Manny P. here…
“`I discovered that I am not the only one counting down the best cinema of the last twenty years. It is mind-boggling to see how different my list is as compared to others, with many in their countdown members of the Marvel, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings / Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, or Will Ferrell / Ben Stiller family. It was predictable how many movie titles ended with the words: pt. 2 or IV.
“`But I digress. Here are #44 and #43…
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~ #44 – MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011)
“`Here is a movie filled with many of those Woody Allen gems — a whiny male in a fractured relationship; stuttering conversations, and stylish music from the Great American Songbook. But, Midnight in Paris has so much more…
“`Allen clearly respects the artiste of the Lost Generation; creative types who came from all walks of life and gathered in Paris between World Wars. It was not uncommon to find Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Isadora Duncan, Josephine Baker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Cole Porter huddled together at a local cafe or nightclub to analyze the effects of their collective shadow on the rest of the globe. Midnight in Paris is a time-travel comedy that allows film-goers to meet these cultural icons through the eyes of Owen Wilson (of all people!). The movie explores themes of nostalgia and modernism.
“`Nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Picture), Midnight in Paris won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. This Allen flick clearly embodies some of his early zany work (Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Sleeper). Get over Woody’s creepy personal shenanigans because it remains his one movie you should take time to watch and enjoy.
~ #43 – THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)
“`Only from the mind of Wes Anderson could we imagine The Grand Budapest Hotel in all of its colorful splendor. A Euro-universe is manifested where characters perpetuate the illusion of a time where they do not belong, the consequence of romanticizing one’s past. The screenplay does not directly refer to historical events, rather it contains oblique references contextualizing a vague history. The most deliberate of these images allude specifically to Nazism.
“`The all-star cast seriously soars, while the critical spotlight shines on the craftsmanship of this sumptuous production: Robert Yeoman’s principal photography with locations in Eastern Germany; Adam Stockhausen’s set design that replicates an Alpine resort; costume designer Milena Canonero’s essence of a 1930s military uniform and a period look of movie stars that resembles the work of iconic photographer George Hurrell; and Russian folk-influence music scored by Alexander Desplat with the balalaika at its instrumental core.
“`Ralph Fiennes anchors this motion picture (he co-starred in my #49 pick, The Reader). Others in the cast include F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum,Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Saoirse Ronan, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson (??). The Grand Budapest Hotel earned nine Academy Award nods, winning four for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.
“`As with many comedies, laughter’s companion is foreboding tragedy. The essential theme of this production serves up a reminder of what we might lose as we age; something to ponder in our quiet time.
Until next time> “never forget”
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