Thursday 7 January 2016

Thursday Movie Picks: Downstairs people


 I loved the theme for this week, but went completely blank when trying to pick films, apart from Gosford Park. There must be plenty out there that I've forgotten. Don't forget to check out what Wandering Through the Shelves picked, the blog that started Thursday Movie Picks. 

Gosford Park
I didn't like this film at first, mostly because I had a bunch of know-it-all 'adults' telling I knew nothing about film and they happened to like this film at the time. I managed to see it in my own time and I loved it. A brilliant upstairs downstairs set at a country house with such a great group of actors playing wealthy folk and servants in the 1930s. Plus, there's a murder. What else could I ask for from the great Robert Altman.

The Servent
I found this uncomfortable, mostly because Dirk Bogarde does unpleasant so well. Bogarde is the servant who eventually takes over the household from British aristocrat James Fox, switching the roles of 'master' and 'servant'. It's disturbing to see how easily Bogarde manipulates Fox.

The Help
This made me cry. I can't lie about that. Its a very sad in places, emotional throughout, with moments of triumph. The black women of Jackson and how they impact the lives and take care of the prominent white families in the town.