4th: Rocketman – Dexter Fletcher (2019)
When I saw Bohemian Rhapsody, I expected it to be a train wreck and it was pretty bad. But, it was also better than I had expected. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought. Unfortunately, I had a bit of the opposite problem with Rocketman. All I had heard was how incredible the movie was. And there are some great parts for sure. The campiness, the performances, and the visuals are all lovely. The story, I would say, is about as bad as Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s just (thankfully) not censored.
Grade: C+
8th: LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring – Peter Jackson (2001)
Watched at home with Gioia. It is unbelievably good. I truly can’t believe how incredible this movie is. The adaptation of the story itself feels like a miracle. The film is three hours long and never drags. Each character is introduced and portrayed lovingly but with no excess. It struck me how each character only says the most important thing they could possibly say. For instance, Gandalf is barely introduced before he’s warning Frodo about the ring. Legolas and Gimli have surprisingly minor parts, yet it feels like you know them completely. Even Boromir has so much depth as a character. Jackson is able to convey both his weaknesses for the ring as well as his family’s honor in just a few lines. Aside from all of that, the movie looks incredible. I was really stunned by how good it is. A true masterpiece.
Grade: A+
9th: LOTR: The Two Towers – Peter Jackson (2002)
This was my favorite of the trilogy when I was a kid. And to be clear, it completely holds up. Surprisingly, I now think it’s the least brilliant of the three films. The battle of Helm’s Deep is amazing. It’s still clearly a feat of filmmaking. Thrones referenced it in their ambitions for the final season. Unfortunately, the first two hours are a little slower. I’m not sure there’s any way to get around that. The film has to set up all of Rohan as well as the stakes for the battle. Merry and Pippen literally have to wait on the Ents to make up their mind. And Frodo and Sam are just in the middle of their journey. It works perfectly for the overall story, but it’s just a little slower than the other films.
Grade: A-
10th: LOTR: The Return of the King – Peter Jackson (2003)
It is incredible how perfect this series is. When the movies were coming out I had no appreciation for how hard it would be to finish this story. It’s probably a testament to how good the movies were that I wouldn’t even think about it. It’s unbelievable how well this film is able to conclude the series. Every sequence is impeccably timed. Jackson is cutting between three separate stories and manipulating their stakes to elevate the others. The fact that Eowyn has such a beautiful arc is amazing. She’s like the fourteenth most important character in the story, and by the end, you care for her so much. I have to imagine Jackson knew he was on a roll. I can’t imagine why else he would have the confidence to have like four endings to the movie. And you know what? It’s a bit long, but it works.
Grade: A
10th: Stranger than Fiction – Marc Forster (2006)
Watched at home with Gioia. I liked it! The premise took me a second to warm up to, but it totally works. I think the most important part, is they never really try to explain it or the ramifications beyond Emma Thompson and Will Ferrell’s characters. Dustin Hoffman is so funny in this movie. It’s really charming. I wish Will Ferrell was a little less creepy. It’s hard for me to believe that Maggie Gyllenhaal would put up with all of his creeping. Other than that, I think everything works, especially the end.
Grade: B
11th: Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorcese – Martin Scorsese (2019)
What can I say? This movie is made for about 1% of the population and I’m one of them. It’s amazing. Amazing! The performances are some of the best I’ve ever heard. And everything else is just a trip. I can understand being upset by a lot of it being fake, but I think it makes it even better.
Grade: A-
18th: The Dead Don’t Die – Jim Jarmusch (2019)
Watched at the Landmark with Gioia. It’s a weird one. I think I like the movie in concept much more than execution. For such a silly movie, I’ve found myself thinking about it far more than I thought. Which speaks to its substance for sure. I find myself wishing some of it were just a tad more polished. The dryness of it is charming in parts but also drags on in others.
Grade: C+
21st: Picnic at Hanging Rock – Peter Wier (1975)
Watched at home at night. It is just so visually arresting. The music is incredible. It’s the type of film I’d love to see in theaters. I think the operatic score would be so overwhelming in that setting. In terms of story, it was a bit of a slow burn. I could have been paying closer attention. Everything is so ambivalent and shrouded in mystery. I did love that it concludes without answers. Really reminded me of Terrance Malick or David Lynch.
Grade: B+
21st: The Virgin Suicides – Sofia Coppola (1999)
A double feature! It’s such a good pairing. This movie oddly is so much easier to watch. It’s funny, it has a hit soundtrack. The story moves along so suspensefully. Yet, it’s incredibly disturbing. I was blown away that someone could pull off this type of movie. On the surface, you’d think it has to be insensitive. But it captures the feeling and sentiment of these girls so accurately. Even if the movie is completely surreal.
Grade: B+
30th: Thunder Road – Jim Cummings (2018)
Watched at home. It’s really hard to watch. It takes the original premise of the short and doubles down on the darkness. Everything hinted at in the short is taken to its furthest, saddest extreme here. Normally, I think something like this would be too much for me. A little too Shakespearean. But this movie works. Cummings is a master at narrative hints and plants and payoffs. There are so many small details that come to fruition in the final thirty minutes. It really makes the movie for me.
Grade: B / B+
Thunder Road- Jim Cummings (2018)
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