Pride and Prejudice (2005)

 Pros: I can't believe this film is eighteen years old. Okay, rant over. I find the movie better than the mini series (save for Mr. Darcy). Keira Knightley never disappoints in a costume drama and she embodies the incomparable Lizzie Bennet. She does have excellent support. Sure, the plot is complicated and yes, at the end of the day, rather trivial, but at the same time, it is vital and relevant today. Women needed to marry in order to secure a future, and while money was taken into consideration, true feelings, love and personality are also important. Here, Lizzie falls in love with Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFayden) and he falls in love with her despite it being against his better judgment, largely because her mother (Brenda Blethyn) is a pill but then he grovels and fixes his mistakes (though one wasn't really his mistake) and she comes around, even though he still probably isn't totally worthy of her. Still, everyone ends up happy, at least for now, as there is no way the Wickhams (Jena Malone and Rupert Friend) will remain so, but Jane (Rosamund Pike) and Lizzie are, so I'm happy.

Cons: Despite his solid performance, MacFayden just isn't as hot as the miniseries's Colin Firth. And yes, there are a lot of characters, probably too many for a two hour film, though the script is strong and does a good job with all of them, giving the vast majority of them solid personalities, save poor Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakely). She is the spinster in the film and in her personality.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The supporting cast is brilliant, including Carey Mulligan, Donald Sutherland, Simon Woods, Kelly Reilly, Talulah Riley, Penelope Wilton and Judi Dench. 

-I did like some of the details the film included such as how the girls didn't have a governess, Mr. Bennet's actual opinion of Lydia, and all the animals around.

-The scene after Lizzie refuses Mr. Collins's (Tom Hollander's) proposal remains one of the best in the film.

-The time period over which the film occurs remains unclear.

-I do hope the characters have found their happiness, as the Bennet sisters deserve it. 

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

 Pros: A rare intense where the sequel is better than the original. There is actually a (mostly) solid plot and a diverse cast though still most of the main characters remain white men, but I suppose you can't have such a dislikable character as Hangman (Glen Powell) be a minority though he finally has a come-to-Jesus moment in the end, thank goodness. The special effects remain top-notch and the soundtrack is likewise brilliant. This film was far more enjoyable than the original; it also had the benefit of not being dated.

Cons: Okay, it was way too easy for Maverick (another solid performance from Tom Cruise) and Rooster (Miles Teller) to steal the enemy's plane, I mean, come on. And I wish the love story thread between Maverick and Penny (Jennifer Connelly) would have had a more solid ending. Also, Charlie (Kelly McGillis) wasn't even mentioned, which was also ridiculous. We learned what happened to Carole, Charlie deserved the same closure. Also, while this film was great, it didn't deserve an Oscar nomination for Best Picture (but Elvis didn't either).

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The outstanding supporting cast includes Charles Parnell, Ed Harris (in just a few scenes), Jon Hamm, Jay Ellis, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Greg Tarzan Davis and Bashir Salahuddin. 

-Most of the characters aren't lucky enough to get first names; they are only called by their call names.

-Penny has some interesting rules in the bar, which are done to good effect.

-Teller has a good piano playing scene.

-While the mission is a little far-fetched, it is done to good effect. I suspect the mission occurs in North Korea, with all the snow around. 

-Ryan Gosling was robbed; he should have been nominate for an Oscar. Michelle Williams was and it was fully deserved.

Top Gun (1986)

 Pros: The flight scenes are truly spectacular and certainly a highlight of this film, though the soundtrack (despite using a few songs over again) is also solid, if campy. Tom Cruise continued his 80s hot streak with this film and gives a solid performance despite having minimal quality material to work with. While the plot might be slightly trite and overwrought, it still manages to be interesting.

Cons: Despite the solid performances, the cast is just far too many white guys and it does get a bit confusing trying to keep track of everyone. And the dialogue seems canned in places; still, overall the film is largely enjoyable.

Recommend: Maybe, a solid popcorn sort of film

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-While Kelly McGillis gets the guy, I found Meg Ryan to be better in the smaller role of Carole, Goose's (Anthony Edwards's wife). She makes the most of her limited screen time and would go on to have bigger and better roles in better films.

-Maverick's (Cruise's) real name is Pete Mitchell, though its only mentioned about three times in the film.

-Tim Robbins has a very small role but I couldn't pick him out of the crowd.

-Val Kilmer does well with his role of enemy to friend.

-The advice Tom Skerritt gives Maverick after Goose's tragic death is poor as Goose (and any friend) should never be forgotten.

 

Sophie's Choice (1982)

 Pros: Meryl Streep delivers a brilliant performance as Holocaust survivor, Sophie. She's starting to live again in America, dating the charming Nathan (Kevin Kline) and befriending the fledging writer, Stingo (Peter MacNichol), but her past is never far behind, continuing to haunt her every second of every day. She fully deserved her Oscar for her astounding performance. Her accent is authentic and the mechanics of the film are great, including the numbers seemingly lifted directly from a Charlie Chaplin film.

Cons: Despite the brilliance of her performance, I found the film to be well, flat. Nathan is mentally ill which explains his bizarre mood swings and why he's convinced that Sophie is cheating on him. While that was a horrible plot twist, the far bigger one is that Sophie's past is quite different than anticipated. Her father was rounded up by mistake as was her never-on-screen husband. She's arrested for having a lover working for the resistance but her children, while they mean everything aren't even mentioned until she refuses to help the resistance as she doesn't want to endanger them. The climax scene is toward the very end and while dramatic and tragic, it is only one scene with Sophie barely having time to think about which child to save. However, she does make several other choices throughout the course of the film, including the one at the very end when she picks Nathan over Stingo. 

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-We never find out what happened to Sophie's son. We can only hope he survived.

-We don't know how Sophie was liberated (though history tells us it was the Russian troops) nor, more importantly, how she got to America.

-Sophie's job in America is also unclear though it appears she's some sort of Professor's assistant.

-Who knows where Stingo gets his money to afford the room in the boarding house but more importantly, we never learn his real name.