So it turns out I actually lost the South West London Film Blogs Red By Less Than 10 People award. Unfortunately, MotspurParkFansOfFilmsLikeCats.com beat my by three votes, those jerks. Needless to say, as I wasn’t able to see the count, this issue will be taken to the super film court. I will win the award I deserve.

If there is one genre of film I don’t tend to enjoy, it’s a quirky comedy. Think anything like Knives Out or The Favourite or Death of Stalin. They just aren’t my cup of tea. It is therefore fully to the credit of Amelie (2001) that I didn’t turn it off half way through.

The lead character, of the same name, has grown up strictly in her parents’ home. Her father has never shown her any affection, yet she has this almost gratingly positive attitude, yet is very shy. She then makes her life mission to make people fall in love, while also falling for this other person, but being too shy to contact him directly.

The whole thing could’ve been a bit of a mess. However, the characters on the whole were tolerable and the soundtrack was very charming. I was rather tired when I watched this, so let it fly over me instead of particularly engaging in it. If anything that probably helped, because if you think too much about this film, it probably won’t quite be as good.

On the whole, Amelie provides a really quirky, unique romantic comedy with enough redemption to counter some of the more potentially irritating characters

Amelie is not free, but is available on DVD/Streaming Services

Last week, I discussed the new BBC 2/BFI Partnership, where they are showing lots of new releases on Saturday nights. The most recent one was Perfect 10 (2019). An Essex teenager, Leigh, who has lost her mother recently feels all alone. In gymnastics, nobody is supporting her, the other girls are horrible and she is the only one without a parent there. This is taking a toll and she is struggling. Her dead-beat dad then forces her to live with her half-brother she didn’t know about. He himself has his own issues, however this is the first time Leigh hasn’t been alone. It’s all a bit down the rabbit hole as she gets involved in his activites, yet despite his issues, he is the first person to support her.

The film is a well made, fairly by the numbers film. It isn’t fantastical and you can guess its general direction. However, that doesn’t take away from two good debut performances and a solid directional debut from Eva Riley. The gymnastic moments are well made moments of escapism and a solid metaphor for her life. Interactions between the siblings are entertaining as you are provided two characters you root for. While not a perfect 10, this film is a solid 8.

Perfect 10 is available on BBC iPlayer

The other three films I watched this week were part of my attempt to tick off all 92 best picture winners. I am now up to 25.

The King’s Speech (2010) is the most recent one I watched this week. It’s a fairly by the numbers Oscar bait older drama based on a true story by the not very good director Tom Hooper.

Bertie is the younger child of George V in the 1930s. With the invention of radio, the royals have to be more communicative, an issue for young Bertie as he has had a stammer all of his life. This issue gets increasingly more dramatic, leading to a climax where Bertie’s brother abdicates and he has to be George VI and give a speech at the beginning of WWII. Yeah, that may be a spoiler, but if you know any history, it isn’t really. Who comes to save the day? Well, unorthodox speech therapist Lionel Logue. They buddy up, work through their problems using these strange methods, and lo and behold you’ll never guess what happens.

So, while it is incredibly predictable, the film deserves some credit. It is predominantly carried by some great performances from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. If you go in expecting a film to re-invent the wheel, this isn’t the one for you. But if you want a polished movie you can easily watch with the family, then this is the right one. Each character was entertaining enough and it was set up well for Bertie to develop into his character. While the climax had some tonal issues, and Hooper tends to be a kid in a candy shop in an editing room, seriously cuts every few seconds seemingly at random, this isn’t as big an issue when there’s only two people on screen. While this film doesn’t redeem Cats, it at least betters it. An enjoyable easy Friday night watch.

The King’s Speech is on Netflix.

Going back in time now to How Green Was My Valley (1941), the best picture winner which beat Citizen Kane. Now, I’m not a huge Citizen Kane fan, although I appreciate it’s influence. HGWMV had a lot of charm to it. It focuses on a Welsh mining town and a family torn apart by reductions in pay and whether to form a union. The father wants youngest son Huw to have a better life, however there is a question of whether the son will be able to.

There are themes of loyalty and class. What the film does brilliantly is show a vibrant and organic community. Sure, it might be a bit slow in places, but there, but the film shows a place and a period of time rather romantically. We see inequality and the impacts of a whole community specialising in one trade. The impact of health and wealth are all there and vivid, yet hidden behind a very traditional story. It’s worth a watch if you like old movies or are interested. However, others will find it a bit slow.

There is a free video of HGWMV on Youtube.

Film of the Week

1946 was a brilliant year for film. Brief Encounters is, in my opinion, the best romantic film of all time. It’s a Wonderful life is an all time Christmas classic. However, the best picture winner was, and I can’t really argue too much it, The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946), which deservedly wins Film Of The Week.

An allegory to it’s time, TBYOOL is the story of three soldiers coming home from WWII. One is returning to a last minute marriage without any love, but without his status, a job, or much money. Another is returning to a family with his kids all grown up and he doesn’t really know them anymore. A third, played by an actual soldier, returns home with hooks for hands after he lost them in the war. The film focuses on their reintegration and their issues, potently reminding us what those who came home also sacrificed.

At almost three hours long, this film didn’t feel that at all, each scene advancing one of the three interconnected stories usefully. It was big and dramatic with its music as films at the time were. The romantic stories between the soldiers and their romantic interests were each endearing and weighty. It was a beautifully shot character piece which shows the mood of the time and holds up wonderfully today. It can be found easily on youtube.