Jack Henry's Year in Film - Week 7
So, if you are wondering what happened to Week 6, well…it didn’t happen. I was incredibly busy preparing a trailer and crowdfunding campaign for my own film project, so I took a week off. If you are interested in my film I’ll leave a link to the crowdfunding campaign at the bottom. Otherwise, this week, in honor of Valentine’s Day I went about watching some Classic Romance movies. Some of these films have stood the test of time and some...very much haven’t.
So, without further ado:
WEEK 7
MONDAY (2/12) - Brief Encounter - David Lean
When I think of David Lean, I think of grand sprawling epics like Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai. What I don’t think of is sad and simple meditations on love, but that’s exactly what Brief Encounter is. It’s a story about two married people who meet in a train station. In fact, the film starts at the end of their affair and then slowly backtracks leaving us to pick up the pieces. Over the course of a few weeks they have a couple of chance meetings that then become more and more regular. They are able to forget about the concerns of their adult life and revert back to a youthful nature. In fact, that’s what this film is specifically about: love like a child. Their love is passionate and full of youth but also, like a child, immaturity and naivety. Do I think they love each other? Sure, but I think it’s founded upon that enticing feeling of being a child again. This film is sad but I really enjoyed it. I liked that the two main characters weren’t hyper-attractive; they simply looked normal. Also, like all David Lean films, it’s quite visually impressive. The first shot, where a train enters the station, is magnificent. So, does it pass the test of time? I say yes!
MY RATING: 8.5/10
TUESDAY (2/13) - A Farewell to Arms - Frank Borzage
Unlike my last film, this one does’t stand up all that well. Now, my review here, is for the movie. I’ve never read the Hemingway book, but I’ve heard there are some differences. Set on the Italian front in World War I, this story is about an American paramedic who falls in love with an English nurse. I think my biggest problem is that I didn’t care for their interpretation of love. The characters very much rush into their love with sort of the excuse of “Hey, it’s wartime! We could die at any moment. Let’s make it count!,” or at least the guy does. There’s this scene near the beginning that left me very uncomfortable because it was kind of rapey. Basically on their first meeting he tries to seduce her and she very clearly says “No!” and then it cuts to a new scene with the implication that they went through with it. Then they’re in love, and that staled the rest of the movie for me even though it sort of got better. Visually it’s impressive for a film made in the 30s and it has this one battle scene near the end that utilizes some Eisensteinian montage editing, which is great. The ending wasn’t bad but it wasn’t complimented by the messy plot. So, in the end I would say skip this one after your romantic Valentine’s dinner.
MY RATING: 5/10
WEDNESDAY (2/14) - Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Blake Edwards
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a double-edged sword. In many regards it is splendidly charming and in other ways…well, in one other way it is not, and if you’ve seen it you know: the blatant racism of Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi. Thankfully those ruined scenes are few and far between because the rest of the film is quite good. Audrey Hepburn, in her most notable role, is excellent as Holly Golightly. She’s charming and lively and she seems to float around in ease and it’s hard not to fall in love with her, which is the dilemma for most of the other characters. The music, for me, is where this film truly shines. Henry Mancini, the master film composer of Pink Panther and Peter Gunn, creates a score that is both delightfully enchanting but also deeply romantic. I’ve had Moon River, the original song from the film, constantly stuck in my head, and it perfectly sums up this movie: Even if you are a drifter you can cross life in style.
MY RATING: 8/10
THURSDAY (2/15) - My Man Godfrey - Gregory La Cava
So, this film was under the romance section on Amazon, but I wouldn’t really call it a romance film, except for the fact that everyone falls in love with Godfrey, and it’s hard not to. William Powell plays Godfrey, a “forgotten man” (homeless man), who, after a chance meeting, finds himself working as a butler for a loony family of wealth. Powell is excellent; his calm but witty demeanor compliments the silly ridiculousness around him. Seriously, this has to be one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time. It jumps back and forth from being incredibly witty to nonsensical slapstick and some of the best comedic dialogue I’ve seen in a film. I highly recommend this film!
MY RATING: 9/10
FRIDAY (2/16) - It Happened One Night - Frank Capra
It Happened One Night, the quintessential romantic comedy. This is the second time I’ve watched this film and it definitely won’t be my last. Even on my second viewing I was enthralled by it’s charming spell. I laughed and I even, I’m a little ashamed to say, teared up at a couple of moments. It’s magical, it’s witty, it’s sexy, it’s funny, and it’s romantic. Please, do yourself a favor a watch this wonderfully delightful film.
MY RATING - 9.5/10
LINK TO CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/songs-from-the-land-of-graves-episodic-film-music-survival/x/18086378#/
As I will have to watch a little over 250 movies this year I would greatly appreciate some suggestions. Feel free to leave some in the comment section. Or if you want a recommendation don’t hesitate to ask.