What Katie Watched

Author: kbeaumont2910

  • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

    1h 48mins

    7/10

    Rewatch in the cinema

    Thought provoking – Relationships – Emotional

    A woman decides to have a medical procedure that will erase her memories of her boyfriend forever, in discovering this decision, the boyfriend chooses to undergo the same procedure.

    A film that gets you contemplating relationships and the positive and negative impacts that they have on our lives. The moments we share with others build our life experiences and can become a part of who we are. What would happen if you choose to erase every interaction you had with someone in your life, the good and the bad? Who would you be after that? Is it a good thing to remove all our “mistakes” or will we continue to repeat them if we are not left with the lessons we learnt through those mistakes? Can we truly be happy if we delete all those sad and difficult memories?

    This was the first film I saw Jim Carrey in outside of his usual comedic roles and was impressed at how much he got me to care about his character, Joel, and empathise with his pain. Kate Winslet is incredible as always.

    Would watch again

  • Hard Truths (2024)

    1h 37mins

    6/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    Depression – Grief – Family

    A woman who shows a lot of hate for the world around her and throws this energy at those around her, struggling to deal with herself internally.

    I enjoyed watching his film and seeing the two sisters who had come from the same household creating such contrasting families for themselves. There were moments of Pansy’s (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) rage that were laughable where it escalated so quickly from seemingly so little, but also moments of real empathy for her deep sadness. This then led to feelings of frustration towards her, where she was projecting her unhappiness on her loved ones, with some moments causing a deep discomfort in the pit of my stomach.

    I loved the character of Chantelle (Michele Austin) who shared love and care for everyone she interacted with, spreading joy.

    Although I enjoyed watching this film, it’s not one I would be drawn to watch again.

    Would not watch again

  • The Last Showgirl (2024)

    1h 29mins

    6/10

    Beautiful – Sad – Relationships

    A woman who has dedicated her life to being a Las Vegas showgirl finds herself feeling lost when she discovers her life on stage may be coming to an end.

    This was so pretty to watch. When I discovered it had been recorded on film, I could see that this had added to the beauty of the shots. I was also interested to find out it had all been shot in 18 days.

    I really enjoyed Jamie Lee Curtis’ performance in this film.

    I prefer the visual look of the film over the storyline, but enjoyed following the relationships between the different characters.

    Would watch again

  • Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025)

    2h 17mins

    4/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    Documentary – Rock Band – Archive Footage

    A documentary exploring the early stages of Led Zeppelins music career.

    This film is exactly what the title says, a documentary about how the band was formed and how they got themselves recognised. It stops at that and doesn’t go on to their continued success. It felt like the introduction film where maybe there is a part 2 (and possibly even a part 3 with the pacing of this film) to follow the rest of their music career.

    I went into this film knowing I enjoy a handful of their songs and I came away from the film still feeling that I do not know that much about the band. This was pretty frustrating to have spent over 2 hours watching something, to feel I was left with the same information I had before watching it. I was introduced to more of their earlier music and discovered most of it wasn’t for me.

    This feels like a film for true Led Zeppelin fans or serious music fans who enjoy learning about the technical parts of how music is made.

    I found it odd that the band members were interviewed separately for the whole film. Where I do not know much about the band, I don’t know if they have all fallen out so didn’t want to meet up. It created a very divided feeling in the film rather than a unity of being in a band.

    Would not watch again

  • Luther: Never Too Much (2024)

    1h 41mins

    7/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    Inspiring – Emotional – Soulful

    A documentary showcasing Luther Vandross’ life and career.

    I went into this film knowing and loving some of Luther Vandross’ songs and left having discovered new songs of his to love and what a beautiful man was behind this music.

    He had so much talent and perseverance to follow what he loved and knew he was capable of, with the backing and encouragement of those he loved and other respected artists. You can see how deeply those in his life cared for and loved him.

    I came away with from this film thinking about the importance of being kind to one another. It seems so crazy for this incredibly talented man who was respected and appreciated for his art, still had people in the media seeking out a “flaw” to cling onto and focus on, rather than celebrating the beloved music he created.

    Would watch again

  • James and the Giant Peach (1996)

    1h 19mins

    6/10

    Rewatch

    Friendship – Adventure – Magic

    A Roald Dahl story of a young boy who goes on a magical adventure in a giant peach with his new creepy crawly friends.

    I adore Roald Dahl books and could often be found with my nose in one of them as a child. I definitely read James and the Giant Peach, but it is not one that I hold the strongest memories of, so I am not entirely sure how close this films sticks to the original story.

    I love the mix of the live action, stop motion and mix media used in this film. Henry Selick films are so magical to watch. I enjoy this film more for its art form than being gripped by the storyline. This is a happy and nostalgic film for me.

    Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes are absolutely fabulous as Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge!

    Would watch again

  • Pretty Woman (1990)

    1h 59mins

    9/10

    Rewatch in the cinema

    Romance – Comedy – Feel-good film

    A wealthy businessman hires a prostitute to stay with him on his business trip and they both learn about themselves and their different worlds from one another.

    I really enjoyed watching this on the big screen for its 35th Anniversary Screening. I have watched this so many times and love quoting along to it. Do I think this storyline is believable, probably not. Do I care? NO!

    I love the comedic moments in this film. I like how it touches on how the different classes view one another. I like seeing how the two main characters grow from their time spent together. I love the soundtrack and the costumes. I think Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are fab in this and have great onscreen chemistry.

    Would watch again

  • A Complete Unknown (2024)

    2h 20mins

    7/10

    First time watch in the cinema

    Biopic – Drama – Going against “the norm”

    A biographical film following Bob Dylan’s life and how he rose to fame.

    Watching this film made me realise how little I knew about Bob Dylan. I knew he was a famous singer, I could maybe name a few of his songs and had a vague idea that he was a hippie of some sort. I went into this film with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

    I really enjoyed seeing how his career formed and grew. I admired how he stuck with what felt right to him even when he had people around him saying it was the wrong thing to be doing, including those close to him.

    I also had many, “Oh this is a Bob Dylan song” moments throughout the film.

    I left the film feeling like I now have a much better understanding of why Bob Dylan is so popular and his name is so important in the world of music.

    Would watch again

  • My Old Ass (2024)

    1h 29mins

    5/10

    First time watch

    Coming of Age – Romance – Comedy

    A young girl receives some advice from her future self and has to decide whether to follow it during her summer at home before heading to college.

    I didn’t dislike this film, it’s just that I can see that it was made for a different audience than myself. I think that teens and people in their early 20’s will probably love this film.

    I love the concept of being able to talk to your older self. Would you want to know where your future was headed? Would you follow your future self’s advice or would you want to find things out for yourself?

    I liked all the little bits dropped in by Aubrey Plaza’s character that give you tiny insights into what kind of future world she has come from and was left wanting to know more.

    Would not watch again

  • Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)

    2h

    8/10

    Rewatch

    Coming of Age – Friendship – Romance

    Four best friends try to hold onto their friendship while starting their journeys into adulthood and following their own paths.

    I will always have a special place in my heart for the first film, but as sequels go, I really like this one and can enjoy by itself not just as a sequel.

    This film explores first loves and first heartbreaks. It looks at how as you begin to grow up and find your own path in life, you can start to drift a part from your friends where you’re not with each other as frequently as you were when you were younger. It is up to you to put more effort into these friendships and hold onto the ones that matter to you.

    I enjoy each of the girls storylines and the relationships between them all.

    Would watch again