Marion Cotillard

Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose
Photo curtsy of http://marion-cotillard.org/media/displayimage.php?album=165&pid=20801#top_display_media

Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose
Photo curtsy of http://marion-cotillard.org/media/displayimage.php?album=165&pid=21500#top_display_media

Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose
Photo curtsy of http://marion-cotillard.org/media/displayimage.php?album=165&pid=21075#top_display_media

Joyeux Anniversaire Marion Cotillard!  That's french for "happy birthday Marion Cotillard."  Today is her 36^th  birthday.  To celebrate, I chose to watch the movie that brought her home the Oscar, La Vie en Rose.  It is about the life and death of Edith Piaf, a French singer.  I'm sure everyone has heard her most famous song, but didn't know it at the time.  If you have seen Inception, then you know her song.  It is the song they use to let you know the "kick" is coming.  And for those of you who haven't seen Inception or don't believe me that you have heard her song, here is a great youtube of Edith singing her most well known songs "Non, je ne regrette rien" and "La vie en Rose."


Now on with the movie.  Marion Cotillard's Oscar was well deserved.  She did an amazing job.  I could really feel her pain and love with Marcel.  I had tears in my eyes during the watch scene (I don't want to give to much of this scene away but it is a heart breaking scene).  Then the tears came again during the drawn out, yet tasteful, death scene.  Cotillard's transformation between the decades of Edith is so well done (see pictures above).  I don't know if I should credit the makeup team for the physical transformation or Cotillard for her wonderful portrayal as Edith.  Brava to both.  And with that, I raise my lighter to light the candles on Marion's birthday cake.

I give this movie 4 cakes out of 5.  It would have been a higher rating if it wasn't for all the jumping around.  It was a little difficult to follow on top of keeping up with the subtitles.    

Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney (left) and Art Aragon in Off Limits
Photo courtesy of http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=78351&start=34100 

Happy 91^st birthday to Mickey Rooney.  I love me some Mickey Rooney.  I just want to go pinch his chubby little cheeks.

Everyone knows Rooney from his movies with Judy Garland and the Andrew Hardy films, and those are all great don't get me wrong, but I wanted to see just how great his comedy really was, so I picked the movie  Off Limits.  I felt that this movie would really put his comedic talents to the test because he is starring with one of the comedy greats, Bob Hope.

On with the movie.  I guess I should have known that you can't have a Mickey Rooney movie without some kind of singing.  This one is no exception.  He and Hope sang an interesting song about being a MP.  Other than on the singing front, Rooney can't keep up with Hope.  I don't know if it is just the writing or if it's the acting, but Rooney and Hope aren't in the same league of comedy.
And with that, I raise my lighter to light the candles on Mickey's birthday cake. 

I give this movie 2 cakes out of 5.

Lauren Bacall

From left to right: Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable on the set of How to Marry a Millionaire
Photo courtesy of classic movie scan's photostream on http://www.flickr.com/photos/slightlyterrific/5190333781/ 

A very, very, very happy 87^th birthday to the legendary Lauren Bacall.  Yes, she is still alive and kickin' (knock on wood).  Now you might be thinking to yourself, "Great... An old dramatic/film noir movie...  Just what I want."  If you thought that, then you thought WRONG!  I chose to watch How to Marry a Millionaire from 1953, and it is a comedy about gold diggers before that phrase actually existed.  I just have to say before we go any further, that if my birth name was Betty Perske, I would totally change it.  Good move on Lauren's part.

Now on with the movie!  I've seen some Bacall movies before, but they were always the Bogart/Bacall movies.  They were full of mystery and drama, so needless to say, I've never really seen the comedic side of her.  And I guess I am going to have to wait a little longer to see the comedic side...
This movie also stars Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe leaving Bacall as kind of the "Debbie downer" of the group.  Although she is credited as the "brains" of the group, her comedic timing and delivery leaves something to be desired.  Granted Bacall does have some zingers and some well delivered lines.
I found Bacall being upstaged by Monroe every time they shared the screen, or just anytime in general.  Bacall was sort of the odd ball in this cast.  I wouldn't mind having a discussion with the casting director of this movie and ask them why they cast her in this movie.

Well even though she got upstaged in this movie, and her comedic timing in this movie was nonexistent I still say she did okay in this movie.  And with that, I raise my lighter to light the candles on Lauren's birthday cake.

I give this movie 2 ½ cakes out of 5.  If it wasn't for Marilyn, this movie would have easily been 2 cakes.

Julia Sawalha

Julia Sawalha and her character Ginger from Chicken Run
Photo courtesy of http://www.allstarpics.net/0031718/014494379/chicken-run-pic.html 

A very happy 43^rd birthday to Julia Sawalha!  You might be thinking to yourself, who?  Well I did the same thing, until I saw her most famous movie, Chicken Run.  This movie is from 2000 and from the same guys who did Wallace and Gromit, so you know it is going to be good.  I love me some British movies and this one is no exception.  Julia chose the perfect movie to do a voice in!  She delivered her lines wonderfully, and her banter with Mel Gibson and the other chickens is great.  I don't think I can say anything bad about her performance.  She played a heroine magnificently.  I found myself really hoping her escape plans would work.  Well played Julia.  And with that, I raise my lighter to light the candles on Julia's birthday cake.


I give this movie 3 ½ cakes out of 5.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek in 54
Photo courtesy of http://www.salma-hayek.net/photos/displayimage.php?pos=-54

A very happy 45^th birthday to Salma Heyek!  My question is, what made her want to do 54?  Is it just because she wanted to sing and “dance” in a movie?  If that’s the case, I guess she picked the right movie for that…  Her “dance” scene was my favorite scene in the movie.  She was trying to teach disco to some lame kids who wanted to dance if they ever got into Studio 54.  I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that that never happened for them…  She can do some comedy, which I had no idea.  And I also had no idea that she could sing!  The only problem was, with her having an opera singer for a mother, you would think that she could sing a little better…  Granted in the movie we only heard her sing for a little while.  I mean she was good, don’t get me wrong, but lets just say she isn’t going to win American Idol any time soon… And with that, I raise my lighter to light the candles on Salma’s birthday cake.

 And for those of you bold enough to watch this movie for yourselves or are just curious about what it was about, it was the rise and fall of a young employee of Studio 54 who was our narrator.  This film was rated R for sex and drug use.

I give it 1½ cakes out of 5.