Chinatown

Pretty much my first Polanski film... well not really, I saw his rendition of Oliver Twist a few years ago (which I highly recommend if you want a very dark grim version of this classic story). But Polanski or not, I had been meaning to watch Chinatown for quite some time. I love Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but it's set at the turn of the century yet the girl has these big 60s false eyelashes! Small things, but they can totally run the timelessness of a film. No such problem with Chinatown, if Jack Nicholson's age wasn't an obvious indicator, it would be very hard to place when this film was made, which is always a good thing. Most of it seemed to have been filmed in that late afternoon early morning light quality giving the movie and all over golden glow which mingles perfectly with the heat and laziness of LA in the 1930s. Nicholson's character, J.J. Gittes (Jake) is a private detective who spies on disloyal spouses who gets tangled up in a twisted plot of deception and murder when the LA water commisioner is found dead. Soon he gets involved with the dead man's wife, and her father, the owner of the water commission.

The end of the movie is not a happy one, it exposes how corrupt the system justice is when there are forces of wealth and power and how hopeless it is for one man to try and change anything. More chilling is the fact that the film is based on historical disputes over water rights in California in the 1920s.

On a more aesthetic note, Faye Dunaway lends an oriental look to the film, in some light it's tricky to judge if she is fact caucasian or asian, and I'm sure she was cast because of this element. She has a very classic "red lips" elegant look, and her beige or black color palate in the costume choices is excellent. There is one scene in near the beginning where she has the most lovely pair of beige riding pants, I tried to find a picture, but the one thing the internet lacks is movie stills!

Twilight

Yes, I actually watched this. It was so fuckin' hilarious I watched it twice. It was a little disconcerting how much I got into it, but it's definitely one to watch and have a lol fest with your friends. I've been telling my cousin everytime she puts on bronzer with gold sparkles that she is "beautiful" just like Edward Cullen. I actually really enjoy the on set photo above, Robert Pattinson looks better when he smiles.

Hannah And Her Sisters

Definitely one of Woody Allen's finest. There was something about this movie that seemed so familiar, like you have once met the people in the film. Between two thanksgivings, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac of a ex-husband (great performance by Woody) falls in rekindles a relationship with her other sister Holly. The dialogue between the characters really made me think for a few days after seeing the film. The last ten minutes are wonderful, but it leaves me feeling sorry for Hannah, because her relationship with her husband doesn't really get resolved. The way the film was set up, in chapters was also something that I enjoyed. The thing I like about Woody Allen's films are that he does acknowledge that they are movies, and so that leaves him free to set up the movies in untraditional ways rather then trying to hard to make it seem like real life.

Also, for some fashion inspiration, I love the way that Holly (played by Dianne Wiest) was styled, big sunglasses, coats and scarves. I can't find many good pictures, so watch this film!

Desperately Seeking Susan

I love watching 80s movies for the costumes and this one definitely wasn't a disappointment... in terms of the story it was cute, but it was really Susan's (played by Madonna) ensembles that made the movie for me. The character Dez's apartment was reminiscent of one in the French movie Diva, which was fantastic in my memory, really must see that one again. American films borrow from great foreign ones so much!

some pictures of Susan... 

I want to try the lacy shirt and black bra sometime, if I'm as brave as Madonna.

Rhinestone boots!

The jewelry was great

I see another style to add to my sunglasses collection.

Josie and the Pussycats

I watched this on TV with my friend Sophia to cheer her up, Fiona the evil villain is my favourite character, while Josie and her band mates outfits were tacky, her outfits actually are inspiring, a strange polka dot dress with a reconstructed looking top, a choker with feathers extending from it, an entirely safety pinned ball gown. Unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures but this one... 

The Royal Tenenbaums

I hadn't seen this in 3-4 years so when I saw it at the library I know I was due to watch it again. I can't believe how much I had forgotten about it! I think Wes Anderson is overrated, but with good reason. I love his soundtracks, art direction, and character development. My favorite two Tenenbaums are Margot and Richie, Margot for being an unproductive playwright with a secret smoking addiction and of course her style... I am now hunting for a striped polo dress. And Richie, just because he's a handsome depressed in love with his adopted sister start tennis player. I now want a huge house with red walls and covered in art... 

I'm sure many of you in the blogging world have seen this, but if you haven't I can pretty much guarantee you'll like it.  

Like Water For Chocolate

I've seen a ton of movies since my last entry... I'll try and pick this up again.

Like Water For Chocolate is a Mexican film based on the book by Laura Esquivel which I haven't read but I might because I really loved the film. Something I like about Central/South American films and books is the involvement of magic realism, something I haven't come across as much in North American literature. This movie certainly had quite a bit of magical elements... it's set around the turn of the century (the costumes involved SO MUCH LACE) where the youngest daughter of a family, Tita, is forbidden to marry because her mother is a heartless old witch who says she must care for her her whole life. Anyways the man she loves marries her sister to be closer to her, and as Tita works in the kitchen her food has magical results that bring them closer... alright, don't want to spoil it. 

I found this film very romantic and also very in touch with that romanticism if that makes any sense. I've always loved magic realism because besides Harry Potter I was never much one for fantasy, magic realism allows one to see magic in real life.

Waking Ned Devine

Me and my two friends were kind of stunned from a late party the night before so we decided to pop this movie in Tess's mother's friend had loaned her... it was a really cute little Irish film made by the same folks who did The Full Monty. The style reminded me a bit of Calendar Girl's, wholesome but naughty if you get what I mean. The funny moments were laugh out loud and the ending not overblown and sweet.

Ghost World

I already raved about Enid's style on my other blog, bur seriously, I really loved this movie.
The link says everything I wanna say but better.

Nick And Nora's Infinite Playlist

If you're going to watch this movie, don't have any expectations and you'll probably like it.
I thought it was going to be more funny more quirky, and indeed it had the foundations to be so, but it never lived up to my expectations.
It's actually kind of funny if you think about it... Michael Cera plays this straight straightedge indie kid who's the bassist of a band of homosexuals who can't get over the gross spoiled brat who dumped him two months previously and continues to make cds for her. The gross brat's nemesis, daughter of a record producer takes the rejected cds and feels that herself and Mikey are music soul mates, though she has no idea who he is, until one night the cross paths at a music show and continue on a romp around the city in Mike's awesome Yugo listening to tunes looking for the secret show of their favourite band, "Where's Fluffy".
It's cute and all, but I feel it was trying to be a little too much like Juno that they missed out on their own groove.
Also, Michael Cera <3

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Mary snatched up this movie at the video store because Patrick Fugit, the cute kid from Almost Famous was in it. For such a random pick, it was actually such a good movie.
Zia, the main character commits suicide because he broke up with his girlfriend, he ends up in the afterlife where people who commit suicide go, a world like ours, just a little shittier. Befriending a Russian who's whole family has committed suicide, he learns that his girlfriend also killed herself. So... of course he goes on a search for her.
The movie continues to become more bizarre and metaphorical. It has a fantastic little ending, if it wasn't for the ending I wouldn't have liked it very much.

Harold And Maude

I had to see Harold and Maude again with Mary as she'd never seen it before. I really think it's up there among my favourites, I remember seeing it at 14 and being shocked at the relationship between the older woman and the young boy, but watching it again, it's a more genuine relationship then some I see today.
Everything about this movie is great, particularly the characters. Harold's mother, whom I regrettably can't find any pictures of is so fashionably inspirational. Besides that, there are so many little philosophies about life/death in this movie that I love.
I hope to grow old like Maude someday.

There Will Be Blood

Wow... wow.
Very dark, depressing, and very very good. But it was almost too good. It's like looking at a picture of a woman in a magazine ad, where are her pores?
There's nothing wrong with being too good, but there was a little less soul from this movie because of it. Mind you, it was all too sad to be soulful.
And Daniel Day Louis, um, possibly the greatest actor of this age, actually. I mean, I knew that when I watched My Left Foot this was a talented actor
And the kid from Little Miss Sunshine? WHOA you're no longer that nerd from the Girl Next Door who ends up being a porn star, you're now an Oscar worthy actor...
I don't want to be a spoiler, but the part with the brother, crazy. And the church.
I'll say one thing, there will be blood.

if....

Me and Sophia popped into Video Difference yesterday. They have an amazing selection... from the new releases to independent, foreign, classic, documentaries... Sometimes it can take me ages to select something. Me and Phi discussed how we must see A Clockwork Orange as it is one of those movies everyone has seen, but we weren't in the mood for something really weird. Sophia pointed at a movie with a handsome boy sitting in a "Godfather" pose, and told me I'd probably like that film, as it is the same actor in A Clockwork Orange and is less strange, but still interesting.
Her recommendation was as good as any, so I decided to get it along with There Will Be Blood. Sophia got The Shawshank Redemption to show her boyfriend who hasn't seen it. I think The Shawshank Redemption is an excellent movie, but I tend to feel a bit apprehensive about something that so many people love because it makes it feel impersonal.
Anyway, I watched if.... this morning. It did not disappoint, it had surrealist scenes, along with an excellent performance by Malcolm McDowell especially considering it was his first leading role in a film. It is considered part of the Counterculture movement in the 1960s.
It took place at a prestigious English private school, where traditions of old still took place. Within the main character, Mick's 6th form there were certain students given a higher rank of "whips" who were able to hand out corporal/other punishments to their peers. One night the whips strike Mick's friends 4 times each, and 10 times to Mick because of their lack of spirit. I don't want to spoil the ending of the film, but what does end up happening, to me it is not clear whether it actually happens or if it is Mick's imagination.
I believe this will be a film that sticks in my mind for a long time...

Top Secret

If you've ever seen the movie Airplane you know to expect a lot of bad jokes, slapstick, and political stereotypes, Top Secret delivers. We used to own it, but my mother gave it to her best friend's brother... my friend wanted to see it again so we went and rented it.
The premise of the movie is to combine a war movie with an Elvis movie. It's also Val Kilmer's first big role... which makes it even funnier. I'm warning you, it's stupid, but so worth your time. The tunes are also so catchy and silly.


Here's the preview

The Queen

I love the show Prime Suspect which stars the same actress who plays the Queen, she is a brilliant actor and her performance blew me away. It was kind of fascinating to see the Queen in her more intimate moments (okay, I know it's fictional) after the death of Princess Diana. I thought the part with the stag was particularly powerful. I think Queen Elizabeth II is a very wise and good person.
My dad met the Queen once, and he said she was lovely.

I would like four matching dogs one day please.

Penelope

for some reason I really wanted to see this movie, it was pretty good. It was about a girl with a pig nose who needed to break the curse by having some guy accept her for who she was...

It was a little silly because yeah, her pig nose was big, but not as big as an actual pig nose, but every guy she met would literally run away screaming and run out a window... um okay. She's not THAT scary. I think her nose should have been more pig like. Despite the nose itself being a disappointment the movie was cute and I could imagine younger girls really enjoying it, I would approve too because it has a good moral and idea.

On the other hand, the guy who played Robbie in Atonement, James McAvoy was the main love interest, so I put up with the lack of nose for him. None of his Imdb pictures are that hot, but he is.

I found a desktop wall paper of him... haha.

Roger and Me

I think this was the only Michael Moore documentary I hadn't seen. It was about the closing of auto plants in his hometown of Flint Michigan which employed more then 30, 000 people. It was well done but left me feeling a little sad. I think Michael Moore points out important issues, and even though he can be biased he gets his point across it way that makes you feel he is most undoubtedly right. 

The Gods Must Be Crazy

We watched this in Philosophy class because it had themes of justice... but I loved it. Such a memorable little movie filmed in Botswana... which looks beautiful and I want to go there. They had no budget, and it was chock full of slapstick, but sometimes I think there needs to be movies like that. It starts off in a desert tribe in the Kalahari with what are known as the "bush people" they are "uncivilized" as they live in little tents and have no concept of ownership, thus they have no conflict, thus no concept of justice. Except one day a plane passes overhead and down drops a coke bottle... when the tribe discovers how useful it is, there is suddenly arguments and unhappiness about it. So the leader of the tribe decides to take it and throw it off the edge of the world. Much eventfulness follows...

She's The Man

As I was sort of in a gloomy mood on account of a bad sleep and the fact that my cheques STILL haven't been transfered to my account, I decided when flicking around to watch She's the Man on YTV. It is my guilty pleasure. I feel silly when I get into these kinds of movies, another one I like is Step Up (which also has Channing Tatum..) 

I am a sucker for anything to do with William Shakespear's 12th night, as this film is loosely based upon it. The first time I saw it my feminist mother watched it with me, and she not only approved of the movie, she thought it was really good because of Viola's determination to "Prove she can play soccer as well as the boys! And not care about the debutante ball!" all very good things in my mothers book. I still crack up at the part where Viola uses tampons to clear up nose bleeds. Needless to say, it made my day a little brighter.  

My Own Private Idaho

After seeing Milk, me and Katharine decided to watch another Gus Van Sant film, so we choose My Own Private Idaho.

The beginning of the film I was distracted by a sudoku puzzle I was trying to complete (45 minutes! Whoo... gotta work on that) but soon got entranced by River Phoenix's performance as a hustler with a condition of narcolepsy-the thing where you suddenly fall into deep sleeps when you're stressed, from a chemical imbalance in the brain-strive to find his mother. Accompanied by Keanu Reeves, who was not quite as good but still okay, another hustler who's father is a mayor.

About a quarter of the way in it was undeniable that there was influence from a Shakespeare play, it bugged us so we paused it and went on wikipedia, yes, it is (extremely loosely) based off of Henry IV.

The movie ends, in the same place it started, with not much hope, in the middle of  Idaho.

This movie is funny, surreal and heartbreaking. Especially when you painfully recall River Phoenix's death in the scenes where he is taken over by the narcolepsy, twitching in the streets. 

There's a good review here.