Monday, February 21, 2005
The Motorcycle Diaries
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Although this movie is a very recent purchase, Mom and I have already watched it twice. I had planned on watching it alone, first, guessing that it may be a quiet, subtle road movie that would be disappointing to someone (like my mother) whose preference is for action road movies. Mom noticed the box, though, read the back and wanted to see it immediately because it mentioned traveling through Latin America, which is something my mother has always wanted to do. She was surprised at the shape of the movie but enjoyed it anyway. The next night, last night, she discovered the box, yet, again, read the back again, and insisted on watching the movie again as though she hadn't yet seen it. Afterwards, I insisted that we watch the short interview with Alberto Granado, which we both enjoyed. As the interview closed, my mother said, "He's still dancing," with pleasure and approval.
The Paper Chase
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Mom likes this movie because of John Houseman's character and performance, and, of course, the school atmosphere.
I like the movie for things like this: The first sound (including music) that is heard after the film begins is the opening of the door to the law classroom in which Knightsfield hold's sway. I am also amused by the conventions of rigorous schooling of the time and the use of women in the movie. This was probably one of the last movies in which the female lead had an utterly throw away part. It is interesting to me to contemplate that Lindsay Wagner, who played the female lead, went on three years later to become The Bionic Woman.
Labels: drama
Antonia's Line
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: This is a little symphony of a movie that I discovered some years ago on the Sundance channel, stayed up after my first viewing long enough to set up tape for a second run, and showed the tape to my mother the next day, knowing that despite the movie being in Dutch with English subtitles, she'd love the movie and especially Antonia, because there is much of Antonia's spirit in my mother, even though their lives are quite different. We watch this movie fairly often, now, whenever one or the other of us needs to revel and refresh ourselves in the strength of lineage and the march of time.
Labels: drama, haunting, period, shared-favorite
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: I wasn't sure if Mom would like this movie, even though it is one of my three favorite education movies. I needn't have worried. She got it, and she enjoyed it, although she prefers education movies like Stand and Deliver (the link to this movie, by the way, is to a site which details the fate of Jaime Escalante's legendary high school calculus program). She even said, "I've known teachers like that."
Labels: drama, me-favorite, period, political
π
- Who's watched: G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This one is my treat, one of my trance movies. I don't know if Mom will ever see this movie. I think it would bore her. She does not find representations of the internal flights of one's mind interesting, not even if a story centers around them. She is a "what did they do", not a "what were they thinking" person. I think this is because she is such a quick study in regards to picking up on what people are thinking...but, considers that what a person is thinking is absolutely no excuse for bad behavior.
Labels: drama, dream, film-art, me-favorite, mystery
