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Paolo Sorrentino’s trippy, kinetic film follows the adventures of a jaded playboy in Rome
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First things first: I was delighted that “Sentimental Value” won the Oscar for Best International Feature this year. As I wrote previously in this newsletter, I thought it was the movie of the year, in any language. See it now if you haven’t.

By coincidence, my subject this week is another film that won the very same prize a dozen years ago: Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty”. See it now if you haven’t or watch it again if you have.

Watch “Unforgiven”, the Western that relaunched Clint Eastwood’s career
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As Clint Eastwood turned 60 back in 1990, a time when many working actors and directors might contemplate slowing down, his own career was poised to soar.

By that point, he’d been in the business for 35 years, directing 17 features and starring in close to 40. With his trademark squinty scowl, he was already a household name due to iconic roles as “Dirty Harry” and (earlier) “The Man with No Name” in the Sergio Leone spaghetti western trilogy.

Joseph Cotten delivers a career best performance in this tingling thriller about pure evil visiting an idyllic American town
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With his country on the brink of war, and on the strength of British classics like “The 39 Steps” and “The Lady Vanishes”, director Alfred Hitchcock was finally lured to Hollywood in 1939, where he signed a seven-year contract with independent producer David O. Selznick.

Get religion with this affecting drama about a fundamentalist preacher with a dark secret
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Once dubbed “America’s Olivier”, Robert Duvall was the embodiment of an actor’s actor. He took his craft extremely seriously, and yet, like all the greats, made it look effortless. And whenever he entered the frame, your eyes were squarely on him.

Dive into Louis Malle’s debut feature–a dark, twisty thriller set in the City of Light
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This past week, I got stuck alone in an elevator for 45 minutes. Pacing nervously in that confined space, I knew I had to write about one of my favorite slow-boil thrillers from France, “Elevator to the Gallows” (1958).

Come back to “Dazed and Confused”– the outrageous teen comedy that launched Matthew McConaughey
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When a new film from indie auteur Richard Linklater arrives, you know two things upfront: it’s something he really wanted to make, and he made it his way.

Jean Renoir’s first Technicolor film set in India is a feast for the eyes and the spirit
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Son of legendary painter Pierre-Auguste, film director Jean Renoir shared his father’s brilliance, but transferred it from canvas to celluloid.

Catch this hysterical satire based on Sid Caesar’s comedy show at the dawn of television
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I’m currently devouring my friend David Margolick’s fascinating new book “When Caesar Was King”, about the legendary Sid Caesar.

For those too young to remember, Caesar was a TV pioneer and star of the groundbreaking, ninety-minute “Your Show of Shows” (1950-54), followed by “Caesar’s Hour” (1954-57), both wildly popular sketch comedy series on NBC.

The wrenching “No Other Land” captures forced displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank
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It was an unusual situation last March when the Palestinian entry “No Other Land“ won the Oscar for Best Documentary, after capturing a slew of other critics’ and festival awards.

Simple reason: very few people outside the industry and the media had seen it.

Why “Harold and Maude” remains an offbeat romance for the ages

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In its review of Hal Ashby’s 1971 cult classic “Harold and Maude”, TV Guide said it best: “This is a doggedly eccentric film which some will reject out of hand. Others will find it profoundly moving and life-affirming.”

Count me (and countless others) in the latter camp, but it’s still true that the film polarizes; you either love it… or you’re left cold.

This sizzling noir was the first film to take on antisemitism

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Believe it or not, before 1947 movies had never explored the scourge of antisemitism. With the grim reality of the Holocaust sinking in, the time was ripe.

Norwegian Director Joachim Trier’s latest drama is a triumph

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Talk about saving the best for last. Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” finally became available to stream this past week. I’d heard all the buzz and knew it had taken the Grand Prize at Cannes.

So, I pounced. I know it’s a cliché, but here’s a film that reminds us of what filmmaking at its best can achieve. It’s my pick for movie of the year.

Come over to “The Apartment”, the ultimate New Year’s Eve movie

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Some of you may have heard about our Essentials section, which compiles the top, timeless films every movie lover should see. The best of the best.

High up on the much smaller short list I carry around in my own head you’ll find Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment” (1960).

For a heady dose of holiday spirit, visit “The Bishop’s Wife”

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It’s kind of remarkable that our top three classic American Christmas movies were all released within a year of each other, just after the Second War.

The simplest explanation is that after nearly four years of war, a weary public wanted a return to a sense of hope and home, which these films amply provided.

Experience Celine Song’s “Past Lives”, a masterful exploration of love, fate, and human connections that endure
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Over the past decade, one bright spot on a cloudy movie landscape has been A24, an independent production company focused on making intelligent, distinctive, mostly human-scale movies on limited budgets.

For the best of Frank Capra, make it a double feature: “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”
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Each year around this time, countless fans hit their sofas to screen Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), a sentimental favorite that’s become an enduring holiday tradition.

Hard to believe, but “Life” was actually a flop on release, too heavy for war-weary audiences and overshadowed by the virtually simultaneous arrival in theaters of William Wyler’s “The Best Years of Our Lives”, a brilliant, highly topical film about men returning from combat.

See Redford in his prime in the tense spy thriller, “Three Days of the Condor”
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With his recent passing, I’ve taken a bittersweet look back at the best films of actor/director Robert Redford, and returned to an old favorite, Sydney Pollack’s “Three Days of the Condor” (1975), co-starring Faye Dunaway. Shot on location in New York City, including the old World Trade Center, it delivers pungent nostalgia along with its myriad twists and turns.

Elia Kazan’s cautionary “A Face In the Crowd” feels even more relevant today
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Of all the enduring films director Elia Kazan made in his prime, 1957’s “A Face in the Crowd” is perhaps the one whose reputation has grown the most. Certainly its unnerving message has grown even more timely.

“The Alabama Solution”– The Most Important Film You’ll See This Year
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Every once in a while, a movie comes along that really blows you back in your seat. “The Alabama Solution” is one such film.

Directed by Andrew Jarecki (“The Jinx”) and Charlotte Kaufman, it takes us inside the walls of today’s Alabama’s state prison system. What we witness there stirs shock and outrage, but also inspires a measure of hope.

This Halloween, take a nightmare trip to Venice with Donald Sutherland
and Julie Christie.
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With Halloween approaching, here’s an alternative to all those slasher/flesh-eating zombie titles pushed at us on streaming platforms.

For a Hitchcockian horror movie with a touch of class (and sex), check out Nicolas Roeg’s “Don’t Look Now” (1973), starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie.

Time to revisit “Ikiru”: the film Akira Kurosawa thought was his best.
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Though today most remember Japanese director Akira Kurosawa for his period films (“Rashomon”, “Seven Samurai”, “Ran”), my own favorite is set in modern times: 1952’s “Ikiru”.

Movies, mobsters, Travolta and Hackman. How can you lose?
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I hold a special place in my heart for “Get Shorty”, which first premiered thirty years ago this month. Based on a book by Elmore Leonard and starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman and Rene Russo, it’s immensely entertaining – fast, funny and smart.

Catch the film that gave Hitchcock a badly-needed comeback in 1951.
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Seventy-five years ago, Alfred Hitchcock was just starting production on “Strangers on a Train”, based on Patricia Highsmith’s first novel. A lot was riding on this film.

Hard to believe, but the Master was in a prolonged slump just then, with his last four releases fizzling at the box office. “Strangers” would either put him back on his horse or extend his losing streak.

Elaine May’s black comedy from 1971 may be her finest hour on-screen.
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105 years ago yesterday, legendary actor Walter Matthau arrived on this planet, reason enough to watch one of his finest comedies from the seventies, “A New Leaf” (1971). This under-exposed gem is as rich in backstory as in laughs.

Ever hear about the man who walked across the Twin Towers?
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Movies about human beings attempting the impossible and succeeding are most often works of fiction or fantasy, but not always.

“Man on Wire”, James Marsh’s wondrous doc from 2008, relates a true story that you can’t believe actually happened.

Don’t miss the first-ever “pandemic” film from brilliant director Elia Kazan
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Seventy-five years ago this week saw the release of Elia Kazan’s “Panic in the Streets”, the first-ever feature about a possible pandemic. Part noir, part crime procedural, “Panic” remains a gripping, fascinating watch, particularly if you know the backstory.

For the Sellers Centennial, Watch His Best Inspector Clouseau Outing
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A big milestone for movie fans happened last Monday: the centennial of Peter Sellers’ birth. A famously complicated man, he was also a comic genius who brought laughter to millions.

Perhaps his most famous and beloved invention was the hapless French police Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It had been a while since I’d paid the Inspector a visit, so I decided to stream 1964’s “A Shot in the Dark”, the second (and best) of the Clouseau films.

“Green Border”– No Safe Haven
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In our current moment, as we hear about working immigrants snatched up and summarily deported, I wonder what actually happens once they find themselves in strange, hostile territory. Assuming they’re not imprisoned, how do they find work or build a life? These are open questions, but it’s likely the answers are grim.

“Ordinary People”: Anything But Ordinary
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With his 89th birthday falling this week, we honor Robert Redford’s legacy by revisiting his first and best film as director, 1980’s “Ordinary People”, released 45 years ago next month.

Redford was a top “A-list” star who wanted to try his hand behind the camera, and he had just the story. Judith Guest had written a novel called “Ordinary People”, which fell into his lap while still in galley form.

Roman Holiday – Romantic Comedy Royalty
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If you can’t actually visit Rome this summer, here’s a sound alternative: just watch “Roman Holiday” from 1953, the romantic comedy that made Audrey Hepburn a star.

She plays Ann, a highly protected and programmed young princess of an unnamed country who travels to Rome for official business and ends up getting into mischief.

Jazz on a Summer’s Day
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You don’t need to love jazz to love Bert Stern’s “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” (1959), a vivid, engrossing snapshot of our history and popular culture seven decades ago, deep into the Eisenhower era.

And it takes jazz – America’s music – from smoky nighttime basements to a gorgeous summer weekend outside at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival.

Libeled Lady: The Best Screwball Comedy You’ve Never Seen
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This week we honor the memory of one of the great screen pairings, that of William Powell and Myrna Loy, who enchanted audiences back in the thirties and forties.

Their birthdays both fall this week, with Powell’s on July 29th and Myrna’s on August 2nd.

A Mitchum Peak: The Night of the Hunter
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Macho, uber-cynical movie actor Robert Mitchum was never one to gush, but in later years he made an exception for one film: “The Night of the Hunter” (1955), stating that of his hundred-plus movies, “Hunter” was his favorite.

He also singled out Charles Laughton as his favorite director, a surprise given that “Hunter” was the first and last time Laughton directed a film.

American Graffiti: Having Fun All Summer Long
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In 1972, 28-year-old filmmaker George Lucas was about to start his second feature, following a group of friends in 1962 Modesto, California on the last evening of summer break after their high school graduation.

He wanted to recreate the cruising culture of his youth in early sixties California, where male teens used cars and drag racing to have fun and meet ladies. Of course, these cars had radios, and everyone was listening to a flood of classic early rock tunes.

A Separation: Powerful Drama Transcending Borders
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With their country recently in the news, I think of the gifted, courageous Iranian filmmakers who have defied their theocratic government and made brutally honest cinema that sheds light on Iran’s repressive society. They’ve done so at considerable risk to themselves, including incarceration and bans on pursuing their livelihood.

The Fugitive: Don’t Let It Get Away!
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That tired cliché about time flying comes to mind as I realize it was 32 years ago that “The Fugitive” (1993) first hit theaters. It feels like only yesterday.

I was obsessed with it back then, returning to see it three times and appreciating it more with each viewing. For me, there was so much in it to love.

Double Trouble: The Inspired Lunacy of “The Lady Eve”
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On my short list of all-time greatest comedies, you’ll find Preston Sturges’ “The Lady Eve” (1941). Like a treasured old pal, it’s a film I return to regularly when I need a laugh, which these days is quite often.

Sturges was a highly successful screenwriter in 1930s Hollywood (1935’s “The Good Fairy”, 1937’s “Easy Living”) who badly wanted to direct his own work. In those days, such a transition was virtually unheard of.

World War 2 Suspense with a French Flavor
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A few months back, my wife and I ventured downtown to the Film Forum for a screening of the fully-restored “Army of Shadows” (1969), directed by the brilliant Jean-Pierre Melville.

I’d seen this gripping tale of the French resistance years before, but only on DVD. Emerging from the total immersion of an in-theater experience lasting two-and-a-half hours, we were both rocked.

When the Coens Went Kooky
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With a truly great movie, I always say: If it’s been a while, see it again. Even though the movie hasn’t changed, you have, and you see new things.

Following my own advice, I recently revisited the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski” from 1998. Their follow-up to the Oscar-winning triumph “Fargo” (1996), the offbeat, often hilarious “Lebowski” did not receive the critical acclaim its predecessor enjoyed. Reviews were mixed, and the film received no Oscar nominations, which seems shocking today.

Judy Garland’s Failed Comeback
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With all her fame and talent, Judy Garland (whose birthday falls next week) was also one of Hollywood’s most tragic victims.

As a child star at MGM in the thirties, by law she had to get schooling even as she kept up a rigorous shooting schedule. To get the most out of her, she was given pills by the studio to lose weight, sleep, and stay awake.

An Unmissable Road Trip with Tom Hardy
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Like most prominent screen actors, British actor Tom Hardy has made movies both good and bad, but I think it’s a fair claim that he elevates most anything he’s in.

He’s graced some very big, high profile productions,, including “Inception” (2010), “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015).

A Scottish Romance for the Ages
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Reviewing the storied history of British filmmaking, one special partnership stands out: that of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, known as “The Archers”.

When they first met through producer Alexander Korda in 1939, Powell was an up-and-coming director, Pressburger a Hungarian émigré and established screenwriter who, in Powell’s estimation, knew just how to structure a film.

Hidden Gem: “Animal Kingdom”, A Gritty Australian Crime Film
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A reliably popular sub-genre, crime thrillers abound on streaming platforms, but few really stand out. The majority are formulaic time passers, awash in gratuitous violence, with tired scripts and stock characters that feel depressingly familiar, because they are.

Movies About Movies, and One Filmmaker’s Amazing “Journey”
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There’s no shortage of documentary films about the tricky process of making movies, and those who excelled at it. They can be entertaining and informative, but often you get the sense that only movie buffs will be truly captivated by them.

“Bad Day at Black Rock”: The Movie That Made Me a Spencer Tracy Fan
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Today, Spencer Tracy is a name less familiar to younger viewers than classic icons like Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and John Wayne, but in his time Tracy was widely considered the finest screen actor working in Hollywood.

Best remembered today for his outings with life partner Katharine Hepburn, most notably “Woman of the Year” (1942) and “Adam’s Rib” (1949), Tracy also made some incredible movies on his own, notably 1958’s “Inherit the Wind” and “Judgment at Nuremberg” from 1963.

Downfall”: Recalling Hitler’s Final Days
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We have a dark milestone ahead of us. The end of this month marks eighty years since the suicide of Adolf Hitler, signaling the final collapse of the once invincible Third Reich and Nazi Germany.

It’s also twenty years since the release of the finest film ever made about Hitler, “Downfall”, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, featuring a breathtaking performance from Bruno Ganz.

Classic Comedy Worth Rediscovering: “Ruggles of Red Gap”
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From childhood, I’ve always adored the screwball comedies of the thirties and early forties. For countless Americans suffering through the Great Depression, they provided vital therapy and distraction, allowing them to laugh at the idle rich while soaking up all the glamour surrounding them.

Seen today, they are as clever, fast and funny as ever, recalling a golden age in film comedy where script and dialogue were king, and sophistication was not a dirty word.

A Must Watch Film: The Seed of The Sacred Fig
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It feels like a good moment to talk about heroes. We certainly could use some now.

If a hero is someone who risks his life to stand up for something important against malevolent forces greater than himself, then Mohammad Rasoulof fits the definition.

One of Iran‘s most provocative directors, through his work Rasoulof has repeatedly challenged the oppressive theocratic rule in Iran, and been jailed for it several times.

My Favorite Hitchcock
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Like most every classic movie fan, I treasure the work of director Alfred Hitchcock. To me, the fact that he never won a competitive Oscar over his long career constitutes an oversight of massive proportions.

If I had to pick a favorite among the many Hitchcock titles I love, it would have to be “Notorious” (1946). The story of Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), a Nazi war criminal’s daughter who gets recruited by CIA agent Devlin (Cary Grant) to infiltrate a spy ring in Rio de Janeiro right after World War 2, “Notorious” seamlessly blends suspense and love story to create a near-perfect film.

“Bullitt”, And The Car Chase That Changed Film Forever
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When you think of the Steve McQueen classic “Bullitt” (1968), two words should flash in your brain: “car” and “chase”.

True, this thriller about a San Francisco cop (McQueen) who stumbles onto a conspiracy after failing to protect a mob witness features likely the best car chase ever captured on film. The close runner-up, three years later, happens in “The French Connection”, though technically that one involves a car pursuing an elevated subway train.

Why 1964 was Peter Sellers’ Year
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In 1964, Americans experienced an explosive phenomenon known as the British Invasion, which drew bands like the Beatles and the Stones to our shores.

It also brought us Peter Sellers.

Prior to that year, most Americans were only vaguely familiar with this wildly talented comic actor, who was beloved in his native Britain for teeming with Spike Milligan on BBC Radio’s anarchic “The Goon Show” throughout the fifties. He’d also won a BAFTA (British Oscar) for Best Actor for 1959’s “I’m All Right, Jack.”

Celebrate 45 Years of “Alien”
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Last summer, I noted precious little fanfare around the 45th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s “Alien”. International Women’s Day this past week made me think of it again.

Though it ended up scoring at the box office, “Alien” received only mixed reviews on release. Gradually, over the decades, it’s achieved the classic status it always deserved.

Overlooked Hackman Classic: “I Never Sang For My Father”
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As I mourn the passing of Gene Hackman, one of our greatest screen actors, I’m tracking which films are highlighted in the multiple tributes. And I’m noting one that’s not getting enough love: 1970’s “I Never Sang For My Father”.

This small, potent film came just before his star-making turn as Detective Popeye Doyle in “The French Connection” (1971). It marked Hackman’s second Best Supporting Actor nomination, after 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde”, the movie that first put him on the map.

Recent and Decent: “Sing Sing” Soars!
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Several months ago, my wife and I traveled to Sing Sing Prison north of New York City to learn more about an initiative called Rehabilitation Through the Arts, or RTA, which uses live performance as a vehicle for self-expression and healing. It not only helps convicts cope behind bars, it significantly reduces recidivism once they get out.

Loving Lee Marvin
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Next week marks the 101st birthday of Lee Marvin, a complex, rebellious, highly talented actor who left us with some amazing movies to remember him by.

Like Bogart, he only reached movie stardom at 40. Initially his hang dog face, lanky frame, and deep voice made him the perfect bad guy. There you see him, throwing scalding coffee on Gloria Grahame’s face in “The Big Heat” (1953), challenging biker Brando in “The Wild One” (1953), and curled up like a snake on Spencer Tracy’s bed in “Bad Day at Black Rock” (1955).

Raise Your ‘Umbrellas’ this Valentine’s Day
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For romance, you can’t beat the French, and for French romance, you can’t beat Jacques Demy’s “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964).

This glorious film holds powerful, personal connotations: When first released, our family was just ending a two year stint in Paris that transformed our lives. Taken there by my father’s work as a lawyer, my parents met a whole new group of lifelong friends, while discovering the joys of good wine and cheese.

David Lynch’s Unexpected Gem
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Like countless others, I love getting lost in the bizarre, off-kilter cinematic world of David Lynch.

I admire both the gleeful perversion and retro, kitschy style he brings to his signature film, “Blue Velvet (1986), featuring an over-the-top, villainous turn from Dennis Hopper. “Velvet” also marked the first of three collaborations between Lynch and actress Laura Dern, who became not just his on-screen muse, but close friend.

Half a Century of “Dog Day Afternoon”
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As Al Pacino approaches his 85th birthday, occasional sightings on social media show him beaming like a merry old elf- hair longer, waist size bigger, a preeminent actor with nothing more to prove, who can look back on an illustrious career with quiet satisfaction.

Over half a century ago, he became an overnight star playing Michael Corleone in the first two “Godfather” installments, and cemented his bankability in 1973’s “Serpico” (1973), a true story about an incorruptible New York City cop directed by Sidney Lumet.

Paranoia and the Presidency
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Now that we’ve inaugurated a new (old?) President, let’s look back at some of the outstanding films that explore the high-stakes challenges of that lofty office.

In the early sixties, we were still consumed by anti-Communism and a Cold War with the U.S.S.R., evidenced by a nuclear arms race between the two super-powers.

There was a distinct feeling of vulnerability, even paranoia in the air, exacerbated by the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 that brought us way too close to Armageddon.

Make It A Cary Grant Weekend!
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Did you know this Saturday is a holiday? Well, of course it is. It’s Cary Grant’s birthday.

It’s hard to accept he’s been gone almost forty years now, and that his last film arrived nearly sixty years ago. He’s always very much present and alive to me.

What made him so special? For one thing, he appealed in equal measure to both men and women. Women for his looks, wit and charm, men because he also projected masculinity, brains and when called upon, courage.

Forty Years Later, ‘Witness’ Still Delivers
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It’s great to see actor Harrison Ford, now 82, having fun and getting his due in Apple TV’s comedy “Shrinking”, now in its second season.

Formerly a skilled carpenter, Ford broke through during the seventies renaissance in Hollywood, first scoring supporting roles in “American Graffiti” (1973) and “The Conversation” (1974) before becoming an action star playing Han Solo in the first “Star Wars” (1977). He then added the heroic but ever-affable “Indiana Jones” character to his resume in 1981, kicking off yet another lucrative franchise.

“Anora”: This Year’s Best Movie!
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As each year draws to a close, I always look for that one unexpected, under-the-radar film that has everyone buzzing, more from word-of-mouth than heavy publicity.

The one movie that seems to come out of nowhere. The one that surprises me most, the one I watch again, the one that renews my faith in movies.

Ring in the New Year at ‘The Apartment’
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Fellow movie lovers: Hope your holidays are merry and bright. Of course it’s really not over till we all ring in the New Year.

When I’ve been asked in the past to name the ultimate New Year’s Eve movie, I’ve always said “The Apartment”.

1983’s ‘A Christmas Story’ – A Holiday Favorite
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Fellow movie lovers: ‘Tis the season, and if you really want to be jolly, visit Max and stream Bob Clark’s “A Christmas Story”. Invite the whole family, as it is, in the best sense, a family picture.

Don’t worry if you’ve seen it before- it’s just as good the tenth time as the first. And if somehow you’ve never seen it, you’re in for a treat.

Bogdanovich’s ‘Paper Moon’ Now in Stunning 4K!
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Fellow Movie Lovers, I preach all the time about how it’s better to watch a great movie again than an average one the first time…why?

Because the film hasn’t changed, but you have, and you always see something new.
You also think you remember the movie, but there’s always plenty you’ve forgotten. This was borne out once more with our “Paper Moon” screening, now out from Criterion in a gorgeous 4K edition.