your nose you turned back to the view. The lenses helped dull the bright light of the waves nicely but they did nothing for your best friend; Sirius was as golden as ever. You found him difficult to look at, sometimes.

"How far are we now?" Lily asked quietly, hand in James' hair.

"Not far," Sirius murmured, voice sending tingles through your chest, "and then our summer can really begin."

You gulped a breath of fresh air and willed the nausea away, not fully confident it was car sickness after all. Remus nudged you with his elbow. "You want a polo?"

You laughed weakly. "No."

"Might make you less ill."

"I'm alright."

He huffed like he didn't believe you. You were amazed at his ability to keep his eyes on the page and unwrap a polo mint for you at the same time. He pressed it into your hand. "Eat that, dove."

You smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"Welcome."

You sucked on the mint and twiddled your thumbs. You wished you would've put your camera around your wrist rather than in your suitcase. If anything you could've been taking sneaky pictures of the back row for you and Sirius to pick over later - you were sure Marlene was dating Dorcas. Sirius was sure it was Mary. James swore up and down it was Dorcas and Mary where Remus shrugged and said it was nobody's business. Lily definitely knew and wasn't telling. Alice probably knew because Lily knew, and Emmeline was about as oblivious to it all as she was everything else.

You didn't know who was snogging who but you knew for certain it wasn't you.

Sirius caught your eye in the rear view mirror. "What're you eating?"

You bit the polo between your teeth and bared it to him.

"Working?"

You nodded.

"Alright. Let me know if you want to pull over."

"Fuck off! If we stopped every time Y/N gets sick we'll never get there," Marlene protested, and then, "Hey! Stop fucking pinching me."

"Be nicer," Mary said softly.

"You first."

"We don't need to pull over. I'm fine."

"Better we pull over then have the car smell like sick all day," Dorcas argued.

"Guys," you were almost begging now, desperate for the attention to be on somebody else, "I won't be sick."

"You won't be," Remus said firmly.

"Aim for Moony's lap," Sirius advised.

No sooner had the people carrier pulled onto the Potter cottage driveway had you thrown the door open to keel over by the front garden grass. You were breathing heavily in an effort to overcome the sinking feeling, more than relieved to finally be on solid, unmoving ground. You could smell salt and clay on the breeze, the sun-warmed grass soft under your feet.

Sirius came up behind you, pushing his hand over the skin between your shoulder blades.

He didn't say anything. You'd played these parts before: disapparation made you feel sick, too, and the floo, and brooms and trains and planes - it all made you sick to your stomach. You could barely withstand a piggyback.

You swallowed a heave desperately.

"If you need to be sick, be sick," Sirius said gently.

You wanted to tell him to fuck off, suddenly and unfairly infuriated with him. His hand felt like a poker on your shoulders and you wanted to shrug out from underneath his touch. You recognised that was insane and not an appropriate reaction to your best friend comforting you and so you let him rub what was intended to be a soothing path up past your shoulders and then down to the bottom of your back.

You could hear Lily cheering about the sunset. You could see the pink purple sky out of the corner of your eye and worried you were missing an extraordinary picture.

"Alright?" Sirius asked, noticing your stillness.

You stood up, nodding. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and shook you about, squeezing. "God, I'm sorry. You really can't handle it, can you? Poor girl."

You relaxed under his arm and let him steer you to the cliffside overlooking the beach where everybody else had gathered. The sky was a shock of cherry pink at the horizon melting up into a deeper purple. You felt your lips part at the sight. No matter how many photographs you took of the sky on your shoddy camera, it never looked like the real thing.

You and Sirius looked at each other and grinned. Your eyes darted from eye to eye, pupils wobbling, and Sirius pulled his arm away, patting you on the shoulder.

"Where's your camera? That'll be a nice one to commemorate our first night here."

You retrieved your camera from the boot and noticed Alice and Frank's car pulling in.

"Perfect timing!" you called to them, grinning. "Group photo."

Your friend's all piled in for the photograph. The girl’s gathered in the middle, Alice with Frank on one end and Lily on the other. James was pressed tiredly to Lily's side whilst Sirius had wrapped his arm around the exhausted boy's shoulder. Remus was begrudgingly pulled into the throng of women in the middle.

"Alright, guys. Say cheese," you said, raising your camera.

"Hey! It has a timer, doesn't it?" Lily protested.

"Set it up on the birdbath, love!" James called.

You rolled your eyes but did as they asked. With the camera ticking you rushed over to Sirius' side, who pushed you in between him and James and stretched his hand back over your shoulder. He smelled familiarly of his cologne.

"Big smiles!" Lily said loudly.

You smiled wide. The camera flashed brightly and then everyone was laughing and rubbing their eyes.

"Merlin, that's bright," Emma whined.

Remus patted her shoulder in sympathy and then walked off, leaving her blindsided. James sat down heavily on the grass and complained he'd never drive again, and he certainly wouldn't be helping get the things from the car. Lily sat down with him in solidarity. They both laughed roaringly at everybody else's indignation and refused to move until everyone had put their things away. You stayed outside, trying to catch photographs of the sky while it still looked so lovely. When James and Lily weren't looking you took a quick photo of their dark outlines in the grass, both their hair splayed around them, heads inclined toward each other, hands twined.

You finally walked over to the car to gather your things, gravel crunching under your canvas shoes. They’d already been taken in. You frowned and let yourself into the cottage. All the lights were on and Remus was talking very crossly from the landing upstairs.

“This is a holiday,” he was saying pointedly, “I will not be sharing a room with you, Pads. I won’t sleep.”

“I know I’m handsome but you don’t have to stay up and watch me,” Sirius sniffed. You stopped halfway up the stairs to listen to them argue.

“You snore! You know you do!”

Sirius winced. “A good friend would pretend not to notice.”

“A good friend would release me. Please, Pads.”

“I don’t know what you want me to do!”

“Sleep on the sofa?”

“You’re being an absolute wan-“

“Room with me,” you said easily, ascending the last few steps.

Remus frowned. “I wouldn’t force him on you, Y/N.”

“I snore too,” you said, shrugging. “Won’t notice.”

Having a room to yourself had been the one game of rock paper scissors you’d managed to win between the girls with no partners (as far as you could tell).

Sirius was looking at you strangely. You backtracked. “I mean, if that’s alright. I can get changed in the bathroom and I’m an excellent roommate, and-“

“It's alright. It’s brilliant, actually. Thanks, sweetheart.”

You smiled brightly. “That’s okay. Wouldn’t want poor Remus to suffer you.”

Sirius frowned. “What’s with everyone’s vendetta against me? Am I such a terrible roommate?”

“Yes,” James called from the bottom of the stairs. “God awful.”

“Right,” Sirius said solemnly, pulling his wand from his back pocket. James cringed backwards.

“Let’s not make any hasty decisions.”

“Trust me, I’ve been thinking about this one.”

You pointed Sirius’ wand up at the rafters and giggled madly when they turned a fluorescent yellow. "What happened to our no magic holiday?"

James squawked. “That would’ve gone garishly with my lovely skin,” he said, preening like a bird. Lily rolled her eyes and patted one of his lovely brown shoulders in mock comfort. “There there, babe.”

Sirius was half pouting at you. “He deserved that one.”

“He didn’t. You’re all cranky from driving. You’ll be besties again at breakfast.”

“Make that brunch,” James called.

Marlene called down something in response that you missed as Sirius shut the door behind you. Your room was big enough to fit two single beds with room to waltz between them, soft white bedding atop raglan furnishings set in a neutral tan room with an en suite bathroom, it was nicer than your room at home. You set your wand and camera down on the nightstand and sank into the marsh softness of the mattress, sighing.

Sirius did the same in his respective bed.

“You okay?” you asked him, peering over your shoulder at his languid form. He stretched his hands over his head, shoulder muscles moving underneath his graphic t-shirt. You bit your lip and watched him indulgently.

“Tired. Are you still feeling poorly?”

You shook your head. Though he didn’t turn to look you assumed he’d sensed it, as words didn’t pass between you again for a while.

“You really don’t mind rooming with me?”

You fiddled with your bracelet. It was a simple chain, gold-plated with a small piece of green jade at the centre. Sirius had gifted it to you for your birthday and you hadn’t taken it off since.

“I don’t mind.”

“It’ll be fun,” he decided.

“Like a sleepover,” you agreed.

“Exactly.”

Where had this awkward space come from? You suspected you were imagining it, so afraid of revealing your fondness for him that you were now hesitating to talk to him. You didn’t trust yourself sometimes to idle in his company. How maddening that a confession rooted itself at the front of your mouth, always waiting for you to get too close, to feel too loved.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

He turned toward you so sharply you spooked yourself, scared you’d said it out loud.

“Picture?”

“What?”

“Let’s take a picture. Me and you.”

Your smile crept up slowly at the corners. You shuffled across the bed to make space for him and he filled it, strands of his hair tickling your face as he settled. He grabbed your camera from the bedside table and struggled through its workings until it was green and ready to go, moaning about how you could possibly get along with such muggle-like contraptions. You knew he was grumbling for the sake of it and that in reality he liked your magic camera just as much as you did. It was brilliant, really, you could take loads of photos before it got full and with a simple spell you could look through them projected onto the wall like a small television.

Sirius turned the camera on your faces. You rested your cheek against his arm and smiled shyly, happy to see his handsome grin. You thanked god that you could veto whichever pictures you wanted because as long as Sirius was pressed up at your side smelling like sweetness and himself so sharply it made your heart ache, smiling like he wanted to be nowhere else, you’d look like a lovesick fool in every photograph.

The flash blinded you.

“Is there a setting that doesn’t jeopardise our eyesight?” Sirius inquired.

You buried your face in his arm and giggled.

“Stop hiding. We need a good one to look back on,” he said seriously.

“We take photos all the time,” you argued.

“Indulge me.”

The way he said it - you smiled with teeth and didn’t complain.

When you woke up Sirius was still asleep. You moved to lie on your side so you could watch him breathing, tracing the rising and falling line of his chest, the hair he'd left in your bobble the night before, his soft sleep shirt peeking out where the duvet had slipped in the night time.

You could hear the clinking of dishes and easy conversation echoing up the stairs, followed swiftly by the smell of frying bacon and eggs, the sweeter scent of pancakes hot on its tail.

Sirius made a sound in his sleep. You reached your hand out over the gap despite being yards too far to touch him, lining your hand up with his head and pretended you were smoothing the soft strands of ebony hair from his face, tucking it behind his ears. You'd kiss his forehead afterwards, breathe in the smell of his hair or tuck your face in the nook of his shoulder, slot yourself by his side like you belonged.

There was a sound of smashing glass and a shock of laughter that made you both flinch, rousing Sirius awake. You let your hand fall to hang over the side of the bed, fingers an inch from the hardwood floor.

He blinked the sleep from his eyes and stretched, turning flat on his back. You copied him, pulling the blankets up over your nose.

"Y/N," he said softly, words warped by a yawn, "you awake?"

"Yes," you whispered, aiming for casualness and missing by a mile.

You turned your head and he was looking at you with a happy, tired smile. You smiled back and then realised he couldn't see it.

"Do you want to shower?" he asked you.

"I showered after you fell asleep."

He sat up and hunched over, hair falling in his face, necklace slipping out from under his shirt to dangle in the space between his chest and his legs. It was a chain with a thumbnail sized circle of silver hanging from it. You suspected it was engraved but had never had reason to get a good look, and were too shy to ask.

He scratched his face, his two days stubble. His hands looked funny without a ring or two, you'd never seen them early enough in the morning to catch him without them.

You pushed the duvet down and stared at the ceiling as he got to his feet and scrounged through his bags for clean clothes and his towel. You'd already shoved your toiletries in the bathroom last night.

"You want to go eat?"

You shook your head. "I'll wait for you."

"I'll be fast."

"Take as long as you want."

You should not have said that, you realised, twenty minutes later with a rumbling stomach and Sirius nowhere to be seen. You'd whipped up to get changed in case he'd been as quick as he promised, worried he'd walk in on you starkers. Lily had pronounced the first proper day had to be a beach day, so you'd put on a bikini top and simple white t-shirt with short sleeves and a pair of shorts over your bikini bottoms.

You picked at the seams of your crisp denim shorts and wondered if you should be wearing a skirt, no doubt like Lily and Alice would be. Marlene was likely naked or close to it, Mary would wear a sundress, Dorcas did as she liked and Emma might show up in a hazmat suit.

You pouted and leapt to your feet, rushing for your bag. You'd packed a beach cover up and so you might as well wear it rather than feel insecure in your shorts. You unbuttoned them and pulled them off, kicked them under your bed for now.

The bathroom door opened before you'd located the cover up. You looked up like a deer-in-headlights and Sirius was looking at you too, but he didn't look nearly so bashful. Obviously - there was no need. You were going to the beach and he was bound to see you in your bikini eventually, and still you felt naked as the day you were born.

You smiled fleetingly and crouched down to ruffle through your bags for the wrap skirt. It was plain and black, simple enough that you didn't feel as though it would garner much attention. You pulled it on and then found your sandals and put them on too.

Sirius hummed appraisingly. "You look nice."

"Thanks," you said warmly, cheeks heating, "you look nice too."

And he did, lean thighs showcased by a pair of dark swim shorts and a white cotton vest that hugged his chest keenly. You almost matched.

He'd tucked his necklace back under the fabric. Your bobble was loose around his wrist, hair curling and wet dripping on his maddening shoulders. He'd trimmed up his face but still had a shadow like he usually did. You wanted to run your hands over his face and feel the dark stubble under your fingers so instead you cleared your throat and whispered past him to the bathroom to freshen up.

You came out smelling much nicer and feeling cleaner, face all softened up by cleanser and moisturiser.

"You have sunscreen?" you asked him.

"Nah. Greek doesn't burn."

"Greek does get skin cancer," you said pointedly, pulling your shoulder purse open to check you had what you needed.

Sirius pushed the door open and held it for you, beaming down at you. "If I let you put it on me will you stop scowling?"

You relaxed your face. "I'm not scowling."

He'd tilted his head back and laughed at you all the way down the stairs.

James was at the stove, brown skin speckled by white powder. You laughed at the sheer amount of flour he'd managed to wipe up his own face.

He was on the defensive quickly. "Laugh it up! No pancakes for either of you," he said, pointing his spatula at you both. Sirius scoffed in indignation.

"Am I to be punished for everything she does?"

James nodded pensively. "Indeed."

Lily was sitting on the countertop near the sink. You sidled up to her side and opened a glass fronted cupboard to retrieve a glass to fill with water. She had a piece of toast in one hand and pushed your hair flat with the other.

"I love your skirt," she said.

Her's wasn't so different to your own, you thought, and then realised that was the joke. Her long legs were outfitted in a black wrap skirt that didn't so much hide her blue bikini as it accentuated it. She hadn't bothered with a shirt, which you applauded.

"Thanks, babe," she said.

"Such a pair of tits shouldn't ever be hidden. Ti's the true tragedy they must be encased at all," James agreed.

"What is this character you're doing?" Sirius spluttered. "You ridiculous man!"

"I doth not know what you mean."

You smiled to yourself and sat down next to Mary, who was looking pretty as a picture in her lilac sundress. She'd styled her twists into a half bun that showcased her pretty face, her dark skin glowing in the morning light. You felt a shoot of jealousy and then grimaced at yourself. There wasn't any need to be jealous - your friends were gorgeous and so were you.

Still, you found yourself ogling Mary's clear skin reverently.

"You're glowing," you complimented her, pulling a bowl of fresh fruit towards you, no doubt Mary's doing.

"Thank you! I got this new serum with almond oil that makes me really soft and dewy, and it smells really good too."

"Yeah?"

"Mm, from Boots. Oh, you want coffee?"

"No, thanks," you said at the same time as Sirius said, "You're a godsend, Mary."

Mary smiled brightly, lifting the pot of coffee towards his outstretched mug. "I know."

He sipped at his coffee with his hand on the back of your chair. You tried your best to ignore this and found yourself on ends anyways, wondering what the back of your head looked like.

He stole fruit from your plate and wouldn't back down, even when you started fighting back with your fork. You'd almost speared him when Marlene walked in with Dorcas looking dazed behind her, grinning. "We're ready."

"I'll grab Remus and then we'll go," James said, untying his apron. There was a naked square where it had been, and he looked down at it frowning. "After I change my shirt."

"Thanks for the pancakes," Emma called after him.

"You're welcome. At least somebody appreciates my efforts," James said from the bottom of the stairs.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Get a load of him. Makes breakfast and now he's Saint Lucy."

You smiled up at him. "He can be whatever he wants if he's making pancakes every morning. Though Saint James has a terrible ring to it."

Sirius wiped the corner of your mouth with the tip of his index finger. "Wasn't he beheaded?"

You shrugged, biting back a laugh. You didn't know why you were smiling so wide but Sirius was, and his beatific grin was contagious.

"I hope you aren't planning to execute my boyfriend," Lily said, jumping down from the countertop. Her red, smooth hair moved in a sheet behind her.

"Don't think of it as an execution, Lils."

"An exoneration," you suggested.

"A freeing."

James pushed into the kitchen with a knackered looking Remus at his side. "I've saved you so many pancakes, Moony, you wouldn't believe it. You'll be fed for days."

"Thank you, James," Remus said, rubbing a hand through his depressed hair.

"Eat up, darling boy," Sirius said loudly, "you look as though you're on the edge of death."

"I might have slept too well," he admitted sheepishly.

Sirius looked at him then and all his care melted into outrage. "Your hubris befalls you."

"Did we all decide to speak like this today or did I miss the memo?" you asked, more to yourself than anyone else.

"T'was not a decision! T'was a calling from the heavens," James piped in, looking much cleaner in his new vest and open button-up.

"T'was a twottish calling," Marlene said, laughing. This sent peels of laughter through the room and after a good chuckle, eventually everyone was smiling and ready to walk down to the beach.

Why you'd all waited to go together was a mystery, it was hardly a five minute walk down the path from the cottage cliffside before you were breaking out onto a gorgeous white stretch of sand kissing clear blue waves.

Sirius and James had carried the picnic basket between them. Lily had the cooler. You'd deigned to carry the blankets and towels and refused anyone's help, almost tripping over a piece of driftwood. You let the linens fall into the soft sand and felt the grains of it sink into your open sandals, wiggling your toes.

Your camera bounced at your chest as you traipsed over to the cooler, searching for something cold to hold against your head. It had been noon by the time everyone was ready to head out and so the sun was already making itself known, beating down on your shoulders.

"It's gorgeous," Lily said brightly.

"We'll have a bonfire tonight," James said.

Marlene laid a towel out and put her stereo, her prized possession, down on it carefully. She clicked a button and set the volume low, and the beach was suddenly alive with the hum of The Rolling Stones.

You and Lily spread the biggest blanket out away from where James had begun forming a rock circle for the barbecue and sat down on it with matching peaceable expressions, soon joined by Emmeline and Remus. Mary, Dorcus and Marlene set their towels up at the edge of the blanket and were quick to begin sunbathing.

Marlene was likely going to burn herself to a crisp trying to tan. Lily pulled the brim of her sunhat down and began slathering sunscreen over her pale legs, her stomach and chest.

"James!" she called, "come do my back, please?"

He perked up like an excited puppy. "Oh, Lilykins, you charmer."

"If I'd asked anyone else you would've sulked all day."

"Yes I would've. Now stay still, I need to get your beauty mark."

"Mole."

"Mole, whatever. Most marks on you are pretty, I get confused."

You looked down and made yourself busy covering your skin similarly in sunscreen, bringing your knees up to massage the cream into your legs and feet. You'd just managed to get your arms when a shadow was towering over you.

"What, Sirius?" you asked.

He smiled impishly. "You gonna get my back too?"

The comment made you giggle nervously. "In the event the sun could even reach your back then sure, I'd get you."

He crouched down. "You haven't rubbed it in properly. Let me," and he was touching your face, mouth so close you felt his exhales on your eyelashes. He spread the sunscreen with his thumb in a broad swipe across your cheek. "You don't think you're going overboard?"

"There's nothing overboard about protection."

"No glove, no love," he agreed under his breath.

You batted his hands away. "Grow up. Go help James make his firepit."

"Yes ma'am."

Later, you were wading through the shallows, full of barbecued foods and sparkling cider and trying not to get pushed over. The others had insisted on playing chicken and you were watching from a distance. Lily and James were the winning team, closely followed by Lily and Sirius when James got sand in his eyes.

Emmeline from atop Remus' shoulders pouted and called for justice. "Lily is obviously too good. We're never gonna win."

"Fuck you, Em! I'm at least half the team,” Sirius said, offended.

Remus tightened his hands on Emma's calves, who was wobbling as she shook her head. "The common denominator is Lily."

Lily was calling and laughing. "Quite right!"

"Sweetheart, I know you don't like chicken, but it's for a better cause, Sirius said, turning his determined gaze on you.

"Wha-" He bent down, ushering Lily off his shoulders, and you understood what he meant. "Sirius, no."

"Come on! I'll do your dishes all week."

He usually did them anyway.

"It'll make me sick."

"It won't!"

You began protesting again and he trudged towards you, big hands on your arms. He looked particularly handsome, damp and sun-kissed, eyes big with happiness and smiling like you were something good. "Get on my shoulders, Y/N."

"Fine. Just one,” you gave in, pulling your shirt off. You tossed it in the direction of your towel and set your begrudging eyes on his legs, sulking.

"Good sport!" James cheered, flat on his back stoking the small fire.

Sirius led you out into the deeper water and knelt down so you could climb over his shoulders. Once seated he got to his feet, eliciting a terrified moan from you. You grasped onto his neck tightly with your face smashed into the back of his head.

His grip was unfailing on your thighs. "Relax… I won't let you fall."

You loosened your headlock incrementally.

"Good girl. How we feeling?"

You felt a shot of pleasure at his words, and then with horror recognised that your crotch was literally at his neck.

"Y/N?"

"Great. Good. Let's do this shit," you declared, hands precarious at his neck.

He laughed and turned you to face the others. "That's my girl."

Having defeated everyone who tried to beat you at chicken, you and Sirius were very obviously feeling closer to each other, and it was infuriating everybody.

"We get it! You're good at chicken! Shut the fuck up!" Remus complained, book flat on his chest to glare at Sirius, who had been lamenting your victory with his shoulder pressed to your shoulder.

"So bitter," Sirius said suavely, running his hand up Remus' sand crusted calf, "somebody sounds a little jealous, Remy-poo."

You crinkled your nose and shook the crisp packet in your hand, looking for a nice one. James leaned over your shoulder to grab a handful and you let him, smiling at your friend. He had Lily's head in his lap and looked as blissful as a man could look.

"I hope you aren't talking to me, Remus," you said, feigning hurt. Usually he could be tricked into being his softie self but he was really quite irritated by Sirius' gloating.

"Get fucked, Y/N."

You laid your head on Sirius' shoulder, your hand on his thigh. He dug through the crisps and offered you a flavorful looking one before stealing some for himself. You knew you were pushing it - this was bordering the platonic boundary - but, high on victory and your friendship, you couldn't help yourself from cuddling up to him.

He didn't seem to mind anyhow, making conversation overtop your head as easy as breathing. You stretched your arm out blindly searching for your camera until you found it, clipping the lense cover off. You clicked the camera on, zooming in on your leg against Sirius'.

"Nice legs."

"Testing," you told him, though you hadn't been.

You twisted around to take a photograph of Lily and James, who didn't protest, Remus with his head on Mary's thigh, who did. You got a wide shot of Frank, Alice, Dorcas, Marlene and Emma playing cards before zooming into Marlene, who was leaning back on one arm, a cigarette dangling between her teeth. She took a lazy drag and laid her hand of cards out flat. "Read 'em n weep, ladies."

Dorcas groaned. "Right, I'm done. Anyone else wanna watch a film?"

"My brains fried," Alice said, nodding.

"I want my pyjamas. And a shower. Not in that order," Lily said.

Soon everyone was getting to their feet and groaning. "I have sand in places sand shouldn't be," Emma said morosely, helping you gather the sheets.

"The boys'll stay for a kick about?" James said, looking between his mates.

"No cheating this time, Prongs," Remus started.

James held up his hands. "Scout's honour."

"You didn't get in scout's, mate. Brownie's honour, at best," Frank said.

A headlock ensued. Sirius jogged over to you with his rings in hand, "Have these for me?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Sweet," he said, kissing you on the cheek. "Shan't be long. Quick, get back before the gnats come out!"

You looked at his rings in your hand, warm still, and felt heat rise to the tops of your ears. Lily threw an arm around your shoulder and you were off up the lane. Marl had already thrown the door open, letting in the summer breeze to break through the humid heat kept in the house while you were gone. Lily rushed upstairs to catch one of the showers, citing a deep rooted annoyance at the sand in her bikini top.

You went into the kitchen and put your purse and Sirius' rings down on the countertop and started putting things away, binning everyone's leftovers and setting the plates in the sink. You'd spelled away the crumbs and food and was about to get to the dishes, hot water running and sleeves pushed up when you realised you weren't wearing your bracelet.

Your heart skipped.

It took a moment to sink in. You looked at your blank wrist in bizarre confusion, turning your hand like it might be hiding. No such luck. You scoured your eyes over the kitchen and spotted no signs of it, hand moving up to push against your forehead.

You walked out the way you came and traced the hall, the porch. You ran up the stairs two at a time and burst into your room, nosing through your bags, then did the same in the bathroom. Your chest felt tight as you stood there, walls white and blinding.

You stumbled back into the bedroom and Sirius was in the doorway.

"What's wrong?" he asked instantly.

Your eyes darted to him and then back to your bedroom floor. "My bracelet. I can't find it."

"When'd you have it last?"

"This morning. Definitely before we went to the beach."

You paled.

"Doll, don't worry-" he started, worried by your expression. You moved past him before he could finish and fled down the stairs for your purse in the kitchen. You'd looked through it once, but it didn't make sense - maybe you'd taken it off to play chicken? Unlikely. You never took it off, not ever.

"D-" Sirius was again cut off by you, eyes widening as you tipped your purse out on the kitchen floor. You picked through the contents, despairing.

"It's not here," you murmured.

Sirius was by your side. "Have you summoned it?"

You shook your head, laughing bitterly, "I put anti-spellwork on it after James turned it into a snake."

Sirius laughed and then smarted, clearing his throat.

"Right. Sorry."

Your eyes filled with tears. You looked at the bright kitchen light and willed them away.

"Hey," he said softly, moving into your eyesight, "don't cry, bub. I'll get you a new one."

You blinked, moving your head left to right like the movement might stop the overwhelming emotion. "Sirius, I want that one."

He bit his lip, pulling his hair. "Alright. Get your shoes back on and we'll go look down on the beach, yeah?"

Sirius pulled his jacket on and pulled his wand out with a Lumos at the tip, eyes steadfast to the ground as you walked. "What's it look like?"

"Sirius-" you began, feeling a little hurt.

His smile came up on one side. "Kidding, kidding. Can't forget the damn thing if I tried. You've only worn it since we were seventeen."

You rolled your eyes, momentarily forgetting the task at hand. "You know any metal-detecting spells?"

"You'll be lucky, it's made of plastic."

You chuckled weakly.

He grabbed your shoulder, digging his thumb into your skin. "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll find it. And if we don't, I really will get you a new one."

"I - it's not like that. It's special. You gave it to me, you know? It's like," you cut yourself off.

"What?" he asked, grinning smugly.

You kicked sand under your shoe. You were almost at the beach now, the tide having moved far out. You only hoped your bracelet wasn't somewhere in the waves, never to be seen again.

"Y/N?"

"It's like my piece of you."

You peeked out the corner of your eye at his expression which had gone slack at your confession.

"Right. Right," he picked up his pace incrementally, "let's get digging. We'll shovel the whole beach if we have to."

And you did, looking through the hills of sand until the sky was darkening and the sun was a yellow beam across the ocean, a multicolour spectral that splashed up your skin and drenched you in pinks and orange.

Sirius was similarly sky stained and on his knees, digging around where you'd been sitting again.

"It's alright. Let's just go back."

Sirius shook his head. "I'm gonna find this bracelet, babe."

You hugged yourself.

"Seriously, Black, let's go home. It's pointless."

Sirius ignored you, crawling over to the firepit. "Oh," he said. And then, "Found it."

He held it up between pinched fingers. "Not so pointless, as it turns out."

You couldn't believe your luck - his luck - couldn't believe it was there to find. Sirius staggered to his feet, legs completely covered in sand. You almost threw yourself at him, pushing him back with the force of your hug, wrapping your arms around his waist and then pulling back to accept the bracelet. He wrapped his own arms around your neck, holding you.

You basically danced in his hold. You stole your arms back to put the bracelet back on.

"I have great taste," he said quietly, arms still at your neck.

You laughed, really laughed, felt your chest heave with the force of it, and then you lost any and all sense of reason, any self preservation, looking at Sirius' handsome face. He was looking down at you all homespun and glowing with the sunset at his back and you couldn’t have stopped yourself from kissing him if you tried.

It caught you both by surprise. He made a small sound in the back of his throat and stilled. You pulled away quickly, still laughing (albeit scared to death) and he brought one hand up to the back of your neck to bring you back in.

His kiss was warm. He tasted of fruit juice and…

"Have you been smoking?" you asked, mouth poised over his.

He stopped short, moving the hand that was cupping your neck to your cheek. His eyes were brilliant, pupils dilated.

"No?"

"I think you have. You know those things are going to kill y-"

He kissed you again. His lips were firm, pushing down with enough force to make you retreat a step. He followed, kissing and kissing. You broke it off to finish scolding him, heartbeat in your ears.

"You'll get cancer. Is that what you want?"

He shook his head in disbelief, hand smoothing the side of your face twice quick.

"Why are you so obsessed with my having cancer?"

"Because you purposefully take stupid risks and don't think about the consequences!"

"Fucking hell," he said, chuckling, eyebrows high.

His laugh was contagious - you were so tiffed with him and so happy about the bracelet and so hot where his arms were wrapped around you, burning at his bare hand on your face. You pecked the corner of his mouth and then the other. "Idiot," you breathed.

He caught you while your mouth was still open.

You realised suddenly that you were kissing your best friend, your favourite person in the world, who you'd been half in love with since you met and more and more every day.

He was kissing you back. He was leading.

His tongue was in your mouth.

You pulled away to question him, planning on asking him what he was even doing, why was he kissing you back? He should've pushed you away, and why was his hand at your lower back? Why was he touching the naked skin there like you were something precious?

He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead on yours.

"Is it bad that I kind of like you calling me names?"

"It's terrible," you said, pushing up, mouth a millimetre from yours. When he leaned down so that your lips were touching, you hesitated coyly. "Anything else you like I should know about?"

He pushed his fingertips into your waist and smiled when you squirmed.

"Quite like your bikini," he murmured, kissing you chastely, "worse," he moved down to kiss your jawline, "I like what's underneath it."

You laughed in surprise. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Careful," he said, punctuating the warning with a nip.

His fingers found the bow tying your bikini top shut. He tugged at one of the ties gently. Maybe he was waiting for your permission, or protest, or something, but you could only stand with your chest heaving with excitement and trepidation both. Slowly, he drew the tie open. The seconds stretched, you could barely look at him where he was unblinking, unflinching. It sprung undone, and his hands moved to the one at your neck. He was even slower the second time around, gaze heavy-lidded. Your faces were close enough that you were breathing in the others exhale, stealing air from his parted lips.

The fabric was slipping away, and suddenly Sirius was pressing you flat to his chest, hugging you tight. You frowned in confusion as he manhandled you to be where he'd been standing seconds ago, bare chest against his shirt. Frank and Alice were at the edge of the sand, holding hands. Alice gave you a knowing look.

"Wh- hi, guys!" you shouted, maybe too loudly.

"Sorry, we were coming for a walk! Didn't realise you were already down here!" Frank called, laden with innuendo.

Sirius had turned his head to laugh but was covering your naked chest by standing in your path. "That's alright, Y/N here was just cold. In fact…" he slipped his jacket off, stuffing your discarded bikini top deep into the pocket. He wrapped it around your shoulders and zipped it up, hands uncharacteristically shaky.

He stepped away from you casually. "We came to find her bracelet."

"D'you find it?" Alice asked curiously.

You pushed the sleeve of your borrowed jacket down and held your wrist up, "Sirius found it."

"Brill," Frank said.

“Yeah, we were just leaving,” you said. “Ssssssso, we’ll get out of your hair.”

You laughed and nodded, agreeing with him as Sirius steered you towards the couple and then past them. "See you in a bit, lovebirds," Sirius shouted over his shoulder.

The walk up to the house was clearly nervous.

"Thanks," you told him, embarrassed, "not sure how many people I can deal with seeing my tits before it's a problem."

"Don't mention it," he said. He didn't sound quite like himself. You bumped his shoulder with yours.

"Is… is everything okay?"

He came into himself a bit then, as if he were shaking off a layer of dust. "Can't believe Longbottom cockblocked me," he said, and winced. "Not that-"

"Who said he did?" you asked lowly.

He looked sideways at you and then down at his shoes. He smiled.

Sirius held his index finger against his lips, opening the front door to the Potter beach cottage as quietly as he could. You nodded, a picture in his jacket. Each time he remembered you were wearing nothing underneath he had to take a moment for himself and breathe a ragged inhale. He flicked his eyes to the evening sky before pushing open the door.

The floorboards were thankfully silent. The stairs didn't groan. He was halfway up with you flush to his back when James said, "Sirius?" from his room.

Sirius opened his mouth, unsure whether to answer. You shook your head despairingly.

He shut his mouth. You both stood silent on the stairs, staring at each other with his heart in his throat. James didn't call again, and so you finished creeping up the staircase and then across the landing. He ushered you into the room first and then followed behind, shutting the door. He stood there for a moment, listening.

When he turned back you were cleaning up the contents of your purse from the floor hurriedly. He peered down at you, the big light stretching his shadow and leaving you in darkness. You zipped your purse shut. Looking up at him from this angle, he could see a triangle of your chest. He offered his hand and you took it. Pulled to your feet you wobbled, wavered, looking at him like you wanted to touch him and weren't sure you were allowed.

He rested his hands on your shoulders in what he hoped was a placating gesture. Your smile was sweet and soft as he traversed down your sternum to fiddle with the zipper on his jacket, pulling it down an inch and then up half, down another inch.

"Sirius…" you whispered, reproach in your gaze.

He tilted his chin up proudly. "Sweetheart."

"Are you gonna mess with me all night?" you said, words tinged with anxiety. He laughed at your neediness.

"Maybe I will… I've been known to play with my food."

"Gonna eat me?"

"Gonna try," he affirmed, pulling the zip down steady.

You went to take the jacket off and he stopped you.

"Keep it on, won't you?" It didn't sound much like a question.

He didn't think about it - didn't second guess himself. He spread his palm flat over your breast and took your beaded nipple into his mouth, mouthing your breast in a heavy kiss. Your hand went to his hair so gently he almost felt sorry for being rough. Almost.

He moved to your other breast and felt his chest burn when you giggled breathlessly. He learned the curve of your waist under his calloused hand, kneading your softness.

He took your nipple between his teeth very gently and tugged. Although you made no sound, your hold in his hair tightened which told him everything he needed to know, abandoning your hip to pay special attention to your tits. He smiled at the goosebumps spreading over your body.

You made a sound like a hiccup. His dick jumped where it tented his shorts.

Determined to catch any similar sounds he returned to your perfect mouth, guiding your face to his. He pressed his other hand against his cock and prayed you didn't look down just yet.

You were eager and attentive, trying to get as close to him as you could, hands roving his chest. He walked you backwards into his bed, didn't think about the sand covering you both until it was ruining his sheets. He broke the kiss to retrieve his wand and you chased him. He allowed you a quick peck and then pulled his wand from his pocket, expunging the sand, locking the door and muffling the room from between your legs. Then he set aside the damned thing and pressed his knee between your thighs, pushing your head down into his pillow.

And how many times had he envisioned this?

You, warm and ethereal, laid out in his bed.

Himself, breathing fast and desperate and willing to do anything you wanted.

You pushed your cheek into his pillow shyly and grinned, squinting from how wide you were smiling. He smiled back, not as wide or openly, but hopefully enough.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked you quietly, running his hand over your hair.

"Mmm… you'll have to be more specific," you whispered, words so quiet he had to lean down to hear them.

He kissed your cheek, lingered there.

"Gonna make me say it?" he said. He was going for sexy, obviously, but with you affection tinged every word, had them rolling off of his tongue pleased and covered in sweetness like dark honey.

"I might do," you whispered, tone taking on a similar fond-sticky quality.

He ran his knuckle down from your temple to your jawline and then back up, touch soft. He flitted underneath your eye before flattening his hand to push his fingers underneath your ear, pad of his thumb poised over the very top of your cheekbone. He marvelled at how his hand fit perfectly in the space there like it had been made to rest against your skin.

"You're very quiet," you murmured, pupils wobbling.

"'M thinking," he murmured in turn, punctuating with a broad sweep of his thumb.

"'Bout what?"

His other hand smoothed over the soft flesh of your abdomen sinking down, down to the elastic of your bikini bottoms. They were tied in the same fashion as your top had been, and he delighted in the slow unravelling of the bows at each hip.

"'Bout how I'm gonna make a mess of you," he said, drawing a line down your now-bared centre. Your chest moved up sharply and didn't come back down until he'd found your entrance, already leaking slick. He spread wet up your front, circling your clit until your breath caught.

"There you are," he said, laughing.

"It's not funny," you protested breathlessly.

He pushed down a tad roughly, listening intently for your quiet moans. "It feels funny."

"That's my line."

He rolled his eyes, edging your entrance with the tip of his fingers. "Tell me if this feels funny, sweetheart."

He pushed his index finger past little resistance, already coated in your arousal and working more out of your warmth. You shuddered underneath him, reaching out to grab his hand for some comfort. He took your wrist in his other hand and held it away from your cunt. He checked your face to see how you were taking and felt a smugness like no other at the evident pleasure smudging your features, lips parted delicately and eyes shuttering closed with each thrust inward. He increased the pace and added his second finger, scissoring them inside you to spread you open.

He didn't intend on making you cum yet, really, having wanted to get you properly ready by murmuring sweet nothings and worse, promising things he wasn't sure he could give but was determined to try. "How's that feel, baby?"

"Good," you said shyly.

"Good? Just good?"

"Feels really good," you confirmed, panting at his uptick in speed and renewed pressure on your little bundle of nerves.

"Gonna make you feel so good," he promised, "gonna get you all messy, get you ready for my cock. That okay?"

"Yep," you said tightly.

Your legs were twitching - not a full shake but enough to tell exactly how it was going to go. He took his fingers from your cunt and pulled back further to push your knees up, spreading you wide in front of him. He used his left hand to stimulate your swollen clit and his right to finger fuck you in quick bursts.

It was wonderful to watch, your face swimming in pleasure and your eyes getting all wet and glassy, too timid to meet his gaze.

"Hey, pretty girl," he said, forcing you to look at him, "hey, baby. You look so fucking cute, yeah? Don't you?"

Your eyebrows creased, distracted by his attentions on your sensitive cunt.

"Tell me how you look," he ordered.

"Sirius…"

"Go on, tell me how good you look. I'll reward you, I promise."

You shook your head.

"You won't?" he paused attending your clit and took big, slow strokes, curling his fingers to drag down your walls. Your thighs wobbled.

"Just tell me, baby," he said, voice faux pleading, "tell me all about how you look and I'll make you cum."

You whimpered at the unfairness of it all and he felt a little sorry for you, but not enough to let you out of the deal.

"I look… nice." You bought into his game.

He grinned proudly, pressing his thumb back against your clit as though he might begin again, but didn't.

"C'mon, you can do better than that."

"I look cute."

He nodded appraisingly and started slow circles. "And what else?"

You stuttered over your words, stubborn in your own diffidence but desperate. "I look pretty."

"Pretty," he hummed like he was chewing it over. "You're more than pretty. Gonna look so fucking beautiful all covered in my cum too, baby, I promise you."

He was trying to relax himself as much as he was you. Trying to convince himself that fucking his best friend that he loved, loved unthinkingly as the pumping of blood in his veins, the thrumming of his magic beneath his skin, was the right path. And what did people say? Sometimes the easiest path was the path of least resistance? He couldn't resist you, he knew that much. So, selfishly, he made you cum. Selfishly, he cooed as you moaned. Selfishly, he spread his hand across your trembling tummy. Maybe it was the wrong decision, but Sirius Black fancied himself a selfish man, and so he was going to fuck you silly, should you allow him.

You were recuperating, blinking bashfully, wetting your bitten lips. He leaned over you to push his hands behind your shoulders and lift you into a sitting position, stealing a quick kiss. When he broke it you looked dazed as ever.

"You okay?" he asked.

Your dazed expression cleared with his voice. You nodded, catching your breath with your hand pressed to your cunt. He laughed madly when you touched yourself and jumped, ticklish.

You glared at him.

"Don't be like that," he chastised, taking both of your hands into his, tugging your arms towards him.

You squeezed his fingers likely without thought and climbed up onto your knees, almost as tall as him, "I'm not being like anything," you said, climbing up into his lap, wet pussy sliding against his aching, clothed cock, knees either side of his thighs.

He pulled your arms around his neck to relieve his hands and push down his shorts, freeing his cock. He pumped, feeling your arms tighten as you spotted his length.

"Ah," you said weakly.

"You ready?" he asked, guiding his cock underneath you to tease your hole, gathering wetness to palm over his length.

You didn't answer, instead lowering yourself onto his cock slowly. He kissed your shoulder, tasted the salt of the sea on your skin as you stretched around him, gasps like a sweet song in his ears. Hands on your hips to alleviate the effort it took for you to hold yourself upright, he steered you up and down until you were confident enough to do it yourself. You were slow, and he wouldn't rush you, but fuck if he didn't want to lay you out flat and ruin you, pound into you until you were a wet-eyed mess. Still, you worked his cock, moaning as the stretch turned to indiscriminate pleasure.

He grabbed your neck, not rough enough to hurt but certainly not gently, straightening your head up to meet his gaze, though the sight of you watching his cock spread you open was tantalising, mouth a small o-shape.

"Taking me so well," he praised.

You tried not to show how his words affected you. He was determined to make you, fucking up into you as you came down, relishing in the startled delight clouding your face.

"How's my pretty girl feeling?" He followed your hips with his own, dragging his cock against your walls. "How's my pretty pussy, all full?"

You looked like you might burst into tears and dug your face into the side of his neck, tightening your arms. He took this in stride and kissed the top of your head before grabbing a hold of your hips and fucking fast into your heat, moaning at the feeling of your cunt contracting around his throbbing dick.

"Yeah, you know, don't you? This cunt," he said into your hair, "this cunt's all mine now."

You'd gone so quiet he worried for a split second he'd gone too far, until he felt your lips at his neck, mouthing. He didn't have to see you to know what you'd said soundlessly.

All yours.

His fault for goading you, he realised, groaning so raggedly he felt his chest burn. He fucked up into you until he thought even a muffliato wasn't enough enough cover the sounds you were making, unrestrained and half-sobbing in his lap.

He slowed, let you drop so you were seated with his cock inside you as deep as it could go, which was a different agony, and pulled your face from the crook of his neck.

"Awww," he sympathised, rolling his hips as he wiped the tears from your face. "You're okay."

You nodded, bringing a hand up to wipe your face yourself, hands half covered by the sleeve of his jacket.

"It's not too much, is it?" he asked, bringing his hand to the small of your back, pushing leather into your skin and leaning back to really focus on finding your sweet spot.

You pouted jokingly as if to say what do you think? and then laughed, the movement prompting little flecks of water to jump off of your lashes. It was a sight he thought he would remember for the rest of his life, your pleasure driven tears and your cock drunk laugh, tits half sheltered by his old leather jacket.

You took his leaning back as an opportunity, spreading your fingers against the trail of hair at the bottom of his stomach to encourage his back flat onto the mattress. He laid down curiously, head close enough to the edge of the bed that his hair draped over the end. You anchored yourself to his tummy and didn't ride him so much as you squirmed, the head of his cock rubbing against your sweet spot, goosebumps breaking out across your body. You whined, pleading sounds that had him probing your clit, searching for your second climax. You protested his actions, grabbing his wrist and holding it to his breastbone, leaning down so your cunt was flush with his crotch, pelvis' sliding into one another bruisingly as you grinded, faces inching closer and closer as the sensation weakened your resolve to be in charge. He felt his own resolve weakening in turn.

Escaping your clutches he pulled your chest flush to his with only the head of his dick inside you, to which you grumbled, rocking down. He frowned himself and wrapped one arm under your armpit and over your shoulder blades, the other across your back.

"Don't do me in," he blurted, steadying your movements.

You raised your eyebrows at his panic amusedly. "You gonna cum in me, lover?" you asked teasingly.

He kissed the skin left of your mouth, strokes haltingly slow. "Don't do me in," he restated, softer. "Please."

Your lips parted as he dug into your soft spot, mouthing your cheek before tucking you into his front, hugging you tenderly as he opened you up slowly with his cock. He sped up, testing what he could handle and savouring your keens.

The sound of your whimpering was his last straw, pulling out of you quickly, cock throbbing in his hand. You searched for his mouth and kissed him, once and then twice, chaste and slow and loving kisses that made him want to serve you up starlight on a silver platter.

Then you climbed off of him. He let you go reluctantly, watching as you settled in a W-shape near his pillows, breathing hard and neatening up his jacket so your tits were fully out.

"Do your worst," you told him.

He blinked, pushing up onto his elbows, cock twitching at the skin under his belly button.

"What?"

"'Gonna look beautiful covered in my cum,'" you quoted him, something bright in your eyes.

He crawled over to your quivering body, hand already milking his cock. He kneeled so he was hovering over you and you leaned back into his pillows, sweaty and rugged. He thought you looked the prettiest he'd ever seen you, hands tugging roughly at his cock, lubed by your slick.

"You're beautiful," you whispered gingerly, eyes skipping up his chest to alight on his mouth, his nose, his eyes. You smiled, eyes heavy.

He came down your front, pearlescence dripping down the swollen curve of your breasts and gathering at the slade of your chest, white rivulets that shone in the golden sundown. He'd barely finished when he was kissing you passionately, trying to convey his thoughts with his rough hand on your silken face, his undue mouth, trying to push the depths of his devotion into his soothing fingertips beneath your eye.

He broke the kiss begrudgingly, struck with an idea.

"Where's your camera?" he asked, forehead resting on yours.

"Huh?"

"Let me take a picture of you like this."

You didn't need much convincing, a beatific beam dancing across your kiss red lips. He scrubbed his hand down your cheek before he hastily pulled his shorts up and retrieved the camera from where you pointed, messing with buttons he didn't hope to understand until the camera was blinking and aimed at your smiling face. He zoomed out just enough to catch his jacket and your messy chest in the photograph.

"Pretty," he said, more to himself than you. Your chest heaved with his praise. "Say cheese, lovely girl."

You shot up a peace sign and he chuckled so suddenly he thought he'd never breathe right again.

thank you for reading!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

read part two here

my masterlist

marauders tag list @marimorena06 @glimmering-darling-dolly @siriuslystfu @thatblackravenclaw @thatonecomfyjumper @lupinlust @touchdeprivedwh0re @vi0letblu3s @mooncalvin @gaysnowrose @thatonecomfyjumper @set-myself-on-fire @decafcoffew

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bookishbitches · 6 years ago

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society : reaction post

Book Info - August 2018 BotM

Kelsey’s Reaction Post

Status: Complete

Let me just start by saying that I unequivocally, absolutely adore this book and the characters and literally everything about it.

It’s a book about people and how the connections they form are the most profound, important things in the universe. It’s a romance, but more than that, it’s a book about love in all the forms it can take. It’s about war, but it’s also about how people hold up during it and how they go on in the aftermath. It doesn’t pull its punches. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love and made new friends. I lived this story with the characters and I could ask nothing more. A book that puts its characters front and center and lets them shine and be so beautifully, uniquely flawed and human is one that will always have a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf.

The epistolary format really, really worked for me. It made it really feel like I was there as this was unfolding in real time, making all these new friends through letters and keeping up with old ones. The format also let the relationships evolve so naturally. I could see them forming and shifting instead of feeling like I was being told about it. The fact that Juliet was doing research into the Occupation of the Channel Islands and telling Sidney what she learned let me learn so much as well, without making me feel like I should already know this and am only being caught up by the author so that I’m not Lacking as a reader.

On to the characters! (My favorite bit, always.)

Juliet is such a spitfire and I love her. She is the kind of person I desperately want to be friends and correspondents with. Honest and loving and passionate and so wonderfully real. She has anxiety about luncheons and writer’s block and is worried about meeting all these people she’s befriended in letters because what if they don’t like her in person? (That “what if I have fooled these people through writing into thinking I’m interesting and they find out it’s not true when we meet in person” is such a Mood). She is so friendly and open and interested in the hearts of people. She’s also a disaster at managing her own love life and I love her for it. (She jilted her affianced the day before the wedding because he boxed up her books and replaced them with trophies and I fell even more in love with her. That is a perfectly valid reason to call things off.) (If it wasn’t for Dawsey, I would propose to Juliet myself.)

Dawsey is so sweet and I love, love, loved watching him quietly fall in love with Juliet, first through his letters to her (and everyone and their mothers mentioning how he was excited that she was coming to Guernsey) and then through their actual interactions while she was on the island. He is the definition of steady and everyone is so at ease around him. He is a Protector and he is gentle until the situation calls for something else (i.e. beating the hell out of the guy who informed on Elizabeth and Peter). He just wants to take care of everyone and I’m so glad that the Literary Society helped him find his voice and the friends that he needed so badly. I just want to imagine him holding a baby animal or crouched down with Kit watching a blackbird hunt worms. (I also want to imagine him sitting with Juliet in front of the fire, Kit having dozed off in the middle of whatever she was doing, just holding Juliet’s hand and letting the comfortable silence settle around them like a favorite blanket.)

Isola is a delight. She is unapologetically herself and does what she wants and is loved for it and that is a beautiful thing to see. Like Juliet, I want to adopt her. Sometimes a family is a blogger, my new witch daughter, her goat and parrot, and a biscuit tin of letters from Oscar Wilde. Just go with it.

I was so delighted when I read Juliet’s description of Amelia and found her to be exactly as I was already picturing. Amelia is so freaking strong and I admire her greatly. I would like her to adopt me, please and thank you. (Sometimes a family is...)

Sidney is fabulous. He is so supportive and enabling and a wonderful brother to both Juliet and Sophie. I loved the reveal of his sexual orientation and how it wasn’t played as a big deal nor was it just set in there as a checkbox of LGBT+ rep. It was just part of him that Isola now knew and it was cool.

Mark can pretty much fuck off, as far as I’m concerned. I’m with Sidney in that he always felt oily and entitled. From the beginning it was clear he wasn’t right for Juliet, even if she couldn’t see it clearly. With the flowers, she was unsure if she was feeling flattered or hunted and that theme seemed to continue. He never seemed to give Juliet’s opinion much credence and acted like he was above her at all times. Also, he did not deal with rejection well and that’s always a red flag.

Mark also made Juliet feel so unsure. She was always wavering on how she felt about him, if she loved him, if she should stay with him. He made her question her plans and if she should go to Guernsey, when it seems like being decisive was an inherent personality trait of Juliet’s. (Running away twice, cultivating her love of books, deciding on the Guernsey project, just so many little things...) (Her decisions weren’t always good but they were made without much dithering.)

From the very start of the book, Juliet bemoans her love life but she is unwilling to settle (hooray Juliet!!). The line “I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to, or worse, someone I can’t be silent with,” is what sets the tone for what she’s looking for, and eventually finds with Dawsey.

With Mark, she can never truly get a sense for who he is beyond his intellectual pursuits (showing off for her) and his entertainment preferences (again, showing off for her). He is always whisking her off to do something or another. They never seem to be silent together.

With Dawsey, she tells in one letter of the myriad of topics they discussed over dinner, and from the beginning when he was showing her around Guernsey, they could be silent together. (Cue that cozy fireplace image again.)

I just adore the growing relationship between Juliet and Dawsey. The way he always signed his letters “Yours” (or “Ever Yours”) and kept a picture of Juliet and Kit in his pocket (*swoons*). He kept the book that first brought them together in a treasure box, had one of her scented handkerchiefs and all of her letters tied up in a ribbon that she thought she’d lost. Can you get any higher quality pining than this???? I think not!! He even read Anne Bronte novels because Juliet wrote a biography of the woman. And Juliet! Slowly realizing her feelings and then doing some quality pining herself when she thinks he doesn’t feel the same. Also, the way that Dawsey started talking more and opening up like a flower in the sun when Juliet came to the island/was corresponding with him, and the way he shut back down post Mark visit. This is what I love. Mutual pining between two oblivious people meant for each other.

And Juliet proposing? Iconic. Showstopping. Perfect. Even if Dawsey did injure himself and take the Lord’s name in vain. I’m glad it was from Isola’s point of view so we knew all that. Neither Juliet or Dawsey would be able to coherently tell about it. I’m just so happy that they are getting married immediately and will have their little family on Guernsey with Kit and the rest of the Literary Society and it’s just so wonderful.

I want to read this all over again immediately, and I might. As soon as I watch the Netflix adaptation which is queued up for when I finish writing this. Before I do that though, I want to give a huge thanks to @skyler10fic whose wholehearted recommendation of this book led to us choosing to read it this month. I can’t thank you enough!! I think books really do have a homing instinct to find their perfect readers - though sometimes they are helped along by great friends. ♥

- Kelsey

more on this book || all reaction posts || kelsey’s reaction posts

#bookishbitches #the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society #mary ann shaffer #annie barrows #book club #august 2018 #reaction post #kelsey here #this is a bit long and rambly but i had a lot of feelings about this book and needed to write them down #accidentally posted this to my main blog instead of here... oops

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finnyboywolfhard · 6 years ago

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The 4:11 Train pt5

summary:Train Number 9547 boarded at 4:11. A girl got on the train to escape her parents pressure. A boy got on the train to escape his superstar reputation. It was a train ride to remember.

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 6

word count:1,853

Haverford

“What are you’re biggest dreams Finn?”

“My biggest dreams?” Asked curiously, almost asking if she was serious. She shook her head gently and looked into his eyes.

He thought for a little bit before deciding to speak up.

“I want to become the biggest meme.”

She laughed loudly and for a little while. She couldn’t believe he actually said that to her.

“I can’t believe you! That was so funny! I was trying to have a serious moment.”

“I know, I know I’m sorry. But it would honestly be pretty great to be the best meme.”

“I guess you’re right. But now seriously, what is your dream?”

“I really want to fall in love. I see all of these couples who are so madly in love, and I just wonder what it feels like.”

What he said was one of his biggest dreams, but his biggest dream of all was to be normal. Even for just one day, and so far he was living his dream. He was finally known to someone as just Finn, not THE Finn Wolfhard.

“What about you? What’s your biggest dream?”

“I want to win an Oscar. Cheesy and predictable I know, but I just imagine the feeling of walking across that stage and accepting the small metal trophy and it’s almost euphoric. I don’t know who I’d thank other than my aunt. She’s the only one who believes in my dream.”

“That’s not true, I believe in it now too.”

She smiled at him and for just the briefest second her eyes sparkled. She put her hands together and crinkled her nose out of happiness.

“Thanks Finn, that really means a lot. Now I have my speech, do you want to hear it?”

He looked at her excitedly, telling her he wanted to hear more.

“Hello, wow, I really didn’t expect this. I want to thank all of the cast and crew who worked on this with me,but there’s two people I really want to thank. The only two people who believed in my dream. Thank you to my aunt Renee who took me in at 18 and helped me get where I needed to go. And thank you to the boy who I met on the train. Thank you for listening to me ramble and for listening and accepting my dreams. You have heard this speech before but none the less thank you. Have a great night everybody.”

She finished her speech and laughed. She buried her face in her hands and laughed quietly into them. She couldn’t believe she just said those words to the boy sitting in front of her.

He watched her and smiled at her as she said her speech and his eyes followed her when she became embarrassed. He thought it was adorable, and he was honored that he was going to get mentioned in her Oscar speech. He started laughing and reached over and gently lay a hand on her shoulder.

She looked at him with bright eyes, and even brighter cheeks. His touch made her smile, and her smile made him smile. For that one instant they were very happy, and then they got even happier because she said.

“I want to fall in love too Finn.”

Bryn Mawr

"What are some of your favorite things?"

She looked at the boy carefully examining his features after he asked the question. He was a very attractive guy. Nice, sharp features. His dark curly hair and dark eyes contrasted his pale skin. His teeth were beautifully shrouded by his plump lips. She really liked the way he looked. She was quite zoned out, but was snapped back into reality by remembering his question.

"That's a pretty broad question, I have a lot of favorite things. But I can go through a list in my head."

She smiled while rolling her eyes at the vast question set in front of her.

"To start, my favorite color is black because it goes with everything. My favorite movie is Rain Man, obviously. My favorite book is The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime. My favorite food is chicken nuggets. My favorite thing I own is my camera. My favorite word is magnificent, I don't know why I just love it. Umm I don't know what else. Oh! My favorite song is City Boy by some band called Calpurnia."

Finn took in a sharp inhale of breath. He started to panic a little, because it turns out she did know him.

"But I can't say they're my favorite band because that's literally the only song I know by them. They seem like they'd have good music though."

"They do, I've heard quite a few of their songs."

Technically he wasn't lying. But he was just thankful that she didn't know anymore about them.

He talked about his favorites and they bonded a lot. They smiled and laughed, and talked very deeply. The people watching around them thought they had been friends for years. They had so much good energy around them and they felt at peace with one another.

She loved to watch him talk. He was a very dynamic talker. He would go from excited to serious to slightly confused in a span of a minute. And she loved that about him.

He loved the way she listened. She was a very active listener. She would change her emotions based off of what he said and she would always respond when necessary. And he loved that about her.

It was the perfect scenario, truly perfect.

Rosemont

The girl looked at the boy with a new sense of companionship. Their similarities came in mass numbers and he understood all of her obscure references.

The boy looked at the girl with a new sense of adoration. He saw this person who was just like him, but also independently their own person.

"Okay, so let me get this straight, you've seen the statistics rap by Timothèe 'Timmy-Tim' Chalamet. I knew fangirls watched it, but teenage boys? This is new to me."

The girl said with a sly smile and light laugh. She thought about the first time she had watched it with her good friend Jaqueline. Jacky made her watch it after they watched 'Call Me By Your Name'. She instantly fell in love with the silly man.

The boy remembered going down a deep hole with his good friend Sadie when she became obsessed with Timothèe. He remembered thinking about how now this guy is a heartthrob. He also thought about how a whole bunch of fangirls out there, thought the same thing about him.

"Funny story, I watched this my friend Jacky after we watched Call Me By Your Name. She joked about he went from rapping about statistics to fucking a peach in the span of like 5 years. It really made me laugh. You kinda look like him, ya know?"

"I do? I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or...?"

The boy brushed his hand over his curls laying his hand in the nape of his neck.

"Take it as a huge compliment, Timothèe is my biggest celebrity crush."

She said it with a small smile, as pink spread across her cheeks. She just told him she was attracted to him. It felt good to her however to say something so confidently.

The boy thought to himself for a few seconds. She's just as attracted to me as I am to her, but he didn't know how to show that he felt the same way.

"Anyway," the girl said abruptly,"Jacky is my best friend. She moved to Chicago for school which makes me pretty sad, I miss her a lot. We talked for hours about our futures. We also could go hours just quoting vines to each other. We have variety I guess."

"Jacky sounds like she'd get along with my friend Josh. He really liked vine. He even made some of his own."

"Any that I might know?"

How could Finn approach this, yeah he made one of the most recited vines of all time and was a huge viner, or he could say,

"No, probably not."

"That's alright."

The girl in that exact moment got a text from her ex, James. She pushed her phone away with a roll of the eyes.

The boy saw her annoyance and let his curiosity take over.

Villanova

"Who's James?"

The girl sighed and began to fiddle with her hands. She tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear. Where could she begin about that boy who destroyed her?

"He's the biggest asshole you could ever meet. He ruined my life."

"What did he do?"

The girl took in a deep breath thinking about it all.

"We only dated for a few months. We had been really good friends for a while and one night he got drunk, and decided that it would be fun to make out with me, as his way of telling me he was interested. After that night, we began dating. Things were all good until one night he flipped out at me because I said I wasn't interested in some fling. I wanted it to mean something. He got really angry and broke up with me, which I was sad but I was also kinda okay with it."

The girl noticed tears slowly trickling down her face. She knew she had to tell him the rest but something was stopping her.

"Hey, Y/N. If you don't want to tell me the rest you don't have to. Okay? You can stop if you'd like. I promise to you that whatever he did was absolutely terrible and you didn't deserve it. I've never been in a relationship but I can promise you that not every guy is like him. I'm not like him."

The girl thought about how the next day at school people turned away from her. They all had heard that she told him to kill himself and that he'd never be happy in a relationship. Which wasn't even close to the truth. That's what he said to her. Everyone began to despise her because of it, even though it wasn't true.

She also thought about how caring and gentle Finn had just been with her. She thought about how nice he would be in a relationship. She imagined herself wrapped up in his arms and having their eyes lock right before a kiss. She imagined how he would always ask if she was alright and how he would never show her anything but love.

The boy thought about how nice it would be to be with her. He thought about how it would feel to lay next to her watching a movie. He imagined walking through the streets with their hands interlaced. He imagined what being in love with her would be like. He imagined that he would fulfill his two biggest dreams.

The girl looked at him gently and smiled, telling him a silent thanks.

The boy looked at her adoringly, telling her that he is right here to listen.

#finn wolfhard x reader #finn wolfhard

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brentwatchesmovies · 7 years ago

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Fall 2017 Update!

Hey, this blog still exists! It’s been about half a year since I’ve written anything up, and it’s been a bussyyyyy time in my life. Got married, started a new position and found out I’m going to be a father next spring! Amidst all of those changes, I’ve still somehow managed to see a bunch of movies over the last 6/7ish months. I wanted to do a kind of catch-up on here to make up for lost time, a kind of ‘speed round’ for the blog. I’ll still do my end of year top 8 early January I’m sure, but I wanted to get something up before then (and I’ll be honest, we ran out of work at my job today and they’re making us watch Hocus Pocus on a super small TV in the auditorium so I’m boooorrrred). So anyway, here’s some thoughts on a selection of movies I’ve caught over the last few months!

I wanted to write about this one from earlier in the year because I wrote about Director Nacho Vigalondo’s other film ‘Timecrimes’ way back in the day for the blog (check it out with the archives link above if you feel like it). This movie was a ride. From moment to moment, I had no idea where this movie was going next. Vigalondo makes movies that nobody else could, straight from his wild imagination. Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudekis are both great in their roles, especially the latter in a shockingly dynamic role that I won’t spoil here. There are a lot of gender politics at play in this one that I wasn’t expecting, but it makes for a poignant finished product that I’m super glad I caught in theaters. Check this one out at Redbox if you want a dark, funny and totally original, unpredictable experience.

What else could I say about this one that hasn’t been said by most critics and obviously the worlds box office. This movie clicked with seemingly everyone, taking the #1 spot at the box office for 2016 so far, surprising everyone. I had a blast with this movie, with it’s creative and beautifully shot action scenes and measured pace. Wonder Woman isn’t afraid to slow down and let its characters breathe a bit, creating one of the best relationships I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie between Steve and Diana. Gal Gadot is revelatory as Diana and Chris Pine is as good as ever. I’ve always been more of a Marvel fan, but I’m truly happy that the DCU finally got a win, and I hope they have plenty more to come.

I’ve been eagerly waiting for the latest from Edgar Wright and as expected, it did not disappoint. The guy is one of the most exciting new directors working right now, possibly the MOST exciting, and his latest is a pure blast of energy like only he can deliver. More akin to a musical than his usual dark action/comedies, he’s doing something different and more challenging with Baby Driver. He’s getting even better as an action director, and the editing especially in this movie deserves an Oscar. This is one of the most fun movies you’ll see all year, and I’ll recommend it to everybody I meet.

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that director Bong Joon-ho is one of my favorite directors working today. I wrote about The Host and Snowpiercer on here, and his latest might be my favorite work of his yet. His usual balancing act of tones is on display in Okja, a movie that is equal parts a Spielberg Amblin-era film with some Miyazaki, and a good amount of dark satire to top it off. It’ll make you second guess eating meat for a while after watching it. Okja also has one of the most bonkers, out-there performances of the year with Jake Gyllenhall’s psychotic TV nature-show host. This one is a Netflix exclusive, so definitely carve out some time for Okja.

The third attempt at Spider-Man finally nails the character like only Marvel studios could. Don’t get me wrong, I really love Raimi’s Spidey 1 and 2, but Tom Holland is the PERFECT Peter Parker AND Spider-Man. The movie is more of a coming of age story than a typical superhero movie, and it benefits from having a much smaller scale than a lot of the typical Marvel/superhero movies. It also benefits greatly from taking place in this universe Marvel has been crafting for almost 10 years now. It also has probably the best Marvel villain yet in Michael Keaton’s ‘Vulture’, a character as grounded and human as our heroes. It’s another great addition to the MCU, and I can’t wait to check this one out again.

The second to last one I wanted to write about is ‘It’, the surprisingly huge box office sensation. I didn’t expect much out of this movie for one reason or another. The trailers were effective, but I just expected a run of the mill jump-scare fest. I had also watched the original movie/miniseries awhile back and thought I knew what to expect. The movie definitely has plenty of jump scares, but I was surprised at how much heart the movie had. The cast of child actors were great across the board, and I was surprised at how emotionally engaged I was with their journeys through the movie. On top of that, all of the creepy clown stuff really worked for me, and Skarsgard killed in the role of Pennywise (no pun intended). I was surprised at how much I enjoyed It, and I’m stoked to see where the story goes next in part 2

I really can’t believe this movie exists in its current form. The fact that Marvel locked down Taika Waititi for a ‘Thor’ movie is ridiculous, and that he didn’t quit mid-production is even more shocking in this Hollywood climate. Thor Ragnarok is a breath of fresh air for not only the Thor series (yes it’s obviously the best of the three) but really, for Marvel as well. In my opinion, it one-ups Guardians vol. 2 (which isn’t on here but I really enjoyed) by being a straight-up delivery machine of fun and hilarious moments. Jeff Goldblum at his Goldblumiest, Waititi as the scene stealing ‘Korg’, and Thor actually being an awesome, badass character?! Yes!

That’s going to do it for this speed round on the blog! I just wanted to do a bit of a catch up on some of what I’ve been watching lately. I’ve seen a lot more than these, and will definitely write up more near the end of the year. Some of these might be on my faves list but most won’t be. If there’s something surprisingly absent from here, chances are it’ll pop up later this year. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this, and as always hit me up to talk about any of the above movies! I’ve been busy with my movie podcast ‘Director Showdown’ that I make with Adam Daufen, so go check that out on iTunes if you haven’t and thanks for reading!

#it movie #it #pennywise #thor ragnarok #Taika Waititi #spiderman #okja #collossal #anne hathaway #chris hemsworth #jake gyllenhaal #tom holland #tom hiddleston #Gal Gadot #wonder woman #movies #movie review #Movie Reviews

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lightandwinged · 7 years ago

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My parents took Sam overnight, so Kyle and I got to squeeze in one last weekend of movies before the twins get here (no, we probably won’t be seeing Solo, and the new Avengers movie is making me dizzy with the sheer size of the cast. Like what are they all going to do, step up and say their names and then go drink a coke?). This translated to us seeing Black Panther finally and also catching A Wrinkle in Time.

So thoughts!

Black Panther first because we saw it first and I have less to say about it by merit of it being awesome but also not based on my favorite book of all time. I feel like I’d read somewhere that they had enough extra footage/scenes that the director’s cut was four hours long, and that was the impression that I got here. It was a great movie with a great story, but you could also feel the quiet, slower moments missing from the overall racing to hit all the plot points. Which isn’t to say that the pacing was bad, but more that you could tell they had so much story they wanted to give the audiences but didn’t know if we’d all sit through it.

To which I say: look, I sat through 12 hours of Lord of the Rings, I can do this. Just put an intermission in and we’ll all be fine. There’s not a TON to say that hasn’t already been said: it’s an awesome film with incredible visuals, an obvious final draft, and something to make you cheer and feel hopeful. I think my favorite part, more than anything else, was the effortless camaraderie between the main cast, where you felt like these really were people who’d known each other all their lives and loved each other all their lives, rather than people directed to scream, “You were my brother, Anakin!” at each other when no evidence led to such a conclusion.

If I had one critique, it would be that the emotional story arc involving T’Challa’s acceptance that (a) his father wasn’t perfect and (b) Killmonger had some good points was never really resolved; or if it was, he never talked about it. I got really frustrated during the scenes around Killmonger’s death, where Killmonger got all the lines and chances to explain himself, and T’Challa was just silent and stoic. His only line was to say, “Hey, we can heal you,” but no rebutting of Killmonger’s point that he’d just be getting healed to spend the rest of his life imprisoned. I felt like the arc would’ve tied up more nicely if T’Challa could even have offered him a chance at redemption and greater healing than just physical. BUT we can’t have extraneous villains running around in time for Infinity War, so.

Everything else was delightful, as I expected it to be, and it’s 100% deserving of the accolades and money it’s getting. I hope it also opens the door for more Afro-futurism as a genre in the future because GOD I love those visuals and that entire genre of storytelling.

Meanwhile, A Wrinkle in Time. I have to take a breath before this one because it’s a lot of thoughts because this book has essentially been part of my psyche since I was 7. When I say it’s my favorite book, I don’t mean that I just enjoy it; I mean that it’s part of me, that it shaped who I became as a person, that I re-read it multiple times a year and can sometimes quote it.

The trailers had me a little wary and a little excited; the latter because I was having one of those rare moments where you see the things you’ve visualized for years come to life and OH MY GOD IT’S SO EXCITING! The former because you could see how Disney-fied this was, and I don’t mean in the snooty “um, actually? The Little Mermaid ends with the mermaid dying? And nobody lives happily ever after?” way (if you’re one of those types, feel free to fuck off). I mean more in the “LOOK AT ALL THE CGI WE CAN USE TO MAKE THINGS THAT AREN’T REAL!” way, which

Okay, as a book, A Wrinkle in Time is very quiet. The story takes place largely through dialogue, internal and external, and even its climactic sequence is more intimate and less in need of flashy visuals than in need of a delicate hand understanding the themes. In a conventional sense, I understand the need to have those flashy visuals because you’re not going to sell investors on a film with the visuals described in the books (at least two of the planets they visit are so covered in fog that you can’t see a damn thing). And you’re not going to sell investors on a film for the 8-12 crowd that’s quiet, intimate, and heady as opposed to EXCITING! GOOD FOR MERCHANDISE! OPRAH!!!

But the trailers came out ages ago, so I’ve had time to adjust to the movie leaning more towards the flashy exciting side of things than the quiet, intimate side of things (note: I think a 100% book accurate adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time would end up in the same category as those Oscar bait films where two middle-aged men sit in the same room for three hours and talk about their lives, but you legit can’t sell that to tweens).

Accepting that gave me more space to enjoy the film, and I concerned myself wholly with whether or not they got the themes right. I’ve never been the type to go in the direction of “HARRY POTTER’S EYES ARE GREEN NOT BLUE” or “CALMLY!” or anything like that. If your film understands the theme of the source material and gets some details wrong, I give you a high-five.

And they did get the themes right. I knew they would from the first couple of scenes, which focus on the development of Meg’s relationship with her brother Charles Wallace as opposed to like. Establishing setting and setting up the plot. Everything about the first chunk of the film focuses on that relationship, so by the time you reach the climax, which has always been about that relationship, it culminates beautifully, and you do feel like you’re seeing things brought to their logical--if a bit weird--conclusion.

(here I should point out that the book is exactly as weird as the movie, minus a few changes here and there)

So accepting that it’s weird and that it’s an interpretation rather than an adaptation, I really did like it quite a lot. I had a few points that made me tilt my head or giggle, and I’ll talk about those first before diving into what I really liked. First off, the elephant in the room: Oprah. She plays the character of Mrs. Which, and in the book, Mrs. Which has the fewest visuals of the three Mrs. W’s because she’s not very good at taking on a physical form and doesn’t like to do it. She shows up first as a shimmer and then, briefly, as a “witch” in the stereotypical Halloween costume sense of the word (because it’s a PUN! Get it??? Witch/which?). That’s a lot harder to get across in a visual medium like a movie, so it makes sense that it was changed up here.

But then there’s the fact of Oprah.

Oprah here is... Oprah. She’s not Oprah playing a character (as she did in, say, The Color Purple). She’s just Oprah. And this film’s interpretation of Oprah is that she’s (a) at least 60 feet tall, probably taller; and (b) a life coach. This... is pretty much how Oprah is in real life (I assume she’s about 60 feet tall), so the part of Mrs. Which isn’t so much Mrs. Which as it is Oprah. Oprah, the magical 60 foot goddess of life coaching. Sure.

(this made me giggle. A lot. I’m sorry, but it’s just a little too on the nose)

I’m trying really hard to remember other points that made me tilt my head or giggle, but there weren’t many--at some point, I just sort of accepted any oddness and went with it. I did have a struggle with the responses of the teachers and Principal Jenkins as they were interpreted. In the books, Principal Jenkins ends up being a major player and is also a MAJOR asshole. In this, he was kind of... nice? Like he was nice, but he didn’t really fit in the modern setting. A principal who’s being actually nice in a modern setting doesn’t just say, “Look, what would your father say about you punching Rowan Blanchard in the face when she’s being a heffa?” He recognizes that (a) there’s been a behavioral problem since the father disappeared four years ago, so (b) maybe we should get this kid counselling? But he didn’t do that, instead walking this weird middle ground where he’s being nice for a 1960s principal but kind of flat for a 2018 principal, so???

BUT ANYWAY.

The other real nitpick was that Calvin just... didn’t have anything to do. In the book, he suffers from that problem as well, once using his apparently godlike language skills to try and get through to the possessed Charles Wallace, but here, he mostly exists to give Meg some compliments and fall down. I imagine most of his directions in the script were something like “CALVIN: is there.” He had to be included because he’s a major player in the books, but it felt... he could’ve done more, basically. Is what I’m saying.

In terms of things I LIKED, the list is a lot longer.

I liked the reinterpretation of Camazotz as the birthplace of evil and more of a hell instead of just a weird robot planet where everyone bounces balls in sync all the time. The book Camazotz is a place of slowly mounting terror, but it also would’ve taken a REALLY long time to get to that point in the movie, so it made sense that they redid it as literal hell. It was that visual shorthand needed to drive the climax to a more understandable point than Meg just being in a room yelling at a disembodied brain.

Speaking of brains, IT (here called “The IT” because we don’t want to be confused for killer clowns; also a merging of IT and The Black Thing, because there’s something highly tone deaf about calling the source of all evil the Black Thing) had a cool reinterpretation as well. I didn’t appreciate that the climax had a lot more action in it, but reinterpreting a giant brain as literally being inside a giant brain and fighting off evil synapses was a nice touch. Just having Meg yelling at a literal disembodied brain would’ve been... odd, visually, so this was a good cinematic change for me.

I appreciated that the film gave a reason for Meg’s difficulty tessering--it wasn’t just something that she was bad at but rather something that was tied in to her difficulty accepting herself as herself. She jokingly asks Oprah at one point if it’s so bad that she wants to emerge from the tesseract as someone else, and considering that tessering as an act is wholly dependent on the mind, it makes perfect sense that you’d need a strong sense of self to come out of it easily. Once she’d gotten to a point of accepting herself, she was able to tesser with ease, and I appreciated that.

I enjoyed Zach Galifinakis as the Happy Medium, and the adult supporting cast were all great. And I really did like that the father wasn’t perfect, that evil!Charles Wallace’s calling out of his faults was accurate. He did leave his family in search of a greater destiny, and he knew he had, and he regretted it. And Meg was able to forgive that, when all was said and done, and that was--again--awesome.

Overall, it was a finished draft, and though it wasn’t a perfect film, it was pretty good, and I give it a solid B+. A few changes could’ve brought it to an A, maybe more, but as it stands, it was pretty great. If you can embrace weirdness, cope with Oprah, and deal with a book you loved having things changed from the source material, I do highly recommend it.

#abby goes to the movies #probably for the last time until like november #black panther #a wrinkle in time

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atypical60 · 4 years ago

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted. With early holiday decorating, work, cooking a feast for Thanksgiving dinner for two, Bonaparte and me, and anticipating if we will be home for Christmas due to another possible pandemic lockdown, it’s been the continuation of WTF else can go wrong in 2020.

Goodbye Thanksgiving. Hello Christmas–even though it might be spent “tout seul”–all alone!

I’ve been sitting around pouting over our cancelled trip to Paris—of which I would have been enjoying this very day as I sit here pounding upon my laptop’s keyboard. But instead, I bring Paris as well as other parts of France into your living rooms. Or bedrooms. Or family rooms. Or wherever you enjoy watching TV. It’s a way of traveling both through time and to another country and can get your imagination going during these trying times.

Same time last year. I discovered this beautiful pile of croissants at Cafe de Paris on Rue du Buci–our neighborhood hangout. Not this year….

Let’s face it— those Hallmark Holiday movies can, at times, be a bit of overkill so why not try something different? French movies–with subtitles for those who don’t speak the language! Subtitles don’t take away from the movie at all. In fact, I find that subtitles can assist in learning another language.

My bad. I realize this is a post about French cinema but…I had to get a photo of my favorite French Netflix series in here. Dix Pour Cent. As I eagerly await the new season I am BEGGING you to watch the first seasons. It’s the greatest!!

For you, I’ve compiled a listing of some of my favorite French movies. Trust me, if I listed all of them, this post would turn into a novel. And I must resume writing about the weight gloss (I have a lot to say on that) and other subjects. And Bonaparte has added his very pragmatic listing of French films that he highly recommends. As my husband is a man of very few English language words, he leaves no descriptions. Just films he loves that you might love.

I, on the other hand, will list some of my faves and brief descriptions. Before I do. Remember a few tips: Invest in a DVD player equipped to play foreign films. Seriously. There’s a difference between many foreign DVD’s and ones in the States. If you purchase an international DVD player, your life and movie-watching will be much easier.

Many of these movies can be found online if you wish to purchase. Many can be found for streaming on YouTube or Amazon Prime or any other streaming venues. TV 5 Monde shows many films as well. So here we go—some of my recommendations:

It’s my favorite movie of all time. ALL TIME!!

And I double-dog dare ya to not fall in love with Mathieu Kassovitz and Audrey Tautou–it is impossible. They are the most adorable couple ever!

Amelie or “Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain: This is my Number 1 favorite movie of all time. Yes. ALL TIME! THIS is what every person who thinks “Emily in Paris” is a great show should watch. They would certainly change their minds about that horrific show after viewing the first ten minutes of Amelie. The film is delightful and a masterpiece. Audrey Tautou stars as the lovely but shy Amelie. A waitress in a Paris café, she feels her mission is to help others, all the while allowing love to pass her by. She develops a crush on a young Parisien, Nino, and the rest is a wild, bittersweet, scavenger hunt. All the characters in this movie are perfectly cast and the cinematography is outstanding. Shot in a greenish filter, the view is almost ethereal—like a dream. And in the end, when Amelie and Nino finally meet, I guaranty you will be crying like a baby. Over the years I’ve seen this movie about 30 times, and the ending still get me. I can’t stop crying. If you want a feel good, beautifully filmed movie, sweetest story that will have you grinning from ear to ear, please make this a must-watch!

This movie has something for everyone. It’s a great “couples” movie. It’s got some really intense trench and war scenes and the scenes between Manech and Mathilde pre-war are touching and beautiful. Hands down, this is one great epic film!

A Very Long Engagement: As with Amelie, this is another Jean-Pierre Jeunet film. This has a great deal of sentimentality for me—it’s the first movie Bonaparte took me to see. This epic drama has everything. It’s a love story. It’s a story about World War I. It’s tragic and beautiful and has a large cast—but the best surprise is Jodie Foster as Elodie, the wife of a soldier and her French is perfect—she is completely bi-lingual. Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard stars as prostitute Tina Lombardi headed for a bad fate. It follows the story of Mathilde and Manech, two young lovers who are engaged. Mathilde, played by Audrey Tautou, due to a bout with polio wears a leg brace but it doesn’t stop her. Manech, played by Gaspard Ulliel, is Mathilde’s fiancé headed for the trenches of war. When word reaches Mathilde that Manech has been killed, she refuses to believe it and the film turns to her search for him. It’s an excellent movie that you’ll want to watch on repeat!

The 400 Blows or les Quatre Cents Coups–whichever you prefer, this is one of the greatest films of all time. It’s depressing but hopeful and Antoine Doinel is one of the greatest characters ever. I recommend watching the series of his “life” into adulthood!

The 400 Blows: This film by New Wave Film maker Francois Truffaut introduces the iconic character Antoine Doinel. Antoine is Truffaut’s alter ego and much of the Doinel movies are based on incidents in Truffaut’s life. The 400 Blows has its comical moments, but for the most part is somewhat sad. Doinel doesn’t get much love at home and ends up in a school for truancy. There are five movies in the Doinel series and I highly recommend watching all of them. It’s interesting to watch the series as Doinel goes from young teen to adulthood. Jean-Pierre Leaud is excellent as the brooding Doinel.

I saw this for the first time back in NYC when I was 22 years old. At The Thalia theatre on the Upper West Side. After seeing Charles Denner, I had such a serious crush on him that I daydreamed about marrying a Frenchman. OH! Wait! I DID marry a Frenchman!

The Man Who Loved Women: Another Truffaut film, this one, from 1977 was the movie that started my decades-long crush on actor Charles Denner, who plays Frenchman Bertrand Morane in his insatiable pursuit of women. I loved it—it’s kind of sexist but who cares *French shrug*–its just a great movie!

Many of us are familiar with Jean Reno–he’s been in a lot of movies made in the USA. But..Christian Clavier is another story. He is one of the funniest actors on the face of the earth. I could devote an entire post on him alone. His face, his emotions–he’s just so funny–and if you love time travel this is such an entertaining movie. Warning-empty your bladder before viewing because you will laugh THAT hard!

Les Visiteurs: A hysterically funny movie, this is the first of I believe three Visiteurs movies. It stars Jean Reno, and Christian Clavier, who wrote the screenplay with John Hughes. It’s a time travel movie about a knight and his sidekick who, through a spell gone wrong find themselves in modern-day France. This movie has laugh-out-loud moments and Christian Clavier happens to be one of my favorite comedic actors. You may recognize Jean Reno from many movies made here in the States. If you are looking for a very sophomoric movie with a ton of humor, this is it!

I’m impressed. Somewhere there’s a video game based on this movie. But seriously folks–the suave and bumbling Jean Dujardin is great in these movies..

It was like watching The Artist all over again with these two–only with voices and far more laughs!

OSS 117 Cairo, Nest of Spies: You will definitely recognize two of the lead stars from this movie. Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (his Oscar from The Artist) and Berenice Bejo, wife of director/writer Michel Hazanavicius. Dujardin also starred in OSS117 Lost in Rio and next year he stars in another OSS 117 movie. A take on James Bond films, Dujardin is perfectly cast as the suave albeit bumbling spy. There’s a scene in this movie where he is singing a song in a restaurant and it is, hands down, one of the funniest scene’s I’ve ever viewed in my life. It reeks of every 1960’s spy, espionage, secret-agent movie and is done so very well! Enjoy. You’ll want more!

My favorite naughty girl! And naughty she is!

But put the sexist behavior behind-this WAS filmed in 1956 after all, and watch it for the visuals of old St. Tropez!

And God Created Woman: This Roger Vadim film turned Bardot into a star. It’s so stinking sexist and not in a good way either. But, it’s so worth watching because of Bardot and St. Tropez. This was filmed in 1956. Back when St. Tropez wasn’t the St. Trop we know now. No jet-setters. No yachts. It was a simple fishing village. My husband spent his summers here and his grandmother had a home here. The stories he tells me fills my head with wishes that St. Tropez was still a small fishing village! Bardot is so incredibly beautiful and the dancing scene in the bar/restaurant is epic. Filmed in black and white, it hasn’t really aged that well but I still think it is worth watching.

Gerard Jugnot is so wonderful in this–and it IS an exceptional film! It’s based on a true story and honestly-once will not be enough to watch this. I may watch it again this afternoon!

The Chorus: Want a good cry? Watch this movie. Seriously. It’s about a failed musician, Clément Mathieu, played by the wonderful Gerard Jugnot, who ends up teaching music at a boarding school for bad boys. Well, more like boys with issues because there’s only one who is really bad. But Mathieu starts a choir and the movie takes us on the journey. It’s loosely based on a real-life story. This is a beautiful movie that keeps you on edge but ends up being such a feel-good film. You’re going to need a box of tissues for this one!

I know. I know. There’s a certain campiness and cheesiness about this movie–but it’s FUN!! A great little costume dramedy and Robin Hood frenchie style!

Cartouche: Got kids? Got grandkids? Got your kid-at-heart ready? This is such a barrel of swashbuckling fun—it’s impossible not to love this one. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Claudia Cardinale and Jean Rochefort star in this most entertaining and thrilling movie! Taking place in the 18th century, it’s a kind of French-style Robin Hood movie. It’s just so much fun. In 1962, when this movie was made, I was seven years old. Trust me, I would have loved this movie whether or not I understood the language!

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with Omar Sy…

It was also fun being in Paris at the premiere of this movie . I got to see my favorite French actors in the audience and Bonaparte beamed with pride at his cousin’s son’s success. It was a nice moment and this movie is just so “feel good”!

Demain tout Commence: Shameless plug here. This movie was written and directed by my husband’s cousin, Hugo Gelin. And the title is actually a saying his aunt, Daniele used to say all the time—tomorrow, it begins. This family-fare film is charming, funny and sweet. It stars the actor with the greatest smile on earth—Omar Sy. He’s a rather wild playboy type until one day he receives a surprise in the form of…. a baby. Is it his daughter or not? Anyway, the film follows his life with daughter. It is just such a sweet, sweet movie that will have you laughing and crying at the same time—and I’m sure you will fall in love with this little movie!

How successful was this movie? Enough so that when we visit Yves Gravesite in Montparnasse, there are buttons placed upon his grave!

Bonaparte’s brothers, Fracois and Martin. It was so much fun to see them in the movie. Makes me wish I had someone who would put me into a movie!!

La Guerre des Boutons: The original. Released in 1962 and directed by Bonaparte’s uncle, Yves Robert, he and Daniele produced this and put their money in this project which was filmed largely on their estate. My husband’s brothers Francois and Martin play two of the young boys in the movie. It’s about a war of the buttons. The movie is about two rival teams of kids whose fun combats escalate. The buttons are cut off from clothing in this movie based on the book by Louis Pergaud, who was killed in WWI. It’s also a book and movie with strong anti-military overtones. It was remade in Ireland in the 1990’s and again in 2011 in France. It is filmed in black and white. It may not be everyone’s choice but I think –especially in these uncertain times, it’s definitely worth watching!

This movie. It personifies Film Noir. It was so intense! Louis Malle created a masterpiece with this dark thriller–and the soundtrack was pretty darn great too!

Elevator to the Gallows: Whew. This movie by Louis Malle will have you biting your nails. It’s such a dark thriller. Starring Jean Moreau who is great, it’s the story of two lovers planning a murder. And the effect of an elevator. That’s all I’m going to say. It’s total film noir. And the soundtrack by Miles Davis adds to the darkness. This is one movie you should not miss!

This movie. It’s a gem that nobody seems to know about and I love it so much. This is that movie you watch when you are a bit stressed and the visuals and the story will be so soothing for you. I freaking LOVE this movie and the reaction from people–even my husband is “What movie are you talking about’?

Les Enfants du Marais: Set in the very early 1900’s, after WWI. This is just one of those surprise gems. I came across it a few years back when Netflix mailed movies to you. There isn’t a lot of action—it’s just a slow, almost laze-like film about life in the French marshland in the Loire Valley. It follows Riton, a sad-sack sort of guy, played by Jacques Villeret, with a wife and three really badly-behaved children. Jacques Gamblin plays Garris, who lives alone with his memories of The Great War, and their friends, Tane a train conductor and Amedee, a complete dreamer who basically does nothing but read. Amedee is played by one of my favorite actors, Andre Dussolier. The movie follows every day mundane life but it isn’t a boring movie. Visually it is beautiful and it’s one of those movies that you remember but can be difficult to find. Honestly, this movie deserves more love than it gets!

The French movie poster for Pardon Mon Affaire. This movie was so stinking funny. Jean Rochefort was clearly the big star here because everything from his timing to his facial expressions were hysterically funny. Want a great comedy? Here you go!

Pardon Mon Affaire: Alright. Another shameless family plug. But I swear, this movie is so funny that you’ll thank me for recommending it. Jean Rochefort and Daniele Delorme star as a married couple. Bonaparte’s uncle, Yves Robert who was married to his aunt, Daniele, wrote and directed the movie and Daniele starred as Jean Rochefort’s wife in the first of two movies. Daniele and Jean play a very happily married couple until one day, Jean is taken and obsessed with a young model wearing a red dress. There’s a lot of miscommunication and comedy in this film—and Jean Rochefort on a building ledge is one scene that continues to get a ton of laughs. In fact, this was remade in 1984 as The Woman in Red starring Gene Wilder and Kelly LeBrock. I’ll take the French version s’il vous plait!

This is another little gem of a movie and if you can find it–you’ve found a lost treasure!

The Hairdresser’s Husband: This was described as exotic. It was more dramatic than exotic if you ask me. Another movie starring Jean Rochefort–I’m gonna go on record as saying he’s one of my favorite actors. This was a quiet little movie about a man obsessed with hairdressers and he marries one. There life together seems wonderfully perfect and full of love–until one night. It’s really kind of depressing but it’s great at the same time. Personally, I loved it. And think it’s worth sleuthing to find it!

One of the sweetest and charming musicals ever. It never gets old and the music by Michel Legrand is classic. So are the shoes that Catherine Deneuve is wearing. I want those.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg: Did you know that Catherine Deneuve could sing? She can! The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a semi-operetta. There’s a lot of singing dialogue. The story centers around Genevieve, a teenaged girl working in her mother’s umbrella shop. She’s in love with Guy, a young auto mechanic. Guy is drafted into the Algerian war. Genevieve and Guy spend one night together. She gets pregnant. He’s away. In the meantime, Roland, an older man who is in love with Genevieve wants to marry her. He does. The rest of the movie is love gone awry. Guy returns and marries Madeleine. Both Guy and Genevieve move on with their lives until a snowy night years later when Genevieve stops by the auto mechanics with a bit of auto trouble. Jacques Demy wrote and directed this movie and it’s become a classic. It’s a great story plot but even better made as a musical. It’s very touching and Michel Legrand’s music is incredible and well-known. If you haven’t seen this 1964 classic, now is the time to watch it!

And those are just some of my favorite French imports. There’s an awful lot I haven’t mentioned because I want to move on and write about other subjects for now—but, this is a great narrowed-down start! Check out Bonaparte’s listing below!

FRENCH MOVIE LIST

Most of the films below are available on Netflix and/or video stores.

AMERICAN TITLE FRENCH TITLE

Indochine Indochine Drama/History

Au Revoir les Enfants Au revoir les enfants War Drama

My Father’s Glory (1) La gloire de mon père Comedy/History

My Mother’s Castle (2) Le château de ma mère Comedy/History

Pardon mon Affair Un éléphant ça trompe ….. Comedy

Métro Le métro War Drama

Jean de Florette (1) Jean de Florette Drama/History

Manon of the Spring (2) Manon des sources Drama/History

Cousin, Cousine Cousin, cousine Comedy

Camille Claudel Camille Claudel Drama/History

La Cage aux Folles La cage aux folles Comedy

Ridicule Ridicule Drama/History

Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac Drama/History

Amelie Amélie Drama

Nikita Woman La femme Nikita Drama

The Tall Man with a Red Shoe Le grand blond à la chaussure … Comedy

Cesar and Rosalie César et Rosalie Drama

Vincent, François, Paul and the others Vincent, François, Paul et … Comedy

Umbrellas of Cherbourg Les parapluies de Cherbourg Music hall

400 Blows* Les 400 coups Drama

Beauty and the Beast* La belle et la bête Drama/History

Partners Les ripoux Comedy

French Kiss** Comedy

Monsieur Ibrahim Monsieur Ibrahim Comedy

The Barbarian Invasions (Fr Canadian) Les invasions barbares Drama

The Closet Le placard Comedy

Grand Illusion * La grande illusion War Drama

Swimming Pool La piscine Drama

Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob Les folles aventures du rabin Jacob Comedy

Story of Adele H. Adèle H. Drama/History

A Heart in Winter Un coeur en hiver Drama

The Wages of Fear* Le salaire de la peur Drama

L’Auberge Espagnol �� (Same title) Comedy

The Beat that My Heart Skipped (?) Drama

Elevator to the Gallows* Ascenseur pour l’échafaud Drama

Mr. Klein Monsieur Klein War Drama

Rules of the Game* La règle du jeu Drama

Right Now A tout de suite Comedy

Le Casque d’Or* (Same title) Drama

The Taste of Others Le goût des autres Comedy

Touchez pas au Grisbi* (Same title) Drama

Classe Tous Risques* (Same title) Action

I Would Lie to You (?) Comedy

The Sorrow and the Pity Le chagrin et la pitié War Documentary

Jules et Jim* (Same title) Drama

Lacombe Lucien (Same title) War Drama

La Chevre (Same title) Comedy

La Vie en Rose (Same title) Drama

Delicatessen (Same title) Drama

Three Men and a Baby 3 hommes et un coufin Comedy

The Man who Loved Women (?) Comedy

A Very Long Engagement De très longues fiancailles War Drama

Merry Christmas Joyeux Noel War Drama

Two Days in Paris 2 jours à Paris Comedy

Paris Je T’Aime (Same title) Comedy

The Valet Le valet Comedy

Return of Martin Guerre Le retour de Martin Guerre Drama/History

Night and Fog Nuit et brouillard War Documentary

Green Card** Comedy

All The Mornings of the World Tous les matins du monde Drama/History

Caché (Same title) Drama

Count of Monte Cristo Le comte de Monte Cristo Drama/History

The Children of Chabannes** Les enfants de Chabannes War Documentary

The Formatting is weird because I can’t add proper columns to this blog post. Thanks WordPress!

NOTES:

Any movie directed by François Truffaut usually is interesting, at least for the quality of dialogues, which are made in “good French”, i.e. without much slang and clearly said.

Movies made by Eric Rohmer are also in excellent French but stories tend to be very slow.

The “Style” description above is very general. “History” can refer to true historical subjects but also simply to movies taking place in early 20th Century or before.

* : Black and White movie

** : American made movie showing an excellent description of French life an/or behavior

And there you have it! French cinema recommendations from The Frenchman and me!

The Danton Movie theatre in Paris. I’ve passed this theatre thousands of times! And there’s always a few hours of treasured cinema time to come by in here!

Shall We Attend French Cinema? Oui? Non? Oui! It’s been a while since I’ve posted. With early holiday decorating, work, cooking a feast for Thanksgiving dinner for two, Bonaparte and me, and anticipating if we will be home for Christmas due to another possible pandemic lockdown, it’s been the continuation of WTF else can go wrong in 2020.

#French cinema

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years ago

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #197 - The Lion King

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes, #123.

Format: DVD

1) Circle of Life.

Very few films have such iconic first frames as The Lion King does, and there are three key reasons for that.

First of all: the visuals are wildly unique. That very first visual of the sun rising is visceral and memorable, not to mention just absolutely beautiful. The following images of the animals of the Pride Lands also stand out, because they are filled with such character and life as well as something else which isn’t often seen in animated films: realism. Think about the film’s of the Disney Renaissance before The Lion King: The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. All are beautifully animated and feature great animal characters, but they are largely cartoon characters. They’re anthropomorphic, which the animals in The Lion King will be. But these first animals we see aren’t. They’re realistic, natural. In some ways it’s like we’re watching an animated nature documentary. And it does well to set up the visuals of the film.

Secondly: the opening number sets up a clear sense of place among the Pride Lands. We very quickly understand the hierarchy of things, how the lions are actually kings, who’s important, who are just subjects, relationships between characters like Mufasa and Rafiki, all without any dialogue. The fact the film can do this all so elegantly speaks greatly to its craft.

Thirdly: the music. Holy cow the music here is absolutely incredible. It is grand, moving, and a perfect first song for the film. It not only represents the talents of both composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice - who create a soundtrack with one iconic song after the next - but also Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer’s score in this film isn’t discussed much among lay people (we talk about it in film classes), which is a shame because it is as important if not more so than the work done by the previously mentioned musicians. Zimmer has only won one Oscar in his entire life and it is for this film. His score and work with the wildly talented Lebo M is perfectly married with this song, so much so the animators even recognized it.:

The original opening to the film was supposed to have been a quiet dialogue-heavy sequence. When composer Hans Zimmer prepared his interpretation of Circle of Life, he made an extended version so he would have some flexibility as to what to cut for the film. The animators were so impressed with the work that they decided to change the beginning into the currently seen sequence so they could use the entire work that Zimmer prepared.

So yeah, that’s why “Circle of Life” works so well as an opening.

2) Jeremy Irons as Scar.

Scar is a delightfully evil villain in the best sense. He makes your skin crawl for a number of reasons. You understand he’s a cowardly piece of dirt, but he’s also intimidating. That’s because the animators and Irons are able to convey Scar’s intellect grandly. You understand how intelligent he is, how his power is in manipulation, and THAT’S what’s scary. Irons makes the part in much the same way James Woods makes Hades or Jonathan Pryce makes Jafar. He is one of many MANY examples of how this movie is perfectly cast.

3) I touched upon this briefly in note #1, but there are very few big budget American animated films which are animated as beautifully as The Lion King. The filmmakers take a number of brief moments to really just show off the majesty of the Pride Lands, to show off nature, which ties directly into the theme of the circle of life. Nature has an order to things, a balance, and this film shows that in the most beautiful and perfect way imaginable here and there.

4) This theme of the circle of life is perfectly explained by Mufasa to his young child Simba early in the film. The reason that scene works and why so many simple lines of dialogue are strong in the memories of children who grew up on this film is because they’re simple but not stupid. Important concepts like the order of nature are explained to young Simba while also not talking down to him (and thereby not talking down to the audience). It is simple elegance at its finest.

5) The Morning Report.

So I’m watching the DVD copy of this film which was released in 2004 I believe, which features this addition to the film. “The Morning Report” was a song which I believe was originally considered for the original release but then cut, before finding new life in the successful Broadway production of The Lion King. Although I grew up with the film including “The Morning Report”, I honestly prefer the version without it. The song is fun but doesn’t really feel necessary and I imagine it was cut from the original film for a reason. It also shortens the gap between songs by falling between “Circle of Life” and “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” which kind of messes up the pacing for me. I like the song on its own and its not enough to ruin the film by ANY means, but I prefer this movie without “The Morning Report”.

6) I know Scar is completely evil and despicable, but there are moments where I relate to him. Case in point:

Simba: “You’re so weird!”

Scar: “You have no idea.”

7) Okay, quick question: ARE SIMBA AND NALA RELATED!? Because there’s only two lions in the whole pride and they’re both related to Simba. So who’s Nala’s dad? Is there an answer for this I don’t know?

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

8) You know how there are things you say and then you understand why you say them?

Zazu: “The sooner we get to the watering hole, the sooner we can leave.”

I have been saying for years, “The sooner we ________, the sooner we can leave,” and I was wondering where that came from. Now I know!

9) “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”

Disney Renaissance films traditionally had a big show stopping number in them to dial up the fun. The Little Mermaid hand “Under the Sea”, Beauty and the Beast had “Be Our Guest”, Aladdin had “Friend Like Me”, and The Lion King has “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”. The song is pure fun, with a song that infects the audience with its energy and an animation style to match. But more than being a piece of entertainment, it sets up a clear juxtaposition for Simba by the film’s end. Consider the responsible leader he is when he takes his place on Pride Rock against who he is during this song and you can see just how far he’s journeyed.

10) Simba as a character.

Honestly, the most interesting thing about Simba is the journey he goes on in 90 short minutes. You see him go from irresponsible kid to guilt ridden adult trying (and maybe failing) to deal with trauma, to a responsible leader. And it’s all so organic that you’re never taken out of the moment. It’s not like, “What, suddenly he’s this now?” I think that’s due to an excellent blend between the writing, animation, and voice over work.

Simba’s dialogue is done by two actors: Jonathan Taylor Thomas as cub Simba and Matthew Broderick as adult Simba. Both play exactly what they need to in the part, with Taylor Thomas able to portray both the cub’s more carefree nature and later grief. Broderick on the other hand is able to portray adult Simba’s grief/heartache, attempts at carefreeness, and eventual responsibility all really well. As mentioned above, it all feels right. Never jarring, never off putting, it just freaking works.

11) There are a number of scenes in this film which have a crazy good sense of place, and the elephant graveyard is one of them. As soon as you enter this territory you KNOW you’re not supposed to be there. It’s dark, forbidding, threatening, and just has a real sense of fear/dread to it. It’s freaking great.

12) Shenzi, Banzai and Ed.

This trio is another strong example of excellent casting in the film. Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings all are able to be individually funny, evil, dangerous, and stupid at the same time. As a set, though, they compliment each other nicely. No one outshines the other, they’re a great trio that just help support each other.

13) The scene between Mufasa and Simba after the elephant graveyard is amazing.

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From the moment Simba’s tiny paw is seen in Mufasa’s larger one, you understand clearly a big fear of the lion’s. He’s afraid he will never be as great a man as his father, with many of his actions compensating for this idea (going to the graveyard, for example). Both Simba and Mufasa are portrayed with heartwarming honesty in this scene. Mufasa’s anger subsides quickly and you understand (even before he says it) that his anger comes from a place of fear and concern for his son. It’s a scene which - more than anything else - gets you deeply invested in their relationship. Which makes the upcoming plot turn all the more heartbreaking.

This is also a good place to talk about James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Known primarily for his voice over work as Darth Vader, Jones is as amazing here but for different reasons. He is able to give Mufasa so much depth in his performance. The voice of the king can be threatening, angry, patient, wise, afraid, heartbroken, desperate, and kind, with no element lessening the other. And Jones just is excellent in all facets, which might be why he’s reprising the part in the 2019 reimagined version directed by Jon Favreu.

14) Remember how I said Scar can be relatable? Well, I think we’ve all had this moment:

15) Be Prepared.

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Okay, I’m a sucker for a good villain song and “Be Prepared” is wonderfully dark/evil. I have to remind myself it’s still Elton John and Tim Rice, it’s still the guys who did “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” because it’s just got such a different character to it. The song is amazing from a storytelling standpoint because if it wasn’t clear what Scar’s motivations/goals were before, they sure are now. Like with “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”, there’s this wonderfully fun animation style to it which pushes the boundaries of reality. It’s just wonderfully villainous and I love it.

15.1) In the song “Be Prepared”, Jeremy Irons actually threw out his voice after the line, “YOU WON’T GET A SNIFF WITHOUT ME!” So the filmmakers had Jim Cummings (legendary voice over actor who plays Ed in this film) sing the rest of the song. If you’re a fan of Anastasia, Cummings sang “In The Dark of the Night” and if you listen you can definitely hear that it’s him but otherwise he does a good job of masking his voice.

16) Wildebeest Stampede.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

The reason the stampede scene works as well as it does is because it is so freaking epic. The scale of it, the music, the tension is just crazy high. Through the marriage of all aspects of cinema (acting, writing, visuals, sound) the audience is just on the edge of their seats. And the way Mufasa just jumps into the fray and throws Simba to safety just shows an incredible amount of personal stakes for him. It’s amazing from beginning to end.

17) Excuse me while I have a good cry.

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Okay, this never used to get to me. Never. When I was a kid, it didn’t effect me AT ALL. But now?

Simba [upon finding Mufasa’s body]: “Dad come on, you gotta get up…we gotta go home.”

Yeah, even thinking about it gets me teary eyed. I think it’s because of some personal stuff I’ve gone through the older I get, but just the raw honesty of the scene gets me. Especially the way Simba nestles under Mufasa’s paw because to him that place is safe? And he just lays close to his dad and…

18) Scar goes from fun Disney villain to someone who you’re actively rooting against (as you are against the best villains) when he decides to murder his own brother and make his nephew feel like it’s his fault even though he plans to kill him anyway. That’s like, next level evil. Suffice to say I’m cheering on Scar’s demise at the end.

19) Timon and Pumbaa.

The film’s ultimate scene stealers, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are great in their respective parts as the meerkat and warthog. They just bring a smile to your face whenever they appear on screen. Pumbaa is charmingly innocent and Timon is likably deviant as a trickster. They play off each other well like a classic comedy duo and are just great to watch.

20) Hakuna Matata.

One of the key reasons the song works so well in the story is because it is a welcome shift in tone from Mufasa’s death and Simba’s exile in a way which still feels organic. The number is charming, light, infectious, fun, and just a genuinely feel good song. A great anthem for anyone who stresses too much about the little things. Maybe not so much for people who could stress more about the big things, but there’s a middle ground.

21) I always wanted more of teenage Simba, who we really only get to spend like 3 seconds with. I don’t know, there’s something about that 1/2 mane which I like. But then again, I’m a fan of awkward middle child movies and tv show stuff. That’s probably a factor.

22) I love it when Disney gets meta.

Scar: “Sing something with a little bounce in it.”

(GIF originally posted by @thedailyprophet)

Scar: “NO! Anything but that!”

22.1) My mother and brother saw the Broadway version in New York in 2014 or 2015 (I can’t remember which). According to them, Zazu sang “Let it Go” instead and got the same reaction out of Scar. I dig it.

23) This is a brief but great scene that lets the audience understand Simba is NOT where he belongs, no matter how great Timon & Pumbaa are.

Simba [about stars]: “Somebody once told me that the great kings of the past are up there…”

[Timon and Pumbaa break out laughing at Simba.]

24) Okay, let’s talk about this.

According to IMDb:

There have been rumors that when Simba collapses on the cliff after talking with Timon and Pumbaa about stars, the dust that flies off the cliff forms the letters SEX. In fact it forms the letters SFX, the abbreviation of the special-effects team that worked on that portion of the film. For all subsequent releases more flowers and dust were added to the scene to avoid controversy.

25) I love how it takes Simba no time at all to recognize Nala, he recognizes her that well. It just takes her beating him in a fight.

26) In some moments, I’m Timon.

Timon: “Let me get this straight! You know her, she knows you, but she wants to eat him. And everyone’s okay with this? DID I MISS SOMETHING!?”

27) Can You Feel The Love Tonight.

Apparently at one point Disney was going to have Timon and Pumbaa sing the whole song as a gag, while at another they’d cut it entirely. Elton John campaigned that the song be featured as is, as he considered it a love song in the grand Disney tradition. Well this apparently a brilliant decision because it won the film as Oscar for Best Original Song. The song is such a sweet and beautiful piece which really just pulls at your heart strings, allowing you to actually feel the love in the air. I just love it.

28) This moment always makes me smile. Rafiki’s unbridled joy is just so infectious.

Rafiki: “Asante sana, squash banana…”

29) Remember that I said Simba’s biggest fear was not being as great a lion/king as his father was?

Rafiki: “You see: he lives in you.”

Rafiki’s words and then Simba’s communication with his father’s ghost both feed directly into this fear.

Simba has greatness in him and that greatness is represented by his father. His father’s memory lives on in him and he can do great things in that memory. The visuals of the scene where Simba communes with his father’s ghost continues the film’s streak of excellent visuals and is iconic to this day.

30) One of the wisest lines I have heard in a movie ever.

Rafiki: “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it you can either run from it OR learn from it.”

31) Nathan Lane improvised this line and the filmmakers just rolled with it. Meanwhile I still laugh my butt off every time we get this far.

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32) This line really shows that Scar sees being king much as the immature cub Simba did (in “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”), but that’s a much scarier reality than it is fantasy.

Scar: “I’m the king, I can do whatever I want.”

33) I would like to point out that Scar is such a freaking coward. He cowers so quickly before Simba when he returns then tries to manipulate him. He tries to sneak away from the fight before blaming the hyenas for everything. He tries to appease Simba before double-crossing him and being thrown to the hyenas (literally). It’s this cowardice, this double crossing, which leads to Scar’s death and I couldn’t be happier about it.

34) This all takes place during a skirmish between our heroes and villains, a scene which is a really great climax for a lot of reasons. It definitely has some seriousness and epic-ness to it, while also infusing it with classic cartoonish fun. It’s just got some wonderful action to it.

35) Simba’s ascension to the top of Pride Rock feels 100% earned. In the ninety minutes of the movie we’ve seen the journey he’s gone on since birth and we understand that this is not only his place but also that he’s earned this place. A truly fitting ending.

The Lion King is an iconic classic of not only animation but cinema in general. It’s wonderful sense of epic storytelling blends perfectly with characters, actors, music, and animation. It tells the story it needs in an elegant and emotional fashion, providing cinema with one of its most heartbreaking deaths ever while also giving us some of Disney’s best humor. All in all, it’s just a great film everyone should see.

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