This month’s movies are from the 1700s to the 1950s… all in the past five years.
After receiving “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” for Christmas, I was eager to expand my library of “Essential” films I’ve seen. I actually feel like, just based on what I’ve skimmed from this manifesto, I’ve seen a lot of them! The book actually hit the eponymous 1001st film in 1999, but the list grows by five movies (give or take) each year. So it’s really more like 1100 movies at this point! Certainly, I have many a ways to go.
To kick off my self-imposed cinematic education, I decided to sit down and watch a few of the movies that have come out in the past few years that I MEANT to see, but never did. Without even trying, the movies I’ve started off with are all historical dramas! Here are my thoughts on the first three:
1. The Greatest Showman (2017). I was very hesitant to see this movie. Do I love a good musical? Yes. Do I love a good uplifting story? Yes. Hugh Jackman in general? Yes. Still, the film is centered around PT Barnum, who essentially created the circus, which became a breeding ground for animal cruelty and abuse of “freaks.” I didn’t want to see a movie that glorified that! However, I got over it, mostly because the choreography for the penultimate musical number went viral on TikTok and I felt I couldn’t learn it if I hadn’t seen the movie. So, social media won this round.
P.T. Barnum lives a lower-than-dirt life as the son of a tailor, though he eventually becomes a businessman and marries his much wealthier childhood sweetheart, Charity. He eventually opens a museum of oddities, filled with wax figures, illusions, and eventually, living people with eccentricities (bearded ladies, acrobats, jugglers, etc.). As his dreams come alive, he pushes on to take the world by storm, despite jeopardy within the world he wants most (a happy life with Charity and their daughters).
This is a very dry synopsis, though. The film is filled with loud colors, extravagant costumes, and yes, impressive choreography. It felt a bit like a watered down Baz Luhrmann movie (which I don’t mean as an insult; there’s definitely something larger than larger than life about both Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby). The music itself is modern, simple, and yes, catchy.
At least three songs will be stuck in your head for days. It’s no surprise to anyone that a true highlight is Zendaya, who plays Anne Wheeler, a strong spirited acrobat who catches the eye of well-to-do playwright Phillip Carlyle. Carlyle is played by Zac Efron, who, combined with the perpetual star power of Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum, serves as evidence of the REAL thesis: guys who know how to dance immediately get fifty more gold stars. Meeting adjourned.
Perhaps it was because I was already cried out at that point, but the song that really took the world by storm when it first came out was “This Is Me.” In the context of the film, I felt like it didn’t hold the same weight as, say, the first live performance of the song by the singers in that scene. Nevertheless, Keala Settle is powerful and perfect in this anthem of a song. One of the criticisms of the film is that it was faux-inspiring, which I can understand. For a film that seems to champion the “freaks,” the outcasts, you really don’t see them a lot. I felt like the issues of the film could have been given more time. However, it’s a light musical, and in that respect, it’s incredible.
2. Phantom Thread (2017). Fast-forward a century, give or take, and hop across the pond. Eventually you’ll wind up in 1950s London, where Phantom Thread takes place. A film that’s equal parts thrilling and tranquil, Phantom Thread sees the costumes of The Greatest Showman and takes it up to eleven. To be fair, a movie about fashion had better be stylish! It’s romantic, dark, and a little bit disturbing at the end. I guess you could say that for most thrillers!
Daniel Day Lewis, who I think is one of (if not the) greatest actors of the modern era, plays Reynolds Woodcock, a fastidious perfectionist dressmaker that owns one of the most famous fashion houses in London. Reynolds takes on the role of beautiful genius with a certain air of superiority. Everything in his home must be just so. He takes his vegetables a certain way. Mornings must be silent. If he has a romantic partner, they must abide by his patterns and schedule. Any diversion earns you exile… and a farewell dress.
After designing a dress for a high-powered client, Reynolds returns to his country home, befriending a charming waitress along the way. That waitress is Alma, who eventually becomes Reynolds’ lover, returning with him to London and becoming a part of his day-to-day, for better or worse. Their relationship is passionate, but toxic… in every sense of the word.
I think true credit lies in Vicky Krieps, who plays Alma. It takes someone powerful to hold their own against Daniel Day Lewis! She is quiet, calm, with a quiet intensity that matches that of Reynolds. Reynolds runs his fashion house with the help of his sister, who is the only one to fully support all his eccentricities, and reminds him of his humanity when he needs it. However, Alma brings a certain warmth that neither of them seem to have. The movie itself is rather cold, without much room for cheeriness or joy.
Like The Greatest Showman, it is a BEAUTIFUL movie. The costumes are breathtaking. The palette leaves room for the performances to shine. Also, as an Anglophile, any sort of love shown to London earns my praise without much effort. Also, I really enjoy fashion, and would watch practically any film on fashion design! I could see myself rewatching this in a few years and appreciating it even more after having more time to consider it.
3. The Favourite (2018). Let’s go back in time again, allll the way back to the early 1700s. We’ll stay in Britain, though, as we look into the scandalous life of Queen Anne in The Favourite. Granted, a lot of this film is based entirely on speculations. Historians don’t know every detail of Queen Anne, though we have a decent idea on what was made up for the film (for example, the film shows Anne being fond of rabbits, enough to keep them as pets, and this was not a real trait of the very real Queen Anne).
It’s a dark film, with witty modern dialogue (as opposed to the stuffy stiffness of some period pieces), and incredible performances. I started The Crown this past week, and I wanted to watch something with Olivia Coleman. Someone close to me offered up some SLANDER that Coleman did not offer a great depiction of Queen Elizabeth. Offensive! I’m not there yet but I still don’t believe it.
Queen Anne, in the later years of her life, has little interest in the typical duties of a queen. Her country is at war with France, but she would rather engage in more trivial pursuits, like tending to ducks and rabbits, and spending copious amounts of time in bed. Most of her decisions come from her adviser and confidante, Sarah Marlborough. The queen acts as more of a mouthpiece, much to the dismay of Robert Harley, a landowner who leads the Opposition against the taxes being imposed to fund the war.
Sarah’s cousin Abigail, a former lady now penniless, arrives to beg for a job and a place to stay. Sarah grants her the position of a scullery maid, though she eventually rises above her station after aiding the queen with herbs when she has a gout flare. All three women manipulate, seduce, and lie to assume and maintain their power, both with each other and the world they so desperately wish to control.
The Favourite features three strong female leads: Olivia Coleman, who I very much enjoy, as Queen Anne, Rachel Weisz as Sarah Marlborough, who is equal parts cruel and kind, and Emma Stone, as charming as ever, playing Abigail with a levity that I think has become her calling card. Everyone in this film, with perhaps one or two exceptions, is almost completely intolerable. The selfishness and power hunger eventually leads to unbearable loneliness. Heavy is the head that wears the crown! While the film does primarily focus on these fascinating women, I did take a particular liking to Nicholas Hoult as Harley. Of course, he is just as power hungry as the others. However, Hoult gives him a bit of flamboyance that is absolutely delicious.
Abigail eventually seduces one of his cohorts, Samuel Masham. Joe Alwyn, who plays Masham, has electric chemistry with Stone. He was actually one of the more redeemable characters, and I sort of pitied him by the end of it. I think a whole film could exist solely on Abigail and Samuel Masham, but we don’t have time for that!
The actors in The Favourite truly carry the story; I found myself dozing off in the last twenty minutes of the film (it’s late, though, so don’t hold that too much against it), but when I eventually refocused, I found the ending almost disturbing. Several months after The Favourite came out, Us premiered and became one of my favorite films of the year. Both films have a rabbit motif. Bunny rabbits are cute and cuddly. However, when placed in a creepy context, they become hard to snuggle. The Favourite takes its time in its final moments. It’s almost like a metaphor: the suffering of the consequences of the primary characters’ actions will probably feel like forever.
I had planned to watch Little Women too, but I didn’t give myself the time to do so. It remains on the list. However, my primary attention this month will be an homage to one of my favorite comedians right now. You’ll have to wait and see!