Hello, and welcome back to another monthly film wrap-up. This one comes a tad late as my March long project pertaining to the Little Women universe took a bit longer than anticipated to finish. Anyway… Here we are! March was a pretty solid viewing month. If you, by chance, read my last article doing a deep dive on Little Women in film you will know they took up a small portion of the month. Besides that we have a good varied lot to go over…
Titanic (1997)
Starting off the month we were lucky enough to catch the latest theatrical outing of Titanic before it left again. I was fortunate enough to have seen it on the big screen back in 2012 which has always been a nice memory. Like that outing this showing was also presented in the 3-D format. I can kind of get the rationale behind this as you would think it would add even more to the final sinking portion; but in all honesty I don’t think it added enough to feel really warranted and I would’ve actually preferred just a regular presentation. Regardless it is still a superb romantic epic. So much meticulous detail and care was put into crafting this film and it is all appreciated. Every actor is perfectly suited to their roles and all are set against the grandest backdrop of the Titanic.
The Heroic Trio (1993)
One of the Criterion Channel streaming service highlights for the month of March was a robust selection of Michelle Yeoh’s filmography. There are many thrilling and action packed films selected but I found myself most intrigued by The Heroic Trio duology. I can’t help but be swayed by a campy 1990s action flick following the plight of some badass ladies. The first outing did not disappoint! This film definitely puts into perspective the minor differences between western and eastern takes on action. This film is packed with stunts and sprinkled with humor, but it isn’t afraid to do things that may make you do a double take. I won’t spoil but some scenes may make you pause and think, “Did they just do that?”. The Heroic Trio is very ballsy and a real thrill.
Shanghai Express (1932)
Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg may have had a complicated working relationship at times but you can’t deny that he shot her on film like art in motion. This is particularly the case with Shanghai Express. Dietrich floats across the screen in this shadowy romantic drama, many shots frame her with the lighting hitting her just so. These frames often evoke deep melancholy and her character’s inner isolation. The film itself plays out like a tight and tense ensemble drama as a cast of characters board a Chinese train during a time of war and civil unrest. Betrayal and misunderstanding abound before everyone disembarks at last in Shanghai.
Little Women (1933)
Please refer to my previous blog for my thoughts on Little Women (1933) –
Little Women on Film
San Andreas (2015)
As far as Dwayne Johnson’s movies go I find that I take them or leave them. I usually enjoy myself in a harmless popcorn fun kind of way but they rarely ever leave an impression on me. San Andreas was different though as it keyed into one of my favorite sub-genres – the disaster film and borrowed many themes you may find in a Roland Emmerich flick… That being estranged parents coming together in the midst of environmental calamity with a couple of plucky kids thrown in the mix. The action set pieces were all gripping and worked to amp up the weighted drama as the film went along. All in all a good time was had by all when watching this.
M*A*S*H (1970)
In preparation for starting a M*A*S*H show rewatch (first time for me as my husband is a well-seasoned fan), we decided to kick things off with the original film. As I write this we are now currently starting season 4 of the show and I really enjoy it… I don’t know if I can fully extend such warm feelings to the Robert Altman film though. I love the Altman films I have seen prior to this, and as I said the show is really working for me… But the movie? I hate to say it but it just didn’t work for me. It seems to really lean into the bro mentality of the military and the sexism that went with it. Given the time this coulee just been innocent and cheeky, but the films takes it too far where many jokes just feel cruel. I didn’t find many of the main characters that likable and many jokes just felt pushed way too far. I’m glad that the television re-working flows much better and wish that the film could’ve been a similar experience.
Little Women (1949)
Please refer to my previous blog for my thoughts on Little Women (1949)-
Little Women on Film
Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin is one of those Disney Renaissance era films that I never got around to sitting down with for a proper viewing experience until now. It was a film that teachers would sometimes show portions off before a holiday break that I remember portions of but not fully as you hardly saw a movie in full before a class bell rang. I never owned it on VHS as a kid so it never became a go-to as other films of the era did for me. Seeing it in full as an adult though I found it a fun a enjoyable experience. The art design feels sweeping across the fictional city of Agrabah, and the comic workings of Robin Williams feel fresh before the overly humorous sidekick template got overused in subsequent films of the era. Overall a fun Disney watch I’ll like to revisit again one day.
Executioners (1993)
The sequel to The Heroic Trio is good but didn’t seem to hit the high notes that its predecessor did which is a shame. The biggest reason I think this sequel falters is because the heightened action trills are traded for bureaucracy and the trio themselves are divided for much of the run-time. The choices made in this outing aren’t all in all bad but they fall short and don’t work together as smoothy. It comes together feeling rushed and at times too convuloted for its own good.
Friendly Persuasion (1956)
You might not expect a dramedy focused on the day to day lives of a quaker family to be that enlightening, but Friendly Persuasion does just that and more. Despite its subjects it never comes of as preachy or saccharine. Set against the backdrop of the Civil War it actually seems to covey a pasifist message against violence for violence’s sake. The cast is pretty exceptional with a particuarly memorable performance from Anthony Perkins. A feel good movie with a lot of heart and a message that still resonates today.
Little Women (1978)
Please refer to my previous blog post for my thoughts on Little Women (1978) –
Little Women on Film
Tall Story (1960)
One of my favorite sub-genre of films is sex comedies of the 1950s and 1960s. They just feel so cheeky and stylish in conveying their wink-wink/nudge-nudge innuendos. This rings true for Tall Story. The film is a skewer of American campus life for young adults in mid-century America, it pairs together Jane Fonda in her film debut, and Anthony Perkins who would be a few months shy of his most memorable role in Psycho (1960). Perkins stars as a star basketball player and straight-A student, with Fonda being the enterprising girl looking for a beau to hook. A solid supporting cast rounds out things and the jokes abound.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
You can’t be circling the Easter holidays without squeezing in a religious epic of some sort. Kingdom of Heaven has nothing to do with the origins of Easter but it is a religious tinged epic that hits the spot nonetheless. Without going further I will state that this version is the director’s cut which seems to be the preferred version overall. Ridley Scott crafts together a brutal and bloody retelling of the Third Crusade and the battle over the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Orlando Bloom here is at the height of his early 2000’s popularity and the supporting cast around him is robust. There is forbidden romance and betrayals that all weave together in an epic tapestry.
Little Women (1994)
Please refer to my previous blog post for my thoughts on Little Women (1994) –
Little Women on Film
Key Largo (1948)
You can’t go wrong with any of the films that paired Humphrey Bogart with Lauren Bacall. They all play on different themes but all hold up exceptionally well. With Key Largo you get a claustrophobic drama set against a raging Floridian hurricane. The tenseness unfolds like a stage play as we a restricted to the interior of seaside hotel in the off-season. Resentments and complicated feelings boil under the service with things coming to a head in a heightened climax out at sea. Bogart and Bacall’s chemistry is no less apparent here as their character’s attraction slowly unfolds.
Little Women (2019)
Please refer to my previous blog post for my thoughts on Little Women (2019) –
Little Women on Film
March 2023 Final Tally
Below are my top three favorite first time watches of the month. Films I not seen fully but really charmed me.
~ The Heroic Trio (1993)
~ Friendly Persuasion (1956)
~ Tall Story (1960)
Below I included two films for a little separate mention… They weren’t completely new to me as I had seen bits and pieces of them prior but this month was the first time I saw both properly and in full and I enjoyed both a lot!
Toujours Katie 