Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLIV -- Great Styling

I'm not actually quite sure "styling" is the right word for what I liked about Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry, because styling seems to me (someone not in the industry) to be more about costume design, set design, props, and that sort of stuff.  The beauty of Look & See was more in the camera work.  The film is an homage to American rural life, farming, and history more than it is a portrait of the poet who wrote about those things, though his poems do provide the audio to the beautiful, slow, sun-kissed landscapes.  And those photos are a nice reminder of what an incredibly stunning country it is that we live in, even as the subject of the film is that it's all being ruined by big ag.

I thought the set design of Devil in a Blue Dress was fantastic. It's a classic noir mystery, and when I'm in the right mood I really enjoy such films.  They're often somewhat predictable, the characters are more caricatures than individual people, and the plot leaves a little something to be desired, but they're fun and don't require much brain power.  S, as a consequence, was bored by this; I thought it was fun. 

If you're looking for a bathed-in-the-era love story, try If Beale Street Could Talk.  It's simultaneously sad and uplifting, but through it all is a beautiful portrait of life and love. Two young people fall in love. She gets pregnant.  He's accused of a crime he didn't commit.  But they continue to love each other and their families mostly support them.  It's not all sunshine and roses, but that's the gist of it; it's a beautiful portrait of life.  And, set in 1970s New York, the city as a backdrop is its own beautiful character and the outfits are nothing to sneeze at either.

The casting of The Sting is excellent, led by Robert Redford and Paul Newman. They play two grifters and con men, trying to make a quick buck by scamming whomever happens to cross their paths. It's set in the 1930s, so the clothing and set design are Depression-era chic.  It's not what one might call the best era in American history, but nonetheless it did have a particular design of its own.

The problem with Risky Business is that it's mostly known for its one scene; you know the one.  And, let's be clear, it's a great scene.  The reason it's a bummer is because there's so much other good stuff -- besides just pantsless dancing -- in the movie in terms of style. This gem is set in early 1980s Chicago, and the clothes, hair, and cars are everything you could hope for from that time.  The plot is entirely ridiculous, basically a rich kid behaving badly, but if you can suffer through one bad decision after another, it'll take you unapologetically back to 1983.