100 movies: Broadcast News

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100 movies of 2012
Every year I set myself a target, usually of about 100, of films to watch. These are new films. Not new, new films. But films that are new to me. Any time I’ve seen a new one, I post a bit of a brain dump of my thoughts on the film here. Enjoy!

Broadcast NewsBroadcast News (07/07/12)

Take two rival TV reporters: one handsome, one talented, both male. Add one producer, female. Mix well and watch the sparks fly.

This was a strange choice of film. I know. Not completely strange. But it’s not exactly a film that was on my most anticipated to-watch lists. Nevertheless, I was pretty damn tired and slumped on the sofa. The film started and from the beginning, it drew me in.

It’s an interesting little film taking a look at the workings of a broadcast news network with a little bit of a love triangle thrown in there too. Holly Hunter is excellent here. As Jane, she’s got it all together in her career. Though, the rest of her life seems to make her want to just break down into tears. Until William Hurt’s, Tom steps into things. Despite him being everything Jane stands against, they develop a relationship. Much to Albert Brooks’ Aaron, who is one fantastic journalist, but just doesn’t have the … skills to get him in front of the cameras in the studio.

Like I said before, the characters drew me in. The obvious love triangle, that apparently wasn’t that obvious to poor Jane until a lot later on. Though, Aaron was a complete and utter dick to her! How on Earth did they keep their friendship?

A sweet little films from the 80s. With an ending I very much approved of.
Rating: 3/5

Read on to see all the films watched this year…

55 Films so far this year

  1. The Tourist 1/5 (02/01/12)
  2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 5/5 (03/01/12)
  3. World’s Greatest Dad 2/5 (14/01/12)
  4. Haywire 3/5 (19/01/12)
  5. Dead Snow 3/5 (20/01/12)
  6. The Artist 5/5 (21/01/12)
  7. Priest 2/5 (05/02/12)
  8. The Muppets 5/5 (15/02/12)
  9. Faster 4/5 (19/02/12)
  10. Chronicle 4/5 (22/02/12)
  11. Safe House 4/5 (24/02/12)
  12. Reservoir Dogs 4/5 (25/02/12)
  13. This Means War 4/5 (02/03/12)
  14. The Royal Tenenbaums 3/5 (03/03/12)
  15. Reign of Fire 3/5 (04/03/12)
  16. Dear John 2/5 (04/03/12)
  17. Road to Perdition 5/5 (05/03/12)
  18. The Three Musketeers 3/5 (06/03/12)
  19. The Eagle 2/5 (10/03/12)
  20. Everybody’s Fine 2/5 (14/03/12)
  21. Frankenstein 4/5 (15/03/12)
  22. Love and Other Drugs 2/5 (15/03/12)
  23. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger 2/5 (17/03/12)
  24. The Big Lebowski 5/5 (18/03/12)
  25. The Hunger Games 3/5 (23/03/12)
  26. Headhunters 4/5 (07/04/12)
  27. Super 1/5 (07/04/12)
  28. The Cabin in the Woods 5/5 (13/04/12)
  29. Watchmen 4/5 (14/04/12)
  30. The Hurt Locker 3/5 (21/04/12)
  31. Avengers Assemble 5/5 (26/04/12)
  32. 22 Bullets 2/5 (28/04/12)
  33. Bad Teacher 1/5 (29/04/12)
  34. Red Riding Hood 1/5 (04/05/12)
  35. A Perfect Getaway 4/5 (05/05/12)
  36. Ca$h 1/5 (13/05/12)
  37. Kung Fu Panda 2 3/5 (14/05/12)
  38. Everything Must Go 2/5 (24/05/12)
  39. New York, I Love You 2/5 (25/05/12)
  40. Beginners 4/5 (26/05/12)
  41. Prometheus 4/5 (03/06/12)
  42. The Tree of Life 2/5 (04/06/12)
  43. The Lovely Bones 3/5 (05/06/12)
  44. Snow White and the Huntsman 3/5 (06/06/12)
  45. The Devil’s Backbone 4/5 (07/06/12)
  46. Britain in a Day 5/5 (11/06/12)
  47. The French Connection 4/5 (15/06/12)
  48. Insomnia 3/5 (16/06/12)
  49. Rebel Without a Cause 4/5 (22/06/12)
  50. A Lonely Place to Die 3/5 (26/06/12)
  51. Killer Joe 3/5 (29/06/12)
  52. The Amazing Spider-Man 4/5 (03/07/12)
  53. Raising Arizona 4/5 (04/07/12)
  54. Horrible Bosses 4/5 (06/07/12)
  55. Broadcast News 3/5 (07/07/12)

4 Comments

  1. This movie kinda reminds me of “He said, she said” or “I love Trouble”. Isn’t it fun when you get two good looking people, all craziness goes loose?!?

    Great reivew.

    • Totally. I think that’s the only thing that can happen when two good looking people get together. BOOM!

  2. Although I agree Aaron was a dick I felt none of the three main characters were particularly likeable. It is rare in a Hollywood film to have such three dimensional characters, characters that act like humans not the usual bad guy/good guy movie stick figures.

    And it really did predict where American news was heading, people like Tom manipulating the viewers emotions to gain ratings, flash over substance.

    Good film.

    • Yep, those 3 leading characters were all excruciating at one point or another. But, like you said, it’s because they’re all human.

      It’s funny, I saw this just before I tuned into the first episode of The Newsroom. So many parallels, even with nearly 2 decades in between them.

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