Friday 18 September 2009

A good tagging

I have been tagged by the wonderful, irrepressible Linda of gotyourhandsful and havealovelytime. Linda is a great writer, and one of the kindest people I know, so I have no hesitation at all in nicking one of her best lines, to announce that I do love a good tagging.

This tag is all about favourite film characters. Hmm, it got me thinking. My favourite ever film roles? Naturally, my mind wandered to Bergman and the early works of Bunuel, while I pondered long and hard, of course, on the epic Fitzcaraldo ........but no, there was no contest really. I saw again, in my mind's eye, that fair expanse of English lawn, with a big house mistily in the background, and a certain someone striding forward ....

1.Yes, I'm afraid standing proudly at Number One in my list is Colin Firth as Mr Darcy, in that drenched shirt and those shiny leather boots, wading out of the pond at Pemberley and into the arms of Elizabeth Bennett. New Prides and Prejudices may come and go, and I did even quite like Bride and Prejudice and Lost in Austen, but no one does it quite like Colin. Sigh.

2. I adore the film Some Like It Hot and, in it, Marilyn Monroe is at her most incandescently beautiful - and she's very, very funny.

3. Harrison Ford in Blade Runner. What can I say? I'm just a sucker for a strong man. Harrison doesn't even have Pemberley to whisk me home to but I'd still jump up into the cab of his truck at the end every single time ....

4. Natassja Kinski as Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I saw this film when I was very young and the perfidy of Angel Clare still shocks me, even though I've now seen worse in real life. How could he abandon his Tess? Interestingly, I quite recently came across this poem by Thomas Hardy which has quite a different view of fallen women ....

5. Marisa Tomei plays a brilliant cameo in the film My Cousin Vinnie, as the world's most unlikely - but most convincing - expert witness. A real 'you go, girl' moment.

6. Audrey Tatou in Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain. A quirky gem. When I first settled down to watch this when I was living in Brussels, a large rat ran across the floor, signalling a huge infestation which took months to quell, and a very unpleasant chapter in my life. Despite this, I have a soft spot for Amelie's optimism and wish I possessed it myself.

7. Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient. I found the book very annoying but the film, from the first shots of the undulating gold of the desert, is beautiful and moving. And, of course, it's the story of a doomed love affair. I'm like a moth to a flame.

8. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Okay, I know I'm not supposed to admit to liking stuff like this, but yes, I am a hopeless romantic and I find this simple Cinderella tale curiously compelling. Of course, some of its messages are rather curious - become a hooker and meet the man of your dreams, for instance - but who could resist Julia Robert's watermelon smile? And Richard Gere is delish.

9. Richard Burton in Anne of A Thousand Days. Another alpha male, this time one with a murderous glint in his eye. I just fall for them every time. I saw this as an eleven year old and fell madly in love with the Tudors and history in general. Plus is that a dagger in his codpiece, or is he just very, very pleased to see us?

10. The Lion King. There are a lot of Disney films which I adore, but I've always particularly loved this one. The idea of the circle of life is so pleasing and helps children to understand and come to terms with a lot, the wildebeest stampede is edge-of-your-seat scary and Timon and Pumba are irresistible. What's that you say? Mufasa is yet another alpha male? You know, that just hadn't occured to me at all .....

Part of Linda's instructions were to pass the tag along, so I now hand the baton to some lovely bloggy friends:

Chic Mama
Hot Cross Mum
Mumplustwo
Angel Bluestocking
Geekymummy

12 comments:

Uptown Girl said...

oh how i love Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy! I also happen to love Mr. Bingley and would rather find myself with a Bingley rather than a Darcy (oddly enough)...
anyway, great list, makes me want to leave work now and go home to watch movies.

geekymummy said...

Thanks so much for the tag. Must find time to do it, it's a fun one. I too am a Colin Firth fan. That damp shirt, ahh! Liked him a lot as Psuedo darcy in Bridget Jones, too. Bladerunner is one of the few movies I actual own, though I find Harrison most adorable as Han Solo, and I too loved that Tess of the d'urbervilles movie, haven't read, or watched Hardy in an age. Hope somesay to share thes ethings with the kids. At least we can do so with the Lion King. Hakuna Matana!

Hot Cross Mum said...

Thank you very much for the tag. This one is right up my street so I will deliberate carefully to put my choices up. You already have 2 of my favourites - Julia Roberts and Lion King but there are plenty of others! Thanks again :-)

Linda said...

Hello! You are making me blush with all these lovely things you are saying and that is quite a difficult thing to do as you may suspect. Thank you so much, you are sooooo wonderful....
Now then, these choices. Love em! I loved Tony Curtis in Some Like it Hot - and what a life he has had since! Thanks for accepting my tagging, are you up for a poke on facebook?

Potty Mummy said...

I love your top ten - and that poem was a revelation, by the way. I'll never think of Thomas Hardy in quite the same way again...

Bluestocking Mum said...

Thanks DD!!

I love your list and I'm on the case although doubt I can do ten.

Watch this space.
x

DD's Diary said...

Hi Uptown, I've often asked myself the Darcy/Bingley question (well, once or twice) and think that, while life with Bingley might be more relaxing, you just can't beat a Darcy in the end. It gets boring having your own way all the time ...

DD's Diary said...

Hakuna Matata, Geeky, I will be singing that to myself all day now! Yes, Colin was a great sport in Bridget Jones, and also in St Trinian's, did you see that?

DD's Diary said...

My pleasure, Hot Cross, hope it's not too much of a burden but always interesting to hear what other people like ...

DD's Diary said...

Hi Linda, is that the first time you've ever blushed?! Yes, am up for a poke on Facebook (what am I saying?). Tony has had an exciting time - quite a role model in some strange ways!!

DD's Diary said...

I know, Potty Mummy, there we were thinking old Thomas was such a gloom monger, and he can actually be quite a laff! Disconcerting

DD's Diary said...

Hi Bluestocking, don't worry if you don't feel like doing ten, I promise I won't take marks off! Absolutely no pressure - it's Hakuna Matata round here you know!