Ode to a sob story

We have all seen them. We sometimes expect that sad ending (Schindlers List [1993], Romeo and Juliet [1996]) and other times we really don't expect that sudden death or heart melting reunion (Vertigo [1958], Little Women). Yes the sob story aka 'Chick Flick aka 'weepie' is firmly imbedded into the psych of all those scarred by memories of Bambi (1942) and Old Yeller (1957), who never trusted the smiling faces of 'family friendly' movies again. But why do we love them? Why is it that the doomed romances and shots fired in a meadow have held us and gripped our hearts for years and years? How is that people still see Romeo and Juliet even though they know every detail? Besides the good looking leads.

i myself have cried at the odd movie, during every version of Little Women i cry without fail, how is it that these characters make you fall so in love with them that you cry as though they were a real person when they leave/die? i'll never get it. Of course, most of us know when we're about to see a sad story, (we all knew what we were getting into when we saw My Sisters Keeper [2009]) so i guess we sort of prepare for it, but a good one will make you cry anyway. It's so strange. I never really watch tragic love stories because they usually depress me, although some leave me in a good mood because at least my love life doesn't suck half as bad as theirs. Thats not the point. i'm trying to do a good post about sob stories and why we like them.

It could be a different reason for all of us. Some of us like them because there's a sort of mystical beauty when you die for love. Others because it could just be a good story. And then there is the sacrifice for love. The ultimate gesture, not to give your own life, but to let the other person be happy without you. Casablanca (1942) brought this great sacrifice to the forefront of cinema, and while there have been movies that have made a good job of it, there is only one Casablanca.

Little Women is a whole different story. for most of the movie we see the girls trying the make do with what they have while trying to get past their own sibling squabbles, like kids/teenagers have done for years and years, very relatable is it not? But then comes the (SPOILER! SPOILER!) death. That rip your heart out moment that makes you realise that this film has made you love it and you didn't even realise it.

I haven't seen that many sob stories, sure like every teenaged girl i'll watch them with friends or see them just so that i know what the hell everyone is talking about. But there are very few that i will actually watch again. i saw 3 versions of Little Women (1933, 1949, 1994) and loved them all, i think i liked the last two most, the 1933 version, while boasting an impressive cast (Katharine Hepburn!!) fell victim to the obvious fact that most of the girls were too old to play their respective parts. Anyway....
I saw Gone With The Wind (1939), i didn't cry at the end but know that i felt tears coming in some parts. to tell you the truth i don't cry in many movies. i held in my tears when i saw Gallipoli (1981), boy was that hard.

I think that no matter what, the greatest sob stories belong to the classic era, sure we have the odd few now and again but there are these things, they're called: 'Class', 'sentiment' and 'memorable'. Anywhere from Chaplin taking the flower but not the money in City Lights (1931) to Sam playing it again (for old times sake) and yep even Cary Grant finding out why Deborah Kerr didn't meet him that day atop the Empire State Building in An Affair To Remember (1957).

The understated sentiment, the tell tale song and warmth of true love conquer all tragic endings. Few will see a movie to see that tragic ending, the people who saw Titanic (1997) surely hoped that that door could support both Jack and Rose, we want the beautiful ending when we're sure it wont happen, but when it does it can be more memorable than any tragic death or forbidden love.

"i love being home, but i don't like being left behind" Beth March (Claire Danes), Little Women (1994)

What i have watched...

Firstly i haven't been able to post much stuff because my brother has been hogging the computer. I have been watchging quite a few movies and couldn't wait to revoiew them, but i just sort of forgot what i wanted to say. Here is a list of movies i have seen as of late that i can't post reviews on individually.



Gallipoli (1981)- It was a well shot movie, good acting, Mel Gibson was very likeable (sue me!!!). Ending was sad. It's about Australia at Gallipoli in WW1. The teacher had us watch it in SOSE, it was good, if you like a movie that isn't a war movie, but rather movie about a war, i'd recommend this one.





Easy A (2010)- I watched this last night and could have done an individual review but i decided that since i was writing then i may as well write about this. It was hilarious. Maybe a bit cheesy by the end but really cool. i good satire, all the actors are great. Script is witty and fun and Emma Stone will go on to big things if she keeps making good movies like this..

The Court Jester (1955)- Danny Kaye carries this classic along with his energized performance. it is fun, funny, silly and pretty dated. But it's still a good movie but isn't for everyone, if you want to introduce someone to classic musicals or comedy don't show them this right off the bat because it will seem very old to them. don't forget though- still a great movie.







Romeo and Juliet (1968)- the teacher made us write an editorial comparing this and the 1996 version. i flipped a coin and decided to right in favor of this one. it really is pretty good, it's very traditional and isn't as serious as the other one, in fact i have this theory that R & J could even be considered a comedy until Mercutio's death. it was ok but the acting is better in the 1996 version.







Airplane! (1980)- in Australia it's called Flying High but i have taken to calling it Airplane! it's very funny. The late Leslie Nielson was an extremly funny man and the rest of the cast was pretty good too. It always keeps me laughing

The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)- What an amazingly odd movie. Liza Minnelli carries it with her performance as Pookie Adams, a college girl who seems kinda... crazy. But good hearted and nice. It's a movie about her relationship with Jerry Payne (Wendall Burton). I imagine this movie would have been hard to market, it isn't an action movie, or a romantic comedy and no it's not even a love story. It's a story about love. (i'm a cliche factory, haven't you heard?)

Family guy season 7- i love this show. I think it's great. for all those who say it is stupid and crude you are wrong, it lovingly parodies really cool movies (eg- Back To the future[1985], Duck Soup [1933]). It also makes fun of political topics all with surreal humour. I don't like it as much as The Simpsons, but it's pretty darn close.

The Naked Gun (1988) - making fun of serious cop shows in a very slapsticky, straight faced way. Leslie Nielson and Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker have done it again.

So i think those are all i watched. I hope that these reviews were acceptable. And i really want to get some more views of the blog so if you could please read and comment so i know you're still with it would be appreciated. Maybe you could even recommend me some movies to review. I always put pictures in my reviews, sorry if this looks cluttered but atleast you wont have to look too far for posters!

"the pellet with the poisons in the vessel with the pessel, the chalice from the palace has the true the is brew-uh, brew that is true" Hubert Hawkins (Danny Kaye) The Court Jester

Romeo and Juliet (1996)

We had to watch this in English class, i had already seen the movie many times before and found it fairly enjoyable. I don't see it as the best Baz Luhrman film (that's a toss up between Australia and Moulin Rouge - I don't like Strictly Ballroom as much as those), it's okay.

Bringing Shakespeare (words and all) into the modern day is hard and this movie certainly shows the strain. Quite simply it seemed like it was trying too hard to make people like it, if something is set in modern day many people wont want to listen to language from the late 1500s. But this is sort of like a charm for the film. I like to believe it plays out like a dream, the way it was shot, the surreal colour and modern setting coupled with Shakespearean language all seem so strange and imaginative that it can't be real.. A dream that many people want. Yes not everyone wants to die at the end but the whirl wind romance and dying for love is romance at it's finest. It looks and feels like a dream that is so distant from reality that it should  lose all cohesive meaning. But the meaning is still there.... it's strange, i know.

The acting wasn't revolutionary. I don't like Leonardo Di Caprio in a lot of things(What's eating Gilbert Grape is about the only thing i like him in because Titanic was boring), but i thought he was really good to look at in this and although the Shakespearean language sounds foreign coming from him, he at least is able to show real emotion for Juliet- Which is all we need from Romeo anyway. Most of the actors (except for the older cast members) sound like Di Caprio when they deliver their lines.

Claire Danes plays Juliet. I haven't seen her in many things, but i think she did great in this. In fact as far as acting goes in this movie she was probably the best. Her delivery seems more natural than Di Caprio's which is certainly obvious in the balcony scene. It's as though she reacts in much the same way a modern girl would react, only in different words. If that makes sense. In any case she was good.

Pete Postlethwaite plays Father Laurence and i just thought i'd say that i like the scenes with him the most. But then, he was good in everything.

Romeo and Juliet is timeless and without realizing it, we see movies following the same/similar plot all the time, i think it's safe to say that Romeo and Juliet is the most remade title in history. Shakespeare was a good writer, he had to have been to be create such a lasting story. However i think i like Hamlet the most because everyone dies. I'm morbid like that. West Side Story will forever be my favourite reworking of Romeo and Juliet but this comes a close second.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Shakespeare is also the most over-analysed writer in history. But that's another story. Maybe i just think that because i hate analyzing things for English because my teacher is overly pretentious.

"If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking you and beat love down" Mercutio (Harold Perrineau), Romeo and Juliet.