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The Top five mistaken identity films


KiwiCoromandel

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By BEN DAVEY and JOANNA COHEN....

Sydney Morning Herald...

Ben Davey and Joanna Cohen who once got mistaken for people who give a god-damn rate their must-see mistaken identity films......

Top five mistaken identity films....

1. North by Northwest

2. Being There

3. Galaxy Quest

4. The Wrong Man

5. Life of Brian

1. North by Northwest (1959)

Synopsis: Dapper everyman, Roger O Thornhill (Cary Grant), boasts a casual relationship with the truth until a series of unfortunate events leads to a potentially fatal case of mistaken identity, and a web of other people's lies.

Joanna Cohen: Any director can create fear in the shadows but only a true master exposes his most fearsome moments under a harsh light such as in the famous crop-dusting scene.

Unlike The Wrong Man (below), Thornhill enters his new world well, even managing to seduce the blonde between scrapes. Hitchcock might raise our heart rate but his brand of suspense does not sacrifice wit or elegance.

Ben Davey: Nothing like watching a suave man sweat. The casting of Cary Grant was inspired as we get to see the threads of his gentlemanly demeanour slowly unravel as he is pursued for reasons unbeknown to him.

Still, if anyone's gonna be mistaken as a government agent by foreign spies it might as well be an advertising executive! Also, Mount Rushmore is a brilliant location for a climax, don't ya think?

2. Being There (1979)

Synopsis: A slow-witted gardener (Peter Sellers) is left without a job after his employer dies. But wouldn't you dang know it - a fateful run-in with a limousine changes his life forever! Yay!

BD: He had his comic highs (Shot in the Dark) and his indulgent lows (Casino Royale) but Being There showed that Peter Sellers was no mere comic; he was also a fine dramatic actor.

Delve into the religious subtext if you wish but I reckon that the real fun is the simple notion of Chance being a beneficiary of (ahem) chance. This is also the best work from Shampoo director, Hal Ashby.

JC: This is not a story about emperor new clothes gullibility, or even about the wisdom of simplicity. Seller's Charles provides a world view so simplistic that it enables the people around him to hear what they need; a case of mistaken identity by desire.

Being There is Sellers's greatest work. His inspiration for the character probably sprung from his belief that he himself was a blank canvas for his make-believe characters and the need of others.

3. Galaxy Quest (1999)

Synopsis: Roles become real life as the cast of a sci-fi TV show are recruited by aliens to help them fight against a gang of intergalactic grizzlies.

BD: More fun than Funland in Ulladulla, Galaxy Quest is a prime example of a film that retains a touch of warmth even though it's taking the piss. Even sci-fi buffs who relate to the comic book guy from The Simpsons would find it hard to take offence at this subtle chuckle at fan-boy culture.

The cast, especially the rapscallion Sam Rockwell and spaced-out romantic Tony Shalhoub, are tops.

JC: Don't let the ridiculous premise scare you off because this movie is hilarious. Alan Rickman is my favourite as the serious thespian who gets extra applause at conventions for being British in this poke at a certain sci-fi telly show and its bizarrely devoted fan base.

I never knew the movie's true genius until I found out that the baddie, Sarris, was named after famed film critic, Andrew Sarris. That's funny.

4. The Wrong Man (1956)

Synopsis:Manny Balestrero (Henry Fonda) is an innocent family man accused of a robbery he did not commit. This case of mistaken identity, and the degeneration of his wife's mental health, are all based on a true story.

JC: I am a passionate fan of Hitchcock and his ability to manipulate an audience, yet so powerful is the injustice in this film that it turns my stomach into knots.

Fonda plays an ordinary man spun into a horrific situation. The cold, impersonal shooting style mirrors the cold impersonal treatment Manny receives as he moves into a world where even an innocent man can have everything to fear.

BD: "Based on a true story" usually sets off alarm bells in my head as filmmakers often take liberties by sexing up the real-life story for the screen. But on this occasion I wish that Hitchcock had thought about a dabbing a tad more colour.

I agree with Jo, it's a cold retelling of facts but methinks this comes at the expense of insight into the effects that the injustice had on the victims.

5. Life of Brian (1979)

Synopsis: Back in the day, Brian is born in the stable next door to baby Jesus. Even the wise men initially mistake Brian for the Messiah before they realise their boo-boo. This is just one of many encounters in which poor ol' Bri is wrongfully thought to be the Son of God.

BD: Ain't it funny how the one Python film that is driven by a conventional plot is probably their most offensive? Still, it's all quite clever stuff that dishes out on too many faiths and ideologies for you to feel like the lone ranger.

Even if The Holy Grail's lunacy left you scratching your head, you might find much of Brian a thigh-slapping affair, unless you shun parody and/or don't like laughing.

JC: We all have days when we feel we may have been born in the manger next door to greatness but poor old Brian has a lifetime of it.

This is my favourite Python, primarily because it comes with a Latin lesson and any film that can end on such a bleak note accompanied by a merry ditty about the bright side of life is going to work for me. Also, "I'm an individual".

...............................

image:DON'T I KNOW YOU? North by Northwest, starring Cary Grant, is one of the all-time classics of mistaken identity films......

post-193-1150021819.jpg

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The top two choices are two of my favorite films. I would probably also add Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much

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The top two choices are two of my favorite choices. I would probably also add Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much

...i would add another hitchcock movie "charade" also starring cary grant with audrey hepburn..(one of my favourite actresses)...she (hepburn) mistakes him (grant) for someone/something that he is not..... :)

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Life of Brian was good but I wonder where The Fugitive is on the list.

It should be on the list. I was involved with the project for a minute - we tried to get Newman, Redford and Hackman as the one armed man - I wish we had :(

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