The Big Sleep (1946) ***

You can't beat Bogie, Bacall and Chandler. Straight noir fails to transcend its genre though.

The Edge of the World (1937) ***

Director Michael Powell hones his visual flair and knack for casting in this lean tale of a remote Hebridean people coping with modernity. Some stunning images.

Fracture (2007) **

Slick and engaging how-dun-it but it's over art directed and designed. The lighting becomes very distracting instead of illuminating or even beautiful for its own sake.

Man from Reno (2014) ***

Well executed mystery makes good use of San Francisco locations and an adept, mostly non-white, cast. Refreshing.

Isle of Dogs (2018) ***

A little overboard with the extreme closeups, but enjoyable homage to Japanese pop culture from the 50's and 60's.

Barbara Ehrenreich: Why I'm Giving Up on Preventative Care | Literary Hub

So I grudgingly conceded that undergoing the test, which is noninvasive and covered by my insurance, might be preferable to immobility and institutionalization. The result was a diagnosis of “osteopenia,” or thinning of the bones, a condition that might have been alarming if I hadn’t found out that it is shared by nearly all women over the age of 35. Osteopenia is, in other words, not a disease but a normal feature of aging. A little further research, all into readily available sources, revealed that routine bone scanning had been heavily promoted and even subsidized by the drug’s manufacturer. Worse, the favored medication at the time of my diagnosis has turned out to cause some of the very problems it was supposed to prevent—bone degeneration and fractures. A cynic might conclude that preventive medicine exists to transform people into raw material for a profit-hungry medical-industrial complex.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) ****

Another odd fable from director Yorgos Lanthimos in his inimitable deadpan style. Always interesting and thought provoking if at times difficult to watch.

UPDATE 01/24/2024: This is a masterpiece in every aspect.

I, Tonya (2017) ****

Upfront about its shaky veracity, this biopic offers outstanding performances, fine casting, and crisp direction. The skating sequences are done exceptionally well.

The Breadwinner (2017) **

Earnest, well-intentioned animated tale of survival in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Well-made but the relentless oppression makes for difficult viewing.