#oscars 39

[theoscarsproject]

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

The art department, pacing and even the songs in this rompy and raucous comedy musical are pretty fun! It makes for an enjoyable 90 minutes, even if it’s not entirely my thing (especially given it’s pretty sexist to put it lightly). Still, for the time. It’s okay! 6/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Fantastic Voyage (1966). A scientist is nearly assassinated. In order to save him, a submarine is shrunken to microscopic size and injected into his blood stream with a small crew. Problems arise almost as soon as they enter the bloodstream.

The legacy of Fantastic Voyage is vast, and in some ways more memorable than perhaps the original film itself. Still, that’s not exactly a slight on the original. Sure, it’s pretty thin in terms of characterisation, arcs and story, but visually, it really brought a lot of style to a genre that had always been pretty camp. It’s an impressive feat, and one that still, surprisingly, looks really good. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Professionals (1966). An arrogant Texas millionaire hires four adventurers to rescue his kidnapped wife from a notorious Mexican bandit.

I actually kind of liked this one! Which, I know! Is odd for me! It’s a western! Still, any movie that lets Burt Lancaster mug at the camera for 90 minutes is fairly good in my book. It helps that it’s a compelling film, that poses questions of the morals behind a job, and how much the truth should matter when you’re not paid to know it. It’s not exactly a flawless film, but still, it’s pretty good. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Fortune Cookie (1966). A crooked lawyer persuades his brother-in-law to feign a serious injury.

Billy Wilder really is one of the  greatest comedy directors of his time - he creates such warmth in absurd situations, and revels in creating unexpected connections in people. I didn’t really know what to expect in The Fortune Cookie, and by no means is it a flawless film, but it is one that I really enjoyed. There’s something really charming about it, and, to reuse the word above, something exceptionally warm too. 7.5/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Loves of a Blonde (1965). An innocent Czech girl from a factory town, is desperately in search of love. She believes she's found it when she beds Milda, a charming young musician visiting from Prague. Milda, however, is only looking for a casual encounter, and leaves town assuming he'll never see Andula again. 

Genuine, tender and modest, this is such a lovely, loving little film, showing the childish innocence of first love, and the trauma of war for those at home. It’s beautiful made, with such a compelling performance from it’s two young leads and cinematography that veers on the sublime side. It’s a great film, one beautifully realised. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming (1966). Without hostile intent, a Soviet submarine runs aground off New England. Men are sent for a boat, but many villagers go into a tizzy, risking bloodshed.

This movie surprised me but not in a good way. It’s just silly, and it’s bizarre to me that it got nominated as widely as it did (even if I do love Alan Arkin). The story is basically a slapstick, Cold War farce, and it never really goes to any satisfying places. Still, it wasn’t awful. 5/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Grand Prix (1966). American Grand Prix driver Pete Aron is fired by his Jordan-BRM racing team after a crash at Monaco that injures his British teammate, Scott Stoddard. While Stoddard struggles to recover, Aron begins to drive for the Japanese Yamura team, and becomes romantically involved with Stoddard's estranged wife.

This movie is a total sport melodrama, but it’s a pretty enjoyable one, with a terrific sense of visual and auditory language and a snappy edit. If you’re looking for a masterclass in the technicalities of film, this is one to watch, but don’t expect too much from the story. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Gospel According to Matthew (1964). The life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew. Pasolini shows Christ as a marxist avant-la-lettre and therefore uses half of the text of Matthew.

As far as religious films go, this is definitely one of the better ones, Lushly shot, with a wonderful sense of visual language, it is a genuinely sublime gift for your eyes. It looks good. The story though is a very liberal, very artistic interpretation of the story, which in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just that the end product is hard to find an entry point into in terms of empathy. Still. A good film. 7.5/10.