AFI 10 Top 10

The American Film Institute recently came out with top 10 movie lists by genre. The genres include Animation, Romantic Comedy, Western, Sports, Mystery, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Gangster, Courtroom Drama, Epic. You know I like a good list and was most interested in their Romantic Comedy List:
1. City Lights
2. Annie Hall
3. It Happened One Night
4. Roman Holiday
5. The Philadelphia Story
6. When Harry Met Sally
7. Adam’s Rib
8. Moonstruck
9. Harold and Maude
10. Sleepless in Seattle

Roman Holiday, Philadelphia Story, and Adam’s Rib are also on my list of Classic Romantic Comedies (see side bar). I know little about the Charlie Chaplin silent film, City Lights, and question the addition of Sleepless in Seattle, but overall I think it seems like a respectable list. Except Moonstruck, while I thought it was good movie, I never really liked Cher and Nicolas Cage as romantic leads.

Definitely, Maybe

Romantic Comedies have so much potential to be good and so often go astray, that I have kinda given up on them (In an earlier blog I wrote about the modern preponderance of slacker-striver types of romantic comedies that have added to my disappointment in this genre). So when my friend Ruth insisted that Definitely, Maybe, the recent attempt at romance with Ryan Reynolds, was better than most, I thought I would give it a try. And yeah, it was alright. It had a suspenseful plot and the final happy couple did seem right for each other. The romantic comedy conventions (find each other in a cute way, face an obstacle, overcome said obstacle) made sense and did not seemed forced. There was even a nice bit having to do with the novel Jane Eyre that was fresh. It wasn't another movie-potential-gone-terribly-wrong like in 27 dresses; however, it still succumbed to over the top attempts at humour that are just painful to watch, such as when school children were raving at their parents after they received a sex-ed lesson at school. One reason to watch is Rachel Weisz who is so interesting to watch that you wish she were in the movie more.

Reds

Reds (1981) is a one of those movies that I have such nostalgically fond memories of that I feared it would not stand up to my seasoned adult standards. Happily, I find that it does stand up and is even better than I remembered. I didn’t remember it providing so much food for thought about communism, the Bolshevik Revolution, the individual’s power to make a difference, the United States political system, journalism and so on… I didn’t really quite get the movie back when I first saw in the theater, I guess. And besides it being really about something important, it is also very entertaining. I could barely do a crossword and watch this movie (that means I REALLY liked it). This early 20th Century love story of John Reed, journalist and American Communist, and writer Louise Bryant, is so fun to watch develop. The lovers are played by Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton. Beatty is much cuter and more charming than I remembered and Keaton, after reflecting on her recent light-weight roles, is a much better actress than I remembered. The two challenge each other intellectually with witty and smart banter. It is indeed a feat to make a movie that is a sweeping 3 hour saga that doesn’t get bogged down by stray storylines or indulgent scenes by the actor/director/producer Beatty. The structure of the film is anchored by Reed and Bryant leaving each other and finding one another in unexpected and suspenseful ways: at a party, in a New York apartment, on a train heading toward Russia, and finally and most memorably when they reunite, again in Russia, in a train station. It’s one of the great scenes of filmdom! So, if you’ve never seen Reds, you must, and if you have vague fond memories, seeing it again is very enjoyable.

By the way, it is also fun to watch the DVD extras where Warren Beatty reflects in 2006, 15 years later about the making of the film. The extras on this DVD are actually interesting.

One Year Anniversary of Mary's List

I am pleased to say that Mary's List has been around for a year, and I achieved my goal of posting at least once a week, sometimes more. After reviewing my blog, (while I was adding labels so you, the reader, could search my blog) I noticed a few trends. First off, apparently this was the year of Ryan Gosling--I have seen more than a handful of movies featuring him. Second, I watch my fair share of movies in French. Finally, I watch a lot of "independent" movies, whatever that means. Actually, I think it means "arty" FILMS and believe me it does not always mean they are good. Probably, I read a review or saw a preview of spme little known film and thought I MUST see it. I guess, I keep trying to find that perfect movie. And I will keep reporting my findings. Thanks for reading, Mary

The United States of Leland

In my effort to see more and more Ryan Gosling movies, I watched The United States of Leland that came out in 2004. The movie has several other great actors such as Kevin Spacey, Don Cheadle, and the young talented Jenna Malone, but despite such talent, the movie is a muddle of story lines just started and not ending anywhere. From the beginning of the movie we find that the young Leland, Gosling, has inexplicably killed a special needs child. Leland seems lost and detached but also gentle. Gosling gives him a sort of airy-like quality which helped me become invested in the question of why he would kill. Don Cheadle's character is also interesting in the movie but his character seems a little mixed up. Worth seeing for all, probably not. For Ryan Gosling fans? Probably!

My Dinner with Andre

Remember this oldie but a weirdie? Back in 1982 two playwrights, Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, starred in this strange movie where they just sit at a table in a restaurant and discuss weird stuff like improvisational theater in a Polish forest, being naked and lowered into an 8 foot grave, or a Japanese shaman walking on Andre's wife named Chiquita. It's weird and was somewhat popular back in the 1980s. I remember seeing it back then on PBS, and I am sure I was seeing it because I thought it was THE movie to see. (I still do that, you see) I wanted to see it again because 1.) it was at the library 2.) I love Wallace Shawn and had recently seen The Princess Bride, and 3.) I wanted to remember what all the fuss was about. Well, the fuss is about a couple of intellectuals struggling with some pretty esoteric issues and deciding, in the end, that it is all bunk. Or is it? I kinda enjoyed watching it again. My friend Mary was too engrossed in Scrabble to have an educated opinion on this movie.

3:10 to Yuma

As earlier stated, I am not much for the action adventure film, Western or not-- those movies filled with chase scenes and shoot'em up scenes usually bore me. Suprisingly then, I kinda liked 3:10 to Yuma. It took me about 20 minutes of the movie before my attention got locked in. I began by asking, who's shooting who and why and whose the bad guy and it that Christian Bale? I like him. I eventually got involved in the story and found it compelling.