A Trip to the Cinema: Now You See Me

When a cast includes Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, you can take your seat in the cinema safely knowing that what you are about to watch will be magnificent. 

Directed by Louis Leterrier, this sleek crime thriller is filled with great acting and an amazing plot. It is one of those great films that gradually leads you into one direction and just when you think you're close to figuring out who is behind it all, BAM! You are pulled into another direction, left constantly doubting your intuitions until the film finally gives the game up.

The film is centred around four magicians, Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson). They call themselves 'The Four Horsemen' and their performances involve robbing from banks, causing them to be chased and investigated by FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol agent Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent). 

However this is not just your ordinary, formulaic cat-and-mouse chase type of film. There are twists and turns and one hell of an ending. As magician J. Daniel tells the audience 'Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you will actually see'.

When stepping into the cinema I don't think that I expected such a great film that was entertaining, funny and thought provoking. I would definitely recommend that you watch it.

♡ The film trailer is below:

Have you seen the film Now You See Me? Comment your thoughts below.

The Weeknd, Jay Z and Justin Timberlake in new music releases

Newly released songs and videos to check out:

The Weeknd - Belong To The World

Abel Tesfaye has released a video to his new single Belong To The World! It's been a year since the release of his album Trilogy, an album that helped to further spread Abel's popularity and grow his fanbase since the release of his three mixtapes. The song comes from The Weeknd's new album Kiss Land, which will be released this summer on August 27th. Belong To The World emanates The Weeknd's style which consists of echoes of Abel's slow and soft voice mixed to a beat which when heard creates a dream-like experience. The song, as like much of The Weeknd's work, is centred on love but also has the ability to create a dark, saddening element to it with lyrics such as 'I'm not a fool I just love that you're dead inside, I'm not a fool, I'm just lifeless too'. With the song being the first to be released and heard from the new album Kiss Land it gives us new music from Abel to treat our ears to and gives the excited fanbase of The Weeknd wondering what will be next.

♡ The video was released on July 16, 2013. You can hear the song and watch Abel in the video directed by Anthony Mandler by clicking here.

Jay Z - Holy Grail ft Justin Timberlake

After the release of Kanye West's eagerly awaited album Yeezus and the release of HOVA's new album Magna Carta Holy Grail, it felt like the two biggest names in hip hop were out to show the world how it should be done. With Yeezus' fresh and innovative beats, Jay Z had a lot to follow on the release of M.C.H.G. Released on July 4th, just over two weeks since Ye's album release, Magna Carta... opens with the song Holy Grail. Featuring Justin Timberlake, the song is arguably the best song on the album and will most likely get the most airplay on the radio, with JT being the highlight of the song with his verse's and chorus. Jay Z makes reference to Mike Tyson, Kurt Cobain (and adding the lines 'And we all just entertainers, And we're stupid and contagious, And we all just entertainers' from the popular Nirvana song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit') and Michael Jackson. Magna Carta Holy Grail is definitely an album to buy to join your collection of albums that top the rest. But with this being Jay Z's sixteenth studio album, it does make you wonder if he will ever run out of things to rap about. But then you have to remind yourself that Jay Z has been in the game since 1986, and won't be going anywhere for a very long time (hopefully).

♡ The album was released on July 4, 2013 for those on Samsung phones. For those without, the album could be heard from July 8, 2013. You can hear the album on Spotify and or watch a video uploaded for 'Holy Grail' here.

What do you think about The Weeknd's new song? Who's album is better - Jay Z's or Kanye's? Leave a comment below.

Tinie Tempah, 2 Chainz, Mario and Nicki Minaj in new music releases

Newly released songs and videos to check out:

Tinie Tempah - Trampoline ft. 2 Chainz

The English rapper is back with a new song called 'Trampoline' and it's definitely one to jump around to. Featuring the American rapper 2 Chainz, the song is definitely one that is aiming to be heard worldwide. With lyrics such as 'Sydney, what's going down. New York, what's going down. LA, what's going down. Vegas, what's going down...', it is clear to see that Tinie wants people all over the world to be dancing to this track. 

With hits like 'Pass Out' and 'Written in the Stars' it has been 3 years since his first major album 'Disc-overy' was released. 'Trampoline' doesn't disappoint, and Tempah's catchy lyrics, which made him the star that he is today, are heard with the hook repeating 'Shake' and 'Jump'. And his cheeky style is evident with 'I'm high end, you're high street'. 2 Chainz enters the song with his usual announcement '2 Chaaainz' and begins his verse with 'First of all I'm swagging'. Produced by Diplo, this beat is definitely one that you'll be hearing in the club.

♡ The lyric video was released on July 2, 2013. You can hear the song for yourself and watch Tinie jumping on a trampoline in the slick black and white video by clicking here.

Mario - Somebody Else ft. Nicki Minaj

It's been a while since we have had an album from Mario, but his new album 'Restoration' will be released in September of this year. To give us a taste of his sound, he released the video to 'Somebody Else' which features Nicki Minaj. The first we see of Mario is when he is lying on the top of a smashed car, and Nicki is introduced to us on the balcony of a building with lightning flashing in the background. Put two and two together, and it seems Nicki and Mario have had a huge bust-up and she pushed him from the balcony to land on the car, all because she met Somebody Else. 

Nicki plays the girlfriend of Mario and her verse lets him know just how angry she is with him for the way he has treated her in the video. Spitting lines like 'But I let you get mad disrespectful, huh. You couldn't be serious, was you? Looking at my new man, wish it was you? But you're dead now', it's clear to see Nicki is one unhappy girl. 

With Mario's smooth vocals and Nicki's hard-hitting verse, this song leaves you waiting for the album's release: especially when you remember that the next song to be released will feature J. Cole.

♡ The video was released on July, 9 2013. You can watch the video here.

What do you think of the songs? Are there any newly released songs that you think top these? Leave a comment below.

A trip to the cinema: Despicable Me 2

So yesterday I went to the cinema with a couple of friends to see Despicable Me 2. As a twenty-year-old university student sitting in the back of the cinema, I could see parents dotted around the seats with their children and began to wonder whether they would think it questionable for girls our age to be watching a film whose main audience appeared to be small children.

Fast forward past the trailers and adverts to the beginning of the film and all worries melt away as you become enthralled into the world of imagination and fun that makes most of us who are past our teens feel like we have a part of our childhood back, which is what most of us wish for.

It was evident in the first film, Despicable Me, that the minions were the characters that added those extra laughs and that extra something special. I found myself at some points watching the minion in the background of the scene to see what mischief they were getting up to rather than what was happening at the foreground! It's no wonder they're having their own film, Minions, in 2014. I think what is so likeable about the yellow minions is that they are fun-loving! There are plenty of scenes in this film that have you giggling as the minions party and dance, and how they are portrayed as a large group of friends that are just out to have fun. There are a couple of scenes in the film towards the ending (which involves them singing) that remind you of drunken karaoke sessions that you might have had with your friends, or just the fact that you would only allow your closest friends to see you do the most random things (and that's what makes it more fun right?). With their language consisting of sounds like 'beebobeebo' and 'ekko!', it wasn't long before the kids in the cinema could be heard mimicking the sounds that they were making, which I think pretty much proves the minions popularity as a whole.

As for the children in the film (Agnes, Edith and Margo) you can't help but feel your heart warm by the character of the small and adorable Agnes. With lines that make your heart melt (she heads off to sleep and reveals to Gru "Your bald head!...Sometimes I stare at it and imagine a little chick popping out. Peep, peep, peep!"), she is another character that adds to the film's surprising amount of sweetness. This is a film involving villains and plots to take over the world, yet it still manages to tackle the topics of love and first dates, and a motherless child wanting a mother. And it does all of this with giggles, heart-warming moments and those mischievous minions!

The plot to the film is very easy to follow but it's not the plot entirely that makes this film. It's the characters in it and the way in which the writers have made them so special; such as the minions, Agnes, Agent Lucy (voiced by the hilarious Kristen Wiig), and even your average chicken out for revenge (trust me you'll understand when you see it).

All in all I found myself giggling lots and wishing that I was one of those kids that were staring up at the large cinema screen, watching without a care in the world, that could leave the cinema without having to deal with 'grown-up' responsibilities. But whilst leaving the cinema to the outside world and the problems it brings, I was still able to watch the credits roll up and suddenly outburst 'I want a minion!'

-Definitely a film to watch that will lift your spirits. Family friendly and with lots of giggles! -