WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[feaito]

Yes Wendy, I agree, truly hysterical non-stop-laughing!! Can't believe it was object of remake in 2010 here in the US! What for?

[knitwit45]

Just saw True Grit with my sons, what a movie! Jeff Bridges is incredible, never really cartoonish, but very real as an aging, hard drinking, hard living man who has seen the worst in mankind. Several rather gory scenes (I always hide my eyes, but both sons groaned and jumped) but the gore was a part of the movie, not something thrown in to make sure the audience was awake. The little girl who plays Mattie is a wonder, I understand this is her first movie. Matt Damon continues to grow and expand as an actor. I agree with Jack, I would like to see this again, perhaps in my living room, when I can back the movie up to catch some of the dialog I missed today. I'm not sure if my hearing is going, or if Jeff Bridges just slurred his words, but some things flew right past me.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've been watching some light movies over the last couple of days, all Barbra Streisand at my Dad's urging who is something of a fan.

Hello Dolly I managed to watch before Christmas, I think I wrote a review then, I enjoyed the movie, especially the score which was mostly new to me, perhaps a little overlong with too much screen time given to secondary characters. Barbra and Walter Matthau were great and Barbra costumes some of the best I've seen on film.

Funny Girl, how I loved this movie, all the songs apart from two were new to me, this is another long movie but doesn't feel it. Barbra is amazing and so well suited for the role and Omar Sharif very good as Nick Arnstein, they are very romatic together. I now know what Sadie means and however has costumed and styled Barbra here has made her look a knockout, it's completely understandable that Nick would want Fanny with personality and unusual looks rather than a run of the mill showgirl.

The Way We Were I have seen this before but many years ago, I remember the romantic theme and ot very much else. I found the portion set in Hollywood interesting, were some of those characters actually based on real people? Robert Redford looks perfect but I think he's a bit of a loser turning his back on Katie and Rachel.

There is a theme in these movies, especially the later two that she's not expected to get the good looking guy because her looks aren't up theirs. Poor Barbra, I hope her other films don't carry the theme. She'san attractive person, these films prove that.

I still need to see Funny Lady.

[srowley75]

Not much time to really go into detail, but this week while in Greenville visiting some friends from South Carolina, I managed to find the time to see The King's Speech, and if it's playing anywhere near you, I highly recommend it. Colin Firth will very likely win the Oscar this year for his performance, and Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, and (in what amounts to a cameo, more or less) Claire Bloom are all also excellent. Rush's role is one of those that will probably be nominated for Supporting Actor even though the role isn't really a "supporting" one (it's more like a secondary lead, as with Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th St.).

I cried through probably 50% of the film - while I'm not a king and I don't stammer, many of the problems of the main character were familiar to me. It's one of those arthouse films that will, sadly, probably not get the wide release it definitely deserves simply because people just aren't as drawn to films like these anymore. And that's a shame because surely most would find the story interesting and appealing.

-S.

[JackFavell]

I cried watching the preview for The King's Speech.... It looks so good, I can't wait for it to actually get here.

[movieman1957]

There was a Masterpiece Theater program that dealt with this but it wasn't the main focus. You think there was nothing a king would fear but the idea of speaking on the radio terrified him.

And I can't think of it. imdb isn't ringing any bells.

If Royal Family films hold any interest let me suggest "The Lost Prince."

[JackFavell]

I saw the Masterpiece Theatre show - I couldn't remember the name of it either. I looked it up - it was called Bertie and Elizabeth. The only thing i remembered about it was Alan Bates powerful as George VI, but it also starred James Wilby and Juliet Aubrey. The King's Speech looks like it is a hundred times better.

[movieman1957]

I looked at that one but it didn't ring a bell. But you must be right.

[Jezebel38]

I saw THE KING'S SPEECH on New Years Eve. The theatre was almost full and I swear I did not see anyone under the age of 40 in attendance. I liked it a lot and would recommend it, although I was not blown away with it to the point of needing to see it again. That is how I judge 4 star movies - if I want to see them again and again. I spent some time recognizing the supporting actors from previous films; Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon (behind the beard of George V) and Anthony Andrews looking very old as some PM (the one before Chamberlin), and Claire Bloom (!) has a cameo.

[JackFavell]

I thought we were supposed to get it this week, but it didn't show up. I'll have to call and see if our little place is going to get it.

[pvitari]

The King's Speech is Masterpiece Theater blown up for the big screen, and it has the usual historical bloopers you find in any kind of biopic/historical themed film, but it has superb performances all around and on that basis I would definitely recommend the movie, especially since there's a very good chance that Colin Firth will not only be nominated for an Oscar but win it. (He is truly fine as King George.)

Geoffrey Rush dialed his ham-o-meter down several notches (thank the movie gods) -- no doubt because he was acting with Firth, who is all about the teensy subtle things, not the plate o' ham, and I enjoyed his performance too. Helena Bonham-Carter is properly starchy (said starch overlays a warm heart) as his wife Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mum).

It was very nice seeing Jennifer Ehle and Firth, who were so memorable as Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy back in that 1990s TV Pride and Prejudice miniseries, reunited in one scene together.

Anyone ever see a Colin Firth movie called A Month in the Country, adapted from the novel by J.L. Carr? I have it on an ancient laser disc and while it's been released on DVD in the UK, it has not available on DVD in the U.S. (Although you can easily get the R2 to watch on a region free, all system player.) Firth plays a shell-shocked WWI vet who gets a job restoring an ancient church mural one summer after the war has ended, and slowly begins to recover as he works on the fresco, experiences love, finds himself surrounded by the peace and quiet of the lush English countryside. A pre-fame Kenneth Branagh has a supporting role as an Army officer who was cashiered out in disgrace and is also trying to put himself back together. It's a lovely movie and Firth as always gives a quiet but poignant performance. It really should be more well known than it is.

[moira finnie]

If Royal Family films hold any interest let me suggest "The Lost Prince."

I saw this fact-based story on Masterpiece Theater and it broke my heart. You can read more about it here if you are interested in the life of this youngest child of George V and Queen Mary.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/lostprince/index.html

It sounds as though The King's Speech has been over-praised a bit after reading your various comments. I thought that Colin Firth's performance in A Single Man (2009) deserved the praise it received. He was very touching.

[JackFavell]

I missed your post on The Lost Prince - It was the best thing I've seen on Masterpiece Theatre in years.

[charliechaplinfan]

I love The Lost Prince although here it was advertised as a secret that the Royal's didn't want us to know about but I don't think that's the case at all, I'd read about him when I was a child and seen pictures of him but because he didn't live to adulthood the public forgot him and I'm not sure how much coverage his passing would have got in the press. A little gem for sure. I'm not sure bout The King's Speech, I will watch it at some point but don't think I'll be goig to the pictures to see it.

I watched Funny Lady which was entertaining, it was good to see how Fanny's story turned out (although I'm not sure how true it is to Ms Brice) it wasn't as good as Funny Girl, it didn't have as many memorable songs and the story wasn't as tight. James Caan played Billy Rose but the chemistry wasn't there that was there with Omar Sharif in Funny Girl. Omar Sharif does appear in this film, we see the affect he's had on Fanny's life (no one has compared until she realises that his God is money) once she realises this she rushes to tell Billy only to find him in someone else's arms. I prefer the character of Nicky to Billy, both men are good actors but Nicky was a contrast to her whereas Billy Rose seemed to be made of the same stuff as Fanny.

[feaito]

The other day we watched with the family "10,000 BC" (2008) which was rather poor, but kept us entertained anyhow...I especially liked the Pre-Diluvian Civilization premise, but it did not delve too much on that...sadly enough

Today we watched with my wife & in-laws "Daisy Kenyon" (1948), a good psychological drama with a Noir atmosphere, which deals with quite adult situations for its day (mental instability, adultery, child abuse et al) and which is not predictable -IMO- as other similar films of the period. Dana Andrews is superb as the self-assured lawyer and Crawford and Fonda are good as Daisy & Peter, respectively. Ruth Warrick is also good as Andrews' neurotic wife. Engrossing.