Thursday Movie Picks: Movies About Making Movies

I'm slowly preparing my entries for the last leg of Wandering Through the Shelves' movie meme (I'm not sure if she will plan to continue it until next year), so if you haven't joined in the fun, there's still a few weeks left! One of the topics that Hollywood hasn't failed in showing us are the behind the scenes look in movies, even if they were fictional itself. I think that at some point, we, the non-film making industry people sometimes want to catch a glimpse of the process it takes to make a movie. While most of the works are fictional accounts, the behind the scene process is actually a great story telling point, as there is a lot of drama that happens off-screen. Here are my picks for this week's theme:

This film took the world by storm by opting to bring us back to a world of silent film. We have all moved on from silent films, so this represents a homage to those days when the film industry was starting to grow. The film presents the conflict from the transition to one style (silent) to the next (talkies), with the pressure growing on Jean Dujardin's character as it was a transition he was reluctant to make. Just like his partnership with Berenice Bejo, their tandem represents the shift of trend. In the end, we do get a mixture of the old and the new blending in together; while we are ready to move to a new phase, there is still a deep appreciation for the past. 

This has got to be the funnest movies-on-movies production I have seen. The lead cast is unbelievably on sync, and the supporting characters/cameos are fantastic as well. I haven't seen Tom Cruise play a character like that, and Matthew McConaughey was fantastic as his short stint as Kirk Lazarus' agent.  You want a funny action movie? This is it.

The movies about making movies point in this Woody Allen film borders on a technicality, as the lead character in the movie (Tom Baxter) walks off the screen, leaving his movie unfinished. It's a film that borders on reality and fantasy, on how movies with their carefully crafted characters can easily take us away to a place where we can forget the state of our lives. I liked Jeff Bridges in this one, and he and Mia Farrow did have good onscreen chemistry. 

12 comments:

  1. Of the three you have here, I've only seen bits of Tropic Thunder so I can't really judge that film as a whole. I probably should see The Artist as some point, though. Amusingly, I also managed to get a verydifferent silent movie about making a silent movie onto my own list. It didn't occur to me there might actually be more than one.

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    1. The Artist was lovely, as it was nostalgic of the past. It's a risky move making an almost silent film at this age, but in terms of it making an impact in the world of film, it wasn't groundbreaking.

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  2. Very good picks, here. I thoroughly enjoyed both The Artist and Tropic Thunder. In the latter, Tom Cruise was truly amazing. It might be my favorite performance of his because this character is so far removed from the Tom Cruise persona I wouldn't have thought it possible he could play it until I actually saw it.

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    1. Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder is so different from Tom Cruise elsewhere, and he still nailed the role. I was kind of hoping he'd go deviate from his usual roles and play unusual ones. His character was a bit different in Edge of Tomorrow, in terms that while he was playing the hero, he had a sense of uncertainty in him.

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  3. Nice picks! I have Tropic Thunder on my list as well. I wasn't crazy about The Artist, but I can't deny it was a well made film.

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    1. Thank you! Tropic Thunder was really funny, and is in need of a re-watch!

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  4. Love all the three movies you featured here, Tropic Thunder is so hilarious, McConaughey and his whole tivo obsession was insanely funny

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    1. Thank you! Loved McConaughey here! I was surprised I liked the supporting characters much more than the lead ones.

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  5. The Purple Rose of Cairo is such a fine film. My two favorite movies about making movies are 8 1/2 and Day for Night. So, so good.

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    1. I haven't seen both of them, but will try to check them out!

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  6. Not a big fan of the Artist but enjoyed it. Tropic Thunder was funny so the the only one I haven't seen is Purple Rose of Cairo.
    And I'll definitely continue Thursday Movie Picks next year. I have all the themes...it's just a matter of sorting around the themes for each week. :)
    Wandering through the Shelves

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    1. Looking forward for next year's Thursday Movie Picks, then! :)

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