Favorite non-Austen movies (from 2-24-97)

I loved My Cousin Vinny - for using regional differences for humor without 'disrespecting' the individuals.

My Cousin Vinny Loved that movie! My husband had never heard of it, but got it at the video store when pickings were slim. We laughed and laughed -- Joe Peschi and Marisa Tomei were both great, and the story was really well-done. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role.

I loved Tombstone. I have watched it over and over. I think Val Kilmer should have had best actor Oscar for his excellent potrayal of Doc Holiday.

I think Val Kilmer should have had best actor Oscar for his excellent potrayal of Doc Holiday. And again I agree -- my favorite scene was when he twirled his tin cup around like a gun in response to another guy's show-off gunplay. Too perfect!

For the Jean Reno and Patrick Bruel fans, they've done a Francis Veber' comedy together : Le Jaguard. Knowned for his comedies with tandem G�rard Depardieu and Pierre Richard, Veber chose Reno and Bruel. Reno plays a translator helping an Amazonian who came to plead his case in Paris. The latter a simple-minded day-to-day guy in which the Amazonian finds his prophet who'll save his people. Humor and exotic adventure on the menu.

now this is a better one :

Johanne -- thank you. Jean Reno is one of the few scruffy-looking actors I find really sexy (and I mean really, really sexy!). Another future video purchase, I imagine. (That's assuming it makes it to the US.) Johanne, you are too good to us, you truly are.

pleasure is all mine, let me assure you, BTW did you know his real name is Juan Moreno R�no (abr�g�), he was born July 30 1948, in Casablanca, Morocco, Espagne (Andalousie). At the age of 12, they left Spain for France. ]] The Jaguar will be released through Gaumont Buena Vista International, so probably Disney/BV will release it in the States ]] he got the role in French Kiss through Kevin Kline, both sharing the same acting teacher in New York ]] Brian de Palma wanted him to be part of Mission Impossible after viewing Luc Besson's Le dernier combat ]]Roseanna's Grave is a love Story produced by City Slickers II' Paul Weiland, which should be released between January and March in the US some links : http://www.ltm.com/dinan/Leon/html/leon300.html http://www.info2000.net/~rocket/pro.htm http://www.missionimpossible.com/a/02-08-nof.shtml here is his filmography : 1978/79 L'HYPOTHESE DU TABLEAU VOLE de Raoul Ruiz 1979 CLAIR DE FEMME de Costa Gavras 1980 VOULEZ-VOUS UN BEBE NOBEL de Robert Pouret 1981 LES BIDASSES AUX GRANDES MANOEUVRES de Rapha�l Delpard 1980/81 NOUS NE SOMMES PAS DES ANGES de Michel Lang 1981/82 LA PASSANTE DU SANS SOUCIS de Jacques Rouffio 1982 LE DERNIER COMBAT de Luc Besson 1982 SIGNES EXT�RIEURS DE RICHESSE de Jacques Monnet 1984 NOTRE HISTOIRE de Bertrand Blier 1985 SUBWAY de Luc Besson 1986 I LOVE YOU de Marco Ferreri 1987 LE GRAND BLEU de Luc Besson 1989 NIKITA de Luc Besson 1990 L'HOMME AU MASQUE D'OR d'Eric Duret 1990 L'OPERATION CORNED BEEF de Jean-Marie Poir� 1991 LOULOU GRAFFITI de Christian le Jal� 1992 LES VISITEURS de Jean-Marie Poir� 1994 LEON de Luc Besson 1994 LES TRUFFES de Bernard Nauer 1994 FRENCH KISS de Laurence Kasdan 1994 PAR DELA LES NUAGES de Antonioni/Wenders 1995 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE de Brian de Palma 1995 LE JAGUAR de Francis Veber 1996 ROSEANNA'S GRAVE de Paul Welland

OOOH JOhanne! Thank-you. Patrick Bruel-I'm going to have to see that one! Does anyone like the Claude Lelouch classic, Un Homme et une Femme, Man and a Woman with Anouk Aimee. Everytime I see that film, I hear that catchy, title tune in my head for weeks. I liked the recent Les Miserables too with Jean Paul Belmondo.

I liked the recent Les Miserables too with Jean Paul Belmondo. Liked is not strong enough a word. I was gobsmacked when I wasn't laughing fit to bust.Especially loved the scenes with the letter-writing M.Tour-Eiffel and the young priest.And I wanted to throw something very hard at that rotten farmer.

and the equal sequel : Un home et une femme, vingt ans d�j� also wonderful all sooooo wonderful

BTW their is Balzac's Cousin Bette in the making, an american production went shooting near Bordeaux, Jessica Lange/Bette Elisabeth Shue/Jenny Cadine Aden Young as mentionned on Fox UK : Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange stars with Oscar-nominee Elizabeth Shue in Fox's COUSIN BETTE, a spicy, sexy comedy of manners based on the Honore de Balzac novel. Bob Hoskins and Hugh Laurie co-star as other members of the aristocratic Hulot family embarking on a trail of adultery and fortune-hunting through 1840's French society. COUSIN BETTE marks Des McAnuff feature directing debut after winning a Tony award for 'The Who's Tommy' on Broadway.

Anybody interested in arts films, check this : http://www.buzzmag.com/ISSUE32/industry32.html

Hugh Laurie? S&S? I hope he is in a comedic role

Hugh Laurie AND Bob Hoskins? Sounds like Blackadder meets Roger Rabbit! Gotta be good!

I just wanted to add that my all-time favorite movie is Dr. Zhivago. It was on Encore or Bravo last week, so know I finally have a taped copy. I still remember watching for the first time - another two nights, simply vexing. I watched it with my dad, which in itself was unusual. He then got me a copy of the book and I have been in love with Uri ever since. But I must admit, this last viewing I kept thinking this would be a perfect role for our favorite Brit!

Your favorite Brit being...? ;)

Kali, You smart-alec. Is there any other? This is becoming a little scary - I'm more obsessed than I thought. I always thought no one could come close to Omar Sharif. Then, I'm snuggled on the couch with the same stupid smile on my face that I always have, then it hits me, CF would be great in this role. After that thought, I shut myself off - the wine was effecting me in ways it never did before!!

Does anyone share my love for the following foreign films: Babbette's Feast - the definitive food movie. A quiet film about a French refugee in an isolated Danish coastal town, who pays back her friends with the most fabulous feast. Do not view while hungry! The Music Teacher - a somewhat predictable plot, but Jose Van Dam's singing is wonderful. Not to be missed if you like Mozart, Mahler & Shubert. Diva - again an operetic background, but this is quite the thriller. Highly recommended. Jean de Florette (Part I) and Manon of the Spring (Part II). A very intriguing tale about greed and revenge among the French farm set. Has Depardieu as the lead in Part I. See them both; you will enjoy them.

Anyone who has seen "Sling Blade", I have a question to ask. Do you think Carl was born slow, or the product of his traumatic upbringing? I think it was definitely the family life. Such a sad, and touching film.

Yes Bill, Montand, Depardieu, especially Auteuil as Ugolin were great. Ff you liked JdF and MdS, let me suggest some more from the same novelist, Marcel Pagnol : 1.Chateau de ma mere, Le (1990) (novel) ... aka My Mother's Castle (1990) 2.Gloire de mon pere, La (1990) (novel) ... aka My Father's Glory (1990)

Bill, actually all films mentioned by you(but one) are among the ones I like to remember,( The Music Teacher is unfamiliar to me)...Had not thought about Diva for years...but it is the one about a young man getting obsessed about an opera singer and following her on tour, without her knowing it?...and he listend to 'Casta Diva' over and over again...such beautiful music. From Babette I recall'Caille au Sarcofage'(spelling Johanne?)

Yes, Ann. Diva is about the young man who obsesses about the beatiful American Opera star. I've got to get a copy so I can see and again and share it. As for Babette's, there are few people I have envied as much as those lucky few who got to share the lavish feast. About the closest we get is our group of five couples who have been getting together for the last 15 years for a gourmet feast every New Year's Eve. We dress up funny, and each couple prepares a course accompanied by 2 bottles of very good wine. We start at 8 and carouse until 3 am. In between courses we exchange gag gifts we collect during the year. Each year brings anticipation of great pleasure.

Bill, I also loved Babette's Feast and Diva. Have you seen Big Night, another great food movie? It came out late last year and is still playing at some theaters.

Yes, I saw Big Night, Anne, and I liked it very much; but its food scenes did not outshine the Babbette Feast. There certainly was much more tension in BN. The surprising thing about BF is how the simple and elegant story line was so riveting.

I loved The Big Night! Had to right out and have Italian for dinner! But was longing for the tympano...;-)

i have to say, "room with a view" is my all-time favorite movie. it literally was THE movie that changed my life. i rented "les miserables" last weekend. excellent film! this is the most recent one, set in WWW2 france. i expected it to be a direct adaption of the novel, only set during the war. to my surprise and amazment, it's les mis. with a twist. anyone ever seen it? i highly recommend it. i have an obsession with british films (ANYTHING mike leigh, EVERY merchant/ivory period piece) and films set in WW2. empire of the sun counts as one of my favorites, along with radio days. (i'm thinking about writing a script about my grandmother's experience during ww2, and her friendship with a WAC (women's army corp) whom she used to shine shoes for. this was during the japanese occupation in the philippines. if i ever block out enough time, i'll write a few sections of it, and hopefully share with yo .)

That sounds very interesting Winter, hope you'll get around to it... Bill that feast of the year must be something as for the food I can always rely on my Caro sposa who is an excellent chef and who comes down with special offers from time to time. As this is really the film topic I'll mention when we and our close friends watched all three Godfather films during one Sunday and only paused to have different Italian meals, prosciutto, mozarella with tomatoes, saltimbocca...and sweets. We certainly got in the right mood.

TNT is showing Fiddler on the Roof - another film that I had forgotten how well I like! Another "ensemble" film in which writing, performing, music, technical stuff, etc are all equally strong and mesh seamlessly.

That was my last-year ('95) Christmas gift from my kids! We all sat down and watched one evening. We now all wish we were rich men! :-) Yes, it's probably about time to do that again, too!

Just rented/watched ET with my kids. My son is glad to be "in on it" now. he really appreciated the kid dressed as Yoda for Halloween, thanks to Empire Strikes Back rerelease. My daughter has been a blubbering idiot for a while. Whoa, if I'm a movie weenie, she is definitely weenie-squared! (wonder where she got it?)

Fiddler on the Roof has been a favorite for a long time -- the soundtrack has got to be one of the best.

Oh! Fiddler! I start weeping when Teyve sends his daughter off on the train to Kiev and don't stop til 20 minutes after it's over!

I just saw 'Il Postino'. I highly recommend it. It is a beautiful movie. Felt really bad about the death of the actor who played Mario. He did a wonderful job. Definitely worth seeing.... Megan

Il Postino : such a gem of a movie :) yes, definitely worth it