Monday: Ball of Fire (1941)
Bertram is a linguist professor working with a group of professors on writing an encyclopedia. One day the trash man comes in to ask them questions for a quiz show. He uses slang that none of the professors have every heard of. Bertram is currently writing an article on slang. He knows he has to go out and gather more information on this new slang. He gathers a varied group of people to meet and talk about slang. One of them is a singer named Sugarpuss. She is dating a mobster. After Bertram visits her she finds out that her boyfriend is suspected of murder. The police could use her to give evidence that would land him in jail. So she needs to hide. She realizes that hiding with Bertram and the other professors would be perfect. Bertram is reluctant to let her stay, but the other professors convince him. They all like her. Much to his annoyance Bertram starts to fall for her. Sugarpuss's boyfriend comes up with a plan to marry her so she doesn't have to testify. Things become more complicated when she forms feelings for Bertram too. I liked this movie. It was later remade as A Song is Born, which I have watched and written about not that long ago. The remake is almost exactly the same as this one. Just instead of an encyclopedia they are working on a book about jazz in the remake. There are other small changes.
Tuesday: The Happy Thieves (1961)
A couple, Eve and Jimmy, work with their friend Jean to steal a painting in Spain for a client. They are to take it to Paris. They have everything worked out to the last detail. Jean paints a replica. Jimmy steals the original and replaces it with the fake. Eve then takes the real on one the plane. But something goes wrong. When they get there the painting is missing. They meet with their client Dr. Munoz. He had the painting stolen from them. He uses to it to blackmail them into stealing a large Goya painting from a museum in Spain. Under a time crunch they come up with a plan to steal it and switch it with a replica. I thought this movie was alright. It has this weird boinging spring sound affect randomly used. It had nothing to do with the plot. Maybe to show suspense, but I'm not sure how. I think that was a failed trend from the 60s.
Wednesday: You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
This movie is set in Buenos Aires. A wealthy club owner, Eduardo, has four daughter. They can only get married in order from oldest to youngest. After the oldest is married the two youngest are anxious for the second oldest, Maria, to get married. Maria has no interest in getting married. She has high standards for romance. Eduardo comes up with a plan to send her flowers and notes from a mysterious suitor. Then when the times comes he will just find a man to be the suitor. At the same time an American dancer, Robert, is in Buenos Aires on vacation and to bet on horse races. When he runs out of money he tries to get a job at Eduardo's club. Eduardo won't see him or let him audition. Then Robert finds out what Eduardo is doing. He makes a deal that he will play the suitor if he gets hired at the club. Eduardo agrees only so he can move on from this plan and find a better suitor. Things don't go as planned. I liked this movie.
Friday: Sound of Metal (2019)
Ruben is a heavy metal drummer in a band with his girlfriend Lou. Suddenly he starts to lose his hearing. He has struggled in the past with drug addiction. The stress from his hearing loss is pushing him back to using again. So his sponsor finds him a spot in a deaf community that also helps those with addictions. It would mean having to be separated from Lou for a couple weeks. Lou has suffered from depression and if Ruben doesn't get help it would send them both over the edge. So she goes to be with family and he stays with the community. Ruben struggles at first. He doesn't know how to speak sign language yet and the others can't hear him. Eventually he learns and begins to heal. But the desire for his old life causes him to make some big decisions. This is a really good movie. I was worried at first that there would be a lot of heavy metal songs in it. I don't like heavy metal at all. But there were only two songs at the beginning. I think this movie will get some Oscar buzz. Hopefully Riz Ahmed who played Ruben will get nominated.
Saturday: The Midnight Sky (2020)
Set in the far future an apocalyptic event has taken over most of the world. Augustine is a scientist in the Arctic and is one of the last people alive on Earth. He didn't go with the others to live underground because he has terminal cancer and didn't see the point. When he finds a little girl still on the arctic base with him he tries to find someone to get her. Then he decides to try and contact one of the rockets in space. He wants to warn them. They had been on one of the few inhabitable planets. They are headed back and don't know what has happened on Earth. This movie is ok. There was just a lot going on. And not a lot of time spent on any one thing. I did figure out one of the twists. It is a little cliche for a survival movie.
Sunday: Knife in the Water (1962)
This is a Polish movie. A couple pick up a hitchhiker on their way to go sailing. They take him as far as the marina. Once there he decides to wait for them till they come back and then hitch a ride back. The husband ends up inviting him on the boat. It is clear from the start that the two men clash. The husband is hard working and smart. The hitchhiker is more brawn than brains and has a wild reckless streak about him. They all try to get along. But tensions come to a head. I thought this movie was alright. It was interesting that not all the lines has subtitles. So sometimes it felt like you were missing an important piece of information.
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