DANNY DECKCHAIR (12)
This 2004 Australian comedy tells the story of Danny, a bored, unhappy cement truck driver and construction worker in the big city. His ambitious girlfriend thinks he's a loser, and his friends mock his wild ideas. At a bbq one day, he tries a new idea...blowing up lots of balloons with helium and tying them to his deckchair. To everyone's amazement, including his own, he sails off over the city and disappears. While a massive search is launched to find him, he lands in a small rural community, where he's judged from a different perspective. His imagination is seen as constructive, his sudden appearance makes him mysterious, and he soon becomes a popular and romantic figure about town. Stars Rhys Ifans as Danny.
(11) KITCHEN STORIES
Charming little 2003 Norwegian film about a fictional Swedish experiment to study the efficiency of Norwegian men in the kitchen. Each observer is to sit quietly in a subject's kitchen, watching, but, not interacting. Initial distrust gives way to a sweet friendship. Yeah, it doesn't sound like the makings of a great movie, but, it really won me over.
(10) THE DISH
Great 2000 Australian movie, based on a true (kind of) story. The year is 1969 and the Apollo 11 mission is getting ready to launch. A satellite station in Australia is needed to help relay the video signals for the moon mission. Parkes Observatory is chosen, sending the little town into a flurry of excitement. But, what happens when a technical glitch threatens to scuttle their part in history? That's what the film is about. An added treat for me is that some of my favorite Aussie TV actors have roles in it. Great film!
* Sam Neill
* Kevin Harrington
* Tom Long
* Patrick Warburton
(9) LA CHEVRE
Yup, this 1981 French movie's title translates to "The Goat" (and was made into a horrible Hollywood remake called "Pure Luck", starring Martin Short.) The first pairing of Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu (and back when Richard got top billing.) The premise of the story is that a rich businessman's daughter has been kidnapped. Since she is known to be a magnet for bad luck, a plot is devised to find another person (Richard) who's got equally bad luck, and then have a private detective (Depardieu) accompany him as they search for the girl in South America. The plot is less important to the film than the chemistry between the two leads, and Richard's knack for physical comedy.
(8) LES COMPERES
1983 French cult classic (regrettably remade by Hollywood as "Father's Day"), this slapstick comedy stars Gérard Depardieu and Pierre Richard. They teamed up for several projects, always playing the same characters...Depardieu's tough and street smart, and Richard eternally clueless and bumbling. In this movie, a teenage boy runs away from home, leaving his mother desperate to find him. His father is long gone, so she tracks down two ex-boyfriends, and tells them that one of them is her son's father. In order to find out which one, they'll have to help her find him. The search begins, with Richard getting into one improbable crisis after another, and Depardieu saving the day. If you watch this movie in the right frame of mind, it is breathtakingly hilarious. My sister and I especially love the crying scenes. Funny comedy, but hard to track down.
(7)BREAD AND TULIPS
Charming 2000 Italian comedy, with romantic subplots. Rosalba is a housewife who is taken for granted by her family. When they drive off and leave her at a rest stop while on vacation, it's the last straw. She impulsively hitchhikes to Venice, where her adventure begins. It involves a depressed, but, charming waiter; a holistic massage therapist; a grumpy florist; and a bumbling plumber who aspires to be a private detective. I loved the small glimpses of the every day Venice, off the tourist paths.
(6) THE VISITORS
Hmmm, this 1993 French film is one of those slapstick comedies that is probably funnier the later it is at night when you watch it. A knight and his vassal are transported from 1123 to present day France, and culture shock ensues. This was the highest grossing film in France the year it was released. I find that a little of this goes a long way for me, but, I've always imagined that my 15 yr old godson would love it, if he actually watched foreign films, lol.
(5) SAVING GRACE
One of my all time favorite films. This 2000 British movie tells the story of Grace. Her comfortable, genteel life is thrown into disarray when her husband dies, and she discovers he had lost all of their money. Her one great talent, gardening, leads her to a money-making opportunity when she is asked to nurse a sick plant....a marijuana plant, back to health. Before Craig Ferguson was a late night TV host he was an actor, and in this movie he teams up with Grace to salvage her finances and keep her home from foreclosure. Hilarious film.
* Brenda Blethyn
* Craig Ferguson
(4) MURIEL'S WEDDING
1994 Australian hit that opened doors for Toni Collette. I love this film. At turns funny, romantic, and poignant, it tells the story of Muriel, a day dreaming outsider in Porpoise Spit, Australia. She lives in a fantasy world, obsessed with the music of ABBA, and desperate for her dream wedding. A move to the big city widens her horizons and starts teaching her the difference between her ideal fantasies and real life. Great soundtrack!
* Toni Collette ..... Muriel Heslop
* Rachel Griffiths ..... Rhonda Epinstalk
* Bill Hunter ..... Bill Heslop
(3) MILLIONS
This sweet 2004 British film tells the story of 7 year old Damian, who has just lost his mother. After moving to a new house with his dad and brother, he finds a fortune in cash that has literally dropped from the sky. The movies explores different attitudes toward money, responsibility to others, and how people, especially children, deal with loss. There's also romance, and a bit of suspense as the money's last owner races to get it back. Now that he believes his mum is in Heaven, Damian is also obsessed with some of the people she may be meeting up there, specifically Catholic saints. Several of his favorite saints show up in the movie, giving him advice as he finds his way. A sometimes fantastical, very sweet and charming movie.
(2) DEATH AT A FUNERAL
Your reaction to this 2007 British film will depend greatly on your sense of humor. My mother would not find it amusing, in fact she'd find a lot of the jokes inappropriate. I loved it, lol. The plot centers around family and friends gathering for a funeral, unexpected guests, family secrets, accidental consumption of mind altering drugs, and romance. If this is your kind of humor, it will have you doubled over in laughter. It's also remarkably sweet. I regret the fact that the trailer tips you off to so many of the best bits. If you can, try to only watch it halfway...enough to get a taste, but not enough to ruin so much of it for you.
* Matthew Macfadyen ..... Daniel
* Rupert Graves ..... Robert
* Peter Dinklage ..... Peter
* Alan Tudyk ..... Simon
* Daisy Donovan ..... Martha
* Kris Marshall ..... Troy
* Ewen Bremner ..... Justin
* Peter Vaughan ..... Uncle Alfie
* Andy Nyman ..... Howard
* Jane Asher ..... Sandra
(1) GOOD BYE, LENIN!
This 2003 German film is, hands down, one of my all time favorite movies! Just before the Berlin Wall comes down, Alex's mother has a heart attack and goes into a coma. She is unconscious during all the months of reunification. When she awakens, the doctors tell Alex that she cannot survive a second heart attack. Knowing that she won't be able to handle the dismantling of the world she knew, he brings her home and recreates Cold War era Berlin in her bedroom. His attempts to keep up the fabrication get more and more desperate, requiring him to track down discontinued products, convince friends and family to give up prized consumer goods, and even create his own TV newscasts to explain her frequent questions about changes she notices. Fantastic movie!
No comments:
Post a Comment