Movie Club: Dior & I

We were able to catch a screening of 'Dior & I' at last year's Mill Valley Film Festival. The documentary by Frédéric Tcheng (who is also responsible for 'Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel', another amazing film) captures Raf Simmons's first collection as creative director for Dior.

It provides an interesting glimpse into what happens when new talent is brought in to an existing and well established brand. The challenge for the designer to put one's own interpretation onto the collection, but also reference the amazing designs that have shaped the brand into what it is, is a very difficult one.

The journey from start to finish of this premiere collection is captured exceedingly well, and the final result doesn't disappoint. 

The film is in wide release April 10th.
images from google.

December Movie Club: Wild

We first heard of Cheryl Strayed and her hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, one that goes from the US-Mexico border through California, Oregon, and Washington up to the US-Canada border (Strayed detoured to Nevada due to snow), in an article she wrote for Vogue several years ago.  Since then, her book Wild has become a best seller, and novelist/screenwriter Nick Hornby adapted the book for a film of the same name, starring Reese Witherspoon as Strayed and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée of Dallas Buyers Club and The Young Victoria.  

Wild was shot on stunning locations in the West, and follows Strayed's journey to find the beauty in life and become the woman her late mother raised her to be, after struggles with a broken marriage and drug abuse.  Even if you cannot fully relate to the pain and difficulties of her early life, the film inspires those looking for more meaning in their existence, or those considering a major change in life.  It shows that while we each matter individually, we are also only a small part of a big, beautiful world - and there is so much to see and to experience.  

If you also see Wild, which opens in wide release today, and which we highly recommend, please share your thoughts below in the comments.

Image via Google

Mid-Month Movie Club: St. Vincent

As you know by now, we are big movie fans. Just recently we attended the 37th annual Mill Valley Film Festival, and caught an advanced screening of St. Vincent. We were especially excited as it stars Bill Murray, one of our favorites.

Murray was great in the film as the cantankerous Vincent, who takes his neighbor's son under his wing. In the same vein as Royal Tenenbaum teaching Chas's kids to gamble while watching dog fighting, Vincent brings Oliver to the horse races where they place bets, and later teaches him how to fight. That's one of our main criticisms of the film: anyone who loves Bill Murray will have seen him in Wes Anderson's films, and this film borrows on those details and spirit. However, Vincent is a very non-idealized character. His flaws are serious, but he has redeeming moments.

Naomi Watts as a pregnant stripper had some great comedic moments, and we were reminded that she does comedy quite well, a genre she's been absent from for some time (if you haven't seen I Heart Huckabees, we highly recommend).

Melissa McCarthy is fantastic, as always. She knows how to deliver a line with just the right amount of sarcasm.

Overall we really liked the movie, it was very heartwarming and well cast. If you've seen it, what did you think?