Father Of The Bride

I've not seen this film in years and rewatched it this week. I still love it however I noted that the groom is now in Scandal as Charlie. I don't want to spoil anything if you've not watched Scandal yet but it tickled me no end. The bride is in Nashville as Peggy who has an affair with Teddy. I wouldn't have recognised her, I think she's had some work done. In addition, it was written by Nancy Meyers, my bete noire of film making. The woman who made What Women Want, Something's Gotta Give and the risible, The Holiday.

It's all pretty dated now but it's a fun film. I love Steve Martin's reaction to pretty much everything going on around him. He's portrayed as being unreasonable but I feel for him. His spoilt 22 year old daughter just expects him to pay for a wedding for hundreds of people? Are the days of the father paying for weddings over? I certainly hope so as it's so sexist. This is a deeply conservative film and it's saccharine sweet but I can't help it, I love it. It's like wrapping yourself up in a fluffy blanket and locking out the world for 90 minutes.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood did not form part of my childhood, I have no recollection of watching any films in which he featured. If you ask me to name a Clint film, I'd say Dirty Harry but I've never seen it. However, Netflix is changing all this. In the last few days I've watched In The Line Of Fire and Escape from Alcatraz and something of a crush is forming. Yes, 45 years after the rest of the world, I am seeing Clint Eastwood for what he is; a hunk!

Also, he is a very good actor. Escape from Alcatraz is well worth a watch if you've not seen it. My main amusement point is that it features Mr Heckles from Friends! Yes, the crazy downstairs neighbour is Clint's next door jail mate. This threw for me for at least 45 minutes of the film as he looks exactly the same. What struck me watching it is how films didn't used to feel the need to either have action or dialogue every single second. Much of Escape from Alcatraz features scenes in which Clint is digging, escaping (in real time so fairly slowly) or just musing. It was also filmed on Alcatraz so it's a bit spooky. It's genuinely a good film, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In The Line Of Fire. Well! How have I never seen this? A film about secret security that I had missed. Rene Russo, John Malkovich, our friend Clint and Frasier's father. It's a dream cast! It's 20 years old and Clint was 63 when he made it but I have to say he's hot. The scene where he kisses Rene had me thinking yes, I totally would. There's something very manly about him. He's a sexist pig in this film but nonetheless, yes.

So now I am going to leave you with various Clint pictures, remind you he is 83 (he's looking good) and ask you to recommend me some more Clint films as I am on a mission.

Netflix

Some people choose Netflix so they can watch House of Cards or Orange is the New Black. Me, I am loving the movies. Specifically the cheesy rom coms and 80s specials. For £6 a month you can have pretty much all of Jennifer Aniston's back catalogue, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Pretty Woman, When in Rome, Desperado, Serendipity, Dawson's Creek. The list is endless. It has so much choice, all at your fingertips and I think it's a total bargain.

Last night I watched Super 8 which I missed at the cinema. Loved the first hour and then it descended into sci-fi nonsense. I recommend Netflix highly, I am a bit obsessed with it. Also, don't mock Havana Nights until you've seen it...

Fargo

The January hibernation continues and with the recent snowy weather, what better film to watch than Fargo? It's been years since I saw this. In fact, I think I saw it once at the cinema in 1996 when it was released.

It's still brilliant. Frances McDormand has never been better and her character in this is so sweet and smart. Every actor in this is amazing, Steve Buscemi, William H Macy and the poor woman who plays his wife. OK, I just looked her up and her name is Kristen Rudrud and guess what? She was born in Fargo!

It has some amazing dialogue. My favourite scene is the one where Marge is interviewing the two girls about our kidnappers and they say one of them was kind of funny looking. It cracks me up every time.

The way they all say yah, Marge and her adorable husband making her eggs, the crazy Japanese guy. It's all wonderfully quirky and not in an annoying way that some Coen brothers movies can be. For my money, this is the best Coen brothers film. I know there is a lot of love for The Big Lebowski and I do like that but this is such a heart-warming film despite the feeding of Buscemi into the woodchipper! If that's a spoiler, I apologise but really, surely I can give out a spoiler on a film that is 17 years old?