The African Queen (1952) directed by John Huston
Being that it's Valentine's Day and all I decided to watch a romance but couldn't bring myself to watch some Nicholas Sparks movie. I think in general romances get a bad rep only because there are so many bad ones out these days. I don't have anything against romance at all, I just don't like bad movies, ha.
The African Queen is a classic romance adventure that has everything going for it, namely its two lead stars and the exotic location that makes the romance and adventure all the more alluring. Humphrey Bogart plays Charlie Allnut, a raggedy ship boat captain, and Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, a righteous missionary do-gooder. As World War I begins, all hell breaks loose in German East Africa where Charlie and Rose escape down river abord his ship The African Queen. Stuck together on the small boat, the odd couple's relationship grows from minor annoyance to deep love. Their love only grows as the journey gets more treacherous as they must navigate the dangerous river and get past those pesky Germans. It is a classic yet simple formula that works thanks to the two leads, a smart and funny screenplay and the African locale. Filmed on location in Uganda and the Congo in Technicolor, the screen pops out with vivid color and textures uncommon in films back then.
I really enjoyed watching the timeless adventure unfold. It can almost be described as a romantic buddy adventure comedy. While this film was made after Bogart's and Hepburn's primes (they both look rather old and tired), they still work their magic in older roles. It goes to show that not every love story has to be about hot young twenty-somethings. Middle age romance can be just as sweet as shirtless models frolicking on the beach. While being shot on location gives the performances and setting a sense of authenticity, there was some noticeable use of hilariously fake models and blue screening during some of the rougher river scenes. In one scene I think the boat is literally a toy model with little wooden figurines in them. Some people hate on older movies because of stuff like this. I actually don't mind at all because it still works to tell the story. In fact, sometimes I think it is rather charming. I know that no matter how realistic an alien may look in a modern film, I know it's all CGI anyways so how is that any more real than the toy boat?
Anyways, a charming little film that both guys and girls can enjoy since it has a little bit of everything, though I suppose it technically is a chick flick.
Grade: A-
Being that it's Valentine's Day and all I decided to watch a romance but couldn't bring myself to watch some Nicholas Sparks movie. I think in general romances get a bad rep only because there are so many bad ones out these days. I don't have anything against romance at all, I just don't like bad movies, ha.
The African Queen is a classic romance adventure that has everything going for it, namely its two lead stars and the exotic location that makes the romance and adventure all the more alluring. Humphrey Bogart plays Charlie Allnut, a raggedy ship boat captain, and Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, a righteous missionary do-gooder. As World War I begins, all hell breaks loose in German East Africa where Charlie and Rose escape down river abord his ship The African Queen. Stuck together on the small boat, the odd couple's relationship grows from minor annoyance to deep love. Their love only grows as the journey gets more treacherous as they must navigate the dangerous river and get past those pesky Germans. It is a classic yet simple formula that works thanks to the two leads, a smart and funny screenplay and the African locale. Filmed on location in Uganda and the Congo in Technicolor, the screen pops out with vivid color and textures uncommon in films back then.
I really enjoyed watching the timeless adventure unfold. It can almost be described as a romantic buddy adventure comedy. While this film was made after Bogart's and Hepburn's primes (they both look rather old and tired), they still work their magic in older roles. It goes to show that not every love story has to be about hot young twenty-somethings. Middle age romance can be just as sweet as shirtless models frolicking on the beach. While being shot on location gives the performances and setting a sense of authenticity, there was some noticeable use of hilariously fake models and blue screening during some of the rougher river scenes. In one scene I think the boat is literally a toy model with little wooden figurines in them. Some people hate on older movies because of stuff like this. I actually don't mind at all because it still works to tell the story. In fact, sometimes I think it is rather charming. I know that no matter how realistic an alien may look in a modern film, I know it's all CGI anyways so how is that any more real than the toy boat?
Anyways, a charming little film that both guys and girls can enjoy since it has a little bit of everything, though I suppose it technically is a chick flick.
Grade: A-
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