(image from Amazon.com)
I have just finished extended-audible-sobbing my way through the credits of the movie Pride, and if you haven’t seen it I think you might like to. I will tell you why:
1. The last year or two has felt to me like a constant mental tug-of-war between “WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER AND HELP EACH OTHER AND MARCH FOR EACH OTHER AND PREVENT CRUEL AND HEARTLESS THINGS FROM HAPPENING TO EACH OTHER!” and “This is exhausting and futile and everything is just going to be an unavoidable relentless descent into chaos and cruelty for the limited time we have left before we use up all the oxygen and fall into the sweet release of human extinction.” This movie, about a gay and lesbian group in the 1980s that somewhat impulsively decides to help the cause of the striking Welsh miners because the group feels empathy from being on the receiving end of the type of bullying/persecution the miners are facing, takes a day like the latter and turns it into a day like the former, complete with rousing music. And it is based on a true story, and during the credits you get little updates on some of the characters.
2. Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty from The Wire) is in it, and his hair is bleached, and he wears ’80s clothing, and he dances. WITH THRUSTS.
3. I mean, the 1980s styles alone are worth it.
4. Bill Nighy is in it, and I may have mentioned once or twice before that I would watch an entire movie of nothing but him walking around, talking wryly, and periodically quirking his face. In this movie he has a scene with a full-on close-up on-fleek eyebrow quirking. Like they KNOW we are just waiting for that eyebrow shot.
5. Dolores Umbridge (actor Imelda Staunton) from Harry Potter, but playing a GOOD character so you can LOVE her!
6. Middle-aged women going to 1980s gay men’s clubs.
(image from Wikipedia.com)
Another movie I recently watched and loved (though no sobbing) was Meet the Patels. Within five minutes I knew I had found EXACTLY my favorite kind of documentary: personal/revealing, some interviews, some animation, some sneaky footage (“Put that camera down!” “Okay….*puts camera delicately down onto seat, where it is still recording*”), interesting information about another culture. It’s about a 30-year-old man who breaks up with his white girlfriend and attempts to find an Indian wife using a combination of traditional and modern methods from his family’s Indian culture: biosheets, parent-arranged blind dates, giant marriage-seeking conference with ice-breaker activities, taking advantage of wedding season, etc. The film-maker is his sister and she does a good job of making him a sympathetic character without failing to lead us to understand what might not be working for him in this endeavor.
I loved Meet the Patels too! I recommend you Google Ravi to learn the epilogue to the story.
I did, although there were FAR TOO FEW details and explanations!
Oh, good recommendation, thanks. I loved this movie so much.
Something like two years ago, I told my mom – who very rarely likes movies – how much she would like Meet the Patels.
About six months ago she told me about this great movie she discovered on Netflix about an Indian guy…
If you like Meet the Patels, you should watch The Big Sick.
Kumail Nanjiani is the best! I saw him do stand-up a few years back and I laughed so hard I was in physical pain. He had a bit specifically about the dueling ice cream parlors in my small city that was so spot-on you would think he lived here.
Yes! The Big Sick was great!
Oh The Big Sick was so good! I third this recommendation.
Came here to comment exactly this. The Big Sick was FANTASTIC and Swistle, you would LOVE it.
These both sound EXCELLENT, thank you!
I’m glad you liked Pride! I thought it was heartwarming in a way that never veered into schmaltziness. I was also blown away that it was based on true events.
I just loved Meet the Patels. I’ve watched it several times and recommend it to everybody. I loved how there was really no snarkiness. It’s a family, they love and respect each other and try to do their best. Love it. Now adding Pride to my list!
I just watched Paddington 2 because Youngest wanted to but it was so touching and lovely I’d have watched it on my own even without her. In fact Oldest (15) ended up staying in the rumpus room and watching the whole thing too, it was that good and much needed in these trying times.
Oooh! I marked “Meet the Patels” as “to watch” on Netflix and haven’t gotten around to it yet… but this makes me want to do it NOW!
I just watched it and it was just as you made it out to be! I am perplexed by how his life turned out though – I wish I knew more of the intervening story!
Also I want to know more now about his sister and her experience!
Always looking for a good movie recommendation. I can’t wait to watch these!
I have programmed a DVD player (many thanks to amazon reviewers) to be a region free one-so I order movies from the UK because I am a total Anglophile. I bought Pride quite a while ago, and I LOVED it! That two such different populations came together with respect was really inspiring.
I feel the exact same way about Bill Nighy-I will watch anything he is in. He has what I call “it”-where you can’t take your eyes off that person. The funny thing, it really doesn’t have much to do with looks-I guess it is all attitude and talent.
I hope you continue to share your movie recommendations!
Great recommendations Swistle, thank you. You may already know this: Imelda Staunton is real-life married to Jim Carter, a.k.a. Mr Carson the Downton Abbey butler.
Speaking of striking miners movies to weep at, have you seen Brassed Off? Pretty old movie now, co-starring a young and puppy-dog cute Ewen McGregor. I’ve seen it more than once and it gets me every flippin’ time.