Going My Way (1944)

I am trying to watch all the Oscars Best Picture winners since 1929's Wings, but i had just started to make some sort of a review after i watched them. I have amassed a good number of movies and if i will watched just 1 movie each day it will take me still a good 19 years before i finish all of them. 

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Short film summary from IMDB :

Youthful Father Chuck O'Malley led a colorful life of sports, song, and romance before joining the Roman Catholic clergy, but his level gaze and twinkling eyes make it clear that he knows he made the right choice. After joining a parish, O'Malley's worldly knowledge helps him connect with a gang of kids looking for direction and handle the business details of the church-building fund, winning over his aging, conventional superior, Father Fitzgibbon.

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My Rebyu

The title was first mentioned in a song he sang during Father Chuck's visit to Carol's apartment when she asked him to sing for them (with Ted Jr.) an unpublished song. I like this movie because it's not that heavy to watch and though the main characters are priests it not so over religious, it's not so pushy about faith. During the entire movie you will only see 1 instance where they celebrated a mass or something like that. Bing Crosby is so good at this that i liked him singing (he is an accomplished singer after all..). It's a family movie and a light hearted comedy at the same time. I also loved the performance of Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald), having been nominated both as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Oscars in 1944, he won the supporting actor but lost the best actor to co-star Bing Crosby. The songs i loved are Ave Maria, Silent Night and the Going My Way Song.



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"If you are looking for something thoughtful, dramatic, or even controversial, go somewhere else. But if it's a light-hearted comedy you're after, then pull up a chair and check out "Going My Way". - review from one IMDB user

If you want to know more about this movie, click here.

**all pictures are lifted from IMDB and links from wikipedia.

Bayeee!!

Casablanca (1943)

Short film summary from IMDB :

 

In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit. Well, that was their original plan....

 

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My Rebyu :

 

This film is listed in AFI 100 Films (2007) as the 3rd best. Am not really sold, after watching Mrs. Miniver (1942) just a day ago, which for me is better than Casablanca (but of course it's just me). Ingrid Bergman is so pretty but i dont like her character here, she is so married and why he falls for Humphrey Bogart is beyond me. Yes, her husband is in concentration camp but he is not dead, though she thought he might be. And I screen captured all the scenes where the lines "Here's looking at you kid" is spoken by Humphrey. Equally gorgeous man is Paul Henreid who played the character Victor Laszlo, wife of Ingrid. I might just give this movie a 7 rating and it's IMDB average is 8.6, well to each his own.

 

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If you want to read more about this movie please click here.

 



**images are from IMDB, links are from wikipedia and screen captures are from the movie i downloaded online.

Bayee!!!

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Short fim summary from IMDB :

 

The Minivers, an English "middle-class" family experience life in the first months of World War II. While dodging bombs, the Miniver's son courts Lady Beldon's granddaughter. A rose is named after Mrs. Miniver and entered in the competition against Lady Beldon's rose

Mrs. Miniver & Mr. Ballard. The scene where the title is mentioned.

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My Rebyu :

 

Pinagbibidahan nina Greer Garson at Walter Pidgeon, si Greer ang Mrs. Miniver at asawa nya si Clem Miniver, middle class family sa England na nabuhay sa panahon ng umpisa ng ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig, merong 3 anak ; si Vin ang panganay na kasalukuyang nagaaral sa London sa Oxford University, sumunod si Judy at ang bunso si Toby. Nabubuhay ng mapayapa at payak ngunit nagbago ang lahat sa pag dating ng digmaan. Si Vin na isang matalinong bata at maprinsipyo ay pumasok bilang piloto sa RAF ng bansa, nag training at naging ganap na piloto. Meron siyang nagustuhang babae si Carol Beldon, apo ni Lady Beldon isa sa mga angkan na malapit sa Monarch ng Inglatera. Sa mga unang pagkakataon eh ayaw ni Lady Beldon ke Vin para ke Carol pero si Carol eh gusto rin si Vin. Dahil sa pagputok ng digmaan kinakailangang mag propose ng kasal si Vin ke Carol dahil sa pakiramdam ng lahat laging nasa bingit ng kamatayan ang buhay ni Vin, Kinasal sila kahit kontra si Lady Beldon pero sa huli pumayag na din. Merong paligsahan ng pagandahan ng mga napatubong bulaklak sa kanilang lugar at si Mr. Ballard na gustong sumali sa pagandahan ng rosas ay pinangalan ang kanyang bulaklak ke Mrs. Miniver pero ang makakalaban nya ay si Lady Beldon na di pa natatalo simula nung umpisahan ang paligsahan 30 years ago. Kahit me digmaan na itinuloy pa rin ang patimpalak. Sumabog ang digmaan, at habang nagpapatrolya si Clem at si Vin naman ay nakikidigma bilang piloto merong German pilot na sugatan na napadpad sa bahay ni Mrs Miniver, nanghingi ng tinapay at gatas at hamon pero dahil sugatan hinimatay eto kaya nagkaroon ng pagkakataon si Mrs. Miniver na tumawag ng pulis kaya eto ay nahuli din. Naantig ang puso ko sa eksenang eto kasi sa gitna ng digmaan lalabas at lalabas pa din ang ating pag-ibig sa kapwa kahit eto ay sa iyong kaaway pa. Sa araw ng paghuhusga sa nanalong mga bulaklak, nanalo ang bulaklak ni Mr. Ballard na pingalan ke Mrs. Miniver. pero eto ay sa kagustuhan na rin ni Lady Beldon (bumait na siya this time), at bati na rin niya ang pamilya ni Vin. Di natapos ang programa dahil lumulusob na ang mga German bombers so kelangan nila magtago sa mga undeground shelter. Dahil malayo pa ang bahay nina Mrs. Miniver at si Clem at si Vin eh tumulong sa paglaban sa mga German, si Mrs. Miniver ang nag drive ng kanilang sasakyan kasama niya si Carol at habang daan napagitan sila sa pag aaway at pambobomba, tinamaan si Carol at sugatang nakauwi. Walang ambulansyang dumating dahil madami ang tinutulungan kaya sa kasamaang palad namatay si Carol. Nagtapos ang palabas sa eksena ng pagmimisa sa sirang kapilya. Buhay ang buong pamilya ni Mrs. Miniver pero namatay nga si Carol at binalita rin ng pari na namatay din si Mr. Ballard at iba pang mga kababayan nila.

 

Kahit masakit isipin na namatay si Carol para sa akin feel good movie pa din siya kasi wala mashadong casualty at buo ang pamilya ni Vin oldo malungkot sha kasi namatay ang batang bata nyang asawa na baka buntis pa nga (di ko lang sure, kasi di ko nabasa libro).

Nanalo eto ng 6 na Oscars nuong 1942 (best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Screenplay at Cinematography).

 

With IMDB rating of 7.6 and my own rating of 8, I recommend you need to watch this movie.

 

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If you are intereseted to read more about this movie, click here.

 

Entry in IMDB, you can see my rating of 8.



Mrs. Miniver movie poster 01



Mrs. Miniver movie poster 02

Mrs. Miniver movie poster 03

Mrs. Miniver movie poster 04

the German flyer (Helmut Dantine)

Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright) & Vin Miniver (Richard Ney)

*links are from wikipedia and images from IMDB, screen captures is from the movie i downloaded online.

Bayeee!