Welcome to another Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves that consists of picking three films to fit the week's theme.
This week's theme is movies about rescues aka a lot of movies to choose from so I don't really know why I'm going with two of the most obvious. Oh, I know, because they are great.
Argo (2012)
In order to rescue six American in Tehran in 1980, a CIA agent acts under the cover of a Hollywood producer looking for a location to shot a science fiction film. I still can't believe this is a true story. Anyway, I loved it. I haven't seen it in a while but I remember it being pretty suspenseful, and I was really impressed with Ben Affleck.
Finding Nemo (2003)
When his son Nemo is taken away by a diver, Marlin sets off on a journey to rescue him. Although it isn't the best from Disney Pixar, it is a pretty fun flick both for kids and adults (I'm the living proof. I loved it as a kid, I still love it now). It also has a nice message and Ellen DeGeneres is hilarious as Dory.
The Monuments Men (2014)
It's WWII and an American professor recruits 6 men who rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves. There's nothing I can say about this film that could convince you to watch it. It's a pretty empty film, insulting even. So why did I pick it? Because it's based on a compelling true story.
Argo is such a thrilling movie. I realize they took some liberties with what really happened but those ending scenes are impossibly tense
ReplyDeleteExactly, so who even cares if they took some liberties. The movie works beautifully.
DeleteI also loved Argo, like Hidden Figures and my first pick it makes the details involving so even if you know the outcome the film keeps you involved. It's very popular this week.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Finding Nemo, well bits but it's animated so I really am not interested, but my nieces and nephews loved it. But it sounds like it fits very well.
Monuments Men made me mad because as you said it is based on a very compelling real life event and they pulled together a phenomenal cast and then with all that they blew and made a dull lump of a movie. A real wasted opportunity.
So I tried to pick films with three different slants to the theme-seriously, comically and cynically and I came up with these.
Apollo 13 (1995)-Astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) has been bumped up to command the Apollo 13 mission to the moon along with Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise). Days away from launch Mattingly is pulled due to the risk of an infection and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) takes his place and the launch proceeds. Everything seems to be going according to schedule until there is a sudden explosion and the three astronauts are suddenly facing a life and death situation in deep space with the only hope of rescue Mission Control back at NASA. The bulk of the film is taken up with those efforts lead by Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) while Lovell’s wife (Kathleen Quinlan), the other’s family members and the world watch anxiously. Despite the known outcome incredibly gripping film was justly nominated for a slew of Oscars.
Outrageous Fortune (1987)-Two struggling actresses-the hoity toity Lauren (Shelley Long) and brassy Sandy (Bette Midler) receive scholarships to a prestigious acting class conducted by a legendary Russian teacher Stanislav Korzenowski (Robert Prosky) and despise each other on sight. At the same time they both become involved with a handsome laconic teacher Michael Santers (Peter Coyote) unbeknownst to each other. When it appears that Michael has been killed the pair realize that’s not so and surmise he’s in trouble and needs rescuing. They reluctantly team up to save him, sniping at each other all the way. It does NOT go as expected but they are off on a merry chase across the country aided at times by the stoned out Frank (a hilarious George Carlin). Boisterous comedy with sensational silk and sandpaper chemistry between odd couple Long and Midler.
Ace in the Hole (1951)-Once successful reporter Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) has landed at a small Albuquerque newspaper due both to his drinking and bad abrasive attitude. Sent on a nothing assignment he stumbles across what he senses is a headline story that could return him to the big leagues, a man has become trapped in a cave-in. Opportunistically manipulating the situation, with the collusion of the sheriff and the man’s greedy wife Lorraine (Jan Sterling) for their advantage more than the safety of the trapped man they find ways to delay the rescue without appearing to do just that. As the news spreads the quiet remote area begins to resemble a carnival atmosphere (the reissue title of the film was The Big Carnival) and the delaying tactics start to endanger the trapped man’s life. Awesome performances but this terribly cynical film is a disturbingly prescient example of the news reporting ethos “If it bleeds, it leads” culture. May be Wilder’s darkest film, that’s saying something for someone who directed Double Indemnity and Sunset Blvd.
I've only seen Apollo 13 and I didn't like it very much.
DeleteWe matched with Argo! I hated The Monuments Men. I was legitimately looking forward to it and it was trash. So disappointing lol.
ReplyDeleteThe Monuments Men is the definition of wasted opportunity. It had so much potential.
DeleteI also went with Argo for this week; the airport/plane scene was intense!
ReplyDeleteTrue!
DeleteFinding Nemo ain't that bad
ReplyDeleteNo it's not.
DeleteArgo is popular this week and it is a good movie where Ben Affleck decided to centre more on how the States got the 6 out and much, much, much less on how much Ken Taylor, helped the 6 and worked with the the Argo team to get these people out. I remember the whole thing on TV. If you get a chance look this up. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082339/. Nero is a fun movie and very sweet. The Monument's Men could have been so much better instead of a mess. The better film is The Train with Burt Lancaster
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion! I'll check it out.
DeleteI would never have thought about Finding Nemo - great pick. It's a pity about The Monuments Men, it sounds interesting and has a lot of stars, but I haven't really heard much good things and as such have not seen it.
ReplyDelete