Movie #353 - Lady Jane

Lady Jane
1986 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 22 min
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes, John Wood, Patrick Stewart

Be still my heart... but does it get any better than the love story portrayed here by Carter and Elwes? They're both so young and adorable, and the chemistry between them, from their first tiff to their final goodbye, just oozes from the TV. For real.

Based on the true story of Lady Jane Grey--the pawn in her family's plot to take the throne of England from Henry VIII's daughter Mary (later Bloody Mary for her rampant executions of the Protestants)--Lady Jane is one of my very favorite movies.  Historically, it's almost perfectly accurate, which is saying a lot. That's not often the case with these historical bio-pics.  Although the love between the heroine and her hero might be a teensy bit exaggerated, it makes for a compelling story for sure.

This movie makes me cry every time, after all these years. And it probably will for the rest of my life.  It's so tragically sad, what happens to these young kids, and none of it's their fault. It speaks to the times, the high cost of political anarchy, and the heartbreaking result of overcontrolling parents.

And all they wanted was a real shilling.

Movie #350 - L.A. Story

L.A. Story
1991 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Mick Jackson
Starring: Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, Richard E. Grant, Marilu Henner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Pollak, Patrick Stewart, Iman

I love this movie, I really do.  It's got all the trademark wit of a Steve Martin-penned comedy (better than Shop Girl, that's for sure) and tells the "real" truth about late 80s / early 90s Hollywood.  From trendy twists of lemon to Marilu Henner's outrageous jewelry "points" system, Martin shows us his satirical side.  Good stuff, all around.

So the talking signboard is a bit weird, but for some reason, it's just handled as fact.  Martin's character doubts it at first, as anyone would, but once it proves itself, he starts listening.  And it's never explained, which I think does this movie a great favor.  To do so would belittle the "fairytale" of this love story.

And who doesn't want to rollerskate through an art museum?

Watch this one and laugh--both at the outdated technology (it's 1991, for crying out loud) and the witty reparte that Martin writes so well.

Movie #129 - Conspiracy Theory

Conspiracy Theory
Warner Bros
1997 - Rated R - 2 hr 15 min
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Patrick Stewart

Okay, so I'd never seen this movie before, but heard good things from Mike.  After watching this classic 90's "thriller" I have a few things to say:

1. Patrick Stewart as a bad guy isn't my cup of tea. Especially when he's getting his nose bitten off.
2. Mel Gibson is a wacko in this movie. Did he have any idea he was practicing for his own life, 12 years later?
3. Oh, Julia Roberts is in this? As a generic, lady-cop? Oh wow.
4. There's actually a conspiracy theory? And Mel Gibson's not really crazy, he's just been messed with by secret agent Patrick Stewart and friends? Bummer!

It's not a horrible movie, but it drags in the middle and bored me a bit. Ugh... I really wanted to love this as much as everyone said I would, but I couldn't take it seriously.  Maybe too much time has passed.

Movie #108 - A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol
TNT
1999 (TV) - 1 hr 35 min
Director: David Hugh Jones
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey

Right in time for Christmas, this movie popped up in the queue (yes, my reviews are taking longer than my movie-watching, ironic isn't it?)

And this is my favorite version and my very favorite Scrooge, so hooray!  Michael Caine's pretty good in the Muppet version, which we watched on Christmas Eve (but doesn't come up in this list until M) but I love Patrick Stewart, as does any true Trekkie. Or fan of bald men.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard aside, this version is also the most true to the text (that I know of).  So it may not have Muppets or 3D like Jim Carrey's version, but it remains a staple of my holiday movie-watching every year.