Dance, Dance, Dance

One night, last week I needed a comfort movie- for me that would involve a predictable, innocent love story from the old Hollywood and probably entail some singing and dancing. I wanted something delightful and light. I realized I had never seen a Fred Astaire movie all the way through and so it was settled. I watched Royal Wedding (1951) starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell. Astaire and Powell play brother sister with a dance act who moves their show to London during for the royal wedding. Obviously, they each meet a special someone and as reluctant as they are to settling down they change their ways.

My favorite part of the movie would be the famous scene when Fred Astaire dances on the ceiling. I thought it was great fun and quite a remarkable feat for cinema in the 1950s. I was extremely curious about how they constructed the set. Basically they had the room inside a wheel, the wheel would rotate rather quickly about 90 degrees just as Astaire was jumping onto the wall for example. The camera would be attached to the set so it really did look like he was upside down and dancing on the ceiling. It is a technique of creating zero gravity.

Click here for the video 

This technique has been used again in several other movies, like in Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film, Inception. The film Royal Wedding was an absolute treat and quenched my thirst for a classic romantic Hollywood film.

Embracing my city

I am from Baltimore, MD, well a little north of the city. Anyways, I have never really felt a strong connection to this city. It partly has to do with the fact that I lived in New England for the past four years and also strongly cheer the Patriots, Red Sox and the Celtics. Additionally, I never really explored the city and its neighborhoods. Now that I am home until further notice I decided to try to enjoy all the things Baltimore has to offer.

This past week I walked around Hampden, MD. It is just outside of the city and is absolutely adorable. I loved walking in and out of antique shops and marveled at the numerous restaurants that I cannot wait to try. This brings me to my latest film review. I watched the movie, Diner (1982), directed by Baltimore native, Barry Levinson.

The film is about a group of college friends at a turning in point in their lives and the uncertainty of their futures. One of the only stable things in their lives is the local diner, in the movie it’s the Fells Point Diner. (Side note: I have explored this area of Baltimore and simply love it!) 

I actually really liked this movie. It doesn’t have superb cinematography or exceptional dialogue, but it was very pleasant. First of all, I fell in love with the soundtrack. The movie takes place in 1959 which is a great time for rock and roll. Secondly, I think I connected to the characters in this movie because I am going through a similar time in my life, the transition from college to the real world. It really is about the friendships that will last for the rest of your life. This group of friends formed a family. It is a casual but entertaining watch and if you are from Baltimore, I think it is a must-see!

Movie Review: War Horse

I finally put myself through the torture of Steven Spielberg’s new movie, War Horse. Let me first say, I cried as much as I expected. I almost feel bad because I feel like the film is not getting the right amount of attention because most people don’t want to put themselves through a film about a helpless animal.

I am always excited about any Spielberg production. When I read that Spielberg’s partner at Dreamworks, Stacey Snider heard about this play in London, the next day she hopped on a plane. It was a powerful story and Spielberg is one of the only directors to bring this remarkable story to the camera.

There are several reasons why I think people should see this movie. First, I was obsessed with the cinematography ranging from the countryside in London to the war scenes. Spielberg did an amazing job. I enjoyed the meticulous use of color, especially in the last scene and in the French countryside and the dark palate of the fighting scenes. 

The second reason why this is a must see film is that all the owners of Joey, the horse, were wonderful. There was only one scene that was extremely hard to watch, but other than that it was way more of an emotional journey. But the real reason is that it is just like Spielberg to truly show a part of history that was often overlooked. Many people are unaware of the use of horses during the First World War. I also believe that the WWI’s history gets buried by WWII. I felt that I was honoring those who served in WWI, both soldiers and horses, when I went to see this movie. Don’t be afraid of this movie, just bring some tissues.