Kia ora! I’m Kath, one of the branch librarians and I’m an avid film and television viewer. I’m regularly diving deep into the excellent DVD collection we have in Wellington City Libraries, as well as content from Beamafilm and Kanopy — the two streaming platforms available to Wellington City Library customers.
In this new series of posts, I’m hoping to share some of the gems I come across each month with Pōneke film and television enthusiasts! Some of the excellent viewing I’ve seen recently include:
Actor, writer, director Kenneth Branagh’s biopic of his boyhood in Belfast in the 1960’s during The Troubles. Shot almost entirely in black and white, except for a few tiny colour highlights, Belfast is Branagh’s love letter to the city of Belfast. Starring newcomer Jude Hill as Branagh (nicknamed Buddy by his family), the supporting ensemble is a feast of British talent – Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Jamie Dornan, Catriona Balfe to name a few. It is a charming film, highlighting the difficulty faced by many people of Belfast at the time, who loved their home city but could not avoid the troubles growing around them.
Best bit: during the credits Branagh himself returns to the streets of Belfast. Well worth sticking around to watch.
Bob’s Burgers, the Complete First Season (2011) DVD
With the new Bob’s Burgers: The Movie hitting streaming services, I thought it was worth going back to revisit one of my favourite animated series. I had forgotten how funny it was right from the first series and that the character development has been great all the way through. Created by Loren Bouchard, Bob’s Burger’s is an animated sitcom about the Belcher family. Dad Bob (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), Mum Linda (John Roberts), eldest daughter and butt enthusiast Tina (Dan Mintz), Casio enthusiast middle child Gene (Eugene Mirman) and the real brains of the family, little sister Louise (Kristen Schaal) make up the core cast of characters, but there are many fun repeat characters voiced by the likes of Kevin Kline, Megan Mullally, Sarah Silverman, Ken Jeong and more. Well worth diving back into even if you’ve watched them before.
Best bit: so hard to choose. I swing wildly as to which character is my favourite at any given time.
The Coen Brother’s remake of the John Wayne classic, True Grit stars Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, Jeff Bridges as Reuben Cogburn, Matt Damon as Texas Ranger Le Boeuf and Josh Brolin as the villain they’re pursuing, Tom Chaney. In this clever Western, fast thinking and talking Mattie, aged 14, hires crusty bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn to track down the man who killed her father, (Chaney). Accompanied reluctantly by Le Boeuf who has little respect for either Rooster or Mattie, the trio face adventures, adversity and the need to work together to get their man. Steinfeld shows her brilliance as an actress at an early age alongside the long established talents of the men in the cast.
Best bit: I love the scene when Mattie is “negotiating” the price of her father’s horse and ponies. Or Mattie’s first meeting with Le Boeuf in the boarding house. Of course there is also the immortal Rooster Cogburn line “Fill your hand you son of a b****!” at the climax of the film. Don’t make me choose a best bit!
My Neighbour Totoro (2005) DVD
Firstly, if you have never watched any of the Studio Ghibli films, now is the time to rectify that. My Neighbour Totoro is as good a place to start as any! My Neighbour Totoro is the story of Satsuki and Mei, two girls who move to the countryside to be closer to their ailing mother. They soon encounter the forest sprites known as Totoros and go off on magical adventures. Mei gets lost and her big sister Satsuki enlists the help of the Totoro to find her.
Best bit: Satsuki and Mei waiting in the rain at the bus stop for their father is so evocative that you can almost feel the raindrops. It’s also the scene where we first meet the iconic CatBus!