Monday: Lies My Father Told Me (1975)
Set in the 20s this movie is about a young boy named David. David lives with his parents and grandfather. They are a Jewish family living in Canada. David's dad, Harry, is always coming up with the next big thing. None of which ever work out. Zaida, David's grandfather, helps to support his family. On Sundays he rides around the city with his horse and carriage collecting junk to sell. David loves to go with Zaida. He also loves the stories that Zaida tells. Harry's continued failure puts a strain on the family. Zaida has an on going war with one of their neighbors who complains about his stable being too close to the apartment building. Soon all the conflicts come to a head and the family must adjust. I liked this movie.
Tuesday: Rhapsody in Blue (1945)
This movie is based on the life of George Gershwin. George grows up in a poor family. From a young age he has a talent for playing the piano. He has many teachers along the way but none more influential than Professor Franck. Franck believes George could be a great composer. George wants that too but he needs to make money. He works in vaudeville and at a song agency. Later he gets hired to write songs. He becomes a success with hit after hit. He even does some Broadway shows. Franck tells him he should focus on more serious music. George composes a concerto called Rhapsody in Blue. It's a hit. Through his career he meets women who he falls for. But his music always comes first. I thought this movie was ok. Apparently it isn't an accurate portrayal of his life. He did write the music for Funny Face and An American in Paris. I have seen both of those and they are good.
Wednesday: Shaft (1971)
John Shaft is a private investigator living in New York City. He is hired by Bumpy, the leader of a mob, to find and rescue his kidnapped daughter. While doing that his police friend would like Shaft to bring him information on what is happening with the different mobs. Shaft discovers there is more going on than Bumpy told him. He has to dodge enemies on all sides while trying to rescue the kidnapped daughter. I thought this movie was ok.
Saturday: Eternals (2021)
Immortal beings called Eternals are sent to Earth to protect it from deviants. Deviants are monsters set on destruction. They fight the deviants through the centuries. Once they are gone the Eternals split up and live their own lives. In present day deviants start to reappear. The eternals have to fight them off. They discover what their true purpose is and whether they are willing to accept it. This is a good movie. It is a Marvel movie. It is directed by Chloe Zhao, who directed Nomadland. So it has a different feel than the other Marvel movies. There are more beauty shots. There are big action sequences but it also focuses on the characters. It is more intelligent and elegant. I love how diverse the cast is. Not just in different races, but also abilities. One of the Eternals is a deaf black woman. I'm excited to see what other Eternals movies come out.
Sunday: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
This is a French movie. Genevieve is a young teenage girl who helps her mother at the umbrella store they own. She is in love with a young mechanic named Guy. They want to get married. Genevieve's mother discourages her from getting married so young. Then Guy is called to serve his two years in the army. They spend one last night together before he leaves. Soon after he is gone Genevieve finds out she is pregnant. She doesn't know what to do. Her mother is facing financial difficulties. She sells tries to sell off some jewelry. They meet a jeweler who takes a liking to Genevieve. She doesn't hear from Guy very often. Panicked she agrees to marry the jeweler. Guy comes back from his service to find Genevieve married and gone. He struggles to move on, but makes a life of his own. I thought this movie was ok. It is a musical. But not in the sense that they break into song. They sing every word they speak. It is a little strange. They don't change their tone when singing. So it sounds the same whether they are mad or happy. Sometimes you can go off their facial expressions to see how they are feeling but sometimes you can't.
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