A good story goes a lot farther in my eyes than a mega-budget when it comes to cinema. If I want to experience mesmerizing special effects and the wonders of technology, I’ll go to the IMAX or go view an art installation, but when I go to the movies I am looking to be swept away into a world of fantasy. Ideally that world should include a story that will make me laugh and cry, one that teaches me something, causes me to temporarily forget about my own life, and perhaps even develop a romantic crush on one of the leading actors.
It’s not Oscar-nomination season quite yet, so many of 2011′s most prized cinematic jewels have yet to be revealed, but I stumbled upon two incredible films this month. The Help and Midnight in Paris.
The Help is the more heart-wrenching of the two: a deeply sad tale that sheds light on the mistreatment of black housekeepers in Mississippi during the 1960′s as a result of a writing project undertaken by a daring young upper-class white novelist, who conducted interviews with a dozen colored housekeepers and then published it anonymously as a book. This movie is fantastic – the maids are hilarious. My face got plenty of exercise as the film moved me through the full emotional spectrum, making me laugh and cry and cringe and cry again. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film receives an Oscar nomination. It definitely deserves it!
Midnight in Paris is a little fluffier, but equally amazing. Ever since Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen has been on a roll. It definitely has something to do with the fact that in his older-aged wisdom, he has relinquished the acting duties to–ahem–professional actors, which not only gives more mental space for him to flex his directorial muscles, but also creates a unique opportunity for him to direct his leading male actor to play the ‘Woody Allen’ part. I must say, watching Owen Wilson do the classic Woody Allen stutter and inhabit his undeniable awkwardness was utterly hilarious.
Owen + Woody: unconventional deep male bonding
The story in this one is a classic fantasy-escape scenario. Man is engaged to woman. Man is slightly unhappy with woman. Man dreams of being a writer but cannot seem to finish his novel. Man and woman go on vacation. Man craves escape. Man finds escape. Voila. The kicker with this one is that their vacation spot just so happens to be none other than Paris, and the man’s escape is somewhat unconventional. After deciding to wander off on his own one evening while his fiancee goes to a wine tasting, just as the clock strikes midnight he encounters an antique car and in it is none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald, who whisks him off to meet Ernest Hemingway. After gallivanting around the Paris of the 1920′s with his literary idols, he is dropped off at the very same corner just before dawn . The scenario repeats itself day by day as he encounters Picasso, Getrude Stein, and many others. This one is full of laughs and smiles. I think only one tear managed to trickle from my eye.