Romance movies are generally considered "chick flicks," because they're usually seen from the female point of view. But "(500) DAYS OF SUMMER" is clearly a guy's film because it delineates all the joys and sorrows of falling in love from one young man's perspective. Remarkably, I found myself relating entirely with the main character, because back in 1980 I had also fallen for a co-worker, and she just happened to resemble Zooey Deschanel---even down to her hairstyle in this movie! And while it wasn't 500 days of her for me---more like 90 days---all the deep feelings, joys, heady romance, and ultimate disappointment as shown in this film WAS there. So now, even 3 decades later, this film was very meaningful for me. What made it even better was that it was done very creatively; kudos to all involved for their originality of script, cinematography, and editing, and of course all the players are superb in conveying the ups and downs of romance---or at least of deep love that's ultimately and disconcertingly not returned with equal fervor.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Someone Like You
(2001)
Judd for Head Cheerleader!
19 September 2010
I must admit I generally watch this movie for Ashley Judd's cheerleading demonstration. OK, I'm shallow. But she IS pretty hot in that scene! Otherwise the film is an enjoyable enough comedy---if far from great--- about young adults trying to make sense of the opposite sex, dating, living together, and all the other pre-marital situations. Ashley likens men to bulls, who copulate with as many cows as possible because, she contends, the bulls get quickly bored with the same old cow. Silly premise, but her personality carries the film; she is always enjoyable to watch. Marisa Tomei is also on hand, and she is under-utilized, unfortunately.
The Big Sky
(1952)
Best Mountain Man Film
10 July 2010
Although it only covers the first half of A. B. Guthrie's masterpiece novel of the same title---leaving out the very dark events of the second half---Howard Hawks' 1952 film version of THE BIG SKY is unique unto itself: it need not be compared with the novel, nor history itself. What it is, is an atmospheric impression of a keelboat voyage up the Missouri River of the 1830s into dangerous Blackfoot country. It is simply a beautifully lensed film: you can almost feel the river breezes on your face, the warm sun poking through the clouds, and the "skeeters" that pester Caudill, Calloway, Deakins and Poordevil as they scout the Jackson Hole wilderness. Don't look for probing examinations into human behavior here: most of the characters are surface-deep, and the story is really not all that remarkable. The costumes are little better than "ok" in terms of providing a credible idea of what was worn in those days, but of course the scholarship into this area is much more advanced now than it was in 1952, so the makers of the film can be forgiven. It's HOW Hawks tells and shows that story and its characters that makes this an unforgettable film. And the rivers, plains, forests and peaks of the American West have rarely been so lovingly "understood" on film as they are here. Other movies about trappers and mountain men, especially ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI and JEREMIAH JOHNSON, have moments that are wonderfully evocative of that era, but for me THE BIG SKY possesses the one scene that has never been bettered in terms of capturing the spirit of these men and their times. This occurs near the end, when Boone, Deakins, and Poordevil ride the crest of the bluff as they wave to the keelboat "Mandan" below. With the Grand Tetons looming magnificently behind them, and Dimitri Tiomkin's score lushly but understatedly highlighting the moment, the pure essence of those long-gone days is artfully, and beautifully conveyed. I first saw this film 45 years ago on television, and I never get tired of watching, and hearing, it. It has a certain magic that either touches you, or it doesn't. Fault-free it is not, but by the end of the voyage its virtues overwhelm those faults.
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