Sharing a gem…

What use is a blog if I can’t share with my readers things that I think they will enjoy.

Because our time is finite, how much of it do we waste watching and reading things that are unworthy of our precious time?

And especially so with films or movies.

I have a theory that to enjoy a terrific movie, it is likely that you will need to sit through at least ten pedestrian films and some complete duds.

In this vein, a blog should also warn its readers of movies to avoid, as chronicled by me when I had the misfortune to watch The Favourite.

And now on my way home from Dubai – sitting on an airbus A380 again – I have just watched Ford v Ferrari.

Before I explain why I am commending this film, I should establish some context.

I like cars but I do not do cars. Not really.

I admire them. I get their beauty and their allure. Their lines, design and their aerodynamics. But I’ve never been a horse-power guy.

V8 means nothing to me.

It did when I was young. Growing up, I imagined one day that I would drive a Porsche like all self-respecting successful people.

But now, not-so-much. I drive an electric car and I get more of a kick plugging my car in – than I would smoking someone at the traffic lights.

As witnessed just recently in Stuttgart where I accompanied Tom to the Porsche factory with Sam and Harry and the irrepressible Granddad Bob – who it appears has managed to preserve his car/speed mojo.

The prospect of driving the new and thrilling Porsche Taycan on the famous race Hockenheim race track is a dream come true for many men.  Indeed, I was excited at the prospect but it quickly waned.

The boys did laps with relish – while I was satisfied with just a single lap and then happy to watch.

It seems that – life in the slow lane – is my life mantra.

I don’t watch Formula 1 I have never watched a single episode of Top Gear, nor a Fast and Furious film and with my clean drivers licence, choosing Ford v Ferrari from the extensive Emirates film library might seem incongruous.

I confess that star power here had some bearing on my choice and why movie stars command such attention and income.

Matt Damon I have liked in many films and Christian Bale resides confidently in the A list – and the two of them got me over the line because the film’s title certainly didn’t appeal…

…Ford v Ferrari

Hardly a fair fight, I thought.

One marque is a racing car that delivers sports stars to stadiums and the other delivers the weekly shop and sales executives to their appointments.

A bit like Manchester United v Enfield Town – or Brazil v Azerbaijan – the outcome of which we already know and so why bother watching? Although this being a Hollywood film and Ford being an American behemoth, we can make educated guesses easily enough.

Great films need to be many things and in order, I would argue…

They need to be great stories that entertain and keep us guessing: Hidden Figures leaps to mind. The Shawshank Redemption of course. It’s a Wonderful Life...

They need to be interesting. Better if we learn something watching a film. Apollo 13.

Thrilling. Enemy of the State.

Funny? Not necessarily so but a few laughs can’t hurt.

Tense and gripping – like Fury. The Runaway Jury. Primal Fear. Mississippi Burning.

Touching and thought provoking – a moral spine, like Holes (one of my all-time favourite films)

And brilliantly concluded.

A great film has to end well. The final ten minutes are the most important part of any film or novel. This is the payback by the director/author to the viewer/reader for their time. And too often, this payback is not high enough.

A great film is one you are happy to watch again. Before going to Dubai, I sat down with Sam and Nikki to watch (again) A Few Good Men.

More recently I thoroughly enjoyed Sully – which didn’t appeal to me immediately because I knew the outcome – and so I am glad I did. The story is compelling and the ending is marvellous where the stuffed suits get exposed. It’s a film I will watch a again.

Ford v Ferrari ticks many of the above boxes.

I have almost zero regard for awards. In something so subjective, to pick a best film or a best actor is largely a nonsense and also fatally undermined by patronage and politics.

I am rarely interested in a film because of a purported great performance by an actor. Often it is great roles that win awards but the actors who receive them. That said,  Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men and Tom Cruise for that matter – overlooked that year for a nod and more fuel to my argument.

But Matt Damon and Christian Bale are worthy of their star status in this movie. Both are entirely convincing.

Christian Bale plays Ken Miles – an English maverick racing car driver pitted against corporate Ivy League America – he does an outstanding job. Perhaps it is just to my ear, but English accents in American movies can sometimes jar – and indeed, some do in this film – but not Bale’s. I knew nothing of Ken Miles the driver. Until this movie, I had never heard of this ‘legend’ that he undoubtedly is. A cranky, eccentric obsessive. His brusque personality grew on me and combined with his skill and inhuman levels of bravery, I was quickly rooting for him. His love for his son and how incompatible this was with his perilous career choice.

Matt Damon is also in his element. Although feted and a genuine movie star – we keep hearing about Leo and Brad – but Damon is one of Hollywood’s gems and his career will extend for however long he keeps his desire.

And a word also about the script. As a writer (sort of) I feel foolish now for not flagging the screenplay as another essential component of a great film.

My Cousin Vinny by Dale Launer – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by er… Dale Launer are two wonderful screenplays – as is The Social Network by some bloke called Aaron Sorkin.

Jez Butterworth is a UK writer of some considerable pedigree. We used to share a literary agent in my more heady days and I expect Jez hasn’t been let go like I was.

Co-written by Butterworth, the screenplay is tight, continually providing great lines and moments for the actors and the viewers.

Even the undercard story is captivating. The battle/race off the track between the self-important suits and the people who actually build and race these awesome machines and in terrifying circumstances.

In my last blog – I commended Brian Regan to you all. A comedian who does things that few comedians can.

And now I offer up Ford v Ferrari.

Saving Private Ryan. As Good as it Gets. Seven. Back to the Future

It is difficult to make a great film.

It must be because so many people are trying to do it – and yet, so few succeed. I should know because I am one of them and why I got to write a book called Eclipsed.

Ford v Ferrari might not be up there with some of the greats films listed in this blog.

But it’s a thrilling watch and a great story. Brilliantly told and masterfully made. Great credit also to the director, James Mangold. Great job, man.

What more do you want?

With this virus that has descended on us all, it could be that we find ourselves with time on our hands and confined to our homes for the foreseeable –  so we are going to need to fill our time and you could do a lot worse than enjoy this movie.

And as to something to read, well, The Fruit Bowl will be available…

 

Full disclaimer – with such a vested interest in the film world now (via my progeny) in the interest of impartiality, I decided not to list any films which members of the Holland family  (Tom) have had a hand in – whether I think they are worthy of inclusion or not.

 

Feel free to comment here with what films you consider great – and why.

 

 

 

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74 thoughts on “Sharing a gem…

  1. Dave Ferguson says:

    I agree about Ford v Ferrari. I am also not a huge racing fan, but this was a great story. And after seeing young Noah Jupe in both Honey Boy and A Quiet Place, I enjoyed his performance in this movie as well. And you’re right about Christian Bale and Matt Damon. Great performances from both.

    • Moon Child says:

      Haven’t seen that film, yet. Hear its quite good. Although, it’s not car related, I do love the film, “The Color Purple ” The book by Alice Walker is equally as brilliant! It’s heavy and can bitterly heartbreaking in places. But, the message of courage, faith, and the sheer will to live in overwhelming circumstances is truly inspiring! I don’t advice anyone under 18 watch, because of adult situations, etc.. I think you once may have mentioned you like happy movies, right? I could be wrong, but.. If that’s true, I recommend “Love Actually!” Mostly a holiday film, but damn if it isn’t the quintessential perfect movie, storyline, and cast! Great blog, Dom! Stay safe, and take care. You and all yours! ❤

      • Dom says:

        Love Actually has some moments – but the PM’s scene doing the Carol singing and at the school play are heavy marks against. Colour Purple of course, is a memorable movie.

  2. Coco says:

    Though I have not yet seen Ford v Ferrari, it’s definitely on my to-watch list. As for types of movies I enjoy, I love watching movies with plot twists that almost make sense, but if you think too hard they don’t quite work out. Memento, The Usual Suspects, and The Game all come to mind as movies that make you think a little more than you might want to.

    • Dom says:

      I watched the Game again recently and didn’t think it stacked up quite as well as I recalled. A great twist film is Primal Fear – with the under-rated Richard Gere

      • Caro says:

        I haven’t seen Ford v Ferrari but it’s surely a good movie as the 2 main actors are just legends. We’re talking about Batman and Jason Bourne here, right?! I love these movies by the way as the actors didn’t play their roles, they literally were the characters.
        This said, my favourite movie among all is certainly Pulp Fiction because I love Quentin Tarantino’s work and because you have quite everything in this movie : great stories ( not only one) incredibly well told, great actors, you have violence, love, humour… and so much more! Words are missing to describe this masterpiece as I’m not a writer and not English either but I do recommend it to all.

        • Dom says:

          I – do admire his dialogue. I haven’t seen Once Upon a time in America because many people warned me off it – I love Django up until the point Jamie Fox got his gun – I did enjoy Inglorious Bastards.

      • Stacy says:

        You’ve named some great movies already. A Few Good Men was an amazing movie. Tom Cruise did an amazing job. Top Gun is another movie Tom Cruise did great in. I’ve seen the trailer to Ford v Ferrari and it didnt appeal to me. I’m not a fan of racing and I’m not a big car person.

      • Coco says:

        Primal Fear is definitely in my top films. Both Richard Gere and Ed Norton are fabulous in their roles. Another good plot-twist movie (also with Ed Norton) is Fight Club. Kinda dark but still worth the watch.

      • Aimee says:

        I’ve wanted to see Ford vs. Ferrari. My 17 year old son told me I would enjoy Gemini Man better so I got that instead. But due to the beer plague, we will probably watch this, and many more movies. I’m in the house with three teens so family game nights only go so far before the volcano erupts. I think “Salt” and “The Tourist”, both with Angelia Jolie, have not gotten the credit they deserve. Both were excellent movies & kept me guessing. “The Impossible” (am I breaking the rules?) is one of my all time favorites due to the raw emotion and yes, somewhat happy ending. I love movies where I can learn, “1917”, “Just Mercy”, “Harriet”, and “Midway” are some of my new favorites. If I need a laugh, “Sweet Home Alabama” and “The Help” never fail! Many prayers for our world as we stay indoors!

    • Regina says:

      I appreciated the calm of the last two blog posts. America has officially flown into panic mode (particularly the big cities) and many measures are being taken in the height of all this anxiety (hoarding toilet paper for example). On the upside, more time for blogging right?

        • Regina says:

          A day in the life of “social distancing”?
          The life of a blogger with lots of free time?
          Why does society panic?
          The importance of comedy in general but especially in a crisis?
          Tessa your dog?
          Chapters for a new book about a comedian trying to reach a world in shut down mode?
          Just some suggestions. I don’t blog so they probably aren’t good suggestions. But I would read what you write because your insight is always interesting.

  3. João Victor Gama says:

    I quite like Murder on the Orient Express! It is about a guy that got killed in the middle of a train trip, obviously. I like bc I’m so into these weird detective using weird ways to solve crimes stuff and the ending has an amazing plot twist. I think if you guys haven’t seen it you’ll like it a lot!

      • Tamara says:

        In my opinion Murder on the Orient Express has a great story, but it didn’t really work out well on screen the way they did it. If you like murder mysteries however, I highly recommend Knives Out!
        And an underrated movie I watched and thorougly enjoyed multiple times is Stardust. Both a funny and perculiar movie with good acting and a nice plot 🙂

        • Dom says:

          Got to say that I have only heard v bad things re Murder on the Orient Express – but everything is subjective and every opinion is valid.

    • Sydney Quibell says:

      This one is on my watchlist because it has Daisy Ridley in it and I’m a huge fan. The costumes and makeup and everything also look quite visually appealing.

    • Hal says:

      Thanks for the recommendation! Could really use a good film to watch while quarantined. I’d also recommend Juno, Big Fish, The Hollars, Forrest Gump and Jojo Rabbit. Not that they aren’t well known, but they are equally great (dare I say… perfect) films in my humble opinion — I’m also a writer, so my opinion isn’t humble at all. Enjoy!

  4. Lorraine says:

    I’m laughing here Dom. I absolutely love to drive fast (albeit safely) and have driven a two different Porsches around a race track in Ireland – not fast enough for my liking though I was so jealous when I saw you all over in Germany!! I’m also a native of Enfield Town originally and have Irish parents! So a couple of parallels in your blog today. The Shawshank Redemption, would be one of the best for me, it’s an amazing movie. Love practically everything with Morgan Freeman. He has such a presence on screen. Saw Onward yesterday and absolutely loved it. I laughed and cried and fondly thought of my own dad as I’m sure you did when you saw it too. Hope all of the Holland family keep safe and healthy during this uncertain time

  5. Alessandra says:

    I haved loved F1 since a few years before the death of Senna. I really enjoyed the Senna documentary same for Rush… I don’t enjoy all car racing movies… Fast and furious always enjoyable. I had a feeling that Ford vs ferrari was a real life story but until the end I was sucked into it and really loved that movie… Bale was amazing. I do like bttf2, terminator 2…and not watched some you have mentioned yet… Rather enjoyed the gripping Seven. Mississippi Burning was a movie we watched in class in high school many moons ago… Dirty dancing I was 10 when a German friend told me I needed to watch this… In German then had it in English and in French… If I see its on while surfing on the TV I’ll stop and watch. Same for bttf2 and t2… So many movies out there so many great ones do many that made you smile when you left the cinema… Or think… Some really not worth the watch. I haven’t seen either of the ones you mentioned because war story because not interested at the time or still sealed on the shelves… I rather enjoyed sin City and how it was made. I enjoyed Tobey Maguires spiderman… I like most batman’s but Ben affleck one… Hope that Robert Pattinson will play a great batman. Aquaman was nice but too long in some parts… I have a lack and white tape of Errol flynns Robin Hood which I really enjoyed. I found legends of the fall pretty good too. Twelve monkeys too in a very different genre and style. But if course the 6th sense… Anyway I’ll stop here. 🙂

  6. Ellen L says:

    I hope you had a good time in Dubai and that you’re well. I have so many movies that I love and as an aspiring screenwriter I really strive to make those great stories that leave a lasting impact! My favourite movies are:
    • Titanic – You know the ending yet the love story that you’re shown is enough to make your forget about the sinking!
    • Jojo Rabbit – You wouldn’t think seeing the war through the eyes of the Hitler Youth could be funny, but it truly is with wonderful lighthearted moments. It perfectly captures how horrendous the war was but also how ridiculous the ideals of Nazi’s were. I can’t wait for this to be released on DVD!!!
    • Baby Driver – This movie is so well done!! With the most wonderful use of music that I’ve ever seen that isn’t a musical!!! It’s hard to explain how much I love it without spoiling it! The first 20 minutes is captivating and one of my favourite ways of storytelling ever!
    • Marriage Story – I was completely captivated by this movie when I watched it. The dialogue is incredible! It’ tells the realities of divorce but shows the story of them not wanting to be together but still having respect for one another for their son! It’s a must watch for me on Netflix!
    Those are my top 4 but I have so many more! I love:
    • The Impossible (Tom should have got an Oscar)
    • MCU Spider-Man movies (of course!)
    • Avengers Endgame and Infinity War
    • A Walk to Remember
    • 12 Angry Men
    • It’s A Wonderful Life
    • Toy Story 3
    • Back to the Future
    • The Sound of Music
    • Harry Potter series
    Those are the ones that come to mind, but I have so many! I hope you have a great week!
    All my love,
    Ellen xxxxx

    • Dom says:

      Only seen one Potter – I think Toy Story stacks up as a film that broke moulds and gave the world Buzz – one of the great comic characters.

  7. Pamela says:

    Lovely blog and thinking back about the movies you have listed! Hidden Figures is one of my favorites! Katherine Johnson being quite an amazing woman! I haven’t watched Ford vs Ferrari yet but since I’m off from school at least a week, I’ll definitely be checking it out! Doing some reading, too!! Finished Open Links! Starting Eclipsed and when I, Gabriel arrives, starting that also!! No idea if our time off will extended or not! Literally dismissed my kiddos yesterday saying listen to the news or wait for a call to see if we have school on Monday. An extra 3 days of vacation! Reading great books and watching some great movies!!

    • Camila Arellano says:

      Hi Dominic, the reviews you made on Ford v Ferrari were very interesting in addition to the recommendations on other movies. I would like to know if you have already seen Parasite, I am not lucky enough to see it yet, but I would like you to make a criticism or a comment about the aspect of the film (of course, if you already saw it). Greetings from Peru
      PD: I am sorry that my English is not so good, I am still learning. X

  8. Maria Elena Duron says:

    You have listed my all-time favorites throughout this post. Having seen every single one of the ones you mentioned (I really like your taste, by the way!) they are all high on my list of recommendations. They are also ones that compel me to watch. I can be fully engulfed in something else and then I hear them when my husband or my boys are watching and I stop what I’m doing to sit down and join the story as if it were my first time to watch it.
    Even though you wouldn’t do so (and I admire you for that), I would also include in that list – The Impossible. It pulled on my heartstrings and provided an insight that I had not even fathomed watching and reading the news reports. Well told and superbly acted it is one of my favorites that I even recommended to my father who loves stories around true events that preserve the truth.
    And, yes, I do find the entire MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) to be a great movie universe and I enjoy the way that each story weaves together from character to character. I’ve loved that actually before they were movies since my great love as a reader of stories started with my father who is an avid comic book lover. He grew up during World War II and as little boy hiding from the Japanese he would be swept away reading comic book adventures by candlelight under a table with a tablecloth over it to shield the light from giving away their location to the soldiers. He made sure that as a young girl I was quickly introduced to comics from all sources including Marvel and DC. To me, there’s nothing that makes a story better then getting to share it with a loved one and my dad is definitely an MCU fan! We have taken him to every MCU movie. Due to health reasons, he has not seen Far From Home but I have it on Amazon and it’s the movie I cannot wait for him to see tonight!
    I’ve found that I’m a social watcher in that my movie experience is directly related to the experience others are having around me. And, in this time of “social distancing” I do prefer to say we are physically distancing ourselves, but we can still socially connect through other mediums.
    I have been waffling about watching Ford vs. Ferrari because of the title. The two actors in the lead, Christian Bale and Matt Damon, are definitely experts at their craft and have, with a great script, taken me on several magnificent journeys. I am adding that to my watch list now.

  9. Lilli says:

    Since we only have one TV in our house (which has been taken over by my two boys for video games) I’ve mostly been using the virus apocalypse/mandatory social isolation time to catch up on my reading. I did manage to steal a couple hours in the middle of the night to watch A Quiet Place, which was good but did nothing to help me sleep peacefully. For now, I’ll probably end up having to learn how to play fortnite so I can play my sons for TV time, or end up sticking to books.

  10. Paul says:

    nice long blog! So worthy of my time. I’ve seen the adverts for Ford v Ferrari but hadn’t considered watching it. After reading your blog, I may now. As for a movie suggestion, this morning while I was waiting for the Brothers Trust contest winner to be announced (congrats to the new owner of Tom’s statue and the charity for all it does) I watched David Copperfield (1935 film). If I had ever watched it, it was so long ago that it was like new. I usually enjoy period-pieces and this was no exception.
    Safe future travels and continued gig bookings. It sure is a crazy world. Wash your hands and ration the toilet paper!

  11. Claire says:

    I think your knowledge/interest of cars seems on par with mine, although a bit of well placed high speed action in a film is always welcome. I always appreciate a recommendation for a good watch, because as you rightly say – you often have to sit through some complete stinkers to find a gem!

    • Claire says:

      Sorry… pressed submit too soon.
      I will also look out for Holes, not heard of that one. As for some of my favourites you’ve already named quite a few! – Shawshank, Apollo 13, Seven, A Few Good Men, Saving Private Ryan… all of which I have happily watched many times. Other films that I just have to watch whenever they come on are Gladiator, Braveheart, Sleepers, Castaway, About Time, Goodfellas, Forest Gump, Prometheus and ET.. to name just a few.
      I look forward to giving Ford v Ferrari a watch now too, thanks Dom!

  12. Faaiz says:

    Edge of winter is one of my all time favorite films with the actor – yours truly Tom Holland. I felt very connected with Bradley. He was like a mirror image of me in terms of his personality and how he would act and also the experiences though not as dramatic or bad as you would imagine. Just in some life and death situations. Harley Quin Birds of Prey was nice cuz it was nice to Harley growth, she was really dependent on the joker but afterwards she explored about herself and her identity. Also because the females kicked the bad guy’s *** a lot. Legends of owls – the movie had amazing visuals with great combat. Titanic – I don’t think I need to explain this one.

  13. Sydney Q says:

    I love watching films; my three favorite genres are action, comedy, and fantasy/sci-fi, hence why I love so many Disney, Star Wars, and super hero films. I love most everything I watch except for a select few so my opinion may not be an accurate analysis of the film. I took my dad to the film because he loves cars(plus he has a Ford). I was expecting to be somewhat bored during the film but I found it to be emotionally captivating, having hints of action, lovable characters, and no hard-to-understand racing jargon(well, mostly). My father loved it, of corse. He came out of the theatre talking about the film like I did with Jojo Rabbit! I wasn’t a huge fan of the film but seeing the joy it brought my dad made me enjoy it ten times more.

    • Dom says:

      I am in a rare group of people who do not get Star Wars. Even as a child, I couldn’t really understand the euphoria. Have only watched the original 1 and 2 – and never ventured in to any of the others.

  14. Sydney Q says:

    I recommend the film Jojo Rabbit. The thing about this film is it has particularly dark humor. I believe it is one of those films that everyone should watch once before they die though. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did because I don’t tend to like anything that has to do with history(don’t get me wrong, I love learning but I find films based off historical events to be boringIt’s comedic, visually appealing, but what surprised me was how emotionally captivating it was! I was crying while watching most of it. Definitely one of my favorite films, though I do recognize it may not be to everyone’s liking.

  15. David F. says:

    A movie that I like with no doubt is “The Green Mile”. I saw it when I was 13 and it left me a void inside, it was so strong.

  16. Márcia Malaquias says:

    Hi Mr. Dom
    I love watching movies I will quote my favorite of all time: Empire of the Sun with Christian Bale ❤️ followed by: The Notebook with Ryan Gosling / what’s Eating Gilbert Grape with Johnny Depp And Leonardo di Caprio / Born on The fourth of July – Tom Cruise / Stand by Me with River Phoenix / Edward Scissorhands with Johnny Depp / Romeo + Juliet (1996) Baz Luhrmann with Claire Danes And Leo Di Caprio / Girl , Interrupted with Winon Ryder , Angelina Jolie , Jared Leto / Dom Juan de Marco with Johnny Depp / The Untouchables with Kevin Costner / This Boy’s life – Robert de Niro And Leo Di Caprio / Cinema Paraíso Dir. Guiseppe Tornatore / The Goonies ️

    • Dom says:

      must confess – I haven’t seen many of these – I did watch Edward Scissorhands and its success largely confused me. I enjoyed Mars Attacks by Tim Burton but after his debacle Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I have yet to see another of his films.

  17. M. says:

    I love Waking Ned Divine! I love quirky films and people. This one makes me laugh! And about Ford v. Ferrari…we took the whole family. One of my sons actually races cars so we knew the boys would love it and of course they did. But I was surprised how much I loved it! And I am not a Matt Damon fan, but now I actually like him, a little. I also really loved JoJo Rabbit. It made me cry during certain powerful scenes. I thought all the kids in that movie did a great job.

      • Sam says:

        Well… If language isn’t a barrier , then I would suggest PK(Hindi)… It’s one of my favourites.
        Its a great film with a good message, portrayed in a very entertaining way.

  18. Alley says:

    “I have almost zero regard for awards. In something so subjective, to pick a best film or a best actor is largely a nonsense and also fatally undermined by patronage and politics.” Dominic Holland

    I predict and hope that one day in the future you will be quoted all over the world as your son is nominated for and wins an Oscar.

    • Dom says:

      and if and when this happens – I will stand by these words – because they will not diminish my pride in what T can do and achieve.

      • Louise says:

        Aw that’s so cute! Along those lines, one word, Cherry. I’m so hyped up for it. I really hope the Russo’s have captured the incredible way the book is written. The author’s voice is so strong and so unusual. I kind of love him! I know Tom will have done an amazing job in any case.

      • Alley says:

        I meant my comment in the best possible sense. I have read Eclipsed and was thinking of your parallel life with Tom and could see this as yet another funny moment in the future. I do know how proud you and your family are of Tom. I enjoy all of your blogs Dom.

        • Alley says:

          My favourite movies are: A Good Year, Brooklyn, Call Me by Your Name.

          For laughs, I can watch 40-Year-Old Virgin over again.

          • Dom says:

            Hi Alley – this why us humans are so complicated. I am afraid we could never go to the movies together – 40 year old virgin provided me without even a smile and A Good Year also did nothing – but great films for you is cool and totally valid.

  19. Kate says:

    For me, the movie 1917 really stood out. I think it’s just because the cinematography of it and how it looks like one shot (I have found some of the cuts but you don’t see them if you’re not looking). It is actually amazing how much effort the entire crew put into it. Another really good one is Parasite! I didn’t think I would like it but it was really easy to follow. JoJo Rabbit was really good too. My all time favorites are Back to the Future and The Shining (Which is not great to think about as we have a minimum of 3 weeks in isolation ahead of us here in Ohio)

  20. M. Teresa says:

    Guys and Dolls: Musical comedy at the height of perfection. The casting is so on-point I can’t imagine ever seeing anyone else attempt to take a shot at portraying these iconic roles. In an interview director Joseph L. Mankiewicz was asked why he cast Marlon Brando (a non-singer) as Sky Masterson. He answered it was because he needed someone who would have a chance of matching the likes of Frank Sinatra in bringing-out the emotional depth of the songs. This movie is SO good!

    Two more movie recommendations just in-case needed: Angels in the Outfield and White Christmas.

  21. Paula C. says:

    Hi Mr. Holland, I have a few movies that are part of my favorites but they are in Spanish, I hope you find them in English:
    the invisible guest (Contratiempo), a Spanish film that makes me doubt about the way I judge people.
    The colors of the mountain (Los colores de la montaña) show the difficult situation in which children live the violence that succumbed to our country in the last century and that still affects certain areas of my country.
    Instructions Not Included (no se aceptan devoluciones), a Mexican film that give us an example of how much a father could love his children.
    I love English language films but I recommend these to have a wider perspective of what art is.
    And as always… greetings from Colombia.
    PS: I apologize for my English

  22. Faaiz says:

    Hi Dom, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going outside of Canada to a place where there is poor network connection. I might not have the resources to read your blogs or engage with them, same on twitter. Justin Trudeau has said that Canada might be in lock-down so the trip could last for as long as 2 months, maybe longer. I just wanted to tell you this just in case. Good day

  23. Beth says:

    I haven’t yet seen Ford vs Ferrari. Must watch it.
    I personally love most Disney/Disney Pixar movies… loved Toy Story series, Finding Memo was an all time favourite of mine… and I love Coco.
    I also quite enjoyed the How to Train Your Dragon movies.
    I just read some comments about the Harry Potter movies, and I don’t mean to offend people but anyone who enjoyed the movies over the books are mad.

  24. Audrey says:

    Dom,
    Thanks for the blog. I am surprised nobody mentioned The Big Night with Stanley Tucci, and When Harry Met Sally. For sure The Impossible, it was so intense for me I had to stop the movie and take a break, same with Sophie’s Choice.
    Glad you got back safely. Do be careful.
    Looking forward to more blogs while in self imposed quarantine .
    Audrey

  25. Matt says:

    Hey Have you heard of the Welsh actor “Anthony Hopkins” he’s one of the best actors in the world he’s won so many awards including an Oscar. He’s kind of retired now but still acts every once in a while, he also paints and composes music.
    I think you should watch his movie called “The worlds fastest Indian.” It’s a really good movie, I’ve never understood people’s obsession with cars and engines, but after watching that movie, I got it.
    Have a good day.

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