Directed by Ryan Coogler Black Panther is a layered movie that combines a little bit of The Lion King with a little bit of James Bond and a lot of cultural history not typically represented in mainstream cinema in a satisfying, thought-provoking manner.  There is a lot to discuss, both on and under the surface, and yet … Continue reading Black Panther (2018)

Directed by Joel Schumacher In Falling Down, Michael Douglas plays William Foster, a recently laid off Defense contractor who has had enough.  On a sweaty morning stuck in Los Angeles traffic (a scene similar to one in Fellini's 8 1/2), Foster gets fed up and abandons his car right there on the freeway onramp.  The car behind … Continue reading Falling Down (1993)

Directed by Terry Gilliam The world of Brazil is the thing of nightmares, at least those nightmares that feel vaguely real but are just a little off.  It's a mechanized, modern world in which everything is falling apart.  The machinery itself is on the fritz, with several visual gags reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times (1936), and … Continue reading Brazil (1985)

Directed by Frank Capra Frank Capra usually makes light, screwball comedies... as far as I can remember.  You know, I've seen a handful of his films, including the most famous ones like It's a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, or his older romantic comedies, but Arsenic and Old Lace is something else entirely.  It's still … Continue reading Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Directed by John Frankenheimer The Manchurian Candidate is a political thriller lathered in Cold War era fear mongering with a premise that is almost comic until it becomes deeply disturbing.  And yet by today's standards this film feels pretty benign, the only noteworthy aspect of the story coming from the abrupt tonal shift near the end. … Continue reading The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Directed by George Clooney The Ides of March opens and closes with a tight shot of Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), standing in the spotlight.  He's the junior campaign manager for Governor Morris (George Clooney) when the film opens and the senior campaign manager by the end.  Governor Morris' political prospects brighten over the course of the … Continue reading The Ides of March (2011)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Suspicion might be Alfred Hitchcock's creepiest film, or his funniest.  Or both.  It's kind of a boiler plate Hitchcock story, playing with ideas of killers hiding in plain sight, and someone investigating that murder, but there was apparently a disagreement between Hitchcock and the studio over what to do with leading … Continue reading Suspicion (1941)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky There is little attempt at realism in the world of wrestling, but there certainly is in The Wrestler.  The sport is one of contrived storylines, cartoonishly large and vibrant characters (Hulk Hogan, for example) and a series of carefully choreographed stunts.  It's all quite absurd, but we're given an intimate glimpse behind … Continue reading The Wrestler (2008)