Dir. Elem Klimov. Starring Aleksey Kravchenko, Vladas Bagdonas, Olga Mironova Come and See lays animals into the picture in ways that I don’t think any other war movie even attempts to do. Consider the turkeys which get full camera focus in Flor’s house, or the cow that Roubej gives his life to steal. Think of the… Read More Come and See (1985)
Dir. Steve McQueen. Starring Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Brian Milligan After the debut of 12 Years a Slave, the charges that McQueen’s direction – his long takes, his still camera, his artful establishing shots – was “gimmicky” or, more inscrutably, “distracted from the film” began to proliferate. I’ve always thought that was primarily a response to… Read More Hunger (2008)
Dir. Errol Morris Colloquially, it’s the documentary that released an innocent man from prison; it’s one of those cases about art both affecting and effecting life, sort of the reverse of Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley, Jr. being inspired by Nashville or Taxi Driver. That Randall Dale Adams could be freed from his life sentence (after having… Read More The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds The right song over a montage in a film can be magic. Think “Layla” in Goodfellas. “Eye of the Tiger” in Rocky III. “Joy” in Boogie Nights, which plays as we walk into Eddie Adams’ bedroom, which is a swirling monument to all things hip, groovy, and masculine in… Read More Boogie Nights (1997)
Dir. Joe Wright. Starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan In the past twenty years, I think moviegoers’ penchant for a twist ending has become stronger. People have always loved having that “Whoa!” moment at the end of a film – Vertigo and Psycho both indulge here – but since The Usual Suspects I think our appetites have been… Read More Atonement (2007)
Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Jim Broadbent 2010’s American Idiot, 2009’s Rock of Ages, 2006’s Jersey Boys, 2003’s Movin’ Out. 2003’s The Boy from Oz. All Best Musical nominees at the Tony Awards in the past ten years. One winner in the bunch (Jersey Boys). All jukebox musicals. On television, Glee and… Read More Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Dir. Peter Jackson. Starring Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Clive Merrison Heavenly Creatures is Jackson’s breakout movie. In many ways, it’s like watching his own home movies, back when he relied not on New Line but the government of New Zealand to fund his work. In terms of chronology, at least, Jackson was closing in on… Read More Heavenly Creatures (1994)
Seeing Things Secondhand 