Shane

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Shane!

Original image located here. Accessed 27th January 2023

Yep its one of the classic westerns (not least for it's unforgettable closing scene). And given my love for the genre it was inevitable that I would come to this.

In a way this movie surprised me: I went in expecting a standard good vs evil tale where the distinction between the good guys and the baddies couldn't be defined clearer. But what I got was something with some surprising depth.
The gunfights aren't shown in an attractive light (perhaps pointing the way to the ultra-violence of westerns in the 1960s). The mysterious past of Shane isn't elaborated on save for a few tantalising clues (did he and Wilson clash previously?). The scenery is shown in a staggering light. And I will certainly admit that this movie makes a hefty contribition to the romanticisation of Wild West, showing a Wild West outsiders like myself have seen many times before (compared to the likes of, say, The Wild Bunch).
So yeah, a decent movie all round.

Hoop Dreams

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Hoop Dreams!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th January 2023

Sports movies are not one of my favourite genres. Because to me they are seem so formulaic. Seriously, you see one 'Struggling team of no-hopers guided by equally troubled coach achieve against-the-odds success' movie you've seen them all. And when formula is involved, as is often the case, it can be difficult to break away from.
But I will give props to any movie that attempts to do so. So what we have here is a (very long) documentary that follows two kids, who are keen on basketball, trying to make their passion work for them.

Over the course of the documentary we follow the kids, William Gates and Arthur Agee, go from playing basketball in school to doing what it takes to make the NBA tryouts. Along the way, they face challenges such as poverty, injuries, race, getting an education, troubled family lives, finding employment, and staking a lot on eventual success.
Personally whilst my knowledge of basketball may be very limited, I have to admit that the sport itself isn't really the focus here: It's about two kids trying to achieve success despite a whole range of obstacles coming at them. It really showcases what it means to have a dream and the blood, sweat and tears that are involved to make them happen. And to that end the movie succeeds.
Guess it is possible to break the formula.

Gravity

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

Original image located here. Accessed 13th January 2023

I've been wanting to see this for quite some time. I like my science fiction to be hard but I will admit it is something of a rarity. Because science fact and dramatic tension don't make the best of bedfellows. Still, I will take my hard science fiction anyway I can.

I guess with this kind of film you will have some grumps complaining that it is completely inaccurate to the will of science. But such an assessment would sell this film short: It is nothing less than astonishing. The weightlessness is incredible, the camera work is jaw dropping and some sequences (such as the 13 minute opening scene) are staggering in their accomplishment. Furthermore, this is a very beautiful looking film with some amazing space shots. I also like the use of silence (after all, there's no air in space and therefore no means of sound to travel) and the protagonist is a compelling one, anchored by Sandra Bullock giving the performance of her career.
Not much to add really: This movie is incredible and worthy of sitting next to the giants of the sci-fi genre.

The Apartment

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Apartment!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th January 2023

Once again, I approach a movie that has the reputation of being one of the undisputed classics of cinema and being capable of standing steadfast against the ravages of time. And once again, the problem that a such a reputation may not live up to it persists. Still, I am willing to give it a go.

Given that this movie is from 1960, I am surprised that the premise is quite risque: A guy rents out his apartment to swinging couples? And said couples originate from his workplace which gives him leverage to climb the corporate ladder? That sound tremendously out of place for it's time. But what is truly surprising is that the movie itself seems to apply restraint: Anyone else would think such a scenario would be grounds for a farce but not here. It is however, is a thoughtful film, treating it's subjects in an empathetic light. Sure there are laughs but it's the characters put before us that is the real meat of this movie.
Not much to add except that it seems that this movie does indeed still work 63 years later. Which is more than can be said for a fair number of movies that have won the Oscar for Best Picture.