moving pictures

Imagine that I am the cat and the vacuum is a scary movie and you have a good idea of what it is like to watch scary movies with Glynis.

  The answers!

1. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
2. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
3. Noah (2014)
4. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
5. The Fall (2006)

   Have you ever watched/read a version of a fairy tale and wished that the evil queen was really evil instead of narcissistic and vaguely corrupt? Well my friends, may I recommend Snow White and the Huntsman. Yes, Kristen Stewart, yes sure whatever who cares.I've only ever seen her in this one movie and she's perfectly fine. Moving on: wow the costuming. There are a few movies that I watch based largely on the design and costumes, and this is one of them. Not only are they amazing and sumptuous, but they mesh with the characters to a t. Charlize Theron is triumphantly good as the Queen. Sinister! Crazy! Actually evil!

   Speaking of costumes that I would like to see/own in real life: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It's a joyful romp with, once again, excellent design. The first time I saw this movie was when I had finished watching Pushing Daisies and wanted to see more of Lee Pace's work, and stumbled on this delightful number. It's funny and charming.

   Am I going to talk about design with every movie?? PROBABLY. If you haven't seen Bonnie and Clyde you are doing yourself a disservice. If you've ever said to yourself "I wonder just how desolate and hopeless the situation was during the Depression in the Southern States" well, friend, look no further than this film. "It's a classic for a reason" and all that. It evokes the time in a way that feels dusty, somehow. Does that make sense? It's a gritty, daring, dusty movie. Also: every time I see it I want it to end differently. But it never does and my heart breaks every time.

   I'm not going to say much about Noah, because it's been written about and debated over and I don't need to add to that discussion.  I will say that it is a cinematic masterpiece and Darren Aronofsky is probably some sort of wizard. Noah is beautiful and poignant. At one point Noah tells his family the story of Creation and it made me cry.

   Okay: The Fall. If you've known me for long you have probably heard me talk about this movie, or read something I wrote about it, or something like that. How can I describe this movie to you??? Imagine what your imagination would look like if you had never seen a movie. Would it be different? Would it be more expansive? Can you really know for sure? Imagination is at the center of this film, as well as childhood and friendship and trauma and forgiveness and on and on. This is one of the most visually stunning movies I've ever seen.

   If I were to make a list of films I think you absolutely must see, three of these would be on it: Noah, The Fall, and Bonnie and Clyde.