An American In Paris [59]

Jerry is an artist living in Paris who pretty much loves how everything is going. He’s pretty popular, he has no worries and just lives off his paintings. Ms.Roberts is intrigued by Jerry and his paintings and is willing to help him out by setting up a showcase for him. Problem is she’s falling for him and he’s just met the girl of his dreams.

Lisa is Jerry’s “love at first sight.” Problem is he doesn’t know anything about her and she’s not willing to let him in just yet. He tries really hard to grab her attention and to finally get her to agree on a date with him. Poor guy is heartbroken to hear she’s already engaged, even more to WHO she’s engaged to (I’m not telling). He’s ready to give everything up for her but it looks like he’s just going to have to settle for someone else.

Jerry sings, paints, dances and plays music. This movie just opened my eyes to all the different forms of art you can express yourself with. The way all the arts are combined so beautifully in this film just wow’s me. Apparently it caught the eyes of many others because this film won 6 Oscars. Surely a must-see for anyone who appreciates the arts.

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon [58]

Captain Brittles [Wayne] has just a few more days left until he can retire and he has a mission to take care of. He has to guide his troops and escort two women through Indian territory. He sets it upon himself to declare peace with the Indians before he retires.

The Indians don’t give into Brittles’ motions and the Calvary men are left awaiting war. Brittles’ doesn’t want to see any of his good men fall down at the hands of the Indians and he sets out another goal. All the while there is a love story forming in the sidelines. Miss Olivia, one of the women being escorted, has two men at her feet. “She wore a yellow ribbon” derives from a song that says that when a woman wore a yellow ribbon, it was because her love was in the Calvary. Olivia doesn’t tell them who she’s wearing it for and the men start picking fights with each other, when their minds need to be focused on arriving safely at the military fort.

John Wayne plays a calm and cool character. He’s a strong leader who cares for his men and will do what he can to avoid them getting hurt. His character was very inspiring to me because he was able to put others’ needs before his. He could have just called for the retirement sooner or not go on this mission but he knew he would be the only one who could save his men’s lives.

Mary Poppins [57]

  "A spoonful of sugar helps medicine go down, in the most delightful way"

Jane and Michael just scared off another nanny and their parents are looking for someone new that will actually stick around. Jane and Michael have sorted out their own guidelines for the new nanny and Mary Poppins fits the description perfectly. According to them she’s “kind, witty, very sweet and very pretty.” They start off thinking she’s nothing special but in the matter of a few hours they see how magical she really is.

Mary Poppins takes the kids on adventures through paintings, rooftops and songs. She just wants their parents to see what wonderful kids they are and to appreciate them a bit more. We never learn much about Mary herself just that she’s “practically perfect.” Mary is loving but firm and helps the kids and their parents’ bond flourish.

This is a very enchanting film and I was amazed at the special effects, they were corny but really good. Sadly Mary doesn’t stick around for long. Seems this was a mission she was sent out for and once it was complete she’s on her way. Her goal was to reunite the kids with their parents because the kids were becoming unappreciated and their father’s work was the only thing on his mind. The movie ends on a happy note, with summer on its way and parents outside with their children.

Troy [56]

Troy tells the story of the legendary Trojan War and of Achilles, the famous warrior who was son of the God’s. The Trojan War was initiated when Paris of Troy stole Helen, Queen of Sparta, from the King. This film portrays real emotion in such a way that I couldn’t back away from it; the warfare is gruesome but the way they loved… it was just beautiful.

The King of Sparta just wants his wife back but his brother wants to take over Troy. They join together but the Trojan’s aren’t scared of them. The Trojan’s are willing to fight for their Troy, their people, their wives and children. Things get out of hand because all the main figures in this war let their emotions get in the way of their thinking. Even Achilles, who seems to not care for anyone but himself, loses sight of what he’s doing and is overcome with mourning. And the king of Troy lets the love of his son’s blind him and leads his beloved Troy into war.

To me, this movie and story show how easily things could be avoided. All these actions lead to nowhere good, just to a downfall of a lot of great people and rise of more warfare. If everyone just sat down and talked about things reasonably everything could have been resolved without bloodshed. But when does anyone take that angle? And if they would have, there wouldn’t be such a great film, haha.

Serpico [54]

"Frank, let's face it. Who can trust a cop who don't take money?"

Serpico [Pacino] is an honest cop, which means all the more trouble for him. He finds out things he wishes he didn’t and is handed money being passed under the tables. He stands up for himself but no one really seems to care. The ones that do have no way of helping him so he doesn’t know where to go.

This film is based on the real life of a retired NY policeman and starts off with Serpico drenched in blood being driven to the hospital. We work back to where he just started his career and we witness how the corruption around him changed and worried him. He’s good at what he does but let’s others take credit for his work. Seems he can be walked all over but no matter what he doesn’t join in on the corruption and pay-offs.

Serpico’s trying his best to take a stand but the people willing to help either don’t have any connections are too scared to get involved. How far can you get if you’re not trusted within the department?

Move Over, Darling [53]

Ellen [Doris Day] has just been pronounced legally dead, she’s been missing for five years after being in a plane accident. Only one problem, she’s just been found alive. The same morning she gets back home, her husband re-marries and his new wife is doing everything possible to get him into bed with her.

This film is in the comedy section, but I found it hard to laugh sometimes. I mean she just wants her husband back and he wants her but it’s just really bad timing, haha. She doesn’t even know how to go about telling her daughters that she’s her mother and is alive. I was just totally feeling for her, I wanted things to fall back into place, but the odds were against us… I mean 5 years? A lot has changed.

That’s where the humor falls in, she’s trying to gain back her family and trying to understand all the changes that have happened in the world. She’s a very very charming woman with a very kind heart. You can’t help but want the best for her. But oh is she stubborn, she wants everything here and now. Can’t blame her, she’s been stranded on an island with a pervert for the past few years.

Come and See [52]

This has to be one of the most intense movies I’ve ever seen and I’m sure I could never sit through it again. The whole time watching it I kept repeating to myself that I shouldn’t be watching this. This is truly an epic, too bad for me that I can’t handle to see such things.

This film takes place during the Hitler’s “all out war,” so during the Holocaust. We follow young Florya through the horror of it all. We never step foot into the gas chambers, piles of dead bodies, or the real heat of war but we might as well have. Florya is taken from his family to fight against the Germans but then he’s left behind because it doesn’t seem he’ll survive.

Once he’s left alone, the Nazi’s attack and he’s left deaf. He’s slowly going insane throughout the whole film and you can’t help but feel bad for him. The stress he’s going through and all the trauma he’s soaking in slowly starts showing on his face. He’s clearly losing his mind.

We get to see some of the horrible things the Nazi’s did… I’ll let you see everything else by yourself because overall it’s a really good film and it’s bound to leave an impact.

Gandhi [51]

First off, I didn’t know squat about Gandhi before watching this. Just that he was a very influential and peaceful person. And I have to say that after watching this film I really want to know all there is about him and his life.

Film starts off with his assassination and takes us back to who he was before he was named “Father of the Nation” in India. Then we get to the major highlights of his life and his movement; all at a sort of slow pace to throw more details and such into the story.

The film really moved me, mainly because I never heard of the harsh killings and the “non-violence” movement depicted in the film. I was rooting for Ghandi from the beginning; I was dying to know how much he accomplished. Seems the guy was just too good to live in such a world. He was surrounded by so much violence and oppression, it just really just blew my mind that he could stay so peaceful.

I’m sure it’s a great film whether you know nothing about him or if you do. It’s an epic story of one of the most significant and influential people the world has laid eyes on.

"Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

A Hard Day's Night [40]

[Haha, picture reminds me of Vampire Weekend]

“ What would you call that hairstyle you're wearing?”

“Arthur.”

Ah, the Beatles <3.  This film takes place in the height of their career; they’re just boys looking for a good time. They parade, sneak and run around through most of the film and shoot some funny lines here and there. Sort of reminded me of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the sense that it’s innocent and the guys just want to have a good time, relax and bend the rules for a bit.

I loved their sense of humor, some of it I didn’t get but when I did understand it I was just in awe of their quirkiness. They seemed like all around good guys who didn’t like being bossed around (which they were, a lot) but when it came down to it they really loved performing (not like anyone could hear them over the screaming fans).

The soundtrack consists of some of their most familiar songs, the simpler/sweeter ones. Like “All My Loving,” “She Loves You,” and “I’m Just Happy Dancing With You.” Highly recommended for Beatles fans, just in case you haven’t seen it for whatever reason but hey it was my first time watching it. And for anyone looking for that Ferris Bueller innocent sense of humor.

Born Yesterday [39]

I really enjoyed watching this movie. Our girl, Billie, is a “dumb broad” but she doesn’t give a damn, “I’m stupid and I like it,.. as long as I know how to get what I want that’s all I want to know,” she say’s herself. Anyways her corrupt and very wealthy boyfriend hires a journalist to get some smart into her. So he won’t be ashamed of taking her out to meet all the high class people he’s messing with.

Bille gets down talked day in and out, hard to believe she stays with Brock. All they do is scream at each other from rooms away and play card games, sort of amusing to watch but you begin to wonder how she can handle it. Even when she starts picking up a few things here and there and getting more confident about being able to read and understand what it is she’s reading he’ll still call her stupid and make her feel bad.

Bille starts falling for the journalist, who encourages her to keep trying and has nothing but faith in her, and starts to see how corrupt her boyfriend really is. Brock thinks she’s been reading too much and now understands more than she can handle but that’s not even half of it. He’s trying to buy these high-class congressman and she won’t let him take things further. But how do you expect a “dumb broad” and a petty journalist to beat a boss-man like persona at his own game?

The Apartment [38]

“That's the way it crumbles... cookie-wise.”

C.C. Baxter [Jack Lemmon] rents out his apartment to married men so they can… have some extramarital affairs. They’re all guys in the office so they refer him to the boss man and he slowly gets his way up to the higher floors. Doesn’t sound too bad right? Well his world comes crumbling down once he finds out that the elevator girl, Fran [Shirley MacLaine] he’s falling for has already been to his apartment, and he didn’t lead her there.

Fran’s been seeing the boss man and thinks he’s going to leave his wife for her. She tries to push him away but keeps falling into his tricks. He’s been at this for years, seeing a different girl from the office, breaking their heart then moving on to the next one. She finds out about this and as you can imagine, is devastated. She takes one too many sleeping pills over at Baxter’s apartment the night he’s about to get lucky.

He takes care of her, first because the boss asked for his help but then he gets over his heartache and keeps at it with Fran. Too bad for him she’s still too wound up with the bad guy.

This movie is very appealing because it’s elegant, somewhat innocent, quirky and funny. Baxter is a really good guy who keeps a smile on his face, jokes around and can’t really say “no.” But by falling in love he slowly starts overcoming that and starts putting his foot down. You can’t help but hope that Fran opens her eyes and sees how in-love Baxter is with her.

Winchester '73 [37]

 

 

McAdam [James Stewart] enters a shooting competition and wins a sweet Winchester rifle. Too bad he doesn’t even get to engrave his name on it, next thing he knows he’s beaten to the floor and the rifle’s stolen.

[I love movies where different stories intertwine, or when just a bunch of stories/people surround one thing.] And this is one of those, we follow the rifle through many hands. Sometimes people don’t survive the next person who gets it or end up in a very troublesome position.

McAdam is searching for the man who stole his rifle, happens to be the same guy he’s been on the trail of for a while now. What he doesn’t know is that the rifle is switching owners all around him and causing a whole lot of trouble.

Surely a great classic western, with a twist I won’t dare ruin. But my favorite aspect of this movie is really the fact that the rifle sort of plays a main character, might as well be the antagonist.

My Fair Lady [36]

Eliza,[Audrey Hepburn, who’s charming and adorable.. even in rags]who has a horrible London accent, lives on the streets and sells flowers for a living. One night she bumps into Professor Higgins who claims that he could have her speaking so properly that she could go as a duchess to a ball. Hearing this she knows she doesn’t want to live in rags forever and goes to him seeking help. Higgins can be a real sleaze ball and really inconsiderate but when it comes down to what he knows, he knows his stuff.

At first he doesn’t think he’s going to get anywhere with Eliza but keeps on trying now that this has turned into a bet. Soon enough she starts learning phrases in a proper accent. Poor girl is taken for granted though, she gets no credit for all the hard work she’s put in.

This is a very moving story, it’s a musical and I usually am not big on those but all these songs added more to the on-going script and soon enough they were stuck in my head. Other than it being charming its very amusing, with Higgins being such a bachelor and not caring who listens in to what he thinks about women. With lines such as “I find the moment a woman makes friends with me she becomes, jealous, exacting, suspicious and a damn nuisance..” and Higgins singing his own song “Why can’t a woman be more like a man?” the story can’t stay serious.

Little Big Man [35]

Jack Crabb [Hoffman] is a centenarian aging 121 years who tells his AMAZING life story. He watched his parents get killed when he was 10 by Pawnee Indians. Then was taken in by Cheyenne Indians and grew in their lifestyles. He was named Little Big Man because even though he’s little, he’s still strong and brave.

He talks about all the different stages and turning points he’s gone through. From being raised by Indians to being taken into the Christian lifestyle, to being a gunfighter, apprentice, and to his business and wife getting stolen right under him. Just goes to show how random and all over the place life can be, along with love.

This film really impressed me because it could have me rolling around laughing and in a few moments have me cringing at how tragic it gets. Mr.Crabb sees a lot in his days, meets a lot of people who don’t do much good for him and some that help him out immensely. He lives a long life and has been through so much, seems like too much for him to handle when we see him staring off sadly into space in the last few shots. Wonder how someone can deal with copious life lessons, heartache, and deaths and still live to be more than a hundred years old.

The Professionals [34]

This movie is a real treat to watch, the colors are beautiful, the scenery is captivating, the story surely makes for a classic and the characters are so damn interesting.

Four men are sent out to claim a kidnapped wife, they’re all professionals of some sort so for them to come together like this surely makes them unstoppable. One of them is pros in one of the following: military, explosives, horses and Apache skills. Their goal is to enter their fellow soldiers hide out and rescue the woman they’re in this mess for. You’d never think they’d even make it into the hide out, even less blow the whole thing away.

They grab the woman only to realize “they’ve been had.” Maria, the woman worth a hundred thousand dollars, tells them their heartbreaking story but they’ve stuck out their necks to get her and can’t really see themselves giving up everything.

So they keep on the journey, with explosives being lit up here and there; with their fellow soldier on their trail and a woman willing to do anything to escape.

The Last of the Mohicans [33]

 

Hawkeye is the adopted white son to the Indians and is asked to help the British in war. He and his fellow brothers agree, on one condition, that if their homes are attacked they get to leave. The British agree to this and set foot towards their fort. What they don’t know is that the native guide by their side is actually working for their enemy and they’re ambushed. Only a few people survive.. they pass by Hawkeye’s home only to find everyone massacred.
The British don’t stick to their promise, and don’t let the Indians leave for their homes to protect their families. Most of them escape anyways, knowing that if they’re caught they’ll be killed. Hawkeye stays because he’s fallen in love, but is caught anyways for his brothers’ doings.
Hawkeye and Curo’s love came fast and strong but they’re taken apart from each other on several occasions. We get into Hawkeye’s life, and we see how strongly and harshly the Indians take their customs. The cruelness of it all makes me shiver, the scalping and blood spilled everywhere is just overwhelming. A lot of people are tortured for others’ wrongdoings. People are hung, scalped, and burned alive for things they’re not even aware of.

True Grit [32]

“Fill your hands you son of a bitch.” Hard to believe this is the first film John Wayne got an award for, it’s his 139^th film; I would have guessed he’d beat everyone at the academy awards. I mean this guy is such a huge film icon, starred in more than 150 films and all of them were praised.

He plays, Rooster, a one-eyed, drunken, badass Us Marshall hired by a young Mattie Ross. Mattie is just a kid, she has a boyish haircut and man can she take care of herself. Her father was just killed and she’s determined to get the killer hung and avenge her father’s death.

Together they embark on a journey through dangerous territory. And with every passing moment Rooster gets more intrigued by how fearless and determined Mattie is and they form a friendship in which they save each other’s lives over and over again.

The Coen brothers are re-making this movie >.> And as much as I like their films, I don’t really think this one should be touched, but I guess it’d be interesting to see.

Grosse Pointe Blank [31]

Wow, time for me to rant on about John Cusack. He’s one of my most favorite actors, I love the movies where he plays the same quirky, troubled, fast thinking, sentimental yet totally chill and cool guy :3. Like in Must Love Dogs, Serendipity, and High Fidelity. Some of my other favorites are 2012, Being John Malkovich and Martian Child. I just learned right now that he’s a screenwriter and producer, so now I’m even more fascinated.

In this film he plays the guy I mentioned above, he’s a hit man and doesn’t really care who knows it. Even though most people think he’s just goofing off when he tells them he kills for a living, he doesn’t seem to mind whether they believe him or not. Anyways, he just messed up on a job and is tired of the lifestyle. After running out on his prom night from his home town ten years ago, he’s beginning to wonder if things are still the same and if he can get out of this business.

He heads home only to find that his house isn’t there anymore, it’s now a liquor store. He’s desperate to find some meaning or just anything that’ll reassure him that his choice is a good one. He reunites with his high school sweetheart, she’s still angry about him running out on her on prom night, but gives him another shot. People are out to get him and everything turns upside down once he figures out who his last job is.

This is a really funny movie if you enjoy Cusack’s character like I do, the sarcasm he uses so often and how he’s always somehow troubled.

On the Waterfront [30]

Terry Malloy [Marlon Brando] works for Mob boss Johnny Friendly. Terry’s not a smart guy but he is a good guy. After watching Friendly’s henchmen finish off a guy who didn’t deserve it, he starts wondering if he really belongs in that mess. The media and police are after Terry, they know he doesn’t have the smarts and won’t be able to pretend nothing happened, but he does have muscle. 

 

Edie and Father Barry are trying to recruit people to try and get Friendly out of their sight and all the trouble he brings along gone. The good people who work the docks down in New Jersey are terrified of Friendly and his men and they play deaf and dumb to whatever goes on. Terry all in all is very confused about what to do, Friendly took him in when he was just a kid but now he’s just pushed around to do errands and play bait. He falls for Edie, who’s brother was the last guy he unwillingly pushed into Friendly’s grip and he’d do anything to help her. Edie just wants justice, she wants Friendly and his men to rot in jail, but after all the pushing Terry’s been through, he doesn’t act anything other than violent. He can either kill Friendly and rot in jail or testify against him in a court of law and hopefully win the case against him.

Terry knows he’s worth more than what he is, that he deserves more, he could have had a better life, he could have “been a contender.” Poor guy grew up around violence and doesn’t have the brains to see what’s right in front of him.

This is a very dramatic and emotional movie, set in the 50s with black and white. The directing is beautiful because you get this sort of real emotion, time and real people feel. Our eyes are open to so much humiliation, bullying, lying and blood and confusion. The fact that it is based on some true facts and articles just astounds me, they did a great job of letting the feel of it leak through this film.

The Naked Spur [29]

Mm, ending is just astonishing and the love story that grew from all the tension is just a small bonus to the storyline. We really get to see how foolishly people can follow one another and how important trust is when you have to work together with someone else.

Howard Kemp is a bounty hunter looking for a man with a big price on his head. He got help catching him but wasn’t going to reimburse the fine gentlemen for their work. Their prisoner, Ben, lets facts go loose and Jesse and Roy, who blindly helped Howard, decide to tag along and grab a third of the reward.

Ben causes a lot of trouble between the three, with suggestions such as “money splits better two ways than three,” and sending his girl around them to distract the men from himself. Howard gets so irritated by Ben because he brings up the past over and over again and is about ready to kill him a few times but he stands above it. It is no wonder Howard is so ashamed of his past, when he left for war he lost all that he had for love and hopes that the reward for Ben will help gain some of it back.

Tension grows between the gang and they don’t feel as if they can trust each other at all. They have a long journey ahead of them, nowhere to hide out from the rain and Indians roaming around, and their loss of trust doesn’t make anything easier.

Last Train from Gun Hill [28]

 

This is a really fast movie, takes course in a day and had me wondering what is around the corner since the beginning. I’ve never seen a western until a year ago and now they all seduce me so easily. There’s always a hero, a damsel, some shooting and a lot of anticipation and buildup.

Story starts off with a boy and his Indian mother in a carriage headed to visit family. Two men ride up beside them and start causing trouble, and eventually get their way with the boy’s mother. They boy, left to witness, rides home to get help but he’s too late. His father, US Marshal Morgan, by reading the inscription on one of the horses’ saddles knows where the killer came from and heads over to Gun Hill. He finds out the killer is his best friends son and his friend, Belden won’t let him take his son away.

The whole town is under Belden’s hands, they abide his every rule and hide his secrets. They wait for Morgan’s death, they think he’s just being stubborn and should die for going against Belden. The odds are against Belden; No one is willing to lend him a helping hand, he’s in unknown territory with an assignment only a dead man could carry on.

Dances With Wolves [27]

This is the longest movie I’ve ever seen, but I’m not at all disappointed and I can seriously say I was never bored either. The story was nothing like I’ve ever heard so I was reeled in since the beginning. Every time I mentioned what I was watching everyone would bring up “It’s just a less blue Avatar.” I wouldn’t know because I don’t know anything about Avatar, just that it beat Titanic in the box office, but I surely am inclined to watch it since its compared to this work of art.

John Dunbar was a Lietunant/Officer with the Army but after being badly injured he tried to commit suicide, twice. Guy had luck written all over him, he was called out as a hero and was given the right to travel and see the western frontier as soon as he is done healing. He finds a post emptied and decides to wait it out in case anyone heads over and needs help. Here he starts his writings, and starts a lonely lifestyle just waiting to see something.

He encounters Indians, Sioux to be exact and they try to communicate with him, they’re fearful of how many soldiers will pass by there and what they’re capable of. John is discreet about that information, he knows he has to stay loyal to the army but he never lays eyes on any soldiers and his duty as lieutenant slowly fades. He’s amazed by the Sioux, how they’re so close with each other, how they protect and always look after each other. Slowly he starts to become their friend and they fight and celebrate together.

The story just kept unraveling and dragging me in, leaving me scared and wondering what will happen next.  John finds a new home with the Sioux and the Army won’t have it, they call him a traitor and are ready to execute him because he’s not willing to turn in his friends. We can see his determination from the beginning, how he wants to die with honor and we know how disgusted he is by those who kill for no reason. The world surrounding the Sioux camp is just horrible, at least the people are, the grass is always green and the water clear. The other tribes and soldiers walk around soulless, killing with smiles on their faces and without any appreciation for the animals and people surrounding them.

The Mummy [26]

Wow, first film I’ve seen in HD, made it cooler than it already is. I remember watching this as a kid and to this day those damn bugs creep me out.

Rick O’Connell [Brendan Frasier] is an explorer who was captured in Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, while trying to explore the remains there. Evelyn, a librarian fascinated by ancient Egypt and whatever’s left of it, helps set him free and they start a journey back to Hamunaptra. They accidentally resurrect a mummy who brings with him the curse of death, the plagues of Egypt and much more evil. The mummy is trying to gain back human skin by killing and hopes to resurrect the love of his life and keep on churning chaos. It’s up to Rick and Evelyn to put a stop to all this but the mummy is behind their every move. They don’t even know what they can do to put him back in his crypt, or if it’s even possible.

The special effects are chilling, and add this creepy eerie feeling to the film. I wouldn’t consider it a horror movie without it. It’s a very entertaining film, full of one liner jokes and quirky characters. I don’t remember much about the other Mummy films, this one stuck on me even as a kid. Great adventure story and holds a form of “innocence.”

The Day the Earth Stood Still [25]

Klaatu is an otherworldly human-ish being who arrives in Washington with an important message for the US but no one really gives a listen. He’s shot on sight and kept captive in a hospital, but of course he gets out. He’s looking for anyone in power that will take him seriously and help him get his message out.

He makes friends with a young boy, Bobby and starts gaining more perspective on humans and their surroundings; which makes him more worried about his message not being sent out. He doesn’t want to have to kill off Earth so he’ll do what he can to help. He befriends a professor who is highly interested in him and his mission and decides to help. By now, the military and everyone else is keeping an eye out for this so called “monster.” It’s not his fault the civilians are so violent and don’t have trust for anything they can’t grasp onto, seems humanity is headed in the wrong direction and might as well be the real monster.

The special effects are adorable, and I tried to watch this film in a way to capture why it’s a classic [as I’m trying to do with every other film in this book] and try not to let my knowledge, or lack of, the movie world get in the way. This generation is so used to everything being fast, and we’re always tapping our feet and jittering around in movie theatres when movies are moving too slow for us. I want to be able to appreciate the classics and see what people saw in these films at their first showing and it’s not that hard when there are such great movies as these around.

Chicago [24]

What a sexy movie! Full of sex appeal, wonderful singing, spotlights and murder. We get to see Zeta-Jones, Zellweger, John C. Reilly, Richard Gere and Queen Latifah dance around and sing in this film-noir/comedy/musical. 

Roxie Hart [Renée Zellweger] just wants to be a star, to be able to sing in front of an audience and for them to love her. She’s fooling around behind her husband and gets smacked around a bit and is told she’ll never make it in “the business” but she won’t take it. She ends up in death row, alongside Velma Kelly [Catherine Zeta-Jones] who she’s a huge fan of. Kelly is a famous singer who killed her husband and sister after catching them together. Kelly is trying to smooth her way out of jail with the help of the deathrow ring leader and a very famous lawyer. Roxie’s a sweetheart and it doesn’t seem like she’ll last long in these waters but she grabs hold of Kelly’s lawyer and things start looking up.

Roxie is very imaginative; she keeps her head in the clouds, imagining how things would be glamoured up and with everyone singing their song. She gets her taste of fame but it doesn’t last long, trouble is always stirring up in these Chicago streets and no one’s name stays on the headlines for long.