watch 100 movies in 2009

91. The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953)
92. Sweetie (Jane Campion, 1989)
93. Hideous Kinky (Gillies MacKinnon, 1998)
94. La caduta degli dei [The Damned] (Luchino Visconti, 1969)
95. Barcelona (Whit Stillman, 1994)

I think that’s everything since I last updated here. I used to be so precise about keeping these sorts of lists!

American classic in which a manipulative woman and a roguish man carry on a turbulent love affair in the American south during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Sigh! Finally watched Gone with the Wind, watching it in 1930s decor added to the excitement, made it more of an event for me. It’s amazing how little I knew of the actual story, and I got so wrapped up in it. Scarlett is such a great character, Rhett is handsome and charming … it’s all been said before, but I’m definitely glad I finally got to experience it for myself.

Julia Child’s story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book.

Lovely, kind of heartwarming and sweet. Made me want to cook even though I can barely manage toast. Amy Adams is always adorable.

Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn’t fully understand: Love.

In theory, I probably should have hated this but it was so damn cute and endearing.

An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman, Summer Finn, who doesn’t believe true love exists, and the young man, Tom Hansen, who falls for her.

Meh. It was okay. I groaned out loud at the final scene, so cheesy.

(I do have a pretty serious crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt though. Zooey Deschanel needs to find a new role, she keeps playing the same person over and over.)

High school student Nick O’Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

[rewatch]

Ah, too cute. Not as good as the book, but I really like how the characters evolve and it doesn’t rely on that romantic comedy staple of the leads meeting and instantly disliking each other.

(So not going to watch 200 movies by the end of the year, but I’m totally okay with that.)

When a disc filled with some of the CIA’s most irrelevant secrets gets in the hands of two determined, but dim-witted, gym exployees, the two are intent on exploiting their find. But since blackmail is a trade better left to the experts, events soon spiral out of everyone’s and anyone’s control, resulting in a nonstop series of hilarious encounters.

Meh. I didn’t really enjoy this one, which is strange as I really like the Coens work. Maybe my expectations were too high, it just left me a bit cold.

(I do have a major girlcrush on Frances McDormand though.)

When Kym returns to the Buchman family home for the wedding of her sister Rachel, she brings a long history of personal crises, family conflict and tragedy along with her. The wedding couple’s abundant party of friends and relations have gathered for a joyful weekend of feasting, music and love, but Kym – with her biting one-liners and flair for bombshell drama – is a catalyst for long-simmering tensions in the family dynamic. Filled with the rich and eclectic characters that remain a hallmark of Jonathan Demme’s films, Rachel Getting Married paints a heartfelt, perceptive and sometimes hilarious family portrait.

This was a lot different than I thought it would be, I had no idea it was filmed on a handheld camera which really added something to the family drama. At times I forgot I was watching a movie with actors and it really felt like watching someone’s home video, the banter and arguments between family members, the family rehearsal dinner and the loading the dishwasher scene in particular. I really, really enjoyed this film. I don’t generally think much of Anne Hathaway’s “grown up” roles, but I thought she actually showed some substance here, I really liked her character despite all her flaws. And the colourful, musical, truly touching wedding. Beautiful!

Arthur busses tables in a Chinese restaurant, plays trombone in the high school marching band, and has his eye on smart, funny, offbeat Lila—who definitely has her eye on him. But as Arthur takes tentative steps towards his first romantic relationship, the long time relationships of the adults around him teeter and crash, drawing Arthur into a vortex of events that will change his world forever.

This was so gut-wrenching and emotionally draining. In a good way, I think, but there were so many well-drawn characters all portrayed by a variety of actors – Sam Rockwell, Michael Angarano, Amy Sedaris, Olivia Thirlby – that it felt like in no way could this film adequately capture all the nuances of their stories. I think this would have worked better as a mini-series? Otherwise, I thought it was a tense, layered drama with a fantastic ensemble cast.

When Miss Pettigrew stumbles upon the chance to become the new ‘social secretary’ to glamorous high-society singer and actress Delysia Lafosse, she seizes the opportunity despite being totally out of her element. Swept up into the glamorous whirl of high society, it’s all Miss Pettigrew can do to keep up with Delysia as she juggles her lovelife and career in this “delightful champagne cocktail of a comedy!”

Charming is such a good word to describe this film, very fun, very light-hearted but not without some dramatic weight to give it some substance. Loved the costumes and colour.