Three more

In the past 24 hours I've watched White Christmas, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and Sherlock Holmes.

White Christmas is a classic 1950s romantic comedy, with lots of singing and dancing and good old-fashioned charm. Two entertainers (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) meet a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) and go to Vermont to celebrate a snowy Noel. I'm really not spoiling anything by saying that they pair off and fall in love--it's pretty standard classical Hollywood cinema. The singing and dancing are spectacular and the subplots are great too. The movie's got class and is a real classic (did I mention that it's classically classy?).

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is kind of like Mr. Deeds, the more recent comedy starring Adam Sandler, only a whole lot better. Same basic plot: a simple man inherits his relative's enormous fortune and moves to New York City to settle things, only to be ridiculed and manipulated. Whereas Adam Sandler's portrayal reeks of Adam Sandler, Gary Cooper's "Mr. Deeds" is quirky but kind-hearted, honest, and noble--truly a hero. Jean Arthur makes you hate her at first, but comes back to make you love her in the end. Frank Capra proves again why he's one of my favorite directors as, in typical Capra fashion, goodness and generosity triumph over malice and greed. I very much liked it.

Sherlock Holmes was predictable and entertaining. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are very entertaining as Holmes and Watson. Downey is masterful in his portrayal of the brilliant but strange detective, and Jude Law is, well, Jude Law I guess. The fight scenes are pretty good, the story's twists are fairly unpredictable, and it ties together nicely in the end. Nothing special about this movie, but a decent watch. And is that a sequel they're setting us up for? My God, I believe it is.