Directed by John Cassavetes "You’re seeing performance as an avenue to understanding, and frankly some audiences lack the patience for it (as much as some hate watching the 10-minute philosophy debate in Godard’s Vivre Sa Vie). But those with a taste for it will see something magical in Faces. Cassavetes had an uneven body of work, perhaps … Continue reading Faces (1968)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Dogtooth is a tough watch.  It's an incredibly uncomfortable, even viscerally disturbing depiction of the life of an abusive man and the family he leaves behind at home.  Part of the alienating effects between the characters and the audience comes from the fact that the characters have no names.  They are … Continue reading Dogtooth (2009)

Directed by Robert Redford I don't think A River Runs Through It has aged well.  It seems to have gotten good reviews upon its release, but dear god this movie is incredibly boring.  It's about fly fishing and brotherhood, but who cares about these brothers?  And who cares about fly fishing?  I mean, I get that … Continue reading A River Runs Through It (1992)

Directed by Richard Linklater I first saw Boyhood when it came out in theaters, by myself on a quiet day in the college town I knew I'd be leaving the following month.  I had no job to expect, nowhere to move but back home with my parents, and it was frankly just a quiet, lonely day … Continue reading Boyhood (2014)

Directed by Matt Reeves Did I like this movie?  I think I liked this movie.  It was nice.  It did the same thing Logan did, choosing to focus on a smaller, more personal story within a franchise that could've gone wider rather than deeper.  If Logan was really a version of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, then War for the Planet … Continue reading War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Directed by Josh Mond James White is a character study.  Titular character James White (Christopher Abbott), is a bit of a mess, but his mother's battle with cancer forces him to become an adult.  The film begins and ends with tight close ups of James' face, stressed and almost emotional.  In both shots he looks … Continue reading James White (2015)

Directed by Sidney Lumet Murder on the Orient Express is over the top, but in a good way.  It's like a movie version of the game Clue.  We're given a cast of diverse, eccentric characters, a single location (train car) and a murder.  Before the murder happens, we're introduced briefly to all the major characters.  … Continue reading Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Directed by Trey Edward Shults I think the best compliment a horror film can get is for someone to say, "well it's not really a horror film."  I heard that about Get Out, about It Follows and about this movie, Trey Edward Shults' second film, It Comes at Night. I'm not a big horror fan, so maybe that's why … Continue reading It Comes at Night (2017)

Directed by Rob Reiner A Few Good Men seems like a classic.  Well, I guess it is a classic, but it's also kind of hard to consider a movie from the 90's a classic.  It's great, very well-written with great performances and perfect 'moments.'  It's a long movie with enough time to space out in … Continue reading A Few Good Men (1992)

Directed by Mike Leigh Meantime is a small story about a low income family in London.  The focus is on the two brothers, Mark (Phil Daniels) and the younger Colin (Tim Roth), the latter of whom may be mentally challenged, though no one knows for sure.  Both of them are old enough to work, but … Continue reading Meantime (1984)