Last month I posted a brief review of the move Everything is Illuminated because I like the unexpected, unconventional and beguiling nature of the story, the well-crafted scenes and performances, and the human insights that lingered in my mind for days afterward. I hadn’t expected to like the movie all that much yet I was totally won over. Since then I’ve thought about some of my other all-time favorite movies and realized that many of these shared distinctive characteristics with this film. The stories aren’t really related to each other, but they are all off-beat (non-formulaic) delights that surprised and charmed me and — as we head into a snowy weekend — I thought they might charm you as well.
| My top three favorite movies may shift from time to time, but Local Hero will always be near the top of my list. Released in 1983, it stars Peter Reigert (post-Animal House) and Burt Lancaster and is directed by the estimable Scottish director Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl, Comfort and Joy). Like all of the movies here it has a light, whimsical streak running through it. The story is that a large Houston oil company sends one of its acquisition specialists, McIntyre, to a small Scots town to purchase the town and, especially, its deep water port that they want to turn into a refinery. Part of the joke is that Mac isn’t even Scottish — his ancestors adopted the name when they got off the boat from Hungary because it “sounded American”.
Devoted to his job and his lifestyle, Mac sets out to complete his mission as quickly as possible but finds himself becoming enchanted by the place and ambivalent about his task. One of the special twists of the story, however, is that rather than being outraged and protective of their community, the locals can’t wait to sell it and become rich! There are several subplots as well and a great cast of characters (referring both to the actors and to the “townspeople” in the movie). The movie is quirky but not in a heavy-handed, off-putting way and it reveals itself little-by-little. The story is partly meant to be a commentary on American capitalism abroad, but this is done warmly and with wit; the scenes between Mac and an entreprenuerial Russian sailor are some of the best, though these are surpassed by Burt Lancaster’s small but vital role. Beautiful scenery, a beautiful story, and did I mention that there’s a mermaid as well? |
 |
 |
I always link The Coca-Cola Kid with Local Hero in my mind because it also tells a comedic tale of what happens when American interests go abroad, but in a more allegorical manner. The screenplay is by an Australian and directed by a Yugoslavian, but culture clashes at the center of the movie, and the characterization of Becker (played by Eric Roberts in one of his less-twitchy roles) is more bemused than pointed. Becker is a hot-shot marketing guru from Coca-Cola, sent from Atlanta to Australia to boost sales in that country. (The movie was made without the fore-knowledge or blessing of Coca-Cola). When he discovers a populated valley in which absolutely no Coke has ever been sold he sets out to conquer, in the process meeting the patriarch of the valley, a cantankerous lord who bottles his own brand of soft drinks.
Greta Scacchi plays the love interest, again, somewhat as an allegory, as are several other characters who come and go with their own perceptions and assumptions about Americans set up in contrast with Becker’s assumptions of this new land. It’s a funny and generally gentle story with great music, including a terrific Coke jingle that the company should have adopted in real life. It’s a good companion movie to watch with Local Hero, but there are a couple of scenes with nudity so it’s probably not for kids (though the story wouldn’t be as interesting to them anyway). |
| A movie that is ideal to watch with the whole family is The Secret of Roan Inish. There are no big stars in the film, but it is directed by John Sayles, who’s work I’ve liked since “The Return of the Secaucus Seven” (another off-beat charmer that was later ripped off by “The Big Chill“). The story focuses on Fiona, a young girl sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish coast after her mother dies and her father and brothers go to work in an industrialized city. Her grandparents still live near the island that was the home of Fiona’s family going back several generations and the seat of the family’s mystical history and the setting for the mysterious disappearance of Fiona’s younger brother, Jamie, spirited away when he was an infant.
While that sounds rather dark, the story is anything but as Fiona and her cousin find themselves gradually unwrapping the nearly forgotten ancient secrets of the family and the mystery of what happened to Jamie. Rest assured, there isn’t a speck of evil in the story. In fact, one of the things that makes the film so unique in my mind is that it generates such a compelling drama without a single villain. The young actress who plays Fiona (Jeni Courtney) is amazing and easily carries the movie. I’m surprised that she hasn’t gone on to do other movies (“Roan Inish” was released in 1995). It’s a tremendous story of faith, love and character and an ideal experience for the whole family. Bake some bread, cook up a pot of soup, and eat while you watch the movie! |
 |
 |
This is another movie that took me by surprise when we first watched it. The Emperor’s New Clothes is a “what if” story about what might have happened if Napoleon had managed, through the use of a body double, to escape from Elba and make it back to France. Rest assured, however you think this might have turned out, you’ll definitely be surprised by the story that unfolds. Ian Holm is fantastic as the two Napoleons and the story is a very funny and touching one with a bit of romance and adventure thrown in.
I’m not sure why we even rented it in the first place, but I’m glad we did. While the premise sounds predictable, the story is delightfully original and veers away from the cliched scenes and character reactions that you might expect. It’s not a “major” film but it is very entertaining with likeable characters and a seductive plot. If you rent it just sit back and relax and go with the story and you won’t be disappointed. |
What’s up it’s me, I am also visiting this web page regularly, this web page is
really fastidious and the users are in fact sharing
pleasant thoughts.
A? th? admin ?f thi? web site iis ?orking, no question ?ery ?uickly ?t
?ill bee ?ell-?nown, ddue to it? feature contents.
Stop ?? myy web-site :: h2 math tuition 590
Hello my friend! I wish to say that this post is amazing,
nice written and come with almost all significant infos.
I’d like to look more posts like this .
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide
credit and sources back to your site? My blog is in the exact same niche as
yours and my users would certainly benefit from a lot of
the information you present here. Please let me know if this
alright with you. Cheers!
Kasyno Honorarium bez Depozytu za Rejestracje
to jedna z najbardziej popularnych visualize promocji oferowanych przez
legalne platformy hazardowe online. Tego typu bonus pozwala nowym
uzytkownikom rozpoczac gre bez koniecznosci wplacania wlasnych srodkow na konto.
Wystarczy zazwyczaj zalozenie konta oraz spelnienie okreslonych warunkow regulaminowych, aby otrzymac darmowe srodki lub darmowe obroty
na wybranych automatach. Dla wielu graczy jest to atrakcyjna mozliwosc sprawdzenia funkcji kasyna bez ponoszenia dodatkowych kosztow.
Great article! We are linking to this great article on our site.
Keep up the great writing.
Heya! I know this is sort of off-topic however I needed to
ask. Does running a well-established blog like yours require a lot of
work? I am brand new to running a blog however I do write in my diary every day.
I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and thoughts online.
Please let me know if you have any kind of suggestions or tips for new aspiring bloggers.
Appreciate it!
online slots win real money
casino games on android
real money online casinos USA
It’s an remarkable post for all the web people; they will get benefit from it I am sure.
Hi there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I
came to give it a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Excellent blog and superb style and design.
Asking questions are truly fastidious thing if you are not
understanding anything completely, but this piece of
writing presents pleasant understanding yet.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Baixar whatsapp pelo google.
Regards
This is a very informative post about online casinos and betting platforms.
I especially liked how it explains the importance of choosing a trusted site
before signing up.
Many players often ask where they can find reliable gaming platforms with fair odds and smooth payouts.
From what I’ve seen, checking platforms like vn22vip helps users compare features, bonuses,
and overall experience.
Thanks for sharing these insights — they’re helpful for
both beginners and experienced bettors.
Unlik? lar?e classroom settings, primary math tuition ?ffers
tailored ?ne-on-one support t?at a?lows children t? ?uickly clarify doubts ?nd deeply understand difficult tipics ?t the?r ?wn comfortable pace.
?n lar?e secondary classrooms ?here personal questions frequently ?emain unanswered, math tuition ?rovides tailored ?ne-on-one guidance to clarify tough
?reas su?? as simultaneous equations and quadratics.
G??en the tight time constraints ?nd dense cont?nt load of the JC programme, regular math tuition helps students
?emain ?n schedule, consolidate knowledge effectively, ?nd
prevent ?ast-minut? stress.
?or JC students targeting prestigious tertiary pathways ?n Singapore,
online math tuition pr?vides exam-specific methods f?r proof-based questions, ?ften creating t?? winning margin ?etween a pass and
a ?igh distinction.
OMT’s bite-sized lessons ?void overwhelm, permitting steady love f?r math t? grow
and motivate regular examination preparation.
Broaden ?ou? horizons wit? OMT’? upcoming ne? physical
ar?a opening in Se?tember 2025, providing a lot more opportunities fo?
hands-on mathematics exploration.
Singapore’? world-renowned math curriculum highlights conceptual understanding ?ver
simple computation, m?king math tuition vital f?r students t? comprehend deep ideas ?nd excel
in national tests ?ike PSLE ?nd O-Levels.
Math tuition helps primary school trainees stand out ?n PSLE by reinforcing t?e Singapore Math curriculum’? bar modeling method
f?r visual ?roblem-solving.
Secondary math tuition ?ets over the limitations of huge class dimensions, offering
focused focus t??t improves understanding f?r O Level preparation.
Witth ? Levels ?ffecting career courses in STEM areas, math
tuition enhances foundational abilities f?r future university ?esearch studies.
??e proprietary OMT educational program sticks ?ut by incorporating MOE syllabus components ?ith gamified quizzes
?nd obstacles to m?ke discovering mor? enjoyable.
?ll natural method in online tuition ?ne, nurturing not simply abilities b?t passion for mathematics ?nd best quality success.
Math tuition develops strength ?n facing difficult concerns, ?
necessity f?r growing in Singapore’shigh-pressure examination environment.
?ere is my p?ge … Sec 2 Math Paper
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all of us you really know what you are speaking approximately!
Bookmarked. Please additionally seek advice from my site =).
We will have a link alternate contract among us
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this,
like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few
pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that,
this is wonderful blog. An excellent read.
I will definitely be back.
Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this website.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s challenging to get that “perfect balance” between superb
usability and visual appearance. I must say you’ve done a excellent job with this.
In addition, the blog loads super quick for me on Chrome.
Outstanding Blog!