Classic Chick Flicks

One reader commented that she wanted a list of chick flicks, so I compiled a list of classic romantic movies that I loved growing up. I saw these movie on good old regular TV -- pre-cable days. Somehow you would happen upon one of these gems. I saw all the Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movies, and there are more really good ones. Below is a list of my favorites and you haven't seem them -- I highly recommend them!

Classic Romantic Comedies

His Girl Friday (1940) Rosalind Russel and Cary Grant
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Maragaret Sullavan and James Stewart
Philadelphia Story (1940) Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant
hmm, apparently 1940 was a good year for making movies
Adams Rib (1949) Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy
African Queen (1951) Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
I guess I like movies with Katherine Hepburn!
Roman Holiday (1953) Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
Sabrina (1954) Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
To Catch a Thief (1955) Grace Kelly and Cary Grant
High Society (1956) Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby (a remake of Philadelphia Story and not as good)

Sweetland

I saw Sweetland on DVD, finally. Being a good Minnesotan, I was sorry I did not see it in the theater and coincidentally it is having a special showing at a new theater/ stage right near here. So I think I am going to see it again. I really enjoyed it. It was sweet, as the title suggests, and the two lead characters seemed so true. I especially liked the spunky German Inge and her persistence in making a go of her life in Minnesota. Even in German or Norwegian she was funny and determined. For those of you who are not on the pulse of Minnesota movie info., Sweetland was filmed in Minnesota and is based on a Will Weaver short story in his book A Gravestone Made of Wheat, (that I would like to read now). I think it is rare now-a-days to watch a movie that is romantic and kind with a compelling story plot like Sweetland, and it is not fast-paced and there is no swearing, sex scenes, or bloody incidents. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it and I give it an A-. (The - is for occasionally cheesy bits esp. in modern scenes) So how do you like my ratings system? Would you call it academic?

Weird romance meets the G8 conference

I found another odd movie at the library. (You gotta love your local library!) It's called The Girl in the Cafe, and it is strange in that it is about a May-December romance and discussions of world poverty with the back drop of Iceland and the G8 conference. Bill Nighy, a great comedic actor who was was the aging rocker in Love Actually, plays Lawrence who works in finance for the British government and is trying to push for more aid to 3rd world countries, meanwhile he meets Gina, played by Kelly McDonald (beautiful actress who pops up in your odd British comedy now and again) in a cafe and a really odd, hesitant romance begins. It seems odd they are together and stranger still that she becomes an activist of sorts right in the middle of their tryst in Iceland. I'm glad I saw it but not necessarily worth seeing if your movie watching time is short.

I'd like to start some kind of ratings system for movies I see, but not sure how to go about it. Any thoughts, loyal readers :) All 2 or 3 of you.

Not Chick Flicks

So my brother was here this weekend so I moved up to the top of my queue a couple movies he might like: Breach and Blood Diamond. We watched Breach together and both liked it. It's about the FBI agent, Robert Hansen, who committed the worst breach of intelligence in US history. Chris Cooper, who is such an awesome actor, was Robert Hansen, and Ryan Philipe, was the underling who helped out him. It was an action movie without boring car chases and shoot outs. Worth seeing!
Blood Diamond,I saw last night and was riveted eventhough there were a lot of shoot outs and even car chases. It was about the diamond trade in Sierra Leone when the rebels or RUF were trying to overthrow the government with the help boy soldiers. Not going to be able to spell his name, Djmon Hansou? played a father trying to reunite with his family. His son was one of the seriously messed up/ drugged up boy soldiers, and Leanordo DiCaprio played a diamond smuggler with a terrible past that made him a not very nice guy. Does he help the poor father and his family? Does he get the pretty journalist played by Jennifer Connely? Does he turn into a real upstanding guy? This is for you to find out. Well worth seeing and those of the faint of heart can fast foward withEnglish subtitles. (that's what I do when it is getting too scary).

Wacky Documentaries

I was listening to humorist Joe Queenan on the radio talking about his dislike of documentaries; he finds them too educational and dry and equates them to health movies he saw when he was in Catholic school: "I would rather have my limbs yanked out of their sockets by enraged rhinos than sit through a documentary. " I protest. Documentaries are fun and weird when they profile the weird and wacky. While I sometimes feel too voyeuristic (akin to watching reality TV) I can get a huge charge out of them.

Here are three of my favorite wacky documentaries:

My Brother's Keeper (yr?)
Capturing the Friedman's (2003)
American Movie (USA 1999)

The Squid and the Whale

I can find lots of DVDs at my local Carnegie Library where I found The Squid and the Whale, one of the best movies of last year. Was it last year? This movies has one of my favorite actresses, Laura Linney. It's about couple of New York writers who are getting a divorce and get their two boys involved. Lot's of head games are played and the two boys get seriously messed up in the process. One caveat, there is a really weird scene about one of the boys displaying some really odd behavior for a boy of 11? played by Owen Kline, son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. Well worth seeing, although some founded it depressing. I enjoyed the zingers.
If you are into mean and funny dialogue another movie you might enjoy is Notes of a Scandal where Judy Dench brings verve to the art of insulting someone.