Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Play It Again

Hey, buddies. Today, I've put together a brief homage to some of my favorite movies. I know, I know, I'm supposed to be rewriting my second novel, The Second Life, but really, aren't movies more fun? I happen to think so. Especially, when my brain is tired, and I'd like to escape reality by taking a vicarious journey. To a world I'm not responsible for and didn't create, where I can bask in the glorious imagery and dialogue without worrying about punctuation and grammar.Ahh, Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen was brilliant, and I enjoy any interpretation of this wonderful story. I swooned over the version with Colin Firth. I ask you, who doesn't swoon over Colin Firth in that movie? Especially when he emerges from the lake in his transparent poet's shirt. Great moment! However, my preference leans toward the 2005 rendering with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Love it, love it!
I like this photograph with Ms. Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet looking so wistful and pensive. Haven't you felt that way? As though your life was at a stand still and you were merely waiting for your future to unfold?
One of the highlights for me--Darcy walking toward Elizabeth in the pre-dawn light. He is rumpled and mussed with his unbuttoned shirt and hastily thrown on overcoat. No cravat, no tailored jacket, or societal propriety. This is so out of character for the very genteel Darcy, and it adds a sweet vulnerability and fervor to his part in this scene. Magic. Romance. You gotta love it.





Another fun escape. Casablanca. This movie is a classic for many reasons. It was filmed in 1942, and yet, over time, it translates so well for the modern viewer. The dialogue is always smart, sometimes funny, and often heartbreaking. And then there is Humphrey Bogart. I love his face and voice, and even when he's being bad, he's so good. The reluctant hero with a deep, conflicted soul. Every time I watch this movie, I wish I could make the ending happy for Rick Blaine.

My father said that he saw Ingrid Bergman when she performed a reading from Joan of Arc for the US troups during WWII. Dad wasn't exactly the gushing type, but he described Ms. Bergman with reverence, saying she was a "natural beauty" and "luminous." She certainly is gorgeous in Casablanca, and a remarkable actress as well, I might add.

Well, there you have it, bloggers-extraordinaire. I hope you enjoyed this little tribute. Now, what are some of your favorites? Why do you like the movies you like?

32 comments:

  1. I'm a fellow Pride and Prejudice lover!!! Although I have to admit that I love the Colin Firth mini-series more than the Keira Knightley version! Have you seen Lost in Austen?? If not I totally recommend it!

    So glad to meet another fellow P&P addict!

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  2. Sigh...yes, I'm swooning over that part of P&P now. I loved the mood of the 2005 P&P, so magical and romantic!

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  3. Actually I didn't think I'd ever like Jane Austen, but I LOVED the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. I tried to watch the Colin Firth version, but I just couldn't get into it. He did look good in that one though. And Matthew Macfadyen, wow! I think I might throw P&P on later now.

    I also love Sense and Sensibility, Col. Brandon is so dashing (as is the man playing him!). I love those stories with men as the metaphorical 'knight in shining armor' role. I also love 'Kung Fu Panda' (it's cute!), 'The Forbidden Kingdom' (Jackie Chan and Jet Li - need I say more?), 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy Returns', and probably a few more I'm forgetting.

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  4. Do you believe I haven't seen Casablanca? There are so many movies I haven't seen...

    I tried to watch Rumor Has It the other night and my son looked at the rating and said, "Nope. Sorry, you're out of luck." Then I picked out Pride & Prejudice (Colin Firth version...) and he looked the cd case over, handed it back to me and said, "You can watch that downstairs, Mommy." hahaha

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  5. Like Vicki above, I haven't seen Casablanca! It's on my list of movies to watch when I finally get a home of my own. :)

    My favourite movies change like the wind, but I do love old school musicals - especially Mary Poppins. I like it because Mr Banks looks very much how I remember my father, and my favourite part is his wake up call, and that slow walk through the streets of London - perfect cinema.

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  6. Ahhhh..I love Pride and Prejudice, the book and the movie! I also love the scene where Darcy walks towards Elizabeth looking all kinds of handsome. :D
    A movie I can watch over and over is Little Women and I also love The Edge of Love. Now that is a good movie!

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  7. Yes, big P&P fan! My Wedding dress was made in that style!!
    i'm a fan of all romance movies - hence my romance writing ;)
    Loved the recent The Proposal and THe Ugly Truth, so funny and modern, but nothing beats and classic of P&P!

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  8. In the same ilk of time-piece romances, I'll take the English Patient. Almasy's undying love for Katherine touches my soul so deeply.

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  9. Awww Casablanca. My ultimate and absolute favourite female actor of all time is... INGRID BERGMAN. She is just lovely. Your dad is so lucky to have seen her in person and so right to have described her as luminous. I could watch her all day just sizzling up the screen. She was a true beauty and a rebel to boot. And she was her own damned woman and followed her heart! Sigh.

    Although I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice - I'm more drawn to Sense and Sensibility - especially Emma Thompson's Elinor.

    GOOD LUCK with your re-write!

    Take care
    x

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  10. Okay, I'll make a deal with you ladies. I have yet to see either Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. If you immediately rectify your error and watch Casablanca, then I will do so with mine! I probably watch that film at least once a year. My other nearly once a years, include: Notting Hill, Love Actually, While You Were sleeping (my wife forces this one), Possession, Creator, An Affair to Remember and Somewhere in Time.
    Yes, I do like action movies, horror movies, etc., but I'm really drawn to these first. My wife is lucky that way, I guess.
    Anyway, I'm off to pick some Jane Austen...
    -James
    http://jamesgarciajr.blogspot.com/

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  11. Ah, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favs! But I also like some of the old classic B&W movies: It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, and anything with Gary Cooper. Check 'em out sometime. :0)

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  12. I love Pride and Prejudice. My favorite scene is at the beginning when she throws his words back in his face and says, "only if my partner is barely tolerable"

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  13. Lovely wandering sentiments you have. Yum, Colin Firth in anything - or nothing.

    I'm really bad; I've never read P&P. I need to rectify that soon.

    ......dhole

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  14. I always wish to make a happier ending for Casablanca, too!

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  15. Oh, I LOVED the Keira Knightley version of P&P. The first time I saw it, I felt rushed through the plot. But the second time I fell in love with it. It's so visceral and real. I love it that you see geese running around on the Bennets' property, and get a sense of everything being just a bit more raw. Plus the sheer beauty of the way it was filmed was astonishing. I also loved Matthew Macfadyen. He was fantastic. And I ESPECIALLY loved Rosamund Pike as Jane. She was much closer to my image of Jane than the BBC version. She just glows!

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  16. I LOVE the 2005 Pride and Prejudice! I think I'm going to see if Mr. McFayden would like the position of my muse, don't you think he'd be great :)?

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  17. Oh Mr Darcy! Gotta love him.

    I love love love 'Love Actually'. That, and 'Notting Hill' (which is weird, because I live in Notting Hill) and 'Bridget Jones' Diary'.

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  18. Well we know you like romance!! And two very romantic classics they are. I tend toward Fantasy and Musicals myself. I'm strange that way.

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  19. Last year my wife and I went on a P & P marathon and watched every filmed version we could locate. The long TV miniseries versions were most true to the book, but our favorite was the 1940 version with Laurence Olivier as Darcy. I think this film best captured the humor that Austen was trying to get across and after I saw it I had a far greater understanding of the spirit the Austen may have been trying to capture.

    I'll be talking about my favorite movies on Monday June 21 during the Movies Dirty Dozen Blogfest hosted by Alex Cavanaugh. I have a Linky sign up list on my blog for anyone who wants to participate.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  20. Found you through another blogger. I very much like the movies you mentioned but my all time favorite is "Out of Africa" as it has all the elements I adore - the romance of a past era, contemporary concerns regarding racism and colonialism, beautiful clothes, great cinematography and an outstanding musical theme. Hope you'll stop by my blog if you get a moment in your busy life, http://karenmartinarts.blogspot.com
    I wanted to be a writer for quite a while when I was a teenager but visual arts won out - still like to write for myself, though.

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  21. Hi, Roxy. Me, again. I was recently given an award, and I now give it to you. I have looked forward to your posts and have commented as often as I could. This award is simply my little way of showing you some appreciation for what you have done. Thank you. Please stop by whenever you have a chance and claim your trophy.
    --James.

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  22. Hi there,
    I love Pride &Prejudice, too! The older BBC version is also good, but I almost prefer the modern one. Sense and Sensibility is great, too.

    I also like An Ideal Husband (with Rupert Everett)...GREAT movie. But then I'm an Oscar Wilde fan...

    ps. want to join the bloghopping top movie blogfest? I have it on my Blogfest list on my blog (I'm not the host).

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  23. I'm a Casablanca fan myself. Hey, didn't you sign up for the bad boy blogfest? I was looking forward to reading your entry. Roland

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  24. Good movie! I really can't say I have just ONE favorite movie, but I love the kinds that have romance along with fantasy like Stardust, Avatar, Legend, Willow... you can find out others here!

    Oh, I missed your bad boy, but I would love for you to drop by and read my bad boy! ;)

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  25. i think you just captured the essence of why i watch movies. brilliant. you've also picked my fav. version of P&P. beautiful movie. beautiful music. and yes, the scene where he strides across the field to meet her, all rumpled, is the best.

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  26. Roxy, I'm sorry to post this as a comment that has nothing to do with the above, but I thought you'd enjoy it. I started an online book club with one of my friends from grad school -- 6 books a year, round-robin style selection -- and I suspect you'd really like the first pick, Sebold's _The Almost Moon_, discussion starts August 1. We're here: http://literatheque.blogspot.com/

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  27. Sounds like it's time for a good movie night--what a great idea to pull out the classics again. Can't do any better than the ones you selected.

    Cheers.
    Debi

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  28. My favorites are comedies and romantic comedies. I like Bridget Jones's Diary, Groundhog Day, Forget Paris, The Birdcage, Love Actually, Mars Attacks, and others like that.

    No Daniel Craig movies?

    Keira Knightly is so pretty.

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  29. Hi. I came across your blog through another blog I follow and have signed up as a follower. When you’re free, please do visit me and let me know what you think of my blog and leave a comment. If you like, do follow as well. I am always open to great new people and interesting websites. Look forward to hearing from you.

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  30. I can't believe I haven't seen Casablanca yet. I don't feel as bad about newer movies, because I figure I'll eventually see them on the premium channels, but Casablanca...I've always been intrigued by the clips I've seen.

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  31. I love 'The Red Violin'. I saw it completely randomly in an indie movie theater and had to buy it. I don't watch many dvds but this is one I HAD to have... it is such an amazing story. If you haven't seen it, find it... you won't be sorry! It's heartwrenching but an amazing story.

    By the way... I've missed you! :D

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