Screening Log
This new site feature is a collective effort to summarize our viewing habits. Occasionally, you will find titles here that are coming to a theater near you, in addition to films viewed on television, and even films viewed in piecemeal. The screening log is archived each month; to view past entries select a month in the menu below.
April 2007 activity
Total Log Entries: 50
- Adam (6)
- Chet (0)
- Chiranjit (6)
- Cullen (0)
- David (0)
- Eva (0)
- Evan (0)
- Ian (6)
- Jenny (0)
- Katherine (0)
- Leo (7)
- Megan (0)
- Rumsey (8)
- Teddy (0)
- Thomas (0)
- Victoria (0)
Total Comments: 20
- Grindhouse (0)
- Spider-Man 2.1 (0)
- The Shop Around the Corner (0)
- Chimes At Midnight (3)
- Heavy Weights (0)
- The Bothersome Man (3)
- Blood Diamond (0)
- Starter For Ten (0)
- Ace In The Hole (0)
- Flushed Away (0)
- Sunshine (2)
- Local Hero (0)
- Children Of Men (0)
- The Science of Sleep (0)
- La Kermesse Heroique (0)
- House By The River (0)
- Seraphim Falls (0)
- Eagle vs Shark (0)
- Manhattan (0)
- Year of the Dog (0)
- Kaw (0)
- Grindhouse (2)
- The Philadelphia Story (0)
- Bringing Up Baby (0)
- Purple Rain (2)
- Krapp’s Last Tape (0)
- Hot Fuzz (0)
- The Namesake (0)
- Dial M For Murder (0)
- Sunshine (4)
- Zodiac (1)
- Fast Food Nation (0)
- Labyrinth (0)
- The Second Circle (0)
- Cursed (0)
- The Wind That Shakes the Barley (0)
- The Awful Truth (0)
- Hot Fuzz (1)
- Children of Men (0)
- Stalker (0)
- Advise and Consent (1)
- Gates of Heaven (0)
- The Ox-Bow Incident (0)
- Shoah (0)
- The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (0)
- Piranha (0)
- The Namesake (0)
- Rushmore (1)
- Blades of Glory (0)
- Black (0)
Full Archive
The Shop Around the Corner / USA / 1940
I might be alone on this one, but this film always reminds me of how poor casting can work against a decent script. Of all the couples that Lubitsch has cast, I’ve never really been entirely convinced of the potential attraction between Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart, even though the script that was mashed together by various writers creates a scenario that implies that Klara and Alfred were destined to find one another despite their initial repulsion. Perhaps it has something to do with the strange cadence and timbre that Sullavan applies to her lines that annoy me to no end, or the fact that Stewart has always been paired with women wildly out of his league in other films, but I find myself actively rooting against this couple even though I remain amused at their romantic ineptitude.
One remarkable aspect of the film is that most of the events occur over the course of a few days (though some time may have passed in between), with dramatic changes in the dynamics of relationships occurring within hours. While that’s a characteristic that is shared by a number of older Hollywood films, it almost feels like such a trait would be viewed as a weakness (or worse, as a gimmick) within any contemporary film.
Still, the script feels incredibly plausible despite its contrived scenario and allows ample amounts of time for the charming supporting characters to divert our attention away from some clumsy lines — including the final moments of the film — while also serving to highlight the film’s concerns with commerce and companionship. It’s tempting to state that the filmmakers sculpt the film to stress the concept that commerce serves as an obstacle to love, but the film remains fairly neutral, considering the shop also allows for a strong connection between its workers, even providing a few employees with their only means of friendship. Whether or not that’s a dismal comment on the dynamics created by capitalism is probably left to the perspective of the viewer.
I’m also always astonished that the film that served as source material for You’ve Got Mail includes a suicide scene.
by Chiranjit Goswami | Source: Warner Brothers DVD
30 Apr 2007 5:13 PM | Submit Comment
