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There's no other way to put it, I don't like war movies. It's a whole different story when it comes to cold war though as it's not your typical war, but it's more about espionage, which I love since always. So without further ado, here are my picks for Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks.
Cold War (2018)
Set in Poland from the late 1940s until the 1960s, it follows the star-crossed romance between a musical director (Tomasz Kot) and a young singer (Joanna Kulig). Although it's not my favourite foreign film from last year, it's far superior to Roma in terms of story, characters, acting and, especially, cinematography.
From Russia with Love (1963)
It follows James Bond (Sean Connery) as he's sent on a mission to acquire a Russian cypher machine before the evil SPECTRE organization takes it. One of my favourite Bond movies, this one has a complex and gripping story, a charming Sean Connery, a hell of a villain, Red Grant, and it's pretty faithful to the novel.
The Lives of Others (2006)
Set in 1984 East Germany, it follows a Stasi officer (Ulrich Mühe) as he becomes absorbed by the lives of the couple he's surveilling, a writer (Sebastian Koch) and his lover (Martina Gedeck). I can't stress enough how beautiful and moving this movie is or how powerful and mesmerizing Mühe's performance is.
oooh why don't you like war films? I guess we all have a genre we don't care for (mine is rom coms).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, i've actually seen all your picks. Cold War didn't connect with me because I was not invested in the central love story. And The Lives of Others is one of my faves
The other two I love. From Russia with Love is one of the best Bond films
I know it's kinda stupid but I don't like war movies because I don't like war.
DeleteI'm sorry Cold War didn't work for you. It did feel kind of cold at times though. I'm with you on From Russia with Love, easily one of the best films of the Bond franchise.
That isn't stupid at all. Makes sense, especially since lots of war films tend to glorify war. Pretty solid reason in my book.
DeleteI don't like romcoms because I don't care about the love lives of people I don't really know. Also they have a habit of trying to outgross each other. I don't really find that funny.
I don't even care about the love lives of people I know lol
DeleteI've heard of the other two but I've only seen From Russia with Love which is a fun Bond film as all the Sean Connery ones tend to be. Lives of Others is in my queue, I'll get there someday.
ReplyDeleteI like this sort of film too which made it both easy (so many good ones) and difficult (SO many good ones!) to come up with picks.
Bridge of Spies (2015)-During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court. Excellent performances by all and strong direction by Steven Spielberg keep this involving throughout.
Good Luck, and Good Night (2005)-Senator Joseph McCarthy begins a vicious witch hunt to root out Communists in America destroying lives and careers without concern. Powerful CBS News reporter Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) dedicates himself to exposing the atrocities being committed by McCarthy's Senate "investigation." Murrow is supported by a news team that includes long-time friend and producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney). The CBS team does its best to point out the senator's lies and excesses, despite pressure from CBS' corporate sponsors to desist. Directed by Clooney in stark black and white to evoke the period this has a stacked cast, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jeff Daniels among others, all working at top speed but it’s Strathairn’s Oscar nominated turn that makes the film run.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)-Near the end of the Korean War, a platoon of U.S. soldiers are captured by communists and brainwashed. Following the war, the platoon returns home, and Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is lauded as a hero by the rest of his platoon. However, the platoon commander, Captain Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra), finds himself plagued by strange nightmares and, together with fellow soldier Allen Melvin (James Edwards), races to uncover a terrible plot leading to the top tiers of power. John Frankenheimer directs with laser point precision guiding the story without wasting a frame. Angela Lansbury is flat out amazing in a portrait of coiled evil hidden behind a placid veneer.
Bridge of Spies is the only I've seen of your picks and it didn't fully convince me. I loved the legal drama part but it wasn't just as effective as a political thriller.
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