jaster-7

I pvr'd this on TCM because it's directed by David Lean (one of my favorite directors) and was starring Charles Laughton (always a treat to watch this great performer).

I watched it tonight and was even more intrigued to see in the opening credits that David Lean co-wrote the story. And additional delight was when I saw Prunella Scales was in it! I immediately said, "Basil!!!" and thought - wow she must be young in this movie! I'd never seen the actress Brenda de Banzie before (that I'm aware of). She reminded me greatly of Deborah Kerr and I admired her very much by the end of the movie. John Mills was wonderful, and Charles Laughton - what a terrific performer.

And what a great tale it is! This isn't your "Hollywood Plot #142". It's a uniquely crafted and layered story that reminds me of an cross between "Moonstruck" and an old fairy tale called "Clever Gretel".

Hobson's Choice does have a fairy-tale-like quality to it - brimming with all the fate, fortune, conflict, pluck and lucky turns of a Grimm's tale - and in a setting akin to the era of those stories. Like a great fairy tale it includes the gentle blossoming of true love and even a happy ending that was very satisfying.

The myriad characters are perfectly cast. Each performance is fully delivered with nothing lacking, but without farce or ridiculousness, and scenes funny enough I laughed out loud.

The production value is terrific and feels authentic with the various townspeople, proprietors, and neighbourhoods you almost feel like you know it yourself. Yet it also has a whimsical moon theme, a temperance moral, and some drunken slapstick hilarity too. And boots...lots and lots of boots.

One thing that delighted me immediately about this movie is the opening scene, when the camera takes you around the closed and dark bootmaker's store. With some clever camera techniques, it makes you feel that you are actually sneaking around in the store, like an audience member sneaking a peek at the darkened set on stage, then turning around suddenly as someone comes crashing through the door...and we retreat to watch the tale begin. Like a really good book, this movie will stay with me.

Even the title is clever and the whole movie spins along on the crafty delivering of Hobson's Choices.

I do highly recommend this very engaging movie!

Is it a great movie? Only for the campiness of this romp. What makes it fascinating to me then, and in retrospect now is, good or bad, you get a lot of entertainment in this movie.

Star after star, plot twist after plot twist, gag after gag, talent piled on talent, and yet one could say greatness is not achieved. Not unusual for what may seem to be an over wrought production....but despite all the obvious flaws, I'm going to stick up, stand up, for this movie.

Because: 1) It was a favourite with my neighbourhood gang and sibs to crack up at this movie - along the lines of The Magic Christian, and In Like Flint - we were fascinated by how adults behaved, and each of these examples was sexually titillating enough to excite and amuse us as adolescents, as well as this movie imbedded every one of these stars into our developing sophistication with actors of note. 2) The freaking soundtrack - hello?! Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass playing Burt Bacharach - to this very day, I want to smear those songs into my ears and go crazy with the perfection of this joining. This movie is part of my psyche. The Look of Love? Sexiest song ever. Come on! And beyond the individual hits of the movie, is the background music, like when they are doing the medicine ball strength competition at the castle. And the rompy old-time radio voiceover singer that ballads the story. Are these not iconic moments in your brain? They are in mine! The soundtrack serves as its own stand alone entity of this movie. 3) The beautiful people in this movie. Everyone is gorgeous. It's when I first thought Peter Sellers was completely hot (not so when watching Pink Panther and The Party, right? Ok, maybe a glimmer..), but here...he's one sexy, astute, cool JB. Then there's Joanna Pettet (perfection - could you find anyone more beautiful and alluring and completely unaware of it, to play Mata Hari?) and Ursula Andress...anyone remember when Mad Magazine spoofed it, and called her Ursula Undress? Forget about the cheesy sets, effects, and ridiculous farce of a story - just look at the gorgeous people in this movie, each actor seemingly in a perfectly preserved moment of their prime, or at least their iconic image. George Raft, David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Orson Welles, and Woody Allen...just the fact they are from all eras of Hollywood, all amazing talent, all in the same movie that's a totally ridiculous gallop, and they all seem to be fully giving their all to the campiness, preserving on film, at that particular moment in time, all together, and fully game to whatever this production was going to yield - well that's enough to make the movie fully worthwhile to me! You gotta love actors. This movie asks nothing from you but to have fun and enjoy. 4) No one involved with the movie seemed to take themselves or the project overly seriously - least not as seriously as the critics. This isn't to say anyone involved just phoned it in. Everyone gave over to the spirit of the farce that it is. Supported by the classy music, this movie holds a fond place in my heart for the sheer 'high interest' the movie has. Just to say, Oh look! It's ____! (Fill in the blank). Strong serious and character actors playing either totally to type, or totally out of type, for all it's worth. Really what's not to love?

And that's why I'm sticking up for Casino Royale.

This movie was such a delightfully funny surprise. Reminiscent of Monty Python fare and wit, it totally cracked me up. Well executed, well paced, and well cast, and served up with ridiculous irreverent perfection. I got the feeling they were loving what they were doing - and I loved it too. Plus the added surprise of seeing who played who at the end. The movie takes elements of the accepted history of "Bill" (a la Shakespeare In Love) and tells very a funny story about it.

So refreshing to watch, compared to so many plot-less comedies that rely on gross out jokes, juvenile themes, and offensive language to be 'funny'. The banter is quick, the jokes and gags fresh and unexpected, the lines classic, and it contains all the twists and turns of, well, a Shakespearean comedy.

Loved it.

Best liked: Characters using Shakespearean phrases.