May Challenge: An American in Paris

An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli, 1951)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Musical, Romance, Uplifting, Art

It is weird to think that I hadn't seen the entirety of this classic until now. I love all the songs (Gershwin fan) and dance sequences, love the actors, love the groundbreaking finale. A feel-good romp!

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Les Miserables

Les Miserables (Tom Hooper, 2012)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=1

Musical, French Revolution, Honor, Justice, Pride, Struggle, Sacrifice

This film in one word=feat. What an amazing feat to create the landscape and emotion of the time but also remain truly timeless. It is no wonder that so many people love this musical and are captivated by its sheer epic qualities. While the first half moved smoothly and kept my attention, the second part became a bit stretched and less gripping--that is, until the end sequences. This is probably due to my own attention span with musicals: longer than 2 hours makes me fairly restless.

Wonderful performances from the entire cast. I especially liked Enjolras played by Aaron Tveit.

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May Challenge: Shane; Blow Up

Shane (George Stevens, 1953)

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Rating: Q=4, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Western, Father/Son, Frontier, Action

Oh, Westerns. I love the comfy-ness and goodness of each story and relationship. Shane is a feel-good film about redemption, honor, pride, and all those other great noble dealings. I loved watching the relationship between Shane and little Joey. More films with curious and intelligent kids need to be made!

Blow Up (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966)

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Rating: Q=6, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

 

Cult, Mystery, Art, Real vs. Unreal, Psychological, Intellectual

This film is way more than meets the eye and way more than anyone could write about. Antonioni created something quite powerful and intriguing, abstract and dream-like. It is hard for me to really like films of the "new wave" persuasion but I appreciate the layers of meaning and depth of artistry. Another viewing is in order but it might be a while...

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May Challenge - 8 Classic Films I Still Haven't Seen

As you all know, I'm a huge fan of lists and film challenges. Several years ago, AFI came up with a list of 100 Years, 100 Movies. I, naturally, made it a goal to see them all eventually. I'm still working on the list and decided to designate May as my month for some classic film watching. Here's what I'm planning...though I have seen parts of most of these, never the entire film. Once I see it, as usual, I will post my impressions!

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)


The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)


The African Queen (1951)


An American in Paris (1951)


Shane (1953)


The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)


The Defiant Ones (1958)


Ben-Hur (1959)