One Last Hurrah for the Movies of Summer

The last few days have been really hot. Kevin went back to school and had the long weekend which was really hot and wonderful and we went on one "last hurrah" as we called it before hunkering down for the fall.

Then the school he works at was closed for water repairs and he ended up having a four day weekend with the nicest weather we've had all summer.....

We just can't get rid of having last hurrahs...and why should we?

Thanksgiving will come and we might still be at the beach....

Anyway, before all this warm weather hit, we were enjoying the last lazy days of a restful summer season finishing up some more movies since the time I posted last about what films I'd been watching. I thought some of you would like to know I took some of your suggestions. (the rest are all still written on a sticky note on the side of the fridge) and I thought I'd do one last round-up of what's been on our Not-so-big-screen lately.

Here's a "Last Hurrah" of movies:

The Dead Poets Society

They simply do not make movies like this anymore. I missed the school day that this was shown to my 9th grade English Class and didn't write the essay all my fellow classmates did. In the back of mind I'd always said I would pick it up at some point and watch it and I was really glad that 13 years later I finally did. If you haven't seen it, you probably should, It was so refreshing to see a movie not being full of vulgar shock value to tell a meaningful story...like I said they don't make movies like this anymore.

Speaking of things that are shocking... We thought Breach, starring Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe to be as good a thriller as ever we saw, without the need for any blood or guts to back it up. It was smart and built with such a quiet intensity that Chris Cooper's character didn't need to be a chainsaw wielding maniac to put me on the edge of my seat in suspense and stick with me long afterwards....

Then came the blood and guts and a story that wrenched at my heart like little else I have seen. Defiant was an incredible movie in short, about a small band of Jewish refugees who manage to survive together against all odds in the woods of Poland during the Holocaust. Starring Daniel Craig as their leader who refuses to die, I was hushed by this movie and actually have very little to say other than I felt grateful to have finally heard this inspiring story after it has remained hidden by the true characters who star in it until their more recent deaths allowed the movie to be made. 

It was Kevin who suggested we watch  the new Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska, and I certainly wasn't going to object. I had seen a couple of previous movie versions, but this one gave me chills with it's sparseness and haunting simplicity. It felt like it was stripped down to it's most muted shades and the performances and thrill of the (rather simplistic by today's standards) plotline were able to shine all the better for it. There was no pageantry of a typical period piece to distract one's attention. I loved it.

 But not as much as I loved The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I have loved all of Wes Anderson's movies that I have seen to date and it's been so long since I've sat and enjoyed them that this felt like sitting down to hang out with my university self.

By far, the most accessible of his films, Kevin and I laughed ourselves silly, rewatched our favorite scenes several time and have been repeating our favorite lines ever since. I simply can't get enough of talking about bandit hats and substituting the word cuss whenever the heck I feel like it for no real reason. 

At one point Kevin stopped the film and we looked at each other. 

"this might just be the greatest film either of us have ever seen." he said. 

I nodded

"Perhaps the greatest film ever made".

The voice actors, ( George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Jason Shwartzman to name a few) were hilarious and the animation lent this strange awkward quality to the movie that actually added to all of the comedic timing. Simply put: Genius.

So, being unable to top that so far, I've been spending more time reading and organizing my fridge. 

But the weather is supposed to turn again, or so I've heard and then I will perhaps find myself back snuggled up on my couch working my way through the titles still left to view. There is, after all, nothing quite so cozy as a mug of tea and some knitting needles to sit with while spending time with the likes of Tom Hanks...(we're thinking we might have to plan a special Tom Hanks film festival of our own and relive all his former glories and gross missfires...should be good.)

Cheers.