Three out of four (movies) isn't too bad

Here at the Estates this week-end (if Thursday counts) we had four movies; National Treasure with Nicholas Cage, Ferris Bueler's Day off with Matthew Broderick, Best years of our Lives with Myrna Loy, and Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn. I liked all but Funny Face.

National Treasure (2004) follows historian and code-breaker Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) "as he uncovers clues tied to the legendary Knights Templar treasure, setting him in a high-stakes race against a ruthless rival to protect the Declaration of Independence. This globe-hopping, clue-solving adventure blends American history with fast-paced action, offering plenty of thrills and family-friendly fun. While its plot is improbable, reviewers praise its entertainment value, likening it to a modern-day Indiana Jones." 21 Years Later, Nic Cage's $347 Million Adventure Movie Is a Sleeper Streaming Hit

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) stars Matthew Broderick as "a charming high school senior who fakes illness to spend an unforgettable day exploring Chicago with his best friend and girlfriend, while evading his principal and suspicious sister. . . sharp humor, memorable characters, and moments of heart, making this a light, witty, and culturally iconic coming-of-age comedy that remains a must-watch for its rebellious spirit and timeless charm." Ferris Bueller couldn’t take his day off in 2026 - The Observer

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) follows three WWII veterans from different walks of life as they return to their hometown and face the challenges of reintegrating into civilian society. With themes of post-war trauma, disability, love, and shifting social roles, William Wyler’s moving drama blends realism with heartfelt storytelling. Acclaimed for its performances, human depth, and sensitive direction, it remains a timeless classic and one of cinema’s greatest portrayals of veterans’ experiences.

Best years of our Lives I'd seen before but even with its age it points to problems of veterans we've come to expect--alcoholism, disabilities, PTSD, and family break-ups. The home front is also not without its casualties movie review

Funny Face (1957) "follows a shy Greenwich Village book clerk whose unexpected discovery by a fashion photographer whisks her into the world of haute couture and Parisian romance. With dazzling musical numbers by George and Ira Gershwin, chic Givenchy costumes, and the charm of Audrey Hepburn alongside Fred Astaire, it’s a stylish, lighthearted satire of fashion and beatnik culture. Critics praise its elegance, wit, and visual flair, making it a timeless classic worth watching."

Although it had good reviews, by the end of the movie all of us had left Funny Face before it was over. But the clothes were gorgeous. I don't think it worked as a musical and the 30 year age difference between the stars were really off putting. 

I'm not sure the small reviews are AI generated or Wikipedia, but I didn't write them.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

If I ever saw Breakfast at Tiffany's, a 1961 movie based on Truman Capote's novella by the same name, I have no recall of having seen a single scene--not even the iconic little black dress and the long cigarette holder adorning Audrey Hepburn who plays Holiday Golightly (Holly). It was last night's offering at Hoover here in Lakeside.

I'd call it a dark, dark film, with endlessly repeating scenes of smoking, drinking to excess, hopping in and out of taxis, climbing in and out of windows next to fire escapes, and losing keys. And it's the old, old fairy tale of a young girl who constantly needs to be rescued by older, and less lovely men, men of questionable intentions but mostly men wanting her sexually and willing to pay for it.

It's a story of a man and woman who in the end do fall in love, but who in the beginning are both kept by the older and wealthier as sex interests as they pursue their "dreams." Holly wants to reinvent herself from an Okie teen-age, step-mom married to an older farmer to a glamorous party-girl New Yorker on the prowl for a wealthy husband. Paul (George Peppard) is a kept man by an older, wealthy married woman (Patricia Neal who died this week). Hepburn, who looked anorexic in so many films, look healthier and heavier in this film; Neal was only about 3 years older but was swathed in heavy capes and jackets, maybe to hide a pregnancy, or just to look less attractive.

Until you see a 50 year old film where the drinking and smoking is so over the top it is distracting, and a Caucasian impersonates a cariacature of another race (Mickey Rooney plays a stereotypical buck tooth, screaming Japanese landlord) you forget how far we've come in "correctness,"--thankfully. Also, you see how the strong, capable female film characters of the 1930s and 1940s fell off the pedestal in the 1950s-1980s films where they seem to be perpetual sex toys with no brains or ambition except to meet Mr. Right or Mr. Money bags.

Capote apparently wanted Marilyn Monroe for the part--a poor girl in real life who changed her name and made good through her sexuality. It might have been a good choice, because I had trouble translating Audrey Hepburn into this character.

And I'll always be mad at her for dumping the no-name cat out in the rain; yes, I know it was just a movie and it all turns out well in the end, but can you trust a fictional air-head who does that?