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#298 A Day in the Country (1936, Jean Renoir)
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It's funny you should post a review for this because I spent close to two hours running around Louisville trying to find a copy on VHS. My normal source for everything lost their copy last week when someone VCR ate the tape. Hopefully they'll get a new copy in. I'm not sure why I spent so much time looking for it but the film just popped up in my head for some reason.
t-154 Umberto D (1952)
Vittorio De Sica's classic film is one I've often heard about but just now got around to watching it and I'm certainly kicking myself for not checking it out earlier. The film certainly wasn't what I expected so am much as I cared for it I'm quite certainly that affection will grow with repeat viewings. The film tells the story of the title character, played brilliantly by Carlo Battisti, who struggles day to day to keep himself and his best friend, his dog, alive. The landlady keep raising his rent and Umberto is just having a hard time making ends meet. Even though there's dialogue in this film it really plays out much like a silent movie. I'm not exactly sure what it was but I found myself falling in love with this old man and his dog, which wasn't a hard thing to do especially considering how depressing the film is. There are moments of comedy like a few scenes with the ants but overall this is a pretty dramatic film that really doesn't hold back when it comes to its viewpoints. One of the best moments for me is when the dog runs away and the old man frantically searches the dog pound for him. This scene is full of suspense and your heart can't help but to ache hoping that the man finds him. In a strange way this is a love story between two friends even though it's a man and his dog. The ending is so beautifully done that the images say more than any words could.