The Film Fatales Best Holiday Movie Picks

The Film Fatales are decking the Halls with some of our favorite holiday movies. Egg nog, anyone?

elizabeth: Each year cable stations around the country drag out some of our favorite holiday movies. Nicole, it is a real shame that these movies are not shown any other time of the year. My people handle the holidays a little differently.  Every July 4^th, you could hear Christmas songs coming out of my parents’ house. After a while the neighbors got used to it and just joined in singing along with us. We weren’t allowed to date their sons for fear that this tradition could be passed on to their grandchildren. God forbid.

Nicole: That actually explains a lot. Don’t let the department stores hear you say this…they’ll push up Christmas sooner than they already do now.

Elizabeth’s Picks

"Scrooge": A Christmas Carol. 1951. Starring Alastair Sims as the best Scrooge there ever was in all of London and the world. 

An old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve. (imbd)

There is only version of this movie that does justice to one of the masters of Victorian literature. Dickens’ novel is about a man in need of a little redemption on a snowy Christmas Eve in London. The B&W film makes the poverty and bitter cold of London even drearier and Sim’s brilliant performance as Ebenezer Scrooge is not to be matched by the likes of The Muppets, The Smurfs (this borders on being sacrilegious), Jim Carrey or Vanessa Williams’ take in A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000). I will give Reginald Owens, who took on the role in the 1938 version, a little shout out. I am doing this for my mother who was outvoted every year when it came to who was the best Scrooge in my house. She was so wrong.

But this is a beautiful movie and the life lessons in it are many. We learn that even the bitterest man can be saved when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future come a knocking. This is a movie for our time.  Maybe at this time of the year we need to reflect on what is really important in our lives – the love of friends and family or the coolest tablet ever made?  Can you imagine Scrooge with an iPad in the pocket of his frock coat? Or no prisons? Or no workhouses?

The Nightmare Before Christmas.  1993. Directed by Tim Burton.

Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept. (imbd)

The first time I saw this movie I wanted to spend a week inside Tim Burton’s brain. This movie is all about the unleashing of one’s imagination and the end result is Jack Skellington, Sally, Dr. Finklestein, Ooogie Boogie, Santa and the rest of this fabulous cast of characters. And kids of any age will love this. In fact when this came out in video, I got it as a Christmas present from a friend’s kid.  They knew a big kid when they saw one. 

A Christmas Story.  1983. Starring Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin.

Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940s. (imbd)

I remember when this movie came out. I had no desire to see a kiddie movie. But my friend Sharon kept on all of us until we made our way to the theatre. We all fell in love with the trials and tribulations of a nerdy kid trying to get what he really wants for Christmas. Man, we could all relate to that. I think the enormous charm of this movie is the love of family in a simpler time and a foul-mouthed father who gave the movie its edge.  In fact when Gavin McGavin passed in 2006, I felt a little sad. I never did get to ask him what he was saying when he buried that leg lamp in the backyard.

Nicole’s Picks

Holiday Inn. 1942. Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Majorie Reynolds.  

At an inn which is only open on holidays, a crooner and a hoofer vie for the affections of a beautiful up-and-coming performer. [imdb]

God, I’m such a sucker for a ‘40s Fred Astaire musical, and despite how much I love the pairing of Fred & Ginger – this remains my all-time favorite Fred Astaire movie. It’s probably in part because my mom made watching it a tradition in our house – a tradition I love to this day. Bing Crosby plays a hard-on-his-luck songwriter who leaves the big city for rural Connecticut where he opens a country inn complete with musical entertainment – but only on all of the major holidays of the year. Fred is his conniving friend looking to steal his thunder and go Hollywood. Nothing’s sacred – not even Bing’s gal. Every musical number is a delight. Part slapstick comedy, part heartwarming love story – it’s pure perfection. Especially the scene when Bing sings “White Christmas.” Tip: Opt to watch it b&w, not the colorized version.  

It’s a Wonderful Life. 1946. Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed.

An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. [imdb]

Come on – does it get much better than Jimmy Stewart running down Main Street in Bedford Falls—a new lease on life after having glimpsed a possible world in which he’d never been born?  A tale of how one man’s life has so much impact on the world and community around him. Frank Capra’s wonderful direction and Jimmy Stewart’s tender, yet feverish portrayal of George Bailey combined to turn this film into the classic it is today. I’m glad it’s played ad nauseum on TV every holiday season. It’s not only entertaining, but it’s message is universal and everlasting. No man is a failure who has friends… Indeed.

Elf. 2006. Starring Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan.

After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity. [imdb]

Silly, silly, silly – but terribly fun…and so quotable. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and Will Ferrell might annoy some people, but I gotta say he is just so loveable in this movie. Playing the naïve “elf” Buddy, Will gets away with a lot of crass, immature humor (every bit of which is hilarious). And as far as modern holiday movies go, this one’s pretty original in concept. If the doctor’s office scene doesn’t make you laugh—check your pulse. No doubt, the season’s going to be hectic, dramatic and stressful for a lot of people – so do yourself a favor, unwind a little by renting Elf and have a laugh. 

So, now it's your turn: 

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Tell us in the comments section of this post. 

 

Silver Linings Playbook

The Film Fatales tell you whether Silver Linings Playbook has a winning team (or goes for the gold).

2012. 211 minutes. Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jackie Weaver, and Chris Tucker. Directed by David O. Russell.

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. [imdb]


elizabeth: Mental illness sucks. Whether you are born with the ailment imprinted on your tiny soul or whether society beats you down so much that you lose your grip on reality, it sucks. And Hollywood sometimes does not do justice in allowing the audience to see just how someone in the throes of a mental illness really behaves if only to make the audience more compassionate toward people with an illness that you can’t readily see.

Bradley Cooper does a stellar job in bringing Pat Solitano’s demons to life. You feel his pain, you want him to win and when he slips, you want to comfort him. But Pat doesn’t need our help. Cooper takes a man beaten down by mental illness and brings out his humanity, survival instincts and humor and without giving the ending away, he puts in a performance that is worthy of an Oscar nomination. Thank God he did this while waiting to take on The Hangover Three. Hey, Bradley, act in more movies like this and I will make a beeline to the theatre.

Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Tiffany, the young wounded widow, is heartbreaking, but it was worth the price of the movie ticket to watch an actress who can get into the soul of her character and become someone else. Major kudos to this young actress. Hollywood keeps dragging poor Lindsay Lohan back into the public’s eye. I think Lindsay needs to go away and get healthy, really healthy. Jennifer can handle the leading roles coming up just fine, thank you.

Nicole: God, I hate it when we agree. But I digress. When Hollywood deals with mental illness, the characters sometimes come off as caricatures. When bi-polar disorder and (what I presume to be) hypomania manifest, they tend to be in very particular ways that are different to each person affected. Sure, there are commonalities, but it’s not a cookie-cutter experience. I guess for some actors it’s easier to play a stereotype than the truth. It was interesting to watch Cooper and Lawrence showcase a truer interpretation of mental infirmity. Just two people who come together as they each come back to life after terrible setbacks.

I’m really impressed with Lawrence. I think she’s definitely got a long career in front of her. Even if it’s hard not to have chemistry with Cooper, ‘cause – well, let’s face it, he’s handsome, talented and for God’s sake, the man is fluent in French. So, I can’t imagine making the sparks ignite was too hard a task.

elizabeth: My only one complaint about this movie is that it is a tad too long. And if you hate football like I do, it can get a little painful. While I love DeNiro’s performance as a dad with his own set of problems (and with no fashion sense. Paging Tim Gunn), I was getting anxious for them to move on. I do get the part about the playbook (and so will you when you see it), but football cannot hold a candle to the family drama that is Silver Linings Playbook. And it was refreshing to see a movie that makes my own family appear to be “borderline normal.”

Nicole: I agree…again. This has to stop. As much as I love DeNiro, I felt like his character was predictable. I found myself wondering why he took this part. It could have been played by anyone, really. It certainly wasn’t a stand-out role. There were some different choices I might have made script-wise – the length being number 1. They certainly could have come to the same resolution by shaving off 30 minutes.

elizabeth: Okay, I have two more complaints. I could not remember the title and I hope it doesn’t hurt the movie. Another terrific movie was The Shawshack Redemption and that title hurt the movie when it came out. Good thing people found that movie later on. So write the title down, put it in a safe place and go see Silver Linings Playbook. My last compliant and then I promise to go away: I would like Bob DeNiro to know that a brown shirt and grey pants will never ever go together. Not in my shallow little world.

Nicole: This isn’t Project Runway, Cassidy. And you’re not Heidi Klum. Auf Weidersehen.  

The Film Fatales giving Silver Linings Playbook

 

Liz & Dick

The Film Fatales suffer senselessly through a Lifetime movie.

2012. 88 minutes. Starring Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler. Directed by Lloyd Kramer. Appearing on Lifetime – Television for Women Who Need to Stop Watching Lifetime and Realize There’s Better Entertainment to Be Had Elsewhere.

On the set of Cleopatra…Elizabeth Taylor, fell into the arms of one of the world's greatest actors, Richard Burton - and she didn't leave. Their subsequent white-hot, scandalous love affair gave rise to the paparazzi and they became the most hunted and photographed couple on earth….This Elizabeth Taylor - Richard Burton story is a no-holds barred account of their undying, but impossible love. [imdb]

Nicole: 88 minutes. 88 minutes never felt so long in my entire life. Except that one time at the DMV when I had to get my picture retaken. But even that was less painful than the torturous 88 minutes it took to tell the story of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton’s tempestuous love affair. I suffered through it, thanks in part to having it play in the background while I shopped for holiday gifts online then resorted to playing Bejeweled. Judge me, go ahead. But I highly doubt you would have done any different – lest you’re some kind of masochist and actually enjoyed this film. I can’t even use the word film. Film is too good a word for this waste of celluloid. 

elizabeth: I just love your description of the Lifetime channel. I am always a little uncomfortable putting Lifetime on while the TV is plugged in. How did Project Runway end up on it? We were talking about Liz and Dick. I mean, you were. The commercials were enough to keep me away. I did sneak a look, but the only two people who can play Liz and Dick are dead. Case closed. If you want to see steam come off your 236” flat screen then watch some of the old footage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Nicole: OK, insults accounted for – why was it so bad? Two words: Lindsay Lohan. Only if I put a piece of cheesecloth over my face and stuffed my ears full of cotton would Lindsay Lohan look and sound like Liz Taylor. In what high-on-crack universe did the casting agents responsible for this “film” think Lindsay Lohan was up to the task of playing Liz Taylor? Was Sean Young not available? Was Courtney Love too busy? Was Rose McGowan having her face dramatically altered again? Frankly, I can’t think of any reason why the geniuses over at Lifetime thought Lindsay Lohan could master the part – except that those clever, conniving fiends figured everyone would tune in to see the inevitable train wreck. Screw quality – we want numbers! That’s what it’s all about in the end, ain’t it? Ratings. 

Lindsay – a word of advice. Fire your agent and stick to comedies. Try channeling yourself circa Mean Girls. Don’t try to challenge yourself. Stay comfortably in your niche and enjoy a profitable career. 

elizabeth: I feel a great deal of sadness  toward Lindsay Lohan. She didn’t ask for her life to totally unfold in front of us. The hell with the movie and the part she was not born to play. She needs to step back and tell all of the manipulative people in LA to go feast on someone else’s bare bones. Her real talent will be there when she gets back to being Lindsay. I just hope the reviews will not cause her to plummet even further down an unforgiving rabbit hole.

Nicole: When the hell did you become nicer than me? Quit it. 

The Film Fatales give Liz & Dick

Lincoln

The Film Fatales, a couple of New York yanks, court President Lincoln.

2012. 150 mins. Starring Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and David Strathairn. Screenplay by Tony Kushner. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves. [imdb]

Nicole: Upon seeing the first stills from the set of this movie, I had a feeling it would be a masterpiece. Daniel Day Lewis in full Lincoln costume – uncanny resemblance. Those stills and the previews that followed proved my hunch right. Spielberg honored Lincoln, arguably our greatest president, with a delicate respect and truthfulness. By relying on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s weighty tome “Team of Rivals,” Spielberg was certain to make film history. Source material aside, this film might not have been as masterfully crafted if not for Spielberg’s careful and dedicated direction.

elizabeth: I also knew upon walking into the theatre that this would be a movie for the ages.  We all know how it ends, so I appreciated the very intimate portrayal into the life of this gentle man, his family and the country he presided over. Spielberg’s genius in taking this book to film made me grieve for the potential that ended at the Ford Theatre on April 15, 1865. I walked out wanting to read Kearns Goodwin’s book and Santa if you are listening…

Nicole: As for the cast – it’s hard to imagine better. I think Daniel Day Lewis was born to play this role. At times, he disappeared into Lincoln and I was certain I was watching Lincoln himself. Day Lewis’ portrayal afforded us a look at Lincoln’s sense of humor, innate gift for telling stories, and affectionate character.  Day Lewis turned Lincoln from a political icon into a human being. If he doesn’t win the Oscar, he’ll have truly been robbed.

Sally Fields, who fought hard for this role despite the 10-year age difference between her and Day Lewis, was also remarkable. The tired, old POV of Mary Todd Lincoln as a hysterical, irrational woman is now cast aside. Instead, we’re given what is probably a more accurate picture of Mrs. Lincoln: A woman struck with grief over the untimely death of her middle son. A woman who was not afraid to mourn in a time period when prolonged grief was often misconstrued for madness. Fields delved deeper into Mrs. Lincoln’s personality, producing a feisty, outspoken and fiercely devoted mother and wife.

elizabeth: I have to agree with you on Day Lewis and Field. Daniel Day Lewis is the finest and most gifted actor we have around and while I would like to see him up on the screen more often, I am glad that he waits for a role that propels him to shed his own skin and become the character. Trust me when I say this, you are not watching Daniel up on that screen. Somehow and I don’t know how he does it, but he is channeling Lincoln in this movie. He is Lincoln. And I admired how Day Lewis captured Lincoln’s gift of storytelling as well as his subtle and amusing sense of the absurd. I won’t add another word about Sally Fields’ Mary Lincoln, It annoys me to say this, but your comments on Field’s compelling and heartbreaking performance are spot on. 

Nicole: Other standouts – Tommy Lee Jones and James Spader. I won’t discuss their roles too much, because the former’s payoff is truly rewarding and the latter’s humorous turns are a total treat. If I had anything at all negative to say, it would be only that the historical figures portrayed are many and we might have benefitted from better identification and a touch more back story. But, that’s nothing cracking open a book won’t cure. Overall, I think this movie will stand at the apex of biopics. Any future filmmakers and actors who attempt to tackle the story and roles in the future will have a very difficult time surpassing this incredible feat.

elizabeth: Another stand out performance is the cinematography. It holds all the characters and storylines together. The reduction of color casts such a somber mood over the film and rightfully so. The country was in the middle of a bloody war between the states and a highly contested vote to emancipate the slaves was coming up. Mr. Lincoln, we could use you right about now. This is what going to the movies should always be about. Well, this and the upcoming Hangover 3.

The Film Fatales give Lincoln

The Film Fatales’ Casting Couch

The Film Fatales are taking names 
and recasting some of your favorite movies.

Nicole: So, Cassidy – ever found yourself watching a movie and thinking: “God, this is a great movie, but it would be soooooooooo much better if so-and-so were playing the lead”?

I can think of three movies in particular that I’d love to recast. In fact, watching them now with my choices in mind makes them almost hard to watch – thinking of what could have been if H-wood had only made the right choices!

elizabeth: You got to get out in the fresh air more often. I have to say that I don’t really think about it although I know one certain actor ruins it for me all the time. Read on.

Nicole’s Casting Couch

Moonstruck. 1987. Starring Cher and Nicolas Cage.

Nicolas Effing Cage. Look, it’s a mystery to me why after spending years ruining delightful romantic comedies he’s now an action hero – but I prefer him in that genre rather than anything remotely romantic in theme. I know Cher handpicked Cage for this role, but she screwed up. There, I said it. Who should have gotten the role: Mickey Rourke. Hang on, hang on. Before you get your panties all in a bunch – this was pre-wrestling/pre-plastic surgery Rourke. I’m talking Diner Rourke. See? Now you’re reading me loud and clear, aren’t you? Let it sink in and the next time you watch Moonstruck, it’s gonna hit you like a ton of bricks. 

Chicago. 2002. Starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones and Richard Gere.

I bet you think I’m going to recast Zellweger here, huh? Nope. As much as I want to, she sold this role. It’s Gere. Sure, I know there’s a long history of Billy Flynn’s having a sincere lack of musical prowess, and Gere did an OK job considering. It could have been a lot worse. But, now – take a minute…and sit down, ‘cause your knees will buckle after I make my case: think how much better this movie could have been with Hugh Jackman in the Billy Flynn role. Yep. It’s all you can think about, huh? Yup. Me, too. Sigh. Sad it didn’t happen. He’s a triple threat (strike that – quadruple): He can act, sing, dance and look smokin’ hot – all at the same time. A seriously tragic example of missed-opportunity casting. 

The Bridges of Madison County. 1995. Starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.

I think you know right off the bat who I’m recasting here. Yes, sometimes I am predictable. Look, when I think romantic lead – I’m not thinking Dirty Harry and the octogenarian who currently talks to empty chairs. No, when I want some shootin’ up and takin’ names, I’ll call in Clint. But, for stoking the fire of a whirlwind love affair, I’m calling in the big guns: Robert Redford. I almost can’t even think about it without flying into a rage at the piss-poor casting of this film. My God, did the producers of Bridges never see Out of Africa? Now, that’s chemistry. Oh, for frick’s sake. You don’t cast Clint Eastwood in a movie that’s made for Robert Redford. You just don’t. Sucker, please.  

elizabeth’s Casting Couch (is all fluffed up and ready)

I am going to pick on one actor who has always leaned on my last nerve since his first starring role. I don’t get his appeal. He is like a nerdy high school boy who would have loved feeling up some girl at the movies, but never did get the chance. So he took up acting and now I avoid his movies like the plague while millions of people do a semi worship-like dance around him. So excuse the pun, but I am pointing my cruise missile at Mr. Tom Cruise.

A Few Good Men. 1992. Starring Little Tommy Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon.

It felt like he was playing dress up in his big brother’s uniform and his performance did not ring true to me. At all. I think Tom should lay off the sugar before he does another film. Calm down a tad. Couldn’t you just see George Clooney playing this role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee? He would have been so cool and totally in charge. Clooney would have shut Jack Nicolson up with just a raised eyebrow. And that would work on me, too. Just in case George is reading our reviews.

Rock of Ages. 2012. Starring Tom without a shirt on. (Who cares?)

When I heard that Tom Cruise was going to play a hot, heavy metal rock star from the 1980s, I threw up a little in my mouth. Who handled the casting for this movie? Now if they had listened to me (alas, they forgot to consult with me), they would have been on the short list for multiple Oscars if they had only cast Javier Bardem in the Stacee Jaxx role. Hell, I would have found Joe Pesce more to my liking than Cruise in this role. Okay, I am lying right about now about Pesce. But I can see Javier sans shirt singing just to me. You can leave now.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. 1994. Starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst.

Ann Rice’s Interview with the Vampire was one of my favorite books and then someone thought, “Let’s cast Tom Cruise in the movie version.” Your mother is on the phone and you’re in trouble.This is a casting mistake of epidemic proportions. When I think of a vampire in all his finery checking out my neck for a late night libation, Mr. Cruise is not in the same country as moi.  If I am going to give it up for anyone, it shall be Colin Firth.

Now it’s your turn – get on the couch!

So who do you think was miscast in a movie? Don’t be shy. Do tell. 

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