Directed by Steven Soderbergh Did Ocean's Eleven establish the heist movie style?  I don't know, but it seems to have at least played a part in setting up a template that now feels cliche, but fun all the same.  Whether or not these stylistic choices are or were cliche, they keep the audience a step behind … Continue reading Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Directed by Joe Dante In The 'Burbs, a vacationing family man begins to obsess over the mysterious new neighbors whose haunted house exterior to him suggests a dark secret.  That man is Ray (Tom Hanks), and we never really learn anything about Ray beyond his family life here in the suburbs.  The whole movie takes place … Continue reading The ‘Burbs (1989)

Directed by Jean Renoir It was unlikely that The Rules of the Game would be around today.  Released in 1939, it was quickly banned for being immoral, and then prints of the film were damaged, and it was only in 1956 that the remaining prints were discovered and re-released to the public.  Currently considered one of … Continue reading The Rules of the Game (1939)

Directed by Tony Scott Days of Thunder is one of those movies you have to really embrace, despite its many faults, in order to have a good time.  It's so silly and so 80's, almost like a museum piece celebrating the decade, granted it was released in 1990.  It's like a movie made about the … Continue reading Days of Thunder (1990)

Directed by Ben Younger Boiler Room follows the template of other financial broker makes it big through unsavory means stories.  It's predictable, with the rise and fall customary of the genre and of gangster films as well.  Watching this movie, particularly the scene when the ensemble cast of characters watch the movie Wall Street on tv, I … Continue reading Boiler Room (2000)

Directed by Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow De Palma was made through a series of long interviews with director Brian De Palma as he discusses his four or so decades as a filmmaker.  De Palma talks to director Noah Baumbach, though you never see any of the conversation, just the stories De Palma tells almost as … Continue reading De Palma (2015)

Directed by Warren Beatty, Buck Henry Heaven Can Wait is a romantic comedy with some incredibly haunting implications about death.  Sure, Warren Beatty stars as Joe Pendleton, the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, and sure, his goal is to find a way to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory, but my gosh, … Continue reading Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Directed by Alexandre Lehmann Narratively, Blue Jay is like anyone of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset or Before Midnight.  Aesthetically it's like Frances Ha, shot in a sentimental black and white, as if to highlight the nostalgia of this moment for the characters involved, Amanda and Jim (Sarah Paulson, Mark Duplass).  Ultimately it's a tired premise that could be made fresh by … Continue reading Blue Jay (2016)

Directed by the Safdie Brothers Good Time is a very tense movie.  From the beginning you are thrust into a character's world, and you're never allowed a moment to breathe.  This comes from the fast-paced nature of the story (taking place mostly over the course of a single night) as well as the cinematography (tight … Continue reading Good Time (2017)

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard Vivre Sa Vie ends with one of the funniest deaths I've seen in a long time.  It's so unsentimental in its depiction of this death, just a quiet cut to black with the text "fin" telling you this is all you get, that you kind of have to laugh. Godard isn't … Continue reading Vivre Sa Vie (1962)