The Trip (2011) Movie Review

Last night I was left on my own by my family so I pulled a lesser known movie, a British comedy, called The Trip from the shelf. If you have not heard of The Trip, you are to be excused for I had not either.

As a matter of fact, I am not familiar with the actors in this movie -- Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon who, according to the case, play loose versions of themselves. I was, therefore, really surprised to discover a boxed DVD set called, The Steve Coogan Collection, but I digress.

The Trip promises to be interesting on a couple of fronts. First, it is a FOOD movie with two non-foodies sent forth as restaurant critics...and who doesn't love food? Second, it is a TRAVEL movie with these friends travelling to fine restaurants throughout the remote countryside of England.

The tag line, "Eat, drink and try not to kill each other" was apt. Throw any two people together in a moving vehicle for many hours and all will not likely go smoothly. However, it is the continual banter, both when they were arguing and when they were getting along, that kept me watching this film. Well, that and the beautiful geography and the gourmet food offered up, albeit some 'ordinary' food would have been nice, too.  One of the best moments in my humble opinion (at least with regard to food) was the sunny day in England when they were able to sit outside and have a fried breakfast...

Did I say it was funny? It was, with Coogan and Brydon spending the entire trip doing impressions of Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Sean Connery and Michael Caine, bickering and entertaining themselves as they went. As reflected in the Amazon customer reviews, Fans of this duo and their prior works really enjoyed the movie. Take a peek for yourself:

If you have seen this movie, make sure to let us know what you think and if you know how we can be picked for a trip into the English countryside reviewing restaurants, make sure to leave that information, too.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy The Trip on Amazon.
The New York Times The Trip Review.

Ratatouille Movie Review on Blu-ray and DVD

Ratatouille is one of if not my favorite animated movie ever. What's not to love about a movie featuring a rat in the kitchen?!?

Once you get past that part (and for some people it IS a sticky point), you will discover a beautiful movie starring one little rat and one young male kitchen employee.

You will combine three of my and possibly your favorite hobbies ~~ movies, food and travel.

You will enjoy the sights and sounds of the city of lights, Paris.

You will be able to smell the very realistic albeit animated soup simmering away on the stove...

And the blu-ray version of Ratatouille? Well, simply put, it is a delight.  High-Def Digest says, "This blu-ray release is also fantastic, boasting absolutely perfect video and audio, plus a great package of extras. This is a must-own disc that no Blu-ray collection should be without."


See you at
the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Click here to order your copy of Ratatouille from Amazon.

The Holiday Treasure: A Thanksgiving Movie To Celebrate With

As you prepare for the American Thanksgiving holiday, you might enjoy watching a few Thanksgiving movies.  Once I excluded animated movies, I found that there were very few family friendly Thanksgiving movies so make sure you consider the rating of each of these films before you share them with your children.

My list includes movies like An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, which actually may be suitable for your family but which is not rated. It includes films like  Pieces of April which manages to be a moving movie despite its tough exterior and What's Cooking another look at the American family, thorns and all.

It goes on to include Hannah and Her Sisters, Home For The Holidays and the rare films The Holiday Treasure and Plymouth Adventure, both of which are only available on VHS videotape. 

Holiday Treasure [VHS]

If you are looking for a Thanksgiving movie to watch this holiday season, any of these would be a good choice. 

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

'Bake' With The Cupcake Girls, On Their Reality Television Show

There are not many television shows that a I follow on a regular basis but recently I discovered The Cupcake Girls on the Women's Network.  A reality show of sorts, it follows the daily business operations of Cupcakes, a cupcake bakery with six locations in Vancouver. 

I guess I am interested in the show because I have been caught up in the cupcake craze. I have baked a few cupcakes recently and I have even written a few webpages on the subject.

The 'girls' that own this bakery started their business by breaking all the basic rules...don't start a business about something of which you know nothing...don't start a business with a friend...don't start without a business plan...don't work with family members. Suffice it to say, they broke almost all of the basic rules but they have still managed to create a very successful business with their cupcake bakeries.

I am enjoying the drama that unfolds each week...like what happens when the entire bake staff is stolen and the owners are forced into the kitchen. That happened last week's episode and it was, ah, interesting...I suppose this is one of the reasons you should not start a business unless you know something about the product. In this case, about baking cupcakes.

If you love cupcakes, you will likely enjoy this show. If you are interested in running your own business about cupcakes, a bakery or really any small business, you will find it enjoyable, too.  I figure if I watch it often enough, I will learn how to ice my cupcakes the way the professionals do it.  

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Edited 2024: Unfortunately, I am no longer able to find anywhere to watch this series but I thought you'd enjoy this cupcake t-shirt anyway, which is available on Etsy by clicking right here. If you know where to view it, leave us a comment and let us know.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Chocolat: A Book and Movie Gift Idea For Mom

Mother's Day is quickly approaching and I'd like to recommend a fabulous gift set in the form of Chocolat, the movie and the book. Chocolat is on my list of my favorite movies and I loved the book, too. I think they are perfect for Mom on Mother's Day. 

The book was written by Joanne Harris and was Joanne Harris’ first novel. It tells the story of a chocolate maker who arrives in a quiet French village with her young daughter and proceeds to weave her magic on the local villagers. However, her bonbons, cocoa and patisserie are not welcomed by all and the she must struggle to win friends and supporters.

Chocolat

The movie, of course, is also delicious whether enjoyed in DVD or Blu-ray form.  It is a film from the year 2000 that was directed by Lasse Hallstrom and starred Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench. It received five Academy Award nominations including Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Original Music, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.  Any female Johnny Depp fan will love this movie.

Many times you either love the movie OR the book, but this time, you can savor them both. The book and the movie would make a wonderful gift set for Mom or any woman who loves a beautiful story.  Of course, it would be a bit tastier if you added just a wee bit of chocolate, too!

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Click here to order Chocolat the book from Amazon.

Click here to order the Chocolat movie on Blu-ray or DVD.

Cooking With Stella: An Indian Food and A Movie

Another interesting foodie movie, Cooking With Stella, comes our way. It seems that food movies are all the rage right now. If you like food movies, as I do, then you are in luck. If you love Indian food, this latest one is definitely for you.

Julie and Julia, of course, was the most popular food movie of late although I would say that Ratatouille was in the running, too, as a very popular food movie but I suppose you could argue that the subject matter was a tad different as was the type of movie making them well, not really comparable.

Which brings us back to this new movie, Cooking With Stella. Interestingly enough, it has an Ottawa, Canada connection. (That's where I live.) It turns out that the story is loosely based on an Ottawa chef named Cameron Stauch and his family who spent a bit more than three years living in India. He was the stay-at-home Dad who did some cooking and catering. She was a Canadian diplomat assigned to Dehli. Their time in India became the basis of the story, Cooking with Stella.

Peter Hum, of the Ottawa Citizen, says Cooking With Stella "has an Upstairs, Downstairs dynamic" with the play of well-to-do visitors against the poor household staff.  The story centers around the father, Michael, who loves to cook and Stella, an employee of the Canadian diplomatic corps, who has watched couples come and go for years while she continues to work in the same dead-end job. There are a few struggles at first but when Michael asks Stella to teach him about Indian cuisine, she warms up and the story is on. Of course, that's not the whole story, there's a little bit of scamming involved and some trouble ahead.

I have not seen Cooking With Stella yet but it looks and sounds like a beautiful movie with great scenery and great food. Katherine Monk, also of the Ottawa Citizen, gives this movie three stars and says that it is "easy to watch and a cinch to digest. It's also guaranteed to make you hungry." I think I will make it a date ~~ the movie followed by an Indian meal at my favorite local Indian restaurant.

Find your copy of Cooking with Stella by clicking here to Amazon.  It does appear as though the movie was never released on Blu-ray disc.

See you at

Cooking With Stella!

Brenda

Join Pieces of April for Thanksgiving Dinner

It wasn't intentional. I had no idea when I sat down to watch that Pieces of April was a Thanksgiving film. It also turned out to be a somewhat unconventional and gritty movie but, by the end, I was attached to April and feeling for her.

The Recipe:

A dysfunctional family.
A young woman estranged from her family.
A mom who is ill and dying from cancer.
An invitation for Thanksgiving dinner.

Watch as April and her partner go through the steps of preparing a 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinner, probably the first one they have ever made. Moan when you realize that the oven does not work.

A love story on a couple of levels with plenty of sad and happy parts. The sad parts will leave you disbelieving and the happy parts, crying.

A good film, okay I think at anytime of the year but it would be particularly great for the Thanksgiving season. Unfortunately though, because of a sex scene, this movie is rated PG-13 and is not suitable for your children.

Buy your copy of Pieces of April here from Amazon where it is available on Prime Video or DVD.

Happy Thanksgiving, a season or two early.

See you
at the movies,
Brenda

Ratatouille Blu-ray Movie Review

If you have yet to see Ratatouille, you have really missed out but of course, it is not too late to see this, one of my favorite animated movies. As a matter of fact, I'm not that crazy about animated movies as a rule but this one was shot in PARIS, my favorite city, and features FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD, another favorite of mine.

The movie was excellent. That little rat can really cook and he's funny, too. The experts went all out to create the computer-generated food and to make it look absolutely, positively delicious. It not only looks good but it even smells good. (Well, I cannot imagine food smelling any better than it did in this movie.)

About the Blu-ray version, Den of Geek said, "This is flat out the best looking disc I’ve seen on any high definition format. Animation has, since both HD DVD and Blu-ray stepped into the world, had the better deal in terms of reference standard work (some of the imagery on Happy Feet looks utterly glorious in 1080p), but the astounding level of detail on offer here is stunning. It helps, of course, that Ratatouille’s visual palette is one so vibrant and alive, but nonetheless, the picture is pretty much without fault."

Amazon Customer Reviewers have said things like,

Gerard D. Launay said, "Everything about this film is wonderful...it is definitely worth experiencing this delight on Blu-ray." and Julie Neal said, "Silly, sophisticated, full of surprises and a joy to watch, "Ratatouille" is not only the best animated movie of 2007, it's also the year's best family film."

I highly recommend you check this Blu-ray out. It is a must-own.

Find your copy of Ratatouille here on Amazon where it is available on Prime Video, Blu-ray and DVD.

See you
at the Movies!
Brenda

Julie & Julia Blu-ray Movie & Special Features

Last night we watched the Julie & Julia blu-ray movie. I have been determined to see it but the fact that I live with a house full of the male species meant that I had it on my wish list but I did not manage to see it until now.

Did I enjoy it? I did, the setting in France was beautiful. New York, not quite so beautiful...but interesting. The food was delicious. The story, funny and sweet at the same time.

I do not always watch the extras but because of the subject matter of this movie, I did. Therefore, I can say that when you see this movie, if you are interested in the world of food and cooking, you should definitely check out the extras.

One of two special feature sections on the blu-ray disc is about the life of Julia Child and featured a large selection of real people from her life recounting stories from their time with Julia. It was interesting to hear and see what it was like being a part of her life.

The other section was about the making of the movie and was filled with interesting bits like the fact that the actors weren't alllowed to hold back in their appreciation of food. What would a food movie be if the actors didn't wholeheartedly consume the food? Meryl Streep said she put on 15 pounds during the making of the film...and it took a year and a half to shed that extra weight. And, in case you were wondering, no, Meryl Streep really isn't that tall.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone who likes a good drama that has some comic moments. My husband wasn't too sure at the beginning if he was going to like it but, in the end, he said, yes it was enjoyable.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Link:

Click here to read more about Julie & Julia the blu-ray movie on Amazon Amazon has it at 50 percent off the list price & there is only $3 difference between the cost of the blu-ray and the DVD.

Looking For The Chocolat Blu-ray Movie?

Yesterday, when I was working on a page about the best food movies, I fell in love with Johnny Depp all over again. A friend said, "Now let's talk Chocolat...I swoon and my knees get weak. I could watch that movie a million times and still have the same reaction," and she made me want to watch it again sooner rather than later.

My mind's eye tells me that Chocolat is perfect for Blu-ray with the beautiful scenery, the decadent chocolate, the fantastic cast and the wonderful soundtrack.

High-Def Digest said that the movie was made with a dreamy look, which doesn't translate into a sharp picture on Blu-ray. They don't think of that as a weakness but rather just how the movie looks.

The movie is now widely available on Blu-ray. You can find it on Amazon by clicking right here.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda