Movies:
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: When I found out Matthew hadn't seen this and we were in need of something appropriate for Valentine's Day, it was a no-brainer. Smart, creative, fun foreign movie with an oh so delightful tricky twist that still freaks me out every time.
She
Wore a Yellow Ribbon: The loooooongest film I've seen ever, including LOTR, Gone with the Wind, and whatever else you say in the comments. This film would NOT end. There were so many back-to-square-one moments in this film and plots that kept circling around each other that I quickly felt entirely sympathetic with the characters who wanted to get out and head back East (I think at one point I even envied the dead characters). The end was touching, and there were several powerful, resonant moments, but I'm not sure the view was worth the all-day hike to get there.
Silver
Lode: I watched this right after She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, so I was all set to hate it (since, you know, the last thing you want to do after watching an insanely long film is to watch ANOTHER film), which makes the following statement all the more profound: This film was FANTASTIC. Not a single moment felt unnecessary or tangential - everything was direct and to the point, and the plot unfolded in an exciting and unexpected yet realistic way. The performances were excellent, the story was interesting, the characters were intriguing, and it all felt fresh and new, despite taking on for its premise the same High Noon story that has been done to death. This might be my favorite film from western class so far.
The
Diving Bell and the Butterfly: I've heard of this film for a while, and was glad and proud that I forced myself to go out and see it on a Saturday when I would normally be sleeping, eating, or lounging. It was really remarkable how much the film managed to show and convey of the character's struggle to have a meaningful life when it seemed like everything had been taken away. There is some gorgeous, creative, and extremely intimate cinematography, acting, and writing going on here (the father's phone call was especially heartbreaking for me). It also really made me want to watch El Mar Adentro, another film about assisted living for the paralyzed with a rather different take (at least, so I hear).
Jesse and Celeste Forever: Stupidest film I've seen in a while. I have never regretted getting a free film from Redbox more than this one. Ugh ugh stupid ugh can't even talk about it anymore.
The Far Country: Bit of a weird western. It somehow managed to cram in all the usual elements while still feeling unfamiliar and eccentric. I was a bit surprised at Jimmy Stewart's nonchalance and emotional detachment from things (up until the climax, that is, because duh), but still felt he and everyone else in the cast did a pretty good job (with the possible exception of that one extremely annoying and always right about everything woman) making a very typical, generic story feel somewhat newer and realer. Also I feel like I know more about Alaska now, which is cool.
Man of the West: I hated the first 1/3 of this film - boring, bland, and bizarrely un-western. Things got better in the second third, when conflict and character development were introduced, but everything sort of tapered off and crumbled before the actual climax arrived, making it feel like a tired, sad, weak version of a western (possibly on purpose?). I especially didn't like the casting of Gary Cooper in the main role - he just seemed way too old and straight-laced to have the mysterious, disturbed background that the character is meant to have.
Forty
Guns: Aside from its gorgeous opening sequence, I really didn't find this film all that memorable. It was pretty difficult to tell the trio of protagonist brothers apart from each other, let alone get emotionally invested in them, and I ended up rooting for the troublemakers just to keep things interesting and moving along. It also had a weirdly street gangster feel to it, as if all the gunfighters and cowboys were really city mobsters and detectives in a noir film. There was even a femme fatale. And it was even Barbara Stanwyck (of Double Indemnity!).
Johnny
Guitar: Bit of a wild card as far as your traditional westerns go, but I liked it. A lot of conflict, emotion, violence, and some really crazy characters. Never fear - Johnny does play the guitar, and he also shoot guns. It was sort of obvious what was going to happen in this film, but how it happened was sure interesting.
Theater:
Henry
V: A super shortened version of the play, with many liberties taken. I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I had gone expecting to see "Henry V," but I went in knowing it was for children, and it was about as good as I expected it to be. There were several unexpectedly poignant moments (Henry V praying in the battlefield stood out in particular; the song at the end) and I was surprised at how little the fact that Henry V was a woman bothered me once things really got going. And there was some cool choreography with sticks.
Books:
Don
Quixote (part 1): My mom read this to us once when I was about fourteen or fifteen. Back then I thought it had some funny moments but was overall too longwinded and tangential. My opinion remains about the same, although I appreciated the irony, craft, and subtext behind the writing much more this time around. I was still totally wiped out by the time Part 1 ended, though. Doubt I'll ever read Part 2.
Straight
Man: Darkly cynical and fairly hilarious commentary on modern academic life. I wouldn't really recommend it to people in general due to the coarseness and bitterness, but the overwrought, despairing academic graduate students and English majors might get a kick of reading about the lunacy and drudgery that awaits them. I felt the author went over the top in making a few of his points, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was actually also his point.
A
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court: A humorous yet highly moralistic and soul-searching work by Mark Twain. I quite enjoyed it, though the second half definitely fell into a more serious and darker examination of human nature than I was expecting. It was good, but a little depressing. I also have to say I enjoyed the version I got from the Orem library because it included illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. Love her!
