we'll see where this goes (links on films but sliding on tangents)

[wishfulclicking]

Within a day my computer had to reboot itself twice thanks to automatic updates. It's annoying when I lose tabs but it does make me realize that sometimes I leave a tab open because I don't actually want to read it but I feel like I should.

Interesting post on the beginning and ending shots and how they do or don't go with our natural perceptions. It makes me want to really watch some film again and pay attention.

Trailer for The Devil's Double starring Dominic Cooper that only excites me because I have a thing for twins, or in this case doubles, especially if one is extreme and violent, it's like bizarro Prince and the Pauper. But I'm not banking on historical accuracy.

I'm still following the casting for World War Z and I'm confused a bit because they cast the role of the wife of the guy collecting the stories, so I guess they're writing in a part for her. I'm really interested to see how they tell this story. For once I want to read a script.

Via The Film Experience (one of my favorite movie blogs) I found this piece comparing Thelma & Louise vs Pretty Woman. It's a short piece and definitely comes from a certain viewpoint the author is clear about but I'm not sure if I fully agree with the final point but I am glad I read it.

The piece is at the NYT and I believe they have a paywall now after twenty clicks but I haven't hit the block yet.

But what I'm really thinking on is how a role reversal would work for the film Pretty Woman: Julia Roberts' character, Vivian, is a successful CEO who inherited her father's company after his sudden death and had to fight off the board and her friend would be in Jason Alexander's role but perhaps less smarmy. Vivian doesn't have time for relationships, most guys she encounter can't actually handle her career even if they say they can, but she can't continue showing up for things without someone on her arm because people are talking and it makes her look desperate so she runs in to Richard Gere's character, a gigolo, and the movie sets out from there. The Wedding Date played with a similar idea but there were substantial differences.

Comments

[birgitriddle]

That first link also makes me want to re-watch movies too and see what movies use that particular formula. I even just got some used DVDs in the mail today. XD

[wishfulclicking]

What dvds did you get?

I've just recently started getting into really thinking about the films I watch and finding blogs that talk about these things are fun.

[birgitriddle]

We Were Soldiers and Finding Neverland. I've never seen the first one (I got it because for some reason I've started collecting war movies), but I've seen the second one. Oh and I just rented Black Swan today. I also have a bunch of movies not in storage and here with me - I'd have to bring them out from under the bed though.

[wishfulclicking]

I saw Black Swan in theaters and I enjoyed it.

[birgitriddle]

I mean, come on horror with Natalie Portman and ballet? Hell yeah. I love the ballet Swan Lake even.

[gorgeousnerd]

I've wondered something similar for Pretty Woman in the past. I was actually thinking it was already a role-reversal for one romantic story trope: the hardened businesswoman who has to learn to love and to hold on less to her career. I'm not a big fan of the trope - it has all kinds of dubious connotations about what a woman "should" be doing - so having the male lead fill that character type is pretty satisfying for me.

[wishfulclicking]

I've been a fan of the film for years, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are just two of my favorites, especially for a certain era of their work; but only within the past years have I read any critical thought on the film. Initially it was presented to me as a take on the Cinderella tale which I can see except for Vivian doesn't have any outwardly antagonistic environment she's escaping from; I've also seen it referred to as semi Pygmalion which I could also sort of see; and now I'm thinking about how it is does reverse the trope via gender and I like it as well. My issue with the NYT piece was that it dismisses what Vivian does for Richard Gere's character--she's more emotionally aware and strong than he is and while he has a stronger economic standing, there is mutual saving going on .

[littlerhymes]

I heart The Film Experience, it's such a great blog!

The NYTimes post was superinteresting. Not sure that Pretty Woman has become the template for female narrative as the writer suggests, but it certainly seems a lot closer to the norm today than T&L (though, equally, is T&L as iconic she makes out?).

I would totally read/watch that PW gender reversal.

[wishfulclicking]

I'm thinking T&L was iconic for a certain subset of another generation perhaps; it has definitely not ignored and I've seen it recognized for things like that scene between Brad Pitt and Geena Davis and for the relationship between Thelma and Lousie but I do question how iconic it is on a larger scale. And I don't really see the PW template in many romcoms now either, but I do agree that the character of Vivian is closer to the type of character portrayed in them; but then it may also be a feature of the rom com itself: the leads of a romantic comedy are supposed to be charismatic, charming, and you're supposed to want to see them fulfilled with each other (at least the more successful romcoms do this). T&L is in a different genre so it would present itself differently. It seems I'm going to be thinking on this NYT piece over the weekend.

A gender reversal of PW would be super interesting, even if it stayed with the original characters and updated to the present. I've seen some fanfic adaptations of PW but they've always been m/m so some of the issues with the original are not as heavy.