Charmed.
Yes I've gone with a normal title this time. A nice, dignified fucking title with a proper film review to boot. The film is called Enchanted April. Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pushing Tin) and released in 1992.
This is typically the kind of film I hate. Just look at the fucking poster. It ticks all of the boxes for films I characteristically despise. It's about four English *tick* women *tick* in the 1920s *tick* taking some quiet *tick* time out from all the men that surround them *tick* by going on holiday in Italy for a month (but I won't tell you which). In addition, this film is set at around about the same time my own country was tearing itself apart in civil war (again). So, you know, this isn't the type of thing that usually appeals to me. I hated Atonement and thought this was in a similar vein, so this film provided me with the opportunity to get a real rant of a review going. Something that would allow you to laugh at me and be all like 'Conor, you so crazay', then laugh, sigh and take quiet pity on me.
And so; yes. I do hate this film. Why? BECAUSE IT'S RUINED MY FUCKING BLOG! THAT'S WHY! I wanted to rant, swear, get annoyed by bad characterisation and be all 'BORING ENGLISH PEOPLE SUCK' but NO! I can't do that! This film is fucking beautiful! It's great! I love it! AND I HATE THE FUCKER.
Ahem. Let me explain.
It's kind of like Hitler. If you were to meet Hitler now you'd be all like, 'What a bastard. I'm gonna mess up this c**t something proper'. But then Hitler greets you with a gentle handshake, a smile, then hopes your mother is well after that cough she had in March. "Oh... uh...it was nothing sinister, Mein Fuhrer, but I'll tell you she sends her finest regards" and then BOOM! You're friends with the Antichrist. If he were my kind of Hitler, we would start to talk about Daft Punk afterwards and he'd say that yes, Discovery is technically their best album but it just doesn't have the raw power of Homework.
That's what exactly what I experienced while watching Enchanted April.
I expected to see a bunch of bored rich people talking about feelings the whole time, and that's what they did! But that's where the film's masterpiece lies. They were indeed people. They weren't film characters that purely spout lines for plot purposes. Each and every character is so well-written and acted that you forget all about stuff like actors, directors and cameras and all that shit writers don't care about. You get the feeling that you're peering into these people's lives. You experience their hopes, their disappointments, the dilemmas, the dreams, the flaws, and it's all packed into 95 sedated minutes that drift you along in truly beautiful surroundings.
I can't recommend this film enough. Just sit back and let it wash over you for the character drama that it is. It's uplifting and, guys, if you show it to your girlfriend she'll totally repay the favour.
Filthy Bastards
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