Some of the trees are really quite lovely

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2006)

You haven't seen The Princess Bride? Incontheiveable! Clearly you've fallen for one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is never get involved in a land war in Asia ...
I first saw this as a student on the eve of my finals, and it was the perfect antidote to pre-exam nerves. Since then I must have watched it ... oh, I dunno, maybe 30 times. Which sounds terribly sad, I know, but I just feel the need to get other people to watch it, and - well - I end up watching it too.
Basically, it's just terribly funny, but also - and here's the thing - it works as a fairy tale too. Admittedly, it would be perfectly nauseating without the subversive wit and huge silliness, but when combined the result is irresistible.
A word of warning to the uninitiated - give it 20 minutes to get into the swing of it. It can take that long to realize that this film has its tongue firmly in its cheek.
My favourite lines? So hard to choose. Q: 'You don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?' A: 'Do you always begin conversations this way?' Or how about: 'You mean you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll kill each other like civilized people.' But I think the honours have to go to 'I'm not saying I'd like to build a holiday home here, but some of the trees are really quite lovely'.
Oddly enough, I'm not left-handed either.
Spread the word.