On The Movie Breakdown podcast, there have been a number of those types of movies that easily land in the 'recommendation' column and last in our memories for years after watching. In 2013 we had The Grand Seduction, a small town in Newfoundland story that had chum buckets full of charm. This movie was nowhere near perfect, but it is a film that may be our most referenced movie on the podcast. We constantly refer to it in terms of how a film with charm and identity can be a memorable experience. Last year it was Happy Death Day that appeared to have us marvelling over just how much pleasure could be had from a three star movie. I will be honest, I wanted to put this movie on my top ten of the year list, despite it having a lower rating than many other films. In the end, I kept it off.
Today is May the fourth, unofficial Star Wars day. That got me thinking about Star Wars, obviously. Then I thought about Star Trek, heresy on such a day. That brought me around to thinking about Galaxy Quest, and I couldn't help but smile. For those who haven't seen it, this film is a spoof on the Star Trek phenomenon and subculture. It plays with the tropes of the show and its fans, bringing spoof to outer space.
What is wonderful about Galaxy Quest (which is what is also wonderful about The Grand Seduction and Happy Death Day) is that this is not a mean spirited film. It isn't looking to bring anyone down in order to have fun on their behalf. It has its premise, it pokes fun at it, and it honours it. At no point does it take itself seriously, and is just about having a romp for an hour and forty two minutes.
It is impossible for me to think about simple, good natured films and not think about Galaxy Quest. As comedies more often than not rely on making fun of people or delving into as much raunchy material as possible, it is good to remember that success doesn't require it. There is a place in the landscape for the playground of the good-natured. It may be odd that I mentioned Happy Death Day (a horror movie) when talking about good-natured films, but I do think it fits in there. Like the other films mentioned, it is a movie about heart. Yes, there are knives in it, but there is also heart.
Blockbuster season is upon us, and big explosions are afoot. In a number of months, festivals will be happening and the Oscar hopefuls will be rolling out. In amongst all of that, there is always room for a film like The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. These are the movies that entertain and show that simply wearing your heart on your sleeve can work in the competitive world of movie making. These types of films don't happen too often, but it is hard to forget them when they do come along.
Other movies that we've talked about that were oozing good-natured charm were 'Chef', 'The Incredible Jessica James', 'The Climb' and for me, both the 'Paddington' movies. I also feel like there was something else recently that we compared to 'The Grand Seduction' and were quite charmed -- or maybe it was something I just saw in theatres?
ReplyDeleteThose are some great examples. The Climb was such optimistic fun. Rewatching Chef a month ago I remembered just how good it was. There was something recently that we compared to The Grand Seduction, but I can't remember what it was.
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