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Hello and welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.
As you can tell by the title, this is a pretty confusing week. With clones and doppelgangers everywhere how do you even know who's the person you are really looking for? Am I right? Here are my picks for the week
Enemy (2013)
While watching a film, a college professor spots an actor that looks just like him and soon becomes obsessed with finding out more about his doppelgangers. This is a sensational and quite disturbing thriller that deals with some pretty deep themes such as living under a totalitarian state without knowing it and characters rebelling against their creators, and there's a fantastic performance from Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Because of Cecilia watching the same movie over and over again at the theatre, a minor character in the movie literally walks off the screen to join her and explore the world outside the screen. The actor isn't that happy though since there's a guy who looks like him and does dumb things. This is one of my favourite movies from Allen because he mixes reality and fiction beautifully and makes you think about the relationship we have with art.
The World's End (2013)
Gary convinces his childhood friends to stage an encore and take part in a pub marathon to reconcile past and present. However, they soon find out that future is what they should be worried about since everyone in their city is being replaced with robotic clones. This film is the kind of ending every trilogy deserves, it's brilliant, funny and also criticise our society where the job always comes first.
Enemy was so good but so weird. I could've done without those damn spiders lol.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Cairo, I did see World's End but I don't remember much from it now.
I wasn't crazy about the spiders either
DeleteI really did like Cairo and found it less Woody Allen angst. The other 2 sound good but reading Brittani's comment about spiders makes me think twice. I do like Simon pegg so this sounds quite funny
ReplyDeleteAvoid Enemy then. Maybe you should watch The Double instead, they are not the same but kinda similar and there are no spiders involved :)
DeleteI haven't seen The World's End but Purple Rose, while not Hannah and Her Sisters, is one of Woody's best. I think it contains one of Mia Farrow's best performances as well and I'll be damned if I can figure out how she was passed over for a nomination. A quite unique film in his canon.
ReplyDeleteWhile I liked Jake's performance I hated Enemy, it fits very well though.
I thought at first this would be a tough week than discovered that this idea is well used across genres so I pick one from three.
The Devil’s Double (2011)-During Saddam Hussein’s iron fisted reign in Bagdad Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), a lieutenant in the Iraqi army, is called to the palace and told that because of his resemblance to Hussein’s depraved son Uday (also Cooper) he is commanded to be his body double or his family will be exterminated. Having no choice but sickened by the corruption, inhumanity and evil he witnesses he searches for a way to escape and save his family at the same time. This is Cooper’s movie all the way and he’s just great but it’s a hard film to watch.
Dave (1993)-Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) is an affable Midwesterner, running a temp agency and making appearances at small events due to his resemblance to the current US president, Bill Mitchell (also Kline). The Secret Service takes note of the similarity whisking Dave off to the capitol as a stand-in for Mitchell at an event. While there an emergency arises, Bill Mitchell has suffered a devastating stroke and his power mad aide Bob Alexander (Frank Langella-oozing slime) and press secretary Alan (Kevin Dunn) talk Dave into assuming his place theoretically for the good of the country. Actually Alexander is seeking to usurp the political reins until he can figure out how to take full control. At first the subterfuge is known only by the two and a dutiful Secret Service agent Duane Stevenson (Ving Rhames) but as Dave starts to rebel against their treachery and display his very different personality First Lady Ellen Mitchell (Signourney Weaver) begins to suspect. There’s plenty more machinations in store all delightfully directed by Ivan Reitman and put over by exactly the right performer in each role. Thoroughly beguiling comedy with a perfect cast.
I Was Monty’s Double (1958)-A retelling of the true event where an enlisted man, M. E. Clifton James (who plays himself) was chosen to imitate Field Marshal Montgomery--the leader of the British forces during WWII. The plan (Operation Copperhead) was to have Monty’s double go on a tour of North Africa around the same time as the Normandy invasion in Northern France--so that the Germans would assume the assault would come later than actually planned and from the South. The film is about the formation and execution of the ultra-top secret plan but while it treats the subject seriously it leavens the situation with a much needed humorous undertone aided by a terrific British cast including John Mills and Cecil Parker.
I haven't seen your picks, but they sound interesting, and I'm definitely going to watch Dave.
DeleteOooooh excellent call on Purple Rose AND World's End! Both great films!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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