Lazy English Major

So I set out to watch a classic or critically acclaimed film every week, and I was doing really well, but then I forgot again… Actually…. wait, I think I have been keeping up with it. Hmmm… let’s see how many I’ve seen so far~

Let me take a gander at my Kitten Cuddles planner (I’m not sure why but that phrase, Kitten Cuddles, brings me endless amusement). Exact dates not applied.

January 26th - Pina

I’ve wanted to see this movie ever since the trailers first came out. Really wanted to see it in 3D, but I was so horribly lazy when it came to actually following through and going to the theatre. Much to my delight, it was on Netflix. What a beautiful, esoteric film it was! The dance sequences are raw and evocative, shot beautifully to display the choreography and the dancers’ emotions clearly. When I watch a dance movie, I expect a lot of dancing (I’m looking at you STEP Up 3D). Very little talking or exploration of Pina’s life or technique, just a lot of dancing. 

February 2nd - Silver Linings Playbook

As much as I wholehearted love Jennifer Lawrence, I think Bradley Cooper is the true standout performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Really breaking out of his usual good looking slacker role in comedies. Excited to see him in The Place Beyond the Pines. I enjoyed SLP, but its basically a glorified, half baked romantic comedy. It boasts a lot of outstanding performances, but that’s it. 

February 9th - Beasts of the Southern Wild

I really wish I had bought the HD version on Amazon as opposed to Standard DEF, but gosh it was pixelated and I felt I missed out on what really made the movie magical was the visuals. It was a charming and harrowing movie nonetheless, but those giant pigs rampaging through the Arctic didn’t look as awesome as I think it should have.

February 16th - When Harry Met Sally, Django Unchained

When Harry Met Sally is classic. End of story.

I was sort of surprised by how much I enjoyed Django Unchained, but then again it sort of echoes Inglourious Basterds, and I really enjoyed that movie too. I’ve come to realize I enjoy hyper-violence. It’s use, especially by Tarantino, sort of speaks to the horrific gratuitous nature of how desensitized we are to violence, while also being kinda awesome. Revenge fantasies wheeee~!

February 23rd - The Graduate

This was a much more comedic movie than I expected. Dustin Hoffman’s character has these great nonverbal ticks that just kind of make you laugh. Nervous, yet kind of douchey. Even when he is being a sleazeball, he still makes you root for him a bit because the film does a good job of showing you his ennui with his place in society without blatantly rubbing it in your face.

…then awww shit, I forgot to document it. Let me scramble for it in my brain. I am kinda drawing a blank on March, but I remember watching these movies, so I’ll just somehow fill in the blanks.

March 2nd - Aristocats

I loved this movie was I was a child. I used to own it on VHS (probably still do, but I have no idea where it is). Those are some sophisticated and cool cats. Everybody wants to be a cat~

March 9th -Secret of the Kells 

I’ve been wanting to see this movie for a while too, but laziness. This is a really beautiful, beautiful movie. The animation style is unconventional with skewed perspectives and oddly drawn characters, but it is filled to the brim with vibrant textures, despite the prevailing darkness in tone (both color and narratively). The atmosphere of the movie is what I really loved - dark, quiet, mysterious, a sense of awe. This was what I wanted to feel from BRAVE, which I found to be a sorely disappointing movie. 

March 16th - The Muppet Movie

Goddamn does Rainbow Connection always make me tear up a little. This is such a funny, fun movie. I watched the recent The Muppets, and while that’s a great homage to the Muppets, it wasn’t that funny.

March 23rd - Shall We Dance? (Japanese original)

This turned out to be much more of a quiet, culture piece than I expected. I walk in thinking its a romantic comedy of sorts because of what I know of the American remake, but this film is actually really quiet and introspective (MY KIND OF FILM) about a man looking to express himself in an otherwise silently repressive society. 

March 30th - The Rescuers

I’ve been watching a lot of animation/kid-friendly movies, still in that mood. This was probably one of the last Disney films made in the sketchy line art style (similar to the Aristocats). There is something really charming and lovely about this style of animation. I really enjoyed watching The Rescuers, even though the story itself does not appeal to me very much. 

April 6th - Jurassic Park (in 3D SON!)

Upon watching the beginning of the film unfold, I forgot how much actual narrative there is. It’s not just all about dinosaurs terrorizing some folks on an island, although that’s all that’s memorable about the movie. Although there have been a lot of debates about efficacy and value of 3D, I have to say I’m one of those people who enjoy watching movies in 3D, even if the movie was not originally filmed with that technology. Although the picture does look a little dark, I enjoy that extra layer of depth. Nothing has reached the heights of Avatar in 3D, but I’ll still take what I can get.

April 13th - Minority Report

I’ve only recently wanted to see this because of its reputation as a solid scifi action film. It is just that. It doesn’t exceed expectations. It was very good in terms of interesting premise, execution of that premise, pacing, and action. It is a very well constructed and executed film, but it held very little suspense with me and was very predictable, which I think is probably a large component for such a film that slowly reveals the circumstances of John Anderton’s predetermined fate. I feel its really important for dystopian scifi movies to posit a question about the human condition and dissect that question. I don’t think Minoirty Report does that very much. It questions what you what sacrifice to uphold the belief in a well-intentioned system but the system itself was already ludicrous to begin with, so of course, it was going to be dismantled. It wraps itself up really neatly at the end too, which I am always very weary about for stories in a dystopic setting. 

YES COMPLETE~! Shall continue hopefully.

Okay, I don’t know if I’m just being stupid, but I cannot for the life of me find my saved drafts. The FAQ says it should be on the right side of the page. WHERE THE FUCK IS IT?!