In honor of the Oscars this evening, I will be posting a few of these this week.
Chariots of Fire (1981):
What’s It About?: Three friends from Cambridge (Ben Cross and two other guys) end up in the Olympics with the deeply religious Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), who also happens to be one of the fastest runners in the world. They have their own personal troubles and demons to overcome along the way, while ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…….
How Good Is It?: The cast is good enough, and the directing is okay, pulling out at least a little tension when there should be at least a little tension. And I was pleased with the music, specifically the beautifully pulsating Vangelis tune as well as a little Gilbert & Sullivan. But this film is pretty dull. Maybe its because it’s set in England and I’d rather root for the States. Maybe its because at its heart, it’s about people who really just want to run. Or maybe its because the film feels like Merchant-Ivory’s version of the generic sports flick. Whatever the case, it’s not bad movie, but its less interesting than, well, any other Best Picture in a long time.
Was it Best Picture?: Nope. Want entertainment? Then try Raiders of the Lost Ark. Want epic filmmaking? Try Reds. In the mood for something deeply moving? On Golden Pond or Atlantic City may be the film for you*. Want something fairly generic and dull? Then you were probably in the Academy in 1981.
*I haven’t actually seen any of the competition except Raiders. If I’m wrong about any of them, I apologize.
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