Quick Thoughts of Some Films

I haven't watched that much this month since I got the fourth season of Boston Legal and watched it in an embarrassingly short amount of time. So I thought I would dash down my thoughts on the films I have watched this July.

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Fantastic film that I watched on TCM. It's the story of an exiled prince and a beggar thief who team up to defeat the wicked Jafar and reunite the prince with his throne and the woman of his dreams. Along with The Black Swan, this is one of the movies I've seen recently that I wish I'd seen as a preteen. I would have been instantly immersed in the world these films create; I would have made up stories about the world and its inhabitants.

Woman in the Moon (1929)
I got this film during the last Kino sale. It's a Fritz Lang silent film and one of the first films that explores space travel. In typical Lang fashion, the idealistic scientists are hijacked by a network of spies for shady businessmen (and one cigar-chomping businesswoman) who wish to control all of the purported gold caches on the moon. There's espionage, romance, and a breathable atmosphere on the moon.

Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953)
Another TCM showing. The amazing thing about this film was the way it evoked warm, fuzzy feelings about vacations I've been on. Somehow, it encapsulates the anticipation, the heady feelings of travel, and all the little frustrations and inconveniences that inevitably crop up. Though it's a slapstick comedy in the vein of Chaplin, it feels very realistic and truthful.

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Watching this, I realized that I'd seen parts of it a long, long time ago. Either that or it has a familiar quality. I love Streep and Hoffman in about everything, and this was particularly moving. I can see why it won Best Picture that year. Also, the late 70s were a very brown time.

King Solomon's Mines (1950)
The TMC showing coincided with me finishing reading the book. Another film I would have loved when I was little. It's interesting the deviations they took from the book. Most of the book's actions happen, but the emphasises are different. The book is basically broken into four sections: the introduction, the trek across the desert, the battle of the tribes, and escaping the mines. The book adds a trek to the desert which takes up over half of the film. From that point on it covers the over plot points quickly and deletes the epic battle. I really enjoyed it and now have yet another reason to love Deborah Kerr.