December 5, 2009

Gunga Din (1939)
I was a little confused by this movie. The first half, when the soldiers are safely stowed away at their Indian outpost, plays very much like a slapstick comedy. But once they set out for the mysterious golden temple (that of course turns out to be the hiding place of an evil cult), it turns into an Indiana Jones-esque adventure. I have no problem with shifting the tone of a movie, but it has to make sense. The two halves of this movie feel totally disjointed. That being said, the second half is action-packed and fun (you just have to try to look past the raging racism of the British against the Indians). Cary Grant seems younger than in most of what I've seen him in, but he's just as good as ever.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars

September 16, 2009

The Philadelphia Story (1940)
#55 on my Top 100 List
In the first scene, Cary Grant punches his wife in the face and yet I still love him. I love everything about this movie, from the all-star cast (besides Cary Grant, most handsome man ever to grace the screen, it includes Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart) to the slapstick plot to the hysterical scene between Jimmy Stewart's drunk Mike and Cary Grant's half-asleep CK Dexter Haven. The only thing that was strange for me was hearing the other characters call him Dexter or Dex, considering how much of the show Dexter I've been watching recently. Definitely not the same kind of character.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars