Thursday Movie Picks-Gaslighting

 

I think we have all been gaslighted at one point in our lives and, if you haven't been...you're lucky. Wandering Through The Shelves picked another winner and one that, I know is popular in the movies, but my brain went numb. Of course, the first film that came into my head was Gaslight (1944) with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer but I already spoke about this film last year and I have not seen the original British film starring Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard (1940). On came my thinking cap and a few small sparks flew out so this is what I came up with...

1. WITNESS TO MURDER-1954

I watched this film just last year because of the 2 stars whom I adore-Barbara Stanwyck and George Sanders. Barbara is in her apartment when she looks across the way and sees a man kill a woman. Frantic, she contacts the police who go to the scene of the killing except no one is there except debonair George Sanders who conveys complete innocence while laying blame on Stanwyck that she is cuckoo for coco puffs. It comes to pass that even Stanwyck feels she is losing grasp but is she? The police don't believe her and she does not seem quite credible. This movie is good, not great, but good especially Sanders who always excels especially the diabolical characters. To me, the problem is the wonderful Stanwyck who just seems to strong a person to convey a wispy, unsure of herself woman doubting her own sanity. Bergman excels in this and Joan Fontaine is good in this type of role too but Stanwyck could pussywhip poor George into submission on a bad day. I would say to see it for sure but it is not the best work she has done. Oh and the ending part made my eyes roll into the back of my head because George is more than just what he is. 

2. OVERBOARD-1987

Predictable, sweet, fun...This is the movie that fits even though many of the characters are not that nice...at first and some would end up in prison but this is just a nice comedy. It stars the dynamic duo of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell who have actually been together for over 40 years now. Every once in a while, they make a movie and this is one of them. She plays an over the top spoiled rich bitch who fires the carpenter's ass, played by Russell, when he tells her what he thinks of her. That night, she falls overboard (it all took place on her yacht), hits her head and wakes up with amnesia. Her husband decides to be rid of her so he can whore around and spend her money. The carpenter see this as payback and tells her that she is his wife and brings her back to his swamp of a home. To say it is disgusting is an understatement which includes his 3 sons who are all in on the scam. He makes fun of her every chance he can get with her none the wiser but, big surprise, he starts falling for her and she helps him realize his dream. It's a nice comedy that makes you smile even though I would never go with a man after doing that to me. 

3. THE CHANGELING-2008

This is a film produced, directed and scored by Clint Eastwood based on the real life events of Christine Collins and the Wineville Chicken coop murders(1928). Angelina Jolie plays Christine who comes home one day to find her son missing. She contacts the police who, initially try to help her but, due to the media and pressure to find the boy plus other children who have gone missing, they get a boy to pretend he is her son. When she states it is not her son, the police and government state she must be hysterical and delusional. She takes this boy in but does not give up on the police finding her actual son. The police end up sending her to a mental asylum, which they could do back in the day. This film seems a bit long, from what I remember, but that is not a major issue. It is upsetting what happened to Christine and how she was treated and Jolie manages this quite well. She acted this role quite well and deserves more meatier parts than what she has been getting as of late. It is worth a look for sure.

Which films would you choose?