Here's looking at me kid

Movie Monday: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953

As a child, I loved watching glamorous Hollywood musicals, and performing my favorite song and dance numbers with girlfriends in our driveway. I wonder what the neighbors thought? About a year ago, I decided to revisit the classic Marilyn and Jane movie (I've been a long-time fan of Jane Russell!), but sadly felt a little let down by all of the fluff. So I gave up about twenty-minutes in. I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the right mood, but after watching some Jane Russell clips on Youtube last week, I thought I'd give it another go. And I'm so glad that I did!

Lorelei (Monroe) and Dorothy (Russell) are best friends and coworkers- dancing on stages and nightclubs around the world, and breaking hearts wherever they go. Lorelei is always watchful for possible diamond gifters, while Dorothy's ideal man has a cute face, can keep up with witty banter, and can show her a fun time. But things get serious when Lorelei snags a millionaire fiance, and Dorothy takes it upon herself to make sure her friend doesn't mess things up this time. It proves to be a difficult task when a private detective follows the girls to see how loyal the beautiful, blonde fiance really is.

At first glance, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes might appear to be an escapist musical comedy with all of the glitter, costumes, and diamonds that we love from the '50s. And I'm sure it can be that way for most of the viewers. I, however, look at this movie as sort of a satirical view of current cultural norms from when this movie was made. Some norms don't change as much as we think, but I suppose as a culture, we do expect more of women in the brains department than we did in the '50s. The point of this film is that women and men are similar in the way they objectify one another and place expectations and fantasies on the shoulders of someone of the opposite sex. Is Marilyn's character really brainless and ditzy? No, she isn't. And it isn't revealed until the end. And is she justified in her gold-digger tactics? Certainly not- but she has proven her point that the opposite sexes are more equal than they seem.

Movie Monday: Butterfield 8 1960

She wakes up alone in a bed not her own. She washes out her mouth with expensive whiskey and tries on the furs of another man's wife. A typical morning for Gloria Wandrous, who is outraged when last night's lover leaves money for her on the dresser. She scrawls furiously with red lipstick onto his gilded mirror, "No sale!"

Elizabeth Taylor's role in Butterfield 8 is as complex as the actress's real-life persona. Fighting a dirty reputation that she just can't help but confirm at every turn, the unexpected happens for this looking-for-love party girl- She falls in love. Really falls in love. But of course, she chose the wrong man.

Butterfield 8 is the story of a fashionable, party-girl who might be part call-girl, party model, and certainly all woman. She is passed around form man to man, when the movie's start finds her in a love affair with a wealthy married man. She dreams that maybe she can tart fresh, that her past can be wiped clean. But the turn of events make her wonder if this will ever be possible.

It's a sad movie that I remember affecting me deeply the first time I watched it years ago. The second time through, I was a little disappointed by what seemed to be a tritely contrived melodrama that would probably never have worked without Elizabeth Taylor as the leading lady. Still, even with a weak plot and less than stellar dialogue, Taylor manages to draw us into the confused emotions of Gloria. It's not an all-time favorite, but it has style, is an interesting reflection of the times, and I suppose I wouldn't mind recommending it to a friend like you!

Movie Monday: Marnie 1964

Marnie is such a great film for budding Alfred Hitchcock fans- the kids who were drawn in by the drama of Vertigo and by the suspense of North By Northwest. Marnie is one of those Hitchcock movies that can easily slip under the radar for some reason. I mean, really, not a lot of people know that Sean Connery ever starred in a Hitchcock film, not to mention Tippi Hedren ever appearing in a movie without birds violently attacking her pretty head. So if you're a fan of the master of suspense, and wonder what other movie titles you should carve into your Hitchcockian bedpost- this is a great one! But don't worry- there are more reasons to watch Marnie other than flexing your film-guru muscles.

Tippi Hedren stars in what I think is her most convincing role- a sly and mysterious female criminal who has no trouble attracting the menfolk, and lots of trouble keeping them away. Mark Rutland (Sean Connery) might know a little something about Marnie's criminal history, and finds her all the more appealing because of it. Their relationship develops through happenstance, blackmail, and curiosity- culminating in Mr. Rutland's discovery of what's really wrong with Marnie.

Watching Marnie is a fun experience- for the style and cinematography alone. Hedren and Connery actually turn in great acting performances (Hedren isn't known for her acting chops), and all of the supporting characters work together to bolster what might might otherwise be a boring plot- The inner workings of the female-criminal's mind. Hitchcock manages to spin together some suspense in unexpected places (his true genius!), and if you're anything like me- your curiosity will keep you glued to the screen until the end. I mean really, the main mystery of this movie to me was how anyone could resist the charm of 1960's Sean Connery. (Point and case below!)

Movie Monday: Riding in Cars with Boys 2001

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, I secretly started reading message boards, blog posts, and pretty much anything related to newly pregnant women. Oh, and watching movies! I hadn't seen Riding in Cars with Boys since high school, so I thought it might be fun to follow along with a pregnant women's story from another vantage-point: a knocked-up teenager in the 1960s.

The dramady starts out like a teenage romance with all the nostalgia of the 1960s. But things quickly change when Beverly (Drew Barrymore) gets too involved and finds herself in quite a predicament- pregnant! An embarassment to her family. A ruin to her own dreams. And she has decided she does not want to marry the father, a deadbeat teenager going nowhere in life. But her parents have other plans.

The movie ie enjoyable, for sure, but it's really sad to watch Beverly's hopes plummet as she takes care of the two helpless men (one a baby, and one a husband) in her life instead of following her own dreams. It's majorly disappointing to see how conditional her parents' love for her seems to be. But through the years, lots of things change, mistakes are made, lives are changed, and people change- for better or for worse. The movie's like taking a 2-hour jaunt through the wreckage and revival of someone else's life, with lessons to be learned and shenanigans to enjoy along the way.