To not trust Xmas Radio Times 5 star film reviews after watching ...

[howlovelyareyourbranches]

... White Christmas! We got half way through. It may have been a classic in its time, but surely they should review its 5* rating for contemporary audiences?!?

We had a vague plan to watch a few 5* rated old classics with our 18 and 20 year-old DSs this Xmas, but now we're a bit more wary. On the 'maybe' list were ...

Strangers on a Train
M for Murder
The Godfather
Bief Encounter
The Big Sleep
North by Northwest
Dirty Harry
A Hard Day's Night
Don't Look Now
Witness for the Prosecution
Top Hat
Escape from Alcatraz

... which of these are cheesy and cringe-inducing to modern eyes, and which are genuine classics that you would recommend without hesitation?

(Before you ask, we've already seen It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street 🙃)

i liked north by north west and brief encounter
Dont look now is a bit weird

Witness for the Prosecution is good- Agatha Christie at her finest.

People make the mistake of watching White Christmas thinking it's the ultimate classic. Personally I can't stand Danny Kaye anyway. The film you want is Holiday Inn, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. It is the film in which the song White Christmas first appeared. Vastly superior 🔨 (gavel)

They’re all great!

The Godfather movies are brilliant. Don’t Look Now has explicit sex scenes which I wouldn’t watch with my parents, I like A Hard Day’s Night especially if you’re Beatles fans, Strangers on a Train I think I enjoyed, I liked the premis, Top Hat probably too dated for teenagers unless they’re into classic Astaire dancing.

The Godfather is very long so can be a bit heavy going. I would probably watch Strangers on a Train as it's a murder mystery so probably more family viewing.

White Christmas is my favourite Christmas movie, apart from The Snowman. I watch it whenever it is on.

All the ones on your list are definitely worth watching. I'd single out M for Murder and Witness for the Prosecution as being particularly powerful. But neither are suitable for family viewing.

NB: You'll need to watch White Christmas again at some point. It is very much of its time but there's a reason why it is still being shown today.

I agree Strangers on a Train is good

North By North West is classic Hitchcock and has the suave Cary Grant and Eve Marie Saint. Great dialogue and iconic scenes. By far my favourite on the list.

Witness for the Prosecution is a great film.

As is Don't Look Now - great Daphne du Maurier story.

Do you mean Dial M for Murder? Fab Hitchcock will with the beautiful Grace Kelly.

@howlovelyareyourbranches how old are you??

A lot of the films you listed are absolute classics-

White Christmas is a must watch in our house-what sort of films do you actually like??

And my DD aged 24 is as big a fan of White Christmas as I am!!

I'm 53, and probably saw most of those films with my parents or grandmother when I was a child but don't remember them well enough to make a call on whether my boys might enjoy them.

I love The Sound of Music, and It's a Wonderful Life, but found White Christmas way too cheesy, especially the song and dance routines.

Watch both Godfathers every Xmas without fail. Masterpieces.
We don't talk about the third one 🤐

Same @Justleaveitblankthen

Paint Your Wagon is my favourite Clint Eastwood film. I would watch Dirty Harry from your list.

I didn't write the RT reviews but I would give Holiday Inn a 4, White Christmas a 5, and Meet me in St Louis should be on that list with a solid 4.5 - my preference is for the 40s films. And @HauntedBungalow has nailed it for me with their post, remember these films were made at a time when people had just emerged (or were emerging) from a war. I'm just making a plan for Sunday hangover watching off the back of this thread now...

I have often thought that Brief Encounter was something of a morality play. They didn't actually give in to temptation.

They had a passionate platonic friendship, pulled themselves together - she for the sake of her family unit - and moved on.

But there's a timeless elegance and dignity in that.

I would not watch any of those except Brief Encounter. However it is very much of its time and may not appeal to modern tastes.My all time favourite film is the History Boys. Every actor earns their place and not one sentence misses its mark.

Also Now Voyager an absolute Classic.

Yeah but brief encounter has Rachmaninoff. Which surely puts it above all else. I mean come ON, that piano, fuck me, there's rarely been anything more sublime, add in Celia Johnson with her frankly terrible hat and her misplaced but simultaneously spot on ardour. Jesus Christ what more can you want.

For teenager boys, some are quite staid.
How about Mississippi Burning, The French Connection or In the Heat of the Night?

I really liked North by Northwest