V A is a long standing and recognised digital creative; her voice resonates with many. In the last ten years, the site has developed into an online destination for fashion, beauty and lifestyle advice. Her sense of style, editorial flair and practical counsel offers an inspired and graceful approach to living.

V A is a long standing and recognised digital creative; her voice resonates with many. In the last ten years, the site has developed into an online destination for fashion, beauty and lifestyle advice. Her sense of style, editorial flair and practical counsel offers an inspired and graceful approach to living.

Edit by: Vicki
Apr 08, 2020

The “At-Home” Diaries: 10 Movies Not To Miss

The "At-Home" Diaries: 10 Movies Not To Miss on vickiarcher.com


There is movie watching going on.

Right about now, it is helping me to sit down and watch the movies I know and love  – there is a real comfort there – and one of my goals is to focus on comfort. I’m not kidding myself, there are evenings when the cosy, the warm and the familiar are all important and the only place my mind can rest. Normally I would gravitate to the latest, the “hot” new series or award-winning film but not during our lockdown.


This list is a mix; some romance, a lot of drama, a little bit of humour and a tinge of sadness. You may have seen some or all of them and many of them I have watched several times. Not all are blockbusters but that is their charm. The characters, their stories and in some cases the interiors have become old friends I welcome when I see. And old friends, they are very welcome right now.


Any ‘kindred spirits’ would like to add? xv



At Home: 10 Movies Not To Miss

I Am Love

‘At a dinner during which her husband, Tancredi, learns that he and his son Edoardo Recchi Jr. are about to assume control of the Edoardo Recchi Sr.’s lucrative business, Emma (Tilda Swinton) meets a chef named Antonio.’


Tilda Swinton – Bellissima. 



Beginners

‘An American romantic comedy, Beginners is a series of flashbacks telling the story of Oliver and his complicated and difficult relationship with his father. The film is gorgeously heartbreaking, demonstrating how hurtful we are to those we love while showing the ties of mutual need that bind people.’


Anything with Christopher Plummer.



Philomena

‘In 1952, Irish teenager Philomena (Judi Dench) became pregnant out of wedlock and was sent to a convent. When her baby, Anthony, was a toddler, the nuns took Philomena’s child away from her and put him up for adoption in the United States. When former BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) learns of the story, he becomes her ally.’


Judi Dench and Steve Coogan are magical together.



Chef

‘After a controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman) pushes him too far, chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) quits his position at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant. As he tries to figure out what his next step should be, he finds himself in Miami. Carl joins forces with his ex-wife (Sofía Vergara), best friend (John Leguizamo) and son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food-truck business, and the venture provides a chance to reignite his passion for cooking.’


Light, frothy and feel good all the way.



The Butler

‘After leaving the South as a young man and finding employment at an elite hotel in Washington, D.C., Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is hired as a butler at the White House. Over the course of three decades, Cecil has a front-row seat to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office. However, his commitment to his “First Family” leads to tension at home, alienating his wife (Oprah Winfrey) and causing conflict with his anti-establishment son.’


Forest Whitaker is remarkable as Cecil; nearly as good as his performance in The Last King of Scotland. 

Stuck In Love

‘A beautifully intertwined love story showing the ups and downs of a father, his ex-wife, and their children experiencing love. The film weaves the three love stories of the different generations seamlessly and leaves you caring deeply about the characters.’

Where is Greg Kinnear now? Come back to the screen, please.


 Jane Eyre

‘A sleek revision of the classic Charlotte Brontë novel, the 2011 version of Jane Eyre features Mia Wasikowska as the titular governess and Michael Fassbender as her employer-and-lover-with-a-secret, Rochester — both lending stunningly aggrieved performances to the tale of their burgeoning love affair.’

You will never think of Fassbender as Steve Jobs again.


Spy Game

‘Redford stars as CIA operative Nathan Muir, who is on the brink of retirement from the field, when he learns his protégé Tom Bishop has been arrested in China on a charge of espionage. No stranger to the machinations of the CIA’s top echelon, Muir hones all his skills and irreverent manner in order to find a way to free Bishop.’

Brad Pitt and Robert Redford – What’s not to love?


Happy Go Lucky

‘Teacher Poppy Cross (Sally Hawkins) is an eternal optimist who lives with her more cynical friend Zoe (Alexis Zegerman). Deciding she wants to learn to drive, she starts taking lessons from Scott (Eddie Marsan), a tense and downbeat instructor who believes Poppy’s levity reflects a lack of seriousness. Although they clash, Poppy is not deterred from her goal.’

The divine Sally Hawkins + Mike Leigh.


Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy

‘In 1970s England the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), dispatches an agent (Mark Strong) to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the identity of a Soviet spy in the organisation’s ranks. However, the mission goes wrong, and the general dies before he can reveal the information. Undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney) calls veteran agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) back from forced retirement to ferret out the mole and stop the flow of vital British secrets to the Russians.’

Top Secret is tops with me.
Edit by: Vicki
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