She will amuse you for months

Last night, my roommate and I went to go see Gigi because it was playing in select theaters. I went, even though I find that movie problematic, because it is a beautiful film and I thought it would be worth seeing on the big screen. Besides, I have a horrible habit of fast-forwarding through movies so I don't know that I had ever actually seen Gigi from start to finish.

I wrote a post years ago about the problems I have with the movie. One person commented that it was her favorite and I felt awful and deleted the post. I kind of regret that now. If I were talking to a person and they said, "My favorite movie in the whole world is Gigi," I wouldn't launch into a tirade about how problematic it is. I would say, "oh, yes. She's such a great character!" or "oh, Louis Jourdan is so dreamy!" Both of these would be true and it would be a polite response. So, if you do love that movie and feel sad reading criticisms of it, it will not hurt my feelings if you close the post and read something else.

That said, here is my opinion of Gigi. The acting is brilliant. The songs are fantastic. The sets are beautiful. The costumes are gorgeous. I want Gigi's hair. Louis Jourdan is dreamy. Gigi is a truly magnificent character. The all around art direction is incredible.

It is my opinion that the storyline is quite terrible and indicative of a truly awful trend in Hollywood in particular and our society as a whole. Now, when I rewatched the movie yesterday, I did notice that the movie is pretty self-aware in some respects; it knows that it's dealing with a tricky plot. Be that as it may, it's still about a very young girl (about 16 or 17) who is courted by a much older man (about 30). I say the word "courted" because that's how the guy introducing the movie put it. To be fair, I do need to read the novella the movie is based on. However, it's very much about the sexualization of a girl and her purpose as a source of entertainment for a man.

The very first song of the movie, "Thank heaven for little girls," is, I think, meant to be cute and charming. But, to me, it comes across as seeing the sexual potential in little girls and knowing that they'll please men someday. I hate it. Gaston's frequent complaints about being bored culminate in the title song when he discovers that he was never once bored when he was with Gigi. Thank god she'll be able to entertain him. Now, the line his uncle says in Maxim's, "she will amuse you for months" is a nice ending to that character development. I like to see that moment when Gaston clears out with Gigi as his realization that this is how he has been viewing her too and he is disgusted by his own behavior. It might actually be that he's disgusted by his uncle's opinion. I'm not sure. But I'll see it in the former perspective because he needs some redeeming qualities. As we were walking out of the theater, my roommate pointed out that it bothered him how elegant and refined she was as a wife - she had lost all of her energy and personality after marriage. I had never noticed that before but it bothers me now too!

I could go into more details about my frustrations with the movie. I really do have many. But, the reason I dislike it so much is that our society continues to sexualize girls. We continue to see them as playthings, as objects. They hit puberty and bam! They're eligible for harassment of every variety. In a musical comedy, it's seen as ok, because it's in France and in the 1800s. But it's still about a man seeing a girl grow up to be a very young woman and instantly try to make it work to his benefit.

I will say that the main thing that makes this movie work at all for me is Gigi, herself. She really is probably one of my favorite characters in a movie. The more I watch the movie, the more I like her. She's smart, she's completely comfortable with herself, she's confident in her ability to make good decisions, she's brave, she's honest. I love that she is aware of what she's being tailored to become. I love that she tells Gaston that he has terrible taste in clothes when he starts criticizing her new dress and refuses to apologize when told to do so. I love that she turns Gaston down when he asks her to be his mistress because she knows she could never be happy. I love that she's smart enough to look beyond the allure of a nice house, servants, a car, jewels, clothes, travel - to realize that it will end eventually and then she'll be shuffled off to someone else to do it all again. I love how angry she gets when he tells her he's in love with her because she has a much better understanding of what love is than he does. I love that when she finally decides to agree to his offer after all, she does it flawlessly. I think she's such an incredible character and Leslie Caron performs her role perfectly.

I feel as though being a classic film lover in a modern world can be challenging. Not only for the oft-lamented, "they just don't make them like they used to" and trying to reference movies that no one has seen - but also because we love movies made in a time of different values and different standards. I struggle with the fact that I love Errol Flynn movies but know that Errol Flynn was not a particularly good person. I struggle with the fact that Gigi holds the record for the most Academy Awards given to a musical and is a romance about a girl marrying a man twice her age. I struggle with the fact that Fred Astaire's romantic partners were cast progressively younger the older he got (see also: Cary Grant). That's not to say these aren't problems in today's movies. But, today, there are articles written about it. People boycott the movies. And there is, at least, an awareness. I feel as though the movie industry is (very, very slowly) adapting to society's evolving expectations. But, movies from the past cannot be adapted. And I can't throw them aside even though I know better.

 I told a friend this once and she suggested donating or volunteering to a good cause if I feel guilty about watching Errol Flynn movies. So, in light of that very good suggestion, here are some good causes to donate to if you would like to help young girls become more than sexualized, objectified tools in a man's world:

Girls Not Brides - working to end child brides

60 Million Girls - working to educate girls around the world

The Girl Effect - working to help girls grow through creativity and expression

Horseradish.

My goodness. One week into my whole "I'm going to post twice a week" and I missed the second post. Ah well. Another week, another try. I'm going to also attempt to give myself a pass since it is December. However, I'm one of those people who fills up her schedule with events and plans at every opportunity. And then I yearn for quiet times. It's a bit silly. Anyway...

I've been on a bit of a sappy Christmas movie binge lately. You know, the hallmark channel flavor of Christmas movies. They're completely over the top and ridiculous. Usually about a character (typically a woman) who doesn't understand the true meaning of Christmas and comes to discover it after falling in love. Yadayadayada. I realize a lot of people truly enjoy these and cry and revel in them. So, I shall attempt not to be too scathing. But, I do enjoy making fun of them. I even made a bingo board to check off as I watch them!

I took a break tonight from my recent programming to watch a good, solid classic. I sort of jumped the gun on Christmas movies this year so now I'm trying to pace myself. Tonight, I watched Christmas in Connecticut (1945). I love this movie!

If you've never seen it, the premise is that Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is a writer who pens a popular article about cooking and her life in her farm in Connecticut with her husband and baby. The hitch is that she's actually a single woman, living in New York City with no baby, no farm, and no idea how to cook. When her publisher invites a war hero to her farm for Christmas, Elizabeth has to think fast on how she's going to come up with a farm, a husband, and a baby in time.

I love this movie. I love Elizabeth, I love Jefferson Jones. I love Uncle Felix. And there are so many good quotes!!

This is a movie I discovered from other bloggers. It's a Christmas tradition I started as an adult. And I love it!

Do any of you have favorites you discovered via blogs?

She said, "You're welcome and you could use some lessons."

Yesterday, I watched Bachelor Mother (1939) while I was working on some projects. It was my first time watching it in a long time.

The basic premise, if you've never seen it, is this: Polly Parrish (Ginger Rogers) is mistaken for the mother of a foundling baby. David Niven plays David Merlin, the playboy son of the owner of the department store that Polly works at. David offers to extend Polly's seasonal position at the store into a full time job and offers her a raise so that she can keep the baby. When Polly continues to maintain that the baby is not hers, David threatens to fire her. Polly keeps the baby in order to keep her job and starts an unlikely friendship with David. Things get even more complicated when David's father mistakenly believes that David is the baby's father.

The first time I watched it, I thought it was absolutely hilarious and I couldn't wait to show it around. This time watching it, I still liked it. Ginger Rogers is, of course, brilliant. David Niven is adorable and silly. It's still very funny and there are some wonderful scenes.

However. It's harder to watch this movie than it was the first time I watched it. Maybe it's because women are so often mistrusted and not believed by society today. Maybe it's because I'm more aware of how hard it is for single mothers. Maybe it's because I read a whole book on single women in America and how they affect society and how society views them. Maybe it's because I'm older and have a better appreciation for Polly's life pre-baby. Regardless of the reason, I have a harder time watching the movie where everyone not only disbelieves Polly that the baby isn't hers, but she is bullied and pushed around until she relents and takes the baby in anyway. And even then everyone tells her how to raise the baby and what to do. It's very frustrating. The only nice thing about the situation is no one seems to judge her for being a single mother. I do like that. But from a feminist perspective, it's a very frustrating movie.

I think that one of the hardest things about growing older is discovering that movies you love don't always hold up to your scrutiny and values as you grow older. Does anyone else have that problem?

But, don't let me discourage you from watching it. It is a very funny movie and there are some fine performances all around.

Oh, and quick aside: the character of the landlady is absolutely wonderful. She's amazing throughout the story and is definitely my favorite (aside from Polly - she's a great character too). Basically, most of the women in this movie are great and most of the men are awful. So, if nothing else, watch it for the women characters. 😊

Rob, you know what I wish you'd do? Something!

So, I'm going to do it again. I'm going to change things up from my original plan.

You, dear readers, who probably barely remember the plan I set up when I first started this Month of Blogging are probably wondering why I keep doing this or mentioning it. But, I'm a person who really likes rules and boundaries and I have a really hard time breaking rules - even my own. So any time I change things up from what I said I was going to do, I feel guilty.

But, I'm going to do it anyway.

According to my original plan, today's post would be about style. But I'm going to do that tomorrow instead. Why? Because I have a whole idea of how I want to do my hair and possibly a little makeup. Also, I made part of what I'm wearing tomorrow so I want the ensemble to be complete and this evening was spent in polishing that hand-made piece. This is, in fact, what I truly had in mind when I thought of the whole Style Sunday thing: I'd pick out an outfit from a movie or show or photo shoot and recreate it. So, I really want it to be perfect.

Anyway, this week launches the next theme in this month's blog-a-thon: The Dick van Dyke Show. Okay, okay. It's not a movie. But it's from the 1960's and, well, it's a fantastic show. So I'm going to devote some time to it. It's my favorite TV show so I'll probably be devoting a lot of time to it in the future.

It's such a great show. Mary Tyler Moore is both a fashion icon and a feminist icon. The writing on the show was surprisingly progressive for its time. Plus, you've got to love Dick van Dyke.

I have all sorts of topics I'd love to discuss about the show. But for this blog post, I'll stick to talking about the pants. Oh, the infamous pants. When the show was originally aired, most TV housewives wore dresses and pearls for everything. When Mary Tyler Moore was cast in the role of Laura Petrie, she changed that by wearing her own cigarette pants. Not only wearing them, she insisted on wearing them. She fought for the right to wear pants on screen. At the time, the producers were afraid it would be inappropriate for her to be wearing pants. She argued that no one thought of her as indecent when she wore them out to the grocery store in real life. In the end, they compromised and she was allowed to wear pants in one scene per episode. As an avid pant-wearer myself, I feel like I have a lot to be grateful for Mary Tyler Moore.

There's an episode in the show called "Give Me Your Walls" where Rob Petrie (Dick van Dyke) says to Laura, "just remember, honey, that I wear the pants in the family." Then, they both look down at her pants and he adds, "I mean that I wear the decision-making pants in the family."

This would be a frustrating line in any show other than the Dick van Dyke Show. It's totally a father-knows-best, the man is the head of the household kind of gender role rubbish that pervaded television (and still tends to rear its ugly head now). But, in the Dick Van Dyke Show, I can laugh because I know that this sort of line always comes around to be proven wrong. Every time Rob Petrie tries to exert some sort of masculine superiority, he always winds up eating humble pie, or at the very least, come to terms with the fact that he's often wrong. I'll probably wax eloquent on their relationship another time but Rob and Laura, throughout the show, are partners and share everything. So any time Rob challenges that, the episode explores how wrong he is. For 1960's television, it's pretty incredible.

Anyway, here's to Laura Petrie and Mary Tyler Moore and breaking barriers through fashion choices.

You young people are so old-fashioned!

Movie review this week: Sabrina (1954). I had to rematch this one in order to review it. When I said that this was Audrey week, I probably should have clarified: it's more like Sabrina week. Her films really do deserve individual attention.

I actually saw the remake of Sabrina before I saw the original. And with pretty much any movie that involves a remake, I tend to spend the whole movie comparing the two. I like the original but I grew up watching the remake, so I actually almost like it better. But that's for another day.

Things I don't love about the original Sabrina:

• The  part where Sabrina attempts to commit suicide - this part bothers me. I think it's supposed to be funny and I know it's supposed to give us an idea of how very much she loves David and kind of how dramatic she is. And it does set up for the fact that she's not at all bothered about being pursued by David when he's engaged - after all, if she was ready to die over him, what's a little thing like an engagement? But this scene is so early in the movie that it starts me off being a little frustrated with her. I have friends who have struggled with depression, so the scene being a bit of a gag annoys me.
• I have a hard time with Humphrey Bogart in the romantic role. The character of Linus Larabee is a tricky one because it's the older brother who has a tough exterior that gets kind of cracked by the sweet and genuine Sabrina. So, he's already a pretty unappealing character due to the fact that he's a bit of a jerk for most of the film. Humphrey Bogart is so much older than Audrey Hepburn and he looks much older than she is, so I struggle with seeing his appeal as a romantic interest.

Things I do love about the original:

• Audrey Hepburn - because of course, she was flawless.
• William Holden - sooooo charming and soooo dreamy
• All of her clothes - pretty much everything she wears in this movie is incredible. And some of them are things that us mortals couldn't pull off nearly as well. I mean, people can pull off anything they like - but Audrey could wear a button down shirt tucked in to the side and it looked chic and natural; anyone else tries that it and it's like "oh that's an interesting look. Did you mean to do that?"

• The cooking school scenes - they're very funny and very memorable
• The fact that Linus asks Fairchild about how Sabrina is doing in Paris - okay so Linus isn't my favorite romantic character in a movie. But I do love that in this version, he actually asks after Sabrina and the audience understands early on that he knows who she is, remembers her, and vaguely wants her to be happy. It sets up nicely for them falling in love. It doesn't entirely redeem Linus to me but it helps.
• The other domestics - they're pretty much my favorite characters in both versions but I do love them in this one too.
• The chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and William Holden. I've read that they had some real-life chemistry and I love how that carries over on the screen.

Ultimately? I do like this movie a lot. It's not my favorite romantic comedy but it is a really good, solid movie, with a fantastic cast and director. I saw it on one of the TCM cruises and got to hear a historian give a brief discussion on it and he said that the movie was originally supposed to be made in the 1930's but, due to the war and whatnot, got pushed back until it was eventually dusted off in the 1950's. And he explained that if it had been released in the 1930's, it would have been a vastly different movie because the country's view on wealth was different then. The movie has a bit of a jaded feel in terms with how it deals with the wealthy Larabee family and he explained that that was a product of its time. I love that about this movie; the context of it all kind of fascinates me.

You know, when I couldn't push my bike up that last hill... he carried it for me.

Today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite movies, Come September (1961). My mom introduced it to me a few years ago and the first time I watched it, I liked it. The second time I watched it, I loved it. And then I bought it and now I watch it once every other month or so.

Summary: American tycoon, Robert Talbot (Rock Hudson) comes to Italy every September to romance his Italian girlfriend, Lisa Fellini, (Gina Lollobrigida) at his Italian villa. What he doesn't know is that Lisa is engaged to another man and Robert's majordomo, Maurice, (Walter Slezak) has turned the Italian villa into a hotel. When Robert makes an unseasonable trip in July, Lisa hurriedly drops her fiancé and Maurice scrambles to turn the hotel back into a villa... and explain to Robert the group of American teenagers who have booked rooms!

It's a hilarious movie featuring some fantastic dialogue, a dreamy Rock Hudson, a gorgeous and sassy Gina Lollobrigida (along with her divine costumes), Bobby Darin singing, an adorable Sandra Dee, and a young, Pre-Cabaret Joel Gray. This was Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee's first film together - in fact, they met while making it!

The movie enjoys some wacky plot twists and ends perfectly.

I will admit that there is a section of the movie that I don't love because there is a bit of the "virtue is a woman's best quality" school of thought. However, it is delivered in something of a tongue-in-cheek way and that opinion doesn't necessarily win the end of the movie (although that is kind of arguable). I forgive that little section (usually by fast-forwarding it) because I just love the rest of the movie so much. And the movie ends with the girl getting the guy instead of the guy winning the girl, which makes me feel a little better about the whole thing. And if that sort of ideology doesn't bother you, then you can disregard!

Has anyone else seen this movie? What did you think?

spur of the moment review

Don't worry: this isn't a new segment. I'll work on posting again in the next day or two about a good musical number (I have a few in mind). I just wanted to share a delightful discovery I made tonight: Midnight (1939) starring Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche. The first (and only) movie I'd ever seen of Don Ameche was Down Argentine Way (1940) which was a thorough disappointment, so I was a little wary to check out another of his films (a silly judgment, I know. I'll work on that). I've only seen Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night (1934), which I love, but I didn't know enough of her other work to guess what to expect in this movie.

All this to say, Midnight completely took me by surprise. It is a wonderful film - the sort of film I wish I'd seen sooner. It's delightful from beginning to end. I watched it with my roommate and we had a very fun time trying to predict what would happen next. It turned out to be a pretty tricky game as there are some surprising twists throughout. (I challenge you to watch the movie and predict the twists correctly - excluding, of course, the happy ending because we knew that would happen) The movie had me laughing out loud and ended with me smiling quite contentedly.

I leave you with a quote and a picture. The quote is, surprisingly enough, hilarious in context. Just wait till you see it! (For the record, the quote and the picture do not necessarily go together)

"It was a simple case of alcohol poisoning. She'd had one highball too many. We found her in the gutter."


For the sake of discussion, what movies have you stumbled upon that turned out to be delightful?

I'll never pinch you again...

I have been entirely too negligent on this blog. My apologies. I am not yet entirely convinced that many people read this (which is mostly my fault, I realize) so I lose the urgency of a regular blog. At any rate, here I am, back to blog some more!

It Started With Eve (1941)

Thank goodness for Netflix! Several of the movies I now love are due to Netflix. The movie I got the other day was very enjoyable. It was part of a Deanna Durbin collection. I had never heard of her before, but I figured that any actor or actress with a movie collection has to be worth looking into so I checked out a film with a very interesting plot line. It definitely did not disappoint!

Here is the aforementioned plot: When the rich Jonathan Reynolds (Charles Laughton) lies on his deathbed, his son, Johnny (Robert Cummings) fears the worst. And when Johnny's father begs to meet his son's fiancee, Johnny is anxious to comply. Unfortunately, the fiancee is out shopping, so Johnny, in an act of desperation, asks the coat-check girl, Anne (Deanna Durbin) to play the role. Complications (and comedy) ensue, however, when the father starts getting better!

This movie was very enjoyable. The plot was fun and surprisingly light (surprising only because it dealt with the imminent death of an old man). The characters were very likable. I found myself cheering for Mr. Reynolds, hoping he'd be able to sneak a cigar without his doctor finding out, and loving Anne and her clever, kind personality. A couple of drawbacks to the film, however slight, were that the romance between Anne and Johnny was a little underplayed. I was more on board with the friendship between Anne and Mr. Reynolds than I was with the relationship between her and his son. The other thing, was that this was a musical... of sorts. It wasn't the sort of musical I'm used to with a clever score by Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, or Kern. Deanna Durbin is a classical singer and all of her songs were operatic. This is not a drawback, really, it just surprised me.

I highly recommend the film, in any case. Deanna Durbin is an endearing and adorable actress. The ending is perfectly happy and the movie is, overall, very enjoyable.

Would my every prayer begin and end with just your name?

So, I'm going to warn you: there will be several pictures for this next post because I simply couldn't resist! I watched a movie recently that absolutely captivated me:

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (2008)

I confess, I had my apprehensions about the film because contemporary movies have a tendency to be depressing. But it looked so cute that I kept it on my Netflix queue and when I saw it at the library, I happily checked it out. This movie is the best new movie I've seen in a long time (and that's saying a lot because I love movies). It's funny, romantic, and beautifully done.

The basic story follows an unusual day for Miss Pettigrew, a hard-on-her-luck governess who has recently lost her job and, in a desperate moment, shows up for a job for singer Delysia Lafosse. Come to find out, Miss Lafosse is not looking for a governess, but a social secretary and soon Miss Pettigrew is juggling Delysia's love life, her career, and forming a wonderful friendship with the quirky singer.

As I said, the movie is beautifully done. The costumes, hair, makeup, and sets are lovely and delightfully period. The cast is remarkable. Every one, from Amy Adams and Francis McDormand to Shirley Henderson, Claran Hinds, and Lee Pace is fantastic and plays their part wonderfully. I cannot rave about this movie enough. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to buy the movie and the soundtrack (oh, did I forget to mention the great score?).

I don't think I'm unreasonable. I think I'm reasonable. You're the ones that are un.

So, last week I tried a new thing: I reviewed an old movie. I got a good response for it so I've decided to try it more often. In fact, I'm going to try to review an old movie every week - along with a new movie every week. That will make 2 blogs a week. How does that sound? So, for this week I'm going to review a movie that I've lately been really digging:

It Should Happen To You (1954)

First, for a brief synopsis: Gladys Glover (Judy Holliday) is down on her luck and desperate to make a name for herself. After some debating, she decides to put her name on a billboard. If the fame that comes with having her name on a billboard isn't enough, she soon has the attentions of romantic Jack Lemmon and playboy Peter Lawford.

This film is one of my favorite Judy Holliday movies. Actually, Judy Holliday played in surprisingly few movies, so I suppose that saying this one is one of my favorites isn't saying much. I've only seen a few of her films, myself: It Should Happen To You (1954), Born Yesterday (1950), Adam's Rib (1949), and The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956). Adam's Rib almost doesn't count, in my opinion, because it's mainly a Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy vehicle. In the other three, however, Holliday plays wonderful characters. The women she plays are always strong, independent yet romantic, loopy, intuitive, and quirky. She's very genuine in her acting and I'm always impressed by her.

I ran into this film when I was browsing Netflix and it definitely didn't disappoint! It's funny and wacky, romantic and sexy. It has a fun beginning and a happy ending. Like every movie, it has its faults: her boyfriend should be more supportive of her and the moral of the story shouldn't be that fame brings unhappiness whereas privacy is bliss. But, if you keep these faults in mind when you watch this movie, I think you'll enjoy it.

Chance is the fool's name for fate, my lad...

When I first set out to write this blog, I had planned to write reviews just about every week on movies old and new - both in terms of when they were made and when I had seen them. However, with the exception of holiday films, I have pretty much been sticking to movies that I'd recently seen for the first time. As this was not my original intent, I'm now going to go back to it and review an old classic for me:

The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers make up one of my all-time favorite Hollywood couples. For years, my favorite Fred and Ginger film was The Gay Divorcee. "Night and Day" remains one of my favorite Fred and Ginger dances, although I can now see the silliness within the movie.

The basic plot is as follows: (although it's hard to be basic because, in my opinion, the plot is relatively convoluted) Guy Holden (Astaire) is a famous dancer (naturally) who falls for Mimi Glossop (Rogers). Unfortunately, Mimi is already married, but she is working on getting a divorce with the help of Guy's friend, lawyer Eggbert Fitzgerald (Edward Everett-Horton). With a small mix-up in quotes and codewords, Mimi believes that Guy is the correspondent hired to help her get a divorce - and she isn't too happy about it! See what I mean? Convoluted! And I'm leaving out a lot.

The film was the first to cast Fred and Ginger in starring roles together, which has its pros and its cons. On the one hand, they are still new as dancing partners and have (in my opinion) a nice raw quality to their dancing that is a little different from their later polished style. In "Night and Day," in particular, she seems very loose and he seems very stiff - almost cariacatures of the expression that "He gives her class. She gives him sex." I think in later films they toned down their styles to blend together more, but the contrasting styles really add to the number.

On the other hand, RKO did not seem too confident in their new stars and boosted them with several comedic sidecharacters. While the characters are funny, they're also very silly and sometimes steal focus.

The music is fun, if a bit cooky (look for a very young Betty Grable). "The Continental" won an Oscar for Best Song. And, as I said before, "Night and Day" is one of my favorite songs by them.

So if you're looking for something fun and light and a little bit wacky, then check out The Gay Divorcee. It won't disappoint and it's a very important part of the Fred and Ginger canon.

Let's Misbehave...

It took me a long time, but I finally watched Easy Virtue (2008). I've been wanting to see this movie ever since I learned of its existence because I'm quite smitten with Ben Barnes, and I adore Colin Firth and period films.

The movie follows the story of Larita and John Whittaker (Jessica Biel and Ben Barnes), two newlyweds who come home to meet John's stuffy family. His mother (Kristen Scott Thomas) takes immediate dislike for Larita and war ensues, testing the new couple's love and Larita's patience.

As a sexy period movie, Easy Virtue delivers. It was very well done with outstanding performances by all. The costumes were lovely - I'm finding myself once again craving a 1930s hairstyle and wardrobe. The soundtrack I already knew to be fantastic as I bought it in December. It features several wonderful Cole Porter songs, which made me smile every time. The characters are all very well done (as I said, stellar cast). I loved Larita's character and found myself cheering for her all the way through. Ben Barnes was perfectly loveable and his role definitely makes me hopeful for a man who sings Cole Porter and dances around the room. Colin Firth was fantastic as John's father, but then, Colin Firth never disappoints.

I'm pretty sure I would recommend this film, particularly to: old music lovers, Ben Barnes fans, Colin Firth fans, and period film lovers. It is a romantic comedy, but I found myself rather disappointed by the ending. I liked the movie and I realize it couldn't have ended any other way, but I was still a little disappointed, so be wary when watching.***





*** So, I rewatched the film and I wanted to address my previous comment on the ending. After watching the movie a second (and third) time, I was much more satisfied with it. Knowing what was coming, I was able to see how appropriate the ending really was. In which case, I definitely recommend the movie to any and all readers, with the advice to not judge the ending too harshly.

"I really can't stay..."

I watched two new movies this week: On An Island With You (1948) with Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Cyd Charisse, and Ricardo Montalban. I have to confess, I was completely taken with Ricardo Montalban, so I moved Neptune's Daughter (1949) up to the top of my queue and watched that today.

Both of the movies were pretty cute, if a little loose on plot. Like many musicals, the high points were the songs. I admit, I'm not much of an Esther Williams fan. I think she's adorable and a beautiful actress, but I'm not very interested in her water ballets. On An Island With You has a really strange plot line and the final romances don't really have much buildup - the outcome is pretty predictable, but I wanted it to make a little more sense. Neptune's Daughter was very cute, but I didn't like the "happy ending" too much because, in my opinion, Keenan Wynn's character got a little gipped.

But like I said earlier, the songs really make up for a lot. In On An Island With You Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Cherisse dance two duets and they're absolutely fantastic! I was looking forward to Neptune's Daughter because I really wanted to see how they filmed "Baby, It's Cold Outside." I really like that song and they did a great job with it. There's another song, too, "My Heart Beats Faster" that's really good.

I have to say that the main selling point for me on these two movies is Mr. Montalban. I can't quite figure out how I've never seen his movies before, quite possibly because he did few musicals (unless I've overlooked some - in which case, please let me know!). But he's a good singer and a very good dancer and he's quite nice to look at! So, if you're looking for some cute, light musicals, look into these two.

Having the time of your life!

So, I watched a movie that was long overdue for a watching: Mamma Mia! (2008) I must say, I am very glad I was given this movie for Christmas because it belongs in my movie collection! It's fantastic! It's perfectly happy from beginning to end and it's so much fun! I don't like giving star ratings because I'm too indecisive to give anything a numerical value. But, if I did give star ratings, this movie would be a 5! So if you like musicals, happy endings, and/or Abba, then watch Mamma Mia.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I'm very new at this blogging thing so I tried to think of something I'm passionate about that I would be willing to talk about for a long time. I love movies, old and new, so I decided to write movie reviews! I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to your feedback. By the way, the title of my blog, Flying Down to Hollywood, is a reference to the first Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie was Flying Down to Rio (1933). Because of that, I think the first movie I will review will be Flying Down to Rio (warning: there are some spoilers).

First some brief history: Flying Down to Rio was not originally meant to be a Fred and Ginger vehicle. It was RKO's attempt to break away from bankruptcy, so they picked big name actors such as Dolores del Rio to bring in the crowds. Fred and Ginger were actually 4th and 5th billed. However, when they danced the Carioca (seen here), the crowd gave a standing ovation and their appeal was evident.

This is not my favorite Fred and Ginger movie, if only because they are a very small part of the story. I think the Carioca is one of their funnest dance numbers. I love their earlier work because their style was still pretty raw - he was still pretty stiff and she was still pretty loose. The main storyline of the movie is, in my opinion, rather uninteresting. The nice guy (Raul Roulien) does not get the girl (Dolores del Rio), which in the end seems okay since the girl does not really deserve him. She seems much better suited for the smarmy playboy she ends up with (Gene Raymond). The story is pretty tedious and the saving grace of the movie are the few musical numbers within it. Vincent Youmans composed the music, so the music is excellent. However, if you're looking for a fantastic Fred and Ginger film, do not go to this one. Look into Top Hat, Swing Time, or maybe The Gay Divorcee first.