Turn On Your BlogLight

BlogLight being light blogging, naturally. Movies are weak this week, though I may see I Served The King. Next week should bring a new Coen Bros. movie, Burn After Reading as well as the likely train wreck remake of The Women.

It's not that the cast is bad--though I may have developed an allergy to Meg Ryan--but it's such a story of its time. I mean, it's hard to meaningfully compare Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford with Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes. Sexual mores have changed drastically, obviously, in the past 70 years. A comedy of manners is virtually impossible today.

There's an interesting question: Do we have any "comedy of manners" today? The only thing I can think of that compares is "Curb Your Enthusiasm", where Larry David falls afoul of various forms of political correctness and human decency.

But The Women was one of George Cukor's greatest films, with a pedigree that includes The Philadelphia Story, Adam's Rib, Gaslight and My Fair Lady. Dude was a giant for over 30 years.

Diane English is best known for "Murphy Brown".

Now, this doesn't mean that the new version will be bad. It's likely that this is a real labor of love for English, and the sitcom touch (or similr) might be just so. It's unlikely to be a cinematic classic, but it could be a fun romp.

The only tragedy will be if it goes into full-blown chick flick mode. Which, heh, gives me an idea for a post.