I haven’t done as well, these last six months, as I did in the first months of the year. I did manage a variety of films, in age and country, and have thus just about managed to keep up my wish to watch more foreign films, but I think I am seeing a pattern. I reckon it may be the case that for as long as I’m keeping a count of how much I’m watching, there will always be more films in the first six months of a year when I’m most positive about doing so.

So here we go, a short summary followed by summed up opinion. Here are the films I watched in the second half of 2013 for which it was my first time watching them.

An Education (UK, 2009) – A really good film about not throwing your (good) grades away at the first sign of something more interesting.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (UK, 2011) – Not bad at all, especially as there isn’t as much rose-tinting as other films, though it is a bit optimistic and not completely without rose-tint.

Freaky Friday (USA, 1976) – Not bad, and the mother’s (Barbara Harris) acting is top-notch. It’s difficult watching it as an adult, however, because you realise just how much the father needs to change and respect his family and of course as it’s a Disney film you’re not going to get that.

Gone With The Wind (USA, 1939) – A brilliant film, though it seems very brief when you’ve read the book – for all that the film is 4 hours a lot of elements were missed out. That said, the film concentrates more on Scarlett and Rhett’s relationship which is something that I personally felt the book could have done with – the history may be important to Mitchell, but she created incredible characters.

Letters To Juliet (USA, 2010) – Generally average, cute at times, but oh dear, that guy from Home & Away whose accent is so unbelievably fake and whose acting makes him seem far, far older. The one good thing is the cinematography, it’s gorgeous.

Quartet (UK, 2012) – Painful. Pointless scenes, no conflict, bad dialogue, and a very obvious lack of any non-white actors in starring roles – the diversity was limited to the serving roles and one teenager and it was so glaringly obvious you would’ve thought someone would’ve realised. And you don’t sign Maggie Smith to your film only to waste her talent.

A Royal Affair (En Kongelig Affære) (Denmark, 2012) – A similar story of ill-fated love and revolution to the more famous story of Marie Antoinette. Just as deserving a tale, just as gripping and disturbing; wonderfully acted. My viewing of this film is thanks to Leander’s review.

The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (UK, 2010) – Not as good as the other adaptations but a good effort and the boy who plays Eustace is excellent.

Wild Hearts (USA, 2006) – Your bog standard predictable and not particularly well-thought-out daytime movie. Cute, but forgettable.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You Don’t Live Twice) (India, 2011) – Pretty good, though it’s the first Hindi film I’ve seen in a few years so everything felt very strange to me – so much kissing and sex!

My list is at least full of variety which is what I was aiming for, and I actually have a vast number of films still to watch as Channel 4 hosts its Bollywood season in the early hours of the morning so you inevitably end up with a list of recordings to find time for.

My first 2014 round up, which will be in June, may be very desi as I tend to ‘work’ in phases.

What films have you enjoyed recently?

So last year, at the end of my second half of 2012 round-up, I said I planned to do a lot better next time. I have. When January began I had the silly (silly because it would be unworkable) idea to watch one film every day. It lasted four days, but four films in quick succession is very good for me. I also wanted to watch more foreign films since my foreign film count ended completely a few years ago. I’ve not managed that, unless you count Ireland as a foreign country, which I of course can’t. I suppose I could count American films as foreign, but again, that would be far-fetched as it’s not exactly difficult to find American films and they tend to be in English. We’ll forget that I have at least three bona fide foreign films on my shelves that I could have got to.

So here we go, a short summary followed by summed up opinion. Here are the films I have watched so far this year for which it was my first time watching them.

Alice In Wonderland (USA, 2010) – A very different take on Carroll’s tale; gritty, dark, and far more grown-up. I didn’t mind the difference one bit, an awesome film.

The Bride Came C.O.D. (USA, 1941) – A very funny, random, and enjoyable film with a strong heroine. C.O.D. stands for cash on delivery.

Casablanca (USA, 1942) – It was incredibly brave of everyone involved, not least the actor who played the corrupt German officer, to release a film about the Second World War whilst it was still going on, and I can see why it would’ve been a hit in that context. Judging it solely as a method of entertainment, though, I have to be honest and say I wasn’t keen. Yes, I had high expectations, but only insofar as I expected a good film (I had no idea what it was about).

Clueless (USA, 1995) – I finally made it to the party, only 18 years late. I liked it a lot, and know I would’ve loved it when younger.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (UK/USA, 2005) – I’ve heard this is nothing like the book, so I can only say that as someone who has only seen the film it’s brilliant.

Midnight In Paris (USA/France, 2011) – I wasn’t keen on the ending, but other than that a fantastic film and great for lovers of literature. I wrote a ‘further thoughts’ post on it.

Morning Glory (USA, 2010) – I’ve wanted to see this film since I saw the pre-release trailers, but it never arrived in the cinemas. I loved it. It wasn’t entirely what I’d expected but it was pretty close.

Now, Voyager (USA, 1942) – An alright premise but cringe-worthy at times.

Once (Ireland, 2007) – Realistically shot, and excluding filter effects. Simple plot, lots of music, beautiful in a special kind of way.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time (USA/UK, 2010) – Far from intelligent, and the game’s story isn’t used fully, but the logic is faithful (I’ve told you I’m a gamer, right?), and it has some very funny moments. Though the casting choices were a bit off in terms of the main characters. A spray tan does not an easterner make.

Rebecca (UK, 1940) – Hitchcock demonstrates how to create a film that is faithful to the book whilst conforming to feature lengths – cut or exchange the less important aspects.

Red Riding Hood (USA, 2011) – Not bad, and there is a good attempt at red herrings throughout, but the reveal is sudden and anticlimactic.

The Santa Claus 3 (USA, 2006) – A fun film that adults must suspend belief, besides the obvious, in order to enjoy.

Tamara Drewe (UK, 2010) – I can see why this was so popular.

Up In The Air (USA, 2009) – My guess is people went to see this because George Clooney was in it, and the cinemas just showed off the numbers. 2 hours feels like 4, no music makes it worse, the little music there is doesn’t fit the premise, and the premise doesn’t have a premise.

Yes, I’m still in my old-film phase. It wasn’t ‘helped’ by my asking my mother about Bette Davis (I spurned black and white films as a child so I’m still learning). I asked, she came back with a few DVDs in hand, and we started to work our way through them. That said we’ve paused at two for a while because I had the bright idea to watch The Virgin Queen and two thirds of the way through I was bored and mum was asleep.

The plan is to keep watching films and have a longer list next time.

Considering my prior focus on Asia, I’d now like to concentrate on Europe. Any recommendations?

Screen shot from Midnight In Paris, copyright © 2011 Warner Brothers.

This won’t be a review because I’m not good at reviewing films, but I wanted to discuss Midnight In Paris because it got me thinking. Due to the style of this post there will be spoilers.

Woody Allen’s film has a premise to appeal to readers – the wannabe novelist, fond of what he knows of 1920s Paris, finds himself time travelling at night. Allen never goes overboard with the references, he includes a couple of very famous artists from different mediums but also lesser-known ones, too. Yes, it’s exciting to wonder who Gil will meet next, but it’s evident Allen’s focus is on Gil’s discovery of who he wants to be.

I must be honest and say that if the opening sequence had been just that bit longer I would’ve stopped watching. The sentiment was obvious, showing both the glory and averageness of Paris, an intimation of what will later present itself to be Gil’s preference (Paris in the rain) but the length was unnecessary. It didn’t represent the time Gil had spent in Paris, and it just didn’t strike me as an inviting way to begin a film.

I loved the way time-travel was used, as well as Gil’s reaction to it. In a way, it was more magical realism than fantasy because although it was far-fetched, it was never glamorised. (This links in with the focus being on Gil.) Gil’s fanboy excitement worked because there wasn’t too much of it – it was in ‘spits and spots’ – and it gelled with Owen Wilson’s general acting style. It never tried to be too much. I also love that a person went to their preferred period and that the periods weren’t far in the past (excepting the detective who I’ll talk about at the end).

I think it was a miss to have Adriana’s diary and her interest in Gil, and then have her choose to remain in 1800s Paris, assuming that, like Gil, she could go back again. It was just so sudden and suggested she didn’t care much about him. The conversation about golden ages was poignant, however, and I like that after all the spotlight on his romance, Gil chose his own passion over Adriana’s.

I do wonder if Gil would’ve pondered publishing his book alongside his heroes. Maybe he went back again, though surely the suggestion is that he didn’t and didn’t ‘need’ to. It’s not that I think he had to go back, but I think he would have wondered. And I loved that it can be assumed Gil’s manuscript was written in such a way that one needn’t worry that his heroes couldn’t understand it. In another film that could have been a big flaw, but here it was obvious what sort of books he liked and wrote.

My last point, then, and this is something I’ve thought about since reading a discussion on IMDB (no longer available): what about the detective? He’s not a villain, so one can’t say the guards chasing him was justice. It’s more that the scene was a good intimation of what might have happened during the French Revolution. Obviously the Revolution was the detective’s favourite period. We don’t know why, but assuming time-travel works the same for everyone, that would be the case. We can assume the man got back to the 2000s, and I couldn’t help but think that this scene was purely for entertainment.

I really liked this film, it was a literary and time-travel treat. And the lack of plot detail, evidently part of the idea, made me think.

Have you seen Midnight In Paris? What did you think of it?

It has been the case for the last few years, ever since I stopped watching Bollywood as though it was going out of fashion (alas for me it was because it was becoming too much like Hollywood for my liking), that I have been watching very few films. Since I finished my Marilyn Monroe “obsession” I’ve been lacking any real direction and thus watching feature length films passed by the wayside. I do have a few films around to watch, and indeed made a good start on New Year’s day, but for the last six months of 2012, the drama student in me made a very poor show.

So here we go, a short summary followed by summed up opinion. Here is the grand total of 3 films I watched in the second half of 2012 for which it was my first time watching.

Skyfall (UK/USA, 2012) – James Bond goes against a former colleague and must protect M. Rather different than the others but pretty good all the same.

The Transporter (USA, 2002) – A man who will take unnamed items from A to B with no questions asked finds himself asking questions when a particular item appears to be alive. A sometimes funny film that requires a suspension of belief to enjoy.

The Warlords (China/Hong Kong, 2007) – Three men align their interests for the greater good, but whose greater good is it? Not quite what you’d expect from the cast nor the posters as it’s quite quiet in comparison to many war movies, but it is good and poignant nonetheless.

Watching James Bond at the cinema is rather fun, so I’m very biased towards saying that was my favourite. I was quite disappointed by The Warlords because of the great films I’ve seen of the cast before. For that I’m very pleased to have a couple of blockbusters on my list for the near future.

So… yes. Not a particularly good 6 months in the film department. I didn’t manage to dedicate time to film as I’d planned – whilst I have a great love of it, I have found myself often looking at the running time and estimating how many pages of a book could be read instead. And I say that as someone who truly loves both. But if I’m opting, as last year, for more do-able resolutions in 2013, then more films is surely okay to add to that list.

My cinematic life the past several months has been gravitating towards Marilyn Monroe. It started last year and has been continuing ever since – having never seen a Monroe film before I made it my plan to view her work, all of the films where she had played a major role, and some of the others too. I can now talk about her with confidence, whereas before I had no clue, and I have to say she has commanded much of my respect and admiration also. That’s one talented and intelligent woman, no matter what her contemporaries say.

So here we go, a short summary followed by summed up opinion. Here are the films I have watched so far this year for which it was my first time watching them.

Avatar (USA, 2009) – A quadriplegic takes up the challenge of binding his mind with an artificially-created alien life-form in the hope that humans can understand them better. Very good.

Bus Stop (USA, 1956) – Marilyn Monroe stars as a less stereotypical blonde girl who gains a parasite in the form of a young man determined to marry her despite the fact that they don’t know each other. Great until the ending, the wrong ending was chosen

The Fugitive (USA, 1993) – A man who didn’t kill his wife must prove that he didn’t. Fast-paced goodness from a younger Harrison Ford.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (USA, 1953) – A duo set sail to further their theatrical dreams, however there is an issue in that one of them is rather taken with wealth and gravitates towards unseemly men. A great movie and a lot of fun.

How To Marry A Millionaire (USA, 1953) – Three women who want wealthy husbands rent an apartment together and try to meet their matches, all the while losing their money and putting off men more suited to them. Hilarious, a good moral, and a brilliant twist.

Iron Man (USA, 2008) – A manager of a weapons company becomes disillusioned with the trade and after being kidnapped sets about making an impenetrable suit of armour with supernatural powers. Keep you attention on what’s happening as it has the possibility to get confusing.

It Had To Be You (USA, 2000) – Two people engaged to others meet and fall in love whilst planning their respective weddings. It’s alright, but easy to see why it wasn’t released in cinemas.

Marie Antoinette (USA/France, 2006) – Historically inaccurate but otherwise good story, however the music ruins it and the ending comes too soon.

Monsters Vs Aliens (USA, 2009) – A girl struck by a meteorite becomes a giant, and having been taken in by security forces looks to save people from peril with the help of other changed beings. Not bad but doesn’t really go anywhere.

Niagara (USA, 1953) – Honeymooners holiday near the falls and meet a couple in a poor marriage, who both seem capable of doing the worst by each other. Pretty good but far from the best film.

Perhaps Love (China, 2005) – A story within a story; a couple who were together before they were famous find themselves playing roles in a film that mirror their real lives. Rather confusing and not nearly as spectacular as the trailer suggested.

Round Ireland With A Fridge (UK, 2010) – An Englishman makes a bet that he can hitch-hike around… well, Ireland with a fridge. Unusual film for our often unusual film industry.

We’re Not Married (USA, 1952) – It is found out that several couples were married by a mayor before he was officiated, and the viewer sees how each couple were before knowing and how they reacted afterwards. The variety of situations and reactions make this one worth it because otherwise its simply a rather disjointed film that doesn’t go anywhere.

My favourite of the bunch is difficult to determine. I thought both Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How To Marry A Millionaire were excellent, yet the sheer difference to Bus Stop sends it further up the list than it otherwise would be. And of course I must be rather unoriginal and say that yes, Avatar is good and the symbolism well done. But part of me wants to point out Round Ireland With A Fridge for its bizarre nature. I’ll likely be reading the book.

I think I need a new goal now that my desire for Marilyn Monroe has been sated. Foreign films foreign films foreign films. I am embarrassed by the western nature of my list.