Movie Monday*: The Hundred Foot Journey

I am back in LA and this LA girl is here to bring you a movie review!  So LA… I know.  I love going to the movies, catching all the trailers, eating a big thing of popcorn and watching a movie on the big screen!  Except I can’t eat popcorn anymore because I am not allowed to have corn (according to this blood type diet that I am kinda on)… So LA… I know.

Anyways, I have been looking forward to seeing The Hundred Foot Journey ever since I saw the trailer for it last month.  I am a sucker for gorgeous films about culture and food… The Exotic Marigold Hotel, Julie & Julia, Eat, Pray, Love and of course, Chocolat (I watch it every year around Easter).  And the director who brought you Chocolat is now bringing you… The Hundred Foot Journey.  And he did not disappoint!

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The Hundred Foot Journey is about family, bravery, love, passion, acceptance, understanding, taking a risk, overcoming obstacles, following your bliss, thinking outside of the box and opening your heart and mind to things that are different and when things don’t turn out how you planned them to go.

I loved this movie.  I laughed.  I cried.  It made me think about life.  It made me feel hopeful.  And it made me hungry.

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Here’s the trailer…

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This movie made me think about the story of the Fisherman and the Businessman.  The first time I heard this story was in Tom Shadyac’s class at Pepperdine and then I heard again last week from my Uber driver.  (His was a little bit different… I got the Russian version from him. Something about a guy sitting under a tree smoking and drinking vodka.)  Anyways, go see the movie and then watch this. Or watch this and then go see the movie.  (Click here to watch!)  And I am sharing this story as a reminder to stay mindful of your life and to make sure you check in with yourself to make sure that you are happy!  If I took this quite literally, I would be moving to Nantucket right now… but I have some dreams I have to chase first.

There are soooooo many good movies coming out in the next few months and towards the end of the year!  Expect a lot more of these Movie Mondays!

XOXO

* Sometimes I don’t have that much to bring you up to date on, so instead of sharing a lame Same Page Monday, I have decided to come up with all these different Monday things.  Movie Mondays, Memory Mondays (like Throwback Thursday but on Monday) and well those are the only two I have come up with… Get excited.

Photo Credit: IMDB – Photo by Francois Duhamel – © DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC.

Movie Review: The Other Woman

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I went to see “The Other Woman” last weekend… and if you didn’t see it this weekend then you should definitely see it next weekend!  Despite bad reviews, “The Other Woman” beat all “The Other Movies” at the box office last weekend!  I had been dying to see it ever since I saw the pictures of Cameron and Leslie filming in New York… and it did not disappoint.  It was hilarious, cute and a little ridiculous at points, but that was to be expected, right?  It was a fun movie about friendship and the importance of having girlfriends that will always have your back!  I was laughing the whole time!  Check out the trailer below…

I personally think Leslie Mann is beyond funny in this amazingly quirky way.  She definitely stole the show!  Her sense of humor and comedic timing is impeccable and unique.  Love her.  (I am a huge This Is 40 fan too.)  And you can never go wrong with Cameron Diaz.  She is so likable, gorgeous, sexy and silly… and can be all of those at the same time!  That’s rare.  The two of them together were a perfect comedic match.

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Nikki Minaj did a hilarious job, and I won’t be surprised if she gets casted in more movies!

Nick Cassevetes directed the movie.  Like The Notebook, which he also directed, it was beautifully shot in beautiful locations with beautiful women.

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Taylor Kinney, Lady Gaga’s boyfriend, played Leslie Mann’s brother and Cameron Diaz’s other love interest.  He is a hottie!  The whole time I was trying to picture him with Lady Gaga!?

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The three girls did a huge press tour for this movie.  They were everywhere!  Cameron stopped by our favorite, Jimmy Fallon, and did this funny photobomb segment.  I love it when people don’t take themselves too seriously! Check it out..

And here is an extra little video about…

The “Unlikely” Friendship between “The Lawyer, The Wife and The Boobs”

Photo Credit: 1 – Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox, 2, 3, 4

Movie Review – The Grand Budapest Hotel

There are two types of people.

People who like Wes Anderson movies and People who DON’T like Wes Anderson movies.

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When I told a couple people that I was going to go see The Grand Budapest Hotel, the responses I got were either… I heard it wasn’t good or so and so saw it and they didn’t like it.  I was a little discouraged but then remembered…

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When you watch one of Wes Anderson’s movies you should know that you are in for a quirky, absurd, imaginative and aesthetically beautiful wild ride…. so I say to you (and myself) let yourself go on that wild ride.  Throw logic out the window, be in the moment and laugh!  His movies are funny!  And I was the only one in the theater laughing out loud!  I couldn’t believe it.

So what was this movie about?  Well, I guess I will let the actors tell you themselves…

Critics are saying this is Wes Anderson’s best movie yet!  Before I agree with them, I think I need to go back and re watch all of them.  But I would definitely say it is worth seeing… if you are open to it.

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The sets, the costumes, the props and the locations were all gorgeous.  You could tell that every little detail was thought of… I think Wes might be a little bit of a perfectionist.

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And the actors were all bringing their A game.  To recruit a cast that included Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray,  Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Ed Norton, Jason Schwartzman (and the list goes on)… is awe inspiring… especially when most of them only had small parts in the movie.  It has to be a true testament to Wes Anderson.

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One of the reasons why I think I loved watching this movie so much was because I truly believed that every member of the cast, including Wes Anderson and his crew, had so much fun while shooting.  The reason why I laughed out loud some of the time was because I would just imagine them being on set and playing out some of the crazy scenes.   There seemed to be a genuine bond, respect and comradery with the whole cast that is not always seen in films.  I am sure this is why the same amazingly talented actors come back to work with Anderson film after film.

My Take Aways from This Movie:

1.  I know we get set in our ways and what we like and have a need to be in control… but sometimes we just need to sit back and relax and enjoy the show… in life (and in the movie theaters)!  Be open to new adventures, experiences, people and opportunities.

2.  Do what you love and love what you do… and then it won’t feel like work.

3.  Laugh out loud.  It’s good for you.

Photo Credit: IMDB, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9,