This morning, I went on The Sam Steen Show on Today Radio to give three more film recommendations for the weekend. The week’s are Laura, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Daytrippers. I first saw Laura in my Film Noir class and I instantly fell in love. Writing this article was my first time revisiting it since, and it was just as enjoyable the second time around. Like most of the family friendly films I recommend, My Neighbor Totoro has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. And the final film I’m recommending, is the little indie-comedy The Daytrippers. It is quirky, cute, and kind of sad at moments, but overall a very comforting film. I hope you enjoy!
Laura (Preminger, 1944, US)I have restrained thus far from incorporating a true film noir (although there is an argument to be made that The Night of the Hunter is a shade of film noir), mostly because I have a difficult time stopping talking about the genre once I begin. But I simply couldn’t hold out any longer, so please bear with me.
Film noir, despite the French name, is a uniquely American genre. During Nazi occupation of France, French film critics did not have access to American films, but after France was liberated, there was a sudden rush of American cinema flooding into France. Critics noticed a change in American cinema almost immediately - it was darker, grittier, more paranoid, and distrusting than ever before, often centering around a male lead sucked into the criminal underworld.
This was a marked change from the melodramas and musicals produced in the 1930s. Essentially, film noir was a reaction to the first part of the 20th century. Americans were disillusioned by both World Wars and the Great Depression. Now that I have repeated one half of the introductory lecture from my Film Noir seminar we are ready to get to Laura.
Laura, an early Otto Preminger film, is in a lot of ways a by the book film noir. The movie follows a twisting investigation in which everyone we encounter is a suspect for the murder of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney). Detective McPherson (Dana Andrews) is the gruff, fast-talking, hard-boiled detective. Despite his cool personality, he finds himself inexplicably falling in love with a portrait of Laura in her apartment. However, the film breaks the mold of the traditional film noir in a few key ways. Without spoiling anything, there are some interesting gender dynamics at play that are different from the typical femme fatale.
Hooked? You can even watch it for free here on the Internet Archive.
My Neighbor Totoro (Miyazaki, 1988, Japan)Chances are My Neighbor Totoro does not need my recommendation. Studio Ghibli has long been iconic, and My Neighbor Totoro might be its crowning jewel. However, on the off chance you have missed it, I’m here to provide some information.
The film follows two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, after they move to the countryside with their father to be closer to their sick mother who’s in the hospital. When they arrive, they begin to encounter friendly woodland spirits and creatures. It is a slice-of-life as the girls deal with their mother’s illness.
Like all Studio Ghibli films, it is lush and beautiful to watch. My Neighbor Totoro has strong family and environmentalist themes. You can watch it on Netflix, or on the Internet Archive. There are multiple different versions floating around the internet, including multiple English dubs. The Netflix one is available in English dubbing and - for those who prefer the original voices - in the original Japanese version (with English subs).
I often think that film is not the right medium for comedy simply because its over too fast and comedy films often try too hard to balance emotional sentiment - much to their faults. Daytrippers, however, does so perfectly. Eliza (Hope Davis) discovers a love letter written to her husband (Stanley Tucci) one morning after he heads off to work. She gathers up her family to follow him and gather clues about his alleged affair.
This was the directorial debut of Greg Molotta who later went on to direct films like Super Bad and Adventureland. Made on a super low budget in the streets of New York, The Daytrippers is sure to be a very chill and enjoyable watch.
It is available on the Criterion Channel. It will also be available on Max when it arrives in Europe.
If you need any more information about those films, listen back to my whole conversation with Sam Steen on RTL Play, or via the player below.
Our intern Flora is something of a film buff and she’s got 3 films that you should check out this weekend!
