#30-26 Richard Gere is my Rollerskatin' bodyguard!

30. My Bodyguard
This movie offers more than just seeing Adam Baldwin (Serenity, Chuck) in his very first role, and Matt Dillon in one of his earliest films. It's a really well written story with plenty of 80s teens to laugh at.
The story focuses on a young man who moves to a new school and won't lie down for the current school bully. Although too little to do much on his own, he hires another student that most everyone is afraid of as his own bodyguard. The bodyguard has a troubled past and no friends. So naturally they begin to hit it off.
While the film is categorized as a drama it is a really light drama with quite a bit of comedy.
Awards:
Nominated for a WGA Award for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen.
I have to agree that the writing was really well done. It lost the award to Melvin and Howard, which I have yet to see.
Verdict: 4 stars
I originally thought this would only get 3 stars because I felt most of my enjoyment was just in seeing some of these actors in such an old role. But looking back it was really much more than that.

29. American Gigolo
Sauve or sleaze?
A young Richard Gere plays a gigolo the ladies just can't get enough of. Then he falls in love and gets set up for murder all at the same time. A bit convenient eh?
I was actually surprised by this one, though. The story stayed interesting throughout with the whole murder set up storyline.
The cheese factor is high with this one, and almost all of it falls on Gere. But I must say the man can act, which helps keep this somewhat believable, and at the least intriguing.
Awards: Nominated for 2 golden globes
Best Original Score - Giorgio Moroder
Best Original Song - Blondie (Deborah Harry) for Call Me
I really didn't really feel much eight with the overall score of the film, but the hit song by Blondie would have been impossible to ignore.
Verdict: 3 stars

28. Xanadu
Poor Gene Kelly.
As his last feature film, all copies of this one should be destroyed.
It took me five days to get through this. But, I didn't give up, and that's really too bad. But I think I can officially declare this the worst musical I have ever seen. That may or may not be related to the fact that there were more scenes taking place on roller skates than any other film EVER. And no, I don't know that for a fact, but feel free to try and prove me wrong, I think you will find it is quite difficult.
Olivia Newton-John plays a muse who is sent through a graffiti'd wall to help some poor painter open a club with Kelly.
Everything about this film screams disco ridiculousness.
Awards:
Nominated for 6 Razzies with 1 win.
I can't believe this only won one razzie. I think it should have sweeped Also nominated for worst musical from past 25 years in 2005. Although I can see how it failed to win, it was up against some big films: Glitter, Justin to Kelly, Spiceworld...
Verdict: 1 star

27. Raging Bull
A lot of this movie made me feel disjointed and uncomfortable.
My mind pounded on a major flaw in the idea that I was supposed to feel sympathy for this tortured boxer, and I didn't.
I stopped watching the movie about half-way and restarted it a few days later. Then it started to click.
I wasn't supposed to feel sympathy for him. I was supposed to be sucked into his neuroticisms, and that's probably why I was feeling so uncomfortable. It's just too well done.
Unlike watching Pacino in Cruising and the whole time my mind keeps saying, hey, that's Pacino. De Niro in Raging Bull is Jake Lamotta. After the first few scenes you really forget who you're watching. Maybe it's the fake nose that helps. The same can't be said for Joe Pesci, but that's probably more because they call him Joey, and not his acting to blame.
The boxing scenes are brutal to watch, not because of blood, but because of the emotions. De Niro's character seems to let everything in him build up until he gets in the ring and then lets it all out. Whether it's him serving the punishment, or taking it.
The scenes are brilliantly filmed, but never in a way where you feel the look of the scene was more important than the story it was telling.
I'm actually really glad I stopped watching this one and went back to it. If I hadn't I probably would have missed the great use of sound. To me, if the sound is done well, you don't really notice. but on my second viewing I was able to start picking up on some of this. Whether it was the use of music that would seem inappropriate for almost any other boxing scene, Or the sound effects used to heighten the emotion of a scene, it all added to the total experience.
Awards: Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, winning 2.
Won Best actor in Leading role for De Niro. - Agreed
Won Best Film editing for the work of Thelma Schoonaker. -Agreed
Lost Best Picture to Ordinary People.
I haven't yet seen Ordinary People, but I find it hard to believe the Academy would still vote this way looking back.
Verdict: 4.5 stars
I know, I know. After such a positive review how could I not give it 5? I still don't like how it made me feel. I don't think I could sit through the entire thing again. I'm not saying it isn't a perfect example of how film should be made. It's just not a perfect film for me.

26. Bronco Billy
The movies I find the hardest to write about are ones like this. There wasn't anything too terrible about it, yet nothing that would ever make me watch it again.
In this on Clint Eastwood directs himself as Bronco Billy. A cowboy trying to keep his wild west show alive with barely an audience.
A rich daddy's girl gets left in a hotel with no car and Bronco Billy is there to haul her around with his show.
The storyline is nothing fascinating, but interesting enough to keep me watching.
Clint does a good job playing somewhat of a satire of himself I feel.
Verdict: 2 stars