Friday, February 18, 2011

seven movies I really like for some reason

I am not a movie watcher.   My older children have a home movie night with their Dad several times a week, but I usually read or catch up on blogging or something.   Every once in a while my husband or my daughter or a visiting friend asks me to watch a movie with them.    So here are a few I watched just to be nice and actually ended up enjoying.

I don't demand reality or even plausibility in a movie -- in fact the more absurd the better, as long as it's the right kind of absurdity.   I probably usually like movies for kids better than movies for grownups, though I do like most BBC literary remakes.

1.

Wall-E.   Very Catholic.  He's actually my role model for doing repetitive and seemingly useless household chores with a joyous, grateful spirit.   I even can bear to watch Barbara Streisand in Hello Dolly now just because of that song "Put on your Sunday best" which Wall-E made me love. 

2.

Signs.   I like this one because my kids like watching it and because of the tinfoil helmets.   One of Liam's tutors at college made a case that the movie encompasses all the seven sacraments.

3.
Enchanted.    I like this one for the same reason I like Wall-E, because getting cockroaches and rats to do housekeeping for you sounds like a metaphor for a good life

4.
Gods and Generals.  We watched this in 30 minute installments over the course of about a week.  I think I could sit down every evening for the rest of my life with my shotglass of Jack Daniel's and watch battles and prayers.

5.
Alice in Wonderland.   My youngest, Paddy, and I both loved this one. Especially the Mad Hatter.

6.

Despicable Me.   We just watched this one last week.  During the first 10 minutes I was pretty sure my husband had finally missed one and spoiled his perfect record for knowing what movies I would like.  But the movie grew on me.  By the end I loved it. 

7.

The Fantastic Mr Fox..   I LOVE this movie.  It's near-perfect in absurdity.     I'm going to ask for it for my birthday.

4 comments:

  1. I too love Fantastic Mr. Fox. Every time I watch it, I find something more to hoot over. I've never seen Signs but everyone tells me it is good. I'm not big on scary movies. I actually lose sleep over them.

    I know Wall-E is good but I can never bear to watch it. Something about the soundtrack depresses me. Can't put my finger on it.

    Anyway, thanks for all the great reviews! I enjoyed reading them.

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  2. Faith, I am so glad you love FMF too.

    It's true wall-E isn't one of those movies you want to watch over and over again.

    signs has a couple of scary moments but most of it is focused on the family and really not many bad things happen. I liked the Sixth Sense but I would hesitate to watch it again because it really appalled me, but Signs wasn't quite so creepy. I'm a bit squeamish about movies, I even got creeped out by Star Wars when I was a teenager.

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  3. "getting cockroaches and rats to do housekeeping for you sounds like a metaphor for a good life"

    And it's how housekeeping actually got done in our place.

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  4. Well said, Clare, and it still is that way, except that I am trying to train the squirrels now.

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I would love to hear your thoughts on this!