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Can someone please tell me how it's even possible that every single time the theme for Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks is something I really like I struggle like hell to pick films for it?! I mean, I love legends and mythology since I was a kid! Anyway, with the help of Google, I managed to find three films that I haven't picked before.
Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Lenny (Woody Allen) is obsessed with finding his adopted son's parents as the kid turns out to be a genius. He finds the mother (Mira Sorvino) which turns out to be a prostitute and probably the dumbest person Lenny has ever met. Okay, this one isn't actually about a legend/myth but it was inspired by the story of the Greek myth Pygmalion.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
A young warrior is stricken by a deadly curse and his only hope is to travel to the far east where he eventually finds himself in the middle of a battle between Iron Town and the animal inhabitants of the forest, led by Princess Mononoke, a human raised by wolves. There's both a legend and mythology involved in this one.
Thor (2011)
Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the arrogant and powerful warrior son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is ready to ascend to the throne of Asgard. Instead, he is banished to Earth and forced to live among humans without his powers. When his half-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) decides to invade Earth, Thor must defend the planet.
I still have to see Mighty Aphrodite and I will soon because i am feeling better about seeing a Woody Allen film. This not because he married his adopted daughter (ick) but because i can only take Woody Allen in short spurts. I had no desire to see princess Mononoke but your review has piqued my interest. I have seen Thor and enjoyed this film-I like how you went past the typical theme. I am certain there are many variations to the Pygmalion theme even without picking the obvious ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm having trouble watching Allen films these days because of the whole sexual abuse situation. Anyway, I'm sure you'd enjoy Mighty Aphrodite.
DeleteI've wanted to see Mighty Aphrodite for a long time because of Sorvino's win in Supporting Actress but it's one of the most elusive of Woody's films. I haven't seen the second but have unfortunately seen Thor which I thought was an utter piece of trash.
ReplyDeleteI chose three that are interconnected by way of the Trojan legend.
Iphigenia (1977)-Michael Cacoyannis’s (Zorba the Greek) intense rendering of the Greek tale of child sacrifice. King Agamemnon kills a deer in the sacred grove of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt which keeps the Greek fleet from sailing off to Troy. Turning to the oracle for a solution the message is handed down that the only way Agamemnon can restore the wind is to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess of the hunt. Summoning her under the guise of a betrothal and marriage contract to Achilles he is then faced with the bitter pleas and recriminations of his queen Clytemnestra (Irene Papas) and the defiance of Achilles, who discovers the plot and tries to intervene. Potent film with Papas a FORCE as the embattled queen.
Troy (2004)-While on an official visit Trojan prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) falls for Sparta’s King Menelaus's (Brendan Gleeson) wife, Helen (Diane Kruger) and she flees with him to Troy. Menelaus’s brother King Agamemnon (Brian Cox) sees his opportunity to declare war in his attempt to extend his control over the Aegean Sea. While stopgaps lead by Achilles (Brad Pitt) and Paris’s brother Hector (Eric Bana) are attempted at the behest of Trojan King Priam (Peter O’Toole) it all escalates into epic tragedy. Monumentally BIG production with an extremely starry cast is involving and compelling if overlong with good performances across the board save Bloom but Eric Bana stand out as Hector.
The Trojan Women (1971)-After the sacking of Troy Queen Hecuba (Katharine Hepburn) reflects on her ruined kingdom. Her son’s widow, Andromache (Vanessa Redgrave) is raising their son, Astyanax (Alberto Sanz) alone and Hecuba's daughter, Cassandra (Geneviève Bujold) dreads enslavement by their Greek masters. Meanwhile Helen of Troy (Irene Papas) risks being executed. All the women fear for Astyanax as he is now the focus of the Greeks' attention as the last male heir of the Trojan royal family. With that powerhouse cast and a dramatic story this should have been a riveting watch but its muddy photography, inert staging and despairing tone make it a slog.
I'm sorry you felt that way about Thor. I rewatched it recently and while I didn't love it as much as I did the previous times, I did enjoy it.
DeleteThe only of your picks I've seen is Troy which I haven't seen in a very long time. I remember it being overlong but I liked it.
I highly recommend Iphigenia. I watched it especially for the week though I'd been meaning to for years. It was quite involving.
DeleteCan't say the same thing for The Trojan Women though. Talk about gathering an awesome cast and then squandering the opportunity!
I will check it out. Thanks!
DeleteThor is excellent as is Mighty Aphrodite as I think the latter is kind of underrated. I haven't seen Princess Mononoke as I really hope to do more films of Miyazaki in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to see it soon.
DeleteGreat call with your last two picks. Princess Mononoke is not my fave Ghibli, but still very highly regarded. I plan on revisiting soon. I like Thor more than most and almost picked it myself. Haven't seen your first pick.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The Allen flick is pretty good too.
DeleteI really want to see Princess Mononoke, that one has escaped me.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to see it!
DeleteHaha...glad to make it ever challenging :)
ReplyDelete