The Lion in Winter vs. Slap Shot

Skottula

on 6/4/2018

The Lion in Winter completely awed me in the way that mere words could not only tell a story, but create action, emotion, fury, pain and suffering. Normally a hard dramatic film like this would not rank as highly as it does, but this film is incredibly special and its performances from Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, Nigel Terry and Timothy Dalton are just spectacular, that even the staunchest of comedy nuts would consider putting this in his top 25, let alone his top 10. That said, my affection for Paul Newman as Reg Dunlop with his team of irreparably broken toys is remarkably strong. I can easily rewatch The Lion in Winter, but I find it hard to imagine ever wanting to watch it more than Slap Shot. On the "What would I watch" scale, I have to give the Charlestown Chiefs the win over Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitane. The artistic merit, quality of writing, performance and filming are all stronger in The Lion in Winter, but my heart just wins out at some point. I'm still impressed that I love two such ugly films so much.