Month: November 2018

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

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Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Trailer

After the incredible success of the film adaptation of musical Mamma Mia!, the story continues in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again five years after the events of the original film. Two parallel timelines unfold during the film as the present day sees Sophie preparing for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna, which alternates between flashbacks of a young Donna and her adventures after graduating from Oxford University, which may include a certain three young men of significance…

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a fun romp that retains much of the formula of its predecessor, yet fails to serve any significance. Lily James gives a gusto performance as a young Meryl Streep, which is no easy task, yet because of the original film’s existence, the flashback scenes offer nothing new to the story and are ultimately redundant. With much of ABBA’s back catalogue of hits used in the first film, the film is forced to rely on lesser known songs this time around with the addition of a number of repetitions from the original film. The musical numbers are still a riot, with the cast gamely demonstrating their enthusiasm, despite a lack of singing prowess from some of the cast members.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again sees all the cast from the original movie return, yet one cast member is glaringly absent for much of the film, which sadly suffers as a result. It is evident that the cast are having the time of their lives on screen, but the lack of a story and number of plot holes result in a film that almost feels pointless.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is out on DVD today and although it has a number of issues, the film is still a fun form of escapism, especially now that the dark gloomy wintery evenings have arrived. For me, I had a more personal interest in the film as my sister’s boyfriend worked for a few days on the film during the Oxford scenes, so that was quite exciting and actually how I first found out that the sequel was being made!

Have you see Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again? Are you a fan of musicals and sequels?

Killing Eve

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Killing Eve Trailer

Rating: 5/5

“You should never tell a psychopath they’re a psychopath. It upsets them.”

Villanelle – a cold hearted and ruthless assassin.

Eve – the MI5 operative tasked with tracking her down.

As the cat and mouse game begins, a mutual obsession between the two women develops.

One that might cost them their lives…

Killing Eve stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer as the characters of Eve and Villanelle, both playing their parts to perfection. As the initially boring and bumbling Eve, Oh is world’s away from her spiky character Dr Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy and has proved she made the right decision to move on from the long running hit US drama. Here she displays a naïvety and innocence that is slowly shed as she comes to grips with her new world away from her desk bound job as she moves out into the field. Having become known for her role in Doctor Foster, Jodie Comer stars in a break out role as the chilling yet slightly eccentric Villanelle. Despite committing a string of truly appalling acts, Comer plays the part with such a delightful wickedness and relish that you can’t help rooting for her. The dark and often tongue-in-cheek humour ensures that Killing Eve is a spy drama like no other.

Killing Eve finished airing on BBC One on Saturday night and, in a clever move, the BBC made the show immediately available on iplayer from the very first episode’s screening. The show has proved to be a huge hit and has previously aired in the US to similar success. The show created history when Sandra Oh became the first Asian actress to be nominated for an Emmy in a leading role performance and the show has been praised for featuring two female actresses in the lead roles. With such a female driven cast, Killing Eve stands out from other action focused dramas and is one of the best shows of the year.

Did you watch Killing Eve? If so, did you watch it live each week or binge watch the whole series on iplayer? Have you read the original book series?

Killing Eve BBC Three Trailer