Today has been a disasterously unproductive day, no work has been done at all and it's 8:34pm now. I've spent all day in bed watching films (which ordinarily is no bad thing but when you've got 5 days to write 7,500 words, it's an entirely different matter). Anyway, I decided I wanted the cinematic equivalent of comfort food, gooey, stodgy and sweet, when I was in the midst of my little breakdown the other day. I decided that there was nothing for it, I needed Hugh Grant's crab-dancing in Love Actually.
Anyway, this obviously sent me flying off the work-wagon and onto the romcom wagon. I seem to have had trouble sleeping recently and I've had to resort to watching films at night to get me to sleep and sure enough, 40 minutes in (every time, I swear) I drop off. Last night's screening was High Fidelity as it has been long overdue a repeat showing. I finished watching it today (and also continued junking out on Hitch) and it reminded me that it's been a while since I've played All Time Top Five.... Now, usually this is a game you play with two people. Myself and Lawrence started playing this whilst bored at work a few summers ago and it becomes highly addictive. We found that as time wore on, we started running out of credible categories which meant resorting to lists such as "All Time Top Five...Condiments". Unfortunately, I have no-one at present to play All Time Top Five... with, so you, gentle readers, will have to suffice for now. Inspired by my recent spate of romcoms, the category is...
All Time Top Five...Scenes In Films That Make Me A Bit Wobbly
One High Fidelity // "All Time Top Five Things I Miss About Laura..."
Let's start off from the source and the inspiration for this particular list. This scene takes place around the middle of the film and it's when Rob comes to the realisation that he does miss Laura and wants her back. I can't explain why I love this scene so much, I think it's mainly in John Cusack's delivery of the lines and the kind of comforting intimacy that he conveys.
Two Amelie // Copycat Kisses
I'm aware that quite a few people find this film a little too whimsical and fey but this definately makes it into my All Time Top Five...Films (Ever). The scene I'm referring to is at the end of the film when Nino finds Amelie in her apartment and she plants a trail of kisses across his face and neck and he kisses her back in exactly the same places. It's just achingly tender and fits the tone of the film perfectly.
Three Love Actually // Flashcard Declaration
Richard Curtis is so often criticised for his portrayal of chocolate-box London and his saccharine writing and I agree and I'm sure he too is aware of his limitations as a writer. But it is too easy to criticise Curtis and the whole genre in general and if you take it for what it is, Curtis's scripts are some of the best of the genre. Love Actually is perhaps simultaneously his best and worst, it's too ambitious and falls flat in some places but when it goes right, as in the case of the Hugh Grant/Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman/Emma Thompson and Laura Linney/Rodrigo Santoro storylines, it's perfect escapist entertainment. However, the entry for Love Actually involves the triangle between Juliet, Peter and Mark and the moment when Mark turns up on Juliet's doorstep, equipped with a stereo and an armful of written declarations of unrequited love. It's classic Curtis: heartbreaking, bittersweet and witty in equal measures.
Four Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind // PJs & Cowboys
Yet another film that would make it into my All Time Top Five...Films (Ever) list. It's difficult to choose a scene from this film because much like a distant dream, it all blurs into one fuzzy memory. The scene that sticks out for me most is the scene in which Joel regresses back to his childhood memories in an effort to 'hide' Clementine from the erasing process. It's been a while since I've seen the film but I remember loving the sweet nostalgic feel of this sequence and as it is throughout the film, the cinematography is just gorgeous.
Five Moulin Rouge! // Elephant Love Medley
Finally, a completely overblown entry in the list. I imagine that people either adore or despise Baz Luhrmann's work, particularly the incredibly camp and epic Moulin Rouge!. About half an hour from the end of the film, I start crying and I don't stop until the end but the scene that makes it into the list is one from the beginning of the film. Christian scales a giant elephant in the courtyard of the Moulin Rouge (bear with me here...) and proceeds to serenade Satine (in Ewan's enthusiastic but bland tones) with a medley of 20th century love songs. Ah Ewan, you had me from, "My gift is my song..."
Whilst I was writing this entry, I went onto Google Images to try and find the above picture of Hugh Grant doing his legendary sideways dance. Interestingly, one of the results was this:
This, gentle readers, is the Belarusian poster for Love Actually. Quite why Martine McCutcheon is dressed like Pauline Fowler and Hugh Grant has grown an afro is beyond me. So, a little quiz for you, what movies are these Belarusian posters advertising?
Answers on a postcard please and all shall be revealed in the next entry.
Anyway, this obviously sent me flying off the work-wagon and onto the romcom wagon. I seem to have had trouble sleeping recently and I've had to resort to watching films at night to get me to sleep and sure enough, 40 minutes in (every time, I swear) I drop off. Last night's screening was High Fidelity as it has been long overdue a repeat showing. I finished watching it today (and also continued junking out on Hitch) and it reminded me that it's been a while since I've played All Time Top Five.... Now, usually this is a game you play with two people. Myself and Lawrence started playing this whilst bored at work a few summers ago and it becomes highly addictive. We found that as time wore on, we started running out of credible categories which meant resorting to lists such as "All Time Top Five...Condiments". Unfortunately, I have no-one at present to play All Time Top Five... with, so you, gentle readers, will have to suffice for now. Inspired by my recent spate of romcoms, the category is...
All Time Top Five...Scenes In Films That Make Me A Bit Wobbly
One High Fidelity // "All Time Top Five Things I Miss About Laura..."
Let's start off from the source and the inspiration for this particular list. This scene takes place around the middle of the film and it's when Rob comes to the realisation that he does miss Laura and wants her back. I can't explain why I love this scene so much, I think it's mainly in John Cusack's delivery of the lines and the kind of comforting intimacy that he conveys.
Two Amelie // Copycat Kisses
I'm aware that quite a few people find this film a little too whimsical and fey but this definately makes it into my All Time Top Five...Films (Ever). The scene I'm referring to is at the end of the film when Nino finds Amelie in her apartment and she plants a trail of kisses across his face and neck and he kisses her back in exactly the same places. It's just achingly tender and fits the tone of the film perfectly.
Three Love Actually // Flashcard Declaration
Richard Curtis is so often criticised for his portrayal of chocolate-box London and his saccharine writing and I agree and I'm sure he too is aware of his limitations as a writer. But it is too easy to criticise Curtis and the whole genre in general and if you take it for what it is, Curtis's scripts are some of the best of the genre. Love Actually is perhaps simultaneously his best and worst, it's too ambitious and falls flat in some places but when it goes right, as in the case of the Hugh Grant/Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman/Emma Thompson and Laura Linney/Rodrigo Santoro storylines, it's perfect escapist entertainment. However, the entry for Love Actually involves the triangle between Juliet, Peter and Mark and the moment when Mark turns up on Juliet's doorstep, equipped with a stereo and an armful of written declarations of unrequited love. It's classic Curtis: heartbreaking, bittersweet and witty in equal measures.
Four Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind // PJs & Cowboys
Yet another film that would make it into my All Time Top Five...Films (Ever) list. It's difficult to choose a scene from this film because much like a distant dream, it all blurs into one fuzzy memory. The scene that sticks out for me most is the scene in which Joel regresses back to his childhood memories in an effort to 'hide' Clementine from the erasing process. It's been a while since I've seen the film but I remember loving the sweet nostalgic feel of this sequence and as it is throughout the film, the cinematography is just gorgeous.
Five Moulin Rouge! // Elephant Love Medley
Finally, a completely overblown entry in the list. I imagine that people either adore or despise Baz Luhrmann's work, particularly the incredibly camp and epic Moulin Rouge!. About half an hour from the end of the film, I start crying and I don't stop until the end but the scene that makes it into the list is one from the beginning of the film. Christian scales a giant elephant in the courtyard of the Moulin Rouge (bear with me here...) and proceeds to serenade Satine (in Ewan's enthusiastic but bland tones) with a medley of 20th century love songs. Ah Ewan, you had me from, "My gift is my song..."
Whilst I was writing this entry, I went onto Google Images to try and find the above picture of Hugh Grant doing his legendary sideways dance. Interestingly, one of the results was this:
This, gentle readers, is the Belarusian poster for Love Actually. Quite why Martine McCutcheon is dressed like Pauline Fowler and Hugh Grant has grown an afro is beyond me. So, a little quiz for you, what movies are these Belarusian posters advertising?
Answers on a postcard please and all shall be revealed in the next entry.
Don't they have photographs in Belarus? Or do they employ artists to paint each poster individually? Also, I never realised that Hugh Grant starred in Barton Fink. I definitely know the second poster (one of my favourite guilty pleasure movies) and the third. And the first one features Cain Dingle from Emmerdale, butchering people and disposing of their corpses in the forest behind him. I have to applaud most of your top five, as I get bored with Moulin Rouge after about 45 minutes but keep watching the start. I'm sure you could trust Gareth Gates to be a discreet valet and domestic servant, especially if you murdered someone involving lots of hard consonants.
Hmmm..is the first one Eternal Sunshine of the blah blah blah? (I may as well have just written the full title by the time I typed blah blah blah, mightn't I?)
The second one. Two manic-looking women. Er, Thelma and Louise?! Or Boys Don't Cry?
I have no clue about the third. Well I don't have much of an idea about the previous two either, come to think of it.
Well yer man in the first one is Jim Cary, think. Although I'm intrigued by this Cain Dingle film :)
No idea about the other two, or what film the first one is from. I suppose the last one could be There's Something About Mary. Because yer man looks vaguely like whatshisface. But really, I've no idea.
The 50 first dates one was easy enough and my limited knowledge of the Cyrrl...Cyrili...Cyyrill...russian alphabet tells me the first one's got Jim Carrey in it (but Im not sure why his face is blue). The middle one? hmmm, from the pictures Id say possibly something to do with marilyn manson and the skinnier girl from the Human League. maybe. Apologies for hijacking you again from 'that other place'! s x
Spike - haha, "two manic looking women" indeed. Well done on getting the somewhat obscure first one! I think it's safe to say that the askew charm of these posters masks what film they're actually advertising. I'm not sure whether I'd rather look at Belarusian movie posters for 90 minutes or another Adam Sandler film. H xxx