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Welcome to Thursday Movie Picks, a weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where each Thursday you have to pick three films to match the week's topic.
This week we have comfort movies. Who doesn't love them? Sure, smart films are great, but don't you ever feel like switching off the brain, and just watch something that won't have you thinking for hours, but just make you have a good time? Or maybe you're just feeling a bit down and need something to cheer you up. It happens to everyone, and here's my top three comfort movies. And yes, two of them are chick flicks. Don't judge me, okay?
Easy A (2010)
After a little lie about losing her virginity, Olive Penderghast sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's. But then she decides to use the rumour to become popular and make money. This film is everything I don't like, a rom-com, a chick flick and a teen movie, but for some weird reason I love it. It is funny but also quite realistic and this is when I felt in love with Emma Stone.
Miss Congeniality (2000)
FBI agent Gracie Hart, who shows no signs of femininity, goes undercover in the Miss United States beauty pageant to prevent a killer from bombing the event. I don't care how stupid, cheesy, rather predictable this film is, to me it's a lot of fun, and I will never get tired of seeing it.
Bruce Almighty (2003)
TV reporter Bruce Nolan hates his life and never misses the chance to complain to God. One day, however, God replies, gives him divine powers and challenges him to take on the big job. Yes, another stupid film that I've seen something like a million times, yet every single time I laugh so hard my stomach hurts. And it always feels like the first time.
I have not seen Easy A but I can watch the other 2 over and over especially Miss Congeniality with a fun Michael Caine as her Guru
ReplyDeleteLoved Caine as well. His is my favourite character in the movie.
DeleteThese are fun movies! Especially Easy A, that's my favorite of the bunch.
ReplyDeleteI can watch that one over and over. I also made a friend of mine fall in love with it.
DeleteI've meant to see Bruce Almighty but haven't gotten around to it yet but Easy A is such a good time at the movies. Emma Stone carries it effortlessly but she's surrounded by terrific performers. I especially enjoy Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as her parents.
ReplyDeleteThe sequel was a disappointment though not as awful as its made out to be but the first Miss Congeniality is a hoot. Candice Bergen's pageant director is a lot of fun but it's Sandra Bullock & Michael Caine that drive the movie.
Absolutely agree that serious films are great if you're in the mood but sometimes Saving Private Ryan or The Pianist just don't fit the bill and you want to relax and be entertained with something light. These are three of my favs for just such a time.
The Prize (1963)-It’s Nobel Prize week in Stockholm and as the winners gather reprobate writer Andrew Craig (Paul Newman) begins to suspect that one of the other winners physicist Max Stratman (Edward G. Robinson) has been replaced by an imposter. As he blunders about looking for answers his initially doubtful chaperone Inger Lisa Andersson (a very beautiful Elke Sommer) comes to believe him and tries to help. Both fun and suspenseful this is the Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock didn’t make!
Women’s World (1954)-Ultra luxe, star studded drama of a corporate competition for the top job at an automobile company. Three couples, the loving Midwesterners (June Allyson & Cornel Wilde), the wry but troubled East Coast couple (Lauren Bacall & Fred MacMurray) and a Texan and his rapacious wife (Van Heflin & Arlene Dahl) are brought to New York by the owner of Gifford Motors, (Clifton Webb) so he can assess not only who is best for the job but whose wife is the most suitable. Shot in Cinemascope, laced with humor, nicely directed in sumptuous settings (the offhandedly mentioned country house is a mansion of enormous size!) with a fine group of performers cast to their strengths this makes no heavy demands on the viewer, like wrapping yourself in a warm, cushy blanket.
My Dream is Yours (1949)-Doris Day’s second film is a bandbox pretty concoction. She plays Martha Gibson, a hopeful widowed singer with a young son discovered by radio agent Doug Blake (Jack Carson) who has a hard time getting her a big break despite the fact that she sings like a bird. That doesn’t stop him from trying everything under the sun with the help of his good friend Vi (Eve Arden). In the meantime Martha falls for radio star Gary Mitchell (Lee Bowman), a pompous jerk with a drinking problem. Eventually her chance comes, she’s a smash but there’s pesky romantic complications to deal with. Cheery musical loaded with great music, a bright studio sheen and Doris at her early best. There’s a sequence where she and Jack Carson dance with Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird and other animated Warner cartoons that is like some kind of fever dream!! Though it’s radically different from the other movie Martin Scorsese has sited this as his inspiration for his “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”.
If there's ever going to be a TMP Parents, Tucci and Clarkson are definitely going to be my picks. They were awesome!
DeleteLOVE Easy A! Such a great cast and a very quotable script. I love Miss Congeniality, too. Bullock is just aces in it, and Michael Caine and Candice Bergen are both absolute hoots!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to see those movies are getting so much love.
DeleteCool picks! Miss Congeniality never gets old. It's hilarious - one of my all-time faves.
ReplyDeleteNot with a fizzle but with a bang! Love Easy A - great film.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite quotes!
DeleteChick flicks make great comfort movies, and some of them are great movies too. Out of your three I probably like Easy A the best.
ReplyDeleteThat's my favourite of the three as well.
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