Right Words

Zulu (1964). Recounts the heroic stand of a small British contingent against a horde of Zulu warriors at Rorke’s Drift in 1879. This was Michael Cain’s first major role, I believe. Although 11 of the defenders received the Victoria Cross, the loss of life among the poorly armed assailants was staggering.

Beauty & the Beast (1976). I saw this TV version as a kid, and George C. Scott was much scarier back then. He pairs well with this wife, Trish VanDevere, who plays Belle and seems more bold with than afraid of her beastly host.

A Tale of Two Cities (1980). Chris Sarandon is superb as Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. The final scene is particularly moving, where Carton is riding with the seamstress (no spoilers). Makes me want to read the book again, since the entire novel is covered in two hours (!).

Far and Away (1992). My wife had been after me a long time to watch this film, and I finally did recently, with good vibes. I didn’t realize that it was directed by Ron Howard, nor that his grandfather had participated in the Oklahoma land rush. The chemistry between the leads was obvious, as they were married at the time of filming. I think that Tom Cruise’s Irish accent was believable, and I liked seeing him in a historical role (I haven’t seen The Last Samurai yet).

City of Angels (1998). One of the numerous rom-coms from the 1990’s. Loved the chemistry between Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan. There are bits of Biblical truth in the story and errors; e.g., at one time, angels could marry women (before and after the flood), but their defections ended by the time of David and resulted in their damnation (2 Pt. 2:4, Jude 6).

The Dressmaker (2015). I watched this due to my fondness for Australia, though the environs didn’t figure much in the plot. This story could’ve taken place in any small town were a dubious figure from the past returns with an agenda. Not a moving film, but it was engaging and funny overall, with good acting from Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, and Hugo Weaving. There’s a slashing scene near the end if you’re sensitive to gore. Other than that, no excessive profanity or conjugal material.