6th: The Northman – Robert Eggers (2022)
I can’t believe this movie was so divisive. In all honesty, I don’t get it. Putting aside subject matter, I find Eggers to be such a compelling and capable filmmaker. I found the historical landscape and settings to be completely captivating. It makes me wish that historical epics were made more frequently.
Grade: B+
7th: Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Robert Zemeckis (1988)
A big blind spot for me. Pretty good film! Makes me want to watch a bunch of “actual” noirs. And also loony toons.
Grade: B
12th: Come and See – Elem Klimov (1985)
I had this movie for two years and was always too afraid to watch it. And to be clear, it is pretty horrifying to watch and think about. But! It is also maybe the most visually stunning film I have seen in a long, long time. I think what’s particularly amazing about it, is that it’s never too flashy or distracting where it gets in the way of the subject matter. But there are shots and sequences that are out of this world – to the point where I have no idea how Klimov made large parts of this film.
Grade: A
14th: Amarcord – Federico Fellini (1973)
About halfway through, I thought to myself, this might be my favorite Fellini movie. By the end of the film, I think this might be my favorite movie full stop. I loved every single second.
Grade: A
21st: There Will Be Blood – Paul Thomas Anderson (2007)
In general, I think we as a society are a little too hive-minded about art. Meaning, that when you look at lists of the best movies or the best albums, they’re all way too similar. I’d love to live in a world in which, instead of always seeing Citizen Kane or The Godfather listed as the best films ever, there would be dozens of different choices depending on the publication or the perspective of the list-maker. That being said…I have a hard time arguing against the consensus that’s developed around this being the best film of the 21st century. I’m not saying necessarily that is. But, man oh man, is this film masterful. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a film with performances, filmmaking, and a score this compelling. There are some obvious (and I think intentional limitations). This is an extremely masculine movie. The POV is basically limited (like most PTA films) to difficult, genius, man-children. But, judging the film strictly on its own terms and what it sets out to accomplish, I think it’s damn near perfect. Whether that makes it the right choice as the best film of the year/decade/century/whatever, who can say.
Grade: A
25th: Not Fade Away – David Chase (2012)
A really fascinating film. The Sopranos is amazing, among many other qualities, for being so subversive. While nostalgia is baked into the fabric of that show, Chase always used it as a lens to juxtapose with reality, which is always inherently disappointing (e.g., Tony arriving at the end of something). Not Fade Away contrarily not only feels more earnest than The Sopranos but really leans into nostalgia in a more traditional sense. You get the idea that Chase does believe the 60s were a superior time, at least when it comes to rock and roll. And hey, who am I to argue with him? The look and feel of this movie is just exquisite. Ultimately, it’s a good film about a revolutionary time. Which, ironically, is pretty much the opposite of a revolutionary series about an ordinary time.
Grade: B
25th: Synecdoche, New York – Charlie Kaufman (2008)
Man, I am ill-equipped to discuss Charlie Kaufman. In almost all of his movies, I feel my admiration for his unique voice and singular vision eclipses any personal connection I have with the film. Synecdoche, probably because of Philip Seymour Hoffman, is the closest I’ve come to an emotional grasp of Kaufman’s work since Eternal Sunshine. That, in itself, really buoyed the film for me, But to feel more, I think I’d have to dig much deeper, which is not so much an indictment of Kaufman as it is of me and my limited attention span for films that value intellectualism over emotion.
Grade: B-
25th: Contagion – Steven Soderbergh (2011)
Is this my favorite Soderbergh? I think so! Even without the incredible prescience, he has in anticipating our own viral outbreak, this film is a masterclass in storytelling and pacing. Every scene is utterly propulsive, Soderbergh manages to split the narrative across an ensemble of loosely connected characters, and there’s not a weak plotline among the bunch. To me, this is the absolute definition of a rewatchable.
Grade: B+
26th: Ocean’s Eleven – Steven Soderbergh (2001)
A really fun, star-studded, Hollywood blockbuster and for sure the type of film I wish were made more frequently today. That being said, I’ve always felt that this movie never quite equals the sum of its parts. I really admire Soderbergh’s directions and his visual/stylistic nods to old Hollywood. The case is, of course, fantastic. And yet, I’m always left thinking this is just “pretty good.”
Grade: B
26th: The Devil Wears Prada – David Frankel (2006)
A big event movie I had missed and one that seems to have developed a bit of a legacy reputation. Now having seen it, I can confirm that it is a very pleasant movie. That being said, a few notes:
1. It is painful to watch the demarcation of good and bad fashion in 2006, a time who’s “fashion” has aged terribly.
2. A great example of a film full of “fake people” (with the exception of Meryl Streep / Anna Wintour). The main friend group in this film are all recent Northwestern grads where:
– Friend A is a New York City chef
-Friend B is a corporate office guy (okay, that adds up)
-Friend C is a well-known artist/photographer
-Anne Hathaway is a journalism major who ends up as assistant to the assistant at Vogue.
Nonsense!
Grade: B-
27th: Ocean’s Twelve – Steven Soderbergh (2004)
I admire the effort (or lack thereof), but it’s a no from me, dog.
Grade: C+
27th: Meantime – Mike Leigh (1983)
A special film. I think Mike Leigh has made better and more ambitious films, but this, to me, feels like the synthesis of his work. Everything here feels completely organic to the point where, each time that I’ve watched it, I haven’t known what I was watching until the very end. The film really is a masterclass in character building and conveying meaning through emotionality and performance.
Grade: A-
Sam Writes Shit 
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