1994

Cast- Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Bonnie Hunt, Billy Zane, Fisher Stevens, Joaquim de Almeida

Faith believes in destiny and when the Ouija board and then a crystal ball at a carnival tell her that her soul mate is Damon Bradley she takes it to heart.  Fast forward more than a decade and Faith is about to marry a podiatrist when she takes a message for her fiance from Damon Bradley.  Convinced that it is fate she takes the next plane to Italy to find him.  Only she is always one step behind and must rely on her best friend and a new love interest to help her track down Damon.

Why I love it – It is no secret that I love Italy and have since we visited there in 2008.  The beautiful setting of Venice, Rome and coastal Italy made this movie easy on the eyes.  It also made me want to head back as soon as Gage is up to it!  The Italian landscape wasn’t the only thing easy on the eyes.  Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. as Faith and Peter were adorable and it was fun to watch them together onscreen.  And I’d love to have Tomei’s wardrobe.

This movie was pure romantic escapism.  It was about destiny and finding that one other half of yourself.  Faith’s belief was magical and innocent and it was nicely offset by Peter’s belief that they were meant to be together.  I love stories like this when they are done well and the leads perfect in their roles, like this one.

As much as this was a love story about destiny and falling in love it was also about the hard work and reality of marriage.  Faith’s best friend and sister-in-law Kate, played perfectly by Bonnie Hunt, went to Italy with Faith thinking that her marriage was over because her husband was cheating on her.  She was ready for a sexy Italian diversion and she got one in the suave Giovanni.  These two couples traipsing around Italy searching for the illusive Damon Bradley were fun to watch and easy to like.

It’s a great romantic comedy.  Here’s the trailer if you still aren’t convinced.  Here are my 0ther 99 favorite movies.

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003)

Cast- Ian McKellan, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving,

Directed by Peter Jackson

This trilogy, based on the fantasy books by JRR Tolkien, is based in Middle Earth in a dangerous time.  The dark lord Sauron wants to rule over Middle Earth and he must find the One Ring that can make that possible.  The wizard Gandalf, four hobbits, two men, an elf, and a dwarf form a fellowship to destroy the ring, but there are many evil forces at work and they don’t all make it to the end.

Why I love it– I think this trilogy tells the perfect story.  It is the quest for good in a world turning evil. There is betrayal, redemption, forgiveness, honor, death, love, and loyalty.  It has all of the classic themes that make a story satisfying.  Not to mention the idyllic beauty of the movie itself.  Filmed in New Zealand it definitely made me want to take a trip. 

And with the first film, so began my love affair with Aragorn or Strider.  I call him both depending on my mood.  I mean, c’mon, look at this guy.  He is the strong hero, the future king, and all hotness.

I liked the movies as a whole, although the Fellowship of the Ring was my favorite.  I loved the bond between the nine.  Frodo was the ring bearer, but the other eight were there to make sure he completed his dangerous task.  In the second and third movies the fellowship was working for the same purpose, but not together.  

I read the first of the series in college and loved it and it’s been too long for me to make a comparison, but I loved the way this came to life on the big screen.  I loved the acting, the sets, the music and the story.  I don’t watch a lot of fantasy films, but this is one I’ve watched more than once which quite a commitment since it runs 558 minutes (or 683 if I watch the extended version).

1992

Cast- Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Pollack, Kevin Bacon, JT Walsh, Kiefer Sutherland

Two Marines are accused of murdering a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay and an untried Navy lawyer is chosen to defend them.  The accused, Dawson and Downey, are not the easiest clients, and Kaffee, is not the most understanding lawyer.  Forced to deal with a lawyer from Internal Affairs and an arrogant Colonel Jessep, Kaffee feels the pressure to clear these Marines of all charges.

Why I Love It – There is much to like about this film, but the performances by Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson are at the top of the list for me.  Tom Cruise manages to carry this movie with his cocky and winsome Kaffee.  And Nicholson was the perfect Colonel Jessep and his performance places this movie in the great category for me.  I know how ridiculous the last scene of the movie is from a reality standpoint, but I really don’t care.  I loved every minute of it.  And it provided so many unforgettable lines that the movie is still being referenced more than 15 years later.

They were not the only awesome performances.  I thought everyone in the movie was spot on.  Even if Demi Moore’s character was a little too gung-ho and melodramatic at times she did provide the patriotism needed to make the movie work.  The cast alone makes this a must see if only to use it in the Kevin Bacon game.

I liked revisiting Gitmo in its pre-hot button issue years.  There did used to be a base there that did not have politicians foaming at the mouth.  The courtroom story was excellent and the movie was fun to watch.  I think this is my highest rated courtroom drama because it did not rely on tricks or any great surprise at the end, it was just a well told story by a group of talented actors and film makers.  And all those men in uniform made it visually appealing.  C’mon, I did marry a Navy man after all 🙂

1994

Cast- Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah, Rowan Atkinson

Hugh Grant won Golden Globe for Best Actor

Charles (Hugh Grant) and his circle of friends spend a lot of time attending weddings.  In the first wedding Charles is the best man who forgets the rings.  In the second wedding three months later the priest (Rowan Atkinson) has a few problems conducting his first wedding ceremony. The third wedding is one that breaks the hearts of them all by leading to the funeral a few days later.  The last wedding is a shocker, but, as always, funny.

Why I Love It – This British comedy has an outstanding cast, not all of whom I was familiar with, and the humor is sometimes more subtle than in-your-face.  You really have to pay attention to appreciate all of the details.  Hugh Grant is the core of the movie and if you find him charming like I do, I think you’ll like it too.  The dialogue and directing was superb and I only mention it because it does get compared to Love, Actually (Same director and Hugh Grant), but I like this one better because although I love all the characters the movie revolves around one storyline, making it easier for me to care.

I love that it revolves around weddings.  There are no day-to-day jobs (I don’t even know what Charles did for a living) and yet I grew to know and love each of the characters.

I watched this again last night after having lunch with ladies that included a friend who is British and one who is Canadian and we had a fun time discussing swear words in each of the countries.  We laughed a lot and this movie continued the fun.  Oh, and you know I love hats and there were some classic ones here.

Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it…

1993

Cast – Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen

DiCaprio was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Gilbert is struggling to keep his family together in a one street small town with no options.  He supports his obese, house-bound mother, his mentally challenged brother, and his two sisters in the house that his father built before he hung himself in the basement.  The only thing this family has is each other.  While Amy, the oldest sister, takes care of the mother, it falls on Gilbert to take care of his brother at all times. 

Why I Love It – Usually I fall in love with the performances or the story, but in this case I can’t choose one because I loved them both.  Obviously, Johnny Depp is going to give you a good performance and this is one of his most normal roles.  He plays a long-suffering man of the house struggling to keep it all together with little thought to his needs.  But DiCaprio’s Arnie equally shines and he was more than deserving of the Academy Award.  This was Leonardo before Titanic and showing his acting chops.  I was amazed at what he pulled off.  Those two performances alone make this movie a must see.

The story is heartbreaking, real, hopeless, and hopeful.  The mother had become a joke to the town and even to Gilbert, who was embarrassed by her and for her.  Arnie continued to run Gilbert’s life and he was stuck in an affair that had nowhere to go.  Then Gilbert met a girl just passing through town with her grandmother and his world seemed to expand.  Someone was looking at him, for him not for the role he played in her life.  I don’t want to give too much of the movie away because if you haven’t seen it I hope you take the time to check it out.  It will touch your heart.

1984

Cast – Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito

Romance novelist Joan Wilder receives a call from her sister that she needs her to go to Columbia.  As the uptight Joan travels to Columbia she is in danger at every turn and turns to fellow American Jack T. Colton to keep  her safe and get her to her sister.  Only he has bigger plans.

Why I love it – I love a good romance novel and this movie is a perfect homage to the genre.  The heroine (a writer, no less) is forced out of her comfort zone and meets a man who is rough around the edges, but strong.  The two are attracted to each other but fight it, eventually give in and then have a misunderstanding.  But in the end the two live happily ever after.    This movie benefits from the adventure and life or death situation, so it is better than a sappy romance novel – it’s actually campy fun too.

I loved Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as the leads.  They had great chemistry and were perfect in their roles. 

My favorite lines of the movie

Jack: I couldn’t stop thinking about you.  I even read one of your books.

 Joan: Then you know how they all end.

After the heart of every romance lover 🙂

Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it.

Here’s the list of my Favorite 100 Movies.

1991

Cast- Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine, Scott Glenn

It was the top 5 Oscars – Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay

FBI trainee, Clarisse Starling is sent to interview Hannibal Lecter, the mass murderer, to see if he can help the FBI find the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill.  When the daughter of an important Senator goes missing and Buffalo Bill is the suspect, time is short and Clarisse must rely on Hannibal’s help.

Why I love it – I think the number one reason I love this film is Anthony Hopkin’s chilling portrayal of Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’ Lecter.  I could not tear my eyes away from his cold glare and his creepy voice.  He is what most people remember about this movie and he is onscreen for only 16 minutes.  How awesome do you have to be to win a Best Actor Oscar for only 16 minutes of face time?!  I love his  psychoanalysis of Clarisse and Buffalo Bill, even if I don’t exactly approve of his eating habits.

And a close second to why I love this movie is Jodie Foster’s tough, yet vulnerable Clarisse.  She’s a woman in a male dominated field and it only makes her work harder.  I love the scene in the car with her boss Crawford when she throws his apology for treating her differently in front of the men back in his face.  She does not make a scene, but she does make her point.

This is a crime thriller, horror, suspenseful drama that has is all, if you can stomach a little gore.  Okay, maybe more than a little.  I loved the series Monk and it took me two full seasons to stop picturing Captain Stottlemeyer as the crazy, skin obsessed Buffalo Bill.

I loved watching this again last night.  I had forgotten just how good it was.  I’m including one of my favorite lines from the movie.  When I order Chianti I still think of Hannibal 😉