With seven weeks left until the end of June, these films are perfect for when revision is getting you down or you need the perfect excuse to procrastinate.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Stressed about exams? Bored out of your mind looking through reams of paper? Sit back and enjoy this comic-based film that has something for everyone. If you think you’ve ever had your partner’s ex become a problem in your life, you’ll be blown away by Scott’s situation. He falls for edgy girl Ramona Flowers, who has a bunch deadly exes that he has to defeat. Based on comics by the fantastic Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is fun and easy to watch.
[video:https://youtu.be/7wd5KEaOtm4]Bridget Jones
The Bridget Jones trilogy is the ultimate series of chick flicks. Although its feminism is questionable – Bridget is obsessed with losing weight and finding her Mr Darcy – this romantic comedy, which was adapted from Helen Fielding’s newspaper column, is a feel-good classic. Like Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You, it reinterprets a classic Austen novel (Pride and Prejudice) and uses its plot to discuss issues facing 21st century women.
[video:https://youtu.be/mJsvmscPY9w]Gone Girl
Adapted from Gillian Flynn’s novel, Gone Girl updates the bestselling page-turner and ramps up the intensity. Nick and Amy are seemingly in a loving and happy marriage but, when Amy goes missing on their fifth anniversary, Nick becomes a suspect. It’s a really interesting view on American crime in the media and what happens in people’s minds without others – even their husband or wife – realising.
[video:https://youtu.be/Ym3LB0lOJ0o]Notting Hill
William Thacker owns a bookshop in London and falls in love with Anna Scott, a charming American actress. The roles are filled by Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts – perhaps one of the most perfect pairings in romantic comedy history. Notting Hill is full of twists and turns and great characters, too; Will’s roommate, Spike, is pure comedic genius. Aren’t we all just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her?
[video:https://youtu.be/ArlsU2_cUbg]The Parent Trap
Lindsay Lohan has, admittedly, lost her stride in recent years; even The Canyons, adapted in 2013 from a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, couldn’t save her career. The Parent Trap gives us a baby-faced Lohan playing two very similar people. Annie and Hallie are complete strangers when both of their parents send them to Summer camp. Having lived on opposite sides of the world, with Hallie in America and Annie in Britain, they discover that they’re twins and decide to swap places and spend time with parents they’ve never met. The film is full of giggles and sweet family moments with a fantastic ending.
[video:https://youtu.be/32WeiH4TrIY]The Skeleton Twins
Milo and Maggie are twins who discover that they both suffer from mental health issues. The film follows them as they try to understand why they both feel so broken; Maggie is evaluating her rocky marriage and Milo is struggling with his first love. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig play the lead roles and tackle mental health issues sensitively and with well-judged humour. It’s a funny, moving, and insightful film.
[video:https://youtu.be/fQJ6vb-Pzb8]Cake
Claire Bennett, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, is the protagonist in Cake, a 2014 film that focuses on regaining control after traumatic events. She suffers from chronic pain after a car accident that killed her son. We see how Claire copes with the grief she feels for both her son and Nina, a woman in her support group who committed suicide. Anniston really gets to show off the depth of her acting skills here; she manages to portray how grief can cause more than just sadness. This is a tragic but hopeful film.
[video:https://youtu.be/P3IsUOSHlnU]
