My Week in Film: January 8 to January 14

Here is what I watched this week.

La Vie En Rose (dir. Olivier Dahan, 2007)

I have now seen La Vie En Rose twice in the last six months. That is twice more than I ever intended.

Senna (dir. Asif Kapadia, 2010)

Senna lacks standard documentary markers (no talking heads; no narration) and makes Formula One racing interesting. Senna stands out as one of the best recent documentaries.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (dir. Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, 1938)

Errol Flynn will always be the best Robin Hood. He wasn’t the first but it is hard to imagine the character without Flynn’s boundless charm. Actually, it is easy to picture that Robin Hood because it is Russell Crowe.

Atlantic City (dir. Louis Malle, 1980)

The romantic pairing of Susan Sarandon and Burt Lancaster oddly works.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (dir. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1943)

This isn’t my favorite Powell-Pressburger film but like all of their work, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp boasts a great story with much more than beats the eye.

Heavenly Creatures (dir. Peter Jackson, 1994)

With a film like Heavenly Creatures, the real life story it is based on can easily overshadow the film. But the performances by Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey pushes this film over the edge, making it an intense and fascinating ride.

The Killing (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1956)

One of my favorite film noirs and one of my favorite films directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Adam’s Rib (dir. George Cukor, 1949)

This is my favorite Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn film. I have a copy on VHS that I can’t part with and when I was younger, I would watch the tape over and over again. The gender politics are years ahead of its time. Adam’s Rib is Tracy and Hepburn at their best.

Notting Hill (dir. Roger Michell, 1999)

I went on a huge Downton Abbey binge this week, which led me to watching Notting Hill. Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham Hugh Bonneville plays one of Hugh Grant’s friends and he is responsible for one of my favorite scenes in the movie.