The second to last (or in fact last if I forget to post one more, which I may do) posts about the year just gone.

Here are the films I watched from July to December in 2011, excluding any films I had already seen before.

The Duchess (UK, 2008) – Based on Amanda Foreman’s biography of Georgiana, this is the story of an upper-class woman’s life as she lives in the spotlight in public, and in hell at home. Very harrowing and difficult to watch, but a must-see if only to learn further how bad conditions were for women of the period.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (UK, 2011) – The last instalment in the series, the end of an era. Very good, even if you’ve not seen the first part nor read all the series.

Jane Eyre (UK, 2011) – Based on the classic, the plot of which I have detailed here. A good adaptation, and certainly very funny, but missing in some information and leaves out the part with the fortune-teller. Incidentally, if anyone knows of an adaptation that leaves in that part and doesn’t alter it, let me know in the comments.

Just Like Heaven (USA, 2005) – When the spirit of Elizabeth starts visiting David’s new apartment, they both band together to try and find out what happened to her. I felt so strongly, I reviewed it. A brilliant film that is at once funny and poignant for our times.

One Day (UK/USA, 2011) – Based on the best-seller by David Nicholls, and much better than the book. The changes made work well and create a smoother climax than the choppy novel structure.

Possession (UK/USA, 2002) – Based on the book by A S Byatt, two scholars hunt for the truth about a Victorian poet. I’ve no idea how it is in conjunction with the book, but the film moves slowly, showing secrets in a sometimes shocking way. If you want something easy to watch while having depth, this is a good choice.

Pride And Prejudice (UK, 2005) – A review of the book, containing plot summary, is here. Considering the short length, the film does a good job at providing a brief introduction to the story, even if it’s not particularly accurate. It is very funny, yet broken up by unnecessary and unnecessarily moody musical interludes.

The Seven Year Itch (USA, 1955) – A man whose wife goes off on holiday becomes anxious that he might cheat on her despite the odds, so anxious that when a young woman moves in upstairs things seem to start going that way due to his over-thinking. Brilliant, funny, highly recommended piece on the mind. And for all that Monroe is touted for her blondness, that’s one very talented and educated woman.

Shaun Of The Dead (UK, 2004) – When things in space go awry, the dead start to arise, and those alive have to fend for themselves while the government tries to get a grip on things. So to Shaun that involves rounding up his friends and heading… to the local pub. Perfect example of British humour, here with a black coating.

Singin’ In The Rain (USA, 1952) – An actor helps a girl pursue her dream, while stripping the disguise of a graceless silent film star from her captive audience. I was all ready to pronounce this a 5/5 even though there was no plot and the film was quite obviously meant as a vehicle for the stars, but when that 15-20 minute boring routine came in…

Superman Returns (USA, 2006) – Clark Kent (or rather Superman – why no one can see through his one disguise of a pair of glasses is rather unrealistic) needs to save the world from Lex Luther. An infamous set-up by now, yet it can still have you on the edge of your seat.

Transformers: Dark Side Of The Moon (USA, 2011) – A new girlfriend for Sam and backup for the bad guys. A very strong edition to the franchise with a terrifically long ending scene.

Unknown (USA, 2011) – Martin lost consciousness and on waking can find no trace of his wife, who surely should be looking for him. Another man is pretending to be Martin, and everyone seems out to get him, but all Martin can remember is that he was there to present at a conference. A brilliant story well told.

I’m definitely starting to gain an interest in older films. I want to explore old Hollywood and watch the classics. And I’m finding that the wish to watch a sci-fi is stronger than the wish to not seem like a teenage boy. At this age who cares. Something that surprises me in the wrong way, however, is the fact that there are no foreign films on this list. That needs to be remedied in 2012. I watched 22 films that were new to me in 2011, and for someone who was down to watching only a few in recent years (since mid-2000s when I was watching many) I’m happy with that.

One of those films where you sit down calm in the knowledge that you’ve read the blurb and have an idea of where it will end up, and then realise you’ve been completely in the dark, and it’s nothing to do with the lights being out.

Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 2005
Length: 95 minutes
Production House: DreamWorks
Date Reviewed: 6th July 2011
Rating: 4/5

David moves into an apartment that is linked to a family tragedy (not his family). The tragedy isn’t known to him. Soon his home is visited by a woman who appears at random intervals, claiming it’s hers. It’s quite obvious she is not human. Yet Elizabeth cannot remember anything about her previous life, indeed it took a few moments for her to recall her name, and so she and David set out to find out who she was. The truth comes as a shock, as does everything else about her situation.

After discussing this film with the person who lent it to me who told me it was a rubbish film, I realised that they had missed the whole point of it. Just Like Heaven combines a very serious issue, one that is being debated constantly in our present day, and humour. Whether this was intended by the writers as a commentary on a moral issue or whether they simply wanted the fun and weren’t actually too bothered about the issue is irrelevant in a way – they have produced a work that will appeal to people concerned with the issue whilst providing enough laughs for those who simply want to watch a Reese Witherspoon.

The issue concerned is focused on, but not so much that it drowns out the rest of the film. The most hard-hitting facts are related to the audience but otherwise you’re left to enjoy the humour and, most importantly, feel that you are allowed to enjoy the humour. The comedy works because it isn’t typical and is also well placed throughout the film; there are no sudden spots of hilarity followed by long stretches of dullness. There are a few moments when the romance makes the issue seem less important, but it fits the overall idea.

Reese Witherspoon’s Elizabeth is proud of her home; I suppose you might call her a neat freak, though a control-freak-when-it-comes-to-her-home is a more accurate description. Mark Ruffalo’s David is rather different to her yet a good match, and the actors have chemistry. The chemistry isn’t profound but then given the nature of the story and the comedic element, that doesn’t matter.

Of course the character who develops the most is Elizabeth, but the way David comes to accept the change in his life that he was struggling with at the start of the film is well portrayed and written.

Without giving away the major point of the plot, which the DVD summary does not give and because of that and because my own enjoyment was based on prior ignorance, it’s difficult to explain specifically why this film is worth a watch. Certainly anyone who is put off by the idea of a romantic comedy that has flowers all over the publicity images and suggests a love affair between a man and a ghost should rethink their decision not to watch it. And, since in many cases a romantic comedy is off-putting because a viewer is after something that will make them think, I will also say that the set-up is deceiving.

If you are looking solely to laugh and cry at the sweetness of a couple coming together through hardship, do not watch this film. If you are looking for a film that will make you reflect, make you question, and make you laugh too, you should definitely consider Just Like Heaven an option.

For several years now I’ve been keeping a list of films I see for the first time per year (since about 2006, which I realised meant I’ve been doing it for a while now, where are the years going?) Basically it’s what I do for books only a less detailed list, and only in the past two years have I sectioned by month and added notes of the film’s release date, country, and if I saw it at the cinema. But excepting a short-lived usage on my personal blog I’ve never made use of the information for anything other than a check every now and then to find out if I’ve watched a film.

I found this sad and thought it might be good to create a round-up here in a similar way as I do for books, only make it a less frequent occurrence because, well films aren’t books and this is a book blog. But I digress.

You know the drill here, short summary followed by summed up opinion. Here are the films I have watched so far this year for which it was my first time watching them.

The Break-Up (USA, 2006) – A couple find issues in their relationship. Not the comedy it’s billed to be, but not bad.

Elizabeth (UK, 1998) – The story of the first years of Elizabeth I’s reign. May not be totally historically correct but it provides the general gist of things and has a strong cast of actors.

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People (UK/USA, 2008) – A non-conforming journalist from Britain takes a job in the States and has to work out a balance between himself and those around him. Maybe not Pegg’s best, but it’s a good contribution to his list.

The King’s Speech (UK, 2011) – The story of George V’s struggle and triumph over his stammering. It is based pretty much solely on the way the King learned to overcome his stammer so there isn’t much social history present, thus it has the potential to be boring if you are expecting an epic. If not, however, you’ll find it fantastic.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life (USA, 2003) – Finding Pandora’s Box. Girl power. If you liked the first, you’ll like this.

License To Wed (USA, 2007) – A couple wanting to get married turn to a clergyman who rules out any more sex before marriage and gives them a speed-pre-wedding course. Funny.

Run Fatboy Run (UK, 2007) – A man who ran away from marrying his girlfriend trains for a marathon in the hope of winning her back. Solid Pegg product and a great example of British film.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (USA, 2009) – The enemy is back, as always. Action-packed and not just for kids.

Two Weeks Notice (USA, 2002) – Given a job by a millionaire, lawyer Lucy quickly gets sick of doing everything for him, and will be leaving shortly. Hugh Grant plays the same character he always has, Sandra Bullock plays similarly, but the film is a good one.

Unstoppable (USA, 2010) – There’s a running train on the loose and it’s only a matter of time before it hits a major city. Two workers saving the day is a must. Face-paced with an uncomplicated plot, it’s alright but is ultimately one you can miss.

I can’t say I regret spending time on any of these films, although they weren’t all brilliant, each gave me something to take away.

However for a lover of foreign film (mainly Hindi and Chinese) this list is atrocious and in reading it – I completed the country information today – I see that I need to get back to the cinema I prefer, while still watching English language films.

I apologise for the lack-lustre opinion summary in this post, films being shorter than most books I found it hard to remember all of my feelings, but you’ve got the basics.

Let me know if you like this idea of my posting round-ups for films.