I had an awesome opportunity to go to Portugal for a couple of days with work, and so I leapt at the chance! I love visiting new places, but I was also looking forward to being able to catch up on a few films while I was gone too. Isn't it just typical that when you think you have a load of time, you just don't? I managed to watch Groundhog Day though, a film I've been meaning to watch for months.
Now I feel like I should go back to our Zombieland review and delete the part about not seeing a Bill Murray film before...
Phil (Bill Murray) is a weatherman and a bit of a douchebag if you don't mind me saying. He gets sent to cover a story for Groundhog Day which he does reluctantly, only to find that when he wakes up the next day, it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.
I really struggled through the first half of this film. It's partly down to Bill Murray's style of comedy I think, but I just didn't like his character at all and so I couldn't feel sorry for him. There were still some laughs but Phil just irritated me more than anything. I guess I can't help but compare this to Liar Liar which I absolutely love, and so I set my bar high.
However after his breaking point, I warmed to him and just allowed myself to enjoy the film rather than trying to over analyse everything. I don't want to into too much detail but I really loved the romance tale within Groundhog Day. It reminded me a little of 50 First Dates in a way, although it's been years since I've seen it.
This film has ruined the song 'I've Got You Babe' for me though; I get a little freaked out whenever I hear it! Maybe I should set it as my other half's alarm song as a prank...
I'd like to watch this film again sometime when I think I'll appreciate it more. I need to watch another Bill Murray film too as I haven't warmed to him yet as much as I probably should have.
Part of the charm of this movie is that Bill Murray's character is extremely unlikeable, which is why he gets stuck in this time loop. I urge you to do this one many more times. It rewards repeat viewings as it is impossible to grasp a true sequence of events and how much time has actually passed. This is one of my all-time favorite movies (probably Top 15). And watch Wes Anderson's movies for Bill Murray at his best, especially Rushmore and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, if you haven't already.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really insightful comment and I'll absolutely take it on board and watch Groundhog Day again soon. After writing this post I started talking to a lot of friends and family about it, and I actually found that the more I spoke about it, the more I appreciated it!
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This is the one I recall when watching Edge of Tomorrow! This is one of the best of 90s!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Haha I'll bet!
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I really like Groundhog's Day. Like it was said above, part of what makes it a good film is that Murray's character is so unlikeable.
ReplyDeleteYes, Murray has been excellent in a number of Wes Anderson films, though I'm not a fan of Life Aquatic. Id recommend going back a bit further before watching any of those and checking out Ghostbusters.
You know, this has come at a great time as I'm thinking of taking part in the Blindspot Series, and Ghostbusters should definitely be on that list! So many classics that I've never actually seen...
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After I typed my initial comment, I totally wished I had mentioned Ghostbusters. That is the quintessential Bill Murray. And What About Bob as well. Great early 90s comedy!
DeleteOoh What About Bob is a new one to me, that's going on my 'to watch' list too now!
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Bill Murray seems to play unlikable, curmudgeon characters so well that it's part of the charm :) I enjoyed this one when I saw it ages ago, might be time for a rewatch!
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd known this before actually watching Groundhog Day, it might have skewed my opinion slightly. Still, it definitely deserves a re-watch now!
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