Directed by Elia Kazan Rationality is on full display in Elia Kazan's Boomerang!, a film about the quick conviction and acquittal (due to matters of politics and convenience) of a man accused of murder. The hero here is prosecutor Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews), a young man with sudden political aspirations after the powers that be … Continue reading Boomerang! (1947)
The Candidate (1972)
Directed by Michael Ritchie "What do we do now?" Bill McKay (Robert Redford) is the young handsome Democratic nominee for Senator in the state of California. He is chosen by Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) to run an unwinnable race against sitting Senator Crocker Jarmon (Don Porter), and because it seems all but certain he will … Continue reading The Candidate (1972)
Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Directed by Alain Resnais The world of Last Year at Marienbad is constructed before our eyes. Like with Charlie Kauffman's Synecdoche, New York (2008) we watch the environment unravel and expand as the movie unfolds. It's near impossible to tell what is "real" or fabricated because for us to know that we would have to understand the … Continue reading Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Mandy (2018)
Directed by Panos Costamos Mandy is a lean and mean revenge thriller, light on plot but heavy on motivation. Like with John Wick the need for revenge is made clear with only a few storytelling beats, however the film takes its time getting there, choosing instead to emphasize the acid trip of a world created for … Continue reading Mandy (2018)
Charade (1963)
Directed by Stanley Donen Charade was released to a shell-shocked audience a month after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. To some it might've felt suddenly outdated, the bankable Hollywood stars and happy ending proving to be out of touch with an increasingly grim reality, and to others it might've been a soothing sense of … Continue reading Charade (1963)
Chappaquiddick (2017)
Directed by John Curran Go read the youtube comments under the trailer for Chappaquiddick, it's quite strange and eye-opening, not to the way things are but the disparate narratives people can pull from the same thing. I didn't view this as a movie about politics but rather about power, privilege and little else. The top comments on … Continue reading Chappaquiddick (2017)
Blaze (2018)
Directed by Ethan Hawke Blaze is a biopic about a musician not many people have heard of. In interviews Ethan Hawke has explained how the life of Blaze Foley is a lens through which to view anonymity and, in particular, artists who never "make it" in the conventional sense. Blaze Foley's (Ben Dickey) story is … Continue reading Blaze (2018)
Zama (2017)
Directed by Lucrecia Martel It's hard to know what to make of Zama, at least on a first glance. On the surface it reminded me of movies like A Field in England (2013) and, by the end, Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) or Fitzcarraldo (1982). These are all movies set predominantly outdoors, in some aspect of the wildness … Continue reading Zama (2017)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Directed by Tony Richardson Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay) grows more rebellious after his father passes away, and an eventual robbery lands him in a juvenile detention center that doubles as an all-boys boarding school. There he demonstrates an unmatched athletic ability that excites the adults who run the school and offers him special privilege over … Continue reading The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Midnight Run (1988)
Directed by Martin Brest Midnight Run is Planes, Trains and Automobiles plus Robert De Niro. There's also a little Rat Race thrown in too as a number of different people all have their sights on a single man transported across the country. De Niro plays Jack Walsh, a formed Chicago cop who now works as a bounty hunter based … Continue reading Midnight Run (1988)
