Grey Gardens (2009)

Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore in a scene from the film

Having seen the documentary Grey Gardens (1975), I became interested in this made for television movie about the lives of big and little Edie Beale. Don't be put off by the fact that it was 'made for television,' this was clearly a mistake when you view the film.

Grey Gardens tells the story of this mother and daughter that the documentary only gave us hints of. With scenes remaking moments from the documentary and also scenes that take us into the background of these unusual women, we get more of an insight into the unusual lives of the two Edie's.

The acting and settings in this film are quite extraordinary. I am such a fan of Drew Barrymore, whether she is in a rom-com like Never Been Kissed or playing a teacher in the trippy film Donnie Darko, she never disappoints me. I absolutely adored her in this film, she captures little Edie's character exquisitely! Same of course goes for Jessica Lange as big Edie; a phenomenal performance. You could honestly watch the documentary and film back and forth and not spot a difference. This is also of course evident in the settings, where you can tell fine detail has gone into making it look just the original (referring to the house and costumes).

I guess I am a biased viewer as I am a bit of a fan of the documentary, so really appreciated what this film was about. But, I think if you are not aware of the story of the Beales, this film will not confuse you, it is ideal for either viewer. I may come off like I Loved this film, but it didn't 'blow my mind,' I just really enjoyed getting a new insight into the famous mother and daughter pair.

Rating: 3.5/5

Whip It

Ellen Page in a scene from the film

Well if there's one thing I got out of this film it's the inspiration to go out and buy some roller-skates and roll around town. It also just put me in a damn good mood.

Ahh I love a good ol' Drew Barrymore film, but to also find out that this is her directorial debut made it all the more thrilling! Sure this film uses as many references toward indie culture as it can, such as, Daniel Johnston's 'Hi How Are You?' t-shirts (famously worn by Kurt Cobain), but what film starring Ellen Page doesn't? To be honest this girl is starting to give me the shits, playing the same cynical, alternative, cool character in nearly every film she's ever starred in, but surprisingly she didn't bother me all that much in this one.

Page stars as the character Bliss, forced to take party in beauty pageants by her mother (Marcia Gay Harden), which just isn't for her. When she discovers a roller derby sport involving racing fellow roller-skater girls (which actually proves to be a rather violent sport), she finds herself falling in love with it and decides to sneak behind her parents' backs and take part in the sport.

There's young romance, musicians, quirky characters, food fights and an awesome soundtrack; everything you want from an indie-comedy. I'm still not sick of this genre yet so I took quite a liking to Whip It. If you're not sick of Ellen Page yet and are just up for something light-hearted this would be a perfect choice.

Rating: 4/5