My Review: Shaun of the Dead (7/10

"We're coming to get you, Barbara!"

Shaun of the Dead is one of those films that benefited from the release date since a few weeks earlier the zombie horror flick, Dawn of the Dead hit theaters worldwide. A couple of years before that Danny Boyle scared audiences in England with his successful zombie flick 28 Days Later. Shaun of the Dead works as a spoof to all zombie movies so the distributors had perfect timing which is essential for a comedy. The film also had a pretty strong fan base considering Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had worked with director Edgar Wright in the past in the TV series Spaced. The setting for this film was just perfect and Wright and Pegg did a great job with the script. Thanks to Shaun of the Dead we got to see these actors team up together for another great film: Hot Fuzz (a spoof on pretty much all the 90's action movies) and for the upcoming The World's End which is receiving great reviews from critics. Fans of the TV series Spaced might enjoy some inside references in Shaun of the Dead, but regardless of wether or not you've seen it you will still have a great time with this film because the script is witty and clever while the performances are also all pretty strong. The more zombie movies you've seen the more you will enjoy this because it makes fun of several of those generic stereotypes. I wouldn't say this is a horror flick because there isn't really a scary moment, but it is an intelligent comedy that makes fun of those cheesy moments in horror films (jump scenes where one person shows up all of a sudden with creepy music in the background). Shaun of the Dead is worth your time if you are looking for a good and fun time.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) is kind of a slacker who hasn't done much with his life. He is content to spend his days with his roommate Ed (Nick Frost) and his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) hanging out at the local pub where he is a frequent customer. The problem is that Liz is tired of the relationship since all they do is hang out with Ed at the pub and she barely gets to have time alone with him. Shaun promises to take her out to a nice restaurant and turn his life around, but the next day he gets distracted by a visit from his stepdad (Bill Nighy) who reminds him he has to go visit his mother (Penelope Wilton) thus forgetting to reserve a table for dinner with his girlfriend. Tired of Shaun's broken promises, Liz decides to break up with him. Shaun realizes it's time to turn his life around, but something strange is happening in his town. All of a sudden dead people are coming back to life and attacking everyone so Shaun realizes this is the perfect opportunity to prove to Liz that he is capable of saving and protecting her from the deadly zombie attacks.

Shaun of the Dead works really well thanks to the great chemistry between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; you can tell their friendship transcends the big screen and seeing them pair up is what works best in this film. The British gags and cultural references cross borders and the jokes are effective anywhere. This is one film anyone can enjoy because it works on its own. It isn't one of those spoof films which you can only enjoy if you've seen the movie it's making fun of. The fun and the jokes work on their own and the relationship between the characters is also really strong. Shaun of the Dead came to my attention when Quentin Tarantino shared his list of the 20 best films of the last 20 years and this movie appeared on that list. I really enjoyed this movie, but I don't consider it among the best comedies of our era. In my opinion Hot Fuzz was even funnier, but I really look forward to The World's End which looks really promising. Shaun of the Dead is worth checking out if you are one of the few people that haven't seen it.

Rating: 7,8/10

My Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (8/10)

¨Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not the end.¨

There is a scene near the beginning of the film where you have Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith all sitting next to each other in the airport. Just to get these talented actors together in one movie is an impressive accomplishment. To take them to the beautiful and colorful India is another. How can you go wrong with such a talented cast? Well we´ve seen it go wrong in Hollywood with films like Valentine´s Day and New Year´s Eve, but here director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) was able to give each actor enough screen time for their characters to develop and interact with one another. Another difference between those films is that here all the characters are connected with each other and are living under the same roof: the Marigold Hotel. That allows for the film to flow smoothly. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has one weakness in my opinion, which is the title, but the film does work really well as a feel good comedy. It wasn’t the kind of film that made me laugh really hard, but it did have me smiling throughout the two hours. The beginning is a little slow since we are introduced to each character individually, but once they are all in the hotel together the film works really well. It moves really smoothly from comedic moments to touching and emotional ones, balancing things out really well; and you will leave the theater with a big smile in your face. It is a wonderful film with a talented cast and an interesting script adapted by Ol Parker from Deborah Moggach´s novel ¨These Foolish Things.¨

In the very beginning of the film we are introduced to the main characters of the story. On the first hand there is Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench), who recently lost her husband and learns that she has to sell her home due to his debts. Then we are introduced to Judge Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson) who decides it is time to retire from his job and move to India. Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean Ainslie (Penelope Wilton) have been married for nearly 40 years and lost their life´s savings after lending it to their daughter for a business proposition. Just like Evelyn they are searching for a retiree home that they can afford. Muriel (Maggie Smith) on the other hand is in desperate need of a hip surgery and the hospital gives her the option of having it done in India. Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup) is single in his 70´s and is searching for a companion or at least a memorable night. And finally there is Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) who is also searching for a partner after having been divorced multiple times and is tired of living with her daughter and grand children. Each one of these people decides to retire at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India after being attracted by the ads on internet of such a magical palace. Once they arrive at the hotel they discover that it is nothing like it was on the ads, but sometimes the unexpected things in life are what make it so enjoyable. Dev Patel plays the Hotel manager and he has a love interest, but the true stars are the senior actors.

Director John Madden has given us a lesson on how it is possible to make a film with several talented actors and give each one of them character depth. We all know how great Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith are, but the rest of the cast was also outstanding. Ronald Pickup had the funnier character and he got the most laughs from me. Celia Imrie was also a delight on screen as well as Penelope Wilton. The film deals with some very interesting issues and I loved the message it got across about being able to adapt to different changes. It is never too late to welcome changes in our lives, and the more willing one is to embrace those changes the better because humans have this special ability to adapt to change, but the problem is that many times we are so comfortable with our lives the way it is that we end up fearing change. Jean Ainslie wasn’t willing to adapt to the change in her life and became a bitter person, but Douglas on the other hand began to see things differently when he was willing to embrace life in India. Another issue that arises here has to do with the way society sometimes treats seniors like a sickness instead of finding better ways of life for them. It always seems like an easier solution to send them to some sort of retirement home, but we fail to treat them the way they deserve to be treated. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel teaches us that there is some wisdom in these senior citizens and that it is never too late to adapt to changes. The cast alone is proof of what a magnificent job these seniors can still do.

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