Movie time! This month was a bit of a mixed bag, with more than the typical number that I flat-out didn't really like. There were a few good ones, topped by a nice film noir that I imagine most haven't heard of. Next month could be even more mixed-up, since our DVR decided to blow up (not literally) while we were on vacation. I pulled the hard drive out and it still works, but everything's encrypted all goofy. So when we get a new box, I may have to do some quick DVR surgery to get to all the movies I recorded earlier. But in the meantime, here are the films from July, from least favorite to most.
8) The General (1927) - When was the last time you thought to yourself, "how come there aren't any silent, pro-South, Civil War, train chase comedies?" Oh, never? Really? Ok, well then I suppose The General isn't for you. Yes, that's truly what this movie is. This time through the list marks the second, and final, time that I've seen this movie, and it wasn't any better the second time around. Protagonist Buster Keaton is supposed to be one of the top stars of the silent era, but I just didn't find him to be that funny; I enjoyed Charlie Chaplin much more. And once you get over the novelty of the "good guys" (the South) and the "bad guys" (the North) chasing each other on trains, it gets pretty repetitive. It did have good train-chase-y music, but that's not enough for me to try again.
7) Stagecoach (1939) - And we're back to not liking Westerns. This seems to be your prototypical John Wayne Western, with Wayne as the tough-guy loner who will save the day, arbitrarily evil Indians, and the "saloon girl" with a heart of gold, if you catch my drift. The premise is a mixed group of people: wealthy/poor, upper crust/outcast, etc, all cram into one stagecoach to drive through Apache territory for some reason. Aside from the weak plot and the unlikeable, cardboard characters, the action scenes were awful. The Apaches basically just rode up waiting to get shot, allowing John Wayne to sit on the coach and play Duck Hunt. Plus the way they caused the horses to fall in this scene usually broke their legs, which is pretty cruel. I'll let you guess how the final shootout went, but I wouldn't recommend sitting through this to find out.
6) Wuthering Heights (1939) - It may not be the movie's fault on this one, because it sounds like it was an irritating book that just got made into an irritating movie. That statement might not make me any friends, since I guess it's pretty popular, but I just found myself mad at the characters the whole time. In a nutshell, the story is that Catherine loves Heathcliff, the poor stableboy, but spurns him for a rich guy. The whole time during the movie, she's awful to him, and him to her, until the very end when they decide that they loved each other all along. In many ways this is like Gone With the Wind, which I love, but without the charisma that movie has. Catherine is a one-dimensional gold-digger that we're supposed to like, whereas Scarlett in GWtW is complex and duplicitous, but at times the viewer is encouraged to dislike her. I don't know if it's the writing or the acting or what, but for a similar story, Gone With the Wind is a thousand times better.
5) An American in Paris (1951) - Starting to round the corner to ones I liked. And it's hard not to like Gene Kelly, singing and dancing through postwar Paris. Yet this movie is still only an okay from me, for a few reasons not tied to Mr. Kelly's fancy footwork. Much like Swing Time several months ago, this movie ties everything up way too neatly, with characters that should have been intensely mad just letting things go for the sake of our protagonist's love story. I know, it's a musical, and that's the way they go sometimes, but it happens to two people in this film, and they both seem to shrug it off. Add to that a literally 20 minute finale that is simply dancing - no singing, no talking, and it drags this down from what it could have been. But for most of the movie, you'll smile along with Kelly's charisma, laugh at the sidekick's wisecracks and tap your feet along to the catchy tunes as you watch in awe of Gene Kelly's dancing. Singin' in the Rain is still way better, but it's hard to hate this movie.
4) Forrest Gump (1994) - For some reason I've never really loved this movie, and this time I tried pretty hard (Stacia really likes it) but it came through just okay to me. There are funny parts, and there are very heartwarming parts, and it's an altogether cohesive story that I should like but it's never been a movie that I'm excited to watch. Jenny has always been an annoying character to me, but I realize that's the point, that we can't help who we fall for, etc. I also think the later parts of the movie drag compared to the best parts in the middle, but even that's not such a big deal. I've read the claim that it's a pro-Conservative movie, which might explain my dislike, but I'm not sure that's really the case. Regardless, you know this movie, you know if you like it or not, and for me it's okay but not something I love.
3) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) - With this, I'm two-thirds of the way through James Dean's filmography, which was sadly and famously cut short. For the most part, I liked it, and I can see how Dean was well-liked in his time. His character is funny and charismatic, yet tortured by the facade of his neat suburban life in a way that feels genuine. The best parts of this movie are those two things - the real characters and the raw emotion of their lives. The high point is the relationship between Jim (Dean) and Sal, two outcasts at Jim's new school, which is masterfully played. The only negative I have is with timing, as I'm pretty sure the whole movie takes place in a day, and it just feels like too much action in that timeframe. Overall, though, it's a good film, and easy to identify with for any teenage angst-y feeling folks out there.
2) Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Once again, I'm forced to admit that though I don't really enjoy watching war movies, they are frequently pretty good. Again the case for Saving Private Ryan, as many of the best and most powerful parts of the film are the least enjoyable or pleasant to watch. This was really well-made and well-acted, to the point that it feels real, not like you're watching actors in a movie. I'm not a particularly patriotic person, but I got that sense from this movie, and found it pretty inspiring as well. The flip side, of course, is that war is awful, and in watching this movie, you see some of that horror firsthand. So it's maybe not something that is fun to watch, but it is certainly worthwhile. Oh, and it's pretty long, so be sure you've got several hours free before giving it a go.
1) The Third Man (1949) - If you love the category of film noir like I do, this is a must-see movie. Even if not, you'll probably still find it pretty good. Set, and presumably filmed, in the ruins of postwar Vienna, the movie centers around the mysterious death of Henry Lime, as investigated by his American friend who has just come to Vienna to visit and work with him. This movie has it all: twists and turns, surprising revelations, and the requisite mysterious woman. I love the dark seedy atmosphere, conveyed awesomely through neat cinematography and direction, with one of my favorite moments at the police stakeout near the end. I enjoyed the presence and character of the British police captain, and his interaction with Martins (the protagonist) is great. The music is interesting, performed entirely on the zither. It's a unique sound, but it can get a teensy bit old after two hours. All that said, the ending of this movie has to be one of the best in all of film. Perfectly conceived, perfectly acted and perfectly shot. It's the only way this movie could end, and it's interesting to read about how it almost didn't happen. For the noir plot, for the great Ferris Wheel speech, for the dank Vienna scenery and particularly for the finale, watch this movie!
I have no idea what next month will hold, as the DVR is still in a state of flux. Is it all lost, or will I be able to slot back in where I left off? I'm sure I'll find a way to watch some movies, and the higher on the list I get, I'm sure some of them are going to be great!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment