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Louis and the Troubles

 Tuesday: Skirts Ahoy! (1952)

          Mary Kate gets stood up at the altar. Una is in love with a man who has joined the Navy. Whitney is a run away bride. All three women are looking for purpose in their life and decide to join the Navy. They train in Michigan. They all have to adjust to the military life. Whitney starts to move up the ranks. One day on leave she meets a handsome man and they hit it off. Turns out he is the new doctor on the base. He finds out about her history and doesn't want to be with someone who can't commit. Yet they fall in love. Una tries to get close to her fiance but ends up leaving just as he gets assigned there. The three woman are proud to be part of the Navy and have found a purpose. I thought this movie was ok. It's also a musical.

Wednesday: The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

         Set in the 1880s, Daniel and Peachy are two British soldiers living in India. They have become con men. They decide they will travel to Karfiristan and become kings. No white man has been there since Alexander the Great. They set off on their journey. They have to deal with bandits and the elements but they make it to Kafiristan. Daniel and Peachy help a local village vanquish their enemies. Then they help the next village vanquish their enemies. They train the men in battle as they go. Soon they have a large army under their command. Then they reach the ancient city the Alexander ruled. The people of the city think Daniel is a descendent of Alexander and make him king. Then they think because he wasn't injured in battle that he is a god. Daniel and Peachy are shown to a chamber with more treasure than they could have imagined. They plan to leave in the spring with the treasure. But in that time the power starts to go to Daniel's head. He makes decisions that change everything. This is a good movie, but long. 

Friday: Belfast (2021)

        Buddy is a young boy who lives with his family in Belfast in the 60s. They are barely making ends meet. One day rioters come to his street targeting his Catholic neighbors. They want to rid Belfast of all Catholics. It becomes a very dangerous and troubling time for Belfast. (Called "The Troubles") The people on his street build a barricade to keep the rioters out. Buddy's dad is trying to get a better job. It would force them to move away. Buddy's mom isn't sure she wants to do that. Belfast is her home. Buddy comes to terms with good vs bad. He also forms a crush on a girl in his class. His family does their best to live normally turning this time and decide what they need to do next. I thought this was a really good movie. It is based on the director's (Kenneth Branagh) life. It is mostly in black and white. There is a different quality to modern black and white films. It's almost like you can see the color. When they would go to a movie it would be in color even though nothing else was. Not sure why they did that. It seemed random to all of the sudden have color. The main reason I watched this movie is because Colin Morgan is in it. He wasn't a lead but his part was bigger than I thought it would be as the lead rioter. 

Saturday: The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

          Set at the end of the 19th century this movie is about the artist Louis Wain. After his father died Louis has to work to support his mother and five sisters. He works as an illustrator. Louis is an odd man  with many ideas and interests. They keep him distracted and from really making enough money to support his family. His oldest sister decides to hire a governess for their younger sisters. Her name is Emily. Emily is a bit odd herself but is able to teach the younger girls and gets on with the family. Louis instantly falls in love with her. She likes him too. Their relationship is frowned upon because she is a lowly governess and he is from a somewhat prominent family. They don't care and get married. Soon Emily is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Louis spends all his time with her. They get a cat. To cheer up Emily he starts painting and drawing their cat. Emily convinces him to send the artwork in to the newspaper he works for. The paintings become a big hit. After Emily passes he continues to paint cats. He changes the way people think of cats. More and more people keep them as pets. Louis's success doesn't last for long. His mental illness gets worse and causes big problems for him. This is a really good movie. It is the right kind of weird. Benedict Cumberbatch is Louis, which is of course one of the main reasons I watched it. 

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