Even though I don't get to the movie theater that often, I still made some great movie discoveries in 2012. Some of these films are indeed ones that were released this year, but most of them are movies that I watched for the first time this year. Maybe next year I can get to the theater more. Some of the films had a unique emotional impact because the second half of this year has been colored by my father's death in June. In that light, some of the movies impact carried special significance.
Hugo
This movie directed by Martin Scorsese is wonderful. But one of the things that made it unique was that I was able to sit down and watch it with my children without screening it first. As I watched the wondrous vision of the movie, I was brought back to a simple reality...I love cinema, and I love sharing it with my kids. This is a love letter to movies, and I can't think of anyone better suited to make such a movie than Scorsese.
About Schmidt
If there was a movie that reflected a big part of my emotional journey for 2012, it would be this film. I really found some solace in this film. Jack Nicholson plays a man who retires from his insurance career and promptly loses his wife. As a widower, he comes to realize that there is not much meaning to his life. But, in the end, he does discover that there are things worth living for. The depiction of a death in the family (the post-mortem, the people bringing food, the attempts of others to comfort the grief stricken) was spot on, and Nicholson's performance is extraordinary.
Midnight in Paris
A movie with such a warm glow to it that I simply could not stop smiling. Woody Allen directed this story of nostalgia set in Paris. Owen Wilson stars as a writer who can't stop pining for the Paris of the Roaring 20's. As he vacations in Paris with his fiancee and her family, he starts to grow discontent with his own relationship (he is engaged). Then, he finds himself somehow transported to Paris in the 1920's. He meets many of the artists of that period, and learns a lot about life in the process. This is a warm and fun fantasy film. The lives in it are only possible if one is extraordinarily rich, but the story itself still is very enchanting.
Lincoln
One of the nice things about not getting to the movies much is that when I do make it to the movies, I usually end up seeing a "sure thing". This movie was great, and it is made so not only by the performance of Daniel Day Lewis as the nation's 16th president. The supporting cast in this movie is second to none, and I couldn't help but walk out of the film thinking about how much I wish I could have shared it with my dad. This is a special American story brilliantly told by director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner.
Tokyo Story
This 1950's Japanese film has been on my list of "movies to see" for years now. It is very interesting that I picked this year to watch it for the first time. Director Yasujiro Ozu gives us a fascinating story of Post World War 2 Japanee domestic life. An elderly couple with four grown children (a fifth child died in the war) travel to Tokyo to visit with their two older children. While in Tokyo, their children treat them as burdens, while their widowed daughter in law goes out of her way to entertain them. As the film moves on, the statements that it makes about family dynamics are profound. Then, as death enters the family, the scenes concerning how a family responds to death resonate so well. This is not just a film, but a composition, and I am so glad I discovered it this year.
Ken Burns' Prohibition
This 5-6 hour documentary by Ken Burns is so relevant. I watched it last May, and I was very impressed by the ideas that it brings to the forefront. The chief idea with which it grapples is how much should the government tell its citizens what to do. In this case, the people themselves (through the government and an amendment) demanded prohibition, so no one is really to blame except the citizens. But the themes that it explores (individual liberty versus collective good) are fascinating. And, in this case (as I believe is the case with most things) a big key to the collective good is indeed individual liberty.
My Father's Glory/My Mother's Castle
These two French films go wonderfully together. They both explore themes of family, rest, individual glory, and childhood. It follows a family who live in Marseilles but who spend their summers in the Provence. The boy who is the central character of the film falls in love with the times he has in the wilderness, and as he grows older and things become more complicated, the holidays he had as a kid provide wonderful memories. Wonderful, simple storytelling.
Brave
I saw this new Pixar movie with my kids, and it is one of my favorites from that studio, despite what the critics had to say about it. This movie gives us a story with teeth, a heroine who is forced to do the right thing instead of the selfish thing, and a bit of classic fairy tale storytelling. The protagonist in this story actually grows, and how often can you say that about a fairy tale?
And last, but not least....
Moonrise Kingdom
I am an unabashed lover of Wes Anderson's films. So his newest entry was a breath of fresh air, because it was my favorite film of his since The Royal Tennebaums. This is a story of innocent young love and disfunction. The cast is great, and the quirky Wes Anderson moments abound. At the center of it all is a misunderstood 12 year old boy, whose pain and life experience spoke to me in a unique way this year.
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Joel's Movie Christmas List
Last year, I wrote on 4 or 5 Christmas movies. This year, I thought I would put together a list of Christmas favorites. Christmas movies could be defined a lot of ways. In the end, a Christmas movie is usually a movie that is set at Christmas time, and it almost always deals with all of the complexity, joy, rage and poignancy that this time of year brings. Some of the movies on this list are sentimental favorites, while others may not be ones that would be traditionally thought of as "Christmas movies." I have even found certain movies to be a joy to watch at this time of year because there is a great scene or set of scenes set at Christmas which make me want the movie during advent and Christmas. In any case, all of them are ones that I have returned to, and usually, I return to watch them again between Thanksgiving and New Years. By the way, you will not find "Christmas Story". I find "Christmas Story" annoying, so I don't have warm feelings about it. Maybe I'll give it another try some time...until then, here are my picks...
Love Actually
A textured, hilarious, overambitious and sentimental treat. This movie follows story lines involving several Londoners (including the Prime Minister) which all touch on very different elements of the concept of love. This is not a family film, though I will say that it makes some profound points in the midst of some raucous and bawdy humor. For instance, take the plot involving John and Judy. To me, this plot line sums up what this movie is about. John and Judy are two "actors" who are filming scenes as body doubles for sex scenes. As they engage in their "work", even though they are engaged in intimate behavior, they discuss the traffic they had coming in to work. This plot line shows the fact that there is more to love than the physical. In the most heartbreaking story line, Laura Linney plays an American living in London who is in love with a coworker. She gets her chance with him, but it becomes clear that things are more complicated than the viewer first realized. The cast is full of great actors, and another plot line which involves an aging rock star and his manger always brings the laughs. The movie also has a great soundtrack, which adds to the texture of the movie. This movie is always great to watch again with the Christmas tree lit. Here's a link to my article on it from last year.
About a Boy
Another good example of a movie that happens around Christmas, but is not about Christmas. Will Freeman's (Hugh Grant) completely shallow existence is made possible by the fact that his father wrote a very famous Christmas pop song. He lives off the royalties and spends all his time listening to music, watching television, and bedding women. One day, he realizes that single mothers are a treasure trove of beautiful, emotionally vulnerable women. So, he makes up a story about being a single dad and begins attending a single parents' support group. Of course, this fateful decision sets in motion a series of events that challenge his whole lifestyle. He meets a troubled single mother (Toni Colette) and her young son, and her son ends up working his way into Will's life. The best part of this movie to me is the title...which "boy" is the movie about? Watch the movie and decide for yourself.
Miracle on 34th Street
This is a great fantasy. Some of the best fantasies are set in the real world. This movie follows a single mother named Doris (Maureen O' Hara) and her daughter Susie (Natalie Wood). Doris works at Macy's Department store in New York, and the beginning of the movie depicts her organizing the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. When the actor hired to play Santa Claus for the parade turns up drunk ("It's cold, a man's got to do something to keep warm"), Doris is forced to hire a passerby who looks like Santa Claus and claims to have experience with the part. The man ends up being Kris Kringle, and he is convinced that he is really Santa Claus. Kringle stays on as the Macy's Santa, and works his way into the life of the cynical Doris and her daughter Susie, who has been trained in the same cynicism by her mother. When Kris moves to Manhattan with Fred Gayley (Doris's next door neighbor and suitor), things take an unexpected turn and "Santa" goes on trial for lunacy. This was a film that was always on in our home growing up. It means a lot to me, but that wouldn't mean a whole lot if the movie itself wasn't so enchanting.
Shadowlands
I'm bending my own definition here, but there is a wonderful section in the middle of this movie that is set at Christmas. Because of that section, I always associate this movie with Christmas. The movie follows the story of real life author CS Lewis and American Joy Greshham and her son Douglas. In the movie, Lewis and his brother Warnie are confirmed bachelors. Lewis is an Oxford Don who presides over a world that has very few challenges for him. He begins receiving letters from Joy as she is a fan of his writing, and her son is a fan of The Chronicls of Narnia, Lewis' famous children's books. They end up marrying for convenience, as Joy is trying to escape an abusive marriage. Only after their marriage do they begin to realize that they truly love each other. Then, Joy is stricken with cancer, and Lewis is faced with the reality that he may lose his wife. It is a striking depiction of faith, suffering, and how Christians deal with suffering. And Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger are absolutely brilliant in the two lead roles. The section in the middle set at Christmas and the fact that Christ came into a world of this kind of suffering make this a great Christmas movie for me.
Home Alone
I just watched this one last week with my kids, and I have to admit, it holds up pretty well. One of the things that the late John Hughes (who wrote this movie) will always be remembered for is his ability to combine juvenile humor with touching poignancy. When a young boy (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left home alone by his parents as they travel to Europe for Christmas, he is left to fend for himself. This gets even more interesting as a pair of burglars (Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci) try to rob his house. The pratfalls involved will tickle most people's funny bone. I seem to remember my late grandfather, of all people, cracking up while seeing the bumbling burglars take one piece of abuse after another. That and the relationship Kevin ends up having with a mysterious neighbor make for a heart warming piece of fluff.
The Santa Clause
Another entry with very little gravitas, but a whole lot of fun. In this celebration of the other side of Christmas (nothing sacred here folks) Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) unknowingly agrees to "become" the next Santa Claus. As Scott tries to mend his relationship with his son, he rediscovers a lot of joy in life. This is another piece of fluff, but a fun one, and the kids loved it.
While You Were Sleeping
Sure, it has the same pop songs as almost any other romantic comedy of its era. Sure, it has a certain formulaic quality to it. But it has two things going for it. First of all, my wife really likes it, and I like watching it with her. Any movie that you can share with a loved one makes it a favorite. Second, there is something substantial about this movie that is hard to put my finger on. Perhaps it's the tone that depicts a family spending time together at Christmas. After all, since my whole family had practically 2 weeks off when I was growing up, the hours spent with family that this movie depicts is familiar to me. In that light, there are also some big laughs, as the foibles of different family members are on display. Perhaps it's the believability of Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman in their roles. Or perhaps it's the ensemble cast which provides a lot of structure and laughs to this comfortable tale. Whatever it is, this movie seems to be greater than the sum of its parts, and that's always noteworthy.
It's A Wonderful Life
A mixed bag for me...I wrote about this one last year, and I haven't changed my mind. There's no denying its place in the film pantheon, but this movie is a train wreck. Here's a link to what I wrote last year about this movie. Overall, this is a complex story which seems to have sentimentality, but in the end ends up feeling empty to me. Wonderfully acted and imagined, but tragically flawed.
A Christmas Carol
There are many versions of this beloved piece of literature, but my favorite will probably always be the made for TV movie with George C. Scott in the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. We always watched it as a family, and my father loved it. What sets this version apart from other depictions is the emotional impact that it makes. What's more, the impact the movie has also sets it apart as a film of any kind. In the familiar tale, miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by 3 spirits in an attempt to reclaim his soul from darkness. As Scrooge begins to see the reality of his wasted life, some of the scenes of his redemption are truly cathartic. When I watch them, I actually feel excited for Scrooge, since he has a new lease on life. I particularly am moved every time I see the reformed Scrooge visit his cheerful nephew Fred. It is in this scene that we see the genuine transformation of this man into a kind person. While the center of Christmas is far deeper than simple human charity, surely one of the benefits of the holiday is the spirit of charity that it invokes in many people, and this movie captures that very well.
Hopefully, there will be others in the years ahead that can be added to the list. We have watched "Elf" a couple of times and have liked it, but it hasn't yet made it on to a favorites list. Let me know some of your favorites! Happy Holidays.
Love Actually
A textured, hilarious, overambitious and sentimental treat. This movie follows story lines involving several Londoners (including the Prime Minister) which all touch on very different elements of the concept of love. This is not a family film, though I will say that it makes some profound points in the midst of some raucous and bawdy humor. For instance, take the plot involving John and Judy. To me, this plot line sums up what this movie is about. John and Judy are two "actors" who are filming scenes as body doubles for sex scenes. As they engage in their "work", even though they are engaged in intimate behavior, they discuss the traffic they had coming in to work. This plot line shows the fact that there is more to love than the physical. In the most heartbreaking story line, Laura Linney plays an American living in London who is in love with a coworker. She gets her chance with him, but it becomes clear that things are more complicated than the viewer first realized. The cast is full of great actors, and another plot line which involves an aging rock star and his manger always brings the laughs. The movie also has a great soundtrack, which adds to the texture of the movie. This movie is always great to watch again with the Christmas tree lit. Here's a link to my article on it from last year.
About a Boy
Another good example of a movie that happens around Christmas, but is not about Christmas. Will Freeman's (Hugh Grant) completely shallow existence is made possible by the fact that his father wrote a very famous Christmas pop song. He lives off the royalties and spends all his time listening to music, watching television, and bedding women. One day, he realizes that single mothers are a treasure trove of beautiful, emotionally vulnerable women. So, he makes up a story about being a single dad and begins attending a single parents' support group. Of course, this fateful decision sets in motion a series of events that challenge his whole lifestyle. He meets a troubled single mother (Toni Colette) and her young son, and her son ends up working his way into Will's life. The best part of this movie to me is the title...which "boy" is the movie about? Watch the movie and decide for yourself.
Miracle on 34th Street
This is a great fantasy. Some of the best fantasies are set in the real world. This movie follows a single mother named Doris (Maureen O' Hara) and her daughter Susie (Natalie Wood). Doris works at Macy's Department store in New York, and the beginning of the movie depicts her organizing the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. When the actor hired to play Santa Claus for the parade turns up drunk ("It's cold, a man's got to do something to keep warm"), Doris is forced to hire a passerby who looks like Santa Claus and claims to have experience with the part. The man ends up being Kris Kringle, and he is convinced that he is really Santa Claus. Kringle stays on as the Macy's Santa, and works his way into the life of the cynical Doris and her daughter Susie, who has been trained in the same cynicism by her mother. When Kris moves to Manhattan with Fred Gayley (Doris's next door neighbor and suitor), things take an unexpected turn and "Santa" goes on trial for lunacy. This was a film that was always on in our home growing up. It means a lot to me, but that wouldn't mean a whole lot if the movie itself wasn't so enchanting.
Shadowlands
I'm bending my own definition here, but there is a wonderful section in the middle of this movie that is set at Christmas. Because of that section, I always associate this movie with Christmas. The movie follows the story of real life author CS Lewis and American Joy Greshham and her son Douglas. In the movie, Lewis and his brother Warnie are confirmed bachelors. Lewis is an Oxford Don who presides over a world that has very few challenges for him. He begins receiving letters from Joy as she is a fan of his writing, and her son is a fan of The Chronicls of Narnia, Lewis' famous children's books. They end up marrying for convenience, as Joy is trying to escape an abusive marriage. Only after their marriage do they begin to realize that they truly love each other. Then, Joy is stricken with cancer, and Lewis is faced with the reality that he may lose his wife. It is a striking depiction of faith, suffering, and how Christians deal with suffering. And Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger are absolutely brilliant in the two lead roles. The section in the middle set at Christmas and the fact that Christ came into a world of this kind of suffering make this a great Christmas movie for me.
Home Alone
I just watched this one last week with my kids, and I have to admit, it holds up pretty well. One of the things that the late John Hughes (who wrote this movie) will always be remembered for is his ability to combine juvenile humor with touching poignancy. When a young boy (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left home alone by his parents as they travel to Europe for Christmas, he is left to fend for himself. This gets even more interesting as a pair of burglars (Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci) try to rob his house. The pratfalls involved will tickle most people's funny bone. I seem to remember my late grandfather, of all people, cracking up while seeing the bumbling burglars take one piece of abuse after another. That and the relationship Kevin ends up having with a mysterious neighbor make for a heart warming piece of fluff.
The Santa Clause
Another entry with very little gravitas, but a whole lot of fun. In this celebration of the other side of Christmas (nothing sacred here folks) Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) unknowingly agrees to "become" the next Santa Claus. As Scott tries to mend his relationship with his son, he rediscovers a lot of joy in life. This is another piece of fluff, but a fun one, and the kids loved it.
While You Were Sleeping
Sure, it has the same pop songs as almost any other romantic comedy of its era. Sure, it has a certain formulaic quality to it. But it has two things going for it. First of all, my wife really likes it, and I like watching it with her. Any movie that you can share with a loved one makes it a favorite. Second, there is something substantial about this movie that is hard to put my finger on. Perhaps it's the tone that depicts a family spending time together at Christmas. After all, since my whole family had practically 2 weeks off when I was growing up, the hours spent with family that this movie depicts is familiar to me. In that light, there are also some big laughs, as the foibles of different family members are on display. Perhaps it's the believability of Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman in their roles. Or perhaps it's the ensemble cast which provides a lot of structure and laughs to this comfortable tale. Whatever it is, this movie seems to be greater than the sum of its parts, and that's always noteworthy.
It's A Wonderful Life
A mixed bag for me...I wrote about this one last year, and I haven't changed my mind. There's no denying its place in the film pantheon, but this movie is a train wreck. Here's a link to what I wrote last year about this movie. Overall, this is a complex story which seems to have sentimentality, but in the end ends up feeling empty to me. Wonderfully acted and imagined, but tragically flawed.
A Christmas Carol
There are many versions of this beloved piece of literature, but my favorite will probably always be the made for TV movie with George C. Scott in the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. We always watched it as a family, and my father loved it. What sets this version apart from other depictions is the emotional impact that it makes. What's more, the impact the movie has also sets it apart as a film of any kind. In the familiar tale, miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by 3 spirits in an attempt to reclaim his soul from darkness. As Scrooge begins to see the reality of his wasted life, some of the scenes of his redemption are truly cathartic. When I watch them, I actually feel excited for Scrooge, since he has a new lease on life. I particularly am moved every time I see the reformed Scrooge visit his cheerful nephew Fred. It is in this scene that we see the genuine transformation of this man into a kind person. While the center of Christmas is far deeper than simple human charity, surely one of the benefits of the holiday is the spirit of charity that it invokes in many people, and this movie captures that very well.
Hopefully, there will be others in the years ahead that can be added to the list. We have watched "Elf" a couple of times and have liked it, but it hasn't yet made it on to a favorites list. Let me know some of your favorites! Happy Holidays.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
10 Movies That Made Me Laugh Out Loud
In making this list, part of it comes from the gut, but part of it comes from the mind. We all think different things are funny, and we all think different things are funny for different reasons. As I went through each of these movies, I started realizing that they all made me laugh for different reasons, and some of them made me laugh more on the second or third (or more) viewings than on the first. The films upon which I have already blogged are linked by their title to my original blog entry about them. I have included the year of their original release and the director. Enjoy and let me know your favorites!
This is Spinal Tap, 1984, Rob Reiner
There are comedies, and then there are works of genius. I first saw it in college at a friend's house, and it was one of those rare times when I laughed so hard that it hurt. This movie began a whole new genre of the mockumentary. It follows the misadventures of a washed up rock band who are touring and circling the drain at the same time. The part that made me laugh until I cried the first time I saw it involves the film maker interviewing the band on the deaths of all of their drummers ("He died in a bizarre gardening accident..."). Many other films in this style have been made, and they are good. However, none of them can hold a candle to this one, a unique work of film, and a satirical moment in time.
Airplane, 1980, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker
The jokes and sight gags keep coming in this movie, and they keep being funny. This was the first big time movie that David and Jerry Zucker made with Jim Abrahams, and it is filled with laughs. The thing that makes this movie work so well is how almost everyone in the film is the straight man. With the exception of the festive air traffic control assistant, everyone in this film plays it straight, and the drama in their acting makes the comedy absolutely golden. On a side note, the DVD commentary for this movie by Abrahams and the Zuckers is also very funny. They talk a lot about how low budget the movie is, and they also point out some bloopers. All in all, this is a movie that still makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, 1988. David Zucker
I don't think my parents know this, but I saw this movie for the first time when I was in Junior High. Not during the Junior High years, but actually at my Junior High school. Many of the jokes and sight gags in this movie cater perfectly to the Junior High crowd. What I remember about the first time I saw it was how hard all of the 13 year olds were laughing. Leslie Nielsen truly established himself as a comic actor with this movie. True, he had already been in "Airplane", but after this movie, I don't think he ever took a serious role again. This is another entry from the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams. Like "Airplane", the jokes are everywhere and the actors all take themselves appropriately seriously. This style of movie would continue to be made, but this one and "Airplane" still make me laugh the hardest.
Raising Arizona, 1987, Joel Coen
Some movies don't make you laugh until you have seen them more than once. This movie was like that for me. The first time I saw it, the tone of the movie and its sense of humor alluded me almost totally. However, it has become one of my favorite movies to quote, and the Coen brothers have gone on to be true movie making originals. The story of an ex-con married to a cop who kidnap a quintuplet due to their own infertility is genius on every level. The camera work is fluid and alive, the performances all have the same eccentric tone, and the dialogue is one brilliant line after another. If you can find a scene more filled with comic genius than Nathan Arizona's interrogation after his son has been kidnapped, please tell me about it, because I need to break me off a piece of that.
What's Up Doc?, 1972, Peter Bogdanovich
This movie appeals to me for three basic reasons. First, it is a family favorite. My parents showed this movie to my sister and I for the first time when we were quite young. My dad had fallen off his chair laughing when he first saw this movie at Grauman's Chinese Theater, and he and my mom loved sharing it with my sister and I. Second, as a movie lover, this movie has so much in it that is an homage to other movies. Because of that, if one loves movies (especially slapstick comedies of the 30's and 40's), there is a lot to love here. Third, and most important, the movie still makes me laugh out loud. The dialogue is rapid fire and crackles with wit. However, the movie also has prat falls and pie fights. I don't care how old or sophisticated you get, a pie in the face is solid stuff.
Tootsie, 1982, Sydney Pollack
"Tootsie" has some of the most ingenious comic situations ever put on film. That is a testimony to good script writing and to the great acting in this movie. Add to that a wonderful gimmick (struggling actor begins to cross dress to land a soap opera part) and an amazing cast (Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Charles Durning, Geena Davis, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Sydney Pollack and Bill Murray) and you have absolute comic gold. The situations are what make the movie so funny. What makes the movie great is what Hoffman's character has to learn as he begins to fall in love with Lange's character. It is best put by Hoffman's character himself: "I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man...I just got to learn to do it without the dress." There is a real depth and humanity to this movie. However, it is on this list because it is hilarious.
Notting Hill, 1999, Roger Michell
Good romantic comedies are tough to find, just like a good partner. My wife has continually bemoaned the drought of good romantic comedies. The good news for us is that we can always go back to our old favorites. In this movie, Julia Roberts plays herself by a different name. She plays a world famous movie star who falls in love with an every day travel book shop owner, played by Hugh Grant. Some of the scenes with the two of them are a bit stiff, but there are two things that truly make this movie work. First, the script by Richard Curtis sports hilarious and quirky dialogue. Second, the ensemble cast is truly remarkable. The situations that are created in this movie are good for both of those reasons. For cinema magic, look no further than the scene in which Grant's William brings world famous actress Anna Scott to his sister's birthday party without anyone at the party knowing it. The humanity and humor of the characters in that scene is a good example of why this movie works so well, even with some of the music that sounds dated.
Horse Feathers, 1932, Norman Z McLeod
Other Marx Brothers' movies always seem to get more accolades, but none of them make me laugh as hard as this one. Whenever you watch a Marx Brothers movie, you feel like you are watching a vaudeville show. That's appropriate, since the brothers made a name for themselves on the vaudeville circuit. Here, the situation of Groucho taking over as a college president is hilarious, while Chico and Harpo keep the hijinks coming nonstop. There's really not a whole lot of further explanation needed---the movie makes me laugh every time.
Modern Times, 1936, Charlie Chaplin
The reason I include this is because this movie had my kids falling out their chairs laughing. When this happens, I can't help but laugh as well. The movie is a comic political statement made by Chaplin. He uses the increasingly harsh work conditions in factories to make points about the wealth gap. He also uses the increasingly mechanical nature of work to make the same statements. But he also uses those things to create uproarious comedy. Watch the scene in which the owner of the factory is trying out a new lunch feeding machine out on Chaplin's character. That scene had my kids howling, and me too.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
I wonder if it is a coincidence that this movie feels like liturgy to me. The movie has a rhythm in its scenes that reminds me of church. This group of men who were raised in a church culture must have had that in their veins. The movie is brilliant in its iconoclastic structure, its wacky play on Arthurian legend, and in its brutal comedy. The disregard that the characters have for human life in the film is funny, but also shocking (Sir. Gallahad's response when he has butchered dozens at a wedding? "Sorry"). In the end, the scenes are hilarious, and there are so many quotable moments that all you have to do is find the right person, and you can act out entire scenes.
There are many other comedies I love, but these came to mind right away. What some of your personal favorite comedies?
This is Spinal Tap, 1984, Rob Reiner
There are comedies, and then there are works of genius. I first saw it in college at a friend's house, and it was one of those rare times when I laughed so hard that it hurt. This movie began a whole new genre of the mockumentary. It follows the misadventures of a washed up rock band who are touring and circling the drain at the same time. The part that made me laugh until I cried the first time I saw it involves the film maker interviewing the band on the deaths of all of their drummers ("He died in a bizarre gardening accident..."). Many other films in this style have been made, and they are good. However, none of them can hold a candle to this one, a unique work of film, and a satirical moment in time.
Airplane, 1980, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker
The jokes and sight gags keep coming in this movie, and they keep being funny. This was the first big time movie that David and Jerry Zucker made with Jim Abrahams, and it is filled with laughs. The thing that makes this movie work so well is how almost everyone in the film is the straight man. With the exception of the festive air traffic control assistant, everyone in this film plays it straight, and the drama in their acting makes the comedy absolutely golden. On a side note, the DVD commentary for this movie by Abrahams and the Zuckers is also very funny. They talk a lot about how low budget the movie is, and they also point out some bloopers. All in all, this is a movie that still makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, 1988. David Zucker
I don't think my parents know this, but I saw this movie for the first time when I was in Junior High. Not during the Junior High years, but actually at my Junior High school. Many of the jokes and sight gags in this movie cater perfectly to the Junior High crowd. What I remember about the first time I saw it was how hard all of the 13 year olds were laughing. Leslie Nielsen truly established himself as a comic actor with this movie. True, he had already been in "Airplane", but after this movie, I don't think he ever took a serious role again. This is another entry from the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams. Like "Airplane", the jokes are everywhere and the actors all take themselves appropriately seriously. This style of movie would continue to be made, but this one and "Airplane" still make me laugh the hardest.
Raising Arizona, 1987, Joel Coen
Some movies don't make you laugh until you have seen them more than once. This movie was like that for me. The first time I saw it, the tone of the movie and its sense of humor alluded me almost totally. However, it has become one of my favorite movies to quote, and the Coen brothers have gone on to be true movie making originals. The story of an ex-con married to a cop who kidnap a quintuplet due to their own infertility is genius on every level. The camera work is fluid and alive, the performances all have the same eccentric tone, and the dialogue is one brilliant line after another. If you can find a scene more filled with comic genius than Nathan Arizona's interrogation after his son has been kidnapped, please tell me about it, because I need to break me off a piece of that.
What's Up Doc?, 1972, Peter Bogdanovich
This movie appeals to me for three basic reasons. First, it is a family favorite. My parents showed this movie to my sister and I for the first time when we were quite young. My dad had fallen off his chair laughing when he first saw this movie at Grauman's Chinese Theater, and he and my mom loved sharing it with my sister and I. Second, as a movie lover, this movie has so much in it that is an homage to other movies. Because of that, if one loves movies (especially slapstick comedies of the 30's and 40's), there is a lot to love here. Third, and most important, the movie still makes me laugh out loud. The dialogue is rapid fire and crackles with wit. However, the movie also has prat falls and pie fights. I don't care how old or sophisticated you get, a pie in the face is solid stuff.
Tootsie, 1982, Sydney Pollack
"Tootsie" has some of the most ingenious comic situations ever put on film. That is a testimony to good script writing and to the great acting in this movie. Add to that a wonderful gimmick (struggling actor begins to cross dress to land a soap opera part) and an amazing cast (Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Charles Durning, Geena Davis, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Sydney Pollack and Bill Murray) and you have absolute comic gold. The situations are what make the movie so funny. What makes the movie great is what Hoffman's character has to learn as he begins to fall in love with Lange's character. It is best put by Hoffman's character himself: "I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man...I just got to learn to do it without the dress." There is a real depth and humanity to this movie. However, it is on this list because it is hilarious.
Notting Hill, 1999, Roger Michell
Good romantic comedies are tough to find, just like a good partner. My wife has continually bemoaned the drought of good romantic comedies. The good news for us is that we can always go back to our old favorites. In this movie, Julia Roberts plays herself by a different name. She plays a world famous movie star who falls in love with an every day travel book shop owner, played by Hugh Grant. Some of the scenes with the two of them are a bit stiff, but there are two things that truly make this movie work. First, the script by Richard Curtis sports hilarious and quirky dialogue. Second, the ensemble cast is truly remarkable. The situations that are created in this movie are good for both of those reasons. For cinema magic, look no further than the scene in which Grant's William brings world famous actress Anna Scott to his sister's birthday party without anyone at the party knowing it. The humanity and humor of the characters in that scene is a good example of why this movie works so well, even with some of the music that sounds dated.
Horse Feathers, 1932, Norman Z McLeod
Other Marx Brothers' movies always seem to get more accolades, but none of them make me laugh as hard as this one. Whenever you watch a Marx Brothers movie, you feel like you are watching a vaudeville show. That's appropriate, since the brothers made a name for themselves on the vaudeville circuit. Here, the situation of Groucho taking over as a college president is hilarious, while Chico and Harpo keep the hijinks coming nonstop. There's really not a whole lot of further explanation needed---the movie makes me laugh every time.
Modern Times, 1936, Charlie Chaplin
The reason I include this is because this movie had my kids falling out their chairs laughing. When this happens, I can't help but laugh as well. The movie is a comic political statement made by Chaplin. He uses the increasingly harsh work conditions in factories to make points about the wealth gap. He also uses the increasingly mechanical nature of work to make the same statements. But he also uses those things to create uproarious comedy. Watch the scene in which the owner of the factory is trying out a new lunch feeding machine out on Chaplin's character. That scene had my kids howling, and me too.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
I wonder if it is a coincidence that this movie feels like liturgy to me. The movie has a rhythm in its scenes that reminds me of church. This group of men who were raised in a church culture must have had that in their veins. The movie is brilliant in its iconoclastic structure, its wacky play on Arthurian legend, and in its brutal comedy. The disregard that the characters have for human life in the film is funny, but also shocking (Sir. Gallahad's response when he has butchered dozens at a wedding? "Sorry"). In the end, the scenes are hilarious, and there are so many quotable moments that all you have to do is find the right person, and you can act out entire scenes.
There are many other comedies I love, but these came to mind right away. What some of your personal favorite comedies?
Monday, May 7, 2012
Historic Sight and Sound Film Polls
Every ten years, the British Film Institute polls and writers from all over to come up with the top ten films of all time. All of these folks each vote for their top ten films, and the votes are simply compiled. Here's a link...the new list comes out this year. The first list came out in 1952, and they have been released every ten years since. Have fun!
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/
Monday, March 26, 2012
Movie Line's 100 Greatest Foreign Films
Here's another great list. It is from 1996, so a lot of newer films are not included. I have only seen 13 of these films...I have some work to do!
http://www.movieline.com/1996/07/01/the-100-greatest-foreign-films/
http://www.movieline.com/1996/07/01/the-100-greatest-foreign-films/
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