Movie #54: Bonnie and Clyde. Or really, who am I rooting for, again?

Title: Bonnie and Clyde
Starring: Warren Beatty and Faye Dunnaway
Directed by: Arthur Penn
Year: 1967
Number on the AFI list: 42

Bonnie and Clyde begins with photos snapping on the screen, a jolting reminder each time to take in what you're looking at because it's about to be over...just like Bonnie and Clyde's life.

Fascinating how a movie about two criminals can leave audiences so heartbroken at the end. Bonnie and Clyde start their criminal journey confident and sadistic, robbing banks and grocery stores, mocking and killing anyone who would try to stop them, and picking up accomplices along the way. They take photos of their exploits and of each other as an added element of fun and games. Eventually their inevitable demise sets in, and they both have to make the choice to either turn themselves in or keep doing what they're doing; either way, their chosen path leads to death. Before the climactic ending, they begin to settle down...and it seems like they may actually be able to live a normal life. It doesn't last long, and their past finally catches up to them in the bloodiest finale to a film thus far in film history (at the time).

Warren Beatty is great as the charming, confident, yet paranoid Clyde, but Faye Dunnaway steals the show for me. Her struggles with wanting to be loved coupled with fear and regret is an amazing ride to watch. They both play their characters so sympathetically that I was rooting for them the whole time.

Favorite scene: When they see their families again after their crime spree has swept national headlines. Bonnie's desire to be loved and accepted by her mom is heartbreaking.

Will I watch it again: I enjoyed it, but probably not.

Movie #53: In the Heat of the Night. Or really, a murder mystery in the civil rights era south.

Title: In the Heat of the Night

Starring: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger

Directed by: Norman Jewison

Number on the AFI List: 75

Year: 1967

This was a bold movie to make in the contentious 1960s, where the civil rights movement only three years prior achieved the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Exposing the remaining hostile racism in the formerly segregated south, In the Heat of the Night is a movie about a murder mystery, where Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is falsely accused of the crime, but turns out to be a police detective from Pennsylvania and exactly who the Sparta, Mississippi sheriff, Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) needs to solve the murder. While working together, Gillespie has to put aside his racism to accept that Tibbs is the right man for the job, while both face anger and violence from townsfolk who don't appreciate that a black man is carrying authority. 

Poitier's performance is subtle and strong, and he carries the film with strength and dignity in the midst of the insanity that the other characters display. Steiger's performance goes all over the place, from anger to heartfelt; he's the only southern character by the end of the movie that has regained any sympathy. And can we talk about the looney-ness that was Delores (Quentin Dean)? Quite the extreme opposite of Poitier's steadiness. 

Favorite moment: The ever famous slap scene.

Will I Watch it Again: Sure! 

Movie #52: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Or really, insanity.

Title: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton

Directed by: Mike Nichols

Year: 1966

Number on the AFI List: 60

Y'all...this movie is CRAZY TOWN. From the start, its very obvious that George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) are dysfunctional, manipulative, irascible spouses who don't know how to care for each other well. They invite a young married couple, Nick and Honey, into their home, and spend the whole film getting drunk, getting the young couple drunk, and using the Nick and Honey as pawns to abuse each other. Seriously, the whole movie is a downward spiral spinning fast. Games and alcohol run the show- and by games, I mean fantastical illusions of life that both George and Martha go in and out of believing, the main one being about their 16 year old son. For the sake of spoilers, I won't give any more details, but its messed up. For real. Edward Albee does not hold back showing the cruelties of life through George and Martha. I wondered the whole time why Nick and Honey didn't get up and leave. They're both sucked into the spiral and are used and abused right along with George and Martha. I wonder if it's an allusion to how their marriage will end up. 

Fantastic acting all around. I was hooked from the beginning. It goes to show how people are fascinated by dysfunction. Who needs reality TV when you have geniuses like Albee writing scripts? (granted, the screenplay was by Ernest Lehman, but Albee gets the credit for the original play). 

Favorite moment: It's all a mess. All great. All compelling. All heartbreaking.

Will I Watch it Again: Yes.

Movie #51: The Sound of Music. Or really, did Mary Poppins decide to join a covent?

Title: The Sound of Music

Starring: Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer

Directed by: Robert Wise

Number on the AFI List: 40

Year: 1965

I know that Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music are totally different and awesome in their own ways, but I couldn't help but chuckle at the typecasting Julie Andrews received on two of her first films. That aside, The Sound of Music is remarkable not only because of Andrew's fabulous performance as Maria, but the rest of the cast as well. The children's voices are beautiful and captivating from the moment they begin to sing. The "Do-Re-Me" scene is so fun; its so rewarding to see the children be children again and find their individual voices. I loved watching Captain Von Trapp's character arch from being a strict, commanding father who doesn't know how to love his children well to a more lenient, loving man, all thanks to Maria. The fabulous nuns, especially the compassionate Mother Abbess, were a joy to watch. I loved how Mother Abbess showed so much grace to Maria, encouraging Maria to face her problems head on and to not feel shame or guilt because she'd fallen in love with Captain Von Trapp. And of course, the entire family's bravery to not succumb to the Nazi's demands of Captain Von Trapp joining their ranks was inspiring and suspenseful.

 

I've seen this movie many times, the musical a couple of times, and it never fails to be captivating and moving. It will stand the test of time because of its beauty and bravery, and will always be one of the greatest musicals of the 20th century.

 

Favorite moment: there are too many to name. Probably the "Do-Re-Me" scene. Its one of the moments that has stuck in my brain since I was a child.

 

Will I watch it again: yes!

 

 

 

Movie #50: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Or really....no actually, thats a perfect title.

Title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and an actor with the best name ever: Slim Pickens 

Directed by: the infamous Stanley Kubrick

Number on the AFI List: 39

Year: 1964

Oh, this film. I had no idea what to expect. I would've never guessed a quirky Cold War pseudo-comedy/drama that was actually pretty uncomfortable to watch. Should I laugh? Ok, I can laugh. Sometimes. Maybe? But it was also terrifying. My thoughts ran rampant, like...the doomsday clock just moved forward in real life and now I'm watching a movie about a bomb that will destroy the whole world made by a nazi and wow are we really all this fickle and childish?!

I don't want to give too much of the plot away. Just know that there were some mistakes made by an air force general while clinging to a conspiracy theory, then a group of men including the president unmade those bad decisions, then...well...a crazy Texan who's name in real life is Slim Pickens basically ruins it all for everyone. Just watch it. You'll get what I mean.

Shout out to Peter Sellers for playing three different roles in the movie. I had no idea, until I read this fun article about 15 things you might not know about Dr. Strangelove.

This movie is a turn towards Kubrick's more off the wall direction and sense of humor. I never thought I could laugh at impending doom, but he coached some brilliant performances out of each of his actors, especially George Scott who played General Buck Trugidson. Childish, yet believable and hysterical (the fight with the Russian ambassador had me rolling). Peter Sellers as President Muffley was great-especially his phone conversations between himself and the Russian President, Dimitri. I've never been more entertained to listen to an actor on the phone (shout out to invisible Dimitri for being petty and whiney enough to give the funniest moments of the film).

Do I recommend watching this movie in the current political climate of the world? Well...I don't know. But it will make you laugh. And cringe. That much I do know.

Favorite moment: the phone conversation between President Muffley and Russian President Dimitri:

Will I watch it again: I'd be willing to, for sure! 

MOVIE NUMBER 50 MEANS I'M HALFWAY THERE Y'ALL. I'm going slower than I expected but I WILL FINISH!

My rankings thus far (these keep getting harder!)

1. City Lights

2. It's a Wonderful Life

3. Modern Times

4. To Kill a Mockingbird

5. The Bridge on the River Kwai

6. Sunset Boulevard

7. Sunrise
8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
9. Wizard of Oz
10. Psycho
11. Gone with the Wind
12. Ben Hur
13. On the Waterfront
14. A Streetcar Named Desire
15. The African Queen
16. 12 Angry Men
17. Citizen Kane
18. Some Like it Hot
19. All About Eve
20. Sullivan's Travels 
21. Spartacus 
22. Double Indemnity
23. Casablanca
24. Singing in the Rain
25. Vertigo
26. Bringing up Baby
27. The Gold Rush
28. The Best Years of our Lives
29. The Maltese Falcon
30. Yankee Doodle Dandy
31. It Happened One Night
32. High Noon
33. A Night at the Opera
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
35. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
36. The Grapes of Wrath
37. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
38. North by Northwest
39. The General
40. Rear Window 
41. King Kong
42. The Philadelphia Story
43. Intolerance
44. West Side Story
45. Swing Time
46. Duck Soup
47. The Apartment
48. The Searchers
49. Shane
50. Lawrence of Arabia 

Movie #49: To Kill a Mockingbird. Or really...Atticus Finch is the hero we need.

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford
Directed by: Robert Mulligan
Number on the AFI List: 25
Year: 1962

Atticus Finch: I remember when my daddy gave me that gun. He told me that I should never point it at anything in the house; and that he'd rather I'd shoot at tin cans in the backyard. But he said that sooner or later he supposed the temptation to go after birds would be too much, and that I could shoot all the blue jays I wanted - if I could hit 'em; but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. 

Jem: Why? 

Atticus Finch: Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an incredible book turned film about justice, nobility, and respect. The screenplay is beautifully written by my favorite playwright, Horton Foote. Filled with subtleties and subtext, every scene has meaning and purpose, with life lessons flowing from Atticus Finch's mouth that make you hang on every word he says, and curiosity and wonder in all of the children's interactions.

The story is from Scout's eyes, played by Mary Badham. Scout, along with her brother Jem (Phillip Alford) and Dill (John Menga), wrestle with the hardships and evils of life, from death, to racism, to forgiveness. One of my favorite moments between the children is at the beginning, when Scout is asking Jem about their deceased mother. My heart broke for them both as they wrestled with who their mother was, trying to find love from someone who is no longer in their lives. I also love Scout's ferociousness. She constantly beat up boys at school who spoke out against her family. Of course, the response of Atticus to show forgiveness instead of hostility is what is most inspiring, and he proves his point in a show-stopping moment between him and Mr. Ewell.

I'm convinced no one could play Atticus Finch better than Gregory Peck. His respectful, calm, but firm demeanor command the screen-just like Atticus commands the town and his children. Atticus' grace towards his friends and his enemies is apparent throughout the whole film, from the way he cares for his children and Tom Robinson's family, and in the way he responds to his enemies, Bob Ewell and the rest of the white community who are out for unjust revenge against Tom.

Tom Robinson, played by Brock Peters, had the best moment of the film. His powerful speech during his trial brought tears to my eyes. Fighting against a people group who won't believe him in the only way he can- imploring people to believe his innocence. Atticus also fought for his client through a closing argument speech that in a sane world would leave everyone convinced that Tom was innocent. But this film doesn't take place in a sane world, it takes place in the south during the depression. Justice is nearly impossible to come by, but what is noble about Atticus is he continues to stand up for it.

A final thought on Boo Radley, the underlying hero of the film: Boo is someone desperate for friendship but who is unjustly kept away from others. Therefore, Scout, Jem, and many townsfolk have misconceptions about him-but one of the greatest lessons learned by the children is to not pre-judge others and to restore dignity to all people. Black, white, shut in, child, adult. We are all people in need of affection, justice, and respect. I hope that I, as well as other viewers of this film, learn these lessons right along with them.

Also- Boo Radley was Robert Duvall's film debut. Who knew?! I didn't.

Favorite moment: too many to name. Probably the end of the courtroom scene, where everyone rises in respect for Atticus.

Will I watch it again: I currently am, while I type this. Thanks, Netflix!

Movie #48: Lawrence of Arabia. Or really... ....

Title: Lawrence of Arabia

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guiness

Directed by: David Lean

Number on the AFI List: 7

Year: 1962

Ok. So. I started this movie and gave it the good 'ol college try.  I really did. But for some reason, in the 50s/60s, people were obsessed with making movies much longer than they should be to showcase their cinematic talents. In Lawrence of Arabia, this talent was to show sweeping shots of men riding through the desert on camels. While these shots were beautiful, I ended up dozing off just like Lawrence does mid-ride between one town to the next. And then I lost track of where I was in the movie. And then I realized that it was just a struggle for me to get into so I turned it off.

Sorry. It must be good considering it won so many awards and is number 7 on the AFI list. 

I may be cheating here with this sorry excuse for a review, but I really just want to move on and don't want to sit through another 2 hours of this long, overly drawn out film. 

I might return to this when this project is over. But considering its been since October since my last review...I'm afraid I'm losing steam and just want to keep moving forward.

Sorry, Peter O'Toole.

Love,

Jodi