The Birdcage, Stepford Wives, Gosford Park - mini film review

 Over Pride weekend I decided to dive into my history and I watched The Birdcage. Based on the play and film La Cage aux Folles from 1973, The Birdcage is a charming period piece. The style is very much 1990s South Beach - which is where it is set.  Honestly as charming as it is, I am not sure how it would play now - not so much the drag aspects, but some of the characterizations. Specifically the maid is problematic - it was problematic in the original, and I feel it is still problematic now.  

The stage show, especially the musical, focuses on the relationship between the two men - the gay parents. It focuses on the romance between the boy and the girl. The film, on the other hand, spreads the focus between the girl's family - the Keely's and the gay couple, the Goldmans. By spreading the focus, it feels like the film didn't fully trust the material and so they had to show as much of her family and the political aspect as a plot point. It works as a plot point but it also lessens the relationship between Robin Williams and Nathan Lane along with Dan Futterman. While it may all be redeemed at the end, and resolved so nicely - I still feel it could be better. One small joy, of many, is that there is a new song by Sondheim that was written for the movie, or at least given to the movie from his trunk. I'm not sure how often I will rewatch this, but when I need a smile or to lift my mood - this might be the one.

With the recent Supreme Court ruling I needed to lighten my mood and so I also watched The Stepford Wives from 2004. It is difficult to watch because it is all about women being subservient to men. It is a great cast - Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Glen Close, and Christopher Walken. The story is based on a satirical novel by Ira Levin. While the film has a twist at the end, in recent political actions it is still difficult to watch. Give it a shot and enjoy some of the over-the-top performances.

The last movie I watched over Pride weekend was Gosford Park. I remember really liking it in the theatre, and when I rewatched it when it came out on DVD. In watching it through this time, I still liked it quite a bit however it has some of the Robert Altman traits which I found to be distracting. There are so many characters that you are introduced to but no single character to really follow. There is so much story, and narrative that you get a bit overwhelmed. I found at the end of the film I didn't really care about any singular character. Considering it is a murder mystery, that tends to be a bit of a negative in my book.

That being written, the design and feel of the film is amazing. It was written by Julian Fellowes that most of you know also did Downton Abbey. There is a lot about the difference between Upstairs and Downstairs. You really get a sense of the time period, and the relationships between the serving staff, and the gentry. As with the majority of Altman films, the cast is incredible, as are the performances. I just wish there was more of a through-line with a single characters point of view.