The Oscar race is over, life has started to settle into a pattern, and everyone, including me, has started returning to their everyday activities. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve gone without seeing any movies, with a few at home while working and two in theaters. The only new release of the bunch was Paddington 2, and while I’m not sure if I’ll review it, I can confirm it’s charming and wonderful and perfect. See it when it comes to DVD soon.
At home, I started my journey through another round of classics with the controversial 1996 Best Picture winner The English Patient. And I’ll say this about the film: it’s too long, and perhaps a little overhyped, but the love story still holds up, and damn if that cast isn’t marvelous. I’m going to have to disagree with Elaine Benis on this one. I also watched the original 1950 Father of the Bride, which somehow doesn’t feel as fresh as the 1990s version, but I’ll choose Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor any day, especially if Tracy gets drunk during the film. I spent the rest of the week falling asleep early, so not much happened in the interim, but I did take my brother to see The Shape of Water in theaters. It was a packed theatre, ranging from teenagers to 80-year-old women. And I can tell you now, they applauded not once, but twice during the film. And it was in that moment I understood why it won Best Picture. As for my brother, he feels the same way I do (and have listed in my glowing review, which I stand by): while we didn’t absolutely fall head-over-heels in love with it, the film is so remarkably refreshing and wonderful, we can’t help but love it. And I closed out my week with the 1994 masterpiece Cabin Boy. I love Chris Elliott’s work and his television magnum opus Get A Life, so I adored Cabin Boy from the fish-based beginning to its ridiculous end. What can I say? It’s my style of humor.
On television, I found my viewing sorely lacking. I missed Gianni Versace and Atlanta, which I hope to catch up on soon, and Tuesday’s lineup was replaced with The Bachelor, which I refuse to watch after all they went through in the second half of last year. I did, however, watch Modern Family, which was easily the best episode they’ve done in ages. And on Thursday, I got to see Les Misérables live onstage, which is always a wonderful experience.
What about you? Did you watch more than me this week? Anything on TV or onstage? Let me know in the comments, and I hope to have some reviews to you soon, between Netflix and finally seeing A Wrinkle in Time and Thoroughbreds. See you soon!
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