While I Iron...

So, I've officially decided that spending my last few weeks of my holidays at home to taking care of the house. I've been doing things like, vacuuming the rooms, hanging the newly washed clothes and IRONING the clothes. I officially know what it's like to be a house wife - minus cooking really.

But this blog is particularly about Ironing. See the females in my family, all seem to have one fetish when we iron. We all like to have something to watch - THE TV MUST BE ON. So, I decided that I should borrow movies I have never seen before (and have always been interested to watch) and hire them (from my local library - that's right my local LIBRARY.)

So here we go...


Kate and Leopold starring: Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman.

This movie begins in 19th century New York where Stuart Besser (Leive Schreiber) defies time and finds himself being chased his distant relative, Leopold (Hugh Jackman), into modern-day New York. Falling through the portal that divides past and present, Leopold is forced against his will to survive in a NEW York for a week before the portal open once more.

But since we all know that tampering with time only messes things up, this movie's twist at the end give every girl back 2002 the chill as Leopold finds the wife of his dreams in Kate McKay (Ryan) - a woman driven by her hate for her ex-boyfriend to progress further in her career in advertising.

I wont deny it - I liked this movie. Who doesn't like a good chick flick? What I never like though, are time traveling movies - with the exception of Back to the Future. I just never get how it works. Just like the movie Lake House. I mean I liked that movie too, but I really didn't get how it was possible! Really!

stricklyLeisure rating: ***/*****



Stardust starring: Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Charlie Cox

This movie was about a young man going on a quest to bring back a shooting star for the woman of his dreams, to prove that he was better than any man who was only willing to go as far as Ipswitch for a diamond ring. But here's a catch: the shooting star fell towards the mysterious land beyond The Wall - and NO ONE crosses the border of The Wall.

But regardless of his inferior existence to those around him, Tristan (Cox), goes off towards the star. Nevertheless when he reaches the star he finds that the star is actually a woman named Yvaine (Danes) with ambitions of her own. Forced to follow Tristan for her only hope back to the sky - for he possessed a special candle that took you to mind's desires.

Little did they know that her heart was the most important power in that universe. Witches (Pfeiffer) ate it for their youth to return, Kings ate it for eternal life and Mortals on the other side of Wall would study it for years.

Yes it's another chick flick. But it's really one of the better book-to-movie things (although, mind you, I haven't read the book). I really liked the story line and how everything lead to another. Unlike some movies that just jump from one place to another - like Harry Potter 5.

stricklyLeisure rating: ****/*****


December Boys starring: Daniel Radcliffe

Based on Michael Noonan's novel, it follows the stories of four orphans who share the birth month of December - hence the title. Maps, Misty, Sparks and Spit are given the trip of their life-time towards the coast for being the oldest children in the orphanage.

Not knowing what lies ahead of them, the four boys prepare for the time of their lives. Little did they know that on the occasion of their visit to the coast their friendship and brotherhood would be challenged. Misty gets word that one of them would be adopted and their familial ties begin to strain as the fight for the affections of Fearless and his wife.

This is an Australian film and I must say this was a very good one. I've seen really bad Aussie films, but I really like the changes in this film - and yes I did read this book. This had a clearer story line than the book and I liked the different themes that they incorporated. Adding themes like young love, brotherhood, sickness and challenging your identity. I liked it a lot more than I though I would. And no, I'm not being bias because I think Daniel Radcliffe is alright, it was just better than I expected - and believe me, I can deconstruct a movie from beginning to end (that was not necessary, but I never said that I would deconstruct it well!)

stricklyLeisure rating: ***/*****


Finally, Tristan and Isolde starring: James Franco and Sophia Myles

Following the ancient stories of Tristan and Isolde, it said that it was their story that lead to many other stories of love and betrayal. Stories including Lancelot and Guinevere and Romeo and Juliet.

When Tristan (Franco), a warrior for the Britons, is thought to be dead, the land of Cornwall was sent into mourning for their greatest warrior and the terrible massacre due to Irish hands. But alas, their young warrior is only sleeping and lo and behold, has washed into the lands of the Irish, where their princess, Isolde (Myles), finds him and cares for the stricken warrior.

In the course of his recuperation, a greater bond is formed between inflicted and healer. But fate was not kind and tore the lovers apart with the return of the Irish warriors and the word that a Briton boat had been spotted on their shores. Having heard of his daughter's future husband dead by the hands of the Brits, Donnchadh (David O'Hara), offers his daughter as a price in order to fulfill his initial goal of conquering Briton and dividing the nation.

And that's only the beginning of the problems for the Britons.

Another chick flick wrapped in blood and gore and some ancient myth in order to get both guys and girls in the same cinema. I didn't like this one as much as the others (but Franco id really cute!), because I'm one of those weird girls who likes the blood and gore more than the lovey-dovey stuff - don't get me wrong, I love a good chick flick, but i just don't like mixing swords and shields with kissing and sappy lines!

Although, in the movie's defense, it is called "Tristan and Isolde" so the movie should really be about "Tristan AND Isolde". Unlike the movie Australia...I own that movie an I still can't see why they named it that. Although, in that movie's defense, I couldn't find a better name.

stricklyLeisure rating: **/*****


Alright...my absolute favourite of the four movies above would definitely be Stardust. Yeah...

Next on stricklyLeisure: "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" - The book and why I shouldn't have read it before I watched the movie.