prisca | Entries tagged with movies and tv shows

Movie: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)
Main Actors: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall

The Story
Ten years, Bridget was happy together with Marc Darcy, when he suddenly dies, leaving her behind with two little children.

Four years are gone. Her life is chaotic as ever, she tries her best to deal with it for her children. Her friends are slightly worried, convince her to go back to work ... and to look for some sex.

No sooner said than done. She gets her old job back, and two men step into her life: the science teacher of her son and a good-looking, maybe too young man. The first one turns out to be a pain in her neck, the second one, after a night planned as a one-night-stand, her lover for the summer.

For a while, Bridget is happy with her life, until she realizes that all this can't be all.

My Opinion
I didn't expect much more than a funny comedy when watching the movie last Tuesday. And yes, I didn't get disappointed; Bridget (Renée Zellweger) has gotten older but is still the chaotic woman I remember from the older movies. I enjoyed Hugh Grant's and Colin Firth's minor appearances in their well-known roles. Also the new characters fit perfectly into the movie. I could smile and laugh, but I soon noticed something was different.

The movie manages the balancing act between comedy and reality much better than expected. I could feel with Bridget, the widow and single mum, in her early fifties, still mourning her husband and looking for a meaning and some luck for the rest of her life. This doesn't turn the movie around, but gives it a bit more depth than expected.

My Resume
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I got what I was looking for, a feel-good movie. It's the mixture of comedy and the touch of reality that surprised me pleasantly and made the movie even better than expected.

(Fannish 50 / Fandom 50 - post 6)

TV Show: Fire Country (3 seasons up to now = 42 episodes)
Main Actors: Max Thieriot, Kevin Alejandro and others

The Story
As the title already tells us, the show is about firefighters. It takes place in a small town in Northern California, where a fire camp for prisoners is built, offering a chance to remission their sentence by helping the fire department.

Bode Donovan is one of them; sent to a fire camp near his hometown, he not only wants to leave his past behind to make a new start, but he also tries to approach his family and former friends again.

My Opinion
Let's get straight to the point: it's a TV show, not a documentary about prisoner's fire camps. If you are looking for realism, don't watch it.

Like every TV show, Fire Country wants to entertain its audience in every possible way. There is drama, there is love, there is fighting and reconciliation. There are wildfires, earthquakes, and floods. There is heroism and treason.

As expected, the show is a mixture of fire department drama and personal drama, and yes, sometimes it can get a bit too much. No, it's not a show that will earn lots of awards because of its clever plot and brilliant actors. But it knows to entertain me, so I will continue watching the show and have fun.

My Resume
If you like watching medical, crime, or other drama TV shows that are only created for fun and don't claim to be authentic, give it a try.

The third season has just aired; a new one has not been confirmed so far, but we can hope it will happen soon because a spin-off series with the title 'Sheriff Country' already is.

(Fannish 50 - post 5)

Movie: Conclave (2024)
Main Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci
Director: Edward Berger
Based on the book Conclave by Robert Harris

Story
The Pope is dead; the cardinals from all over the world come together in the Vatican to select the new one. But not everything is as it is supposed to be. Ambitions, intrigues, and lies come to light, making the difficult task of Cardinal Lawrence, the head of the election, more and more a question of conscience.

My Opinion
Some might think this movie is a boring one about the outdated institution of the church. Others might agree with many websites that call the movie a thriller. I can't agree with any of this.

The movie is not a thriller, nor is it boring. It takes place in the Vatican and tells about the process of the Pope's election. I admit here that I don't know enough about it to say how accurately this is shown - some resources I checked after watching the movie say that it is close but not strictly authentic.

It doesn't make a difference to me because I am aware that Conclave is a movie, not a documentary. The movie lives from the different characters coming together in the Vatican. There are some gripping twists and some interesting minor characters (have an eye on Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes). Real problems, the church has to deal with today, are mentioned but not discussed widely.

There is one scene (the explosion) that I would call superfluous because here the movie tries to create a kind of tension that is actually not necessary. And there is the surprising end of the movie. No, I don't want to spoil here, but I will admit, I can understand that opinions differ about it.

My Resume
Maybe it is not necessary to watch Conclave in the cinema because there are no fantastic effects that work so much better on a big screen. But if you feel ready for an interesting movie away from action, comedy, superheroes, and spaceships, I suggest giving it a try one day.

(Fannish 50 - post 4)

Note: Keep in mind that I am living in Germany, so maybe not all mentioned titles are available in your country.

( TV Shows )

( Movies )

( Audiobooks )

Note: Keep in mind that I am living in Germany, so maybe not all mentioned titles are available in your country.

( TV Shows )

( Documentaries )

( Movies )

( Audiobooks )

Note: Keep in mind that I live in Germany, so maybe not all mentioned titles are available in your country.

( TV Shows )

( Documentaries )

( Movies )

( Audiobooks )

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aliensouldream and

primwood for giving me the needed push to watch 'Rocketman'. Without your reviews, I would never have considered watching this movie, because I have to admit that I never was very interested in Elton John. Though I know a lot of his songs, of course, who does not?

Yesterday I had a day off, and I decided that it might be a good idea to have some fun. So I did some summer shopping at first = did buy my first new bathing suit since ages, a colorful tankini; I was unsure at first, but the shop assistant convinced me to give it a try. And it looks great. Now I only have to convince me to go swimming more often. The only sport I love, but, I admit, I was pretty lazy during the last years.

After shopping, I went to the cinema to watch Rocketman. Woah, what a movie. I love every bit of it. Colorful costumes, great songs, but not completely a feel-good movie just to lean back and enjoy. It tells the story of a guy who is like a sparkling god on stage but behind his shell, he is desperately fighting his loneliness with too much party, alcohol, sex ... until it almost breaks him.

I know, there are critics who say that not all the stories of the movie are true, but hey. Elton John was the executive producer of the movie and obviously, he thinks it's good like it is. IMO not only good, but it's also brilliant. Maybe I will go and watch it again, but at least the DVD is a must-have as soon as it is released.

Watch the trailer on YouTube