Clue

 

By Holly

I'm not sure how you manage to fill a movie with funny people--Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Martin Mull--and make such a dud of a film. It has nice costumes and... and... and... that's it for me. Added to my list of movies I never have to watch again.

I Know Where I'm Going

By Holly

Can loving a film be passed down from parent to child, like hair color and insanity? If so, I’ve been a fan of the 1945 British film I Know Where I’m Going since about 6 months before I was born.

My parents used to tell me about how, in the 1950s, they would seek out the film at NYC revival theaters, following it to progressively smaller venues, seeing it as often as possible. In the days before videotape and waaay before streaming, seeing a listing in the TV Guide for a desired movie was akin to finding a 4 leaf clover. And thus I was introduced to the film directed and written by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. As a teenager seeing it for the first time, I found it a little confusing and odd. But it is a movie that not only holds up to repeat viewings, but improves.

A relatively simple story—a determined woman traveling to the remote Hebrides to marry her rich boss is delayed by a gale…just long enough to fall for a charming, penniless Naval officer—is told so beautifully. The adjectives that come to mind are magical, fanciful, romantic, heart warming, lyrical, sexy, otherworldly, life-affirming, imaginative, cinematic.

Powell and Pressburger are the creators of Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death (Stairway to Heaven) and could be thought of as the forerunners for directors like Wes Anderson and early Darren Aronofsky.

So, if you’re open and in the mood for a grown-up romance, and wish to be transported to the 1940s and Scotland, in glorious black & white, give the film a try. At the very least, watch the underknown and therefore underrated Roger Livesey. He’s subtle, unique, and has one of the top 10 voices in film.

The Birds

By Holly

I’m all for animals fighting back. (See 1972’s Frogs for a creepy, lousy but excellent, example.) While Hitchcock’s film has about 20 great minutes in it, the rest is mostly talky and uninteresting, with never an explanation given for anything. There are some highlights: Rod Taylor. Tippi Hedren’s clothes, thanks to Edith Head. Bird attack scenes. Rod Taylor’s blue eyes. No music, except for bird song. Suzanne Pleshette’s weary, resigned bitterness. Rod Taylor.

A friend once said she couldn’t watch Jennifer Garner in movies because she “wanted to fill in her dimples with spackle.” In a similar vein, I wanted to smack that smug look off Hedren’s face. Maybe that’s what the birds wanted, too.

Two notes:

If I were a bird on the jungle bars having to listen to those kids sing that awful annoying song for 5 minutes, I'd attack, too. (I found the lyrics online and include them below.)

And, HEY Tippi! Turn around and open the f*cking door!

Lyrics to the song sung by the kids in school pre-attack:

The butter came out a grizzle-y-grey. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now! The cheese took legs and ran away! Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

She let the critter get away. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

I asked my wife to wash the floor. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now! She gave me my hat and she showed me the door! Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, Now, now, now!

I married my wife in the month of June. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!
I brought her off by the light of the moon. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

She combed her hair but once a year. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

The Wonder

By Holly

The Wonder was written in 2016 by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote Room (2010), a worthwhile read. (Room is narrated by a 5 year old boy and made believable by Donoghue. No easy thing.) I watched the film The Wonder first, not knowing it was based on a book, because Florence Pugh is in it, and I’m a Pughie. After watching it alone, 2 days later I made my husband watch it with me. I loved the movie, and the book even more.

“The wonder” is Anna, an 11 year old girl surviving on 3 sips of water a day…for 4 months. Those in charge of her 1862 Irish county want to document Anna in order to potentially declare her a miracle. They hire a local nun and an English Nightingdale nurse to watch over Anna and her family to see if food is being sneaked.

There are no villains in The Wonder. Donoghue is respectful of the lives and motives of all involved. The relationship formed between Anna and nurse Mrs. Wright is foremost, and it's unique and beautiful. All characters are interesting and worth getting to know. I recommend both the book and the film, now on Netflix.