Film spree

My husband and I have been on quite a film spree lately (me being slightly unemployed, him being on holiday from med school). In the last two days we thought we should start making some headway through our DVD collection.

So we started with the Bourne trilogy which I must say are very good, but not amazing. Even though Ultimatum was definitely the best of the three, the final revelation wasn't quite as dramatic as the climax of a trilogy should be. I reckon it worked better in the book. Or maybe the film just underplayed it, opting instead for some rather glorious - if not a bit jumpy - fight scenes. Although I enjoyed watching the three Bourne films, the editing gave me a bit of a headache, and I know I sound like a grandma.

The next film we watched was Goodfellas. And that is a great film. I think I prefer it even to the Godfather saga. I don't know why, because objectively Godfather II is really a spectacular movie. The bit with the christening and the murders is one of the most wonderful of all film moments, I think (which gives me an idea for another post someday). However, altogether, I think the Godfather movies are just too... long. I know that sounds shallow for a piece of criticism but materialistic factors are still factors. Goodfellas is more contained and more of a life story. Perhaps I prefer it because it's more straightforward. Usually I like complex films but maybe because I've only watched the Godfather films after I've forgotten what's happened in the last one, I just get confused.

Ray Liotta is excellent in Goodfellas, but it's really all about the scenes with Joe Pesci. He's just a car crash waiting to happen, isn't he?

Next we watched Dirty Harry. My dad always goes on about 'Clint', and he was very cool. But that villain! Hilarious! Loved watching him become this limping, murdering, paedophile rapist - he doesn't really fit a profile does he? He's just EVIL. I think I was laughing at that film more than I was supposed to.

Last night we watched Rain Man. I know, I know, I can't believe I've never seen it before either! My friends always go on about it to me: "A film major who hasn't seen Rain Man...?!"

So now I've seen it. And it was great. Dustin Hoffman is my new hero. He's just so good in it. In fact Tom Cruise was excellent too. What's happened to him nowadays?

Following in the Hoffman vein, we just watched Midnight Cowboy, with Hoffman and Jon Voigt (who I still can't believe fathered the big-lipped alien that is Angelina Jolie). It was a really weird film. Apparently the only X-rated film to have won a Best Picture Oscar. Not that we have X-rated in England, but it wasn't that bad was it? Only a bit of nudity, drugs and prostitution, right?

It's one of those films I think of as snapshots: they're just a really random portrait of a certain time in the protagonists's life. Memories of before are shown but not fully explained, and then it just ends. It's a good but terrible film. Just so sad. I really liked it.

So what's next? I'll keep you posted.