But now comes the ultimate quandary…What should I get and where the hell is it?? The number of times I’ve observed people blindly wandering the aisles of my local video store with (now cold) takeaway, so bewildered by the many options they simply grab a new release and walk out with something they aren’t going to enjoy or have already seen. Even if you do have time to wander, this dilemma is made doubly frustrating when you need to get one both babe and boy will enjoy (especially if, like me, your boy won’t even consider something without 007 on the spine!) Now you could look to the DVD store promo material for a guide. This would be fine except that they tend to hammer the latest overnight releases in a bid to get you to spend more. And unless you’re looking for the latest disc of The OC or until a plot summary is available in the search option on the computer system, you’ve got Buckley’s of getting a decent recommendation from the pubescent clerks. I remember once asking a clerk, after a particularly heinous day at work, for a romantic, period drama and having her click her keyboard like an airline booking agent only to come up with, “Titanic?” as if I was the only person on the planet that hadn’t seen it yet!
There are some real gems waiting for you in the weekly sections that both babe and boy alike will enjoy. I can recommend a number of these to you. Now I could try and earn back my film degree and go off on some tangent about the artistic merit of a film but there are about a thousand internet sites and newspapers with reviews of that ilk. It’s par for the course to provide a cinematic review as advice on a movie. You know, the ones that rattle off terms like “sweeping cinematography”, “this is a self indulgent project from director [whomever]”; sometimes they’ll even cite a director you’ve heard of. But these do not indicate whether you will enjoy the film. Just because you enjoyed Titanic does not mean James Cameron’s Aliens will be the same experience for you. In fact, it’s probably highly unlikely!
As such instead of ‘reviewing’ a film, I prefer to liken a movie to other films it reminds me of. One of the best reviews I have ever read (although meant as a criticism) stated that Master and Commander was simply “Gladiator on water”. Having loved the latter, this constituted a rave review for my father who promptly went out and saw it twice!
So what should you get??
LAST OF THE MOHICANS
About ten years ago there was a spate of period dramas saturating the cinemas. One of the best of these which slipped under many people’s radar was Last of the Mohicans. While it is a beautifully constructed film what you need to know is the following:
PLOT: As English and French soldiers battle for control of the North American colonies in the 18th century, the settlers and Native Americans are forced to take sides. Cora and her sister Alice are almost unwitting victims of this violent war until rescued by Nathaniel, an orphaned settler adopted by the last of the Mohican tribe. As Nathaniel, and his native father and brother attempt to protect the women romance develops.The film has plenty of great battle scenes with enough strategic combat, betrayal and blood to satisfy the boys and the romantic subplot will keep you enthralled too without the guys wandering off mumbling ‘chick flick’.DIRECTOR: Michael Mann ( Miami Vice, Ali, Collateral, The Insider)CAST: Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York , The Age of Innocence), Madeline Stowe (The General’s Daughter, Twelve Monkeys)
LOCATED IN: Drama Weekly sectionFOR MORE BATTLE/ROMANCE MOVIES SEE:
- Dances with Wolves
- Braveheart
- The Patriot (Mel Gibson version, not Steven Segal!)
Ask the clerk for a reminder tag to be slipped under the plastic cover. It reduces the risk of “What day was that due back?” syndrome. Remember, the advantage of a weekly is that you have 7 whole days to avoid being stung by late fees (or as my significant other complains, “What it would’ve cost if you’d just bought the damn thing!”)
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