it would be a terrible mistake to go through life thinking that people are the sum total of what you see

Average rating: 7. A good week!

The Clock (1945) - "While on a two day leave in New York City, soldier Joe Allen (Robert Walker) meets secretary Alice Mayberry (Judy Garland) when she trips over him. They hit it off, and Alice decides to show Joe around. As they tour the sights of New York, they begin to fall in love. After inadvertently meeting a milk deliveryman (James Gleason), they befriend him and help him finish his route. The next morning, they decide they should get married before Joe must return to duty."
length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: I'm not sure if I've ever seen a movie directed by Vicente Minnelli
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 83%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "'Suppose we hadn't met?'

    'We couldn't not have met.'"

MPAA rating: Approved [TV-PG]

directed by: Minnelli, Fred Zinnemann

my notes: a little Judy Garland goes a long way, y'know? It's a sweet and romantic story. Clearly released during the war, it's patriotic and a little crazy. Soldier meets girl and three days later they're married. So, support the troops and don't get freaked out when some of them get married in a whirlwind. If you're tolerant with stuff like that, then go for it.

overall:  recommended

This is Where I Leave You (2014) - "After their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide—driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves."

length: 1 hour, 43 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: during a long night of time-crunched work, I wanted something to play that was familiar enough not to be distracting, but that would feel good to watch (previously reviewed here and mentioned here)
IMDB: 6.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 44% Audience: 60%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "I'm divorcing her whore ass. ... How are you, Mrs. Appelbaum?"

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Shawn Levy

my notes: a little sad, strangely moving, and surprisingly laugh-out-loud funny, this is a favorite of mine. Ben Schwartz (Rabbi Boner), Tina Fey (Wendy Altman), and of course Corey Stoll (Paul Altman) were the best, this time around. Yay!

overall: strongly recommended

Cast a Dark Shadow (1955) - "Edward 'Teddy' Bare (Dirk Bogarde) is a ruthless schemer who thinks he's hit the big time when he kills his older wife (Mona Washbourne), believing he will inherit a fortune. When things don't go according to plan, Teddy sets his sights on a new victim: wealthy widow Freda Jeffries (Margaret Lockwood). Unfortunately for the unscrupulous criminal, Freda is much more guarded and sassy than his last wife, making separating her from her money considerably more challenging."
length: 1 hour, 22 minutes

source: streamed on TubiTV
I watched it because: I'm in a noir phase
IMDB: 7.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 86% Audience: 66%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "You may not be much of a catch, but, so help me, l love you."

MPAA rating: Approved

directed by: Lewis Gilbert

my notes: wow, this is a crazy movie! Dirk Bogarde's Teddy Bare (ugh) is wack-a-DOODLE, and Margaret Lockwood plays the hell out of Freda Jeffries. It's a legitimate mystery/thriller and fun to watch.

overall:  recommended

Empire of the Sun (1987) - "Jamie Graham (Christian Bale), a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor named Basie (John Malkovich), who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirits, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him."
length: 2 hours, 33 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it was nominated for a bunch of Oscars and appears on several Best lists
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 77% Audience: 90%
my IMDB: 6/10

notable quote: "'But we don't want them to win, do we. Remember, we're British.'

    'Yes. I've never been there.'"

MPAA rating: PG (this is truly shocking)

directed by: Steven Spielberg

my notes: ugh, I didn't like it at all. Bale's Jamie/Jim is a hyperactive brat who's also borderline psychotic, and VERY hard to root for. Malkovich's Basie is terrifying, combination predator and compulsive liar. The only character I really liked was Takatarô Kataoka as 'the Japanese Boy Pilot'. It's a visually stunning film about an interesting period in history, but the story itself is dragged down by dull, yucky characters and melodrama. I'm definitely not seeing it again.

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Cinematography—Allen Daviau

• Best Art Direction - Set Decoration—Norman Reynolds, Harry Cordwell

• Best Costume Design—Bob Ringwood

• Best Sound—Robert Knudson, Don Digirolamo, John Boyd, Tony Dawe

• Best Film Editing—Michael Kahn

• Best Music, Original Score—John Williams
overall: blah recommended

 

[the title quotation is from This is Where I Leave You]