Three recent film favorites

let’s go to the cinema!

Some of my recent film favorites

Over the past year I have fallen in love with old films. It’s really the visual aesthetics, costumes, and settings that drive me to watch films. The story is important too, of course. I love charm, wit, whimsy, and enchantment. Through watching old movies, I’ve reinvigorated my love for history. I need to know exactly what year a movie was made and released so I can study their slice of life. When did rotary phone make their way off the wall? What did women wear to bed? How did they flick their eyeliner in the 1930s vs the 1960s? I just love these tiny details and nuances you can only get with full accuracy from a film made in that era.

My number one favorite aspect is fashion. It’s no surprise that I love clothing. I used to think my favorite fashion era was the 50s, with the fit and flare dresses, boat necks, and wiggle dresses. I then became obsessed with the 60s, admiring color blocked Gogo dresses, boots, and headbands. More recently, I realized that 30s fashion is what I’m drawn to. Long silk dresses, feminine silhouettes, lace. The elegance, mystique, and sparkle of the 30s is my current obsession.

I have three films I want to highlight. They check all of my boxes: setting, wardrobe, story, cohesive whimsical aesthetic.

It Happened One Night - 1934

The “first” rom-com! It Happened One Night was a film on the list of Nora Ephron’s favorites. I was drawn to the movie poster and the fact that before this one, I hadn’t really watched a film from the 30s.

I can absolutely see why Nora Ephron drew inspiration from this story. The characters are witty and fresh with excellent dialogue. I always knew Clark Gable’s name but never knew anything more. I loved him in this film! His character was likable and cheeky, and reminded me of Joe Fox from You’ve Got Mail. On the other hand, Claudette Colbert (Ellie Andrews) had an enchantment similar to Kathleen Kelly.

I LOVED seeing the outfits in this one. What a treat to be able to see what types of clothing they sported in 1934. Ellie with her collared striped sweater, midi skirt, and delicate pumps. And, of course, her pantyhose.

Although this film was in black and white, I felt the world in color with the storytelling and charm.

PS- Claudette Colbert looks so much like Maude Apatow it was overwhelming me

Purple Noon - 1960

What a story. Purple Noon was an absolute thrill from start to finish. I went into this film blind, not knowing any of the themes or story outline. All I knew was one of my old Hollywood celebrity crushes was in it (Alain Delon).

My favorite aspect of this one was the story, but a close second favorite aspect were the visuals. WOW. I absolutely loved seeing the setting, luxury in a seaside town, and mystery on a boat in the sea.

Another favorite aspect? Marge’s STYLE. I drew so much inspiration from her outfits, and I kind of want to curate my upcoming Honeymoon outfits around them. She had a stunning gingham midi dress, red striped French top, and a white shirt-dress. The whole wardrobe was to die for. Simple yet classy and somewhat timeless.

The Apartment - 1960

This was a cheeky one. I didn’t love the premise necessarily, but I liked the romance. I also LOVED the main actress in this film, I thought she was so compelling.

It was astonishing how close these stories were to the show Mad Men. Now that I am watching Mad Men, I realize this. Same era, setting, infidelity…

This is another one of Nora Ephron’s favorite films, which is why I wanted to give it a watch! I can see what she was inspired by, since the main female character was extremely charming and witty. The writing stuck out to me in that way as well.

Honestly, I don’t really know why this one was such a favorite, but I think it was well-paced, I loved the setting, and I enjoyed watching the story unfold with the two main characters.