The Godfather

Film 11: It took me a long time to finally watch The Godfather. I've had it for months, I think. I've seen the beginning so many times, but then I get distracted. It's hard for me to justify sitting and watching a 3-hour film without doing something (folding clothes, grading, cleaning, etc), so my memory of the film is still fuzzy, but I sat through it, and I'm going to review it anyway.

Let me start by revealing that all that I knew about The Godfather was from cultural references to it in other films or television. The Hubs has been trying to get me to watch it for a while, but I kept telling him that I'd already seen, and I'd say stuff like "Leave the gun, take the cannoli" to prove to him that I had in fact seen it. In reality, I only know that line because Tom Hanks quotes the line to Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail, which I've seen so many times that I'm embarrassed. Boy was I surprised when I heard that line in The Godfather! (Spoiler alert: it's after someone gets shot).

Likes: The music, cinematography, performances are all top notch. Funny story--I had to look up who Al Pacino played because I didn't recognize him as Michael. Also, didn't recognize Diane Keaton as Kay. I've only seen them in more recent films, and they have both changed considerably. Give me a break, people. 

Dislikes: Well, I suppose there's not much that I dislike about the film. I mean, it's what I expected, lots of killing and crime. I don't really know the plot. Still don't understand why guys like it so much--it's kinda long and slow.

Bottom line: It's really not my type of film, but it's a well-made classic.

The Sound of Rain Man

Film 9: It's true--I just saw The Sound of Music (1965) for the first time ever. What's funny is that I know a lot of the music from the film, just never watched it. Mike and I watched it on sing-a-long mode because that's just how we roll. It was everything I expected from a musical--cheery, sweet, funny, and just a little drama for balance. I was not expecting the Nazis though. Apparently, I based my whole idea on what this film was about on the cover alone. The trailer was no help either. All this time, I just thought that it was about singing in the mountains. Boy, was I wrong. Anyway, I found it to be fun and delightful film, and it makes me want to watch Mary Poppins, which I have also never seen.

Film 10: I love character-driven films, and Rain Man (1988) did not disappoint. I also love road trip films because all of life is really a journey. The most impressive thing about Rain Man is Dustin Hoffman's performance, which was outstanding. I found this film to be a moving, honest, powerful drama about the twists and turns of life and family.

My Girly Girl Take on Rocky

Photo Credit: Morguefile.com

Film 6: Terms of Endearment (1983) is the kind of film that I wish I had watched with my mom. I enjoyed watching the ups and downs of their relationships, marriages, and family. I thought it was a very realistic look at love and life and relationships. It's truly a timeless piece of cinema that will translate well for future generations. The world may change, but the way that people relate to each other pretty much stays the same.

**Spoiler Alert** Don't read ahead if you haven't seen Rocky and would like to see it in the future.

Film 7: Rocky (1976) surprised me. Seriously. I always thought that Rocky won at the end. I don't know why, I just assumed he did. I was actually a little shocked--I mean, all that running in Converse's and punching raw meat and that pretty graphic fight at the end and he loses. Boo!!!

The second thing that surprised me was how much "heart" was in this film. Let me first say that, I'm not a big fan of sports or sports movies or jocks, so when I first starting watching Rocky all I could see was this dumb jock just going through his life. Working out, drinking beer, beating people up, etc.

I started getting into the film as Rocky's feelings for Adrienne were revealed, especially how he was ready to punch the guy that told her he should take her to the zoo because "retards like the zoo." So, girly girl that I am, I really loved watching their relationship evolve and how her brought her out of her shell. Oh, how I wish that I wore glasses and that just taking them off would suddenly make me beautiful. And of course, I love how he explains to Paulie that his relationship with Andrienne works because they fill each others "gaps" or shortcomings to become whole. That's not something I was expecting to hear in a jock movie. His character is actually pretty endearing, like how he comes up with a excuse to buy different turtle food just to talk to Adrienne and how he tells her that what the people on TV were saying about him really bothered him even though he said they didn't. That vulnerabilty is not something I was expecting to see.

Also, beacuse I was a big fan of Arrested Development, I recognized Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed, and all I could think about during every scene was how in Arrested Development Carl swindles Tobias into paying for acting lessons, and how Carl wanted to save bones from dinner to get a stew going. 

So, if I were to summarize this film, I would say that it's a love story between Rocky and Adrienne while Rocky trains for some fight at the end. That's my girly girl take on Rocky. 

Film Reviews: Playing Catch-Up

My rules for watching 30 Academy Award Best Picture films was that I had to watch one from each decade, and the film has to be one that I have not seen. I'm really into film so I've seen a lot of Best Picture Winners, but there are some I have missed. There's only about 16 weeks before I turn 30, so I'm going to have to play catch-up.

Here are the films I've seen so far:

Annie Hall (1977): I enjoyed this film. It had some fun moments. Some things are lost on me because of my youth, but overall, it was fun to watch.

Schindler's List (1993): So, I had no concept of what this film was about before I watched it. I knew it was about the Holocaust, but I didn't know that the story was true or that Schindler was a good character. I thought the acting was great. Spielberg's stylistic choices in use of color was nice. It was truly an incredible film and an incredible story.

Forrest Gump (1994): Don't judge me, but this year was my first time watching Forest Gump in its entirety. I have seen bits and pieces here and there, but I was never really interested in watching it. Now that I've seen it all the way through, I understand why people like it so much. I like it myself, but I just couldn't get into it until now.

Argo (2012): This film was filled so much suspense and tense moments. I love it. The pacing and action were just right for me.

With these 4 and with my first review of The Artist, I have viewed 5 out of 30 films. 25 to go!!

Kimberly

The Artist (2011)

Welcome to my first Film Friday Review. I love movies, and one of my goals before turning 30 is to watch 30 Academy Award Best Picture winners. I had some rules though:

1. I wanted to watch a least one film from each decade of Academy Award history, which dates back to the 1920's.
2. The films chosen have to be films that I have never seen or never seen to completion (like The Godfather, which I've seen from the beginning, but not all the way through).

I've watched 3 films so far, but today is about The Artist (2011). First, let me admit that I'm a film snob. I am not a big fan of blockbusters, but I watch them to stay current and because that's the only thing Mike and I can agree to watch in theatres. Film snob that I am, even I had some reservations about The Artist.

The Artist is a black-and-white silent film from 2011. Yeah, 2011, when people have to be constantly entertained at all times and don't appreciate the quiet. When it's all about special effects and 3-D, The Artist is quite a refreshing departure from the status quo and pretty gutsy move for the film producers, but it totally pays off. I was expecting it to be dull, but it was entertaining, funny, and enjoyable.

The film tells the story of the rise and fall and rise again of silent film star George Valentin. George had a strong run as a silent film actor, but is resistant to change when the film industry begins introducing "talkies." The resistance causes him to lose his career and his marriage, and he ends up bankrupt and nearly dies, but he is rescued by his adorable dog Jack. With the help of a young actress named Peppy that he met while he was at his peak, he gets his life back on track.

I love the simplicity of this film and how it takes few words or effects to tell a great story. It's amazing how effective the story-telling is with just facial expressions and a few words. The most enjoyable thing about this film is the Jack the Dog who absolutely steals the show. Watch it with an open mind, and you'll enjoy it.