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JFK: In anticipation for Oliver Stone’s W (due out Oct 17th), I decided to Netflix JFK. If you are interested in seeing it but don’t think you can sit through three and half hours of Oliver Stone in all of his glory, the best way to approach the movie is as a mini-series. Divided between two or three sittings, the intensity, paranoia, and over-the-topness of JFK becomes tolerable. While based primarily on Jim Garrison’s book, I kept trying to wrap my head around how the filmmakers sifted through so many government reports, hours of film footage, books and interviews to incorporate archival material into the movie AND were able to recreate locations in Dallas, New Orleans and Washington down to the last detail. JFK is the type of movie that you can tell took a lot of effort to make; it’s best just to appreciate it for that. Award: Golden Globe.
Sense and Sensibility: There are about a million versions of Sense and Sensibility out there, but this one is probably the most accessible. Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay for this version), Kate Winslet and, of course, Hugh Grant look and act their best in Victorian costumes with rolling English countryside backdrops. But for some reason, whenever I watch any Jane Austen movies, I inevitably want to sit down and just watch the ridiculously long BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Regardless, I can’t believe the scope of director Ang Lee’s films—society of Jane Austen, gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain and whatever the hell Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was about. And he seems to do a good job with them all. When the mood for a Jane Austen movie hits you, this will do a good job satisfying your craving. Award: Golden Globe.
A Very Long Engagement: As a general rule of thumb, I don't do war movies. So it is a good thing that I didn't know that A Very Long Engagement is a war movie because I probably wouldn't have given it the attention that it deserves. While WWI plays a central role in the film, the real story is about a girl trying to reconnect with the love of her life (a French soldier). Because the movie was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and stars Audrey Tautou, there are the inevitable Amelie comparisons. And while it does have the stylized camera work and special effects that gives it the fanciful vibe of Amelie, I think it can stand on its own as a gut-wrenching love story to be enjoyed by those who like a little bit of epic in their movies. Award: Golden Globe.
JFK: In anticipation for Oliver Stone’s W (due out Oct 17th), I decided to Netflix JFK. If you are interested in seeing it but don’t think you can sit through three and half hours of Oliver Stone in all of his glory, the best way to approach the movie is as a mini-series. Divided between two or three sittings, the intensity, paranoia, and over-the-topness of JFK becomes tolerable. While based primarily on Jim Garrison’s book, I kept trying to wrap my head around how the filmmakers sifted through so many government reports, hours of film footage, books and interviews to incorporate archival material into the movie AND were able to recreate locations in Dallas, New Orleans and Washington down to the last detail. JFK is the type of movie that you can tell took a lot of effort to make; it’s best just to appreciate it for that. Award: Golden Globe.
Sense and Sensibility: There are about a million versions of Sense and Sensibility out there, but this one is probably the most accessible. Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay for this version), Kate Winslet and, of course, Hugh Grant look and act their best in Victorian costumes with rolling English countryside backdrops. But for some reason, whenever I watch any Jane Austen movies, I inevitably want to sit down and just watch the ridiculously long BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Regardless, I can’t believe the scope of director Ang Lee’s films—society of Jane Austen, gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain and whatever the hell Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was about. And he seems to do a good job with them all. When the mood for a Jane Austen movie hits you, this will do a good job satisfying your craving. Award: Golden Globe.
A Very Long Engagement: As a general rule of thumb, I don't do war movies. So it is a good thing that I didn't know that A Very Long Engagement is a war movie because I probably wouldn't have given it the attention that it deserves. While WWI plays a central role in the film, the real story is about a girl trying to reconnect with the love of her life (a French soldier). Because the movie was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and stars Audrey Tautou, there are the inevitable Amelie comparisons. And while it does have the stylized camera work and special effects that gives it the fanciful vibe of Amelie, I think it can stand on its own as a gut-wrenching love story to be enjoyed by those who like a little bit of epic in their movies. Award: Golden Globe.
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