The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame II

I'll take it off my list

Well, I had a similar experience with Mystic River on my first attempt so you never know.

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I have more possibilities for you than everyone else. It's so tempting to tell you what they are but I could see us doing this again.

I was surprised when The Fugitive was nominated for Thursday but I probably shouldn't have been given how popular it is. It's a good movie and as it turns out, it was a good nomination.

The Fugitive made my Top 25 Action Movies list. Both Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones are terrific in it.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

I wonder? I really didn't have a feel for what types of movies you like so I played it safe with what I think is one of the better mainstream flicks on the lists. I think it's a very good movie with fantastic performances. It's one of those movies that if I come across while flipping through the channels I'll end up watching it.

Watched Strangers on a Train tonight and should get a review up tomorrow for it

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Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh, 1996)
Imdb

Date Watched: 11/12/2020
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame II, I'm guessing Thursday Next picked it.
Rewatch: No.

I have some very mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, the performances were all very strong and I think the overall message of the film - about how damaging it is to yourself to hide your pain and how much damage lies can do to others - is an important one. But on the other hand, I really struggled to get through this.

Part of that is that certain aspects of the film hit uncomfortably close to home. I am not adopted nor have I ever been put in the position of having to give up a child, but my mom is adopted and got in contact with her birth mother (and her half siblings and assorted extended family) about 3 years ago. Fortunately, my grandmother had broken the news to her children not long after my mom first contacted her and we were welcomed with open arms, but that first time meeting everyone, which was at a big party, was overwhelming and very awkward. So in that way, I could definitely relate to Hortense. She was also just a generally likable character.

I also felt for Roxanne, Maurice, and Monica, even if I didn't relate to their experiences. But where I really struggled, and where my rating and opinion of the film gets dragged down, is with Cynthia. I tried to be sympathetic to her loneliness and to her struggles as a single mother, but I just found her so unrelentingly irritating and I couldn't blame Roxanne or Monica for not wanting to be around her. I wanted to reach through the screen and punch her in the face multiple times and that was even well before the proverbial s*** hit the fan at Roxanne's party.

I'm going to guess that this was Thursday's pick, but I'm not at all confident about that. I'll be generous and give it a 3.5 because I think it's probably a better film than my experience with it reflects. However, I don't think I'll ever watch it again.

Ok, I'll take that as a win! That's my nom for you MV.

I wouldn't have thought of nominating this for you, to be honest. In fact, I had pretty much the same conflicting feelings about it as you. I feel like it is supposed to make you uncomfortable, but I never quite know how to feel about films that do that.

When Secrets & Lies was nominated for me, I was very happy about it. When it was nominated for Miss Vicky, I thought what the hell. Neiba strikes again!

Strangers on a Train

Senator Morton: Be guided by my experience. Never lose any sleep over accusations. Unless they can be proved, of course.

Considering how much I enjoy Alfred Hitchcock it is kinda funny the number of his films I have NOT seen when it comes to his top films, such as this little gem. Though "Raymond Chandler is credited as the main author of the script, it was almost completely written by Czenzi Ormonde, who was credited as the second author". Still, the wit of the dialogue adds to both the well-orchestrated pace along with the entertainment value of this "attempt at a perfect murder".
Speaking of perfect murders, the man who finds himself caught up in this, Guy Haines, is played by Farley Granger who was another unwilling participant in Hitchcock's Rope. While the man proposing the exchanging of possible murder victims is played by Robert Walker, who, sadly, died the summer this film was released. It is said his role as the charming psychotic had sealed his place in future leading roles. Watching him I fully agree.

Hitchcock does some excellent camera shots, as is his norm, in this film. Playing with the tension and suspense with, at this point, true Hitchcockian style. Such as the dark bedroom scene as Guy confronts Bruno, tossing the german luger (pistol) down. Hitchcock's camera placement is ideal as Bruno picks it up and follows Guy out to the stairs, the pistol trained on Guy as he slowly walks down the stairs. Almost daring Bruno to shoot him.
I also loved Bruno's stalking of Guy's wife, Miriam, at the carnival.

This was a great watch and definitely one I really should have checked out a long time ago. So thanks to whoever nominated it for me.

Strangers on a Train is a good flick and one of a handful of films nominated for more than one person in this HoF

Strangers on a strain is pretty good.
I remember reading Ebert had it in his top 5 Hitchcock films, which surprised me after I had seen it, but I’d probably rate it top 10 or 15.
I’m doing a Hitchcock marathon this month, so I’ll have a bette idea soon enough.

Of course we're going to do this again! You've created a whole new trend at MoFo

I've not seen The Fugitive but I'd probably like it to some degree, but not love it. Just throwing out tidbit information for future Personal Recs

I've not seen it, but something tells me I wouldn't like it I'm not big on Mike Leigh films if memory serves me.

One of my favorite Hitch's and Robert Walker became the character in my mind after watching it. He was a solid actor to bad he passed so young. His son who was on the original Star Trek, was also a very good actor.

You are? Cool! Which ones do you have planned to watch?

Mostly his older silent films, and 30’s films. But, having just watched Dial M for Murder, I hopped into To Catch a Thief.
I have a box set I bought about 12 years ago and haven’t finished it yet (just need to watch Family Plot) and a 15 movie dvd set I got as a gift last year that I’m finally diving into.
So, Blackmail, Juno and the Paycock, Manxman, The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps (rewatch but it’s been over a decade) and several others from his early period.

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I think Strangers on a Train is one of Hitchcock's best, second only to Rear Window, and a lot of it is because of the performance of Robert Walker.

Just recently saw Black Orpheus for the first time and thought it was pretty good. Unfortunately, I have the memory of a goldfish so I can't recall too much about it but I remember loving the look of the movie.

I thought Family Plot was pretty awful.