I had to stare at my computer for a couple of hours to remember what movie I was going to write about. I just couldn't believe that of all the movies I've watched, I couldn't muster up any ideas. Or better yet, conjure up the memory of the movie in it's entirety. One thing that sucks about being a movie geekis having all the movies I've ever watched blend into a mixture of black, white, color, and occasionally sparkly things.
"Midnight" is easily one of my favorite screwball comedy. It's a comedy of dialogue, a seductive farce and the resulting consequences. There is hilarious sequence with John Barrymore (yup, Drew Barrymores' grandfather) when he imitates a little girls voice over the phone. I snorted up water up my nose from laughing so hard.
As a side note, isn't that just an eerily amazing thing about movies? This movie was made 71 years ago for an audience with a completely different lifestyle and thoughts. Yet it has the ability to be funny and remarkable to this day. Whatever your standards are for marking a great movie, that is still a pretty flooring revelation. Insert epic music here, panning to a cloudy sky.
"Midnight" involves a broke showgirl named Eve Peabody. So broke that the only things she has are the the evening gown she wears and a coat. That's it I bet many of us can relate to that.She arrives in Paris and captures the attention of a taxi driver,Tibor Czerny. He is so kind to her that he drives her (for free) to various nightclubs so she could try to get a job. Upon failing, he goes even further and treats her to dinner!When Peabody realizes that Czerny really won't let her go as a consequence of falling in love with her, she runs away from him and crashes an elegant party where she calls herself "Baroness Czerny". Thanks for the good female image sista...
...But wait! Before you dismiss her as a vile piece of [expletive], just know that she has reasons for doing so which she explains throughout the movie. It's so hard to hate on her, though. Peabody is that type of girl whose words are witty enough to lighten the mood but not enough to sting...
...So anyway, Peabody meets up with Georges Flammarion (John Barrymore) who catches her for a fraud. Instead of casting her out, He asks her to be a distraction for the guy that Barrymore's wife is cheating on him with...
...and if that's not complex enough, Czerny enlists all of the taxicub drivers to look for Peabody. How is that not endearing? This man is so in love for Peabody that he is willing to pay alot of moolah to the first cab driver that spots her. Yeah, that could be interpreted as being a stalker but it's Don Ameche, and he's romantic. So shush. Your distracting my swooning.
Geez, that barely covers the main points of the movie. There is so much that goes on. By the time you get to the end of the movie, you can't help but wonder how far will the farce go?
Enjoyable, funny, and romantic. Peabodys character is strong and determined. She started off broke and used her charm to float on by. She's fun to watch and a great character to admire. Admire her strengths. Not the fact that she is easily swayed by money.
Monetary Osmosis = Eve Peabody's motto in life.
Biggest obstacle to ideal boundary of financial comforts: Love.
No comments:
Post a Comment