Justified

Introducing my new obsession: Justified

I was looking through Netflix in the hopes of finding something to fill the hole that the end of Life left. Scrolling along I saw a TV series and checked out the blurb. At first it didn't pull me in so I went on browsing, ended up watching some Firefly. Last week however I was drawn back to that TV show. It was a slow day so I checked it out. In the week that's past I've watched the first two seasons and eagerly anticipate the third, which has just started. 

Justified tells the story of Raylan Givens (played by Timothy Olyphant), a US Marshall who is reminiscent of Wyatt Earp. Armed with good looks, good manners, a cowboy hat and a fast draw, Raylan has earned himself a reputation. The pilot opens with Raylan working in Miami. He shows up at a plush restaurant where the criminal he's been hunting is sitting at a table. Raylan had given him 24 hours to get out of town, unfortunately he chose to stay. A shoot out ensues, the criminal is killed and Raylan's boss is less than thrilled. As a punishment Raylan is sent back to him home state of Kentucky where he will Marshal the surrounding small towns, including his hometown Harlan.

His first assignment is a case involving his coal mining friend Boyd Crowder. For Raylan everything is different, yet everything is the same. His ex wife Winona works at the court house where the Marshals office is, he finds himself constantly in Harlan, the very town he swore he'd never return to, and surrounded by the people he swore to never see again. However Raylan has an in on the town that no other Marshal has. And because of that knowledge he is able to get one up on the criminals that have long been running Harlan.

The show is really well written, full of action, suspense and drama. It's a 21st century Wild West, where the O.K Corral is a daily occurrence. The characters are well developed and come with interesting back stories. Allegiances change continuously and love is lost and found again. Olyphant is mesmerizing as Raylan, commanding the screen with his intense stare. The surrounding characters are complex and Walton Goggins who plays Boyd Crowder is worth mentioning. His character has a great character arc over the first two seasons, going from psychotic to religious nut and finally resting on a loyal but lovable criminal.

Season Three has just started and I can't wait to see where the show goes next. The stakes have been raised and there's sure to be some spectacular shoot outs, all of which I'm sure will be justified.

My favourite films adapted from books

I love books, I love film, what I love most is when a great book is adapted into a wonderful film. Today's post is dedicated to the books I've read and loved that have been adapted into films equally as great. 

Atonement

I really enjoyed this haunting tale of love, war and childhood naivety. The book follows the story of Briony Tallis, a young girl in 1935 who makes a terrible mistake for which others have to pay. When I think of the best film adapted from a book I think of Atonement. The film took no shortcuts. It told the complete story of the novel beautifully. Performances by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy were wonderful and brought the characters of Cecelia and Robbie to life. 

The Lord of the Rings

My father turned me onto the Lord of the Rings books. They are his favourite and when I was 11 he gave me The Hobbit and from then on I've been a huge fan of Tolkein's LOTR series. Peter Jackson is my favourite director and I loved his interpretation of the books. It was a challenge for sure to take a beloved series like this and adapt them into film. I know when the first buzz started there were those that thought relatively unknown Jackson couldn't pull it off. He did though, and brilliantly. The films are visually stunning and the changes that were made to the story only enhanced it. 

Harry Potter

I was late on the Harry Potter bandwagon. I read the books after I'd seen the first three films. What I love about these books is that it doesn't matter if your 12 or 22, they make you feel that childhood magic, that feeling that anything is possible in a world full of wonders. I was able to enjoy the final films of Harry Potter after reading the books and loved them. I particularly enjoyed the last two films based on the final book "The Deathly Hallows". They were dark and tense but also kept that childlike imagination alive. 

The Help

A very moving and socially important book, The Help tells the story of Skeeter who, in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi decides to write a tell-all book from the help's perspective. I remember being horrified at some of the things the women described had been done to them. Although the book is fiction, the torture and beatings are not. The suffering of the African Americans during such a turbulent time in history is something we must never forget, and so I am grateful for books like this, which bring it to light. The film is really great and entertaining. It's not as heavy as the book, leaving a lot of the brutal stories out, but it still makes a wonderful point on how a few people can make a positive change. 

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautifully written book that kept me on edge the whole time. This love story follows Henry who has a strange condition, he time travels without the ability to control it. Through his travels he meets Clare at different ages. They eventually meet up in the present. She has known him most of her life, he is meeting her for the first time. It sounds confusing but the book is written so well you never get lost. The film is wonderful also and I loved the connection between Rachel McAdams' Clare and Eric Bana's Henry. The film has altered the story slightly, which is to be expected, but still keeps the main plot points. 

The Notebook

The Notebook has become one of the most loved love stories. It tells the passionate story of Noah and Allie who meet in their teens in 1940. They are from different social statures and are eventually separated. Years later, she's engaged to someone else, and he's just finished the house he promised he'd build her. They are thrown back together and discover that a love like theirs can never die. The film is as beautiful as the book. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling dated during filming and their spark is evident. The Notebook goes down in history with romances like Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. 

The Bourne Trilogy

One of my favourite books series. I remember going to see a film one day with my father and there was a trailer for The Bourne Identity. I had never heard of the book before but my dad was so excited about it I thought I'd give it a shot. I loved the book and ended up reading the trilogy quickly. I also love the films. The films however are very, very different from the books. The first film has the most similarities to the book, but the second and third are entirely different. I was quite shocked when I watched The Bourne Supremacy, I had loved the book and was expecting something similar to it. Instead they killed off a character that I knew to be vital in the second and third books. I loved The Bourne Ultimatum though, the film was very different but highly entertaining. The films are so different from the books, I recommend you read them, they show a side of Bourne the films never went close to. 

Bridget Jones's Diary

Such a classic and funny story. Bridget is one of my favourite characters. She makes all the wrong choices, falls over her own feet, but is also the most lovable and endearing book character I've ever read. Renee Zellweger's portrayal of Jones is spot on. Her british accent sounds authentic and she is hilarious to watch. I enjoyed the books but loved the films more.  

Pride and Prejudice

I watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice many times growing up. Then I saw the Keira Knightley film and fell in love with it. I didn't actually read the book till a couple of years ago. I had seen the films so many times I thought I might perhaps be bored knowing so much of the story already. I was wrong. The book is so well-written that it captures you and allows you further into the psyche of Elizabeth than the films allow.

This year there are a few films coming out that are adapted from some of my favourite books. These include:

The Hunger Games

I'm highly anticipating this film. I really enjoyed the first two books of the trilogy. I am also interested to see how they develop the characters of Katniss, Peeta and Gale. In the books Gale is more of a secondary character. I hope that the films put him more front and centre, I think it will add more to the struggles Katniss faces in and out of the arena. 

The Lucky One

I just finished this book last night and I loved it. The story follows Logan Thibault who while serving as a marine in Iraq finds a photo of a young woman. It becomes a sort of lucky charm, keeping him alive when others around him die. After a series of events he decides to walk to North Carolina to find her. Elizabeth is a single mother who lives under the threat of her ex-husband and his family. When she and Logan meet they embark on a passionate love affair, but his secret threatens to destroy them. I am looking forward to the film and hopefully it will bring to life the beautiful tale of Elizabeth and Logan. 

The Hobbit

The Hobbit is one of the most anticipated films of 2012. I am very excited for it. My family went to every LOTR film premiere and also again on Christmas Eve. I may just have to make a trip to New Zealand so that we can keep this tradition alive. 

So that's my list. What's on yours? 

Damian Lewis

Damian Lewis is a name you should all come to know. He is an incredibly talented actor who has proved himself to be versatile in many different roles. Lewis comes from England, he actually lived on the famous Abbey Road. His American accent is so authentic however that you would never think that he comes from anywhere but the States.

I first saw Lewis in his role of Captain Winters in Band of Brothers. If you've read some of my previous posts then you can probably tell that I am a huge fan of Band of Brothers. I read that when the cast heard that Brit Lewis would be playing the hero Winters there was some question as to how he could pull it off. However when he sat down with them and spoke with his American accent no one questioned that he wasn't from the US. Lewis shines in this role and bought authenticity to Winters on screen. It was an incredibly powerful performance, my favourite of all the easy company men.

I then started reading about the show Homeland and thought I'd give it a shot. I watched the first season in three days and am now eagerly anticipating the second. In the show Lewis dons a uniform again as Sgt. Nicholas Brody, a Marine who has returned home after going missing in Iraq eight years earlier. Claire Danes plays Carrie Mathison, a CIA Agent who believes that Brody isn't the hero everyone is making him out to be. Although Lewis looks similar to Winters in this role, he couldn't be playing someone more different. Brody has a dark secret and perhaps Mathison is closer to the truth than she realises. If you haven't seen then show then I recommend you watch it. The writing is brilliant and the story constantly changes and keeps you guessing.

A friend of mine recommended I check out Life on Netflix. I managed to watch the two seasons within a week. Lewis plays Charlie Crews, a detective who was wrongly accused of murder and sent to prison for 12 years. The first episode follows him on his first day back on the force with new partner Dani Reese. Crews was awarded $50 million for his wrong conviction. He lives in a furniture-less mansion with ex-con Ted Earley, who he trusts with his finances. Crews goes through some beautiful cars in the show, one which is run over by a tractor, another which he gives away only to get it back painted in flowers. He then buys himself a Maserati, only to be forced to put bullets into it. The show follows Crews and Reese as they work on different homicide cases. Crews however is also doing his own hunt for the people who put him behind bars in the first place. Lewis' Crews is a lovable character who has a newfound love for fruit after spending 12 years without it. He is all about zen but 12 years in prison has taught him some particular skills, so don't get on his bad side. If you have Netflix check it out, it's really entertaining.

It's a shame they cancelled Life, but we now get to see Lewis in Homeland and so that's definitely a great compensation. I really enjoy seeing him in these different performances and can't wait to see what season two of Homeland brings, and to watch Lewis continue on what promises to be a spectacular career.

We Bought a Zoo

This week my husband and I went to see We Bought a Zoo. I have had a celebrity crush on Matt Damon since Good Will Hunting, and it's no secret that my husband has a crush on Scarlett Johansson. So really it was a win win situation.

The film follows Benjamin Mee, a recently widowed father of two. While looking for a new house he finds the perfect place to start a new life with his children. The only problem? The house comes with a Zoo. Benjamin, a writer, has no knowledge of animal care taking. Enter his new colleagues. Scarlett plays Kelly Foster, the head zookeeper. Along with her motley crew of employees they have barely kept the struggling zoo afloat. Benjamin decides that they can save the zoo and so begins their adventure to get it ready for a grand opening in Summer.

The film is really wonderful. Damon's performance as the grieving Benjamin draws you in but it never gets too heavy or takes away from the enchanting storyline. I really enjoyed watching him play a father, it's a role I haven't seen him in before. His chiseled good looks from the Bourne days are softened out a bit making it a much more realistic transformation.

Scarlett does well as hardworking animal lover Foster. She and Damon have a good chemistry throughout the film but it is never laid on too thick, which I appreciated. Some films tend to force romance into a storyline that doesn't need it. This is not a romance genre film, rather it's the story of a man and his children and their journey through healing.

The animals also have their part to play in the film. There is a spectacular scene with a bear who escapes and goes on a little adventure. And then there's the beautiful tiger who is at the end of his life. Tigers are my favourite animal so any screen time dedicated to them is enjoyable to watch. And when you get a shot with Matt Damon and a tiger, well it doesn't get any better than that.

We bought a Zoo is adapted from the book of the same title, which is a memoir written by the real life Benjamin Mee. The true story obviously has a few differences from the film adaptation, eg. the real zoo is in England, not America. The film is really wonderful and I highly recommend it. Children will love it as much as adults. It's an uplifting story that reminds us that it's never too late to start an adventure.