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Yet another glorious Disney animated film. All it took for me to convince The Bassist to watch it with me was to describe it as "They're cats who play jazz." As a cat loving musician, he didn't need to hear much else.
As a kid, I had a cassette tape compilation of Disney songs, which I think is largely responsible for my assumption as an adult that I had seen a lot of Disney movies that I in fact had not. I would listen to that tape over and over again, and I knew the words to all the songs. "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat" was on there, and it was by far my favourite. That song is why I told The Bassist he should watch this film with me, and afterwards, the first thing he commented on was the score. So many of the classic Disney movies have wonderful music, both featured and incidental.
To be honest, I was surprised at how much The Bassist enjoyed this film. I had expected him to tap his toes along with "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat" (which he did), but that was about it. However, he chuckled at all of the little jokes, debated why dogs in France sounded like they came from the Deep South, and got frustrated at little Marie for constantly ending up in peril.
I didn't anticipate his getting so involved. He promptly fell asleep afterwards.
Final Thought: Seriously, Marie, stop falling off things. You're a cat for chrissakes.
Up Next: The Artist (2011)
After watching this film, The Bassist commented that it wouldn't have worked if the actors had been American. The idea that Australians are laidback and don't take themselves too seriously is a stereotypical one, but it's very true. And in a well made Aussie film, particularly in those by Working Dog, that is often the central feature of the film which makes the entire thing work.
Had this film been made in the American rom-com fashion, the entire premise could easily have been too trite. Guy has existential crisis and falls for girl, whatever. It needs that easygoing manner in order to not set your teeth on edge.
Josh Lawson's character reminds me very strongly of a dear friend of mine, so much so that the first thing I did after seeing this movie originally was to contact said friend and tell him as much. I received a rather bemused reply. I should check whether my friend has seen this movie yet in fact.
And Rachael Taylor is just plain wonderful. She's just so damn likeable, without resorting to being "adorable" or "kooky" or "clumsily cute" or any of those other slots that many female actors seem to unfortunately be allotted. She's intelligently likeable and relaxed, and there need to be more women in the movies like her.
Basically what I'm saying is that I'm a fan of the Aussie talent that is showcased in this film and I hope they do great things. The cast is ace.
I remembered liking this film in the cinema, but, despite it coming out so recently, I wasn't sure just how much I liked it, so buying it was a bit of a gamble. I'm glad I did.
Final Thought: I went to the same uni at Felicity Ward. She was bloody funny back then too.
Up Next: The Aristocats (1970)
There's a chance that the first time I saw this movie, I was sober, so I didn't quite get why it was "kind of a big deal". It was quickly forgotten.
The second time I saw this movie, I was drunk with my two lovely housemates of the time (The Sasquatch and The Bunny), and it became The. Funniest. Movie. Ever.
For the rest of our six month rental agreement, we probably watched this movie once a fortnight. With wine. It most likely began as a way of cheering someone up after a bad day, but before long, any excuse would do, and then it just became habit. And quite honestly, any day that we didn't watch it would still be filled with quotes from this incredibly quotable film.
Not having learned from my mistake, the first time I made The Bassist watch it, he was sober. He didn't think it was terribly funny. He did, however, appreciate the out of the blue, surprisingly well harmonised, a cappella rendition of "Afternoon Delight"
So, several months later, I got him drunk and made him watch it again. Success.
I have to make a note of how great Christina Applegate's comic timing is. Across anything I see her in, I really appreciate it. It seems a weird thing to make a point about, which I guess indicates to me that there's a lot of comedians out there whose timing just doesn't work for me. Too many comedians seem to resort to "LOUD NOISES" and think that equates to funny. Not if your timing isn't right.
I also admire performers who can hold a deadpan face. Steve Carell is the king*. I cannot keep a deadpan face if my life were to to depend on it. I have been challenged often, and I fail every time. Every goddamn time.
Final Thought: When The Bassist realised that I was up to watching this film for my writings here, he asked "Does this mean we need to get drunk again?"
I have the flu, so we did not.
Up Next: Any Questions For Ben? (2012)
*This
is a title I afford to him within the current crop of comedians. Out
of all time though, seriously, Leslie Nielsen. How did he do it?? The
man's face was made of stone!
Growing up, I always preferred Fred Astaire to Gene Kelly. Thinking about it tonight, I realised the oddness of that. Kelly is a more obvious choice for a young girl to swoon over, whether the focus be on his looks or his dancing. And, don't get me wrong, I was healthily obsessed with Kelly. But I think my father introduced me to Astaire first, so he always took first place. Plus, Astaire always seemed a bit more of a gentleman. Apparently Cyd Charisse once said that her husband could always tell which of them she had been working with that day - if she was covered in bruises, it was Kelly, if not, then it was Astaire.
Despite growing up with substantial exposure to the golden age of MGM musicals, I didn't watch An American In Paris as a kid. I didn't really feel the need to. I have a VHS of the documentary That's Entertainment (coming up later), which includes an edited version of the final ballet from this film. I'd heard that it was nearly 20 minutes long, and at that age I wasn't terribly interested in the whole thing. Plus, from what I saw, Leslie Caron wasn't a patch on Charisse. So why bother?
Consequently, I've only seen this film a couple of times. I must admit, I agree with those who say it's a bit of an overrated vanity piece. That's not to say that it isn't good, it's just not quite the masterpiece it seems to think it is. Visually it's a work of art, but where's the spirit?
Watching it tonight, it turns out that my favourite part of the whole thing is our introduction to Kelly in his apartment. His movements around the small space are so casually graceful, an elegant version of a morning routine, and I loved the subtlety of it. I actually thought to myself that it would be a shame if my favourite dance sequence was in the first 10 minutes, but it turns out that that was the case.
I almost feel that I'm betraying my love for Kelly by saying the above! He shines in this film, he always does. There's few things as delightful as Gene Kelly when he's delighted. He just seems to be taking himself a bit too seriously in this one. And Caron, to me, lacks the fire that it's fun to see Kelly up against.
Final Thought: There sure was a lot of vocal vibrato in the 1950s.
Up Next: Anchorman (2004)
I'll be honest: I bought this film because it has John Cusack in it. That's pretty much all there is to it. It's not an amazing film. To its credit, it has some amusing moments, but it's quite harmless.
These days I work in the entertainment industry (and that's as specific as I'll get for now), and this is the first time I have watched this film since getting my current job. I found it more amusing this time around as a result. Some of the situations are outlandish, but the way that the "talent" is constantly placated and handled is spot on. It's rather discomforting when you think about it.
Final Thought: Every time Hank Azaria's character popped up on screen, it set my teeth on edge. The accent is ridiculous, distracting and unnecessary. I don't know whether he's been on The Simpsons for too long, or what, but it didn't need to be that extreme. Unbearable.
Up Next: An American In Paris (1951)
I first saw Amelie on an awkward date. The cinema had bean bags rather than chairs, and we were stuck right down the front with an uncomfortable view of the screen. The cinema provided a buffet meal beforehand, which gave me food poisoning. And I couldn't determine how much chemistry I had with the guy, which lead me to pay much attention to any signal he gave off, and virtually no attention to the film. These factors combined resulted in my leaving the cinema after the film with very little idea of what had transpired on the screen.
It was probably six years before I watched it again, and it may as well have been for the first time. This second viewing was far more successful. It bordered on a revelation in fact. I had been living out of home for maybe a year, and I was a bit lost. Watching a French film, on my own, by choice, made me feel oddly independent. I saw it at a time when I needed to be reminded of the beauty of the small things in life. Pretty sure that I went out and bought it immediately, and watched it again as soon as I got home. Who wouldn't?
Final Thought: Dipping one's hand in a bag of grain is marvelous.
Up Next: America's Sweethearts (2001)
Whatever it was that I expected when I first watched this film, what I saw was completely different. I recall having quite low expections, and the reason why escapes me. So I was so surprised when I loved it.
I think it would have been very easy to tell this story using a narrator, as the film does lend itself to that device, and I am so glad that they didn't go that way. It would have ruined the subtlety of many moments and detracted from the spirit of many of the characters.
I love it when a film or a piece of music evokes memories and feelings of a particular time in your life. What I find interesting is when music or a movie evokes feelings that you can't quite place. Feelings or a frame of mind that are familiar, and moving, but the memory of the related experience is lost. Almost Famous is one such film that does this for me. It takes me back to the place I was when I first saw it, but I don't actually know where that was.
Final Thought: This movie makes me want to go on a road trip.
Up Next: Amelie (2001)
I can definitely remember going to the video store and looking for this movie as a kid. I would watch anything with dogs in it, so the title of this cartoon grabbed me as soon as I saw it. I can remember exactly how the video store was laid out, and I loved that the kids' section was an bit of an alcove that allowed me to browse the titles in peace.
I'm pretty sure that this movie was a regular on my rotation. But I must have grown out of it pretty quickly, because watching it again, I can't remember much of the story at all. However, the singing whippet sure stuck in my mind, presumably because little kid me thought that she was the prettiest. The rat race scene stayed with me as well. Thinking about it now, both these scenes occur early in the film, which makes me wonder about my attention span as a child.
I feel like this movie has a different rhythm to that of a Disney animated film (interesting, considering that the director was a Disney animator). I can't remember whether An American Tail or The Land Before Time (by the same director) follow a similar rhythm, and unfortunately they're not in my collection for me to find out. I'm not sure how to describe it except to say it feels a bit haphazard. Not necessarily in a bad way, it's just a different vibe to Disney, and it takes you by surprise a little. Characters talk over each other, the speech is relaxed, conversations feel less orchestrated, which at times is a bit confusing and at other times really adds to the story. It certainly fits with the character of Charlie.
Final thought: Despite centreing around the inescapable fact that Charlie is to go to heaven, and therefore die, the film manages to shield the audience from the reality of that.
Up Next: Almost Famous (2000)
