Thursday Movie Picks: Movies with Numbers in the Title
1) Cleo from 5 to 7
I came so late to the Agnes Varda party a few years ago but this is such a wonderful film. For a story about a woman waiting to find out if she has cancer it's quite light and lovely. It's one I'd love to rewatch again.
2) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
This was on a past Blind Spot list and yes, everything I had heard about Jack Nicholson's performance in this was true. It's a solid film all around.
3) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
This Romanian film is about a woman who assists her friend with having an illegal abortion and it packs a powerful punch. There's one particular scene in this film that gets the most attention and is quite shocking but it shouldn't distract from how well made the rest of the film is.
I'm so glad to see Cleo from 5 to 7. It is such a good film!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the others but One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is on my list. I want to read the novel first though so I don't know when that's going to happen.
I wouldn't mind reading the novel either, but the film is really good.
DeleteI have only seen One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest which is brilliant and Nurse Ratched is chilling
ReplyDeleteI expected Nurse Ratchet so be so much worse based on how everyone talks about her. She was tamer than I was expecting lol
DeleteLike you it took me a while to get around to Cleo from 5 to 7 and I really liked it when I did. I had only heard the title and knew it had a reputation of being an essential but not much else so it was a nice surprise.
ReplyDeleteCuckoo's Nest on the other hand I saw in the theatre when it was first out. Maybe I was too young, very early teens-I'd seen another film in the same theatre and snuck in-but while I understood it to be a good film I can't say I enjoyed it. Nicholson gives his all to the part.
I've heard of but haven't seen your last, but it is certainly number heavy!
So many films with numbers in the title to choose from! Thank goodness sequels aren't allowed! I abhor that current practice of just sticking a number after the original title either out of fear that the public won't realize its a sequel (they will if it's in the marketing) or pure laziness. In the Golden Age the studios might tweak a title (Father of the Bride's follow up became Father's Little Dividend) or have an entirely new title (Going My Way was followed by The Bells of St. Mary) but you can bet the studio made sure people knew it was a continuation and it allowed the next film to be its own entity. GGGRRR!
Okay off my soapbox, here's my three all from different genres.
5 Card Stud (1968)-In the town of Rincon, Colorado in 1880 a gambler is caught cheating by his tablemates and in the heat of the moment lynched despite the efforts of one of their number Van Morgan (Dean Martin) to stop it. Disgusted Morgan leaves town but returns when he hears that some of the other players have been killed in grisly fashion. Upon his arrival he finds the hamlet taut with tensions and a somewhat sinister Baptist minister Rev. Rudd (Robert Mitchum) who carries a pistol in his bible. The situation only becomes more fraught as others of the lynch mob fall victim one by one and Morgan races to solve the mystery. Superior western with a great cast which beside the leads includes Inger Stevens and Roddy McDowell.
11 Harrowhouse (1974)-Small-time diamond merchant Howard Chesser (Charles Grodin) is offered the chance to purchase and cut a large diamond by its owner Clyde Massey (Trevor Howard). But when the diamond is stolen he is blackmailed into pulling off a heist at "The System," located in London at 11 Harrowhouse with the help of his girlfriend Maren (a stunning Candice Bergen). Assisted by inside man, Watts (James Mason) they navigate an elaborate network of defenses to carry out the robbery. Sleek, stylish caper film.
45 Years (2015)-Kate Mercer (an extraordinary Charlotte Rampling) and her husband Geoff (an almost as fine Tom Courtenay) are planning a party to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. One week before the celebration a letter arrives for Geoff with news that the body of Katya, his first love has been discovered frozen in an icy glacier of the Swiss Alps where she had fallen 50 years ago. Disquieted by the news both start to reexamine the entirety of their relationship and as the party nears there might not be a marriage left to celebrate.
I'm not crazy of just adding a number for a sequel either, but in some cases (like with Iron Man) I think it works because what else is there to say?
DeleteOf yours I've only seen 45 years. I remember liking Rampling quite a bit in that, even though if I were in her shoes, I probably would've punched the husband at some point or another.
Charlotte Rampling is so amazing in the film, as she so often is, she was robbed of her deserved Oscar. She's very restrained but she digs deep into the underlying emotions Kate is dealing with.
DeleteBrie Larson was fine in Room but she didn't deserve the win. When I think of the film it's the boy I remember not her and to me she was more supporting.
I've seen all 3 films on that list and I love them all. Glad to know you're into the works of Agnes Varda as Cleo from 5 to 7 is an awesome film as I'm going to do one of her films as my Blind Spot for this month as one of her shorts is now available on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteI recently just watched One Sings, The Other Doesn't and really enjoyed it.
DeleteI really need to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, especially since I loved Jack Nicholson's performance in "The Shining!" Great list!
ReplyDeleteYou do! It's a good one.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these so I'll add them to the watch list!
ReplyDeleteThey're very good, though 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days is depressing as hell.
DeleteActually that was the rule of the Numbers in Title theme...not to use franchise films.
ReplyDeleteThe only one of your picks I saw is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest...and it was pretty scary.
It was? lol. I just copy/pasted your list from your initial post, I must have missed that bit
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