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Reviews
Grumpier Old Men (1995)
" --- a welcomed gift of laughter --- "
As the trailing credits rolled for "Grumpier Old Men," I remember exiting the theater in 1995, noticeably dismayed and thinking, "wow --- a whole movie devoted to recitation of colorful metaphors for the male reproductive organ --- by winners of real Academy Awards - FOR ACTING! The pricey cast includes paired couples, Ann-Margaret and Jack Lemmon, Ann Guilbert and Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah and Kevin Pollack, and Sophia Loren and Walter Matthau.
Although I did not see "Grumpy Old Men," the core of the cast and original storyline continue in "Grumpier Old Men," which is upbeat, outrageous, and a bit smug in never having to say, "prostate." It does have a plot (more than collecting social security benefits), with three principal areas of contention:
A. Lemmon (John Gustafson) and Matthau (Max Goldman) are retired neighbors and fishing cronies, A(1) vying for fabled and elusive "Catfish Hunter" (not the Oakland As pitcher) -- a well-traveled fishing story to establish the basic plot. And, A(2) there is an inter-family wedding (Hannah and Pollack), as a sidebar.
B. Sophia Loren (Maria Ragetti) and her mother, Ann Guilbert ("Mama"), have purchased Chuck's Bait Shop, located on one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes (home of Catfish Hunter), to convert it into an Italian restaurant. Lemmon and Matthau try to stop the change. In the process B(1), Loren and Matthau feud personally, with predictable results; and B(2), a defiant Guilbert is courted by Meredith (John's father, "Grandpa") -- with surprising and entertaining results.
C. But the film's major conflict is -- will the on-camera crew (Lemmon, Matthau, Meredith, et al.) or the off-camera crew (the director, writers, etc.) gain control of the script and film?
My very recent initiation to videos is the outcome of assuming the task of finding tasteful, G-rated, family entertainment for my 88-year old mother. In addition to ordering DVDs via the internet, I also rummage the bargain bins at Walmart -- "Grumpier Old Men" came home with me by mistake. Much to my chagrin, Mom loves the film (it must be due to her hearing loss), and replays it often. BOTTOM LINE: "Grumpier Old Men," with PG-13 rating, questionable taste, and pricey cast, rallies from the bargain bin for decisive, popular victory -- well intentioned, fuddy-duddy son seeks refuge deep in the bargain bin.
Buy this video for your mothers and fathers -- it will be a welcomed gift of laughter for aging parents.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
"This film --- is about how we are alike."
This is a very likable film about two daughters of a traditional, Punjabi-Sikh family living in Hounslow, 10 miles WSW of London. Pinky (Archie Panjabi) works as a stewardess out of nearby Heathrow; but her day-to-day private life centers around family and family friends -- and, typical of many first generation immigrants, the immediate environment is like an appendage of the old country. Pinky's self worth is measured by only one goal; and it has been influenced culturally by her mother since infancy -- marry a good, upstanding Sikh and raise a family. Pinky's equally pretty, younger sister and our heroine, Jesminder "Jess" (Parminder Nagra), also lives in a world where nearly all human contact is Punjabi. Outside the house, in school or public places, she is a typical teenager -- except that she wants to be a professional football ("soccer") player(the film opens with Jess daydreaming that she takes a pass from Manchester United's soccer superstar, David "Bend It Like BECKHAM," and scores on a header.
Jess is befriended by Juliette "Jules" Paxton (Keira Knightly), who invites her to join a local girls soccer team. Without fanfare, this is the film's key event that opens all doors and windows -- as Jules' family is drawn into the cultural mix -- wherein WE begin to understand the film's point of view.
The relationship between Jess and Jules is not presented as an example of cultural differences, but more as teenagers of one mind -- the two are more like each other at this age, than they are like their respective parents -- they enjoy boys (both have crush on the coach), shopping, sports, rock music and whatever young girls do and talk about. And despite spats, they are mutually supportive -- and good friends.
The girls' parents provide the film with definition and its better moments. Both fathers (Anupam Kher and Frank Harper) are supportive and permissive -- pushovers for their daughters -- whereas the mothers are pragmatic traditionalists, looking out for the best interests of their children. Mrs. Bhamra (Shahee Khan) is a mother hen often grousing the coop -- she wants both daughters married with respectable dowries (preferably matched high on the socio-economic ladder), and her grandchildren reared culturally as Sikhs, following the teachings of spiritual leader, Babaji. Mrs. Paxton (Juliette Stevenson) is no less involved in her daughter's future -- believing that women should be wives and keepers of the household. As mothers (my mother, yours, and all mothers), Mrs. Bhamra and Mrs. Paxton have more in common with each other, than they do with their respective, long standing, social-cultural groups. Ms. Stevenson has one of the film's better roles; and she executes it with humor and sensitivity.
We are grateful to Ms. Gurinder Chadha for this colorful and wonderfully outrageous look at a Sik family undergoing the pangs of westernization. A more universal point of view on the parents might have been appreciated, with sharper character studies, and maybe a camera or editing less prone to a sound bite style -- thereby adding a few minutes of film length. But none of these comments indicate a lack of enjoyment and respect for Ms. Chadha's achievement. The film includes some sexual content, including discussions on homosexuality, and some objectionable language; but all is within character, contextual, and acceptable viewing by pre-teens with parents present. And, if you have difficulty understanding the foreign language spoken in the UK, click on the English subtitles of your DVD.
We hardly notice the Sikh Temples rising in our communities, or Sikh students in Harvard Yard, or their parents' successes in business, including agriculture, medicine, and branches of engineering -- or Sikhs occupying seats of government in England. The transition and success of immigrant families is no longer unique -- and, it is better that it be commonplace and accepted as such. Although the fresh and exciting differences stirred into the melting pot are welcomed, we have learned that when parents and growing children are at issue -- we are one universal family. We watched the Bhamra children grow up as our neighbors; and we ate, drank, sang, and danced too much at Pinky's wedding. This film is not about how we are different -- it is about how we are alike. Mrs. Bhamra will have to occasionally forego her aloo gobi, chappatis, and dal, to join us -- her new friends -- at McDonalds to dine in style on a Big Mac, fries, and a coke.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
"--- (Judy and Margaret) --- an irresistible package ---"
Commemorating the Louisiana Purchase 100th anniversary with an Exposition in St. Louis is not the only event to happen in 1903. The travel time for the first cross country auto trip, from San Francisco to New York, was 52 days -- Henry Ford organized the Ford Motor Company -- and, Wilbur and Orville Wright finally got their invention off the ground at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina -- not a bad year for American technology.
"Meet Me In St. Louis" (1944) deserves a place in our film libraries; but we Social Security beneficiaries should overlook a microcosmic plot, which enables the showcasing of the considerable talents of Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien, while under utilizing an able and multi-talented supporting cast (Leon Ames, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Joan Carroll, Harry Daniels, Jr., Harvey Davenport, Tom Drake, Hugh Marlowe, Robert Sully, and Chill Wills). The storyline relates twelve months in the lives of an upper middle class St. Louis family, planning a move to New York, prior to the opening of the Worlds Fair in 1904 -- it's really a thinly veiled variety show; and after superstars Esther (Garland) and Tootie (O'Brien) do their respective songs, dances, and routines, you keep anticipating an emcee stepping forward to introduce the next act.
Judy Garland's Meet Me In St. Louis repertoire may not be her best of bests; but it comes pretty close. Her songs alone, by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, including "The Boy Next Door," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and especially "The Trolley Song," are worth more than a stack of new DVDs. Garland paired with O'Brien (maybe at age six), makes this film an irresistible package despite all shortcomings. My mother liked Judy Garland; but she adored Margaret O'Brien -- and most of wartime America did too.
Before we get too nostalgic about a time before television and the automobile (1903), when St. Louis had a population of about 600,000 (it's much smaller now), we should remember that super markets and electricity were also in the future, together with most household appliances and conveniences. The Smith's maid, Katie (Marjorie Main), not only cooked and baked every meal from scratch, she even made the condiments (catsup). Katie probably did not milk the cow, churn the butter, grind the wheat, nor grow all fruit and vegetables; but she had a big house to clean and loads of laundry to wash (by hand), with all the dresses and petticoats the women wore to socials. But the trade off -- in lieu of the conveniences we enjoy today -- was more family and family-oriented activities at home.
It is somewhat surprising that America adopted Meet Me In St. Louis enthusiastically, and embraced the affluent Smith family in 1944. We were a nation of immigrants (42% immigrant American families in 1900 census) and a struggling, working class -- who stood outside in the cold, with our noses pressed against the windows of a big, warm house, watching wistfully while Esther and Rose entertained their Ivy League boyfriends (Yale and Princeton) in high style. But maybe we knew that -- even though our humble shelter was located on the other side of the tracks from Agnes and Tootie -- if we worked hard enough in this land of opportunity (sometimes for one hour longer, for one dollar less) everything that the Smith's possessed and more, would be ours one day too.
Sayonara (1957)
" --- is Katsumi's manner less socially acceptable and more demure than "Tampopo" ---?
Set historically during US engagement in the Korean War (1950-53), and post-WWII occupation of Japan (1945-52), "Sayonara," adapted from James Michener's book, relates the romantic relationships of two military men stationed in Korea, Major Lloyd "Ace" Gruver (Marlon Brando) and squadron mechanic, Airman Joe Kelly (Red Buttons), with two Japanese women respectively, Hana-ogi (Miiko Taka), star of the Matsubayashi theater review, and Katsumi-san (Miyoshi Umeki). Ace, a fighter pilot of F-86 Saber jets, has shot down several Russian made, Chinese piloted MIG-15s over Korean airspace. The film begins with Gruver taking leave in Kobe (Kansai area), as requested by a superior officer who has arranged a (hopefully prenuptial) meeting between Ace and his daughter.
The meaningful brunt of the storyline is carried by the romance between Kelly and Katsumi, and issues of interracial marriage ("miscegenation") in the military. The term miscegenation gained common usage during slavery (1860s); but early colonial states also forbid interracial marriages. These civil laws and military policies were repealed by Congress in 1967. There were estimates of 300,000 interracial (international) marriages, involving US military personnel in Europe and Asia between 1944 and 1952, giving rise to the often disparaging term "war bride." Even before the Roman Empire, romantic relationships between the military and local women had been (and still remain) among the more tenuous areas of military occupation.
Some have been critical of Sayonara for insensitive stereotyping of Japanese culture, customs and behavior; but the film's most blatant stereotype is the good IL' boy portrayed by Brando. Objections have questioned the seemingly obsequious roles of Japanese women -- and in particular, Katsumi with her polite, self effacing manner. But in Japan's male-dominant society, is Katsumi's manner less socially acceptable and more demure than "Tampopo" (1986), the liberated, single, working mother and restaurant owner?
My mother enjoys cultural affinity with the picturesque scenes of Japan's Kansai area and the colorful performances by the Takarazuka (Matsubayashi) ensemble. The on-location cinematography for Sayonara is outstanding, together with the art and set direction, the sound, and supporting roles of Buttons and Umeki (winning four Awards of ten Academy nominations). The film's core, and it's frills, are much better than some were willing to concede, over concerns for cultural insensitivity -- the direction, screenplay, production values, and supporting cast, with James Garner, Patricia Owens, and Ricardo Montalban are first rate.
The Korean War -- which began with North Korea unilaterally entering South Korea on 25 June, 1950 -- will be remembered with controversy. It was the war where President Harry Truman fired commanding General Douglas MacArthur -- a bona fide hero in the Pacific, revered in the Philippines and respected in Japan. It was the war where we learned of Russian made MIG-15 jets, T-34 tanks, and AK-47 assault rifles -- and of the persistence and numerical superiority of Chinese troops. We learned the names of far away places like Seoul, Pusan, Inchon, Panmunjon, Pyongyang, Yalu River, and the 38th Parallel. We learned -- with three million civilian and military casualties, and after a negotiated peace and armistice in 1952-53 -- that nothing of substance changed. North and South Korea remained enemies for more than fifty years; and we should have learned to respect opponents with great resolve.
After the Korean War, the United States failed to win another ground war in Viet Nam in the 1970s, (with another three million civilian and military casualties) -- against an enemy of even greater resolve. Possessing the most feared weaponry in world history, and demonstrating unmatched ability to destroy all life via air warfare, the US has failed to win two consecutive ground wars. The equation for winning a ground war is corollary to that of WINNING THE PEACE. In large part, it requires gaining the hearts and minds of the people; and the major weapon - the only acceptable weapon - is a strategic, resourceful, and patient diplomacy. It has to be better than sixty million civilian and military deaths in the twentieth century.
National Velvet (1944)
"--- a 12-year old's single mindedness of commitment and trust ---"
If you last saw National Velvet with a Saturday matinée serial, for a ticket price of twenty-five cents (including popcorn) -- and you purchased the video to see it again with family -- be prepared to re-experience primal feelings from the early dawn of your history. Warm, wet tears will run down your cheeks. Warm, happy feelings will make you stand up and cheer, as if the posse were galloping to the rescue; but most of all, you will feel good -- it will happen often while viewing National Velvet. See the video many times -- cry and use a handkerchief (remember that piece of cloth mom tucked into your shirt pocket) -- jump up from the sofa and cheer; and FEEL GOOD again -- and again.
National Velvet was initially released in 1944; but I must have seen a re-release soon thereafter -- because I know that I was in grade school at the time. I did not see it again until I bought the DVD for my mother recently. And if asked what the movie was about, during that interim period of more than fifty years, I would have answered -- "it's about a horse." That's a boy's initial and lasting impression.
Animal lovers, (I'm sorry, but) National Velvet is not a horsey movie (and never has been)-- the film is really about the pre-teen innocence and enthusiasm of Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor). No animal -- not the film's sorrel gelding, nor Charlie, my yellow labrador -- can compete with the budding beauty of Elizabeth Taylor for the camera's attention. But, stay focused on Velvet's three interwoven relationships -- with Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney), with her mother (Anne Revere, best supporting actress Academy Award), and the horse, Pirate ("Pi"). What characterizes winsome Velvet, in these attachments, is a 12-year old's single mindedness of commitment and trust, together with her unwaivering loyalty -- admirable qualities also of Ms. Taylor in real life. Mi, whose father mentored Mrs. Brown, is a young itinerant from less fortunate circumstances, with a working knowledge of jumping horses. Mrs. Brown, ever mindful of her own growing experiences, is especially supportive of both her daughter and Mi. The spirited Pi is difficult handling for its owner, and the horse soon becomes a project for Mi and Velvet.
Angela Lansbury (Velvet's older sister, Edwina, aka TV's Jessica Fletcher fifty years later), Jackie Jenkins (the young brother), and particularly Donald Crisp (Mr. Brown, Velvet's father and village butcher) provide able and entertaining support roles. National Velvet received five Academy nominations, winning two.
Set in the 1920's English coastal village of Sewels and its green pasturelands (on location in Carmel, California), Enid Bagnold's book (1933)and the film (1944) tell us a lot about the moral and social structure of small villages (and our small towns, too). One meaningful scene shows Mrs. Brown stowing money in a kitchen pot on her pantry shelf, while Mi spies from the window -- we are wary of what he might do next. Villagers could be suspicious of strangers but they also extended trust, believing in a person's goodness. Front doors were left open -- grandparents will tell of neighbors regularly walking into an empty house, through the unlatched screen, to borrow a cup of sugar from the same cupboard where family monies were stored (my mother kept petty cash in an unused sugar bowl). Honesty was important, but entrusting friends and neighbors was equally valued. That unlatched screen with open front door was a symbol of our neighborliness and trust, and a more meaningful symbol of the times we lived in -- and yes, maybe it said something about our innocence too.
Babe (1995)
" --- believe me, sooner or later, all pigs get eaten --- "
"Babe's" setting is an Australian sheep ranch of conservative folk with traditional work ethics, where on-site animals are either livestock (becoming, or producing, a marketable commodity) or they work along side their masters to earn their keep. No animal is wasted, nor is it carried as extra baggage -- predatory animals and vermin are killed. These animal divisions reflect domestic history and influences of the creation account in Genesis for the fifth and sixth days. Duchess, the Hoggett's cat - Babe's antagonist and maybe the film's only pet - is probably kept to contain vermin.
The film opens at a breeding facility, where newborn Babe is suckling with his piglet brothers and sisters. A scant few frames later, his mother is taken to slaughter and replaced by a mechanical feeder -- no sentiment, no morality, no time lost in the food production cycle. Yet, Babe's life is altered -- from imminent slaughter to lottery prize at a local country fair -- as he goes to Farmer Hoggett's (James Cromwell) sheep ranch. However, the inevitable may be only delayed -- Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski) is planning to serve roast pig for Christmas dinner. But the narrator has promised us -- as the harbinger of presumed glad tidings -- that Babe and Farmer Hoggett will share a common destiny.
Saddened at the loss of his mother -- but unaware of her true fate -- Babe is comforted, adopted and nurtured by Fly, a border collie, who has just had a litter. She and her mate, Rex, shepherd the flocks for Farmer Hoggett. Although befriended by all farm animals, Babe learns the organizational pyramid, where the border collie sits at the top; and sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks - all "stupid" livestock to be eaten - sit at the base. Although sometimes disadvantaged and often less fortunate,every creature has a designated place and role in farm society (that seems eerily similar to how some people see human society).
Filmed in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales and directed by Chris Noonan, "Babe," with six Academy nominations, has been a positive influence for innovative cinema. All animals can talk on Hoggett's ranch (though not always intelligibly nor to humans); but this film is considerably more in all categories of film arts and crafts than an Academy Award for special visual effects. Babe's voice (Christine Cavanaugh), however, with its innocent, gentle and diplomatic tones is particularly endearing, maybe enchanting -- you will be won over too, and find yourself standing with literally thousands (including my mother), cheering loudly for the little pig.
Babe's sojourn with the Hoggetts is a test of conventional ways and accepted notions, by both the farmer and the pig. If, as Duchess says (in a tone that reminds us of Cinderella's stepsisters), " --- believe me, sooner or later, all pigs get eaten," can Babe look forward to becoming anything more than pork chops, bacon, or sausage? When Fly confirms that "the Boss" (Farmer Hoggett) probably sees a pig's fate in the same way (as the cat does), Babe's heart nearly breaks -- isn't the Boss a trusted friend? Whether or not you consider this film to be a parody of larger social issues, or questions of humanity's ordained relationship to animals, it is must see FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT, with bright humor and comedy, despite our serious discussion -- and very likely, THE BEST animal film ever!
To Catch a Thief (1955)
" --- (Cary Grant) in luxury on the French Riviera --- "
Even to the casual observer, it is plain to see why my aging mother enjoys watching "To Catch A Thief." 1) escapist glamor with Cary Grant -- and Grace Kelly! 2) escapist, international intrigue. 3) breathtaking scenery -- an escapist PBS travelogue in VistaVision. It's a relatively simple formula; and Hollywood must have figured it out too -- sometime soon after Alfred Hitchcock released the film.
From an admittedly limited position of authority, it seems to me that To Catch A Thief is the prototype that spawned an industry with generations of action films branching as two offshoots: a) the direct copy - the cat burglar or grand heist, such as "It Takes A Thief" and "The Pink Panther," and b) international espionage - Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 films, with a glamorous male lead, glamorous women, and an even more glamorous international setting. Today's violent "Action" films are a(n) (unfortunate) furtherance of this genre.
Since the end of WWII, French Resistance hero, John Robie (Cary Grant) has lived in luxury on the French Riviera (Cannes) as a cat burglar, relieving wealthy tourists of their jewels. He is now retired from nefarious activities; but because of recent thefts bearing his modus operandi, he spends the entire film trying to prove his innocence, and -- To Catch A Thief. Many of the classic James Bond elements are here -- the alluring woman (Grace Kelly), the high speed car chase, the high society excesses, and a (subdued and restrained) free-for-all finale. David Niven, Sean Connery, and Pierce Brosnan followed with style; but the original was Cary Grant.
If international espionage is an escapist subject for viewing, then the film's stunning, on-location photography of the French Riviera will surely send the viewer into orbit. The camera shots are vivid, picture postcard or travel brochure quality -- including dazzling scenes of the fresh flower market. Everything and everyone in the film is gorgeous -- the police, the sunbathers, and especially the landscape have spent extra time in makeup. Cary Grant's hair is never out of place while SWIMMING; and he never breaks a sweat!
Buy this video if you've forgotten that there were two backroads leaving town in the 1960s - 70s. After saying goodbye to mom and dad, if you drove your Volkswagen bus - the one with the funny flowers on it - up the branch road to a commune, then "To Catch A Thief" was the road you didn't take. Of course, we all know NOW that the two branches came together again to form a road called REALITY.
The King and I (1956)
" --- a gourmet feast for the eyes and for the social conscience
"The King And I" (1956) won five Academy Awards, including bests for actor, art direction and costume design, and musical score and sound -- and although nominated, not for Best Picture. "Around The World In Eighty Days" won in a distinguished group that also included, "The Ten Commandments" with Charlton Heston, "Giant" with James Dean, and "Friendly Persuasion" with Gary Cooper. Films and performances not nominated are equally impressive -- it was a great year to go to the movies.
My mother beams when Yul Brynner (King Mongkut, 1804-68) sashays onto the screen for his tour de force performance -- as the King of Siam who hires a British school mistress to educate the royal family. An experienced and luminous ensemble enables Brynner, in an already award winning role, to burn with nova brilliance. Terry Sanders, Rita Moreno, Deborah Kerr, Martin Benson, and Patrick Adiarte, give performances worthy of more than mere praise. Deborah Kerr (Anna Leonowens, the school mistress), honored with many awards during her career, was never recognized by the Academy with a win -- sadly, she deserved better.
So many categories of the film are deservedly esteemed; but highest honors belong to Oscar Hammerstein II -- for his playbook and his lyrics (with Richard Rogers' music). The songbook which includes "Getting To Know You" and "Hello Young Lovers," is unforgettable; however, Hammerstein - the humanitarian and the battler for justice and equal rights - stands taller than his works. "South Pacific," "Oklahoma," "Carousel," "Show Boat," et al., are unabashed choruses of poetry - sometimes sentimental and homespun - from his compassionate heart.
Borrowing the play-within-a-play format from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer-Night's Dream," Rita Moreno (Tuptim, the King's newest wife) narrates a breathtaking presentation of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (Harriet Beecher Stowe - 1852) at the royal dinner for the British Consulate. With its creativity in dance, its skilled adaptation of traditional and folk arts, and for its timely message in our country's civil rights struggle, this is the visual event of the film (and remains so after nearly fifty years)-- a gourmet feast for the eyes and for the social conscience.
Margaret Landon's book, "Anna And The King Of Siam" (1944), and personal accounts (1862) by Anna Leonowens may elicit mixed feelings; but The King And I gives America positive and lasting impressions of the Siamese Kingdom.
Moreover, progressive King Mongkut and Oscar Hammerstein II are members of a mutual admiration society -- with each working to make his respective and beloved country a better place. And both would agree that Thailand is a better place today, where good people in the calm and stable eye of a storm have sheltered neighbors seeking refuge, while conflict raged on all sides. But I shall remember a serene and gentle place too -- an early morning breakfast with my wife at Bangkok's Oriental Hotel, then a journey up river on the Chao Phraya to Ayuthaya, the ancient capital of a "Land Of A Thousand Smiles."
Disorder in the Court (1936)
" --- (my mother's) favorite is Disorder In The Court --- "
Even with periods of dementia and depression, my 88-year old mother remains discriminating about which videos merit both her close attention and her laughter. Family members try to select compatible, bright-spirited films for Mom (from family situations, animal stories, musicals, comedies, and international intrigue), while weeding out offensive sex and violence. An area of trial and error has been Slapstick Comedy, which produced mixed and sometimes disappointing results -- all pies in all faces are not slam-dunk belly laughs -- or even condescending smiles. Complex, sophisticated, or subtle humor may be difficult for Mom to process at this stage in life.
Initially, she did not respond well to recent viewings of The Three Stooges -- in a lucid state, her more traditional values carry over. With earlier cultural and social restraints prevailing, she remembers the guys as silly goofs. But in current showings, she laughs openly - sometimes to a point of tears - at the zany antics of Moe, Larry, and Curly (only "Home Alone (1990)," brings out as much unrestrained laughter). It could be inferred that, when dementia erodes Mom's inhibitions of long standing, she is more relaxed and laughs easier (or, maybe she has developed a liking for The Three Stooges). Hopefully this simplistic discussion is neither insensitive nor disrepectful in suggesting that any form of happiness - free of tensions and uncertainties - is preferable to debilitating depression.
We have purchased several Three Stooges full-length and short feature DVDs, together with other slapstick comedies. "The Three Stooges Go Around The World In A Daze (1963)," a full-length parody of Jules Verne's book / Michael Todd's film, "Around The World In Eighty Days" scores high on my mother's laugh-meter; but her favorite is "Disorder In The Court (1936)," a short feature film, with Moe, Larry, and Curly at their classic best -- memorable routines of a comedy form that can only be described as, "Dear God, please don't ever let me see my children behave like that in public."
Aging is a one-way journey, often difficult; and taking The Three Stooges along with you will make it a much looser and happier ride. A slap, poke, gouge, kick, or scream from Moe, Larry, and Curly can't be all bad -- can it?
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
"--- Spiritually And Sensually Uplifting --- "
On the 24th of March, 2002, widely acclaimed "Amelie" did not win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2001. That honor went to "No Man's Land," a story of civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the encounter of two Bosnians, a Muslim and a Serb (Orthodox Christian). "No Mans Land," may have been the better film; and its context of tragic civil war, with questionable US participation, apparently prevailed upon an often socially sensitive and responsive Hollywood. Conversely, "Amelie" received some local (French) criticism for the absence of a grittier urban setting -- real-life demographics and environment.
The historic Monmartre district, with its landmark Sacre Coeur basilica, is highly popular with tourists and Parsians. On any given day, the streets of Monmartre are home to the affluent and the poor, drug traffic and crime, dirty air, street noise and litter, and descendants of Algerians, Moroccans, Senegalese, Tahitians, and Viet Namese, in addition to neighboring Europeans. It's accurate and fair to cite the sanitized, picture-postcard qualities of the film's on-location cinematography; but it should be added that "Amelie" is a spiritually and sensually uplifting film, a remarkable achievement of highest craft and quality with few equals.
Within the world's densest urban region (Western Europe) and the 18th most populated metropolitan area (Paris), "Amelie's" characters share a common malady -- the special loneliness and isolation borne by inner cities.
The film's primary focus is on symptoms of, or remedies for, this urban illness. The daily routines of cafe habitués, and the laughable, ribald scenes of sex -- real or imagined -- are sadly inadequate band-aids for meaningful relationships. We cheer for all of them -- from the less likable, Joseph and Collignon, to the winsome, Amelie -- to find someone to share love and happiness.
"Amelie" is an impressionist film, rivaling the brilliantly colored impressionist paintings of Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh. Director and film writer, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, floods our five senses; and he does not short change us on emotional content, especially when we study the faces of Amelie's neighbors and customers. This is truly a remarkable display of sensitivities, skills, and both urbane and openly boyish, locker-room humor.
Perhaps, M. Jeunet will attempt an inner city film in the near future, showing the darker shades of realism, with the open plumbing of humanity's toil.
This delightful and enchanting film must be seen by all who believe in the potential of forgotten and often overlooked members of the human race. And we must remember to see "Amelie" with our children -- and our grandchildren -- sometime, when the time is right.