Withnail & I (1987)

I've gone on record before saying how rampant alcoholism isn't that funny to me, and this is no exception. Ignoring that (quite oppressively large) portion of the film, however, there is (excluding the intensely fluctuating soundtrack in the broadcast I saw) enough interesting elements to make this worthwhile. The intercommunicated relationships are metered out slowly and effectively, for example. And, if you can get past the way things seem to take care of themselves, in a weird way, that is, while the characters drift through their lives in their endless pursuit of booze and boredom, then its enjoyable for that alone.

Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

On the surface, this appears to be a run-of-the-mill musical, however its deeper than that. Each of the daughters have their own backstories (some more intriguing than others), which are all subtly explored, though only around the fringes of the main story. The halloween sequence was also a dark and highly appropriate moment in the saccharine world the girl's inhabit, paying off perfectly, settling back in with the sickly-sweet humour which permeates the town.

Another high point is that the songs often fit the mood and flow into and out of naturally, rarely feeling forced (for long).

Sherlock, Jr. (1924)

Although largely praised for its film-within-a-film sequence, I enjoyed the first half of the movie more. The jokes aren't as frequent compared to other Keaton films, but when they come, they deliver. The drama is compelling, its refreshing to see characters you can care for.

Which is why the 'film' sequence didn't work for me. Anybody can see what a marvel of invention and creation must've gone into working out the inner workings of the sequence, however it drags. The characters are so interesting, I wanted to spend more time with them. A hallmark of a great film.