The CragBaby

One of the best aspects of this climbing road trip is the spare time during the evenings to catch up on books and movies.  I have never been a movie connoisseur and am thoroughly enjoying working through a good handful of titles.  One that I would recommend is Happenstance, produced in 2001.  This French movie stars Audrey Tatou, the main actress in Amile, and is a complex story of serendipitous events that intriguingly all come together in the end.  Two thumbs up from me.

Other movies that I have viewed lately include:

• 21 – the movie about the book Bringing Down the House.  It was good and worth renting, but the book was substantially better.
• Smart People – it was ok, but not worth renting.
• The Last Kiss – Um, sometimes I have a limited supply of movies to choose from, all depending on which town I am currently visiting.  It was pretty good, but wouldn’t suggest renting.
• Sex in The City – Once again this was a pick that I watched due to a small selection of movie choices.  It actually was surprisingly better than I anticipated.
• 21 Dresses – Ha ha… I rented this one for the sole reason that Shaft’s 10-year-old daughter suggested it and I wanted to chat with her about it.  It was actually ok, but doubt highly any of your readers want to rent it. =)

I am now thankfully in a place with numerous movie rental stores, which means that I can actually rent some documentaries, classics and hopefully some independents.  I will keep you posted. =)

The Classic film extravaganza continues at the 1123, with recent films including:

• The Philadelphia Story – a romantic comedy with Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart about a couple who gets divorced, dates other people and then unexpectedly remarries. I liked Hepburn substantially more in this film than in Bringing Up Baby. Funnily I read in Wikipedia that this was her first big hit, removing her nickname of “box office poison.”
• A Streetcar Named Desire – whew. This film was a little intense! Definitely not one of my favorites, but Marlon Brando’s acting was phenomenal. “Stella!”
• Some Like It Hot – fantastic little film based around two musicians running away from the mafia after wandering into a shoot out. The two men dress as women and join an all-women’s band. Stars include Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. This was the first film I had seen with Monroe and liked her performance, though I hear she typically played the ditsy blonde role.
• Charade – one of my favorites so far! Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn work together to solve the mystery behind Hepburn’s husband death. The combo of Grant and Hepburn is phenomenal, plus the thriller and romance keeps one’s attention.
• Monkey Business – silly 1952 film starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe. The light hearted plot based around the idea of a scientist researching for the “fountain of youth” drug. Grace Kelly’s dance scene and Grant’s scene of dressing up as an Indian to play with the children were real good.
• Father Goose – I thoroughly enjoyed this film, especially Cary Grant’s role as it differed from many of his other roles. The plot was based around the idea of a drunk vagabond being tricked into helping the government during WWII. He randomly meets Leslie Caron’s character and the opposites soon attract.