Movie Meme, 31: When I Stand Up & Cheer

It’s a nice note to end the meme on. Confession: when I read the challenge the first image that popped into my head was this.

I know, I KNOW! More from Titanic and it’s not even a real moment – yes, but I’m right there cheering on. Well in my mind.

There really are so many moments when I’ve felt that vicarious thrill when cinematic characters finally get their acts together. As much as I love Anne Baxter in All About Eve I can’t resist cheering George Sanders on as his Addison DeWitt has way with her (hitting a woman is wrong, but not when she’s Eve Harrington).

Or how about Kate’s Christina Drayton telling off her racist worker? "Don’t speak just…go!"I find myself ecstatic when Ethan's degenerate of sorts manages to make his getaway at the end of Gattaca or I’ll pretend I’m part of the audience when Will & Viola complete their performance of Romeo & Juliet in Shakespeare in Love. The thing is nothing gets more cheers than brilliant ends and performances…so naturally an ending that IS a performance gets double the cheers. And when it’s Baaaaaaaaaaaaarba? Who can resist?

Yes, that gets a big whoopee from me….and so the MEME ends. Sigh. 

Congrats to Ryan and Jess who MEMED with me, Ruth for weighing in now and then and Ripley, Mike and Anna for doing it all at once. Thank you and goodnight.

Movie Meme, Day 30: Saddest Death Scene

Apparently I have too much of an affinity to films where the protagonists end up dead, so I’ve inevitably covered a number of them in the meme already. I didn’t cover Zeffrelli’s 1968 interoperation of Romeo & Juliet and though it’s as clichéd as it can be but it’s still sad because Shakespeare’s is as timeless as can be and Olivia Hussey and Leonardo Whiting give two of the best debut performances I’ve ever seen. And if the original Romeo & Juliet makes it, of course the musical version makes it too. I already mentioned how sad an ending it is, even though more than a few say they don’t care for Richard Beymer  in West Side Story (the moment is all Natalie’s though).

        

When American Beauty ends I’m not particularly sad that Lester has died because as excellent as Kevin Spacey is I have little affection for the character. But it’s implications of the death; it’s really pointless in so many ways and only underscores the banality of the characters’ lives.

And just because 1996-199 is one of my favourite Best Picture streaks I have to mention Jack Dawson and Katherine Clifton. I think I’ve dedicated enough space on this blog to Titanic and The English Patient – so I won’t tire you with more. But yes, I do consider the respective deaths of the protagonists to be sad.

It’s a bit of a loaded question, truly (considering all the films anyone has seen) but which character death stands out to you?

                

(Disclaimer: No films from the aughts make the list because that’s a separate post. Part One: HERE)

       

And yes, this is all for the MOVIE MEME

Movie Meme, Day 29: A Movie Scene More than Ten Times

This was ridiculously easy. Even though I remember seeing The Wizard of Oz very young, I remember seeing The Sound of Music more than twice a year for a very long time. My older sister still refuses to watch it, my mother still loves it and I still know way too much of the dialogue but there it is. “The hills are alive….” How could I resist?

Movie Meme, Day 28: Overhyped

I hate this day in the meme, because really overhyped is a double edged sword. Overhyped by whom? Bloggers? Critics? Awards? I could make a long list of films I’ve never connected to that have been wildly popular with all three.

Memento, Juno, Precious, Michael Clayton. Four films I think are to varying degrees fine or good (all B-s) and each with something to show for them; none of them ever managing to interest me more than in passing. But overhyped? In parts, but not unworthy of praise.

But I had to settle on something, so I settled on one of my least favourite Best Picture wins of all time – incidentally a musical – An American in Paris.

Over time I’ve come to appreciate Gene Kelly more, though I think I’ll always prefer him as a director. Still, An American in Paris is a film that infuriates me whenever I think of it. Owing to its stellar reputation, I – stupidly – spent a lot of money buying a special edition DVD a few years ago. I saw it once and promptly gave it away to a friend. It’s difficult to pinpoint where by dissatisfaction with the legendary musical begins. I’m sure the fact that I care nothing for the characters has something to do with it, perhaps it’s the music which I don’t find memorable at all or perhaps it’s just my weirdness. Perhaps, calling it overhyped is petty but it fits the bill. It’s ridiculously praised and I watch it and am completely flummoxed as to the reason. I’m willing to be schooled though…make an argument for An American in Paris. What makes it so good?

Movie Meme, Day 27: Best Villain

The greatest villains are the ones we can empathise with, because when someone has our empathy they can become that more dangerous. There are dozens, scores even, of villains I could ruminate through. Perhaps, if I get overly meticulous, this isn’t my absolute favourite villain. But it shall do.

       

Before Fatal Attraction Glenn Close was noted for the wholesome women she played. I don’t think Alex is a villain – just slightly deranged and very sad. It’s Glenn’s performance in the next year that reaches iniquitous proportions for me.

Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil is the ultimate machinist of them all. The very film depends on her whims as she does her best to control those around her. I’m a big fan of Dangerous Liaisons (reviewed) and the cast is good – but Glenn always takes it a step further. She’s thoroughly diabolical but she throws us for loops continuously when we think what it like to be a woman of the era. It’s no excuse for her evilness but Glenn’s Marquise so brilliant because she makes us see the why behind the evil. It doesn’t make her less evil, it makes her more so because we can see just how much she’s capable of. It’s anyone’s guess what happens to her after her fall from grace but I’m sure her legend lives on 19th century France. What a woman – what a villain.

Movie Meme, Day 26: Freakishly Weird Endings…

Freakishly weird…what exactly does that mean? An ending that was inadequate? One that I didn’t see coming, one that was bizarre…some endings deliberately try to shock you and make you go “a-ha”. Most often they fall flat, it wasn’t that I didn’t see this ending coming – I didn’t – the delivery of it was just eerie – brilliant – but weird.

SPOILERS – obviously (Haven’t seen it? Don’t read it)

Unlike the runaway for The English Patient Minghella’s 1999 masterpiece The Talented Mr. Ripley wasn’t wholly loved (REVIEWED). Based on the eponymous novel it tells the story of the nefarious body snatcher (not literally of course) Ripley, played excellently by Matt Damon in probably his best performance. Ripley is at first infatuated with Jude Law’s deliciously mean Dickie Greenleaf, but eventually he murders him when Dickie gets tired of his friendship. He adopts Dickie’s personality for some time before having to kill again. Along the way he meets Meredith Logue (Cate Blanchett in a beautifully understated performance). After convincing most of his innocence in Dickie’s disappearance he makes his way out of Italy on ship with Peter, a mutual friend of Dickie’s who Ripley may, or may not, start a love affair with. Unfortunately, Meredith Logue is on the ship – she still think he’s Dickie, and so is Peter. He can’t kill her, she’s with her family – but he can’t be revealed so in the final scene Tom kills Peter. It’s more than a rote killing because he does love Peter, but he loves his freedom more so as Peter tells us all the great things about Paul Ripley we see him sitting in the dark and hear the murder as he begins to cry tearfully and the screen fades to black. No ending will be creepier, even if they try more overtly. I’m repulsed, fascinated and moved by Ripley’s plight, which he of course brought on himself – that ending is definitely something special.

      

Am I the only one who was creeped out by this?

(More of the MEME)

Movie Meme, Day 25: A Movie I Plan to Watch

It’s not something I go around screaming from the rooftops, I don’t want to be a cinematic pariah, but I admitted a few months ago over at Movie Mobsters that I was yet to see Jurassic Park – in any incarnations. I promised Heather I’d watch it, though life and other crap have prevented me. I plan to – soon – I can’t think of any significant excuse, I just never got around to seeing it. It seems odd, but there it is…

All for the MEME.

Movie Meme, Day 24: Quotable Quotes

I'm feeling ridiculously tired at the moment, and really the possibilites are endless (I sense a series of post imminent on this topic). Nonetheless, the ones that came to mind first...

        

Beautiful Profundity

The English Patient: “Betrayals during war are childlike compared to betrayals during peace. New lovers are warm and tender, but smash everything…for the heart is an organ of fire.”

The Lion in Winter: “Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're barbarians! How clear we make it. Oh, my piglets, we are the origins of war: not history's forces, nor the times, nor justice, nor the lack of it, nor causes, nor religions, nor ideas, nor kinds of government, nor any other thing. We are the killers. We breed wars. We carry it like syphilis inside. Dead bodies rot in field and stream because the living ones are rotten. For the love of God, can't we love one another just a little - that's how peace begins. We have so much to love each other for. We have such possibilities, my children. We could change the world.”

Brilliant One-Liners

The Philadelphia Story: “This is the Voice of Doom calling. Your days are numbered, to the seventh son of the seventh son.” 

           

The Big Chill: “I don't know anyone who could get through the day without two or three juicy rationalizations. They're more important than sex.”

        

Gosford Park: “I'm the perfect servant; I have no life.”

Useable in Everyday Life

There’s a scene in The English Patient when Ralph Fiennes’ patient turns to Juliette Binoche’s Nurse – Hana. “Did you know Herodotus is the father of all history.” She responds glibly, “I don’t know anything.” The line itself is nothing of brilliance, but Binoche’s line reading has stuck with me since…I use it quite often with the same inflection. It's true.

       

All for the MEME.

Movie Meme, Day 23: Best Explosion or Action Scene

I was stumped, somewhat, with this day of the meme. I’ve seen a number of action scenes, I’m sure, but I’d be hard-pressed to call any of them a favourite. Eventually, I realised the issue was defining action – a car chase, a deadly duel – what is an action sequence? It would be a copout to submit the entire two and a half hours of Minority Report (already covered), and though it’s not particularly respected I’d just as easily submit the whole of Shoot ‘Em Up – that movie just puts me in a ridiculously good mood. The Ministry Duel Duel in Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix is so meticulously directed i can’t help but be enthralled – and then there’s the violent centrepiece of Ran, it’s as brutal as they can come.

A few weeks ago Heather completed a list of her favourite battle sequences and in it she listed a scene I have great love for. The Lord of the Ring’s The Two Towers’ battle at Helm’s Deep. I don’t know if it’s because the rest of the second instalment seems so placid but the climax at Helm’s Deep is just so riveting and it always ends up seeming like the aha moment of the trilogy where the battle really begins. I’m not sure if it’s “action” in the natural sense – but it’s good enough for me. 

      

All for the MEME.

Movie Meme, Day 22: Favourite Final Scene

Really the possibilities are endless because those final moments in a film are often quite striking. The Big Chill came to mind almost immediately. “We're not leaving. We're never leaving.” – those are the final words of the film (said by Jeff Goldblum), and taking into consideration the two hours that have gone before we don’t really want to leave either. In fact, the words could be taken into account for any good movie – we never really want to leave it. When Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn part in The Lion in Winter we get the sense that the journey’s not over yet even though the credits roll. Both Eleanor and Henry still have a significant amount of fight left in them. As Eleanor says, “I hope we never die!” I remember the end of Atonement with sadness – not Vanessa’s monologue but the imagined ending of Robbie and Cecilia on the beach. It’s my favourite shot in the film, that ending – and it’s not real.

If there’s something Joe Wright does that’s significant with Atonement’s end it’s the lack of speech. It doesn’t end with a tongue-in-cheek line or a pithy remark. It’s a series of images that makes it good, like the brilliance of Stephen Frears with the ending in Dangerous Liaisons. That final shot of her in the mirror frantically cleaning her face will never NOT be haunting.

In the end, I settle on the inspirational ending. I’m thoroughly fond of On the Waterfront and even though Kazan’s intention seems the slightest bit sugary I still love it. Malloy has testified in court against Johnny Friendly and he heads down to the waterfront to line up with the men. He gets beat up, roughly so, and he gets up – bloody and broken – to stand up with the men. It works for many reasons – Kazan doesn’t shy away from the brutal, Brando is just brilliant and Lee J. Cobb’s dastardly mob boss in the background all combines to make this the final scene that I consider a favourite. 

 This is all for the MEME.

Movie Meme, Day 21: Favourite Romantic Couple

So, Kate somewhat monopolised the whole thing…(ALL FOR THE MEME)

Movie Meme, Day 20: Favourite Kiss

This seems so clichéd – I know, but I guess I’m clichéd like that. I mean, it’s not like I sit down looking for the best kisses (sex scenes is another story, see HERE). But, really, what kiss beats Rose and Jack? Maybe it’s the thrill of “flying”…but it’s the first that comes to mind, and no other option seems as significant. 

Aaaw, young love.(All for the MEME).

Movie Meme, Day 18: Favourite Title Sequence

Though I understand what a title sequence is, I wonder if end credits count. I was uncertain and didn’t wager to research (any musical with Rob Marshall or Bill Condon would win that battle). I’m not too interested in title sequences; they don’t really determine the film either way. I actually like when films are excessively sparse with title sequences – like The Departed or Atonement. All we get is a single title card that’s superimposed (or in the latter’s case – typed) and the film continues. Simple, effective and without pomp or scene.

That being said a nice jaunty title sequence does work – An Education and Down with Love come to mind. There’s the cheerful music, and the humorous sequences – it lifts your mood and you’re not even sure what the movies are about as yet. Then – there are the more sombre ones. I continue to hail last year’s Coraline is a testimony to animation for, for children and adults, done right and I love the title sequence. The needle makes the doll as the solemn music plays and we get a glimpse out into the night sky, and that aspect of creation reminds me of The English Patient – another sombre opening. We spend a good five minutes at least watching a paint brush work its way across a surface. When it was one of my banners, Castor was so kind as to compare it to pee stains from a dog…not quite. Eventually (if you watch the film) you’ll know that the paintings are of a fateful cave, but we know it’s something sombre nonetheless as Gabriel Yared’s brilliant score plays overhead. It’s simple to ignore title sequences but, whether it’s a single shot (sometimes brevity is important) or an elongated sequence they do have their significance, I suppose.   

         

All for the MEME (automated posting).

Movie Meme, Day 16: A Guilty Pleasure Movie

I think I’ve said it before, I don’t believe in guilty pleasure – if it’s pleasure why be guilty. I really can’t think of a film I’m honestly embarrassed to like (hello, I’m blogging aren’t I), but I’ll bite the bullet. I thought of focusing on a film that was bad – a film I recognised as bad – but one I’d sit down and watch nonetheless. I was coming up with nothing, but then I settled on one. It’s not necessarily bad (B/B- territory, for me) – Liar, Liar. It’s a good comedic outing from Jim Carey, a film that’s liked but not particularly respected and one that I appreciate unequivocally.

       

I’m a moderate Jim Carey fan. Sometimes he’s excellent (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show) and generally on point with general comedy (Ace Ventura, The Mask, Lemony Snicket),. Of his nineties’ films Liar, Liar charms me the most. Carey plays the eponymous liar of the title. He is Fletcher Reed – an unreliable father as well as a lawyer, though due to a birthday wish of his son he must reluctantly mend his ways. The very conceit of the film depends on a suspension of belief that’s reasonably ridiculous in some ways. I’m not even sure that I buy it completely, sometimes. Nonetheless, there’s something about Liar, Liar that makes it difficult for me to resist it.

On a purely comedic level it might not even be Carey’s best work, but when all the good things about Liar, Liar coalesce it’s hard to fault it – too harshly. Maura Tierney (always good in E.R.) plays well alongside Carey as his ex-wife and Justin Cooper plays well as his son. However, when I think of supporting comedic players in Liar, Liar (and in Carey films in general) I rarely get past Jennifer Tilly’s hilarious stint as a cantankerous client of Fletcher. There is a certain scene where she and Carey face off in court that’s probably the film’s highpoint for me. It never fails to get me laughing every time.

I suppose as far as pleasure goes there’s nothing guilty about Liar, Liar. But I figured by hook or crook I’d get it in on the MEME.

Movie Meme, Day 15: Best Musical

I covered this a few months ago when I had my musical blogathon (REVIEW). Cabaret is my favourite musical. Liza Minelli, plus Joel Grey, plus an (unfortunately) un-singing Michael Crawford makes for a delightful bit of decadence. Of course, in reality, it’s Fosse who’s the star of the show directing every scene (musical and otherwise) to perfection – an Oscar well deserved. I’m all written out on Cabaret…I’ll just let the music play.

Movie Meme, Day 13: Favourite Animated Film

Quite ironically, Friday 13th comes and my day turns out to be just godawful.I already wrote a number of words on my favourite animated film (REVIEWED), so I shall leave you with a screencap. A masterpiece from Tim Burton.

Movie Meme, Day 12: Best Soundtrack

I vaguely remember answering this question for another meme before, and I feel no need to change it. I’ve become a bit obsessed with Broadway Cast Recordings in the last few years. It’s my own way of experiencing actual Broadway vicariously before I finally see a real show. I’ve never really been crazy about movie soundtracks, so it makes sense that the soundtrack I consider special is based on a Broadway play. That’s not really what’s important, what’s important is that the lyrics of the soundtrack were written by Stephen Sondheim. I have a large amount of brain-envy for the man, probably my favourite musician at the moment. West Side Story was early in his career, before he started doing music and lyrics – it’s not my favourite of his works, but it’s good enough. Leonard Bernstein who provided the music is no slouch in the music department either.

     

I’m not going to review West Side Story (go HERE) and if you haven’t seen it, I’ll admit I’ll find that extremely disturbing. Yes, Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer aren’t the ones singing here…but that doesn’t matter. Here are three of my favourite numbers from the score, actually that's erroneous these aren't my favourite numbers. But there's one from the lovers, one from the Jets and one from the Sharks (really my favourite songs: "One Hand, One Heart", "Tonight", "Officer Krupke", "Something's Coming" - "Cool" is the best scene though.)

Movie Meme, Day 11: A Movie That Disappointed

One good thing about the meme is how cathartic it is. I’ve been wanting to write about some films for some time, but I’m not sure how to get the ball rolling. Biting the bullet; for today: Rachel Getting Married. I never reviewed Rachel Getting Married, since I wasn’t blogging around the time of its release. It’s often touted as one of the strongest independent flicks of 2008 and Anne Hathaway’s performance continues to be hailed as a tour-de-force. I saw it in the wake of the buzz it was getting. While recapping 2008 I mentioned that I was no fan of the film (my initial grade was a C+) and last week when I caught it on I decided to watch (E/N: this post was written weeks ago). I hadn’t seen it since 2008 and I wanted to see how it aged.

I know I praised Rosemarie DeWitt in my Encore Awards, but I was unprepared for how excellent she was here. I know that lovers of the film applaud her performance but there’s a reason that the film is called Rachel Getting Married and it’s just not because of her wedding. I’ve never liked Anne Hathaway, from her days of being a Disney princess to her newfound status as a rising star I still don’t like her. If pushed I’d identify her performance in The Devil Wears Prada as my favourite, and that doesn’t say much when I think she’s the weakest of the film’s four stars (Blunt, Streep, Tucci in that order). Hathaway grates on me so much I’m unsure if her acting is the issue or her natural personality and my unprofessionalism. Kym, the recovering addict, is the perfect type of role for an actress trying to break out of a rut but Demme’s Rachel Getting Married biggest problem is that it already thinks it doing something seismic. I recall someone saying that if some new director had helmed this, whose name was not Demme, the response would have been muted. I believe that. The film is not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination, but despite all the rote examples of honesty it’s not as sincere as it’s pretending which is the feeling I get from Hathaway. Yes, Kym is just a large mix of neuroses and Hathaway is obviously trying hard, but she strikes me as a young actress trying to act than a real character which is the opposite feeling I get from DeWitt. It’s no surprise, then, that Hathaway does best when paired with DeWitt. It’s almost as if the older sister is willing the younger one to step up to the plate, and it’s the dynamic of the film that rings out as most sincere.

Bill Irwin, I admit, puts up a valiant effort and his response to a certain dishwasher scene is well played. But I can’t take it at face value because it seems oddly truncated, not as truncated as Debra Winger who does well with a nothing role, but truncated nonetheless. I can’t be expected to value these characters because there’s little there that urges me to get invested in them. Yet, I admire Rachel Getting Married for its good intentions. Demme falters, oh yes I believe he does, but his attempt to craft an adult drama that’s not overly adult or that has too much “drama” is impressive. I laud its ability to have an interracial marriage without turning it into something of huge proportions. I laud the fact that it doesn’t try to play for sympathy too much, though it does aim for empathy that I can’t always give. Despite its best intentions Rachel Getting Married does little to move. I’ll show up for the bride, but I’m neither here nor there on the rest of the bridal party. (Upgraded to a B-).

What do you think of Rachel Getting Married?

     

All for the MEME.           

Movie Meme, Day 10: A Movie I Never Thought I’d End Up Loving

I may have said this before, but I’m rather spot on with knowing what I’d like. Most of the films I seek out are the ones I know I’ll love. Most often the ones I despise are those I see for the hell of it, or Oscar bait I watch for completion’s sake. Not to say that I’m omnipotent…surprises occur. A number of films ran through my head when I saw the title, but it kept coming back to a particular. It’s one that I felt even more of a desire to feature since it narrowly missed making my TOP 100 and I do love it. I’ve never been a big fan of Spielberg. He has two Oscars and even though one is often considered the best film of the nineties, and the other is considered the best in the war genre I wouldn’t have given him on either count. I like Tom Cruise even less. Whereas I’m neither for nor against Spielberg, Tom Cruise tends to annoy me generally. Hence, I felt the slightest bit of trepidation at seeing Minority Report. A Cruise / Spielberg blockbuster? I think not. How wrong was I in prejudging this? Very!          

Though it’s nowhere near as brilliant as 2007, 2002 was a brilliant year for films (2002 in review). There was the trimester of Chicago / The Hours / The Two Towers and those were followed by another trimester Gangs of New York / Minority Report / Spiderman. Each of these six had something that made me anticipate an appreciation for them, except for Minority Report. The story focused on a time in the future when a special band of policeman could anticipate crime and the perpetrators, essentially curbing it before it occurred. One day Chief John Anderton, Head of the Precrime department, sees himself projected in the precogs vision – he will commit a murder. There’s no reason to doubt them because the precogs visions are always accurate. Right? At its base Minority Report is about one man trying to find ascertain the truth around him and  Anderton must do the unthinkable going on the round with Agatha (the female precog) in two. It’s part action, part scifi and complete brilliance. I don’t usually find myself going agog at the genre (though I’ll continually pledge allegiance to Gattaca) but I’m always seduced by the adrenaline rush in Minority Report.

Spielberg creates a brilliant film and art direction and visual effects play an important part in the brilliance of the film, but what makes Minority Report stand apart is the acting. I’ve never found Tom Cruise so moving even in a role that reads as Tom Cruise doing Tom Cruise. I’d have given him an Oscar nomination for this, along with Samantha Morton who is simply outstanding. Neal McDonough, Max von Sydow, Collin Farrell and Kathryn Morris offer good support to the two thespians making the film as dependable for its human resources as it is for the technical ones. I never fail to be lost in the world of Minority Report, I never expected myself to be as enraptured as I was the first time but I was and I am. It’s still brilliant.

       

What do you think of Minority Report?

           

All because of the MEME.

Movie Meme, Day 9: Best Scene Ever

This was a bit of a silly question. The ever had be rolling my eyes. What to do? What to do? When in doubt look to Katharine Hepburn.

This is probably my favourite performance ever and this scene, though short, is just brilliant (remembered how I gushed about the film). Enjoy.