My New Favorite Old Movie!

Sister Act (1992)
```````````````
I love movies. I watch them by the dozens. And then some more. I would like to believe that I am not your regular pseudo-intellectual-movie-buff who admits to watching everything, but consider movies like The Transporter - a guilty pleasure. I am not aiming to offend people who geniunely like Citizen Kane; I fell asleep and did not find it so great. The Maltese Falcon was another story. However, my top ten list has had movies so vast and varied that I thought I was truly a loyalist of the entire art-form.

Until I watched Whoopi Goldberg as the amazing Deloris Van Cartier! Wow! This movie is amazing at so many levels that I could not stop enjoying even a minute of it. I was laughing my guts out. The characters do not even have to say anything to make me laugh - just place Whoopi Goldberg in a Nun'z attire and put her beside a bewildered Maggie Smith; I am either a simple minded guy who'z easily impressed or you are too good for my blog.

The script... Oh! This script simply took me to the good old times of the early nineties.. Interestingly, this could be seen as the peak of your happy-go-lucky-formulae films. The studios lay their hand on one good idea which follows a workable structure; they milk at least a dozen films in the same genre. This happens all the time and anywhere in the world; but in the early 90s - it all happened within the span of a year. It was the season of sequels, simplicity and subversion. They kept it real. But often times, it worked. So much more often that it actually confused the connoisseurs of cinema. Will another Network be made? What happened to movies like A Clockwork Orange?! And why, for god'ssake, are we making a Godfather III? The reality was that the economic markets of the world were opening up again for the first time after the Cold War. The West was suddenly aware of the contemporariness of the rest of the world thanks to private competitive media. Everything was everywhere. Times were a-changing in everything else that people seemed to seek the comfort of familiarity in the quality of cinema.

And this need for conformity has produced some of the most obscure movies - like the later Mad Max and Lethal Weapon movies, some of the most engaging movies - like the Die Hards and most times, the predictable movies - like Sister Act. Surprisingly, there is a sense of pure fun when you look at all these kinds. Sister Act, with its simple inversion-motivated theme has a plot where the most unlikely lounge singer from the Vegas strip becomes a nun. There is the familiar I-don't-belong phase, followed by I-do-things-my-way phase which results in I-am-actually-liking-this phase eventually concluding in a I-have-to-give-up-what-I-thought-I-hated-but-I-feel-sad-for-the-same phase. Of course, there is a happy ending. The beauty of this movie is that each segment of this predictability is so engrossing with consistent actions, madcap situations and witty dialogues. It is an aesthetic treat to merely watch the lion's mane of Whoopi Goldberg bounce as she conducts a Catholic Church Choir in the most unconventional way.

If God resides in the small things; this movie is a place of worship. The detailing of minor characters like Willy and Joey are outstanding. Some of the wittiest lines in the movie are spoken by less prominent characters. The acting is outstanding overall. Harvey Keitel'z performance is intimidating and hilarious at the same time. The music; oh God! The music alone can sell this film. But the finest aspect of this movie is that it does not need the selling. It could have easily become a movie like Khazam with its fairy-tale core; but it outlasts technological strides forward and today'z thrust on intellectualization of everyday life because it has a heart. It can put a smile on everyone'z face. And most importantly you go back with something at the end of the movie. I did.

So, until another time where I get back to you with another highly-opinionated view about some dank-cinema... ciao!