Emirates have massive movie libraries on their most modern aircraft…they claim 350 across all genres and languages which is a pretty good effort…and this includes a variety of classic aka old movies. I had never seen The Desert Fox and while not a big James Mason fan, thought that I would give it a shot. For its time, it really is quite an amazing movie – I’m not sure how many others would celebrate a soldier who only seven years before had been one of its nation’s most dangerous foes..?
It recounts the tale of Erwin Rommel from the Battle of El Alamein until his mysterious death in 1944 and covers his involvement with the anti-Hitler movement in Germany over that period. It is based on Desmond Young’s Rommel the Desert Fox, which he researched and wrote immediately after the war, and which is considered a credible if not full treatment of one of Germany’s greatest generals. Although no attempts is made to conceal the American accents of all the actors, the plot and story-telling are sound and I found that I quite enjoyed this oldie…
I see that Tom Cruise is ‘starring’ again for allegedly comparing his absences from family during movie shoots with the absences felt by soldiers in Afghanistan and generally I think that he is a bit of a big-headed dork…but…I do like some of his movies and this is one of the ones that I like. I didn’t have high expectations of it but found it, if not challenging, certainly clever in the unfolding of the story and the final realisation of what has occurred on Earth…a little like Wall-E with a darker flip side…
The World According to Me... 
“a little like Wall-E with a darker flip side…” – You definitely have grandkids! HEHE. 🙂
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Like most of the Pixar/Disney movies, I quite like WALL-E…it’s cute, harmless and quite clever in some places…the post a apocalyptic movie that the twins absolutely love and that really hate is ‘9’, again quite clever but definitely not cute and IMHO quite dark…I picked it on my way through LAX to burn up the last of my US cash after dinner and thought it would be a nice kids movie…I can’t get rid of it now as I would be harassed until it is ‘found’ again…
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I really enjoyed WALL-E as well – very touching for a cartoon, right? I have never heard of 9! It sounds so scary! Though one can’t blame you for trying to get rid of the US currency. Not really on the upswing these days in value – haha. 😉 You sure do travel a lot! Take good care. – Shanna
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This is 9: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472033/?ref_=nv_sr_5 …it’s not bad just dark. I also didn’t notice when I bought it that Tim Burton helped produce it: I find that his movies are always a little weird…although his (and Jack Nicholson’s) Joker in the 1989 Batman is deliciously evil! So much more so than the thug played by the guy from A
Knight’s Tale in The Dark Knight a couple of years ago….
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Yes, Tim Burton movies can be sttttttttrange. I did really enjoy Batman, too – what a great film (and joker is well-played by Nicolson, yes!). I have also felt let down by recent action films – writing and plot is not as good in a few of the films. Any favorite, recent action movies?
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I find much the same about a lot of new movies and books…very artificial and forced…l heard a great code this morning on the radio that it is like modern authors do not trust their readers to be able interpret and imagine the story themselves and feel that they have to labour every little thought and description…many (most?) New movies are the same. So, at the moment, I find that I turn more and more to older books and movies where it seems the art of telling a story was better understood and applied. That notwithstanding, I have done some blog maintenance this afternoon and the ‘movies’ tag will now pull up all my movie review since I started blogging so you can see my thoughts on those I’ve seen while traveling. Tomorrow I’ll take a journey through our recent DVD acquisitions for anything I’ve really liked…
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Oh, gosh – it does look a little scary/dark for kids! Your twin gals are brave! 🙂
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PS Don’t be too hard on your old dollar…it’s still an international currency i.e. accepted most places…I just like to unload any foreign currency before I get home especially since it’s not worth exchanging small amounts…
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HUH – that is so interesting to know! I was not aware.
Yes, who wants to exchange other currencies when home?!
🙂
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