Three sentence movie reviews: What’s Up, Doc?


As the poster tells us, this is Bogdanovich’s attempt to bring back the screwball comedy, which, given that I can’t think of any other screwball comedies made in the 1970s, apparently did not start a huge trend.  I found both Streisand and O’Neal off-putting in their roles at first, but they grew on my and the great chase scene at the end won me over.  This is also one of those rare family friendly films, plus Madeline Kahn is fantastic and very much worth watching.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.

A Ruby Oliver Film Festival choice.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1972/whats_up_doc.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Funny Face

While there were some delightful moments (the beatnik dance scene, the fashion shoots, the song and dance by Hepburn/Kay Thompson) I spent most of the film being annoyed by the creepy May/December romance, and the fact that Audrey Hepburn does not have a funny face, she’s a female beauty icon.  Also, I hate when Fred Astaire sings and Audry Hepburn, while she does have her moments, has a lot of “eh” signing in this film.  I spent most of the movie waiting for Kay Thompson to reappear, because she was the triple threat of this particular motion picture.*

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.

*Don’t get me wrong, Hepburn and Astaire are fabulous double threats.  They just aren’t the best singers.

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1957/funny_face.html

Bicentennial Man

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival.

A movie so lengthy I felt as though I had lived 200 years by the ending.  Full of Chris Columbus hallmarks like the bratty kid (for no discernible reason) and the overly intrusive maudlin score. It was an interesting selection as it was the first Robin Williams movie I watched after his death, and given that the bicentennial man wanted to end his life after a certain point.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched:  at home.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1999/bicentennial_man_ver1.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Repo Man

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival *

This has to be the most punk-rock movie I’ve ever seen as it refused to adhere to the conventional movie narrative.  Is it sci-fi, or action/adventure or biting social commentary?  It comes with a great soundtrack and will keep you interested.

Cost: free from library
Where watched:  at home.

*This movie is part of E. Lockheart’s list of top 10 movies and I’d be interested to hear why she likes it.

poster from:  http://www.impawards.com/1984/repo_man_xlg.html
The amount of text on this poster is crazy!

Three sentence movie reviews: Revenge of the Nerds

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival

In which a group of nerds overcomes their own persecution by oppressing women.* Setting aside my feminist convictions,** I thought this story was rather sweet, although its time has passed.  I mean, who isn’t for the nerds?***

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1984/revenge_of_the_nerds.html

*I mean seriously!  Creepy spying with what we would now be calling web cams!  Having sex with a woman while pretending to be someone else (which is rape)!  Using a topless photo of the woman you have just raped to raise money for charity!  All very bad things!  I’m not going to go into how the women in the Mu sorority were all fat, and thus lesser women.  But I could.
**As I often do when watching movies.
***We’re kind of living in a nerd nirvana right now.

Three sentence movie reviews: His Girl Friday

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival

 I tend to have a problem with plots where the leading man isn’t listening to what the leading woman is saying and then the script proves him right in the end, as if  the leading woman doesn’t know what she really wants.  So there was that, but putting that aside (as I have to do so often when watching movies) this was chock full of witty banter and really clipped along, which is not necessarily a feature in movies of yore.  Overall, a very good watch.

poster from: http://www.allposters.com/-st/His-Girl-Friday-1940-Posters_c43268_.htm
This poster is hideous! What have they done to Rosalind Russell?

Three sentence movie reviews: A Life Less Ordinary

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival.

Though I want to be an Ewan McGregor fan, mostly he leaves me cold as an actor.  But not in this very bizarre movie which I really liked. I mean, there’s a random dance sequence in the middle, how could I not be a fan?

Cost:  free due to Heather’s magical movie thing. (Though she may have had to pay?)
Where watched: at Heather’s house in Kansas.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1997/life_less_ordinary.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Runaway Bride

part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival

Julia Roberts is so damn likable that I didn’t mind watching this fairly mediocre movie that was completely predictable.  I just love to watch the various emotions spool across her face.  Plus, Joan Cusack was in this, which is always a treat.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched: at home.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1999/runaway_bride.html
I loathe this poster.  It’s so obvious. Not unlike the movie.

Three sentence movie reviews: The Goodbye Girl

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival.

There was a lot to like about this movie and it has aged quite well.*  I also appreciated how it incorporated many things that could  have gone off the rails,** but never did and it says a lot that the movie is 111 minutes of mostly fighting, but still very fun to watch. However, I found Marsha Mason’s voice grating (unfortunately) and has an uncanny resemblance to someone in my life, so that was incredibly distracting.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched: at home.

Poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1977/goodbye_girl.html

*Especially considering there’s a subplot with a gay Richard III, which manages to be funny and not offensive, at least in my mind.  Other people can feel free to weigh in about this.
**For instance, Quinn Cummings as Lucy McFadden could have gone the way of grating, abrasive child, but instead she managed to perfectly walk the line between world-weary and innocent.  Also, there’s something inherently creepy about random dude moving into an apartment with a little girl living there and the movie managed to not venture into that territory.  Plus, I could have completely become judgmental of Paula McFadden’s quick attachments with (and subsequent dumpings by) men, but for all her grating voice, she managed to charm we away from that line of thinking.

Three sentence movie reviews: Persuasion (BBC)

Part of the Ruby Oliver Film Festival.

This version of the Jane Austin novel has more running than a Tom Cruise movie!  I greatly enjoyed this tale of love lost, a deserving heroine and a convenient school friend who eagerly rounds up all hanging plot points in one breathless soliloquy.  I’m guessing it doesn’t happen that way in the book.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched:  at home.

poster from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844330/