Arthur

Arthur was a big hit in 1981.  It was nominated for four Oscars and won two.  The Listener in February of 1982 carries a two star review of the film, and I’m with The Listener; two out of five seems about right.  The most astonishing thing about this movie for me is that John Gielgud won an Oscar for best supporting actor.

I think the film can best be summarised this way.

A well-dressed, hunky man,

who is sober and sensible,

and likes well-dressed, sophisticated women

almost marries a crazy weirdo

but eventually ends up with the woman of his dreams instead.

The Listener reviewer describes Liza in the scene above this way: “When Linda comes to Arthur’s engagement party… she’s wearing pink ruffled silk and her sleekly groomed black head sits above it like a bumble bee on a hibiscus.”

Maybe.

Personally I found it hard to decide which out of two cheeky little numbers was my favourite fashion masterstroke in this movie.  In the end I decided that the father of the bride’s party jacket comes in second,

to Liza’s splendid opening ensemble.

Hello the 1980s.  In the 80s we said YES to colour (unless we were an extra in a movie and then we said, “dress me in your drabbest grey”).

I didn’t like Arthur.  The first ten minutes were hard to watch because the lead character made bad jokes, laughed his head off, and was drunk.  It was a bit like being with a drunk who made bad jokes and laughed his head off.  Maybe this is a great movie to watch when you’re drunk.  Maybe it works like parties.  All the drunks enjoy it; all the sober people get tight smiles, and mentally judge people.

John Gielgud was fairly good.  I imagine he greeted his Oscar with bemusement.  The title song also won an Oscar and is pretty famous.

When you get caught between the moon and New York City
I know it’s crazy but it’s true
If you get caught between the moon and New York City
The best that you can do (the best that you can do)
The best that you can do is fall in love

When you get caught between the moon and New York City?  Isn’t that everyone in New York?  Why is this bad?  What’s the worst you could do?  A hate crime?  Probably.  Hate crimes are bad.  I’ll admit it doesn’t scan as well to sing:

If you get caught between the moon and New York City

The worst that you can do

The worst that you can do is assault a handicapped person.

Has impact though.

Arthur did have its moments.  Well, a moment.  I laughed out loud once, and it was a big laugh.

 

Well, not that big.

Tootsie

I remembered Tootsie being on TV a lot when I was a kid and loving it, so I was hesitant to get it out again for my 1982 research (it got an Oscar for best supporting actress in 1982, and was nominated for a ton of others).  Tootsie is the second movie we have watched that was around in 1981 and 1982.  The other was An Officer and a Gentleman. After two movies I have this sense that mainstream movies in 1982 were a lot better than they are now.  Much more interest in character and talk.  Currently we are in one of those periods where a lot of people get distracted by a technological advance, but hopefully Tintin and its ilk is seeing the tide turn against digital technology directing films.

Sorry, slipped into rhetoric there.

There is no need for me to explain the plot or admire the performances in Tootsie.  Probably everyone knows that stuff.  Still, it’s interesting to see Bill Murray and Geena Davis in supporting roles.  Bill is Bill.  He’s been hitting those deadpan notes for thirty years and I never get tired of them.  Dustin is great.  He really is an amazing comic actor.  He can also be deadpan as crazy happens around him, or he can babble out of control, or he nail a physical gesture.

Which is me talking about the performances in Tootsie.  Something I said I didn’t need to do.

Two thoughts about Tootsie then.

First off, it’s a very strange movie about feminism.  Actually quite an effective one, because when Tootsie responds to sexism we are able to laugh and get the point.  Which is way better than feeling like we’re being lectured.  I can sense, as I write this, that there are hundreds of academic essays and blog posts about the feminism of Tootsie most of which originated in an enjoyment of the film, but which endless close analysis spoilt.  This is me quickly moving away from such things.

Secondly, (and inevitably), there are some nice 80s touches in the movie.  Signals of things to come.  Because it is very early in the 80s there is a mix of late 70s fashion too, but three shots suffice to show you the 80s hidden in the background of Tootsie.

Pink and grey interiors.  Tootsie is an older woman so she is wearing brown.  Brown was pretty damn popular in the 70s, but pink and grey were 80s.  Jessica Lange likes the scheme so much she is wearing it.  Her apartment has glass shelves and funky knick-knacks.  Hard to say why interior designers suddenly decided glass table tops, and pink with grey defined modernity but they sure went for it.  My issue with glass top tables was that they were made of glass and that meant you could see through them which meant you kind of ended up feeling like you were all sitting around the top of an aquarium for crotches.  Men had to be on guard against awkward pant bagging around the crotch area, women had to keep their legs crossed even when dining, and there was no chance for a quick, discreet underpant adjustment while seated.

Please note the dude on the left.  He’s young, he’s cool, he wears colours that aren’t brown.  In this street scene we see a general fashion trend unfold behind the fantastic walking dialogue.  Middle-aged and old people walking around in lovely brown on brown ensembles with sensible hats, and young people busting out light pinks, and blues, and funky hats, and (frankly) looks that are pretty contemporary seeming in 2012 (check out the black dude on the far right) even down to the tight jeans and trainers or gym shoes.

The very final shot of the movie allows two 80s icons to appear before the screen freezes for the credit roll over.  I give you exhibit A: tight-pant roller skating guy, and exhibit B: ghetto-blaster dude.  Roller-skater guy is a transitional figure from the late 70s into the early 80s.  Ghetto-blaster dude is herald of break dancing, rap and hip hop (and black people in movies).  Also we can note the general all over move to tighter jeans and fitting T-shirts.  None of that floppy, flared crap for the 80s (well except for the peasant look that Jessica is working).