WARNINGS: SPOILERS FOR THE MENTIONED MOIVES AND TALK OF SUICIDE
This past week, I watched The Sting and The Brave Little Toaster, two completely different movies from two different decades, but both captured my attention in good and bad ways. The Sting had a clear, precise plot that never left me wondering what was going on. The Brave Little Toaster, on the other hand, took me on a wild journey that I had to spend a day processing.
THE STING (1973)
The Sting is a classic caper movie set in Chicago, Illinois during the 1930s. It features Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the main characters. The plot is about two grifters trying to con a mob boss played by Robert Shaw.
I found the setting of the movie to be extremely overrated because most crime movies are set in Chicago. It gave an impression of predictability, one that I was extremely bored with for well over the first hour.
I could almost predict every plot line that happened, and the actors’ death scenes, except Paul Newman’s and Robert Redford’s, were poorly done. This is demonstrated when the hitwoman, Saliono (Dimitra Arliss), who is after Hooker’s (Redford) character, is shot in the head. Her head goes flying back, she pauses for a brief second, and then slowly falls back towards the ground.
The part that got me is not her being shot in the head, but her slowly crumpling to the ground when in reality she would drop instantly.
Despite the setting, there was a use of a traditional motif that I enjoyed.
One of these was the cheating con in the poker game that is played between Henry Gondorff (Newman) and Lonnegan (Shaw). The music plays a big role in this scene because it gives me feelings of anxiety every time it gets faster as the camera angle switches from one man to the other, and for once, I couldn’t predict the plot. The subtle zooms in on the characters’ faces, and the small but important detail of beads of sweat rolling down Robert Shaw’s forehead made the moment feel very real.
I paused the movie after this scene was done to fully take in what had just happened, and it was this specific scene that made me appreciate the movie more than I previously had.
Another thing I appreciated about this movie was that the ending was short and sweet. The main characters get a crime movie version of a happy ending, meaning they didn’t get busted and completed their con. It left me satisfied, and I felt that there were no plot holes or loose ends that left me wondering after the credits rolled.
Overall, I believe that this movie is worth a watch, even with my few overly critical issues with it.
THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1987)
I vaguely remember watching The Brave Little Toaster when I was young, and all that sticks out is a demonic cartoon clown dressed as a firefighter who haunted my dreams through the years.
After rewatching it as a young adult, I can’t help but question the sanity of everyone involved in this project.
The premise of the movie abuses personification by having the characters be abandoned household appliances who don’t know how to properly regulate their emotions. The most appalling use of personification comes from the AC unit, who blows a fuse and combusts, essentially killing itself after constant bullying from the other appliances.
I was taken aback by this because I was not expecting there to be implied suicide in a G-Rated movie.
I do give the writers credit because the plot of the movie is extremely creative. Five abandoned appliances go on a treacherous journey to find the “master” (The young boy who used to live in the house). The only part that I felt could have been more creative is the naming of the appliances themselves, which is just their standard name such as toaster and lamp.
I would have more sympathy for the characters if they had human names, making them easier to connect to.
Going back to the plot, it’s hard to tell what is normal and what seems like a fever dream. There were multiple times I was questioning my own life choices that led me to watch this movie, especially when the toaster started singing. But I can’t be all that surprised because the 80s did have a thing for musical numbers in cartoons.
There were storylines and plot holes throughout the movie that seem to be forgotten by the directors, but not by the audience. For example, what happened to the love story between the toaster and blanket, and why does every appliance work without being plugged in, except the Kirby vacuum?
There was a happy ending with the appliances finding the “master,” but I was just thankful that it was finally over. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to most people, and the people who do enjoy it are either very young children or adults who grew up in the 80s and can’t let go of it.
