A mesmerized innocent

The Movie: The Bridge On the River Kwai, directed by David Lean
Recommendation: AFI top 100.
Reason: Okay, so maybe I lied when I said I wasn't working my way through the AFI top 100. Not all of it, but a cross section. Some. Most.

Number thirteen on the AFI's top 100 list is a pretty prestigious spot to hold (especially with Strangelove sitting at 26, the charlatans). Did The Bridge on the River Kwai earn it? I'd say definitely. Best picture of its year, best actor of its year and a whole stack of other awards came its way, and I'd say they were definitely well deserved. The script, cinematography and score were excellent underpinnings to some wonderful performances.

This is the part where Sir Alec Guinness gets his apologies. I know I mentioned in an earlier review (of Last Holiday) the propensity of pretty much everyone to remember him entirely for Obi Wan Kenobi, the role he hated the most. Until fairly recently, I haven't had the opportunity to see many of his other works. His performance in Kwai was stunning. It was a case of the actor disappearing into the role. He elevated what could have been a schlocky Heart of Darkness-esque performance into a very real experience. He was truly one of the greatest of his generation, and I've unearthed a quote of his that I believe sums up his point of view on acting quite nicely. "An actor is an interpreter of other men's words, often a soul which wishes to reveal itself to the world but dare not, a craftsman, a bag of tricks, a vanity bag, a cool observer of mankind, a child, and at his best a kind of unfrocked priest who, for an hour or two, can call on heaven and hell to mesmerise a group of innocents."

It was an excellent movie, in short. Two hours and forty minutes long, and I don't think a minute was wasted. The performances were excellent. I'm certain I'll be re-viewing the ending for awhile to come.

-18/365 down, 347/365 to go.

Czech Republic is a gorgeous country

The Movie: Last Holiday, directed by Wayne Wang
Recommendation: Dee's mom
Reason: She thought it was a very funny movie, and also very good.

I'm very fond of recent trends in filmmaking that involve going to Czech Republic. The architecture and scenery is wonderful to look at, whether the movie itself is any good (ahem, xXx, Van Helsing...you get the picture). Not to say that Last Holiday was a bad movie. It was sweet and easy to watch, with Queen Latifah putting forth her usual entertaining performance.

The original movie starred Alec Guinness, and I haven't any experience with it. The premise was interesting, and there were some intriguing subtexts to several scenes in the film. I was struck, in particular, by the church scene. As Georgia calls out to God, asking why she's been singled out for punishment, the parishoners begin to take up her call. She walks through the church, singing and praying, and the congregation builds to a crescendo...but none of them know why she's questioning God, and so none of them can really share in her emotion in that moment. They're parroting, following along, saying what they think they should. Kind of the way people tend to act around the sick and the dying. If that was the intent of the scene, I actually thought it was well done. If it wasn't...well, I'm obviously reading too much into what was otherwise a sweetly forgettable popcorn flick.

Liked the movie. It was a nice, light evening's entertainment. I'd like to see the original, being a fan of non-Kenobi Sir Alec Guinness (please don't come back from the dead and smite me, sir). Maybe I'll pop it onto my list.

-15/365 down, 350/365 to go