Cary Grant is a ruthless paper-man who’s lost his girl to a sweet insurance salesman. He’ll stop at nothing to get her back and boy is she worth it. They click like an old couple but nothing is certain and she seems determined to kick her old lifestyle for a simple home and family affair. The only problem is she belongs in the paper business and that is evident to everyone but herself.
A fast talking Rosalind Russell steals the show in this one. She’s adorable as one of the guys and deserves an 8/10.
His Girl Friday (1940)
A look at racism in the rural south of America in the 60′s. A detective is passing a town on the way home from seeing his mother when he gets taken in for a murder that coincidentally occurred the night he was there. The colour of his skin was cause enough. When his identity is confirmed his boss asks him to stay in town and help solve the murder. Over the next few days he faces tough trials and rises above in true movie fashion.
A satisfactory performance by Sidney Poitier but in my opinion he was outclassed by the superb Rod Steiger as Chief Gillespie.
An enjoyable flick but hardly more than a 7/10.
In The Heat Of The Night (1967)
With a few days to live a dying man’s life is told through imaginative stories that are larger than life. His son is trying to come to terms with never having known who his father really was and we slowly start to believe that just maybe the stories do hold some truth.
Truly a wonderful movie that has to be seen. It has a wholesome goodness to it that might be over the top for some but it’s simply wonderful story telling for the whole family. This is one of those movies that makes you look back on your life and question yourself just how much have you really lived.
Some rushed scenes with forced acting prevent an otherwise top mark. 9/10
Big Fish (2003)
It’s easy to see why Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her first leading roll. She’s absolutely the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen and a great actor. I think I’m in love.
She plays Princess Anne who’s on a tour of European cities when she gets tired of her demanding schedule and escapes her minders in the city of Rome. She happens to meet an American newspaper man by the name of Joe Bradley who is played by Gregory Peck. Joe figures out who she is and secretly tries to get an exclusive story out of her while they both lie to each other, in as far as their identities are concerned, in order to spend a day sight seeing together. Inevitably the day has to come to an end but their time spent together changes both their lives.
I found the last scene particularly interesting and moving. Not the whole 5 minutes but the very last 30 seconds before the credits role. It’s slow and painful and yet passes all too quickly and you feel good about the characters. All in all a very nice wholesome movie at 7/10.
Roman Holiday (1953)
Classic.
An engaging look at a couple and their problems which sustain their relationship. Set in one drink fueled night George and Martha air out their problems in front of their guests, Nick and Honey.
It’s all about the dialogue and it’s absolutely fantastic. The performances by all 4 actors is superb and I’m finding it hard to believe that A Man for All Seasons (1966) took out the best picture over this masterpiece. What a joke.
If you appreciate films this one will surely entertain you at 9/10.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf (1966)