It's beyond anything we ever imagined Charlie.

Date: Sunday 31st March
Film: Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
Director: Burr Steers
Starring: Zac Efron, Amanda Crew and Charlie Tahan
Running time: 01 hour, 39 minutes
Rating: 7/10

Sunday morning and The Luce and I decided all we needed to start the day off with a smile, was to laze on the sofa, in our pyjamas, watching Zac Efron frolic about on a boat.

Can't imagine why.

Jesus, he's handsome.

Charlie St. Cloud is in a similar vein to a lot of Nicholas Sparks adaptations. It tells a tale of romance in a small town by a lake. The thing that changes it a little from Nicholas Sparks and other stories of this ilk, is this story focuses on grief, and how Charlie comes to terms with the loss of his younger brother and the impact this has had on his life.

Charlie St. Cloud is by no means perfect, it is predictable, it's a little corny, not all the characters are likeable, but there is something about it that makes it enjoyable (and it's not just Zac Efron brooding, I promise).

Challenge day: 186
Challenge time: 12 days, 01 hour, 11 minutes

He don't like strangers peeing on him.

Date: Sunday 10th March
Film: The Paperboy (2013)
Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman and John Cusack
Running Time: 01 hour, 47 minutes
Rating: 5/10

Sunday morning, up and out for an advance screening of a film we had been trying to see for a while. I'd read mixed reviews, but the cast was strong and the trailer was enticing, plus the screening was free. Who would turn that down?

When the film finished, I turned to HM and very eloquently asked 'what the hell have we just watched?'. I still don't know the answer to the question.

The Paperboy is not a bad film, the acting is first class, Nicole Kidman exudes sex, Zac Efron is putting his all into the wide-eyed innocent act and John Cusack managed to creep me out within two minutes of being on screen. It is a visually stunning film, every scene seems to have a haziness upon it, reflective of the extreme  heat that is often referred to. There was just something I couldn't quite connect with.

I think the only word I can use to describe The Paperboy is odd. I don't know why, I can't put my finger on it, but the characters seemed too extreme, the storyline seemed to waver into the bizarre and there was just something that unsettled me.

Incredibly well acted, just not my cup of tea.

Challenge day: 166
Challenge time: 10 days, 05 hours, 35 minutes
Challenge film total: 127

How do you explain something that you can't even understand yourself?

Date: Saturday 23rd February

Saturday night, I'm back at home and visiting the oldest friend for an evening of good wine, junk food and trashy movies. First up


Film: What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
Director: Kirk Jones
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick and Matthew Morrison
Running Time: 01 hour, 50 minutes
Rating: 4/10

A film I hadn't seen before. Mainly because I despair of multi-thread ensemble films. With the exception of Love Actually, I've yet to see one that works well.

What to Expect... is another one that falls short of the mark. I don't remember laughing, I didn't like the majority of the characters. This could have been truly horrendous, if it wasn't for two saving graces;

1) The always awesome Anna Kendrick

2) Joe Manganiello. Shirtless. Doing one armed pull ups. 

I don't think I'll be rushing out to see this again. Still, it was better than Valentine's Day. Just. 

Film: The Lucky One (2012)
Director: Scott Hicks
Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner
Running Time: 01 hour, 41 minutes
Rating: 5/10

Now, I have no excuse on this one. I've seen it before. I knew I didn't enjoy it. I still chose for us to watch it. Mainly because sometimes I can be incredibly shallow, and I just want to watch Zac Efron run around with dogs.

This is not a good film. It is, like most Nicholas Sparks adaptations, predictable, a little cheesy and a repeat of tried and tested characters.

This is a trash film. Something you know you shouldn't watch. Something you feel guilty about afterwards. Something that, at the time, seems to work.

Challenge day: 151
Challenge time: 09 days, 13 hours, 22 minutes
Challenge film total: 118