1st: After Hours – Martin Scorsese (1985)
I loved this. It’s very apparent seeing the influence this movie has had. Something like Good Time feels particularly inspired by it. I’m sure there are dozens of other films and tv episodes. The biggest surprise for me was Griffin Dunne’s performance. Why didn’t he have more leading roles? He’s great in this part in which he has to carry the movie. There are a few things I would question. For instance, I’d be curious to read more on the portrayal of women and gay men in this film. There’s nothing particularly offensive (at least that I could tell), but they’re painted as the loony outsiders compared to Paul. Overall, I thought this movie had so much going for it. The gags are laugh out loud funny and the score is phenomenal. I particularly loved the way Paul’s appearance deteriorates over the course of the film.
Grade: B+
6th: Gosford Park – Robert Altman (2001)
Wow! I loved this movie. Perhaps even more than I thought it was particularly great. It’s a real showcase for what makes Altman so special. Perhaps ironically, I don’t think this movie ranks among his very best. There is a discrepancy between his non-judgemental worldview and this script’s murder mystery. I also think the first 30-40 minutes are a bit slow. Or rather, they were slow on a first viewing in which it’s impossible to take everything in. But that’s what’s so impressive about this movie! There are over a dozen important characters each with their own history, worldview, and relationships. This movie seems ready to provide as much information as a viewer is willing to work for. And yet, it’s all contained in a tight 2 hours.
Grade: B+
11th: Candyman – Bernard Rose (1992)
This movie is legitimately very scary. I thought all of the horror elements aged really well. I was shocked by how far the movie pushed the ending. I really thought we were going to watch a baby burn alive. The legacy for this movie seems to be what it says about race. Those elements are certainly there and across the board seem well-done to me. I do feel like the movie is caught between trying to deliver scares and trying to deliver a message. For the most part, it’s succesful at both. But at times, it can feel a bit at odds with itself.
Grade: B
12th: Together Together – Nikole Beckwith (2021)
Really enjoyed this. Thought it even had flashes of greatness in it. The obvious one is Patti Harrison. I knew she was incredibly funny. I didn’t know that she could carry a movie. She’s so good in this part! To be fair to the movie, I really thought it was moving toward rom-com territory which was something I actively didn’t want. But I was wrong. The two characters don’t wind up together. I wonder if I would have liked this movie even more had I known they wouldn’t end up together?
Grade: B-
14th: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – Josh Greenbaum (2021)
An insane movie. It feels like a throwback to those National Lampoon style comedies. That is, of course, with the exception that this film was written by and stars two women. There’s a strange parallel I feel in something like this to postmodern literature. Mainly, that in both cases you have to balance that the piece of art is often actively shitting on its own form. It can be a trade-off. My favorite parts of this movie were those strange, illogical detours. The musical numbers or the talking crab, for instance. And yet, those asides make it difficult to really engage with the rest of the movie. How can you truly invest in the main plot when everything around it is so silly?
Grade: B-
17th: Ticket of No Return – Ulrike Ottinger (1979)
Unlike anything I’ve seen before. The closest comparison I can come up with is a David Lynch version of Slacker or After Hours. The production is extremely impressive. In fact, without the brilliant cinematography, costumes, and music, this film just wouldn’t work. There’s not enough story. Which really is my only critique of the film. I wish this had been 65 minutes instead of 80.
Grade: B-
19th: Scarface – Brian De Palma (1983)
I need to read more about De Palma and about this movie. Unless my impression is just way off, this is one of the campiest films I’ve ever seen. I mean, what is Pacino doing in this movie? It’s insane! Before I go further, I would like to say that I did like this movie. And there are sequences that I absolutely loved. The last 30 minutes of the film is incredible. The sets, costumes, and interiors are stunning. They’re intoxicating and spectacularly cold at the same time. That’s more or less what I want to know. My understanding is that De Palma is a good, and maybe even great, director. How much in this film is intentional. How much of this is a glorious accident? I am endlessly fascinated.
Grade: B-
23rd: Vivre Sa Vie – Jon-Luc Godard (1962)
This film has some of the coolest, most exciting sequences I’ve seen. Anna Karina’s pool hall dance, in particular, is stunning. I also just found myself totally compelled by Godard’s style. For whatever reason, it clicked here with me even more than it did in Breathless. Maybe it’s because this is my second time with Godard? Maybe it’s because this movie has Anna Karina in every frame? She’s magnetic. If I have a complaint, it’s that I don’t really buy the story. I don’t feel there’s much substance behind it. I can’t think of Anna Karina as this woman. But the film’s focus is so heavily on style over substance, it doesn’t really matter.
Grade: B
25th: Plus One – Jeff Chan, Andrew Rhymer (2019)
A highly enjoyable movie that’s pretty clever. It’s clear that the filmmakers have a great awareness of rom-coms in general. I particularly thought the staging of the film was well-done. That is takes place almost entirely at different weddings was a good conceit. I should also say that this film doesn’t work without Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid as the leads. They’re both great. One thing this film leads me to wonder though, is if it’s even possible to nail down the supporting cast in a movie like this. My biggest complaint with recent rom-coms is that the friends and family never feel like real people. So while the relationship is usually charming, the surrounding circumstances always feel staged. I just don’t buy that any of the families or friends in this film are authentic people. I wonder though if that’s because the world today is so individualized, that’d be impossible to render a broadly authentic friendship? In other words, that a “real” friendship looks completely different depending on the audience member?
Grade: B
26th: Baby Driver – Edgar Wright (2017)
Edgar Wright might honestly be the best director working right now. From just a filmmaking perspective, this film is impeccably put together. In fact, it’s so seamlessly done, I think it’s easy to lose track of everything Wright accomplishes. I honestly have no idea how he syncs up all of the action in the film to music. I’d imagine that he must have had the soundtrack ahead of time? With that being said, Baby Driver is not exactly my cup of tea. I don’t think Ansel Elgort works as the lead. I also think the last act is a bit of a mess. Fortunately, because of the type of film, those things aren’t enormously significant.
Grade: B-
27th: Shithouse – Cooper Raiff (2020)
I haven’t been this jealous of a film in some time. I loved this movie. It’s exactly the type of film I’d hope to make. The entire second act, in which Alex and Maggie walk around all night, is perfectly done. The two leads, Cooper Raiff (also the director) and Dylan Gelula, are great. You can feel the chemistry and excitement in their night out. The film is able to capture that special moment when you meet an important person in your life. It also does a great job at rendering a specific aspect of the college experience. Luckily, I wasn’t as homesick in my own college experience as Alex is here. Still, I can relate to some of the depression and malaise he’s going through. Despite all my praise, there are a few things that don’t work about the film. The falling out between Alex and Maggie felt a bit too dramatic for me. I’d imagine there might also be some quibbles about the ending in which they get together. I personally really liked that choice whether or not it made sense. I guess I was just rooting for these two crazy kids.
Grade: A-
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