"77"

Each year around Oscar time, there’s a lot of speculation about which film will win Best Picture. From what I’ve read online, it appears that my own favorite, Ryasuke Hamaguchi’s brilliant drama “Drive My Car,” is a long shot for the top prize.

Advances in gay rights have been hard-won, and there's still much work ahead, but Sunday presents an opportunity to embrace all the progress to-date. It’s a day for Pride.    

Whenever I note Harvey Keitel’s name in the credits of a film, its stock automatically goes up a bit. His involvement may not guarantee a great film, but it does guarantee a remarkable performance within it.

Beyond the tragic loss of George Floyd, for me the saddest part of this past week is realizing how little progress we’ve made on racial inequality since the founding of the Civil Rights movement well over half a century ago. 

If you’re like me, sometimes you’re in the mood for just that — a classic that takes you back to your childhood or gives you a glimpse into another era. Great older films tend to move slower, with longer scenes and fewer cuts. And they usually contain one precious ingredient that too many narrative films lack today: an emphasis on intelligent, clever dialogue, recalling a time when good conversation was considered an art.