Nine films in seven days

This week I watched:

It Happened One Night (1934) Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert. Won all the top Oscars of it's year. One of the only romantic comedies to ever win. Story of the heiress running away from meddlesome father and getting on a bus, helped along by newspaper man wanting an exclusive story. The leads make it better than it is and it's still charming after all these years. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025316/

The Awful Truth (1937) Irene Dunne & Cary Grant in one of the first screwball comedies. They are a married couple who are 'fooling around' on each other and end up in divorce court. How they get back together is the story. Ralph Bellamy does his 2nd banana routine or a Texas rancher who comes to NYC with Mama, and falls for the gal across the hall - Irene. Asta the dog figures prominently in the proceedings. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028597/

The Sweetest Thing (2002) Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Thomas Jane. This film is a stain on all their careers. Unpleasant and not funny. 3/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253867/

The Sum Of All Fears (2002) Ben Affleck is Jack Ryan saving the country from nuclear war with Russia. With Morgan Freenman and Liev Schreiber, it is not as suspenseful as the other Ryan stories. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164184/

NCIS (2004) DVD Disc 3 of first season 2003. Episodes 9-12. Mark Harmon leads his team of investigators to various crime scenes involving the body of navy service people. Fine cast and writing. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364845/

Rumor Has It (2005) Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine update the characters in "The Graduate." Rumor has it that this film is kind of a bore. 5/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398375/

RV (2006) Robin Williams takes his family on a road rip in a huge RV that he has no idea how to drive, nor use all its' facilities. Some funny scenes, but overall the tone is condescending and sometimes meanspirited. If you think it is funny watching a long scene of emptying the sewer line and the incompetant Williams being covered in feces - this is for you. I indured the rest of the film, but was not amused. Some fun music, beautiful scenery so 5/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449089/

Eagle Eye (2008) Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan run around with the all seeing eye keeping them under control. Plot has a point but I was so confused I gave up trying to keep track of what was going on. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1059786/maindetails

Highlight of the week:
The Duchess (2008) Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell. I got the DVD rental and watched The Duchess New Years eve. Love all the costumes and set decoration. The story is another of the films showing the real life of upper class women in those days. Both the Duchess(Keira Knightley) and her friend/rival, Bess Foster(Atwell) were at the mercy of the men in their lives. Her life was dictated by what a man, the Duke(Fiennes) wanted - a male heir. Lower class women were alsoat the mercy of fathers and/or husbands, and also drudges, and could be turned out on the streets at any time. The church condoned it all.And it makes me crazy to hear that crazy blonde conservative bimbo writer say women should never have been given the vote! Yeah, just take us back to the good ole 1700's. We had it made then. NOT!!Anyway I thought the point-of-view was right on, and Keira did a fine job or showing the bottled up rage the Duchess had to keep corked. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0864761/

I have been collecting all the top 10 and other 'best films or 2008' lists. I admit not many films got me out of the house and into the theater this year and the number seems to fall every year. But one that I liked very much is making some lists - "RockNRolla." Guy Ritchie has made a very funny ensemble film with a top notch cast.

Some of the films on these lists I will never see. Others I will rent and others watch when they come on a TV channel. There is always another year and more films coming. And all the classics and favorites from past years to enjoy again.

On to the New Year!