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raymondmerritt
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Spitfire (1934)
I liked it! A lot!
I don't know what these other people are talking about. I wasn't bored, not for a second. And I am a movie-buff, actor, writer and director. I thought she did a fine job. Superstitious? Ignorant? Appently none of these other folks have known any real believers. I may not be one myself, as far as praying for healing goes, anyway, but I know a few. She was right on target. When she asks Mr. Fleet (Ralph Belamy) "Do you believe, Mr. Fleet?" he answers "Maybe not like that, but when I hear you, I believe more." I saw exactly what I've seen before...not just superstition or ignorance. (This was well into the film, after he'd gotten to know her quite well.)
Katherine Hepburn ridiculous as a hillbilly? Well she convinced me. She well demonstrated that early on she could live in the skin of the person she was playing. I could describe the scenes but don't want to give any spoilers.
I recommend the film to real film-lovers but not to those eyes that aren't able to take the trip. I'm not a sentimentalist, but I do know when to let myself go where the makers of the film intended to take me, and this was one of those times. I gave it a 10.
The Nativity Story (2006)
By far the best film on this topic
What a pleasant surprise this sleeper turned out to be. I thought I had seen every (American) film made about this story and was still waiting for a realistic one to be made. Upon seeing this film, my wait was over. We bought this DVD and frequently lend it out to anyone willing to take the time to watch it. In my opinion, it is on my "Not to be missed" list.
We just found out that the executive producer is Toby Emmerich, who was also executive producer "Hair Spray" and writer of "Frequency". Mr. Emmerich now has a new avid fan.
Congrats go to Priscilla John, Mindy Marin, Juliette Ménager and Shaila Rubin for casting that was perfect. Olivia Hussey was my favorite "Mary" until Keisha Castle-Hughes usurped her. Oscar Isaac was also the most believable "pursuer of Mary / heart-broken reactor to her pregnancy" that I've witnessed. Hiam Abbass's portrayal of cognitive dissonance over who she knows her daughter to be and the reality of the pregnancy was compelling.
If you have any interest in this story at all, please do yourself the favor of carving out the 101 minutes to spend with this rendition of "the Holy family".