(1940, Dir. Howard Hawks)
In Short: Newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) tries to win back his ex-wife and former star reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) by getting her to cover one last story before she gets married to a boring insurance man the next day. His Girl Friday is based on a play called The Front Page that had been adapted for the screen in 1931, following the same screwball plot of an escaped convicted murderer hiding in a newspaper office, but in The Front Page, all the reporters are men! His Girl Friday has the fantastic (and necessary) extra layer of Hildy Johnson being the only woman in the office--but also the best reporter out of everyone. It's such a fun, interesting twist. This is a tremendously funny movie! Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell have fantastic comedic chemistry that plays into the whirlwind, screwball plot really, really well. Their characters are independently strong and funny, but their combined talents for comedy are unbeatable.
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(2011, Dir. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)
In Short: When his wife (Julianne Moore) asks for a divorce, 40-something dad Cal Weaver (Steve Carrell) seeks to reinvent himself with the help of bar-frequenting cool-guy Jacob (Ryan Gosling). And also a million other things are going on. There's no guesswork as to what this movie is about. It's spelled out clearly, mostly by a thirteen-year-old boy who never stops spouting weird tween wisdom about soulmates and fighting for the love of your life. Or something like that. Which is all well and good. But also, there's a lot to be said for the fact that there's comedy to be found in even upsetting situations that's not necessarily insensitive. So-called "romcoms" constantly forget to be funny! The same is not true for Crazy, Stupid, Love. There are some really supremely funny moments. Also I was surprised that there was sort of a twist towards the end and it super worked. There were a few of things I didn't love--the weird pacing with Emma Stone's storyline, all the babysitter stuff--but I hate to say that I kind of liked this movie a lot! It was shot beautifully and cleverly and I was super impressed and surprised. (Low expectations pay off?) I'd recommend watching this with friends. I watched it by myself but I'm sure it's even more fun with company! (1954, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
In Short: Fashion consultant Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) helps her photographer boyfriend L. B. Jefferies (James Stewart) and his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) investigate the possibility that a murder was committed across the way, to which bored, window-watching, temporarily wheelchair-bound Jeff might have been a witness. I'm always writing about Big Lessons in this section. There's no big lesson. It's a murder mystery. The lesson, I suppose, is that sometimes you ought to be a little too involved in everyone else's business because who knows, you might end up being able to solve a mystery. But they couldn't save the dog, so what's the point? The other lesson is that men are helpless without the women in their lives. So I guess there is a lesson after all! Mazel tov, Alfred. I liked this one! It was slow, though. I wasn't thrilled by it like I was thrilled by other Hitchcocks I've seen. It took a really long time before anybody got murdered, which was okay, and it sure picked up the pace at the end to make up for it. I definitely don't mind slow, but if you're looking for a consistently fast-paced thriller, this isn't it. I loved the premise of it, though, and it made for a visually interesting film, looking through all those windows. Grace Kelly was really, really great! Jimmy Stewart was swell! Thelma Ritter was hilarious! Overall, it was just good to be watching Hitchcock again. (1941, Dir. Preston Sturges)
In Short: A Hollywood director known for his lowbrow comedies decides that he wants to make a film that depicts the real human troubles and suffering present in the world. For research, he tries living as a hobo and hits the road with just ten cents in his pocket. (Spoilers) The big idea of this film is that comedy is valuable, not only despite real-life hardship, but especially because of real-life hardship. The scene where the churchgoers and the inmates all watch the Disney cartoon is absolutely delightful to see, especially because of what Sullivan realizes in that moment. He finally sees the value of the art he's been creating and how it makes people's lives better. (End spoilers zone) I liked this movie a lot! It got surprisingly intense towards the end, but that was a welcome twist. I just love a good twist! Veronica Lake was hilarious and smart in her role as The Girl, Joel McCrea played Sullivan with a lot of depth. I really like movies that tell how important movies are, and this is a really great one of those. If I weren't so sick of assigning numbers to these movies it would be out of 10 plates of ham and eggs. |
AuthorEileen here, writing reviews for film class. Archives
April 2018
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