"65"

It was 60 years ago when a mind-blowing 73 million viewers tuned in to the top variety program on television, the Ed Sullivan Show, and first experienced the four lads from Liverpool known as the Beatles. That seismic event, which included follow-up appearances on the next two Sullivan shows that month, launched the band on a trajectory of success not even their most ardent early fans could have imagined. And it happened so fast. 

Having first become entranced with the ethereal beauty and outsize talent of Catherine Deneuve over half a century ago, it’s astounding to think this stunningly gifted French actress just turned 80. 

The first time I saw a gambling table in movies was when I (and everyone else) first encountered secret agent James Bond on the big screen. The scene is iconic. Cool and confident in black tie, Bond (Sean Connery) lights a cigarette as he plays Baccarat. We see he is winning, and we sense he wins at a lot of things. The film was, of course, “Dr. No” (1962). 

Why were so many of our very best actors born in April? It’s an unanswerable question, of course, but intriguing nonetheless. And in the rarefied world of movie stardom, the concentration of April birthdays is pretty remarkable.

Now as before, all the noise and hype around these major commercial titles can distract us from a few smaller gems released in the past year. So below I’ve compiled a list of nine outstanding “under the radar” films from ‘22, including three narrative features from overseas, and three documentaries. If you’re just hearing about some of them now, then I’m doing my job. Here’s to lots more great movies — big and small — in ’23.

Thanks to a couple of stellar releases from the Criterion Collection, I’m being reminded of a big star from Hollywood’s golden age who risks being forgotten, but shouldn’t be. His name was Charles Boyer, and he was one of only two French actors to break through in Hollywood during the thirties (the other was singer Maurice Chevalier, who unlike Boyer, confined himself to musical comedies).