Triple feature—Unrequited love

This post Valentine's Day triple feature might seem unromantic, but these three films really are all about the L-O-V-E. . . even if it's a bit one-sided.

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Onegin — made in 1999, starring Ray Feinnes and Liv Tyler

This is a beautiful adaptation of the Aleksander Pushkin novel. In a nutshell, Onegin (Ray Feinnes, way before he was Voldemort) is a blasé urban hipster who is bored with the St. Petersburg social scene in the 1820s. Onegin's recently deceased wealthy uncle has bequeathed him a large estate in the country, where he goes and soon falls in love with a beautiful neighbor, Tatyana (Liv Tyler). She makes her feelings known to Onegin in a love letter, but he cruelly rejects her advances to him because he feels she is too young and provincial for him. That's one unrequited love story.  Onegin flees the country after a duel, and returns six years later—older and less cocky—then re-encounters Tatyana, moe noble via a marriage, and he begs her for a second chance, but by this time she it is she who disses him! So that makes for two heartbreaking unrequited love stories in this film. Evgeny Onegin—"If you but knew the flames that burn in me which I attempt to beat down with my reason."

Orlando — made in 1992, starring Tilda Swinton and Billy Zane, and an amazing cross-dressing performance by Quentin Crisp

This film is an adaptation of Virginia Woolf's sui generis tale of a man floating through the ages... and through sexes. Confused? Well, you just have to see it. The tagline on IMDB reads: Orlando lived for 400 years and hardly aged a day; but, because this is England, everyone pretends not to notice. Orlando has been ordered by Queen Elizabeth I to —"Do not fade, do not wither, do not grow old." Indeed. So Orlando, first as a man, loves a woman, but is rejected, and comes to understand this feeling when later as a woman, she loves a man but he rejects her. Orlando—"Nothing thicker than a knife's blade separates melancholy from happiness." The film has some gender-bending madness, but it's so very beautifully filmed, so do stick with it because it's a great film with stunning costuming and set designs. Love the winter skating scenes in Russia. "Oh the treachery of men, and the treachery of women!"

The Age of Innocence — made in 1993, starring Daniel Day Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder

Edith Wharton's brilliant story of starchy Archer Newland and an intriguing Russian woman sucks me in every time. He loves her, but she is a free spirited and scandalous woman who has been ostracized by proper 19th century New York society. He is a proper 19th century New York society gentleman, who furthermore, is already engaged to another woman! It simply would never work out. There's lots of fancy dinner parties, pretty dresses, tuxedos, white ties and gloves in this film, along with seductively beautiful vignettes. Love, resistance, and mad obsession. OK—respectably mad obsession. Ellen to Newland—"Don't you see? I can't love you unless I give you up." 

Vertical viewing—Anna Karenina

Choo Choooo! Anna was a baaaaad wife. I've seen several film adaptations of Leo Tolstoy's classic masterpiece, Anna Karenina, but the latest one I saw was the most creative yet. Director Joe Wright, best known for his Atonement and Pride & Prejudice films (I happen to love both films.), blew me away with his unusual take on the film. The style is probably not for everyone, but I thought it was absolute genius. The film is so very, very beautifully shot, sublime in fact, and is part film, part theater and stage. It's as if he and Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge fame got together for drinks and came up with this concept. Some of Wright's trademarks are long, continuous shots, often during a dance or a ball, and his shots of character's hands that portray sexual tension are pretty amazing too. But I digress. The Greta Garbo version is quite lovely, and some recent PBS adaptations are very well done too. Oblonsky, Tverskoy, Anna & Count Vronsky, Levin & Kitty, and dear, loving, patient Karenin. He really was a good sport for a while there.

“All happy families are alike; 

each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” 

Anna Karenina

—the 1935 version with Greta Garbo and Frederic March

—the 1948 version with Vivian Leigh and Ralph Richardson 

—the 1985 version with Sophie Marceau and Sean Bean
—the 1997 version with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer

—the 2012 version with Kiera Knightly and Aaron Taylor-Johnson

*Vertical viewing defined by me—In wine tasting, there is a term called vertical tasting—sampling one wine varietal from the same producer from several vintages. So I call it Vertical Viewing when I watch and compare several different versions of films. It's great to really get into the storyline and compare the acting and the strengths and weaknesses of each film.

Click on "vertical viewing" label below for other vertical viewing suggestions!

Or click to read my vertical viewing posts of Emma, A Christmas Carol, Cyrano de Bergerac and Shakespeare's Tempest!

Horizontal viewing—The grim reaper

A very theatrical Liz Taylor and Noel Coward 

in the 1968 film Boom!

It's Halloween, so I thought my horizontal viewing theme ought to showcase films about the Grim Reaper of Death. This is actually a vertical viewing and horizontal viewing combo— meaning there are some remakes of the same story, and some riffs on a theme. Forget those silly zombie or chainsaw films, these reels will make you think.

The Seventh Seal  This 1957 film by the legendary Ingmar Bergman tells the story of a man who seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague. It's beautifully done, in that cool Bergman way.

Death Takes a Holiday is a delightful romantic drama made in 1934, and based on the mystical, post-WWI era Italian play, La Morte in Vacanza by Alberto Casella. It stars Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing. "Death" decided to take a vacation, so he becomes a mortal to see what he is missing. What makes us human? What brings us joy and happiness in our lifetime? Death falls for the gal, and complications ensue.

Meet Joe Black is the 1998 remake (of the remake Death Takes a Holiday.) 

Brad Pitt portrays a quirky Angel of Death, and Anthony Hopkins is his victim, and Claire Forlani as the love interest. Well done.

Boom! made in 1968 stars a brilliant Elizabeth Taylor,  Richard Burton, and Noel Coward as the Angel of Death. This film is an awesomely theatrical interpretation of Tennessee Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore. It's set on a remote Greek island and Liz and Dick are in top form. It's campy, it's gritty, it's vulgar, and it most certainly booms!

Happy Halloween!

Click on "vertical viewing" label below for other vertical viewing suggestions!

Or click to read my vertical viewing posts of 

Emma, Love Affair, Anna Karenina,  A Christmas Carol, Cyrano de Bergerac and Shakespeare's Tempest!

Vertical viewing—Love Affair

Love Affair is another suggestion in my vertical viewing* series.

Love Affair is one of those nostalgic, old school films that require at least three hankies. There are three versions of the film that I know of—two called Love Affair, and one called An Affair to Remember. Puuhh-LEESE tell me you've seen one of these film adaptations already, yes? It's a good story, good enough to remake twice. All three of these adaptations are each very well done, and although I enjoy all the actors and the costuming in each I think the first two adaptations are the best. I love the piano theme song from the third film though. In all three films of this love story some details change, such as names, occupations, and locations, but the basic story is this:

An aimless playboy and a singer, each romantically attached to someone else, meet and fall in love on a journey far from home. They both agree that if the affection is real and true (and after they dump their respective partners of course), they would meet several months later in New York, at the top of the Empire State building. Well, the months pass, and on the appointed day, one of the lovers shows up, but the other has an unfortunate accident and is a no show. Has their love and destiny passed, or will they some day reunite? You'll just have to watch to find out. Here are the film versions:

The famous boat balcony scene from each film adaptation.

—the 1939 version with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer

—the 1957 version with Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant
                                  (called An Affair to Remember)

—the 1994 version with Annette Benning and Warren Beatty

In the meantime, watch the trailer from the 1994 version—the piano theme music is beautifully melancholic.

*Vertical viewing defined by me—In wine tasting, there is a term called vertical tasting—sampling one wine varietal from the same producer from several vintages. So I call it Vertical Viewing when I watch and compare several different versions of films. It's great to really get into the storyline and compare the acting and the strengths and weaknesses of each film. 

Click on "vertical viewing" label below for other vertical viewing suggestions!

Or click to read my vertical viewing posts of Emma, Anna Karenina, 
A Christmas Carol, Cyrano de Bergerac and Shakespeare's Tempest!

Vertical viewing—Emma

Hi movie fans! I explained my Vertical Viewing  film obsession before (watching and comparing several different versions of films), and here is another 'VV' to consider—Jane Austen's Emma.


Anything Jane Austen was all the rage in the nineties, which is fine by me because I love all 7 of JA's novels, and can't get enough of the films. There was such a flurry of Austen flicks in the '90s; her 1815 novel Emma is bright and refreshing every time I see it. I love the characters in this classic—the smarmy Mr. Elton (played brilliantly, BTW, by the talented Alan Cumming in the Gwenyth Paltrow film), the dashing Frank Churchill, and poor, frumpy, Harriet Smith. who gets her heart and emotions trampled on, but fear not, she also finds love by the end of the book (and films). And Mr. Knightly—do you love that he adores Emma so much, even though he scolded her when she was mean to that penniless bore, Miss bates ("Badly done Emma, badly done."). Sure Emma is rich and spoiled, but her heart is in the right place, and who doesn't love she and Mr. Knightly hook up at the end?


Now, for my fave film adaptations—Wikipedia says that there are over twenty film, TV and stage adaptations of Emma. I do wish there were older film versions—can't you just picture, say... a young Olivia de Havilland in the starring role and Charles Boyer as her Mr. Knightly? Swoon. Alas, there is not. One film that I have not seen yet that intrigues me like crazy is a mod, 2010 Indian version... does Emma go to Bollywood? It's on my list, but for now, here are the adaptations I have seen:

—the 1972 version with Doran Godwin (BBC TV)
—the 1996 version (called Clueless) with Alicia Silverstone  (film)
—the 1996 version Gweneth Paltrow (film)
—the 1996 version with with Kate Beckinsale  (film) 
—the 2009 version with Romola Garai (BBC TV)

I found the 1972 adaption to be a bit stuffy and dry—Emma wasn't 'delightful' enough for my taste. But in a completely different and clever updated twist, the 1996 the film Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone, was set in modern day California; that was fun! Next came a flurry of Emma films. There is a 1996 version of the story with Kate Beckinsale as the lead role that was very good, but not my favorite. That honor has to go to 

Gweneth in the 1996 version. Loved it! It was made two years before GP starred in Shakespeare in Love—both films show her command of a darn good faux English accent. In 2009 BBC TV had a version of Emma with the beautiful Romola Garai playing the perpetually matchmaking Emma Woodhouse. This was fabulous and refreshing too, and I found Romola to be appropriately delightful. 

If you love all things Emma (and surely you must, if you are bothering to read this) I found a blog called Emma Adaptations that is completely dedicated to it!

Click on "vertical viewing" label below for other vertical viewing suggestions!

Or click to read my vertical viewing posts of 

 Love Affair, Anna Karenina, A Christmas Carol, 
Cyrano de Bergerac and Shakespeare's Tempest!