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a few older movies
Oct. 18th, 2023 10:14 pmI visited family for a week and the weather was about as nice as can be imagined. Vivid blue skies, trees just starting to turn, bright sun, cool air. We went to an orchard a couple of times, got apples, squash, late-season watermelon.
I pick up DVDs from the thrift store and my dad and I watch them in the evening.
Roxanne - a Cyrano re-telling starring Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah. A nice cast, some funny moments, but mostly just boring. And honestly there are some dodgy consent issues and relationship dynamics going on in the Cyrano story that do not make me want to root for this couple.
Across the Universe - a musical revue of Beatles tunes propping up a thin plot and thin characters. This probably works well on stage but it was not great as a movie. I did appreciate that Prudence ("Dear Prudence") is a lesbian in this version.
Apollo 13 - I really enjoy this film though it no longer feels tense to me the way it did the first couple of times. There are some unfortunate positive references to Christopher Columbus as a great explorer. Otherwise I think it holds up.
Ray - biopic of Ray Charles, starring Jamie Foxx. I enjoyed this and learned things. I imagine it's hugely challenging to come up from poverty and having your only close family die young, and then being successful in your career and being transported into vast wealth and fame.
The story emphasized drama and angst in a way that felt false at times, for example, what average viewer cares about the drama of switching recording labels? What do I care if his mistress is this woman or that woman? I wish it had focused more on the music. Elton John's biopic, Rocket Man, had some similar themes but had better musical elements and was more fun to watch.
I pick up DVDs from the thrift store and my dad and I watch them in the evening.
Roxanne - a Cyrano re-telling starring Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah. A nice cast, some funny moments, but mostly just boring. And honestly there are some dodgy consent issues and relationship dynamics going on in the Cyrano story that do not make me want to root for this couple.
Across the Universe - a musical revue of Beatles tunes propping up a thin plot and thin characters. This probably works well on stage but it was not great as a movie. I did appreciate that Prudence ("Dear Prudence") is a lesbian in this version.
Apollo 13 - I really enjoy this film though it no longer feels tense to me the way it did the first couple of times. There are some unfortunate positive references to Christopher Columbus as a great explorer. Otherwise I think it holds up.
Ray - biopic of Ray Charles, starring Jamie Foxx. I enjoyed this and learned things. I imagine it's hugely challenging to come up from poverty and having your only close family die young, and then being successful in your career and being transported into vast wealth and fame.
The story emphasized drama and angst in a way that felt false at times, for example, what average viewer cares about the drama of switching recording labels? What do I care if his mistress is this woman or that woman? I wish it had focused more on the music. Elton John's biopic, Rocket Man, had some similar themes but had better musical elements and was more fun to watch.
