Movies & Theater

At the Movies In the Mood

– By Noah Gittell –

When you head to the DVD store or browse your Netflix queue for an “impulse rent,” do you know what you are looking for? What is it that guides you to a particular film on a particular night? “I feel like something light” or “I can't deal with subtitles tonight” are common refrains, but why be so vague? Here's a guide to specific movies for specific moods.

Home Sick for the Day:

“Office Space”

Mostly ignored in its theatrical run, this comedy from director Mike Judge (TV's “King of the Hill”) became a cult classic on DVD. Peter (Ron Livingston) becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his low-level corporate position and hatches a revenge scheme with his fellow disgruntled co-workers. Perfectly capturing the torturous disillusionment one unearths when he gets stuck in a job he hates, “Office Space” has become a protest-anthem against cubicle life. But mostly, it will just remind you that you're better off home for the day.

Having a Mid-Life Crisis:

“The Matrix”

Feeling like your batteries need recharging? Like you're just going through the motions? The Wachowski Brothers' sci-fi masterpiece is about a man shedding the skin of the normal world and discovering he is more powerful than he could possibly have imagined. Due to the poor quality of the sequels, you may have forgotton how excellent the original film was. With cathartic action sequences, substance, and style, “The Matrix” achieves a startling combination: it is both a thought-provoking philosophical treatise and an escapist action-movie.

A Lovesick Man:

“Breakfast at Tiffany's”

Channel all your frustration into Holly Golightly, the ultimate woman-you-can't-have. Representing all that is mysterious and desirous about the female sex, Audrey Hepburn is at her best in this classic romantic-dramedy based on the Truman Capote novel. And George Peppard is understated and sympathetic as the guy who can't have her.

A Lovesick Woman:

“Switch”

Have you ever wished your man could experience life as a woman? This overlooked Blake Edwards comedy adds an interesting twist. After Steve, a heartless womanizer, is murdered by his three mistresses, God gives him a deal. He must go back to Earth and find one woman who loves him or he won't be allowed into Heaven. The catch? He returns as a woman — Ellen Barkin in a hilarious performance. What starts off as a guy movie (Barkin is, of course, easy on the eyes) turns into the ultimate chick-flick: emotionally resonant and sentimental in the best ways.

Frustrated With Government:

“The Shawshank Redemption”

The obvious choice would be something like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” or “All the President's Men,” but “Shawshank” has more power as an allegory. The story of Andy Dufresne, a good man wrongly convicted of murder and given a life sentence, tells of an optimistic man adrift in a dark sea of hopelessness. The apathy that has overcome too many Americans is easily translatable to someone given a life sentence, a man with no hope of freedom. While Andy is the film's protagonist, it is Red (Morgan Freeman), the story’s narrator, who undergoes the transformation, from a man limited and frustrated by his surroundings, to one willing to take a step outside and see what he can do with the world.

Down in the Dumps Because Your Favorite Team Just Lost in the Playoffs:

“Mystery, Alaska”

There are more memorable sports movies, to be sure, but how is seeing a team overcome all odds to succeed going to help you get over the Yankees/Mets/Knicks losing…again? This 1999 comedy about a small Alaskan town with a hockey team that has a chance to play the New York Rangers with the town pride on the line has never been given its due. It has a stellar cast including Russell Crowe, Burt Reynolds, and Hank Azaria (plus the greatest assembly of familiar supporting characters ever gathered together), and a smart, funny script by TV's David E. Kelly (“Ally McBeal”). Plus, it strays from the typical, last-second-shot-that-wins-it-all ending that is all the more resonant for its realism.

Upset After an Argument With Your Significant Other:

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”

Forget “The Break-Up.” “Eternal Sunshine” is the best choice. Besides being one of the most original films to come along in recent memory, “Sunshine” is a bittersweet ode to lost love. Working from a script by super-genius Charlie Kaufman (“Adaptation”), the story follows Joel (Jim Carrey), who, in agony over his recent break-up with Clementine (Kate Winslet), decides to have her surgically removed from his memory. The procedure, which requires that he relive his relationship with her in his mind, forces him to reevaluate their relationship. He remembers the good times and realizes that he doesn't want to lose them forever. You should do the same.