Drew’s Movie Reviews Turns 8! My Fave Five New Movies I Watched in Year 8

Hello, friends!

Today is a very special day of the year because today is Drew’s Movie Reviews blogiversary! That’s right, today this little site turns 8. I’ll be honest, the last year hasn’t been exactly what I expected for this blog. My activity isn’t as high as past years and I haven’t posted many non-review posts, which are some of my favorite posts to write. However, I’ve posted when I can and have kept up with my weekly Trailer Round-Up series. At the beginning of 2021, I set a goal for myself of watching at least one Alfred Hitchcock film a month and so far I’ve kept that goal. It’s also proved to be a fantastic endeavor in regards to this list as you’ll see. But before I get into the list, as part of my blogiversary celebration, I watched and reviewed the first three live-action Transformers films. If you missed any of those reviews, here are the links to all of them:

Transformers
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

And with that out of the way, there are my five favorite films I saw during my eighth year of blogging:

Honorable Mention) Rope

I know that this is a “Fave Five” list but I wanted to throw an honorable mention towards the third Alfred Hitchcock in my top three Hitchcock films (so far). The first of many collaborations between James Stewart and Hitchcock, Rope was one the first film ever to accomplish the “one continuous shot” approach to the story and Hitchcock pulls it off spectacularly. This film is based on a stage play of the same name so that approach fits. Also, the leading trio of John Dall, Farley Granger, and James Stewart play off each other well and help elevate the tension. Although I have watched several Hitchcock film since watching this one, Rope remains one of the most suspenseful Hitchcock films I’ve seen so far.

5) Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is one of those films that I heard great things about but never really got around to watching. This year’s Ultimate Decades Blogathon proved to be the perfect time for me to finally sit down and watch it, showing me what I’ve been missing the last decade since its release. Every scene is filled to the brim with laughs and Kristen Wiig has amazing chemistry with every co-star around her. The script is raunchy, something unexpected from female-led comedies at the time, and shows off the talent of all of its stars. Paul Feig knew he had something great on his hands and proved it to the rest of us.

4) Rear Window

At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into a film that takes place solely in a man’s apartment but Hitchcock proved that even that can be suspenseful. A lot of the suspense in Rear Window comes from the fact that the audience is only in Stewart’s character’s apartment, not knowing exactly what is happening in the other apartments around him, which are characters all their own. James Stewart is great as an “every man” character and this film puts his talents to good use. And of course, Grace Kelly, one of the most beautiful actresses of the era, is always pleasant to watch in any movie. With Rear Window, Hitchcock proved you don’t need a lot to accomplish so much.

3) Soul

I am amazed at the leaps and bounds modern film animation continues to make. Soul offers up a very simple story and yet is one of the most beautiful animated movies I have ever seen. Don’t let the film’s beauty distract you, Soul is one of Pixar’s more mature films in their library. I can see younger audiences not being as drawn to this movie like they could be to other Pixar films but there are some valuable lessons to be learned for any viewer, regardless of their age. Led by the talented Jamie Foxx, Soul takes you on a journey that will change you once you’re on the other side.

2) Palm Springs

I almost forgot about this film because I watched it right in the beginning of my eighth year and never wrote a review for it. The concept of characters being stuck in a time loop has been done many times throughout cinematic history but Palm Springs manages to take a tired formula and make it unique. The comedy duo of Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are a perfect match, whose senses of humor complement each other. Add in the always great JK Simmons and you have one hell of a cast. With it being released exclusively on Hulu, I’m not sure how popular it was but if you haven’t seen Palm Springs and have access to Hulu, I definitely recommend you give this one a watch.

1) Shadow of a Doubt

Shadow of a Doubt was the second film in my journey through Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography and it remains my favorite six months later. The idea of a potential murderer coming to a small town and sowing seeds of uncertainty among his family seems simple but Hitchcock keeps you on the edge of your seat. Joseph Cotton adds the perfect amount of affection and menace to his character that you’re never exactly sure what to make of him. As the film progresses, there is a change in several characters that only adds to the tension. I didn’t expect to find a clear favorite so early in my journey and I’m afraid that Shadow of a Doubt is going to be hard to beat as I continue to progress through my collection of Hitchcock’s films.

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And that’s Year 8 in the books! Thank you so much for everyone who has been sticking with me, even as my activity has fluctuated. Your support means so much to me. Your continued views, likes, and comments have kept me going. I’m excited to see what in store for the next 365 days and I couldn’t ask for any better support than you by my side. 🙂

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay positive. Stay weird.

Until next time, cheers!

Rope Review

Synopsis
Brandon (John Dall) and Phillip (Farley Granger) host a dinner party after murdering a classmate.

Review
As I make my way through my Alfred Hitchock collection, I’m starting to get a feel for his directorial style and why he came to be known as the “Master of Suspense.” Rope is the next stop on my journey and while it doesn’t overtake the previous film, Shadow of a Doubt, as my favorite, it does have merit to come close.

Hitchcock shows the audience immediately the murder committed by Brandon (John Dall) and Phillip (Farley Granger) as well as the pair hiding the body in a chest in their apartment. Because this act is literally the first scene of the film, there is no doubt about the character of Brandon and Phillip and what they are capable of. We also get a sense of their personalities and relationship from this early scene. So as the film goes on, the suspense continuously builds as their guests seemingly come closer and closer to discovering the hidden body. The tension kicks into high gear once Rupert (James Steward) becomes suspicious of the two boys. Once again, this film is suspenseful but in a different way than Hitchcock’s previous films I have seen so far, truly demonstrating his mastery over the genre.

What really adds to the suspense is the acting from Dall, Granger, and Stewart. All three of these actors did superbly in their parts. You get the sense that the dynamic between the two murderers is more than simple friendship and Dall and Granger sold that relationship. Dall brings a sense of superiority over everyone around him to his character. This brings him to verbally spar with his mentor, Stewart’s character. Stewart brings a calm demeanor that dovetails well with the snideness of Dall and the nervousness of Granger. When these three were together, particularly towards the end of the film, is when Rope excelled.

One of my favorite things Hitchcock did in this film was make it appear to be one continuous shot. Rope was adapted from the play by the same name and it feels like watching a play when watching this movie. The one-continuous-shot style has rarely been used over the decades but Rope was the first to make use of the technique, making Hitchcock a pioneer yet again. He was limited to 10 minute shots due to limitations of 35mm film at the time and it is easy to see where several of the transitions occurred but it doesn’t take away from the experience too much.

I don’t know how much of the dialogue was adopted from the original play but I found the dialogue of Rope to be very witty. Multiple innuendos were sprinkled throughout the film. It’s a small touch but it added a little bit of humor to an otherwise dark and serious film.

I thought Rope was GREAT 😀 As I watch more and more of Hitchcock’s films, I am learning that “suspense” can be implemented in multiple ways. The suspense of Rope is different than the suspense in the previous Hitchcock films I have watched, which also have different types of suspense from each other. The trio of John Dall, Farley Granger, and James Stewart were fantastic, bringing the snappy dialogue to life. The quality from Hitchcock has been astounding and I cannot wait to see what happens next in my on my journey through my Hitchcock collection.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Director – Alfred Hitchcock
Hume Cronyn – Writer
Arthur Laurents – Screenplay
David Buttolph – Composer

John Dall – Brandon
Farley Granger – Phillip
Edith Evanson – Mrs. Wilson
Douglas Dick – Kenneth
Joan Chandler – Janet
Cedric Hardwicke – Mr. Kentley
Constance Collier – Mrs. Atwater
James Stewart – Rupert Cadell
Dick Hogan – David Kentley