August turned out to be a big movie-watching month for me. Here are the movies I saw and what I thought upon seeing.
In the theater
The rave reviews that this “quirky” film from Denmark received seemed too good to be true, and it was indeed pretty unpleasant! I will never enjoy the tuba again. And the vignettes! No more “vignette” movies for a while.
Meryl Streep as Julia was delightful and amazing. As much as I love Amy Adams, though (and I do), Julie could have choked on a duck bone for all I cared about her story. But then the movie would never have been made, I guess. It was a pretty good movie.
On DVD
This is the 2007 French animated movie about a girl growing up in Iran. The animation was great, the Iran stuff was interesting, the main character (and her English voice acting) was just-OK/bordering-on-annoying. I recommend it.
The perfect economic downturn movie! Everyone should see this before the year is up and the recovery is official. It opens with showgirls decked out in “sexy” costumes made of coins and singing “We’re in the Money.” Classic Busby Berkley, with musical numbers that are both brilliant and very odd. The plot is stupid, of course.
This is Peter Jackson’s movie about two girls who murdered one of their mothers in New Zealand in the 1950s, starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey (pictured). The fantasy sequences reminded me of the kinds of movies that I watched over and over again as a kid, like Labyrinth and The Princess Bride. The film’s commitment to getting into the girls’ lively imaginations made the murder all the more disturbing, and I probably liked Kate Winslet in this more than in anything else I’ve seen her in.
On TV
Nothing needs to be said about this classic, only that the OETA Movie Club is awesome.
Huh! I really liked “You the Living” – I thought it was SO FUNNY! And also sort of sad and thought-provoking. We will have to discuss at more length in the future!
Great post, really interesting to see what you’ve watched.
Something that I had a problem with in Persepolis is that it would be easy to watch it and think that the Iranian revolution was like that for everyone. It certainly wasn’t an easy time but I think that a lot of the way her family was treated was because she was from a noble family who were involved in the socialist/ communist movements.
Also with regard to Heavenly Creatures, as a New Zealander I must correct you, the crime occured in New Zealand and this film was made and shot here too. Its actually amazing to watch as the locations were mostly those in which the actual events took place. This is the first film that Winslet and Lynskey were in, perhaps that is why Kate is more bareable, so new at it?
Great post and great toys, just my 2 cents.
I really like Julie & Julia, but I do like every movie, because I’m 12… but they were eating all this fancy stuff and I’m there munching on popcorn and Skittles.
Oh no! I totally forgot that it was New Zealand, not Australia. I’m going to go back and change that right now. Thanks for pointing that out!
Interesting post! I haven’t seen any of these. I think I have to see Persepolis and Heavenly creatures now :)
I’m living in Denmark, though, and I think You, the living is Swedish.
I have seen several of the “Golddigger” movies, including 1933. They are all fabulous because of Busby Berkley and they all have dumb plots.
I love Meryl Streep. She was great in Mamma Mia.
I loved Persepolis. I started with the graphic novels, and they are very interesting and moving.
I still haven’t watched J&J yet, but I want to. Even if it is bad, I have already read the book so I have something to fall back on (and well, food!).
Have you read the Persepolis books? On one hand, the movie is very faithful to the books and it’s really fun to watch it after reading the books, but on the other, it really works better as a book.
Marjani Satrapi did a book signing last year that I went to. She just fills up a room when she talks, and she’s constantly telling jokes and stories and unapologetically chain-smoking. All of the people I’ve ever met who are from Iran are in a similar position as her family – educated, upper-class, etc., and they are all very fun and adventurous types. I think it really comes through in her book.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Heavenly Creatures, but I remember really liking it. Peter Jackson’s earlier films are very different to his later, bigger budget efforts! More B grade, schlock horror… think bad special effects, ridiculous monsters, and lots of fake blood :)
Oh, and Australian’s have a bit of a history of claiming that successful New Zealanders are Australian! so it’s lucky that you fixed that ;) I imagine that they are fiercely hanging onto him!