#49 — Sidney Poitier as Tommy Tyler in Edge of the City (Martin Ritt, 1957) Sidney Poitier became an icon so quickly that it was all too easy to lose sight of him as an actor. When he claimed an Oscar … Continue reading Greatish Performances #49
#46 — Eighth Grade (Bo Burnham, 2018) Crafting a poignant, painful seriocomic film about the travails of middle school isn’t that novel of a feat any longer. The time-tested subgenre of coming of age films has long since expanded from … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-Six
Garbage Language by Molly Young Ever-wonderful Molly Young wittily, wisely addresses the scourge of the modern workplace: communication twisted into a buzzy abomination meant to confer seriousness and impenetrable expertise. The most tellingly obtuse words and phrasing are brought out … Continue reading Outside Reading — Parallel Path edition
Richard Jewell (Clint Eastwood, 2019). Another entry in Clint Eastwood’s late career run of pedantic, politically confused prestige dramas, Richard Jewell follows the title security guard (Paul Walter Hauser) during the grueling stretch after his discovery of a bomb at … Continue reading Then Playing — Richard Jewell; Men in Black: International; Terminator: Dark Fate
#47 — The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018) When powdered wigs, heavy dresses, and ornate waistcoats are hauled to set, the resulting movie is likely to be stiffened by affected refinement. Adhering to patterns set by countless period dramas before, action … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-Seven
Bong Joon Ho Interpreter Sharon Choi Relives Historic ‘Parasite’ Awards Season in Her Own Words by Sharon Choi Of the many pleasures of this Oscar season that concluded with a wonderful, history outcome, one of the most satisfying was the … Continue reading Outside Reading — Translations Are Sacred edition
#48 — Baby Driver (Edgar Wright, 2017) Especially as they scale up, movies are monumentally difficult to make. Relying on a vast team of specialized collaborators practically guarantees that a long process will be beset by unfortunate compromises and the … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-Eight
#49 — Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011) What happens when a cinematic provocateur turns their attention to the inner turmoil of a person? When the instinct to rattle the audience with a bleak consideration of the futility of existence manifests … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-Nine
Bombshell (Jay Roach, 2019). I assume there is noble intent behind the presence last year of two major productions dramatizing the toxic, misogynistic work environment at Fox News. I cant’ speak to the Showtime limited series that covered the same … Continue reading Then Playing — Bombshell; Harriet; Pain and Glory
#50 — Mission: Impossible — Fallout (Christopher McQuarrie, 2018) In a cinematic era absolutely overrun with superheroes, how can a more conventional action movie titan keep up? Fictional demigods streak across the sky, routinely patching up the very fabric of … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Fifty
Coffee for Two 