1 - The French Connection (1971)
1/15/18
I've been bored by Academy Award winners in the past, but I've never actively disliked one. I did not like this movie. From two scenes in I was actively rooting for Gene Hackman's character to die. I don't even know any of the characters' names. Well, there was definitely some stereotypical New York Italian guy named Sonny, obviously, but no one important. None of the characters were interesting. They were all flat. No one was likable. I mean, part way through, they say something to Gene Hackman about how the last time he screwed up a cop got killed. And then never say what happened. But just let home dude continue running wild, getting people killed. And why did he stand out in the cold so long that one day? And then at the end there are really basic, unsatisfying one liners that pop up and say what happened to each character I didn't care about. Obviously the cops turned out fine while everyone else had some actual punishment. I still don't get it. Were they the good guys? Like, I'm not even asking that from 2018 and considering policing in our country where he was clearly a bad guy. I legit do not know if Gene Hackman was supposed to be a good guy in 1971. So... I hope the next two films I watch this year are better. Geesh.
2 - Rocky (1976)1/21/8
I didn't get this one either. Like, sure, underdog story and the boxing scenes were shot well. Maybe it was the "love" story that threw me off: the one that started with Rocky stalking Adrienne, gaslighting her into coming into his apartment, and then forcing a kiss that winds up with them on the floor, which I supposed was supposed to be romantic, but was actually pretty scary. But, like so many old movie love stories, sexual assault makes a girl fall in love with a guy because aggression is so attractive. It's made me think a lot about how guys are taught scary and creepy behavior in all kinds of ways. Anyways, I didn't dislike the movie overall, I just don't think it holds up compared to so many other Academy Award winners.
3 - Annie Hall (1977)
2/8/18
Nope. Hated it. An early manic pixie dream girl film clearly written by a self-obsessed dude. Like, in real life, all of those beautiful women would not be falling all over a mediocre comedian. Dream on. Sure, once Woody Allen had money, he could pull beautiful women, but in this film, it just says he is a comedian who was on Johnny Carson a few times. But he's so obnoxious, so needy, so particular, that no quality woman would ever put up with that shit. I do not at all understand why this film won best picture. And it won over Star Wars? And Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Just gross and I plan to never watch another Woody Allen film in my life.
