Netflix Must Watch: 'Dumplin'

Hi all, today I am reviewing another Netflix original film which has only come out recently. The film named 'Dumplin' stars Danielle MacDonald, Jennifer Aniston, Odeya Rush and Luke Benward. 

The film focuses on the main protagonist, Willowdean played by MacDonald who enters a beauty pageant. She wants to enter the pageant on behalf of her Aunt Lucy who as a young girl didn’t go through with it due to her lack of confidence. Willowdean's Aunt Lucy used to look after her and her friend Ellen played by Rush, as well as teach them about Dolly Parton’s music. 

Willowdean's mother Rosie, played by Aniston, was a past beauty pageant winner, and doesn't want Willowdean to enter because she does not want her to embarrass herself. However, Willowdean goes against her mother's wishes and applies. 

Without giving too many spoilers away, the movie's main plot focuses on Willowdean and the beauty pageant, but there is so much more that goes along with the beauty pageant storyline; such as the subplot involving Willowdean's love interest named Bo played by Benward. 

You should watch this movie as it is unlike any other Netflix original movie I have ever seen. The movie focuses more on how the main protagonist should let go of her own fears and self-esteem issues, and by doing this she allows herself to conquer what she has always wanted to achieve. 

I love this movie as it's got such a heartwarming message, and I definitely recommend it to anybody who just wants to watch a relaxing down-to-earth  movie. 

You will definitely like this if you have seen 'To All The Boy's I've Loved Before' and ‘Sierra Burgess is a Loser'. It's a rom-com that is bitter sweet and should not be missed! 

xNx

Netflix: Baby Review

For today's post I thought that I would talk about Netflix's new European drama 'Baby'. If you have not heard about 'Baby', it's like 'Elité' as it's a drama set in a private school. However, unlike Elité, it's not Spanish as it's Italian, and does not revolve round a murder mystery. 

'Baby' is a drama revolving around two girls, who 'need to escape the reality of upperclass Rome.' Both girls go to a private school, while the older girl Chiara is seen as this perfect role-model, her family life is not what it seems, her dad cheats on her mum, while her mother is in denial about the whole situation. Furthermore, she is sleeping with her best friend's brother. While the other girl, Ludo is portrayed as a girl who is seen as a rulebreaker and a rebel. 

Both girls meet one day and find themselves out partying, however, the next day Chiara denies all knowledge of this to her best friends as they do not like Ludo. 

Without giving too many spoilers away, this programme is about the two girls and how they become friends, and while this programme may become confusing for some people (I know I got confused), I read this article in Cosmopolitan https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a25383982/netflix-baby-true-story/ this helped me figure out what was going on. 

The story is based on the 'Baby Squilo' scandal and if you don't know what that means it's basically about prostitution. This makes sense as you delve further into the drama (episode 4 onwards). 

However, while it is about such a big issue, it is not told in a way that you would expect. This is due to the fact that season 1 is all about their backstory and why they wanted to earn 'easy money'. Season 2 should be more about them working in the prostitution ring. 

If you haven't started watching the show yet, I recommend that you start watching it, it is a slow start but I promise you that it will get better. The show mainly focuses on Chiara's love interest with a new school boy, while she is working as a call worker. You also have to bare in mind that it is an Italian TV show, so therefore you have to put on English subtitles so that you can understand the show. 

I have linked the Cosmopolitan's  article in the blog so that you can have a look. It's really interesting and haunting at the same time. 

Hope you watch the show 

xNx

Let's Talk About: Ariana Grande

Before I start this post, I just wanted to speak about why I haven't posted in a while. The main reason for why I haven't posted in so long is that I just haven't made the time plus I haven't had the motivation to post. I know it's very sad as I'm usually very passionate about this sort of thing, but throughout the year, I felt like the passion had gone a little bit. I still had school and with the A level exams around the corner I felt that that I should focus on them rather than on this. However, saying that I promise, now that I am in University I will upload more as the spark is back, and I have more ideas than ever. 

So without further  ado, I will be talking about Ariana Grande, someone who I ABSOLUTELY ADORE. 

Ariana Grande's year has not been wonderful, even though she has faced different traumas, she has come out as the most successful women in the world. With the release of her majorly popular YouTube video 'Thank U, next' (which broke Vevo records for the most watched video in 24 hours), to her 'Dangerous Woman' documentaries which she has released onto her channel (I still need to watch them). She has also been named Billboards 'Woman of the Year' and to top that all off, she has been named 'Spotify's Most Streamed Female' by racking up a massive 2 billion streams in 2018. She is balling this year.

Even though Grande is 'successful', (Sweetner fans will know) she doesn't take her fame for granted as she is a very relatable young woman who teenage girls should not be afraid of looking up to. If you've watched the BBC 1 special 'Ariana Grande at the BBC' (and if you haven't I really recommend it),  she mentions how she wants everyone to see her for who is really is, and not just seen as 'perfect'. Grande even mentions the fact that she suffers from anxiety, and her song from the 'Sweeneter' album named 'Breathin' may speak to people with anxiety, as the song is (you guessed it) about breathing.  I think the lyrics in this song are powerful and, if you are suffering with anxiety and if you are a fan of hers, you will think she is speaking to you making sure you don't feel alone in your anxious state. 

Personally, if I had to pick my faves from the album 'Sweetner' it would have to be 'R.E.M', 'Pete Davidson, 'The Light is Coming' and 'Blazed' as they all have different sounds and different messages to them. Saying that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE WHOLE ALBUM. This album takes different genres of music such as Hip-Hop, pop and classical, bringing them all together revealing a different identity to Grande's personality; showing how she is not a one dimensional artist. She is not the 'Pop Princess' everyone thinks she is, she wants people to acknowledge her other musical talents by incorporating different genres into her music and her songwriting. 

Her new single 'Thank U, next' is a typical 'pop' track, but it has a deeper meaning than just being a typical pop song. It is a female anthem, nothing like Taylor Swifts tracks about dissing her ex, Grande's track is all about thanking her ex's into moulding her into the person she is today. However, she states she wants to 'focus on herself more', and her single shows that you can still be a boss, without having a man in your life. This song is about female empowerment and talks about how single life is absolutely fine and should not be judged upon.

Finally, I believe that even though Ariana Grande has had the most difficult couple of months/years of her life, as she has broken up with ex Pete Davidson, and has mourned the death of ex Mac Miller, she is an inspiration to everyone as she has continued to power on with her music. As well as having a great support system, she shows that anything is possible if you love what you do, and have a supportive bunch of friends and family. 

And that's why I love her, both as an artist and as a person, 

xNx

Let's Talk About: To All the Boy's I've Loved Before

Hey there, it's been ages since I last posted so I thought I should review another film for you! Now this film has only been out a couple of days (it came out on the 17th) but I've already watched it twice and fallen in love with it.  I should tell you now that these are a trilogy of books so Netflix, please make a sequel! (I also need to start reading these books).

If you guys don't know what I'm on about or have been living under a rock, it's this new film on Netflix called 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' and it's about a girl called Lara Jean who writes letters to five of her crushes, however one day they get sent out to all of them. 

This movie deals with the aftermath of how Lara Jean feels now the letters are out, while also looking at how she falls in love with one of her crushes named Peter. 

I promise you I won't give anymore away as I definitely recommend that you watch this movie.. it's worth it! Furthermore, since I've watched it twice I am able to tell you that you will fall in love with the story as it's a romantic comedy so it's a pretty easy watch, it's neither too intense nor is it dense. Also, you will find that the character's are relatable such as Lara Jean, she is sweet and wants to be invisible, however, when the letters come to light she can no longer stay invisible. 

What's so relatable about Lara Jean is that she is the 'girl next door' in the sense that she doesn't want to be the centre of attention nor has she truly found where she 'belongs' in the world. As I was watching this movie, I fell in love with Lara Jean and loved seeing how she opened up to Peter and how she finally felt comfortable to open up, exposing her true self to love and her emotions.  Finally, I love Lana Condor playing the role of Lara Jean she's just really cute, sweet and a real genuine person. 

The thing I like about Peter Kavinsky, Lara's love interest, is how genuine and humble he is towards Lara Jean's feelings. He allows her to take time to figure things out without forcing her to feel certain things. There's a very cute scene where him and Kitty are play-fighting and he  moves the popcorn out of the way when watching Fight Club with both Lara Jean and her sister Kitty, therefore he is #boyfriendmaterial. 

Even though he is a jock, he doesn't seem to have this big ego that most male counterparts have when playing a love interest in a romantic comedy. Furthermore, he just seems like he is in touch with his feelings and I love the chemistry that both him and Lara Jean have, it hits me right in the feels, as it's just so adorable to watch the love blossom between the two of them. 

 Finally, Noah Centineo is the perfect casting for Peter Kavinsky as Centineo is just the most genuine, deep guy who is (like Kavinsky) in touch with both his thoughts and emotions. I especially love the chemistry between Condor and Centineo behind the scenes as these two are just the cutest. You will fall in love with both Centineo and Kavinsky. (I'm not lying). 

I recommend that you should watch this movie because it has substance and you will not get bored with the movie, Peter Kavinsky, relatable issues such as how to find yourself and opening yourself up to expressing yourself, Lara Jean and the importance of family. 

I hope you liked this review

xNx

Drinks and Dinner (Liverpool edition) : The Florist

The Florist is a Restaurant & Wine Bar in Liverpool which is named 'The Florist' as it concentrates on the floral theme  which is seen throughout the building. From the moment you step into the restaurant you see floral trees which stand out against the white background, the floral theme is most apparent from the bar area which is designated downstairs. 

The bar area is much busier than the restaurant, and the drinks and cocktails also have floral names. I had two cocktails one called Roses on The Heath which was such a nice cocktail, it was a delightful drink as it was fruity and pink (two of my favourite things); I also had another cocktail called Peaches and Prosecco which was quite delicate and had a sour aftertaste. 

I would recommend going for drinks if your having a girls night out or going out on a date. 

I went with my family and a friend, however, I felt that my parents didn't like it so much as it was not a place for older people to go as every single person that went in there was dressed up and they were very young (18-30).  I think my parents were the oldest people there, so I think it's nice place to go to if you're visiting Liverpool, but I don't think my parents would go in there again. 

The food at 'The Florist' was nice and filling as I had the 10oz steak. It's a very unique menu as my steak was served with a paprika butter which I'd never had before, but I like the uniqueness of the menu as it gets you to try things which you would never think would go together. 

Furthermore, the puddings are also very unique as they mix floral ingredients together as my friend had a Orange and Lavender crème brûlée which again is a very unique dessert. My mum on the other hand had the lemon polenta cake with a fruit sorbet and she loved it as the warm dessert contrasted with the coolness of the sorbet. 

All in all the food was fantastic and the quality of each dish was superb and the staff were very attentive. 

I would recommend to go to 'The Florist' however if you don't get chance to go to 'The Florist' in Liverpool you could always go to the one in Bristol. They have a menu for everyone from vegetarian to a gluten free. However, I do recommend you do go for drinks as the drinks are what make this place special and worth going to. While I do recommend going for drinks, I still recommend going there for something to eat as you too can experience the uniqueness of the menu! 

Finally, if you are on Instagram, this place is the place to go for photos as the decorations are worth taking pictures of! 

I hope you enjoyed this review, and go to 'The Florist' as you can have breakfast, brunch and dinner there, we booked to have dinner, but I would love to go back for brunch! 

Thank you for reading 

xNx

Can we talk about : Ocean's 8

After lots of days of fangirling the day had finally come where I got to see the long awaited all female empowering Ocean's 8. Let me tell you something, this film was so hyped I thought it was going to meet my expectations... however, sadly this film was underwhelming! 

Firstly, I solely wanted to watch this movie due to the fact that it had been heavily advertised and with it's all star female cast Rihanna, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett to name a few, I thought this lineup was going to be awesome! 

It's based on the 'MET Gala' ball which was held in New York and eight ladies try and steal a Cartier necklace. 

Having watched the film which was a slow 1hr and 51 minutes, I thought the movie was a slow starter but picked up towards the middle and end. I felt the cast tried too hard in the beginning as it was too intense however, the fun and comedy elements were far and few between. 

For me Anne Hathaway and Rihanna really stood out and the wardrobe certainly had the WOW factor!  (I mean if the movie featured the 'MET Gala' why wouldn't the outfits be AMAZING). 

There were guest appearances from no other than the Jenner- Kardashian sisters and the Hadid's, it was and you'll miss it moment! James Corden also made an appearance albeit a minor role.  

I'm glad I got to watch it even though it didn't get to meet my expectations, some of my friends really enjoyed it! I recommend that you go and see it and make up your own mind, but this was not for me. 

I think I would've enjoyed it more had it been shorter say 1hr 30 mins and a bit more lighter in mood to match the comedy element of the movie. As a one off I think this works, but compared to the previous Ocean's franchise it was a brave move to have an all female cast, I just hope the storylines are better should they try this format again. 

Maybe cut down on the all star cast and focus on the storyline. 

xNx

Drinks and Dinner (Birmingham edition) : Gusto and The Alchemist

Hello and welcome back to my blog, it feels like ages since I've last written, but you can blame my exams for that! Now that exams have FINALLY finished, I thought I better share my trip to Birmingham with you lot. 

As I have wanted to go to The Alchemist which is a restaurant and cocktail bar with a Chemistry Lab Theme and Gusto which is an Italian restaurant  with my family for a very long time (I've already been to Gusto with my friends), I thought this was a good time to go since we were celebrating end of exams!! The best thing about going to these places is that both restaurants  are right next to each other so we went to The Alchemist for drinks and Gusto to eat without having to walk to far!

The Colour Changing one (R)

The Colour Changing one (L)

We first went to The Alchemist for cocktails,  which is a restaurant and bar, where the drinks are AMAZING!! The staff give you a drinks menu which is in the form of the Periodic Table (I know it's very cool) and  the drinks are split into sections (Summery Drinks, New Classics, Fruity, Creamy, Spirits, Non-Alcoholic, and Drinks to Share), so there's something for everyone! Every drink is unique and some come with a Chemistry themed container, eg, flask and glass jars. Some drinks are prepared with dry ice and bunsen burners, I never thought I would enjoy Chemistry so much!

Since I wanted to show my family how scientific this restaurant was I decided to go for a drink which was from the fruity side of the menu called The Colour Changing One.  I honestly did not know what to expect, but when I saw the two flasks I knew the drink was going to be incredible. The waiter told me to pour the blue flask in first, then the clear flask so that's exactly what I did. 

When I tell you that this drink was smoking, you're going to think I'm joking, but honestly I'm not! The second picture (on the right) shows what the concoction looks like when both the flasks are poured into the glass, and you may not be able to see but it turned a lovely lilac colour,  it was very smokey due to the dry ice. It tasted very nice indeed I definitely recommend the drink if you decide to go!

While I had the colour changing drink, my cousin opted for the drink which came with a flask you get to keep called 3.5oz Of Happiness! Now the picture on the left pretty much focuses on the flask (the main star of the show) but I thought it was pretty cool that the cocktail comes out of the flask and the drink is very well presented as you can see in the picture on the right! I had a little taste of the drink and it was a very nice cocktail - it was very fruity and refreshing. 

3.5oz of Happiness (R)

3.5oz of Happiness (L)

Bubblygum (R)

However, since my mum was driving, she opted for Bubblygum (a Mocktail). I didn't think her drink was going to be very surprising since it was a Mocktail, but I  was very surprised when I saw the flask with the drink in. She also had dry ice in her glass, therefore when she poured her drink in it became very bubbly as she got too excited and poured it all in very quickly!! I also had a taste of her drink and it was very refreshing and tasted a lot like bubblegum (shocker). 

Bubblygum (L)

 Finally after the drinks we went over to Gusto's for something nice to eat.  I didn't take very many pictures of the food, but honestly the food is delicious!!! The decor of the restaurant is very nice (as my dad pointed out), it looked very authentic and traditionally Italian and classy but I think the main star of the show had to be the Tiramisu dessert!

I've had the tiramisu once before with my friends and when I tell you it's a dish I wouldn't mind eating daily, you know it's something special! I definitely recommend this dessert because it's literally like you're eating a cloud it's just so light and fluffy, and you can barely even taste the alcohol in it!





I hope you like this review of the first segment in the new series of Drinks and Dinner! I really recommend you to go to both The Alchemist and Gusto. The Alchemist and Gusto that I went to are on Colmore Row in Birmingham, but I know they have an Alchemist in London, Liverpool, Manchester and lots of other places.

If you have eaten at any nice places that you would like to share, comment down below!

xNx