Saving Private Ryan

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Saving Private Ryan!

Original image located here. Accessed 25th March 2022

Well it's Oscar season so now would be a good time as any to address a movie that was a hot favourite for Best Picture but got pipped at the post.
I remember this movie being a big deal back in 1998 but I never got around to seeing it (at least until now). And I also remember a lot of anger that Saving Private Ryan lost the Best Picture Oscar to Shakespeare in Love. But conversely, i wasn't angered: I thought very highly of Shakespeare in Love - and still do - so i was delighted by the win. Sure it puts me in a minority position and yes it has since been revealed that grade-A douchebag Harvey Weinstein made an aggressive push to secure the Best Picture Oscar to Shakespeare in Love but I regret nothing.
Which in turn places me in an interesting position to approach Saving Private Ryan.

When it comes to Spielberg I have found he only makes two types of films: Light Entertainment (ie ET, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones) and "Take me Seriously Dammit!". And Saving Private Ryan does indeed belong in the latter category. Much has been written about the opening half hour and how it has set a new standard for portraying war scenes in movies but what i got out of it was just how brutal Spielberg's approach is: It's not just the violence but the shaky cam and the grimness of the whole thing. Clearly this was an attempt to show the war as it really was and the plonk the viewer straight in the middle of it. And the gamble paid off.
So yeah, as stated above, this movie was indeed a big deal and, it would appear, for very good reason.

I am Big Bird

And this week's Friday night movie has been... I am Big Bird!

Original image located here. Accessed 18th March 2022

Anyone heard of this? It's a documentary on the now deceased muppeteer Carroll Spinney, exploring his life, his career and his passion in working with puppets.
As the title suggests, a lot of this documentary was focused on Spinney's greatest achievement: Big Bird. A lot is discussed on his creation, how the process of operating the giant muppet works (which sounds arduous) and his SNL appearance among other points.
Also focused is Spinney's other muppet (Oscar the Grouch), his friendship with Jim Henson, his commitment to being a children's entertainer and his rather fascinating life.
So yes, this was indeed compelling to watch and a remarkable journey through the life of a very talented man.

Legally Blonde 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Legally Blonde 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th March 2022

Well I saw the first one so I may as well see the second one too. Also Kiera insisted that we both watch this.
Once again this is pretty much Reese Witherspoon's show, living it up in this role and being a charismatic force. Granted it could be argued that she is effectively carrying this movie but I had fun with this one and it was both funny and surprisingly triumphant. And is even more surprising is how much I gathered from the American legal process XD

Grizzly Man

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Grizzly Man!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th March 2022

I've been wanting to see this for a long time: A documentary about a man named Timothy Treadwell, who would make regular visits to the Alaskan wilderness to take footage of bears - often with himself sharing the frame. And who would became something of celebrity due to his passion for them.

Much of this movie is made out of the footage that Timothy shot. And as a result we learn a lot about him: he is indeed enthusiastic about the bears but at the same time, he is someone who is clearly in love with his own passion. As such, Timothy is constantly putting himself in dangerous situations, is unperturbed that he is dealing with ruthless killing machines, claims to be keen on conservation but isn't doing anything to back it up, is clearly more at home in the wild than in civilization, is unafraid to vent some anger at the National Parks Service, has no proper idea of what he is doing and is a clear interference in the flow of nature.
But on the other hand, Timothy does show some talent as a filmmaker and certainly has an eye for an image. And however misguided he may be, you can't fault him for his passion.

Still, this does have some resonance for me as this is someone who is clearly out of his depth chasing a dream that is ultimately misguided. Those who know me will know that I have never had a lot of faith in the notion of 'Be yourself and disregard what anyone else thinks' because, at least to me, that does inspire a mindset of tunnel-vision. And this movie is that theory in practice.

In the end, this is indeed a fascinating character study. The subject is certainly not a usual choice for one which, in turn, makes it even more compelling