A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society.
Audrey Hepburn. Audrey, Audrey, Audrey. She was a masterpiece. Truly. And I hate everyone, so for me to adore her, she'd have to be pretty awesome.
In this movie, based on a Broadway musical, she plays Eliza Doolittle, a poor flower-girl with an extremely strong (but still kind of adorable) cockney accent. 'enry 'iggins has been given the task of changing her into a lady, mostly through transforming her speech. During the course of their time together, she begrudgingly turns into a lady and Professor Higgins turns into a big jackass. Yep. You read that right... he's a jackass.
I'm sure I was supposed to consider the time and place before judging the man... but for cripes sake, he was a 'gentleman'... and should have been raised better. He discards poor Eliza when he's done with her, never giving any thought to what would happen to this poor girl who no longer belongs in the world she came from and can't live anywhere else. I won't spoil the ending for you, which is a happy one, which is expected, I suppose.
Audrey. Still can't get over her.
I want to be her... I want to dress like her, walk like her, talk like her... but as many who I'm sure have tried to emulate her before me, it's a fool's pursuit. There was only one Audrey Hepburn. All others are cheap imitations.
Also, she weighed like, 90 pounds. I have an unhealthy obsession with complex carbohydrates, making that weight unattainable.
At any rate, watch this movie and let the Audrey-envy wash over you. She was amazing. And she starred in more than just "Breakfast at Tiffany's", so watch them all. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go style my hair just like hers... but I'll do it eating cheesy mashed potatoes.
I give this movie a 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn, mostly because musicals aren't really my thing and because 'enry 'iggins is a big jackass. Yup.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, November 28, 2010
#92 - A Place in the Sun
Dirt-poor George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) lands himself a factory job thanks to a well-to-do uncle's largesse and has a tryst with co-worker Alice (Shelley Winters) to combat his loneliness. But he forgets the uncultured Alice when he becomes smitten with a stunning socialite (Elizabeth Taylor). Alice can't forget George, however, because she's expecting his baby. Their dilemma sets off a course of events that can only end in tragedy.
Seriously, am I just a total prude? This movie has a lot of scandal in it, not the least of which is *SPOILER ALERT* the murder of a pregnant woman by the father of her baby. Really? This movie was appropriate in 1951? I thought I was so progressive and had seen and done my fair share of scandalous stuff but apparently, I'm a choir girl.
I've never seen Montgomery Clift in any movie, nor had I seen Elizabeth Taylor in anything. The only thing I've seen Shelley Winters in was episodes of "Roseanne", but she was pretty good in those, to be honest. I, of course, have heard Elizabeth Taylor's life story which include A LOT of drama in the romance department. I was excited to see how good she was or if her reputation was more about her private life and not her acting ability. After watching the movie, I was surprised by all three lead actors.
Shelley Winters was strong in her role, but mostly that she conveyed weakness so well. She gets jilted by Montgomery Clift's character, and gets the grapes to demand that he marry her. That leads him to plot her death, as he really wants to be with Elizabeth Taylor's character (for that, I can't blame him... she is smoking hot in this movie, and I'm a heterosexual woman). So he makes some decisions that in the end, cost him everything.
The courtroom scenes are a bit hammy for me... I should have asked for a side of mashed potatoes. But all in all, it was a good movie. This was Elizabeth Taylor's first adult role and she was amazing. Montgomery Clift was pretty dreamy, but he was a bit of an under-actor in this film. I'm not sure if he was always like that or if this director preferred him that way... but it seemed to work for this movie.
Four out of five bowls of popcorn... but I can't watch it again. He came so close to happiness and then pissed it all away. A shame, even 60 years later.
Seriously, am I just a total prude? This movie has a lot of scandal in it, not the least of which is *SPOILER ALERT* the murder of a pregnant woman by the father of her baby. Really? This movie was appropriate in 1951? I thought I was so progressive and had seen and done my fair share of scandalous stuff but apparently, I'm a choir girl.
I've never seen Montgomery Clift in any movie, nor had I seen Elizabeth Taylor in anything. The only thing I've seen Shelley Winters in was episodes of "Roseanne", but she was pretty good in those, to be honest. I, of course, have heard Elizabeth Taylor's life story which include A LOT of drama in the romance department. I was excited to see how good she was or if her reputation was more about her private life and not her acting ability. After watching the movie, I was surprised by all three lead actors.
Shelley Winters was strong in her role, but mostly that she conveyed weakness so well. She gets jilted by Montgomery Clift's character, and gets the grapes to demand that he marry her. That leads him to plot her death, as he really wants to be with Elizabeth Taylor's character (for that, I can't blame him... she is smoking hot in this movie, and I'm a heterosexual woman). So he makes some decisions that in the end, cost him everything.
The courtroom scenes are a bit hammy for me... I should have asked for a side of mashed potatoes. But all in all, it was a good movie. This was Elizabeth Taylor's first adult role and she was amazing. Montgomery Clift was pretty dreamy, but he was a bit of an under-actor in this film. I'm not sure if he was always like that or if this director preferred him that way... but it seemed to work for this movie.
Four out of five bowls of popcorn... but I can't watch it again. He came so close to happiness and then pissed it all away. A shame, even 60 years later.
#93 - The Apartment
C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) has his future mapped out -- all he needs to do is cozy up to the top feeders in the corporate food chain. But his fast track to the executive suite gets short-circuited when he falls for one of the bosses' girlfriends. The Apartment features top-notch performances from Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning five, including Best Picture.
I think I've been mistaken about movies and life in general in the 1950s and 60s. I assumed that the American populous was more provincial, and that certain topics were taboo. I am beginning to learn that I'm just a naive, but still gorgeous *cough*, woman.
In this movie, Jack Lemmon lends out his apartment to married men who want to carry on affairs. Several men, in fact. This movie is pretty misogynistic, if you want to get down to brass tacks. These men are indeed married, and couldn't care less. And I think the women they are having affairs with are aware of it... or maybe they weren't, who the hell knows? But Shirley MacLaine, who was AMAZING in this film, knew that her boyfriend was married... her boyfriend being Jack Lemmon's boss, which of course leads them all to the apartment. Good gravy... I didn't believe that adultery existed before Bill Clinton, let alone that there were films all about it. Jeepers, am I out of touch.
At any rate, the movie was pretty good. The dialogue was terrific, and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are superb, really and truly. I'm no prude, promise, but the affairs being carried on in this apartment made me want to disinfect my sheets. Did Jack Lemmon's character REALLY not care that his apartment would have lit up like the 4th of July under fluorescent lighting? God forbid the CSI get ahold of him, he'd have some explaining to do.
At any rate, it's a good movie with a few good laughs. I'd give it 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn and they're perfectly salted but with a touch too much butter. Whatever that means. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sanitize my linens.
I think I've been mistaken about movies and life in general in the 1950s and 60s. I assumed that the American populous was more provincial, and that certain topics were taboo. I am beginning to learn that I'm just a naive, but still gorgeous *cough*, woman.
In this movie, Jack Lemmon lends out his apartment to married men who want to carry on affairs. Several men, in fact. This movie is pretty misogynistic, if you want to get down to brass tacks. These men are indeed married, and couldn't care less. And I think the women they are having affairs with are aware of it... or maybe they weren't, who the hell knows? But Shirley MacLaine, who was AMAZING in this film, knew that her boyfriend was married... her boyfriend being Jack Lemmon's boss, which of course leads them all to the apartment. Good gravy... I didn't believe that adultery existed before Bill Clinton, let alone that there were films all about it. Jeepers, am I out of touch.
At any rate, the movie was pretty good. The dialogue was terrific, and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are superb, really and truly. I'm no prude, promise, but the affairs being carried on in this apartment made me want to disinfect my sheets. Did Jack Lemmon's character REALLY not care that his apartment would have lit up like the 4th of July under fluorescent lighting? God forbid the CSI get ahold of him, he'd have some explaining to do.
At any rate, it's a good movie with a few good laughs. I'd give it 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn and they're perfectly salted but with a touch too much butter. Whatever that means. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sanitize my linens.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
#94 - Goodfellas
Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro chew plenty of scenery, but the focus of this gripping Martin Scorsese opus is real-world mobster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a gangster who dreamed of making it big but landed in the Witness Protection Program instead. Nominated for six Oscars (including Best Picture), the film's only win was Pesci's Best Supporting Actor statue for his scene-stealing portrayal of ticking time bomb Tommy DeVito.
I've seen this movie no less than 100 times. My husband is of Italian heritage, complete with a last name that ends in a vowel, so he considers these types of films home movies. (Although my husband could not even be considered a gangster, he's ticklish. Once they find that out, you get whacked.) This opinion will be one of the easiest I'll have to write:
This movie is awesome; that's all there is to it. From the beginning to the end, it is amazing. Henry Hill is the textbook example of having it all and pissing it all away. He was exposed to gangsters at an early age and became enmeshed in the life, not only as a career, but as a reason for getting up in the morning. He loved the life, the money, the crime, the women, the respect, eventually the drugs, and then it took a turn for the worse. Poor Henry Hill... I would feel worse for him, except he kind of deserved what he got in the end... which wasn't death, interestingly enough. Not that they weren't going to whack him... he was totally on the hit list. He just did what he had to do to survive... and he became a schnook like everyone else.
Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro are so good in this movie... they should be provided as examples of how to act like a gangster. From what I hear, DeNiro is not easy to work with on-set, but man does it pay off.
Five out of five popcorn bowls, perfectly salted and buttered. If you haven't seen this one, rent it... no, BUY it immediately.
I've seen this movie no less than 100 times. My husband is of Italian heritage, complete with a last name that ends in a vowel, so he considers these types of films home movies. (Although my husband could not even be considered a gangster, he's ticklish. Once they find that out, you get whacked.) This opinion will be one of the easiest I'll have to write:
This movie is awesome; that's all there is to it. From the beginning to the end, it is amazing. Henry Hill is the textbook example of having it all and pissing it all away. He was exposed to gangsters at an early age and became enmeshed in the life, not only as a career, but as a reason for getting up in the morning. He loved the life, the money, the crime, the women, the respect, eventually the drugs, and then it took a turn for the worse. Poor Henry Hill... I would feel worse for him, except he kind of deserved what he got in the end... which wasn't death, interestingly enough. Not that they weren't going to whack him... he was totally on the hit list. He just did what he had to do to survive... and he became a schnook like everyone else.
Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro are so good in this movie... they should be provided as examples of how to act like a gangster. From what I hear, DeNiro is not easy to work with on-set, but man does it pay off.
Five out of five popcorn bowls, perfectly salted and buttered. If you haven't seen this one, rent it... no, BUY it immediately.
#95 - Pulp Fiction
A burger-loving hit man (John Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster's moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper fueled by director and co-writer Quentin Tarantino's whip-smart dialogue. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time, resulting in one of the most audacious and imitated films of the 1990s.
I'm starting to question the methods AFI used when determining which movies to include in this list.
I did not like this movie. I'm not a Quentin Tarantino fan really, but I did enjoy "Reservoir Dogs" and both "Kill Bill" movies. It's pretty much Quentin Tarantino himself that I don't like... I think he may need ritalin. If not ritalin, then he needs to switch to decaf, to be sure.
I don't enjoy gratuitous violence and swearing. Now, I'm no prude... I've been known to release a litany of curse words that would make most people blush... but these characters seemed to swear just for swearing's sake. That's just wrong. I say if you accidentally smash your thumb with a hammer or need to show dominance to your husband, let the expletives fly. Other than that, there just doesn't seem to be any need. And the violence in the movie was well-placed, for the most part... but the scene where *SPOILER ALERT* Marcellus gets raped could have been changed to something a bit less graphic. And by the way, when Butch escapes and goes upstairs, gets the sword, and heads back down to help Marcellus, why was he walking so slow? Good gravy, some guy is getting completely violated down there, maybe time might be a factor. I'm just saying.
I'm not saying the movie was horrible. I thought John Travolta was great, as well as Samuel L. Jackson... that man is a genius. But although the movie had several points where I didn't fear for my own safety, it just wasn't my kind of movie. And it wouldn't have cracked my top 100 movies.
So, if you like violence, swearing, and Quentin Tarantino, rent this movie. As for me and my house, we will stick Jim Carrey movies. Yup. I'd give this one a two out of five bowls of popcorn... and I added too much salt and not enough butter to those bowls. Enjoy.
I'm starting to question the methods AFI used when determining which movies to include in this list.
I did not like this movie. I'm not a Quentin Tarantino fan really, but I did enjoy "Reservoir Dogs" and both "Kill Bill" movies. It's pretty much Quentin Tarantino himself that I don't like... I think he may need ritalin. If not ritalin, then he needs to switch to decaf, to be sure.
I don't enjoy gratuitous violence and swearing. Now, I'm no prude... I've been known to release a litany of curse words that would make most people blush... but these characters seemed to swear just for swearing's sake. That's just wrong. I say if you accidentally smash your thumb with a hammer or need to show dominance to your husband, let the expletives fly. Other than that, there just doesn't seem to be any need. And the violence in the movie was well-placed, for the most part... but the scene where *SPOILER ALERT* Marcellus gets raped could have been changed to something a bit less graphic. And by the way, when Butch escapes and goes upstairs, gets the sword, and heads back down to help Marcellus, why was he walking so slow? Good gravy, some guy is getting completely violated down there, maybe time might be a factor. I'm just saying.
I'm not saying the movie was horrible. I thought John Travolta was great, as well as Samuel L. Jackson... that man is a genius. But although the movie had several points where I didn't fear for my own safety, it just wasn't my kind of movie. And it wouldn't have cracked my top 100 movies.
So, if you like violence, swearing, and Quentin Tarantino, rent this movie. As for me and my house, we will stick Jim Carrey movies. Yup. I'd give this one a two out of five bowls of popcorn... and I added too much salt and not enough butter to those bowls. Enjoy.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
#96 - The Searchers
After his entire family is viciously wiped out, hardened war veteran Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) embarks on a long journey to find his only surviving niece, Debbie (Natalie Wood), who has been captured by hostile Comanche Indians. Director John Ford's richly scenic -- and controversial -- Western also stars Vera Miles, Hank Worden, Ward Bond and Jeffrey Hunter, as Edwards's riding companion, Martin Pawley.
I watched this movie and now I'm scared of the Comanches. Those are some bad dudes.
I've never watched a John Wayne movie, despite the fact that my mother is a HUGE John Wayne fan. So I watched this movie and enjoyed the actor that was John Wayne. I've been amazed during this project about the under-acting that the greatest actors did. The over-the-top acting is almost always unwarranted, and actors like John Wayne knew it. Watching this movie, you BELIEVED that he was fighting the Comanche, you BELIEVED that he hated them, you BELIEVED that he would kill his niece if she had become too assimilated. It was great to see him in this movie and I'm putting other John Wayne flicks on my Netflix queue immediately.
If nothing else, this project has given me a glimpse of the greatest actors in the history of Hollywood, and I'm grateful. I would give this movie five out of five popcorn bowls, which is saying a lot since I'm not a fan of Westerns... watch this movie and enjoy it.
Next up, Pulp Fiction. I have avoided this movie for years... I watched it up until the scene where those men were being violated and that was it for me. I can't take violence like that... luckily for me, the hubby is going to watch it with me as it's one of his favorite movies. I'll report back soon...
I watched this movie and now I'm scared of the Comanches. Those are some bad dudes.
I've never watched a John Wayne movie, despite the fact that my mother is a HUGE John Wayne fan. So I watched this movie and enjoyed the actor that was John Wayne. I've been amazed during this project about the under-acting that the greatest actors did. The over-the-top acting is almost always unwarranted, and actors like John Wayne knew it. Watching this movie, you BELIEVED that he was fighting the Comanche, you BELIEVED that he hated them, you BELIEVED that he would kill his niece if she had become too assimilated. It was great to see him in this movie and I'm putting other John Wayne flicks on my Netflix queue immediately.
If nothing else, this project has given me a glimpse of the greatest actors in the history of Hollywood, and I'm grateful. I would give this movie five out of five popcorn bowls, which is saying a lot since I'm not a fan of Westerns... watch this movie and enjoy it.
Next up, Pulp Fiction. I have avoided this movie for years... I watched it up until the scene where those men were being violated and that was it for me. I can't take violence like that... luckily for me, the hubby is going to watch it with me as it's one of his favorite movies. I'll report back soon...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
#97 - Bringing Up Baby
Love runs wild for a hapless scientist and an unstoppable heiress in Howard Hawks's classic screwball comedy that ranks high on the American Film Institute's list of the funniest Hollywood films ever made. With her eye on paleontologist David (Cary Grant), heiress Susan (Katharine Hepburn) lures him to her home. But the hilarity begins when Susan's dog steals David's prize dinosaur bone and her pet leopard, Baby, is mistaken for a zoo escapee.
OK, this is a stumper. I think I've become de-sensitized to dry comedy. Listen, I can watch "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and wet myself laughing; I love a good comedy (if that is considered a good comedy... and I think it is, which should tell a bit about my sense of humor). This movie didn't do much for me. I think that in 1938, which is the year of this film, this was probably a riot... but today, it was just OK.
There were several parts that left me laughing, parts that I could see in a modern-day movie, so it certainly wasn't a total wash. And Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn (especially Katharine Hepburn) were phenomenal... their timing was great, the delivery was great, and the acting was great. I'm just not sure the material really holds up to modern-day films.
Ah well... they can't all be winners for me. I give this one a 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn... I'd watch it again, but I won't buy it on Bluray.
OK, this is a stumper. I think I've become de-sensitized to dry comedy. Listen, I can watch "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and wet myself laughing; I love a good comedy (if that is considered a good comedy... and I think it is, which should tell a bit about my sense of humor). This movie didn't do much for me. I think that in 1938, which is the year of this film, this was probably a riot... but today, it was just OK.
There were several parts that left me laughing, parts that I could see in a modern-day movie, so it certainly wasn't a total wash. And Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn (especially Katharine Hepburn) were phenomenal... their timing was great, the delivery was great, and the acting was great. I'm just not sure the material really holds up to modern-day films.
Ah well... they can't all be winners for me. I give this one a 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn... I'd watch it again, but I won't buy it on Bluray.
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