Just My Luck (2006 Film) review

Just My Luck- Review

What is luck? Finding ten pounds on the pavement, getting your dream job, being asked on a date? Is it important? Curios? Well Just My Luck answers (well tries) all of those questions that society depends on in this fun loving romantic, comedy; starring Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine as the main protagonists. And of course a bit of McFLY. 

What comes to mind when you hear the words romantic comedy? Girl is trying to find the right guy, finds the "right guy" but doesn't notice, falls in love with the guy regardless and they live happily enough. Well I bet you're expecting me to say that this story is completely different from those expectations, it's not. Those series of events do happen but they way it does and the reasons for it makes you fall in love with the charm of the film.

Ooops! Looks like the fatal kiss is being shared!

So you're at a party looking like a hot shot, your life is great, you have an amazing job (aka you're extremely lucky) and someone you like catches your eye, you dance share a kiss and everything goes wrong. This can only mean one thing- you gave away your luck! So what do you do, you're life is ruined, you've lost your job and your apartment has been flooded, of course you go around kissing all the boys in town hoping to find the "right guy". Totally reasonable.

Well a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Despite the little perks now and then within the film it fails to give the viewers the deeper story it deserves; a story centered on luck is an original one but very hard to build morals and important messages around it, resulting to it being shallow in the "moral of the story" region. Once the story had finished I didn't feel as though i had gotten the point of the story. For most of the film Lohan's character acts ignorant and selfish yet at the last minute her behavior seems to change without any real sort of explanation, there was no gradual change to her behavior becoming more honorable, thus very little character development. So back to my original question- what is luck- I still don't know.

A complete change in character- I don't know quite how

The story behind Chris Pine's character (Jake) was subtle and not really explored as much- just a charming young man; however it is Jake who manages to bring in the additional cast to the show, McFLY. For those of you who are fans of this band you're in luck (they sing a lot) for those of you who don't... just mute your screens! I must admit I did admire the way the directer was able to fit in the band so cleverly within the story, they are not in there unnecessarily there but fit perfectly within the scenes. The chemistry between Pine and Lohan is one to watch making the film worthwhile. The supporting cast are also a charmer giving the shows many laughs and the humor promised in the promos. It is these little aspects that make up for the lack of the main plot.

Overall, despite its errors Just My Luck is an enchanting film that scores a 7/10 from me. What don't you make your own choice?  

Gone (novel) Review

Gone- hit selling novel- by Michael Grant

A life without any adults: parents, teachers, dentists and annoying siblings who think they have the right right to lecture you because they have past the age of 15, fun right (or so it seems). Gone is the first part to the sequel thriller of children under the age of 15 learning to fend for themselves because in the world of California everyone over the age of 15 disappears- gone.

The novel follows a group of children trying to pull through in the unexpected experiences they have been forced to survive in. Michael Grant cleverly puts the book in a special format; he moves on to the children's individual experiences bit by bit, sometimes after a paragraph sometimes after a chapter sometimes after a certain scene in the book. This gives the book excitement, ruling out the possibility of predictably and keeps the reader on the tip of their seat; normally in a book when the narrator follows more than one character in different scenes they move on to the next phase in the next chapter but Grant alters the normal tradition and sets his book differently. Despite following different character's experiences the reader is never made to feel confused or uncomfortably altered, instead the flow between the different series of events is done so effortlessly it feels natural, to add to that the characters are all linked in some way (some more than others) so it doesn't feel like a bunch of characters randomly jumbled together. There are (in true fashion) villains in the story and I think it has been established that to make an interesting villain it needs to have a complex side much more than  the static evilness they have been portrayed as in the past. So what better way to show these sides than Grant's way (telling their side of the story)?

The protagonist of the story is your typical hero (or so he seems on the surface) a young boy- Sam Temple- who is hardly noticed by others, has no extraordinary powers and suddenly comes to the realization that he is not worthless, comes to everyone's aid and gains a power. Typical. So Grant has given us a typical hero but he sure knows how to work with him and whether you wanted a different type of hero you find yourself warming to him and relating to him, he doesn't automatically step in to the role of a hero, in fact he doesn't see himself as quite a leader at the end of the book maybe his journey is to gradually fulfill that role or maybe he will give the job of being a hero to an unexpected character in the book.

The antagonist of the book is calm and collected quite the charmer perhaps a girl's ideal boy (well until they find out he's pretty awkward with girls), sounds like a hero. He's not. There are quite a few twists and turns with this character, I guess he is for me to play with and for you to find out.

Romance. Well I guess it is pretty much aimed at a teenage group so it will be there in unexpected characters and obvious choices, it will not dominate the story, no, that's what suspense is for but it will be there. The plot is fast paced and full of surprises you're convinced you're going to know what happens next but you'll be in for a shock.

This book has grabbed my attention and refused to release it. It's a winner for me! 10/10