Film 2456 - Legally Blonde

Intro: Back to when I was still seeing Luke, on Patty's Day we decided to watch his favourite movie.

Film 2456: "Legally Blonde" (2001), Robert Luketic
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Luke
Thoughts: The more I watch this movie, the more I enjoy it. Back in the day, I think it was considered just a "silly" romcom, but nowadays it has gained cult status — and rightfully so.
Reese Witherspoon's performance as Elle Woods is perfect. She embodies the character in such a unique way; she was truly meant to play this part, and it definitely helped launch her career.
"Legally Blonde" is more than just a chick flick, and I think time has proven that. When it first came out, although it was a huge financial success, received accolades, and became part of pop culture, I still think it was viewed as a film made for young girls — just another comedy centered around romance and not much else. Movies like this one, "Mean Girls" or "Clueless", all proved to be much more than that, establishing legacies that would have been hard to predict 20+ years ago. Rewatching these movies all these years later and realizing how funny, entertaining, and well made they still are is not just a pleasure, but also a testament to their lasting value and legacy.
Film 887 - La rivincita delle bionde
Film 2261 - Legally Blonde
Film 2456 - Legally Blonde
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, Holland Taylor, Ali Larter, Oz Perkins, Linda Cardellini, Raquel Welch.
Box Office: $142 million
Worth a watch?: Always a fun watch. If you've never watched it, give it a chance — it's funny, enjoyable, and Reese Witherspoon's performance is iconic..
Awards: 2 Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy (Reese Witherspoon). 3 MTV Movie & TV Awards wins (Best Comedic Performance, Best Line, and Best Dressed all for Witherspoon) over 5 nominations (Best Movie, Best Female Performance)
Key word: Perm.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2455 - Get Out

Intro: I actually forgot Niamh and I watched this while in Fuerteventura. This was my homework for the Screenwriting course I took earlier this year, and our lecturer asked us to watch the film and be ready to talk about it for the next class.

Film 2455: "Get Out" (2017), Jordan Peele
Watched: From my laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: To think that I didn't necessarily love this movie the first time I watched it... is crazy!
The more I rewatch it, the more I enjoy it, really. I think it's such a smart film and script, especially refreshing for when it came out. Daniel Kaluuya's performance is amazing, perfectly summed up by the scene on the couch. And Jordan Peele rightfully won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the twisted, compelling work he did here. The social commentary and irony his story brings up are so well crafted and perfectly executed that "Get Out" is a pleasure to rewatch every time.
Film 1378 - Scappa: Get Out
Film 1625 - Get Out
Film 2455 - Get Out
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, LaKeith Stanfield, Lil Rel Howery, Catherine Keener.
Box Office: $259.8 million
Worth a watch?: A really, really good psychological horror film that should be on everyone's list of movies not to miss.
Awards: 4 Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Director, and Actor for Kaluuya), it won for Best Original Screenplay. 3 BAFTA nominations for (Best Actor in a Leading Role for Kaluuya, Best Original Screenplay) it won for Rising Star (Kaluuya). 2 Golden Globe nominations (Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Kaluuya). 7 nominations at the MTV Movie & TV Awards (Movie of the Year, Best Actor in a Movie, Best Villain, Best Duo, and Best Fight Against the System), it won for Best Comedic Performance (Lil Rel Howery) and Next Generation (Kaluuya). 2 Actor Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Kaluuya).
Key word: Photos.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2454 - Wuthering Heights

Intro: Straight to the movies again, this time to watch the talk of the Winter season.

Film 2454: "Wuthering Heights" (2025), Emerald Fennell
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I love "Promising Young Woman", and I like the boldness of "Saltburn", so I came into this with a naive sense of tranquility. I mean, the reviews weren't spectacular, but considering the many 'controversies' regarding the costumes, the quotation marks, and the actors (two Australians playing British characters), I thought it was more of a PR stunt than an actual issue with the movie. Boy, was I wrong.
I'll be completely honest: I really didn't like this movie. Not from an aesthetic point of view, nor from a purely plot standpoint. I thought it was mostly boring and visually daring just for the sake of it, which is never good.
The costumes didn't make sense to me. I appreciate when a movie goes bold and switches things up visually, but here it all seemed geared toward shock value rather than a genuine stylistic choice. Also—and this is just my personal opinion—I didn't like the costumes per se; they felt like a mix-and-match, not particularly inspired. It seemed like they decided early on that the movie should be daring and provocative, but when it came time to actually plan and execute it, the whole vision fell apart and they had to save face somehow.
Same issue with the interior design: it looks interesting from afar, but the moment you start focusing on the details, things stop making sense—especially in combination with the costumes.
Additionally, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi didn't do it for me. Their accents are all over the place and seem to change from scene to scene.
Personally, I didn't enjoy the plot much either. I was never a fan of the novel, if I'm being honest, so there's definitely some bias on my part.
All in all, I was very disappointed with this movie. It could have been such a cool project; instead, it's a messy patchwork that never fully comes together.
Cast: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, Ewan Mitchell, Owen Cooper.
Box Office: $242 million
Worth a watch?: If you're a fan of Fennell's work, I think you should still watch this. I didn't like it, but this is clearly a very personal interpretation of the story and another entry in her filmography that shouldn't be missed. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more Charli XCX.
Awards: /
Key word: Wedding.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2453 - O Agente Secreto

Intro: Finally back to the movies—it's still Oscars time, and we decide to go and watch this film before it leaves theaters.

Film 2453: "O Agente Secreto" (2025), Kleber Mendonça Filho
Watched: At the movies
Language: Portuguese, German
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I haven't seen many Brazilian movies in my life, so it was inevitable that I would compare this one to the one I watched a year ago, which was also nominated for multiple Oscars. The thing is, "O Agente Secreto" is not "Ainda Estou Aqui".
There are things I really enjoyed about this film: Wagner Moura, for one, is amazing. I think I saw him in previous American endeavours like "Elysium" and "Civil War", but I can't really say I remember his performances there. "The Secret Agent" was my real introduction to his work, and my oh my, I was impressed. I knew he didn't have a shot at winning Best Actor at the Oscars, but his is definitely one of my favourite performances from last year.
Furthermore, this is a very compelling story, especially for someone like me with no prior knowledge of Brazilian history. Once you get into the groove of the plot and how it’s told, once you figure out what the whole hairy leg situation is about, you do get invested. And here’s my biggest problem with this film: it's really hard to follow the story.
I know it might sound contradictory considering what I just said, but I found it really, really hard to follow everything that was going on—the time jumps, events I know nothing about, the number of characters, reading between the lines while also keeping up with subtitles, the three Wagner Moura characters... it’s a lot. Not even Debbi—who was born and raised in Brazil and lived there until 2023—knew about the leg thing and had to google it to understand what it meant (apparently it was a form of satire used in newspapers to call out shady police work back in the day, or at least that’s what she told me). I also had to check the plot on Wikipedia afterwards because I wasn’t sure about some parts (I should disclose that I fell asleep at one point, right at the pivotal moment of the sofa conversation where he's recording testimony about Ghirotti's corrupt activities. So yeah, that didn’t help).
Overall, I think "O Agente Secreto" is a good movie, but too chaotic for a story so complex and rich in detail and historical references that I knew nothing about. A more straightforward plotline would have definitely helped me grasp what I was watching without having to rely on the internet for a recap or further explanation. I'm not saying the story should have been simplified for international audiences, but at least for me, a more linear narration would have made a difference. And I know comparisons aren’t always fair, but the emotional impact that "Ainda Estou Aqui" had on me didn’t quite carry over here.
Cast: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Udo Kier.
Box Office: $22.5 million
Worth a watch?: Not an easy watch. The plot is dense (from Wikipedia: "It follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in political turmoil during the Brazilian military dictatorship, attempting to flee persecution.") and the screenplay doesn’t make it particularly easy to follow what’s going on—or at least that was my experience. Wagner Moura delivers a performance for the ages and proves he’s a superstar.
Awards: 4 Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Actor, Casting, and International Feature Film). 2 BAFTA nominations (Best Original Screenplay and Film Not in the English Language) and 2 Golden Globe wins (Best Foreign Language Film, Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama) over 3 nominations (Best Motion Picture – Drama). Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2026 César Awards. The movie competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2025, where it won 4 awards (FIPRESCI Prize, Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai, Best Director, and Best Actor).
Key word: Hairy leg.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2452 - Quiz Lady

Intro: Back home after two weeks in Fuerteventura and before going back to the movies, this is the first film I watched.

Film 2452: "Quiz Lady" (2023), Jessica Yu
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Bill
Thoughts: Not groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it. It delivered exactly what I expected (and was looking for).
It’s always nice to see Sandra Oh, she’s a great actress and definitely deserves more roles on both the big and small screen, and here she’s no exception: she’s playing a very different character from what I’ve seen her do in the past. She’s loud and in your face, channelling crazy and unhinged energy. And look, she didn’t reinvent the wheel, but she definitely delivered. Especially next to Awkwafina, who is her exact opposite here. Reserved and invisible, her Anne gives off almost on-the-spectrum energy, especially when it’s time to play the game and answer all the questions.
Again, "Quiz Lady" isn’t giving anything we haven’t seen before, but the great chemistry between the two leads keeps the boat afloat, and it works.
Cast: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Paul Reubens, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Jonnie Park, Will Ferrell.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: I think this TV movie is a good vehicle for both Awkwafina’s and Sandra Oh’s talent, and if you like these two actresses, then this film is definitely for you. For everyone else, "Quiz Lady" is a fun enough ride that delivers some enjoayble moments and works as good, lighthearted entertainment.
Awards: It won Outstanding Television Movie at the 2024 Emmy Awards, securing Awkwafina and Sandra Oh (on her 14th nomination!) finally that Emmy win.
Key word: Linguini.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2451 - Angels & Demons

Intro: Last Fuerteventura movie before we came back to our everyday life in Dublin. Another Netflix pick.

Film 2451: "Angels & Demons" (2009), Ron Howard
Watched: From the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: This was always my favourite of the three movies inspired by Dan Brown's book, but now that I've seen it again... I don't know anymore. I mean, I still find it entertaining and I LOVE Hans Zimmer's soundtrack, but overall, "Angels & Demons" isn't as great as I remember it to be. To be honest, after rewatching the first one right before watching this one, I have to admit some details of the two plots kinda merged together, and I couldn't tell the two movies apart anymore. The Church is still involved, Silas (Paul Bettany) and the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) almost feel like the same character, and because of the nature of the two stories (a race against time, the amount of plot twists and clues), there really are similarities between "The Da Vinci Code" and this film. Plus, the plot involving the Camerlengo is so absurd that it's hard to keep a straight face.
Anyway, for what it is, "Angels & Demons" is still an enjoyable, crazy (helicopter) ride.
Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code
Film 81 - Angeli e demoni
Film 1287 - Angeli e demoni
Film 2451 - Angels & Demons
Film 1237 - Inferno
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Box Office: $485.9 million
Worth a watch?: If you like Dan Brown's books and/or enjoyed the previous film, this one is still a decent enough watch—something that cannot be said about the third, awful movie of this trilogy.
Awards: /
Key word: Tongue.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2450 - Mamma Mia!

Intro: Another evening in Fuerteventura, another movie at Debbi's. This time the trio reunited for dinner, and we decided to watch a movie that we all love (and that was available on Netflix).

Film 2450: "Mamma Mia!" (2008), Phyllida Lloyd
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi, Niamh
Thoughts: Lately, musicals have been a hit or miss for me, but there are some that I can always go back to and enjoy. "Mamma Mia!" is one of them.
It's not perfect by any means. I think some of the shots are clunky, and the heavy use of green screen really takes you out of it in some scenes, but overall the music is great and the cast is fantastic, so it's an extremely enjoyable experience. More so than its sequel anyway.
Meryl Streep is a perfect Donna, and I think she has great chemistry with both Amanda Seyfried and her two bandmates (Julie Walters and Christine Baranski). In general, the female cast is a step above everybody else. The energy they bring and the fun they're having together transcend the screen and really reach the audience—it's contagious. Even more so if you know the songs: try not to sing along!
From a technical point of view, I think the movie could have been a bit "cleaner," but it compensates for its clumsiness with charismatic energy, wit, and a lot of fun.
Ps. I've been taking a Screenwriting class at the Lir Academy lately, and our lecturer asked us to come up with a couple of loglines for movies we had watched in the past. I picked "Weapons" and "Mamma Mia!", so I thought I'd include the one I wrote for this movie here:

A young woman planning her wedding on a small island in Greece decides to invite her three possible fathers to the celebration without telling her free-spirited mother. Things get complicated when the three men arrive at the same time, each believing he might be her father.

Film 1664 - Mamma Mia!
Film 1705 - Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Film 2450 - Mamma Mia!
Cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski.
Box Office: $706.4 million
Worth a watch?: If you love musicals, or this one specifically, "Mamma Mia!" the movie adaptation is good fun and shouldn't be missed. If musicals are not your thing... then it's better to leave it.
Awards: 3 nominations at the 2009 BAFTAs for Outstanding British Film, Best Film Music, and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. 2 Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical (Meryl Streep) and 1 Razzie Award win for Worst Supporting Actor (Pierce Brosnan). The movie was nominated for 1 Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and Best Breakthrough Female Performance (Amanda Seyfried) at the MTV Movie & TV Awards.
Key word: Wedding.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2449 - People We Meet on Vacation

Intro: We're still in Fuerteventura and the girls have joined us on the island. Petra & Rebecca are on one side of the main village, while Debbi's accommodation is right next to ours. So on Monday, since Niamh had her college course, I went over to her's to watch a movie and have dinner together.

Film 2449: "People We Meet on Vacation" (2026), Brett Haley
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi
Thoughts: I didn't know what to expect with this one. I didn't know the story, nor the book this is taken from, so I went in with low expectations and the hope that I would at least have a decent time. And look, to be fair, I did have a decent time at the beginning.
"People We Meet on Vacation" is your classic Netflix romcom that you watch and forget about the next day. There's nothing remarkable about it: the aesthetic is perfectly clean and glamorous, with no hint of real life anywhere. Everyone seems to be either rich or somehow gravitating towards a luxurious lifestyle, considering the way the characters are dressed and the locations they’re placed in. And of course, most of the romantic moments happen in what could easily be a postcard backdrop. But no one was really aiming for realism here.
Once you make peace with that and focus on the plot... oh jeez. If I had to summarize what happens in this movie, I'm not sure I'd be able to remember anything beyond the classic 'will they won't they' cliché. They're just friends, but secretly they're made for each other and obviously already in love, except the timing never seems to work in their favour. Eventually, towards the end, they find a way to finally **(I don't think it's a) SPOILER** make it happen for themselves. They are in love, all is good in the world, and we can move on because really, who in their right mind didn’t expect the plot to go exactly like this? Nobody.

Cast: Emily Bader, Tom Blyth, Sarah Catherine Hook, Lucien Laviscount, Miles Heizer, Jameela Jamil, Lukas Gage, Molly Shannon, Alan Ruck.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Predictable and not memorable enough for any other qualities to make it stand out, "People We Meet on Vacation" is a good enough option for a night of brainless escapism, but not much else. Also, sorry to say, but I wasn’t impressed by Emily Bader's performance in the lead.
Awards: /
Key word: Ohio.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code

Intro: Another evening at home in Fuerteventura, another movie courtesy of Netflix Spain.

Film 2448: "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), Ron Howard
Watched: On the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I had watched this movie before, but I was never a huge fan of this franchise. If anything, I always preferred the second film. But I have to admit that I enjoyed this rewatch, especially because I didn't remember much of the plot and I'd never seen it in English before.
Obviously, this is one of those movies that, once you've seen it, half of the intrigue is gone. When you rewatch it and remember what happens, it's not as fun as the first time around. That said, it's definitely an ingenious piece of media: all the references to people, places, and facts, how everything is tied up and connected, how it is all part of a much bigger puzzle that eventually leads back to Jesus, religion, and faith.
It's definitely a fun watch once the suspension of disbelief kicks in: there's so much going on, so much that is thrown at you as the audience, that it can be hard to know what's real, what's a theory, and what's just an idea that Dan Brown came up with and added to his story. So yeah, there's definitely a lot to take in—final plot twist included—but for what it is, "The Da Vinci Code" is an extremely entertaining movie, well made and with a great international cast. I'd love to see more Audrey Tautou on my screen, although she hasn't starred in a movie since 2019. Definitely worth giving it a go. It's a bit overstuffed plot-wise, but if you watch it for the first time, it's definitely an entertaining experience.
Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code
Film 81 - Angeli e demoni
Film 1287 - Angeli e demoni
Film 2451 - Angels & Demons
Film 1237 - Inferno
Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany, Jean Reno.
Box Office: $801.3 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely worth giving it a go. It's a bit overstuffed plot-wise, but if you watch it for the first time, it's definitely an entertaining experience.
Awards: Nominated for Best Original Score at the 64th Golden Globe Awards and for Best Score Soundtrack at the 49th Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for 1 Razzie Award for Worst Director.
Key word: Royal blood.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2447 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Intro: More than a year ago, Niamh and I decided to rewatch this saga on my (back then) new projector. Then life got in the way. People liked the idea and wanted to host the event themselves, but it never came to fruition. Back to the original duo, we finally managed to watch the first movie in Fuerteventura when we were there in February. We still have to watch the other two movies...

Film 2447: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), Peter Jackson
Watched: On the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: One of my top 5 movies, together with "A Streetcar Named Desire", "All About Eve", "Doubt", and "Volver"/"Brokeback Mountain". Ok, top 6, but whatever.
There was a time when I used to watch this movie every single day for a whole year. I learnt the dialogues, watched the extended edition, adored this IP. And I still do, to be honest. I'm actually quite excited because this November I'll be going to Comic Con Ireland, where I'll get the chance to meet Miranda Otto (Eowyn) and my sexual awakening, Elijah Wood (Frodo). So the LOTR obsession is still going strong.
Needless to say, then, that rewatching "The Fellowship of the Ring" is always a treat for me. Maybe a laptop isn't the perfect (or intended) format to fully enjoy the experience that "The Lord of the Rings" offers, but considering how many times I've seen it before, it didn't impact me too much, to be honest. The worst part was the shitty wifi that wasn't really working and forced us to stop the streaming multiple times, but that's a whole different story.
Anyway, I always love to rewatch this movie. I think it's the best of the trilogy, and the story does an amazing job of setting the scene for all that is to come in the following two movies. The cast is amazing, Cate Blanchett is the only Galadriel, Peter Jackson's work (and imagination) is phenomenal here and serves the story perfectly, and the soundtrack is a cult classic. Even the visual effects, 25 years later, still hold up (enough).
A timeless film.
Film 159 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 313 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 1270 - Il signore degli anelli - La compagnia dell'anello
Film 1515 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 1803 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 2079 - Il Signore degli Anelli - La Compagnia dell'Anello
Film 2447 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 314 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Film 1279 - Il Signore degli Anelli - Le due torri
Film 1295 - Il Signore degli Anelli - Il ritorno del re
Film 2214 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis.
Box Office: $897 million
Worth a watch?: I love this movie and will always be biased. It's long and full of characters, and this is just one third of the whole story, so I understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea. But for me, it's pure movie magic.
Awards: The movie received so many nominations, I'll list them like this for convenience. In bold the wins.

Oscars
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup
Best Original Score
Best Original Song ("May It Be" - Enya)
Best Sound
Best Visual Effects

BAFTAs
Best Film
Best Direction
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ian McKellen)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Makeup and Hair
Best Original Music
Best Production Design
Best Sound
Best Special Visual Effects

Golden Globes
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Best Director
Best Original Score
Best Original Song("May It Be" - Enya)

Grammys
Best Score Soundtrack Album – Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Best Song – Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

Actor Awards
Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role (Ian McKellen)
Outstanding Cast – Motion Picture 

MTV Movie & TV Awards
Best Movie
Best Action Sequence ("The Cave Tomb Battle")
Best Breakthrough Performance (Orlando Bloom)
Best Fight (Christopher Lee vs. Ian McKellen)
Best Male Performance (Elijah Wood)
Best Villain (Christopher Lee)

Key word: One Ring.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2446 - The Moment

Intro: Last Friday evening in Dublin before the two-week break in Fuerteventura, Spain. And we couldn't leave Ireland without going to the movies to catch this one!

Film 2446: "The Moment" (2026), Aidan Zamiri
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Rachel
Thoughts: I famously hate extremely loud movies, but this one I didn't mind too much. It gave me anxiety, yes, but I still enjoyed the ride.
I think the main selling point for me is Charli XCX: she's very entertaining and surprisingly good here. I know she's playing herself, so obviously it's a bit easier than playing a character from scratch, but she comes across as genuine and authentic, not forced, still able to channel that "Brat" energy even though Brat Summer ended a while ago now. Which brings me to my next point.
"Brat" came out on June 7, 2024. Brat Summer was "over" in September 2024, but then it experienced a resurgence after Charli's 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance. I went to see Charli perform here in Dublin on June 17, 2025, and Brat Summer was still very much alive. So my question is: why wait until the beginning of 2026 to release this movie in theaters?
"The Moment" and Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights" came out at the same time and, from a marketing perspective, it's a strange move. This movie is clearly connected to the album "Brat": they share the same art style and visuals, and although this is a mockumentary that aims to make fun of Brat Summer and its cultural impact, it heavily features "Brat", the tour, Charli's life, and the media attention around her. On the other hand, "Wuthering Heights" is directly connected to Charli's subsequent eponymous soundtrack album that she created for the film. And with the release of the first singles from the album, "House" and "Chains of Love", it seemed clear that Charli had entered a new era—even if it's currently tied to a film (a new album is apparently on the way).
In this sense, A24's "The Moment" feels a little bit too late. It should have come out earlier to link it more directly to "Brat" and make better use of the cultural phenomenon that Brat Summer proved to be. I'm not surprised that this movie didn't make a big splash at the box office: not only it came out to leat, but also it's a mockumentary and it's tied to an artist who is hugely famous, yes, but not everyone's cup of tea. Not to mention that the beef with Taylor Swift might have had an impact on whether people decided to give this film a go or not.
Anyway, I enjoyed "The Moment" enough, although it wasn't what I expected. I found some moments funny—like when the whole tour starts very "Brat" and ends up becoming a sellout version of itself, or when Charli tries to pay with the Brat card but it doesn't actually work—and I appreciated how committed she was to this project. I didn't enjoy how stressed the story and editing made me feel, but I understand it's intentional, and I wish they had used more songs from "Brat", considering how heavily they seemed to rely on the album and Brat Summer in promoting this film.
Ps. A lot of cameos and famous people are featured here, have fun recognizing them all!
Pps. I'm including here Charli's portrait I did a while ago and posted on my Instagram account @the_moustached_designer

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Cast: Charli XCX, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott, Arielle Dombasle, Julia Fox, Alexander Skarsgård.
Box Office: $5 million
Worth a watch?: Not a film I would necessarily rewatch, but I'm glad I saw it in the cinema rather than at home, because it's one of those movies that is better experienced on the big screen, with a proper Dolby Surround sound system. It's a whole experience, and it really overwhelms you at the beginning. The story captures Charli's mental state well, and the film translates it into images that affect you whether you want it to or not. Some bits are funny, others do a good job of highlighting how surreal the music business can be—how everything can be turned into money and what people are willing to do to please the crowd, reach a bigger audience, and stay culturally relevant. There's definitely a lot of good intentions in this movie, but maybe too many ideas for just one project.
Awards: /
Key word: Concert.
Trailer
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Bengi

David di Donatello 2026: nominations and winners

David di Donatello 2026

Miglior film
Cinque secondi, regia di Paolo Virzì
Fuori, regia di Mario Martone
La grazia, regia di Paolo Sorrentino
Le assaggiatrici, regia di Silvio Soldini
Le città di pianura, regia di Francesco Sossai

Miglior regia
Mario Martone – Fuori
Gabriele Mainetti – La città proibita
Paolo Sorrentino – La grazia
Silvio Soldini – Le assaggiatrici
Francesco Sossai – Le città di pianura

Miglior regista esordiente
Ludovica Rampoldi – Breve storia d'amore
Margherita Spampinato – Gioia mia
Greta Scarano – La vita da grandi
Alissa Jung – Paternal Leave
Alberto Palmiero – Tienimi presente

Migliore sceneggiatura originale
Francesco Bruni, Carlo Virzì e Paolo Virzì – Cinque secondi
Letizia Russo, Guido Silei e Pietro Marcello – Duse
Margherita Spampinato – Gioia mia
Paolo Sorrentino – La grazia
Francesco Sossai e Adriano Candiago – Le città di pianura

Migliore sceneggiatura non originale
Vincenzo Alfieri e Giuseppe G. Stasi – 40 secondi
Leonardo Di Costanzo, Bruno Oliviero e Valia Santella – Elisa
Mario Martone e Ippolita Di Majo – Fuori 

Doriana Leondeff, Silvio Soldini, Lucio Ricca, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda e Ilaria Macchia – Le assaggiatrici 

Ludovica Rampoldi – Primavera

Miglior produttore
Carlo Degli Esposti, Nicola Serra, Marco Grifoni per Palomar, Benedetta Cappon per Avventurosa, con Rai Cinema in collaborazione con Piperfilm Alexandra Henochsberg, Pierre-François Piet per Ad Vitam – Duse
Benedetta Scagnelli, Alessio Pasqua, Gianluca Arcopinto, Claudio Cofrancesco per Yagi Media, in collaborazione con Paolo Butini, Ivan Caso, Filippo Barracco – Gioia mia
Lionello Cerri e Cristiana Mainardi per Lumière &co., in collaborazione con Joseph Rouschop per Tarantula, Katrin Renz e Stefan Jäger per Tellfilm – Le assaggiatrici
Marta Donzelli e Gregorio Paonessa per Vivo Film, in collaborazione con Philipp Kreuzer per Maze Pictures e Cecilia Trautvetter – Le città di pianura
Andrea Occhipinti per Lucky Red, Marco Alessi per Dugong Films, in collaborazione con Beatrice Bulgari per Eolo Film Productions – Un film fatto per Bene

Migliore attrice protagonista
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi – Duse
Barbara Ronchi – Elisa
Valeria Golino – Fuori
Aurora Quattrocchi – Gioia mia
Anna Ferzetti – La grazia
Tecla Insolia – Primavera

Miglior attore protagonista
Valerio Mastandrea – Cinque secondi
Claudio Santamaria – Il nibbio
Toni Servillo – La grazia
Pierpaolo Capovilla – Le città di pianura
Sergio Romano – Le città di pianura

Migliore attrice non protagonista
Valeria Golino – Breve storia d'amore
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi – Cinque secondi
Barbara Ronchi – Diva futura
Matilda De Angelis – Fuori
Milvia Marigliano – La grazia
Silvia D'Amico – Tre ciotole

Miglior attore non protagonista
Francesco Gheghi – 40 secondi
Vinicio Marchioni – Ammazzare stanca - Autobiografia di un assassino
Fausto Russo Alesi – Duse
Roberto Citran – Le città di pianura
Andrea Pennacchi – Le città di pianura
Lino Musella – Nonostante

Miglior casting
Marco Matteo Donat-Cattin e Federica Baglioni – 40 secondi
Margherita Spampinato e Giulia Tarquini – Gioia mia
Annamaria Sambucco e Massimo Appolloni – La grazia
Laura Muccino e Liza Stutzky – Le assaggiatrici
Adriano Candiago – Le città di pianura

Migliore autore della fotografia
Marco Graziaplena – Duse
Paolo Carnera – La città proibita
Daria D'Antonio – La grazia
Renato Berta – Le assaggiatrici
Massimiliano Kuveiller – Le città di pianura

Miglior compositore
Fabio Amurri – La città proibita
Mauro Pagani – Le assaggiatrici
Krano – Le città di pianura
Fabio Massimo Capogrosso – Primavera
Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross – Queer

Migliore canzone originale
La prostata enflamada (musica e testo di Checco Zalone e Antonio Iammarino, interpretazione di Checco Zalone) – Buen camino
Follemente (musica, testo e interpretazione di Levante) – Follemente
Ti (musica, testo e interpretazione di Krano) – Le città di pianura
Lasciare qualche scia (musica, testo e interpretazione di Bove) – Nonostante
Vaster than empires (musica di Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross, testo di William S. Borroughs, Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross, interpretazione di Caetano Veloso, Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross) – Queer

Miglior scenografia
Gaspare De Pascali e Carlotta Desmann – Duse
Andrea Castorina e Marco Martucci – La città proibita
Ludovica Ferrario e Laura Casalini – La grazia
Paola Bizzarri e Igor Gabriel – Le assaggiatrici
Paula Meuthen ed Emilia Bonsembiante – Le città di pianura

Migliori costumi
Ursula Patzak – Duse
Susanna Mastroianni – La città proibita
Carlo Poggioli – La grazia
Marina Roberti – Le assaggiatrici
Maria Rita Barbera e Gaia Calderone – Primavera

Miglior trucco
Maurizio Fazzini – Duse
Paola Gattabrusi – La grazia
Esmé Sciaroni – Le assaggiatrici
Vincenzo Mastrantonio, Adele Di Trani e Emanuele De Luca – Primavera
Fernanda Pérez e Jason Hamer – Queer

Migliore acconciatura
Marco Perna – Fuori
Teresa Di Serio – Il maestro
Samankta Mura – Le assaggiatrici
Marta Iacoponi – Primavera
Massimo Gattabrusi – Queer

Miglior montaggio
Vincenzo Alfieri – 40 secondi
Jacopo Quadri – Fuori
Giogiò Franchini – Il maestro
Francesco Di Stefano con la collaborazione di Francesca Addonizio – La città proibita
Cristiano Travaglioli – La grazia
Paolo Cottignola – Le città di pianura

Miglior suono
Maricetta Lombardo, Silvia Moraes, Piergiorgio De Luca e Giancarlo Rutigliano – Fuori
Angelo Bonanni, Giulio Previ, Mirko Perri e Michele Mazzucco – La città proibita
Antoine Vandenriessche, Daniela Bassani, Stefano Grosso e Giancarlo Rutigliano – Le assaggiatrici
Marco Zambrano, Francesco Mauro, Sebastian Pablo Poloni e Francesco Tumminello – Le città di pianura
Gianluca Scarlata, Davide Favargiotti, Daniele Quadroli e Nadia Paone – Primavera

Migliori effetti speciali visivi
Gaia Bussolati ed Enrico Bernocchi – Itaca - Il ritorno
Stefano Leoni e Andrea Lo Priore – La città proibita
Rodolfo Migliari e Lena Di Gennaro – La grazia
Giuseppe Squillaci e Daniele Mischianti – La valle dei sorrisi
Marco Fiorani Parenzi e Virginia Cefaly – Queer

Miglior documentario - Premio Cecilia Mangini
Bobò, regia di Pippo Delbono
Ferdinando Scianna - Il fotografo dell'ombra, regia di Roberto Andò
Roberto Rossellini - Più di una vita, regia di Ilaria De Laurentiis, Andrea Paolo Massara e Raffaele Brunetti
Sotto le nuvole, regia di Gianfranco Rosi
Toni mio padre, regia di Anna Negri

Miglior cortometraggio
Astronauta, regia di Giorgio Zampà
Ciao, Varsavia, regia di Diletta Di Nicolantonio
Everyday in Gaza, regia di Omar Rammal
Festa in famiglia, regia di Nadir Taji
Tempi supplementari, regia di Matteo Memè

Miglior film internazionale
Io sono ancora qui, regia di Walter Salles
La voce di Hind Rajab, regia di Kaouther Ben Hania
The Brutalist, regia di Brady Corbet
Un semplice incidente, regia di Jafar Panahi
Una battaglia dopo l'altra, regia di Paul Thomas Anderson

David Giovani
40 secondi, regia di Vincenzo Alfieri
La grazia, regia di Paolo Sorrentino
Le assaggiatrici, regia di Silvio Soldini
Le città di pianura, regia di Francesco Sossai
Per te, regia di Alessandro Aronadio

#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2445 - Send Help

Intro: It came out at the end of January and I couldn't go straight away, but I didn't want to miss it before it left theaters (especially since I was heading to Fuerteventura, Spain). So Niamh and I made an effort to catch it at the cinema before it was too late. And I always find it curious how often I end up watching a movie about a plane crash right before I’m meant to fly somewhere...

Film 2445: "Send Help" (2026), Sam Raimi
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: If anything, I think this movie should've made way more money than it actually did! It's a great ride—hilarious at times, violently unapologetic, and led by a fantastic duo. In particular, Rachel McAdams once again proves what a powerhouse she is, regardless of the genre. Here, we get Regina George on steroids, and it's fantastic!
The movie starts where you'd expect: an underappreciated worker with no social life but a ton of social awkwardness is gunning for a promotion that never materialises. When her old boss is out of the picture and his son (Dylan O'Brien) becomes the new CEO, he chooses to promote his buddy and plans to fire Linda (McAdams) after a business trip to Bangkok. Things quickly shift when the plane crashes, and the only two survivors are Linda and her new boss, leaving them stranded on a deserted island, hoping to eventually be rescued. This is where Linda's passion for the TV show "Survivor" comes in handy, as the power dynamic quickly shifts and she suddenly takes charge, being the only one of the two actually capable of surviving in this unexpected scenario. From here on, you'd expect the story to go in a certain direction—but God, how wrong you'd be! Many twists and turns follow, leading to one of the most unexpected finales I've seen in a while. And look, nobody reinvented the wheel here, but it's nice to see a story that takes risks and goes darker in tone without being afraid of alienating the audience. That's why I think "Send Help" felt so refreshing.
In many ways, this movie reminded me a lot of Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness", but in a less artsy way, if that makes sense. It's clear that this is a commercial endeavour, and that's absolutely fine—Sam Raimi clearly knows what he's doing, which is why the end result is so satisfying to watch.
What a refreshing watch!
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel.
Box Office: $94 million
Worth a watch?: The horror vibe is undeniable, and there's a lot of blood and violence too—definitely more than I expected. So not a film for everyone, I'm sure, but a very good one for those who can appreciate it nonetheless. I loved it!
Awards: /
Key word: Engagement ring.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2444 - The Mummy

Intro: A cult classic that I'd rewatch over and over again—especially now, knowing that a new sequel (with all the original cast coming back) is coming out in 2028.

Film 2444: "The Mummy" (1999), Stephen Sommers
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Luke
Thoughts: I've always been a big fan of ancient Egypt, mummies, the pyramids, and all that jazz, so when they put all of that into a blockbuster movie with Brendan Fraser AND Rachel Weisz... I couldn't resist!
I love this franchise, and I couldn't believe how little I remembered of this first film. I guess I had my memories mixed up between this movie and the sequel, which I definitely watched more times, as it was one of the first DVDs I got growing up.
Nothing else to say—I think "The Mummy" is class!
Film 1572 - The Mummy
Film 2444 - The Mummy
Film 737 - La mummia - Il ritorno
Film 1934 - The Mummy Returns
Film 1402 - La mummia
Film 927 - Il re scorpione
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Jonathan Hyde, Kevin J. O'Connor, Oded Fehr, Erick Avari, Patricia Velásquez.
Box Office: $422.5 million
Worth a watch?: Cheesy and a bit silly? Sure—and that's probably why it works so well. It's a fun ride, Brendan Fraser is charming as hell, and Rachel Weisz is the clear standout of the film. I think back in '99, nobody expected them to both win an Oscar... and yet here we are, 27 years later. A great blockbuster—go and rewatch "The Mummy" and have fun!
Awards: 1 Oscar and 1 BAFTA nominations for Best Sound. 1 MTV Movie + TV Award nomination for Best Action Sequence.
Key word: Key.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2443 - The Long Walk

Intro: I didn't even know this movie existed before randomly watching a TikTok about the best movies that came out last year. This film was highly ranked and praised, so I was interested in giving it a go.

Film 2443: "The Long Walk" (2025), Francis Lawrence
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Luke
Thoughts: There are a lot of adaptations of a Stephen King's novel out there, and not all of them are good. This one is.
The idea behind this story is simple and effective: a group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as "The Long Walk," in which they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot (IMDb). Walk for as long as you can—there's only one winner and no finish line.
In theory, it's insane to think that someone would willingly participate in this "competition," but for the sake of this story, I won't focus too much on that. Yes, there is a prize involved, but how desperate do you have to be to participate knowing that your chances of winning are 1 in 50?
Anyway, the premise of this film is intriguing, and the execution is overall extremely well made. I was skeptical at the beginning, as this is a story of constant movement with no fixed location. Before watching "The Long Walk," it's hard to picture how the movie is going to portray this concept—something that works well on paper but doesn't necessarily translate into what we consider a conventional storyline for the big screen. Yet, Francis Lawrence manages to deliver a cohesive and entertaining piece of media that is never boring or overstimulating for the audience, which I find extremely impressive. On top of that, all the actors deliver strong performances, and I was particularly impressed with Cooper Hoffman—the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman—who gives a solid performance.
Overall, this movie reminded me a lot of "The Hunger Games" franchise: a deadly competition, the promise of enduring glory for the winner, the voyeuristic aspect of it (the walk is live-streamed for the whole country to watch), and young adults competing against each other but eventually bonding over this sadistic experience. There's less background story here—we're thrown into the action almost immediately and never leave it until the end—yet the similarities with Suzanne Collins's story are still there. And I think it's only fitting that the same director delivered both this film and four out of the five "Hunger Games" movies. Chapeau.
Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill.
Box Office: $63.1 million
Worth a watch?: Very tense and controversial, "The Long Walk" isn't a film for everyone, but it's definitely a good movie. If you enjoy dystopian survival thriller stories, this one can't be missed.
Awards: /
Key word: One wish.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi