The Winslow Boy (1999)

The Winslow Boy

Call No: TEMP 1130

I seem to be on a British movies kick lately. I’m not sure what it is exactly that I love so much about them. Maybe it’s the quiet charm and elegance. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the period movies. Or maybe I’m cleansing my film palette with some quiet, subtle films before I get swept away in the inevitable tide of busy, action-packed summer blockbusters. In any rate, the subtlety of some of the films that the Brits produce manage to satisfy my craving for a good story, intriguing characters and a charming setting.

Based on a play of the same name by Terence Rattigan, The Winslow Boy is a movie about pursuing the truth, no matter what the risk and the sacrifices made. When Ronnie, the youngest Winslow, is expelled from a prominent academy on accusations of stealing, the family is determined to seek out justice. Their best chance of achieving it is in the hopes of recruiting Sir Robert Morton, an exceptional lawyer, charismatic orator and member of the House of Commons. Through the determination of Morton, Ronnie’s father and his sister Katherine, the Winslow boy’s reputation might be saved... but at what cost?

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

I Know Where I’m Going!

Call No: PN1995.9.M27 I3 2001

One of the reasons that I wanted to watch this movie was for the premise. When I see films that are part of the Criterion Collection, they’re usually of a certain calibre of quality. Rarely are they straightforward or simple. They often strike me as the equivalent of literature – not excessively popular, usually exceptional, but of a particularly acquired taste. Imagine my surprise when I found I Know Where I’m Going as part of the collection – a film which, in its simplest description, reads like a romantic dramedy (comedy/drama). Now that I’ve watched the film, I can understand why the Criterion Collection has adopted it under its name and released it. It can be considered a romantic dramedy, but at its heart it is a film meant for the people of Scotland.

Joan Webster has never had a problem chasing down what she wants in life. So when she decides that she wants to marry a rich Scottish lord on his private island in the Scottish Hebrides, nobody doubts her determination. Unfortunately the weather has other plans, and Joan is forced to wait out the storm with Torquil, a naval officer who has taken leave to come home for a week. Suddenly Joan’s plans aren’t as clear as she thought, and the person she’ll have to convince the most that she still knows where she’s going is herself.

Far From Heaven (2002)

Far From Heaven

Call No: PN1997.F296 2003

I knew little to nothing about what the film Far from Heaven was going to be about, though from the trailer I could gather enough of a plot together in my own head. The plot I conjured up was fairly straightforward and very common. Having now seen the film, I was pleasantly surprised that this film does not convey your typical story. It is far more complicated, more moving, and more thought provoking than that. Though this isn’t a film for everyone, it is a good example of a film moving past typical expectations while still not wanting to risk everything and become too controversial. It is a compliment to and enhancement of All That Heaven Allows, the film it is inspired by.

Cathy Whitaker is a perfect wife, mother and friend. She supports her husband, helps her children in every way possible, and is often cited as an inspiration to others in the society pages. But her perfect life is shattered without warning by the actions of her husband Frank. Trying to keep some semblance of a life intact and fighting to keep both her secrets and her sanity, she finds comfort in her friendship with her gardener Raymond Deagan. Tensions rise and women begin to gossip, and it’s only a matter of time before Cathy faces decisions that could jeopardize the lives of everyone she cares about.

Chocolat (2000)

Chocolat

Call No: PN1997 .C445 2000b

Chocolat has always been one of those movies that I’m familiar with, but I’ve never seen. I knew it was based on a book that I’d never read. I knew it was nominated for a few Oscars that it didn’t win. And, because I have a sister and a mother who are both die-hard fans, I knew it had Johnny Depp. I watched the film and expected some kind of romantic storyline, maybe even of the rom-com variety. What I saw was something deeper than what the general summary suggested there would be.

Make no mistake, there is some romance, but it is hardly the center of the film. Juliette Binoche plays Vianne, a single mother who moves on with her daughter to a new life every time the north wind blows. Unfortunately for her, the new town she moves into is very traditional and religious, hardly a promising place to open her new chocolate shop, especially in the middle of Lent. Despite the scorn of the mayor (Alfred Molina) and townspeople, Vianne stirs up changes and manages to befriend a cynical old woman (Judi Dench), a frightened wife (Lena Olin), and a river drifter (Johnny Depp) in the process. But the troubles of Vianne and her friends are far from simple, and it is only a matter of time before the north wind blows again.

Musicals Week: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Singin’ in the Rain

Call No: PN1997 .S523 1997

Musicals week just wouldn’t be fitting without reviewing Singin’ in the Rain, the film many consider to be not only the greatest musical of all time, but one of the best films ever made. The film captured the hearts of many with its incredible music, entertaining characters and simplistic storyline. I have to admit that the first time I watched it, I had no idea what I was in for. I knew nothing about it and had no idea what the premise was. It wasn’t long before I was swept up in the magic of the film.

Here’s the story: It’s the golden age of silent film, and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lena Lamont (Jean Hagen) are stars of their studio, Monumental Pictures. Don is on top of the world with his best friend Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) and newfound love Kathy (Debbie Reynolds) by his side. Unfortunately, talking pictures are becoming popular. Unless the studio and the duo can come up with a successful talking picture, their careers are finished. There’s just one problem: Lena, though beautiful, doesn’t exactly have the voice to match.

Pygmalion (1938)

Pygmalion

Call No: TEMP 875

Before Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison made history with the musical smash My Fair Lady, Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard played the perfect opposites of Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison. Based on the play of the same name, Pygmalion is an example of a film that remains as entertaining today as it was when it was released. Fans of My Fair Lady will have an unusual experience with the absence of characters breaking into song. Readers of the original work by George Bernard Shaw may be surprised by the change in the ending (which Shaw, writing the screenplay for this film, changed himself). That having been said, this film adaptation of Pygmalion is much more enjoyable as one might think.

Eliza Doolittle is a flower girl with a cockney accent that Professor Henry Higgins finds insulting during their first accidental meeting, calling her speech an “incarnate insult to the English language”. Having incredible confidence in himself as a professor of speech and phonetics, he makes a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering that he can pass Eliza off as a duchess. That is, if Eliza and the Professor don’t kill each other first.