Written for the blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Play Along!
If I'm being honest, I kind of wanted to be really super obvious with this week's stated theme of Movies With (a) Colour in the Title and just go with the individual pieces of Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs trilogy here, but, dammit today is my birthday and I shan't take the obvious path! It is simply not in my nature! And so, without further ado...
Red Eye (2005, Wes Craven) Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest trailer EVER. Okay, maybe not EVER, but definitely one of them (why yes, I do love a good trailer, thanks for asking!). Craven's actually-not-at-all-supernatural thriller isn't quite the mindfuck the trailer seemingly sells, but somehow that works in the movie's favor. Everything feels fresh and surprising, despite us having seen it all before, precisely because of that feeling that there's something lurking just around the corner, outside the frame. Craven, liberated from slashers and monsters and confining himself to one claustrophobic set for most of the (relatively short) running time, is at the peak of his powers here, as are stars Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. Red Eye is a nasty, tight little thriller, perfectly paced and with zero fat. It's the kind of mid-range B-movie you wish Hollywood would make more of, until you realize there's no way they could all possibly be this good.
Touch of Pink (2004, Ian Iqbal Rashid) Alim, a young-ish gay Canadian (of Indian heritage), is happily living in London with his long-term boyfriend Giles, but is so repressed that he still talks to his imaginary friend: a version of in-the-closet Old Hollywood movie star Cary Grant, played with just the right amount of flair by Kyle MacLachlan. Touch of Pink (playing off the title of one of Grant's films, That Touch of Mink) is not a great film, but it's definitely one of my favorite gay films. Taking its cue from MacLachlan's delightful performance, it has just the right lightness of touch. The script is pretty standard-issue gay rom-com stuff (Alim's mom comes to visit, he panics and at the urging of Cary Grant, pushes himself back into the closet), but the actors all know how to make it sing, giving this puffball of a movie a sprightly, enjoyable bounce.
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, Woody Allen) Simply put, a must for anyone who loves movies. Who among us hasn't wanted to live in a movie, or to have one of our favorite characters as a friend? I'll have more to say on this one soon (it's a Blind Spot), but for now I'll just say that what I love most about Woody Allen's scrumptious film is how absolutely seriously it takes its fantastical premise.
BONUS SHORT FILMS: The House is Black (1963, Forugh Farrokhzad) If you haven't seen this masterful short, just go to YouTube and do it now. Contrasting powerful, haunting images of an Iranian leper colony and Farrokhzad's readings of the Bible, the Koran, and her own beautiful poetry, The House is Black is twenty minutes of stunning, unforgettable cinema.
The Red Balloon (1956, Albert Lamorisse) One of my all-time favorites, this sweet short is perfect. This is childhood, pure and simple.
Purple Rose of Cairo is one of my favorite films...EVER! Woody's best, if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of A Touch of Pink, but I'm intrigued.
I'm so happy to see The Red Balloon mentioned too...it's such a beautiful film.
I don't think I've seen enough of Woody's oeuvre to definitively say, but Purple Rose is definitely my favorite so far! The Red Balloon is just... I love it so. It's a classic, full stop.
DeleteYes, Red Eye! I loved that film. Short, intense, to the point. Now no one wants to fly next to Cillian Murphy.
ReplyDeleteOh I would still TOTALLY fly next to Cillian Murphy!
Delete...as long as I was on the aisle.
Of course Red Eye is the only one of these I've seen, but I'll agree it is a great movie. As someone who has taken an action movie class, I can definitely see some of the influence of previous movements (there are some elements of the "Die Hard on an X" formula popularized in the 90's) but it really does its own thing and never really fits into any one category.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree - it comes really close to being a basic "woman in peril" exploitation flick, but McAdams's Lisa is (as you mention in your piece) really smart, and uses her smarts to come out on top. And it presents all these plot elements that should be tropes, but subverts them (or when it doesn't, uses them to its advantage).
DeletePurple Rose of Cairo! I hoped someone would pick that one. Great pick! I haven't seen your others. Red Eye always seemed interesting. Need to check that one out.
ReplyDeleteRed Eye is great, and super short. You can squeeze it in any time!
DeleteLove all of your picks. You describe Red Eye perfectly, it is super lean and tense. It does feel like one of those genre films that they use to pump out in the studio days one right after another that because all the elements happened to fall into place turned out to be a gem.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the spotlight fall on Touch of Pink! Suleka Mathew is a scream as Alim's mother and Kyle is very playful as Cary. His crack about how the plastic on the furniture keeps the evil fresh gives me a chuckle every time. Such a fun, cute movie.
Hannah and Her Sisters is more of a favorite but Purple Rose is one of Woody's best most inventive films and probably Mia's best performance in any of his movies.
I love the Red Balloon, just as you say pure and simple. I'm going to check out The House is Black as soon as I have a chance.
You're exactly right about Red Eye - the script by itself probably isn't anything special despite its perfect structure, but add perfect stars, the exact right director, and a crack editing team, and it's pretty much perfect.
DeleteSo heartened by the love for Touch of Pink! Yes, I LOVE Suleka Mathew in this - she was who I was thinking of when I mentioned the actors knowing just how to make the material sing. She's perfect - everyone in the film is, really.
LOVE Hannah and Her Sisters! This was the first time I'd seen Mia in a Woody movie, and I totally get it. She's a joy to watch and her line readings are perfection.
Let me know what you think of The House is Black!
I liked The Purple Rose of Cairo and it definitely warrants a re-watch. Touch of Pink sounds like a good film, putting it on my watch list!
ReplyDelete