Hello and welcome to the last Thursday Movie Picks of 2016. Just in case you are wonder what it is, it's a weekly series hosted by
Wandering Through the Shelves where each Thursday you have to pick three films to fit the week's theme.
Before starting with my list, I'd like to thank all of you who has been reading, week after week, my posts, and commented letting me know what your opinions about my picks were. Also, even though I'm not the host, I'd like to thank you all for posting on your blogs. I don't know how many films I didn't even know existed ended up on my watchlist. And those I've seen were actually good. So thank you! That's why I'll keep doing this next year as well.
All of that being said, let's talk about this week's theme, coming home. I'm going the war way. After seeing the others' picks, I'm not even sure this "theme within a theme" fits the theme, but I've made up my mind, and I'm going with these three anyway.
Brothers (2009)
When the helicopter of Marine Captain Sam Cahill is shot down and he's presumed dead, his younger brother tries to take care of the widow and her two children. But Sam eventually comes back, and he's haunted by the demons of war. I don't know what it is about this film but I simply love it. I haven't seen the original Danish film, but this one is emotionally complex and engaging, and the performances from its leads are just beautiful.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
A group of friends who enlists into the Army to fight in Vietnam fall in the hands of the Vietcong and are brought to a prison camp where they are forced to play Russian roulette against each other. They'll manage to escape, and one of them will go back home. This is easily one of the most overrated war movies ever made. It is overlong, it has a pointless, never ending wedding, and it's historically inaccurate. How did they even come up with the Russian roulette idea? It does handle the PTSD pretty well though, and it has some great performances.
First Blood (1982)
After coming back home from the war, Vietnam veteran John Rambo is pursued into the mountains surrounding a small town by the sheriff and his deputies, and in order to survive he's forced to use his combat skills. I was expecting the typical action flick starring Stallone, but I was wrong. This film is a quite serious and dramatic portrayal of how veterans are treated and how the American society treats the defeated. But most important it's the portrayal of a broken man.
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I liked Brothers and Deer Hunter. I wouldn't mind watching Brothers again, actually. I do agree the wedding in The Deer Hunter is wayyyy too long. It should've been about 15 minutes.
ReplyDeleteThe Deer Hunter is way too long. I wouldn't rewatch it even for a million dollars.
DeleteFirst blood is a cool movie! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure "cool" is the right word to describe such a film, but yeah, it's great.
DeleteI've enjoyed reading all your movie reviews and it's amazing how many films we have not seen and want to see. I have seen most of First Blood and it was better than I thought( blechh to the sequels). I still have to see The Deer Hunter and it sounds like. TypicL 70's message film but I still want to see it. I haven't seen the first film at all.
ReplyDeleteI think Brothers deserves to be watched at least once. I wasn't expecting First Blood to be good either. As for the sequels, Rambo (the last one) is quite good.
DeleteI think they all work fine within the theme. I've seen all three, the first two very intense the last intense in the silly Sly Stallone way. Brothers was a sad film but beautifully acted. I had put off The Deer Hunter for years but it was one of the last Best Picture winners I hadn't seen so I plunked down and gave it a look. I appreciated the skill with which it was made and the acting but it was soul crushingly sad and I don't see myself ever watching it again. First Blood was absurd but I can't say I didn't enjoy it when I saw it in the theatre.
ReplyDeleteMy first pick is a favorite of mine so I was very glad that it fit the theme, it's a great film. The other two aren't up to its level but good on their own terms. My extra was added quickly because of the events of the last few days. But unlike the others it's light in tone finishing off the year on a happy note.
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)-Three members of the armed forces strike up a friendship on a return flight to their home town at the end of WWII. The film follows their three stories, Al (Fredric March) an upper middle class banker, Fred (Dana Andrews) a poor but hardworking clerk and Homer (Harold Russell) who has lost his arms during the war, and their difficult readjustment to a life that now seems foreign to them. This is loaded with brilliant performances by the entire cast, especially Myrna Loy as March’s patient wife and was the winner of multiple Oscars including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Russell-he only made a few film appearances but he’ll tear your heart out) and Best Actor (March-though Andrews is the standout male performance). A great film.
The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)-After a three year estrangement four adult children, including Julianne Moore & Noah Wyle, return to the Maine home of their parents for Thanksgiving. Their mother Lena (Blythe Danner) is a gentle soul hoping for a pleasant holiday but their remote, stern father Hal (Roy Scheider) remains closed off and the gathering is fraught with tensions.
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990)-Quirky comedy/drama of a small town preparing for the return of hometown movie star Roxy Carmichael. The person who is most anxious for her return is young orphan Dinky Bossetti (Winona Ryder) who is sure that Roxy is her birth mother and is secretly planning to claim her as her own on her arrival.
Tribute Bonus: With the incredibly sad passing of mother & daughter legends Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher within the last two days I wanted to include at least one of their films in memoriam, I wanted to do Bundle of Joy since Debbie was expecting Carrie when she made it (the ultimate costarring vehicle!) but the subject matter wasn’t right for the theme. This is the only one that really fit…happily it’s both a good film and a charming comedy.
The Pleasure of His Company (1961)-“Pogo” Poole (Fred Astaire), a continental gadabout returns unannounced to San Francisco, his original home, for the wedding of his daughter Jessica (Debbie Reynolds) to cattle rancher Roger Henderson (Tab Hunter). Arriving at the palatial home of his ex-wife Kate (Lilli Palmer) and her present husband Jim Dougherty (Gary Merrill) when no one is home. He basically takes over the joint ensconcing himself in the best room and overtaking their servant Toy (Harold Fong). Kate, knowing what Pogo is like is leery or his return at first but eventually is lulled into letting him stay since Jessica wants him at the wedding so much. Kate’s sly father (Charlie Ruggles-in a highly enjoyable performance) who sees right through Pogo as well as Jim and Roger are less yielding especially when Pogo turns up the charm on Jessica and tries to convince her to take off with him to see the world rather than marry. Many humorous complications ensue capped by a mad dash to the airport. Breezy comedy played by experts.
The acting in The Deer Hunter was easily my favourite element of the film. I haven't seen any of your picks, but The Best Years of Our Lives sounds great. I'm definitely watching that one. And I need to see The Myth of Fingerprints because of Julianne Moore.
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