Day 37: Out of Africa

Out of Africa : 1985: Winner of the 58th  Academy Award

Starring:

Robert Redford - Denys Finch Hatton

Meryl Streep - Karen Blixen

Klaus Maria Brandauer - Bror Blixen/Hans Blixen

Michael Kitchen - Berkeley Cole

Shane Rimmer - Belknap

Malick Bowens - Farah

Joseph Thiaka - Kamante

Stephen Kinyanjui - Chief Kinanjui

Michael Gough - Lord Delamere

Suzanna Hamilton - Felicity

Rachel Kempson - Lady Belfield

Graham Crowden - Lord Belfield

Benny Young - Minister

Leslie Phillips - Sir Jospeh

Annabel Maule - Lady Byrne

Iman - Mariammo

Meryl Streep is so pretty, its so not fair she aged too damn well. So in this movie she is a wealthy heiress who is dying  to have adventures but needs to get married and have a title so she strikes up a deal with Baron Von Blixen who is broke. Perfect match. They travel to Africa in the British Colony, get married and start a coffee plantation.  However this man is so not marriage material, he is cheating on his wife as soon as they get married. Granted it was a marriage for convenience it still means something. Right? Anyway, so then she stays at the coffee plantation and the whole movie is about her being strong willed and yada yada, being a lone woman in the land of no women. Anyway the e crux is when the war starts and she has to go to deliver some supplies to her husband and they have smush  time and she contracts syphilis. Yes this is an important point. Because later she wants to sleep with Brad Pitt  Robert Redford. But she tells him the truth. He don’t care he loves her. Later they argue that he doesn’t love her  and frankly she’s being one of those naggy needy girls. The man needs his space girl. Has she not seen “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”?  “You can’t go and give your heart to a wild thing…”its like a staple by which you should live on.  I had issues with this movie. Mainly how long it was, kind of unnecessary and the damn accent bothered me a heap ton. I swear I prefer it when they say they are Dutch and speak normally, it might leave you wondering a bit, but at least you can understand what they are saying.  The other would be getting someone who could portray a decent accent. I will say this thought the costumes were very pretty and someone should have casted Brad Pitt in a Robert Redford life story sometime.  I mean it, I swear different nose and jawline but essentially same dude. Boy the 80’s had really crappy serious movies. 

It also won awards for:

Best Director (Sydney Pollack)

Best Art Direction (Stephen Grimes, Josie MacAvin)

Best Cinematography (David Watkin)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Kurt Luedtke)

Best Original Score (John Barry)

Best Sound (Chris Jenkins, Gary Alexander, Larry Stensvold, Peter Handford)