Directed by Norman Jewison The Thomas Crown Affair is a stylish bank heist movie that emphasize style over thrills.  The romantic leads, played by Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway are photographed and dressed like in a magazine spread.  The camera often hovers in close to their faces, reading the nuances of their expressions but mostly … Continue reading The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Directed by Robert Altman Robert Altman's films seem to buzz.  Many of his best ones are ensembles pieces that, with their overlapping and often improvised dialogue, focus on the ambience above any single character.  It's not so much that these movies are about tone, but he most effectively captures the energy of a scene by … Continue reading Images (1972)

Directed by Peter Yates A little while ago I did a quick search for movies set in a small town.  This was after watching Columbus and feeling suddenly nostalgic for childhood summers spent in Iowa, and an enjoyable rewatch of Rob Reiner's Stand By Me.  This feeling of nostalgia, I think, is tied more to movies and … Continue reading Breaking Away (1979)

Directed by Sofia Coppola Sofia Coppola knows how to set a mood.  Like some of her other melancholic stories, The Beguiled is a visual poem more than anything else.  It's actually one of the more plotted stories of any movie she's done, but the narrative only orbits three distinct plot points, concerning the arrival, maiming and … Continue reading The Beguiled (2017)

Directed by Jonathan Levine 50/50 is one of my go to "feel good" movies, which is strange considering it's a story about cancer.  The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam, a 27 year old radio reporter and ardent follower of rules.  Adam goes to the doctor one day and quickly learns of his complicated diagnosis.  … Continue reading 50/50 (2011)

Directed by Billy Wilder Moments like the one near The Seven Year Itch are why I watch movies.  I love movie structure and find a certain comfort in the familiar, expected beats of a feature narrative, but there's something special about those spots in the middle when you find a way to throw the audience off … Continue reading The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Directed by Louis Black, Karen Bernstein I love the films of Richard Linklater.  I'm obsessed with his perspective of the world, his focus on time.  I even downloaded Before Sunset onto my phone so I could listen to it like a podcast on long drives.  If I could be a filmmaker, it'd be Richard Linklater, so … Continue reading Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny (2016)

Directed by Werner Herzog I've never felt this scared of the internet before, but I should've known this would happen.  This is only the third Herzog documentary I've seen (after Grizzly Man, Into the Abyss), but it's enough of a trend to notice the ways in which he probes deep into his subjects.  In those first two … Continue reading Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

Directed by Billy Wilder Reporter Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) shows up in Albuquerque looking for a job at a small newspaper after multiple firings for misbehavior.  As good as a reporter as he claims to be, Chuck is just as good of a salesman.  He gets the job, but as years goes by he laments … Continue reading Ace in the Hole (1951)

Directed by Werner Herzog Into the Abyss is bleak, let's start there.  It's a documentary about capital punishment, told through a 2001 triple homicide carried out by two teenaged friends who wanted a red Camaro.  Michael Perry and Jason Burkett were both convicted of the murders of a mother, her son and the son's friend. … Continue reading Into the Abyss (2011)