Lilly Faye's Movie Review: Still Alice, starring Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, and Alec Baldwin

Dear Readers,

In Still Alice, Julianne Moore plays a professor of linguistics diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease at age 50. Still Alice does a good job of showing the progression and the devastating effects of the disease from both the patient's and the family's point of view. Of course, no movie can fully portray the prolonged heartbreak the disease causes in real life.

The movie is based on the novel, Still Alice, written by Lisa Genova, who has a Ph.D in Neuroscience.

Julianne Moore has won many awards for her performance in this movie, including a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Academy Award.

Dizzie: She did an excellent job, but the role was well within her capabilities. I don't think it was a big stretch for her, Boss.

Lilly Faye: That's what happens with an actor as good as Julianne Moore, Diz. She makes it look effortless. I thought she gave a moving and sensitive performance.

The real surprise was Kristen Stewart, who plays Alice's youngest daughter. This was her best performance, by far. Maybe she learned a thing or two from working with Julianne Moore.

Frank, please tell everyone what you made for dinner.

Mr. Frank: Pan-fried sockeye salmon sauced with brown butter, capers, and slivered almonds. I served it with new potatoes, and a wedge salad consisting of iceberg lettuce, avocado, and dried cranberries, topped with blue cheese dressing.

Dizzie: I'm sorry, Frank. I don't get the excitement over wedge salad. It's just a big chunk of iceberg lettuce.

Mr. Frank: It's a mid-century classic that's back in style. Huff.

Alfie Cat: I loved the salmon, and the whipped cream on the fresh berry parfait.

Dizzie: I missed my chips. Why can't we have chips every night?

Lilly Faye: I loved every bite of the entire meal, Frank.

Mr. Frank: Thanks, Doll.

Lilly Faye: You can watch the trailer for the movie by clicking here:  Still Alice.

Time to rate the movie, boys!

Dizzie: I give it One and a Half Paws Up!

Mr. Frank: Two Paws Up! I liked that many of the scenes revolved around food.

Alfie Cat: Two Paws Up! I stuck around for it, so it must be good.

Lilly Faye: Two Paws Up! The acting was excellent all around.

Dear Readers,

Still Alice is very well done, and definitely worth seeing if you're a teenager or an adult. I don't think younger children would get much out of it.

While it isn't an uplifting film due to its subject matter, Still Alice isn't nearly as grim as I expected it to be, either.

Love,

Lilly Faye

Lilly Faye's Movie Review: Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz

Dear Readers,

Big Eyes is the true story of artist Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), and her second husband, Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz). Walter was a consummate salesman who took public credit for Margaret's work.

Margaret's paintings of sad waifs with oversized eyes were a cultural phenomenon in the 1960s. Big Eyes is about Margaret's journey from a meek, shy woman dominated by Walter, to a self-confident woman who finally stands up for herself, laying claim to her life's work and reputation. I won't give away how Margaret does that, but it's my favorite scene in the movie!

Big Eyes is directed by Tim Burton, who has long been a collector of Margaret Keane's work.

Dizzie: In addition to her famous waifs, Margaret Keane also painted many portraits of cats and dogs, Boss!

Lilly Faye: That's right, Diz. Also, there's a pretty Toy Poodle in the movie.

You can watch the trailer for the movie here:  Big Eyes

Amy Adams won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Margaret, and Christoph Waltz was nominated for his portrayal of Walter.

Lana Del Rey also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. You can hear it here: Lana Del Rey--Big Eyes

Lilly Faye: Frank, tell everybody what you made for our movie night dinner.

Mr. Frank: Shrimp and Orzo with fresh tomatoes and basil, lemon broccoli, and garlic bread.

Alfie Cat: What did that have to do with the movie?

Mr. Frank: Nothing. But I got a good deal on the shrimp.

Lilly Faye: For anyone wondering how closely the movie hews to the truth, here is an excellent October 2014 interview with Margaret Keane in The Guardian newspaper:  The big-eyed children: the extraordinary story of an epic art fraud

Lilly Faye: I can't imagine letting anyone else take credit for writing the blog. It's the expression of my own creativity, and I pour my heart and soul into it.

Time to rate the movie, boys!

Dizzie: Two Paws Up! It made me want to find out more about the truth behind the movie.

Mr. Frank: Two Paws Up! As both a chef and a tuba player, I like stories about the artist's struggle.

Alfie: I'm abstaining. I left the room as soon as the shrimp was gone.

Lilly Faye: Two Paws Up! The actors did a great job, and I loved the 1950s and '60s fashions. I only wish I'd tried out for the role of Margaret's Toy Poodle.

Dear Readers,

Big Eyes is a fascinating look at the true story behind a cultural phenomenon, and a heartening story of a woman learning to stand up for herself. I recommend it.

Love,

Lilly Faye

Lilly Faye's Movie Review: The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones

Dear Readers,

My friends and I recently watched the film, The Theory of Everything. It's about the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his first wife, Jane Wilde Hawking (Felicity Jones).

Stephen and Jane met as students at Cambridge in the 1960s. Stephen was soon diagnosed with motor neuron disease, also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and given two years to live. Despite his dire prognosis and progressively debilitating disease, Stephen and Jane were married and remained together for more than twenty-five years. They have three children.

The movie is based on Jane Hawking's book, Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. Like the book, the movie focuses on the personal side of Jane and Stephen's life together, and the heavy toll his disease has taken on both of them.

Stephen Hawking is sometimes referred to as the Einstein of our time. He has written several books, including the huge bestseller, A Brief History of Time.

Eddie Redmayne won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Stephen. It truly is a remarkable performance.

Lilly Faye: Frank, please tell our readers what you made for our movie night dinner.

Mr. Frank: Since The Theory of Everything is a very English movie, I served baked cod with chips and roasted sprouts.

Alfie Cat: Your cod really hit the spot, Frank.

Dizzie: Your chips were almost as good as my old man's. And we got to eat outside, which makes everything taste even better!

Lilly Faye: I loved your roasted sprouts, Frank. Nobody else's sprouts are as sweet as yours.

Mr. Frank: Aww, thanks, Doll.

Lilly Faye: Now in his seventies, Stephen Hawking is still working in theoretical physics.  He has recently warned of the potential threat of artificial intelligence, and the possibility of robots taking over the world.

Dizzie: If Hawking is right, robots could take over the blog and put us out of work, Boss!

Lilly Faye: But they wouldn't be as cute as us, Diz!

You can see the official movie trailer here:  The Theory of Everything

Time to rate the movie, boys!

Dizzie: Two Paws Up! I'm not sure, but I think I might have learned something.

Alfie Cat: Two Paws Up!

Mr. Frank: Two Paws Up!

Lilly Faye: It's unanimous! Two Paws Up!

DearReaders,

The Theory of Everything is a fascinating look at a difficult marriage, and Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of Stephen Hawking is truly amazing. I recommend seeing this one!

Love,

Lilly Faye

Lilly Faye's Movie Review: Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine

Dear Readers,

Interstellar is set in the near future, when worldwide crop failures, drought, and a 1930s-type Dust Bowl have humanity scrambling to find a new habitable planet for the human race. A secret NASA project sends Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former astronaut, now a farmer, on an interstellar search mission via a wormhole.

What did we learn from the movie, boys?

Mr. Frank: Gravity seems to be the answer to everything.

Alfie Cat: Big deal. Cats have been defying gravity for eons.

THUD!

Alfie Cat: Oof! What happened?!

Lilly Faye: I think love is the answer, Frank. Interstellar is all about love as the motivation for survival against all odds.

Interstellar isn't just about science and space travel. It's also about multi-generational family relationships. I found that heartwarming.

Dizzie: I found myself invested in the characters, Boss. And I couldn't figure out how the movie was going to end, which is unusual for me.

Lilly Faye: That's true. Thirty minutes into every movie, Dizzie predicts how it's going to end.

Dizzie: And I'm usually right! 

Lilly Faye: Interstellar is an intense and suspenseful movie. It has magnificent visuals, and an excellent musical score by Hans Zimmer. The music alone kept me on the edge of my seat.

Mr. Frank: Aren't we going to talk about the dinner I prepared?

Lilly Faye: Of course, Frank. Tell our readers what you made for us this week.

Mr. Frank: I made Cajun Shrimp and Rice with Andouille Sausage. I also made homemade corn muffins, as an homage to Matthew McConaughey's character, who grows corn in the movie.

Lilly Faye: Too bad Dizzie ate most of the corn muffins before the movie even started!

Dizzie: It's a long movie, 2 hours and 48 minutes! I needed to keep up my strength. Think about bringing more muffins next time, Frank.

Lilly Faye: You can watch the official Interstellar trailer here.

The moviemakers did an excellent job of recreating the look of the 1930s Dust Bowl. You can learn more about the actual historical event here: Ken Burns' The Dust Bowl.

Time to rate the movie, boys!

Dizzie: Two Paws Up! I really liked it.

Frank: Two Paws Up! Although, the subject of crop failure and lack of food diversity is the stuff of nightmares for a chef, like me.

Alfie Cat: Two Paws Up! For its focus on time, space, and relativity, subjects near and dear to any cat's heart.

Lilly Faye: Two Paws Up! For themes of love, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Dear Readers,
If you like movies about families, adventure, and space travel, you'll enjoy Interstellar.

Love,
Lilly Faye

Lilly Faye's Movie Review: Paddington, starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, and Nicole Kidman

Dear Readers,

My friends and I watched Paddington over the weekend. It's based on a series of children's books by Michael Bond.

After an earthquake destroys his home in the Peruvian jungle, a little bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) travels to London to look for a new home. The Brown family find him in Paddington Station. They give him a name, and offer him temporary lodging.

Paddington and the Brown family (headed by Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey and Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine) spend the next several days trying to adjust to each other. Unbeknownst to them, a museum taxidermist named Millicent (Nicole Kidman), aided by a smalltime thief (Peter Capaldi, Dr. Who), wants to capture Paddington and put him on display in the museum.

Lilly Faye: I thought this movie was quite sweet, and very well done.

Dizzie: Oh, come on, Boss! Where was the tension? Nobody believes a cute creature with soft brown fur, expressive eyes, and a big nose is going to come to any real harm in a movie like this.

Alfie Cat: Watch it, Big Guy. You almost stepped in some broken glass.

Lilly Faye: I thought Nicole Kidman made a very convincing villainess. Of course, this is a family-friendly movie, so there was no graphic violence. There were plenty of laughs, though, and I loved the scenes of London.

Dizzie: I liked the scenes with the orange marmalade, Paddington's favorite food.

Lilly Faye: Speaking of food, I'd like to thank my boyfriend, Frank, for making our movie night dinner. Please tell our readers what you made, Frank.

Mr. Frank: Since Paddington is a quintessentially British story, I thought our meal should be British, as well. I made Toad in the Hole, which is sausages and a savory, puffy, baked batter. I cooked sliced apples and red onions with the sausages.

Alfie Cat: But you cooked the sausages and the batter in two separate pans, Frank. So technically, your toad wasn't in the hole.

Mr. Frank: It all ended up in the same place.

Mr. Frank: I made an English Bread and Butter Pudding for dessert. It has more butter, but a lot less sugar than a typical American Bread Pudding. I served it with vanilla ice cream.

Dizzie: Your dessert was good, Frank. But Bread and Butter Pudding should be served with a proper English Custard. Try to remember the custard, next time.

Lilly Faye: Alfie, you didn't eat as much as usual.

Alfie Cat: The last toad I ate didn't set too well.

Dizzie: You know he's not talking about a sausage, right?

Lilly Faye: You can watch the official Paddington theatrical trailer by clicking here.

Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani wrote the Paddington theme song, "Shine." It's very catchy! You can watch the music video for "Shine" by clicking here.

Lilly Faye: Time to rate the movie, boys!

Dizzie: One Paw Up! It's a kid's movie.

Mr. Frank: Two Paws Up! Take it from me, an English Bulldog, you'll love Paddington.

Alfie Cat: Two Paws Up! I thought Nicole Kidman was deliciously villainous. 

Lilly Faye: Two Paws Up! I loved everything about it, especially the gorgeous scenes of London, and of course, Paddington, himself!

Dear Readers,

Paddington is an excellent movie that will lift the spirits of both the young and the young at heart. It is rated PG. (Parents of very young children should use their own discretion.)

Enjoy!

Love, 

Lilly Faye