Favorite Movies

Now I am terrible at picking favorites. Those people who know me are well aware of this. I don't have a favorite anything. Favorite type of food, favorite type of music, favorite books, favorite anything. If I like the song, I like the song. It doesn't matter if it's pop, country, hip-hop, rap, jazz, or whatever. It just depends on the song. This goes for anything. If I like the book, I like the book. If I like the food, I like the food. I don't have a favorite type of anything (TV shows are the only exception). This includes movies.

So what's with the title, you ask? Yes, it's true, I don't have favorite movies. Well, I will have favorites, but they'll constantly change. I'll be obsessed with one movie one week and another the next. However, the point of this post is because there are exactly three movies that may not always be in the top spot, but I will never, ever be sick of watching and will probably almost always say yes to watching one of them.

They are as follows:
--The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
--While You Were Sleeping
--The Mask of Zorro

I'm not sure what is about these three films, but they are just forever endearing to me. I say, time and time again that the plot is what always brings me back. (If it weren't for While You Were Sleeping, I would say that my favorite film genre is somewhere in the swashbuckler category or the secret identity category.)

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL

TRAILER

PLOT: Sir Percy Blakeney is a typical fop, surrounded by adoring ladies and clueless gentry. However, he is also a master of disguise and bears an infamous secret identity: the Scarlet Pimpernel, dashing and fearless rescuer of victims of the French Revolution! Sir Percy also falls head over heels for the beautiful Marguerite who is also wooed by Chauvelin, Robespierre's Chief Agent for the Committee of National Security.

Also one of my favorite books of all time (actually, probably my only other exception to my "no favorites" rule are books). Of course the book is better, but this movie version is very good as well. I will never get tired of it. The actors play their characters so spot on! Especially the main characters. The guy that plays Sir Percy is just so spot on with all the characters he portrays when he's posing as the Scarlet Pimpernel. And then his foppish Sir Percy is so hilarious and believable, I love it. I love the whole mystery of the plot, the "secret identity", and so on.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

TRAILER

PLOT: Lucy is a lonely fare collector on the Chicago elevated railway who has a secret crush on a handsome commuter named Peter Callaghan. On Christmas day, Lucy rescues Peter from an oncoming train after a mugger pushes him onto the tracks. Peter falls into a coma, and Lucy accompanies him to the hospital, where a nurse overhears her fantasizing aloud, "I was going to marry him." Misinterpreting her, the nurse tells Peter's family that Lucy is his fiancée. The mayhem escalates, when Lucy meets Peter's suspicious yet charming brother.

I love everything about this movie! Even though it's such a ridiculous and unlikely situation, the way it plays out and the way it's written just kind of makes it seem like it could happen. The writing is brilliant, the characters are hilarious, and the plot is fantastic. This movie is so quotable, it's one of my favorites to quote. Lots of people say they always watch this around Christmas time. Please. I watch this year round! I wouldn't exactly say that this is one of the prettiest movies I've ever seen, but I always say that the plot is what always brings me back for round 2, 3, 4, etc.

THE MASK OF ZORRO

TRAILER

PLOT: The original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega, is captured and imprisoned just as Spain concedes California to Santa Anna. 20 years go by and his mortal enemy, Don Rafael Montero, returns to California with a plan to become wealthy at the expense of the peasants. The original Zorro escapes from prison and trains a new Zorro to take his place.

There's just something about this movie in comparison to other sword-slashing, horse-chasing, swashbuckling, adventure films. This one is just so good! The main plot is excellent, and the subplots are just as entertaining and not at all confusing and/or pointless like subplots sometimes are. All the actors play their characters extremely well and are very entertaining to watch. The costumes are gorgeous and the sets are stunning (since most of them are on location). Plus, I just absolutely love superhero-esque/secret identity stories.