Thursday Movie Picks: Star Crossed Lovers

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It's Valentine's Day edition all month long at Wandering Through The Shelves, and Wanderer is starting us off with star crossed lovers. Fuck Romeo and Juliet, here are some of my favorites.

 1) Her

 Theo is in love with his operating system, Samantha. He can't touch her, can't see her, it was never going to end well.

 2) Crazy/Beautiful 

 Remember this movie? I've been a Kirsten Dunst fangirl since I was a tween, so I do. Carlos and Nichole live on "opposite sides of the tracks." She's rich, her dad doesn't approve of their relationship, teenage angst ensues. 

 3) Brokeback Mountain

 Brokeback Mountain is one of the best love stories ever told, but poor Ennis and Jack never got to live the life they wanted together, and that also makes it one of the greatest tragedies. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2016 at 6:55 AM

    Crazy/Beautiful! That movie is so good!!! Dunst's performance is Oscar worthy. Just...stunning, 'star is born' performance.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 4, 2016 at 7:03 AM

      I'm still very moved by that scene where she's crying out in the drive way while yelling at her dad. You didn't see many teen actresses at that time pull off that kind of emotion.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousFebruary 14, 2016 at 11:01 AM

      That moment is everything! YES!!! I remember watching it in the theater and that happened and I was thinking to myself..."this isn't your typical teen flick"...

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 15, 2016 at 1:44 AM

      Kiki is a goddess. lol

      Delete
  2. Sonia CercaFebruary 4, 2016 at 7:16 AM

    I wasn't crazy about Her (I guess I have to rewatch it), but I can see why it popped out several times today.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 4, 2016 at 7:23 AM

      I think I may have actually swooned over Her. I can't believe how much I loved it.

      Delete
  3. DellFebruary 4, 2016 at 8:57 AM

    Her is a great movie. Haven't seen the Dunst movie. Ugh...Brokeback is like watching paint dry.

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  4. DanielFebruary 4, 2016 at 9:13 AM

    I love Her SO. Fucking. MUCH. Haven't seen Crazy/Beautiful since it came out but I do remember liking it. Kiki doing the "bad girl" thing.

    I ALMOST picked Brokeback. I just can't bring myself to watch it again it did such a number on me on first viewing. In a good way, mind. THAT KISS. SIGH.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 4, 2016 at 9:35 AM

      Kiki is queen. Brokeback, I love so much even though it's so sad. I wish they could've had a happy ending.

      Delete
  5. joel65913February 4, 2016 at 9:35 AM

    Brokeback is so achingly painful, beautifully told but emotionally draining. It fits here so well. Crazy/Beautiful was okay but I saw it so long ago I don't have many memories of it. Her is near the top of my queue but I haven't seen it yet. Good choices!

    I almost did an all Barbra Streisand list since I love her and troubled romance was a recurring theme in her films but her version of A Star is Born is so awful I just couldn’t bring myself to list it and turned to a MUCH better version of the same tale. I threw in a little snippet from each to highlight the theme.

    The Way We Were (1973)-Memories will light the corners of your mind after viewing this high quality drama of Jewish radical Katie Morosky (Babs) and "gorgeous goyish guy" Hubbell Gardner (Robert Redford) who attend college together in the 30’s then meet again during WWII and despite immense differences fall in love. The film follows their problem plagued relationship through dating, marriage and the Hollywood blacklist. Tale of doomed love is ultra-romantic with political overtones has nice period detail and perhaps Streisand’s career best performance.

    **Star-crossed quote- "I want us to love each other. The trouble is we do."

    Funny Girl (1968)-Gawky, burning with ambition and massively talented Fanny Brice is trying to make her way in show biz, by chance she meets suave professional gambler Nicky Arnstein who helps give her a step up. Sensing a spark but pulled apart by circumstances Fanny continues her ascent occasionally running into Nick until a fateful encounter leads to a great love. Problem is Fanny’s compiling one triumph on top of another while Nick feeling the pressure of being “Mr. Brice” suffers a series of bad luck deals leading to a disastrous decision (and an emotion packed finale). Oscar winning showcase for Streisand, how much is true is questionable though the real life Brice and Arnstein did have a troubled marriage.

    **Star-crossed quote-Nick: “I thought maybe, finally, at last my luck had changed…but it hadn’t. “Fanny-“So it will change tomorrow, the way it has a hundred other time. Everybody has a run of bad luck now and then it doesn’t mean anything.” Nick-“How would you know darling? You never lose.”

    A Star is Born (1954)-Band singer Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) saves movie star Norman Maine (James Mason) from making a drunken fool of himself at a Hollywood benefit when he stumbles into her act. Intrigued he tracks her down to a late night club and discovers that she possesses “that little something extra” that makes a great star and convinces her to leave the band. After some complications a friendship develops leading to a romance and marriage but as Esther, now rechristened Vicki Lester, rises ever higher Norman, trapped by demons in a downward spiral, falls leading to tragedy for all. Judy’s pinnacle both vocally and dramatically. She’s almost matched by Mason and they are supported by strong work from Charles Bickford, Tommy Noonan and especially Jack Carson.

    **Star-crossed quote:
    “Love isn't enough, I thought it was. I thought I was the answer for Norman. But love isn't enough for him. No matter how much you love someone — how do you live out the days? How?”

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 4, 2016 at 1:15 PM

      Thank you for sharing those! I know I saw parts of A Star is Born, but not the whole thing. I hope you enjoy Her when it finally makes it to the top of your queue!

      Delete
    2. joel65913February 5, 2016 at 9:33 AM

      A Star is Born is long, and because of the restoration-parts were cut after it's initial release and some of that material was lost and has been reconstructed with photos (it's not too much of the film), a bit of a different experience but if you only know Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz this provides a look at her at her adult best.

      Delete
  6. m.brownFebruary 4, 2016 at 10:47 AM

    I dig all of those three, and you listed them in order of my personal preference.

    Ahhh...Dunst. Love. Her.

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  7. BirgitFebruary 4, 2016 at 11:45 AM

    I have not seen the first 2 but they are added to my list:) I thought Brokeback was a deeply felt film about forbidden love. Very sad and wonderfully acted

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  8. Kevin PowersFebruary 4, 2016 at 5:14 PM

    Great picks! I never saw Crazy/Beautiful, but my sister was obsessed with that movie in high school. I'm pretty sure it's just not for me, despite my love for Dunst growing up. Her is genius here. I didn't even think of it.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 4, 2016 at 8:46 PM

      I think you could appreciate Crazy/Beautiful. Dunst is amazing in it.

      Delete
  9. thevoid99February 4, 2016 at 11:04 PM

    Her and Brokeback.... YES! I do like Crazy/Beautiful largely because of Kirsten Dunst who I think should be a bigger actress now and be getting the roles that J-Law is really too young for.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 5, 2016 at 6:42 AM

      Agreed. David O'Russell will never stop writing those roles for Lawrence though, unfortunately.

      Delete
  10. JoshFebruary 8, 2016 at 5:51 AM

    Oh, love these picks! Crazy/Beautiful is a nice surprise to see on here.

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  11. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2016 at 4:42 PM

    Brokeback Mountain. Ultimate star-crossed lovers story ever. And probably the best and saddest film ever made. I just love it. I can't even remember what happens in Crazy Beautiful eventhough I'm sure I've seen it. There's some soft guy, isn't there? Someone you can't really have hots for because he's not "the bad body"? :D

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 11, 2016 at 7:12 AM

      Sort of. He's a nice guy, but it boils down to him being poor and Mexican and Kirsten Dunst's family being rich and snoody and not accepting.

      Delete

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