seen in 2003
Submitted by taryn on Sun, 01/05/2003 - 02:41
Tags:
- december
- pirates of the caribbean: curse of the black pearl - great fun! i wasn't sure what i'd think of this since swashbuckling ain't my thing but johnny is a truly wonder. (my favorite line was his response to whoever made up "parlez"--oh, the irony.)
- cold mountain - went to see this with my fam after the holidays and i can't say it was a pick-me-up but it was extremely well done with an outstanding cast to boot. jude & nicole were fabulous of course (i might have been able to enjoy the steamy scene a bit more if i weren't with my parents[!]) and thumbs up to philip seymour hoffman and the amazing natalie portman for tremendous supporting roles. (even renee did alright--now that's sayin something.) this is right up there with legends of the fall on the emotional impact scale.
- november
- two weeks notice - i'm not all that fond of bullock, as you know, but there was nice chemistry between her and grant in this amusing (albeit predictable) romantic comedy. maybe i was tired, but i laughed out loud enough to wake my sister who fell asleep on the couch.
- stoked: the rise and fall of gator - this was a documentary about one-time pro-skateboarder now convict, "gator" mark anthony. it brought back a lot of bizarre memories of my youth and was a tad depressing to see how empty and fleeting fame can be. the only thing that saved it honestly were hilarious interview clips with jason jessee.
- october
- lilo & stitch - was it just me or did this movie suck? i mean, they're making it a tv show and everything but it was soooo bad. i didn't like any of the characters, the animation was sucky (albeit i'm comparing everything to finding nemo now) and the emotional messages seemed so overwrought and ham-handed. need i say more? i haven't seen the last few disney releases but is this really the best they can do?
- september
- unbearable lightness of being - this has the distinguished honor of being one of the few DVDs i own; however, i saw it this time at the cinema (attached to the museum where i work) and the director, philip kaufman, gave opening comments and answered questions afterward so it became even more special... some of his remarks made me think that i may have to revisit the kundera book again too.
- bend it like beckham - i knew i'd love this movie from the preview and it totally lived up to my expectations. it was a cross-culturally educational AND a great girl-power soccer flick. plus that jonathan rhys meyers has been on my list since velvet goldmine, and here he's got an irish accent--does it get any better? woulda been a great slumber party movie back in the day...
- finding nemo - wow. i can't imagine what kids who grow up watching this quality of animation will think of the classics... truly an amazing experience. i caught it at a second run theater and was surrounded by adults who were cracking up--even more so than the kids. my only caution would be that small children might be freaked out by the realistic sharks or other danger-filled scenes. hell, they freaked me out--but it was damn good.
- underworld - if you go in expecting to compare this to the matrix, don't bother... also if you want to see a big love scene with speedman and beckinsale--forget it. but if you just happen to like the look-and-feel of the trailer and enjoy a decent vampire movie, go ahead and give it a try. the soundtrack is excellent but i don't think it was utilized as well as it could have been, and i give a huge thumbs up to michael sheen who plays the head lycan/werewolf--his voice and presence are commanding without being a hulking oaf, and i was amazed to discover via IMDB that he played robbie ross in the film "wilde"--talk about versatility! (plus you gotta feel for the guy, because he and beckinsale have a kid together and broke off a longterm relationship before shooting this with director wiseman, whom she's now dating. poor fella.) all that to say, i thought underworld rocked.
- once upon a time in mexico - didn't have much background on this but i'm glad i took a chance in seeing it. johnny depp is, of course, in classic bizarre form--even his wardrobe was hilarious. enrique iglesias was pretty awful (despite a fitting role) but banderas and hayek, who haven't been favorites in the past, were both impressive. and i feel like i'm following the other mariachi around--marco leonardi, who i just saw recently in cinema paradiso. overall the movie has a bit more gore and a few too many large needles than i can normally handle but the fantastical elements kind of made up for it. a great flick--i may have to add desperado to my list of westerns to see.
- snatch - this was an unintended viewing but i found myself realizing that a large part of his audience probably refused to watch it simply based on the crappy title. it was actually pretty hilarious--and i think brad pitt lived up to the hype (which is not my usual stance on him). i wouldn't seek out the director's other films, though... especially since i've heard he's gone downhill since becoming mr. madonna.
- august
- farewell my concubine - i found this movie touching and beautifully done but overall too tragic--and it had a tad too much blood. plus i heard one of the actors later committed suicide and it's no wonder... this must have been a super-depressing project. anyway, i can understand the acclaim but can't say it was a recommended experience.
- the graduate - wow, it's crazy when you see something this influential and realize how much it's been copied and imitated. i can't say enough about the soundtrack, of course--S&G have always been favorites of mine--but it was strange hearing it in this context. i don't really get the characters' motivations but it makes for a fabulous story.Spoiler: Highlight to viewlike why would the daughter want him in the end anyway?
- pillow talk - this was the first rock hudson/doris day movie i've ever seen and i loved it... the irony of hearing hudson talk about guys who "really love their mothers" was amusing and tony randall's character totally ruled. and i can't believe how thoroughly david hyde pierce has modeled himself after randall--not only in "down with love" but everything... truly a great old flick, even if the party-line plot is a tad dated.
- freaky friday - a friend talked me into seein this with her and it was as fluffy and light as you'd expect. some things were overdone (the daughter said "you're ruining my life" like 8 times) but mostly it was just plain fun. i haven't seen the original in a long time so i can't speak to a comparison though.
- all about eve - i've seen this movie many times before but never with a large audience. i caught a surprising amount more of the witty dialogue this time--and met a george sanders fan who's as devoted as i am!
- july
- cinema paradiso - it feels so great to watch a good movie after seeing a lot of fluff... and i can't believe i didn't see this film sooner! it was done so passionately--from the story to the cinematography, and especially the acting. i recognized adolescent salvatore from like water for chocolate and he was great as the love-struck youth (can you believe he's really australian?) and the young salvatore was equally as impressive. i will recommend this to nearly everyone--i dare say it was almost as heartwarming as amelie.
- how to lose a guy in 10 days - ended up watching this on a whim and was underwhelmed, although it was fun to make fun of. i'm sure a lot of people will take dates to this and for them i feel especially sorry. it was rather embarrassingly uncomfortable to watch hudson make such a fool of herself and i have some philosophical objections... but then, why get philosophical with such a forgettable movie?
- charade - this film was a strange hybrid thriller-romance and evidently called "the greatest hitchcock film hitchcock never made." but oh how i wish grant and audrey hepburn would've made more movies together--although he was 25 years her senior they had great chemistry. good stuff!
- klondike annie - another fabulous mae west flick and this time she shows not only a lot of heart but some morality too!
- june
- this is spinal tap - i can't believe it took me so long to watch this... (i finally ended up gettin it from the library.) i was dyin--and christopher guest especially cracks me up. this is definitely a great rewatch/party movie. *
- she done him wrong - (x2) this was just my second mae west film, but she grows more fascinating all the time. the plot of this one makes her schtick a bit more clear--on the surface, she seems like a super materialistic man-eater, but underneath her diamond encrusted curves, you can tell she wants the right guy to straighten her out. and i gotta say, she knew how to pick em--cary grant is way irresistible. again he's not given quite enough screentime, but the last five minutes are sexier than plenty of his other roles, even when they're playing up the heartthrob thing. a must-see for all grant-swooning ladies.
- bringing up baby - i gotta admit, after watching a lot of screwball comedies, this one doesn't hold up for me. there are a couple good laughs (grant in a frilly robe is just a funny image) but not non-stop smiles for me. it doesn't hold a candle to "the philadelphia story" for instance. maybe i just prefer my grant to be bitter and sarcastic as opposed to befuddled and forgetful... who knows? still a classic, but not on my top 10 list.
- may
- my dog skip - tugged a bit too hard on the heart strings for my taste, but you kinda know that goin in. not on my list of must-sees but a nice family film. i contented myself with the lovely sound of harry connick's narration and the sharp looks of luke wilson and called it good.
- bruce almighty - this is jim carrey in the tradition of "liar, liar" (ie, goofy with an obvious moral--and the same director) so if you liked that you'll certainly like this. a lot of the gags were spoiled by the preview, but it was still highly amusing. morgan freeman was good but underused. but the stand-out performance here IMO was steven carell (of "watching ellie" semi-fame) who literally made me weep from laughter in one scene. overall, cliche but fun.
- down with love - this was an excellent surprise (sister took me for my bday)... i had to overcome a bit of renee annoyance, but when i allowed myself to be taken in it was definitely worthwhile fun. there was a bit of austin powers-inspired humor and a plot twist that was delivered as subtly as a mack truck in the face, but some really excellent dialogue, fab costumes and a killer musical number during the credits. i'd recommend this especially as a light date movie and also to fans of mr. mcgregor. (*sigh*)
- analyze that - surprisingly better than the first, but it's still pretty sad when the bloopers that run during the credits are funnier than the actual movie.
- homegrown - don't even ask.
- matrix reloaded - i can understand a small amount of backlash for this sequel, because it's not nearly as suspenseful or tightly edited as the first--it doesn't stand on its own but it's not intended to, either. i personally loved the new characters (esp. harold perrineau as link and lambert wilson as merovingian) and found the philosophical bits stimulating but i think this one takes its audience for granted a bit and slows the pace to a degree some folks won't be able to tolerate--however, it broke the record with $42.5 million opening day, so i guess it can do what it wants! honestly i would like to see it again--this time in a stadium theater with ear-bursting surround sound. there's a lot of good stuff here, but no one will feel satisfied until the final installment. (oh and don't forget to stay for the preview of part 3 after the credits--no one told me ahead of time so i missed it!)
- brotherhood of the wolf - this one was recommended to me and i'm glad i watched it but can't believe i made it through alone... a tad on the gruesome side and a few un- or poorly explained plot points but the artsy filming and costumes made up for it, i think. i especially enjoyed mark dacascos' performance as "savage" mani. i have to say it's straddling quite a few genres so perhaps no one will adore every bit but i think there's something here for everyone if they give it a chance.Spoiler: Highlight to viewie, how does fronsac's character come back to life exactly? was he not really dead--was it the snake bracelet?
- tuck everlasting - hey, can you tell i'm staying at someone else's house for awhile? this was a pay-per-view selection that was everything i expected it to be--and that's not much. basically the only thing i enjoyed about it was actor jonathan jackson whose agent i've been *swearing* should get him roles like playing jeff buckley and not making the sequel to dirty dancing. i'm afraid we're going to have to add him to this list.
- maid in manhattan - well i do have to admit i was coerced into seeing this but j. lo was surprisingly unannoying. (actually i've decided she should stick to acting and quit the horrendous singing.) i've always liked fiennes, so no complaints there but it was highly predictable--a cross between cinderella and pretty woman, only pretty woman was more complex--plus i would've liked to see more than a "happily ever after" ending... Spoiler: Highlight to viewfor example, how j.lo converts her newly smitten politician to the side of the democrats, integrating this rich guy into her latino family etc.
- april
- a room with a view - i just put this video on whilst quilting so i could look up during the best scenes... the costumes and dialogue never seem to lose their power--i just love this lush merchant-ivory production. and what is it about dante that everyone found so controversial back then? (i've not read much of him, but it makes me curious.)
- practical magic - i wasn't planning on watching this movie for several reasons--at one time i liked neither sandra bullock or nicole kidman, but i've come around with nicole; plus it was, as i suspected, a fluffy tale about witchcraft which i think is a topic that shouldn't be taken lightly; and things could be said about the supposed curse which is magically lifted for bullock but is never resolved for kidman... however, i will admit i enjoyed the build-up to aidan quinn's character ("one green eye, one blue"--which could've been the back-story for any childhood tale though,;it didn't have to be "magic")--also stockard channing & dianne weist seem perfectly cast as the aunties, and the scenery and filming are well done. i can't say i'd recommend this, but at least now i know why.
- quiet man - a quaint but slightly disturbing film about an ex-boxer and his strong-willed irish bride--full of great accents, scenery, and "sticks for beatin the lovely bride..." i guessed that john wayne would stick out like a sore thumb in this setting but i thought he worked well as a non-cowboy, and maureen o'hara is lovely of course. if you can overlook the humorous stereotypes and a wee bit of chauvinism, it's a good picture for a sunday afternoon.
- bishop's wife - cary grant is rather hammy in this film, but it's sort of amusing. and david niven (better known as the pink panther in later years) is marvelous as the bishop. the gentleman who played the professor was also wonderful--too bad he didn't have more scenes. overall a nice little christmasy film. Spoiler: Highlight to viewi wish cary grant were an angel who fell in love with me... i'd be makin him mortal faster than you can say "archibald leach!"
- notorious - i don't think i've ever enjoyed a hitchcock film as much as i did this one. from the plot description i never would have thought i'd be so entranced, but ingrid bergman and cary grant smoldered so much on the screen (and he's so serious!) and the dialogue was so heartwrenching... not to mention the signature directing! (i adored the upside-down camera work as bergman's character awoke with a hangover.) i honestly think i could watch this over and over, and the only other hitchcock i can say that about so far is rebecca.
- to catch a thief - one of the more predictable hitchcock films--but it was kind of the way you feel when you first hear a beatles song and realize it only feels familiar because it's so seminal/classic... anyway the dialogue and chemistry were great between kelly and grant (although i'm not that big a fan of hers) and i thought jessie royce landis was wonderful as kelly's bourbon-drinking mother. maybe hitch should've considered using some subtitles for the excessive french, however...
- banger sisters - not a great script, as you could probably tell from the trailer--the all-time low being a horrendous valedictorian speech--but you have to admit the casting was great. i personally like goldie hawn (this role didn't seem like that big of a stretch for her, however); love susan sarandon (good to see her in a comedy again); and think geoffrey rush is the freaking bomb. his role, although not well advertised at all, makes the whole movie IMO. an amusing ride overall.
- talk to her - convince my friend to see this with me on the basis that lbangs of listology highly recommended it (she was worried the plot sounded too heavy) and i'm so glad it worked! it was surprisingly lighthearted and moving considering the subject matter of women in a coma (afterward, despite its absence, i had the smiths "girlfriend in a coma" stuck in my head). i also truly enjoyed the affect of the role reversals (ie, male nurse, girl bullfighter, emotional male friendship etc.) and the depth of benigno's character which could have been portrayed with much less heart. overall a wonderful film, and to agree with lbangs once again, very worthy of its oscar.
- harry potter and the chamber of secrets - while thoroughly entertaining and well done, this movie had way too many spiders and snakes for my tastes. doesn't it scare the kids to death? actually i'm not even sure what it's rated... anyway, my 4 yr old little brothers didn't seem affected so maybe it's just me.
- march
- road to perdition - im admittedly not well-versed in mafia-type movies, but this lushly photographed and well-acted film had a slowly-revealed plot that made me feel like i was missing something. i'm not usually one to cry out for more spoon-feeding but this seemed to leave the audience puzzled for far too long. however, i loved the perspective from the young boy and the exploration of father-son relationships made this film memorable and worthwhile--the watching just requires quite a bit of patience. (also, i have to say it was nice to see hanks in a non-comedic role that didn't seem laughable and jude law as creepy and unhandsome as ever.)
- about a boy - this is another book i plan on reading after the fact. being a big fan of high fidelity, i figured i'd like this movie some but i didn't think i'd enjoy it as much as i did. it wasn't as simplistic as the trailer made it sound, hugh grant was in top form (i happen to think he's ok) and toni collette as well (always love her); and although i'm generally critical of child actors, i thought nicholas hoult did an excellent job with the part of marcus--however, i was admittedly rooting for grant to take him to a salon for a proper haircut at some point. performance-wise though i'd say it's right up there with billy elliot. can't say rachel weisz was given a chance to shine but at least she's getting better roles. this film has a lot going for it including a great soundtrack--there are few people i wouldn't recommend this to (hugh grant haters excluded).
- who is cletus tout? - can't say this movie was all that it could be, but it had potential. i could do without the bumbling mob "comedy" and think both the violence and language could've been toned down (god, i sound so prudish but both seemed really out of line here). the casting was extremely mixed: from rupaul at the highly forgettable end, richard dreyfus in the underused middle, portia de rossi and christian slater as a great duo (loved the "jiggins" dialogue), and--listologists, poise your recording devices--tim allen stealing the show. (is it just me or is his cred on the rise? i enjoyed "big trouble" too--am i ill?) overall an amusing story with a poor title that never really gets to take off. worth a couple laughs, at least.
- possession - i heard great things about the book and think it probably faired better than the movie--less predictable perhaps--but enjoyable all the same. gwyneth was likeable, perhaps because she seemed more human in this (is it mean to rejoice in the acne and hair-breakage of the stars?). jeremy northam is always a joy, and i don't really remember aaron eckhart in "erin brockovich" but he held his own here. overall a good date movie, but nothing extraordinary. i still may have to read the book to do an after-the-fact comparison.
- north by northwest - so i have to admit, i viewed this as a great movie more on the cary grant scale than i did on the hitchcock scale. that isn't to say that i couldn't appreciate it for it's hitchcock-ness--it just didn't seem to have enough of the suspense that i've enjoyed in others (granted, this is only the 7th hitchcock film i've seen so far). i will say that i was happily taken off-guard by the eva marie saint plot twist and thoroughly enjoyed their covorting about the face of mount rushmore--talk about ambitious directing! however, it was grant's performance and comic ability that knocked this one out of the park for me.
- the shop around the corner - i adored this version of the story despite having seen the sad retelling "you've got mail." jimmy stewart hasn't quite come into the persona we know him for best which is actually quite refreshing, and margaret sullavan is a bit overwhelming at times, but on the whole it's a great satire of the interactions of men and women and their illusions of love. definitely a film worth of many revisits.
- the mummy - i'd long wondered about this movie and now i'm glad i've seen it. i loved john hannah in sliding doors and i don't think his talents were really put to good use in this--maybe more so in the mummy returns, i don't know--but it was still nice to see him. rachel weisz took me by surprise with her bumbling yet proud librarian (loved the drunken speech she gives on the matter) and although brendan frasier has one too many bad jokes, he does play action hero rather nicely (an improvement over george of the jungle and pauly-shore esque type roles, at any rate.) overall, i thought it good for what it was--however, one thing continues to puzzle me... Spoiler: Highlight to viewif the mummy needed eyes to see, why does he steal them from a guy who's blind without his glasses?
- conspiracy theory - i saw this movie five or so years ago and caught it again on tv, but i'd forgotten most of the plot so it seemed all new. mel gibson is a bit too manic in this movie to thoroughly enjoy and he and julia roberts are just too unbelievable... however the plot was intriguing enough and for some reason the only thing that stuck with me over the years was that gibson's character compulsively buys copies of the catcher in the rye. that quirk, too me, is the most endearing part of it all. still, i probably wouldn't recommend it with any passion.
- february
- rooster cogburn - decided to venture a foray into westerns and so far, so good. maybe this flick is known for appealing to both men and women (i don't know critically speaking, but it was wisely recommended to me as a good starting point) anyway i got the feeling someone tried to make it so and succeeded. the relationship between john wayne and katherine hepburn was intriguing enough to keep me watching, and i was also amused by the jokes about yankees, women's suffrage, natives and immigrants--however, i do wonder if they get old after your 50th western. at any rate, there are quite a few more on my to-see list (i've really only seen high noon and the man who shot liberty valance) so we'll see how this compares when i get a few more under my belt.
- interview with a vampire - this was a rewatch, but my opinion varies on this movie every time i see it. as it stands now, i adore kirsten dunst, admire brad pitt's performance, and think tom cruise was passingly fair. the people i watched it with were rather squeemish (usually that's me but not with this type of gore--this and sleepy hollow are exceptions), but the only scene that makes me truly uncomfortable is the theater performance when they meet the colony of vampires. i think it could've been done differently and still showed the vicious crew as deserving of the fate they receive. i may not want to own this one, but i do believe this film is a shining success in the genre.
- life without dick - worst. movie. ever. harry connick jr. admittedly has an atrocious acting history--but i thought since he sings in this one, his swoony voice might save the day. however, *nothing* could save this film--not his few vocal performances, the irish accents of the gang he works for, or the garish set colors. recasting sarah jessica parker might have added quite a bit more, but still couldn't have rescued such a horrendous script. i hang my head in shame for harry's sake.
- his girl friday - for me, this doesn't compare to the awful truth or the philadelphia story in laughs, but it did have a similar ring... only on fast-forward--i swear the dialogue in this is faster than anything i've ever seen. i also think it's amusing that the script dropped the real names of both ralph bellamy and archie leach (cary grant's real name). and there were a couple times i thought grant was channeling the three stooges with that funny little whine. but here's what i really want to know--what is it with cary grant and the "remarriage" plotline? did he get typecast? was that type of thing ever realistic? i realize he had quite a few failed marriages himself--maybe he liked the idea of going back and starting over? anyway if you think i'm onto something (or not) let me know...
- the diner - i wouldn't want to dismiss this movie as a "guy movie" because i don't think that's a valid argument in the reverse... i really wanted to like these characters--and the cast was pretty remarkable (steve guttenberg, kevin bacon, paul reiser, mickey rourke, daniel stern and timothy daly). strangely the only one i ended up liking at all was mickey rourke and in every other movie i've seen him in, he freaks the crap out of me. daniel stern was sort of endearing too--too bad he went on to "home alone" fame. granted, there are some outlandish/memorable scenes (the popcorn, the church nativity) but i found that overall the scales fall more on the side of cruelty than the side with heart--which doesn't make it a guy movie, just a bad one.
- i'm no angel - i picked this movie up for cary grant's performance but was blown away by the presence that is mae west. i'd heard people imitate her before so i expected her to be caricature-like, but after a scene or two she had me rolling. and i was amazed at what she could get away with saying in 1933! (at one point she had her maids helping her "get more comfortable" while cary grant was at the piano, and she said "mmm, my man's got rhythm--ya know what i mean?" and one of the maids giggled and said, "yes'm i know what you mean!" too funny...) of course cary grant was wonderful too, but didn't have an awful lot of screen time. and now i think i have to check out the rest of mae west's work...
- singin in the rain - watched this movie on valentine's day to cheer myself up. who can help but smile watching donald o'connor do his "make em laugh" schtick (after which IMDB says he required 3 days' bed-rest)? and i also can't get enough of "fit as a fiddle" and "good mornin." isn't debbie reynolds the cutest little heroine ever? how can you not admire a girl who's 5'2" and keeps up with gene kelly, loses her first husband to liz taylor and does the voice of charlotte in charlotte's web? truly, the only objectionable/boring part of this movie is the overly garish broadway sequence--i always fast forward through it. gotta love singin in the rain.
- the man who shot liberty valance - admittedly, i'm not a fair judge of westerns but i wasn't sure i'd make it through the first 20 minutes of this movie--the excruciatingly slow dialogue that served as buildup, the pains to make it look old-timey rather than a cardboard set... but fortunately it picked up with the literacy and political plotlines. it was my first john-wayne experience, and i can't say that i fully get it--but i'm glad jimmy stewart was there to help me through. [sidenote: andy devine, who plays the inept sheriff, was a particularly amusing character--and i could swear he was the voice model for shaggy from scooby-doo. according to imdb he did do cartoon voices later in life, including friar tuck in disney's robin hood.]
- rope - i was familiar with this plotline somehow, but never connected it with this hitchcock title... i guess it's kind of like the theory that everyone is born knowing all the beatles lyrics. anyway, i thoroughly enjoyed watching the whole thing unravel, but had to laugh at the very end. Spoiler: Highlight to viewwould the police really arrive that quickly--or at all--at the sound of 3 gunshots? how was stewart's character so sure they would find them? i think i might have phoned if i were him...
- an affair to remember - despite having the plot somewhat spoiled by rosie o'donell in "sleepless in seattle," i can totally understand what everybody (or is it just "chicks"?) sees in this. the dialog was surprisingly quick-witted and the circumstances so agonizing--the scenes with the grandmother added more depth than i'd expected. i personally was impressed with how plain-jane deborah kerr was, not that she isn't beautiful--just that it warms every girl's heart to believe she can win the playboy over with intelligence and integrity... cary grant was a mite too tan-looking--plus, he'd aged 20 years since the movie i watched just before (incidentally also directed by leo mccarey), but he was still as handsome as ever. the only truly embarassing scenes are the ones with the children singing--but even those are worth a laugh at 50s hollywood. definitely worthy of multiple viewings.
- the awful truth - 1937 "re-marriage comedy" with cary grant and irene dunne. a lot more hearty laughs here than i expected--especially grant's physical comedy in the voice recital scene, and the riotous police escort toward the end. you can tell it was previously a stage piece, but all the same, it's easy to sit back and just enjoy the way it plays out.
- rebecca - another classic film borrowed from the library "complete with original trailer" which was kind of amusing... i love this hitchcock movie to death and have seen it several times but the plot is always fresh to me (short-term memory? possibly). and every time the characters frustrate me. why doesn't wife number two just come out at the beginning and say she doesn't plan to be anything like the first mrs. dewinter? and for gosh sakes, i think even her husband would've understood her not wanting to have the ex's monogrammed R's on everything--that's just rude. max's character is equally frustrating, but that's sort of the point, keeping him mysterious. i only fault joan fontaine for her kneejerk facial response to everything--an irritatingly pained eyebrow raise. still, every scene is worthwhile and dreamy george sanders plays the best arrogant villain you'll ever see. *sigh*
- the philadelphia story - borrowed this classic from the library and was happy i did (watched it twice actually). i know hepburn and grant are supposed to have this amazing chemistry but jimmy stewart is definitely the one who shines here... i adore him, but after seeing his "drunk" scene and the way he argues with hepburn about who's the bigger snob, it's bordering on worship. and whatever happened to the woman who played stewart's sidekick, liz (her name was ruth hussey, i guess). it's too bad she didn't come to more acclaim.
- tadpole - an odd digital video about a rich schoolboy who falls for his own stepmother. it may sound slightly distasteful but had quite a bit of heart and wit--and some unforgettably tense scenes that leave you not knowing whether to laugh or pull your hair out. i had a difficult time buying the lead character's age (a 14 year old played by a 25 year old?) and think they could've done a bit more with the plot (adding flashbacks for background perhaps) but for a 70 minute amusement it was worthwhile. now, had they used an *actual* 14 year old boy rather than this beck look-alike and a plain-jane stepmom rather than sigourney weaver, this wouldn't have flown anywhere much less to sundance.
- cruel intentions - a guilty pleasure of mine i haven't indulged in for quite a while... this movie may fall in the "so bad it's good" category. i've complimented the costume design in other lists, but it was even more clear to me during this viewing that they did everything right for phillippe and pretty much everything wrong for his gal, witherspoon. was she already pregnant during filming? because that's the only reason i can fathom for the horrendously high waisted, high water pants they have her wearing. and who can get away with wearing all white? she's come a long way in my opinion, however, surpassing her hubby's career... so i'll give her a break. still, i love hearing the echoes of john malkovitch in phillippe's delivery--and tara reid's horrific two minutes is worth a rewatch every once in a while.
- january
- rushmore - can't say enough good about this movie--it gets better with every rewatch. this time i felt most endeared to little dirk's character... did i tell you i once got reprimanded by a stranger for laughing at this movie in the theater? yeah, he must not have gotten the jokes, but i'm so glad i own it and can laugh all i want at home. [note to self: buy royal tenenbaums and rent bottle rocket!]
- as good as it gets - i've seen this several times, and while i enjoy it--i don't seem to enjoy it as much as everybody else does... do people just love jack nicholson so much that they overlook how creepy the age difference is between him and helen hunt's character (let alone him and his real-life stick-girlfriend, lara flynn boyle, but don't get me started on her...) not to mention how creepy his character is in general. why are we rooting for him again? i think greg kinnear deserves much more credit for this one--and i will say it is an original script. (and i think helen hunt deserved the oscar if only for agreeing to kiss that crazy freak.)
- notorious C.H.O. - rented margaret cho's sequel to "i'm the one that i want." not quite as hilarious as the first one--not enough "mommy impersonations" and slightly more noticeably preachy--but still VERY worthwhile. you know the girl just has a way about her--anybody who can recount a high colonic experience one minute and her mom telling her "a gay story about her daddy" the next is someone special.
- america's sweethearts - bought this for $2 out of curiosity and can't say it was money well spent. (maybe i should take the hint and shy away from billy crystal altogether?) i do still love john cusack tho, and he remained endearing. catherine zeta-jones plays a good girl-you-love-to-hate, but it would've been highly improved WITHOUT julia roberts and her fat suit. (x2 - some friends came over to visit and when i told them how bad it was they *had* to check it out... we even watched it with closed captioning, so now i feel like i know the damn thing by heart. gah!)
- picture of dorian gray (1945) - another video i own and love. watching "earnest" gave me a hankerin to see my favorite 40s actor, george sanders, rival rupert at wilde's dialog.
- analyze this - regifted to me from my uncle. good for a one-time laugh--but why the hell do i own it now? i can't say... (certainly not to see deniro say "YOU! You...you...." one more time.)
- the importance of being earnest - as a huge oscar wilde devotee i never would've missed this no matter who they cast, but fortunately it was supremely well done--rupert everett and judi dench being highlights. i've seen this done on stage many time but i thoroughly enjoyed several of the interpretive touches deployed here, namely involving tattoos (!) and visualized daydreams. i hope to add this to my collection, right next to "an ideal husband."
Cloned From:
The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband are now on my "to see" list. Thanks for including comments! I know I sound like a broken record, but I love this style of list.
thanks, jim... i've decided adding comments are purely a matter of taking the time as things are viewed or read, then i won't get overwhelmed.
of course, i'm always ambitious & hopeful in january--talk to me in july and we'll see if i've changed my tune due to procrastination. :)
I know exactly what you mean. I'm currently eight movies in the hole on my "Seen in 2003" list and catching up is going to be hard. I'm hoping to dig myself out today.
I do hope you're still commenting in July. You sure are off to a good start here in January. :-)
I'm really enjoying this list! I recently saw The Philadelphia Story as well, and share your admiration for Stewart's drunk scene. I've seen several of his movies over the past six months or so, and he's terrific. Most recently I watched The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Have you seen that one? I think you'd like it regardless of how you feel about westerns. I didn't really care for Stewart in the "current day" scenes, but most of the movie is a flashback, and he's very good.
thanks for the props, jim--i'm very much enjoying the summary process for films and books, now that i'm in the habit. and i'm noting your recommendation on "liberty valance"--i feel a definite stewart kick coming on. and maybe a cary grant one, too. i'm surprisingly unversed when it comes to some of these classics. any suggestions from his filmography?
Taryn may I intercede and recommend. I am a huge Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant fan. I dida top 30 films list for him. You can find it Here
I talk alot about Cary Grant movies in my Damn I Watch too many movies lists if you dont mind slogging through the quagmire that are those lists you might find some very good Grant Movies.
much appreciated!
Definitely go with jgandcag's recommendations! That's what I do, and it's worked very well for me so far. While I've liked what I've seen, I haven't seen nearly enough Stewart or Grant movies to give you a good mix of recommendations myself.
My favorite Cary Grant films:
North by Northwest
Bringing Up Baby
Gunga Din
Notorious
His Girl Friday
The Philadelphia Story
My favorite Jimmy Stewart films:
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Rear Window
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
The Philadelphia Story
I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to see The Awful Truth, which is supposed to contain a great Grant performance. To Catch a Thief, while hardly a masterpiece of a film, is fun and also contains a great Grant performance. Charade is another good film worth viewing.
For Stewart, It's a Wonderful Life and Harvey also contain great acting jobs. To be fair, I'll mention that many cite Vertigo and The Glenn Miller Story has high points of Mr. Stewart's career, although I like neither the film Vertigo or his performance in it. He does great in the Glenn Miller Story, but I'm not sure the film deserves it.
Stewart's Anatomy of a Murder is certainly worth watching, and I also enjoy another film he shares with John Wayne (besides the mightly Man who Shot Liberty Valance): The Shootist.
Well, there's a few ideas, if you're interested. jgandcag can give more and probably better ones.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Correction: I have seen the Awful Truth, but since I was around eleven or so at the time and don't remember it too well, I don't really count it.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ooh, you should really see that again. It's a really fun screwball comedy in a similar vein as Grant's "Bringing Up Baby" or "My Favorite Wife."
I'm going to have to, considering my love of Cary Grant!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Aw shucks. I appreciate the love on old movie recommending. Go ask the old guy...:)
I could probably give you a shorter list of Cary Grant movies not to see but Mr. Bangs has certainly listed some of the highlights.
I also like some of these a lot...
Arsenic and Old Lace
Topper
My Favorite Wife
Penny Serenade
The Bishop's Wife
and i highly recommend The Awful truth
It does not seem fair that you should need cheering up on Valentine's Day, but you certainly picked a good tonic.
partially to answer my own question (in the his girl friday comments, i found the following book--now considered a classic text regarding the genre, it would seem: pursuits of happiness: the hollywood comedy of remarriage. (i'm just relieved i'm not going crazy...)
Hey, if you wouldn't mind posting a list, I'd love to see your "To See: Westerns" list.
alrighty jim, i've formalized it over here. and i know you guys'll probably have additional suggestions, but do keep in mind i'm a semi-squeamish girl. :)
Okay, first see The Wild Bunch, then Unforgiven, then ...
Just kidding! Do NOT see those. You also might want to give High Plains Drifter a miss. Some might call it dark, others might call it ugly. I'm on the fence. I don't *think* there's any gore, but you do see/hear somebody get whipped to death.
Of those on your list that I've seen, I probably liked Rio Bravo and The Magnificent Seven the best.
BTW, I really like how you've fleshed that list out! I'm particularly curious to see how you like North by Northwest, folks around these parts seem to love it, but I only liked it.
You haven't seen Casablanca?
heehee--yes, i was told i'd have to watch unforgiven when i had a strong person's arm to squeeze... so that may be awhile.
thanks for your thoughts though, and hopefully i'll get back to you by the end of the weekend on north by northwest! of course, i'll have to catch up on the listology discussion before i comment. :)
also, the casablanca thing is a wonder--not sure how that's slipped by all these years, but i do plan to remedy it. to be continued...
Nice North by Northwest comments! I felt similarly, although a bit less so. :-) Boy, you just exploded out of the gates in March! Four movies in two days!
I remember that mummy/eyes thing; I remember thinking they missed a comic gold mine by not pursuing that. Perhaps they intended to make a running gag out of that but it ultimately made the villian too silly, so it got dropped in editing, introducing that continuity error.
I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this list; interesting choices, great comments!
It is impossible to appreciate Aaron Eckhart's amazing, astonishing range until you see him in In the Company of Men, then Your Friends and Neighbors, and then Erin Brockovich. You'll swear his great forever after.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Interesting. If you click on "what's new" you can see your new Possession review, but you can also see the old one if you scroll down to "deleted/changed". So it was in there, I just don't know why you couldn't see it. Perhaps you were viewing a cached version of the page? I dunno...
I don't know either, but I had the same experience she had. One moment it was there, but later, it was gone.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Hmm, that's not good. If you two (or anybody else) runs into a situation where you've saved changes but then you see those changes, please let me know before you take additional steps so I can investigate.
Thanks!
My favorite part of "Notorious" is the infamous three-minute-kiss scene.
Concerning your comments on "The Quiet Man"... Wayne and O'Hara always seemed to play around with the "beating of the wife" and "chauvinism" thing in their movies together. In "The Quiet Man" most everyone thought the "sticks for beatin the lovely bride..." line was perhaps just cute and playful.
But 11 years later in the western, "McLintok" (not sure of spelling), Wayne actually chased wife O'Hara through town, finally caught her, layed her over his knee and proceeded to give her a spanking in front of the town folk. I couldn't believe it.
Kinky, chauvinist or just Mr. Wayne being "The Duke"... you might want to miss that one.
I'm glad you liked Brotherhood of the Wolf! Have you seen my review? Regarding the questionable plot point you mentioned, I can't really remember now, but I have a vague memory of him getting some kind of injection, perhaps as part of his execution. I assumed that contained some kind of Serpent and the Rainbow-type voodoo zombie drug. Or am I completely making that up?
yeah, it may require a rewatch at some point because i have *no* clue! maybe the key to that particular plot-point happened while i was peeking through my fingers and i missed it! :)
and i've never seen that "serpent and the rainbow" movie--is it worth checkin out?
I've actually never seen it either. I just know there's some buried-alive zombie voodoo stuff in there. Or at least, that's the impression I'm left with after watching the trailers from 15 years ago or so.
ah... well from the imdb synopsis it doesn't sound like it's up my alley either. the only voodoo-ish movie i've seen would have to be angel heart and mickey rourke gave me the willies for many years after that (not to mention ruining poor little lisa bonet).
So glad you liked Cinema Paradiso! I remember loving it, but it's been much too long since I saw it last.
"i wouldn't seek out the director's other films, though... especially since i've heard he's gone downhill since becoming mr. madonna."
Since becoming Mr. Madonna, Guy Ritchie has made a film which I've heard is atrociously awful called "Swept Away." However, before he became Mr. Madonna, and before me made "Snatch", he made a film in a similar vein as "Snatch" called "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels." If you liked "Snatch", you may want to check that one out.
Wasn't Nemo great? I think Amelia has asked me when the DVD is coming out once a week since we saw it. You're right about the sharks though. :-)
I'm happy to see you liked Underworld, as I've been looking forward to it a bit, but was getting discouraged by the bad reviews. I'll have to wait for DVD, but I'll definitely check it out.
If you liked Once Upon a Time in Mexico (which I'm going to try to catch in theaters) you should probably rent El Mariachi first, then Desperado. El Mariachi put Rodriguez on the map, and he made it with an insanely low budget: I've heard anywhere from $8,000 to $12,000, and that at one point he sold his own blood (well, some of it at least) to buy film.
wow i was right on. thanks so much for that link, jim--i loved the story and amelia's quote was priceless. (and did i mention i adore the name "amelia"? it reminds me of jeunet's amelie, the amelia bedelia books i loved as a child, and the time i dressed up as amelia earhart for halloween at age 7.)
and i'm sold on rodriguez. i'll let you know when i'm caught up!
:-) Thanks! With both our girls we tried to come up with names that we loved the sound of, weren't outlandish, but that were uncommon enough they wouldn't share their name with classmates.
Nice to see you back 'round here!