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In the 1960s with the Cold War in play, CIA agent Napoleon Solo successfully helps Gaby Teller defect to West Germany despite the intimidating opposition of KGB agent Illya Kuryakin. Later, all three unexpectedly find themselves working together in a joint mission to stop a private criminal organization from using Gaby’s father’s scientific expertise to construct their own nuclear bomb. Through clinched teeth and stylish poise, all three must find a way to cooperate for the sake of world peace, even as they each pursue their own agendas.
via: IMDB
I recently saw the film The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. This was one of the films in more recent years that has truly piqued my interest. I’ve been finding movies within this decade are so uninteresting and boring. Nothing has been grabbing my attention or even getting me remotely excited, until this movie came along. Upon the first time viewing the trailer for this movie, while I was in the theater watching Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, I was instantly hooked. Oh, yeah. I fell in love with this movie straight away.
This movie really caught my attention right from the start because it reminded me of all of my favorite classic/vintage/retro films from the 1960s. I absolutely adore films from the 60s…more so than the films of my generation or even in the current decade. This movie had a bit of James Bond, mixed with a little bit of The Italian Job, mixed with a dash of Charade, mixed with a small helping of The Avengers (TV show), mixed with a dose of To Catch A Thief.
There was plenty of espionage, sexiness, comedy, secret identities, evil-doing, just-in-the-nick-of-time moments, car chases, gun fights, explosions, & the hero(es) saving the damsel (sort of) in distress.
The incredibly soulful, Motown-esque music soundtrack really set a great vibe throughout the film, & it really got me tapping my feet (quietly) & bobbing my head the entire time. I’m debating if I should just pull the trigger (no pun intended) & purchase the deluxe soundtrack on iTunes.
Man, oh man, I sure did love all the eye candy that were the costumes & accessories used in the movie (especially the sunglasses & smart dresses with matching coats)! I love fashion from the 1960s, & this movie showcased all the best 60s retro couture & accessories. I often wish I had lived in the 1960s, so that I could walk the streets wearing the colorful, chic clothes of that era.
After all that whiz, pop, pow, & bang, what could possibly be the icing on the cake? How about a slow burning romance between two very hot characters? There’s sexual tension AND chemistry afoot, & it sizzles just beneath the surface between the hardened yet soft (on the inside) KGB agent played by Armie Hammer & the sexy yet strong decoy/bait played by Alicia Vikander. Oh, how I wish the two of them would just get the kissing scene over with & just do it already! I was & still am dying to see the pair steal a sweet kiss. Armie Hammer’s character Illya Kuryakin was one of my favorite characters from the film. This particular character reminded me of my favorite fictional character from one of my all-time favorite books. The character from the book I mentioned was also Russian (from Siberia) & also had a hardened personality that was softened by the touch (& love) of a strong female lead character. Because of that, I strongly gravitated towards Armie Hammer’s character Illya. I also enjoyed Alicia Vikander’s character Gaby Teller. She’s strong, sexy, sweet, funny, cute, innocent, & above all…a classy lady with a killer fashion sense that I wish I had. Sometimes I dream of being like her with a lover of my own just like Illya Kuryakin. Hahaha!
Overall, I truly enjoyed the storyline of this film. I often tend to gravitate towards spy & action movies, & this film fit the bill all around! I loved the acting by all of the actors, the espionage, the car chases, the scenery backdrops, as well as the 1960s setting. It almost makes me wish I were a secret agent myself. Almost. Until then, I shall wait for the DVD to be released, so I can watch this movie again. Cheers!
* All photo credits belong to IMDB and Google Images.
Today’s song of the day:
It’s just been one event after another with me these days. That’s the reason I’ve been spotty with updating this darn blog. So many family gatherings & personal events are keeping me occupied & away from all electronic devices. Believe it or not, all this running around business has helped me to recharge a bit, because I got to take a step back from my smartphone (named Alphonse) & iPad (named Roger). I’m not going to get into why I like to give names to inanimate objects right now.
After coming back from my cousin’s wedding in Mexio, I had about a week to unpack, wash my laundry, clean up the house, & prepare for my sister to visit with her two extremely lovable children. I often thought that as children grow older, especially from the toddler stages to older childhood, they would become increasingly independent & not want to be around “grown ups” as much, play with their friends more, & spend less time with family. I thought this would eventually happen with my sister’s kids, but that has just not been true. The more I spend time with my nephew & niece, the more attached they become with me. I absolutely adore this & adore them, & I’m going to treasure these moments for as long as I possibly can. My nephew & niece are obviously loud & rambunctious kids at ages 7 & 5 respectively. However, they are also loving, fun, caring, & weird. Yes, I said weird. My nephew is incredibly sensitive. He will get upset if everyone is at home, but not all in the same room playing together. No, that doesn’t make him selfish. He just wants to be surrounded by the people he loves. My niece has an unhealthy obsession with makeup at such a young age. C’mon! She already knows what mascara is & how to put it on! Fortunately my sister has placed boundaries on makeup & only allows my niece to wear lip gloss…sometimes eyeshadow if she has a ballet recital.
I love my nephew & niece. They always love having me around & playing with me. My nephew & I text message each other often. That sounds strange, to be texting with a 7-year old kid, but he only does it when he gets permission from his parents, & it truly helps him learn to spell & learn proper grammar. Ever since my nephew was born, we’ve had an unbreakable bond. We’ve always been super close, sometimes to the point where my sister gets a bit jealous (she has admitted this aloud). I’ve only recently become close with my niece. Before, she would generally gravitate towards males, like her uncles & my dad, but we are now close & she trusts me. I’m so unbelievably happy to have these kids in my life. They truly brighten up my life, & I always look forward to seeing them, even if only in a picture or by text message. Recently, I’ve been teaching my nephew & niece to write letters. I’ve already sent them a few letters by post, & they like receiving colorful things in the mail. It’s been fun. Well, actually, I’m heading to the post office now. Until then, cheers!
P.S. I’M GOING TO SAN DIEGO COMIC CON NEXT WEEK!!! YAAAAAAAASSSSS!
Today’s song of the day:
I got back from my cousin’s wedding in one piece. Thank heavens! Usually when I go on vacation, I like to take an obscene amount of photos, but it was just too damn HOT & HUMID to do anything other than sip cocktails in the air conditioned bar or lounge around in the pool. Well, at least my aunt took enough photos on her camera to share with everyone.
I had a great time in Puerto Vallarta. My cousin had a super chillaxed wedding. It was full of celebration, love, family, & a huge bright pink elephant in the room known as drama. I’m not going to address the “pink elephant” whatsoever, other than to say it was there in full effect. That is all. My cousin looked beautiful in her white dress & veil. I was a little taken aback by the bright emerald green ties & navy gingham shirts worn by the groomsmen & the dark gray strapless dresses worn by the bridesmaids, but otherwise, the decorations were simple & tasteful. My family really knows how to eat, drink & party hard.
The hotel my cousin & most of our family stayed at was aptly named Villa Amor. It was a rustic hotel nestled on a small cliff side, overlooking the beach. The place I stayed at with my mom & brother was a modern all-inclusive resort 10 minutes away from my cousin’s hotel. When I say the resort was all-inclusive, I mean that all food, drinks, & amenities are included in the price of the vacation package. All you really needed to pay for was gratuity & the resort’s private taxi costs. It was easy to get around town & explore as well as lounge about on the beach.
Despite the muggy, almost unbearable humidity, we all had a blast celebrating my cousin’s wedding. There was plenty of eating & drinking, as well as tons of dancing, games, karaoke at a local dive bar, & golf cart riding. There was even a small Lip-Sync performance during the rehearsal dinner. Seeing my male cousin wearing pink socks & singing along to 80s music is pure comedy!
I am so burnt out from this trip. I still have a load of laundry to wash, a dress or two to dryclean, & a suitcase to put back into storage. No, wait. I still have to use my suitcase. In 3 weeks I’m heading off to San Diego for ComicCon (a.k.a. SDCC). I’m going to spend a few extra days in SoCal before & after ComicCon, just to avoid the rush of traffic from all the travelers heading to San Diego for this epic event. I am very excited for ComicCon, but I’m not exited about the packing experience. I feel like I just finished packing & unpacking from my trip to Mexico. Oh well. Here we go again. Cheers!
Today’s song of the day:
Rabbits & Foxes 
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