you will find her delicate but robust, neighbors. Part country girl she once was, part educated lady she is now

Average rating: 7.6

Love Actually (2003) - "This delightful film intertwines multiple love stories set in London during the weeks leading up to Christmas. The film explores various aspects of love through its ensemble cast, including a newly elected prime minister who falls for a staffer, a man coping with the loss of his wife, and a young boy experiencing his first crush, all culminating in heartwarming and sometimes complicated relationships." 

length: 2h, 15m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Richard Curtis  |  why I watched: I'd had an overwhelming day, and wanted something "nice" with minimal thought required (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.5/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 65% / 72% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: R

tone & texture: warm, soft & naturalistic

notable quote: "Jamie's friends are so good looking! He never tells me this. I think, maybe now I have made the wrong choice? Picked wrong Englishman?"

my notes: a bit strange, and with some segments that are not so great, but overall it's always a win. (Jamie and Aurelia are my favorite storyline.)

themes: love

overall:  recommended

Beautiful Girls (1996) - "In this romantic comedy/drama, a group of high school buddies reunite for their high school reunion, in the small town where they grew up. They deal with the life challenges of finding women to love and be loved by, committing to a relationship, and getting past their childhood dreams and desires to deal with reality and appreciate life." 

length: 1h, 52m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Ted Demme  |  why I watched: another rough-day choice that I knew would make me happy (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.1/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 78% / 80% Audience  |  my IMDb: 9/10  |  MPAA: R

tone & texture: reflective, soft & naturalistic

notable quote: "'You look awful.'

    'I've been drunk for two weeks.'"

my notes: I have adored this one since the first time I saw it. Yes, it's a comedy. Yes, it's a sort of love story. But mostly it's a meditation on male friendship, and the almost unspoken longing for unlived lives, using impossible connections as emotional mirrors rather than real, romantic endpoints. 

themes: identity, transformation

overall: very highly recommended

The Great Magician {Dai moh seut si} (2011) - "In the years after the Revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in China and established the republic, China broken up into fiefdoms held by warlords, who are busy fighting each other. A lieutenant is using magic to scare convicts into joining a warlord's army. His warlord has imprisoned a girl and wants her to be his seventh wife, but he's too honorable to force her. The local revolutionaries wants to kill the warlord and bring back the republic. The lieutenant is secretly a member of the Qing Dynasty Remnant and wants to bring back the Empire. The local Japanese businessman is actually trying to take over with help of the local Blackhawk gang. Into this chaos, a stranger returns from abroad with mastery of magic, and is back to recover the girl he loved (daughter of his master/teacher). Who is tricking whom and who will win at the end?" 

length: 2h, 8m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Derek Tung-Sing Yee  |  why I watched: I'm trying to catch as many of Tony Leung Chiu-wai's films as I can

IMDb: 5.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 41% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Not Rated

tone & texture: playful, high-color/stylized

notable quote: "You took me to his show last time. I was quite impressed... so I asked him to come for our dog's birthday."

my notes: unlike anything else I've ever seen, this movie combines history, magic, romance, treachery, comedy, and probably a dozen other layers that I couldn't even interpret because of the language barrier. I liked it very much. The magic felt real. The interplay between the characters—especially the magician Chang Hsien (Leung) and his romantic rival, Lei Bully (Ching-Wan Lau)—was deep and funny. Xun Zhou, who I enjoyed so much in a very different role in Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011, reviewed here), was wonderful. There's some real beauty here. What a shocker, that the critics and other audiences disagree with me....  

themes: identity, transformation

overall: strongly recommended

Christmas in the Clouds (2001) - "A classic comedy of mistaken identity and romance set during the holiday season at a ski resort that is owned and operated by a Native American Nation. Shot on location at The Sundance Resort in Utah, this is the first contemporary romantic comedy to feature an almost entirely American Indian cast. The film was featured at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival." 

length: 1h, 36m  |  source: TubiTV  |  directed by Kate Montgomery  |  why I watched: this has become a seasonal go-to (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 69% / 65% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: PG

tone & texture: warm, soft & naturalistic

notable quote: "This particular buffalo had an on-screen performance in the movie Dances With Wolves. I don't think he ever got over it, 'cause he used to take pictures with the tourists, let the little kids ride him. We called him... Kevin."

my notes: if you're looking for high cinema, this ain't it. If, instead, you're looking for 96 minutes of gentle entertainment around the holidays, you're in luck. I love the late Graham Greene, too, so this one means a little bit more to me.

themes: identity, love

overall:  recommended

Under the Greenwood Tree (2005) - "A romantic period drama set in a mid-19th century English village, where a beautiful new schoolteacher, Fancy Day, becomes the object of affection for three men: a charming musician named Dick Dewy, a wealthy farmer, and the local vicar. The film explores their romantic rivalries and the social dynamics of the village, all while maintaining a light and pleasant tone." 

length: 1h, 33m  |  source: Fawsome  |  directed by Nicholas Laughland  |  why I watched: it's another favorite (previously reviewed here), with some added layers as I get older

IMDb: 6.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 73% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: TV-PG

tone & texture: warm, lush & romantic

notable quote: "I offer you the world, and your answer is no?"

my notes: this looks like a spring movie, green grass and sunshine and warmth, but it feels like winter—introspection, extra patience, and space in between thoughts, actions, people, and choices. And nobody does English period work as well as Keeley Hawes (as Fancy Day). 

themes: love

overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Under the Greenwood Tree]