Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.
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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Period Dramas
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I'm picking recent watches. And it's a theme within a theme, all the posters have the leads in profile shots.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Phantom Thread (2017)
It's an ok drama. Moody but on the dull side. And for a movie about a dressmaker the costumes didn't really stand out that much.
Darkest Hour (2017)
I liked this much more than the Phantom Thread. I like talky movies so this, which is mostly people arguing on whether to negotiate a surrender, was right up my alley. And Oldman put in a good performance. He was also unrecognizable as Churchill, the only way you could tell it was him underneath all the prosthetic and makeup was his eyes. The bit I didn't like was the Underground scene, it was presented in a rather cheesy manner.
The Little Stranger (2018)
This has the lowest IMDB rating out of the three but I enjoyed it the most. It's a slow burning creepy gothic mystery about a country doctor who forges a relationship with a family who owns a crumbling manor where strange things begin to occur.
I liked this much more than the Phantom Thread. I like talky movies so this, which is mostly people arguing on whether to negotiate a surrender, was right up my alley. And Oldman put in a good performance. He was also unrecognizable as Churchill, the only way you could tell it was him underneath all the prosthetic and makeup was his eyes. The bit I didn't like was the Underground scene, it was presented in a rather cheesy manner.
The Little Stranger (2018)
This has the lowest IMDB rating out of the three but I enjoyed it the most. It's a slow burning creepy gothic mystery about a country doctor who forges a relationship with a family who owns a crumbling manor where strange things begin to occur.
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Amazingly, I don't think I know any of these movies. The only title I recognize is Darkest Hour, but I haven't actually seen that one. I know I've seen Winston Churchill depicted in a variety of other sources and he is... quite the character.
ReplyDeleteOh yes HBO did a couple of TV movies on him and more recently John Litghow played him in The Crown.
DeleteI like your theme within the theme wish I could say as much for the films.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope that DDL changes his mind about retiring and doesn't go out on a dull slog like Phantom Thread.
I usually love historical films like Darkest Hour and the story is compelling but this bored me despite Oldman and Kristen Scott Thomas.
I've never heard of the last but it sounds intriguing. I'll have to check it out.
My first impulse was to go with Victorian/Edwardian films and I could have done a dozen since it's a favored genre but I decided to go with another period. The Roman one.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)-Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus this hilariously tells the bawdy story of slave Pseudolus (a great Zero Mostel) "the lyingest, cheatingest, sloppiest slave in all of Rome" as he attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. Based on the stage play of the same name this has terrific songs and an excellent cast (including Buster Keaton in his last role) but it’s Mostel repeating his Tony winning performance who makes it so special.
Julius Caesar (1953)-Adaptation of the Shakespearean play based on actual events. Brutus (James Mason) convinced by a group of Roman senators led by Caius Cassius (John Gielgud), that friend Julius Caesar (Louis Calhern) intends to dissolve the republic to install himself as monarch joins a conspiracy to assassinate him. Once done he defends his actions but Mark Antony (Marlon Brando) responds with a speech that plays upon the crowd's love for their fallen leader and a battle for power begins. High quality film with an impressive cast including Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr and Edmond O’Brien aside from those mentioned with Brando, forsaking his method mumbling for straight verse strong as Mark Antony.
The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)-Pegs a fictitious story onto the big blow. Blacksmith Marcus (Preston Foster) consumed with bitterness upon the death of his wife and child becomes a gladiator and Pontius Pilate's (Basil Rathbone) partner before finding Christ in the days leading up to the Vesuvius eruption. Some impressive, for its day special effects when the mountain finally ruptures.
I haven't seen that many movies with DDL and I can't say any of them are my favourite. But yes it is a pity if Phantom Thread is his last movie.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these though I guess if I'd see one, it would be Phantom Thread.
ReplyDeleteReally? It would say it is the dullest of the lot.
DeleteLittle Stranger is the only one I haven't seen. Phantom Thread was just okay for me and I hated Darkest Hour
ReplyDeleteI love The Darkest Hour and found it excellent. I do want to see The Phantom Thread because I love Daniel Day Lewis but, for some reason it looks dull. I don't know your 3rd pick but would like to see it
ReplyDeleteI quite liked Phantom Thread but it wasn't as good as I thought it'd be, and I hated Darkest Hour.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know much about Phantom Thread to expect anything of it.
DeleteHey! I'm glad I'm not the only one who isn't in love w/ Phantom Thread. I mean it's okay but it was way overrated.
ReplyDelete