Kiki's Delivery Service
This was my least favorite of Miyazaki's movies, but considering the overall quality of any of Miyazaki's work, it was still enjoyable. I felt there were two things missing from the film—one was Miyazaki's typical environmental themes. One can feel Miyazaki's passion for nature and concern for exploring the relationship between nature and man in films like Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke. Another thing I felt was missing was strong emotion. I did not feel especially attached to the heroine of the film and there were few parts of the film that engaged my emotions. Both of these missing elements made me feel an absence of Miyazaki's personal passion for and investment in this film.
Porco Rosso
While better than Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso falls short of Miyazaki's other work. I was more fond of the hero in this story and appreciated a greater sophistication in the story's themes and in the way the story unfolded. The plane-to-plane fights were also well executed by the master of animated flight. However, the film failed to grab me in the way that Miyazaki's others movies have. That being said, there was one scene in the film that belongs among the very best Miyazaki scenes. The main character remembers one air battle when he got lost among the clouds and saw the ghosts of his fellow fighters and their planes rise up and disappear into the heavens. This scene is remarkably beautiful and rivals even the most mystical moments in Mononoke.
Blues Brothers
I had heard from many sources that this film was non-stop fun and I wholeheartedly agree. The film was hilarious, well-staged and had great music, with cameo performances from the likes of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. The scene in the church at the beginning of the film was probably my favorite, but also classic was the hilariously excessive car chase at the end. Was this film prophetic? Don't we see this kind of excess in today's blockbusters?
Rear Window
This was my fourth Hitchcock film. I had been entranced by Psycho and Vertigo but The Birds had been a disappointment. Rear Window did not disappoint. It was utterly engaging from the moment it started. James Stewart carries the film exquisitely as usual and Hitchcock expertly builds suspense. Hitchcock's technique is one that uses silence and darkness to create the mood and tension, rather than the flashier, noisier methods of many of today's suspense films. It's interesting comparing this film with its loose modern remake Disturbia. Hitchcock is much more sophisticated, restrained and, ultimately, interesting.
