Kay Dekker
Ever since watching The Lion King when she was four, Kay has been in love with all things film. She has small obsessions with Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch (she once saw the latter in the flesh and squealed like a ten year old) and is often found having in-depth conversations involving the latest film releases with complete strangers.
Several children have disappeared from a small town and all fingers are pointing towards witches. Who are they going to call to help save the day? Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, that’s who! We all know the Grimm fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, but not quite like this. Set a number of years after their visit to a gingerbread house, the siblings are now in the profession of Witch Hunting, and business is currently booming. The pair are so well known they even have a groupie by the name of Ben, who conveniently asks all the questions we as an audience need to know to get up to speed with the recent history.
I have to admit, I had trepidations about this film. I’m a fan of the previous three films, and at first I did think they should leave it at that. A Bourne film without Matt Damon or Paul Greengrass? It would never work, right?
Every year there are three or four new films that have me literally counting down the days until their release. The King’s Speech was one of those films. From the trailers I knew it was going to be brilliant and I could barely contain my excitement when I sat down in the cinema. I first saw it at The Little Theatre Cinema in Bath, a cinema that opened in the year that the film is set and that has barely changed since. It was one of the most enjoyable cinema experiences I can remember, and the film will always firmly be on my favourites list.
After recently watching the disappointing Friends With Kids, a rather irritating thought occurred to me: Chris O’Dowd, one of the finest comedic actors to come out of Ireland, stars in a supporting role alongside his fellow Bridemaids’ chums. O’Dowd has one of the most noticeable accents in recent years. His Irish charm captivated audiences worldwide last year and anyone who has watched The IT Crowd knows that this man is Irish through and through.
So why, then, does he play an American in Friends With Kids?
A word of warning: don't go and see Friends With Kids with the expectation of seeing this year’s Bridesmaids. I know, I know: it stars Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolf, John Hamm and Chris O’Dowd, the trailer made you chuckle and it’s written by the actress in the lead role (Jennifer Westfeldt). It all sounds so familiar. But, believe me, Bridesmaids it is not.
