The Face Behind the Mask (1941) **

Pete Lorre is marvelous in this wildly preposterous melo. Quick pace helps.

Onibaba (1964) ***

Boffo ending elevates this fable of human desires.

Psycho II (1983) **

Prime Meg Tilly is the star here despite Tony Perkins' mugging. Fun to see the old sets back in action.

L'Eclisse (1962) **

If you have to attend a film class in order to understand a film that film has failed. Still, I could watch Mlle. Vitti and M. Delon walk around Rome's construction sites all day. Some beautiful images.

Separate Tables (1983) ***

Enjoyable Brit version of the stasge play emphasizes acting over star power.

Romeo and Juliet (1954) ***

Beautifully produced and the cast is good. It's a little too faithful to the play and could have used some trimming. Well composed, interesting shots for the most part, many with the actors turned away from the camera as they speak.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) ****

Classic noir, superbly made.

Cold Turkey (1971) ****

Possibly the best satire on film thanks to a nonpareil ensemble cast of comedy legends, character actors and non-actors, sharp as nails script and superb editing, production design, you name it. One of the greats.

Viy (1967) **

Superb visuals are the attraction in this well done Russian folk tale.

Night Shift (1982) **

Wildly uneven attempt at screwball succeeds only when Mike Keaton is on screen.

What Price Hollywood? (1932) **

Some clever dialog keeps this behind the scenes melo afloat but the denouement is a bit too pat.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) **

Disappointing to see Tim Burton succumb to the same photographic sins as other contemporary flicks (too dark, backlit) in a mainly underwhelming sequel save for the inspired extended musical sequence that uses almost the entire 7.5 minute original Macarthur Park intact.

The Tenth Man (1988) **

Strong cast and nice production values keep this strained fable afloat.

Midnight Mary (1933) **

Loretta Young, all of 20, shines in this hyper-paced melo.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947) ***

Delightful, streamlined adaptation of the Dickens epic with a terrific cast, expertly produced, photographed and directed. The casting is superb with one glaring exception.

The Verdict (1982) **

Well-made courtroom drama that adheres a little too strictly to the Hollywood sports movie tropes.

Hold Your Man (1933) *

Dated pre-code melo just seems silly nowadays but there's some snappy banter.

Inferno (1953) ***

Bob Ryan is terrific in this gorgeously shot survival yarn slash noir featuring a lovely Rhonda Fleming. Breakneck pace helps.

Woman in Chains (1968) *

Ham fisted pop psych goes nowhere.

Blow-Up (1966) ***

Iconic take on the swingin' London 60's scene has some great moments but the mimes are a real drag man.

Seven Days from Now (1957) ***

Gripping survival at sea yarn well played by all concerned.

Victims of Sin (1951) **

Overwrought Mexican melo has a few sequences that are exceptionally well done. Too few.

Alan Cumming Says Stanley Kubrick Restored His Faith in Movies

“Now when I do a film or something and the director says, ‘Oh, that was perfect, let’s do one more,’ I think, A) Why do one more if it was perfect? And B) You’re not going to say anything? You’re not going to say why we’re doing it again? “Other people say, ‘Oh, just try another one.’ Stanley would be like, ‘OK, look at the monitor here and see the way your lip moves there. When you say that word, look in this direction…’ Every time you did a take, you were so excited to try and get it right for him.”

Lifeboat (1944) ***

Slightly stagy but still engrossing tale of survival at sea in WWII all inside a large lifeboat.

The Beast (2023) *

2.5 hours, nearly every frame with the stupendous Ms. Seydoux, and this is the best you can do? Shameful.

Aftersun (2022) **

Well constructed melo makes you do some work (a good thing) but something is missing as the payoff is not that cathartic. In real life it seldom is but this is the movies.

A Woman's Tale (1991) ***

It's a bit over-written but has many scenes of bracing honesty about facing the inevitable. Splendid lead performance.

Amanda (2022) **

The art direction, photography and future star Benedetta Porcaroli are the standouts in this (probably) allegorical fable.

Anyone But You (2023) *

It's a well lit film. That's the best I can say about it.

Out of Sight (1998) ****

Superbly photographed heist/romcom elevated by the top notch cast and Soderbergh's editing.

God Told Me To (1976) ***

Well made thriller has a lot of influences but uses them in an original and intriguing way. Pretty sharp script and the cast goes all in.

Robert Towne Dead: 'Chinatown' Screenwriter Was 89

Prior to his death, Towne had collaborated with David Fincher on a “Chinatown” prequel series for Netflix, which would explore the police days of Jack Nicholson’s character Jake Gittes. In an interview with Variety one month before his death, Towne confirmed that all episodes of the project had been written.

Twentieth Century (1934) **

The leads try hard and there are enough sharp laughs in the script to make it watchable but I wish they had gone for a tiny bit of realism instead of amping up the screwball.

A Clockwork Orange (1971) ****

One of the finest films ever made. Superbly crafted with stand out performances from the entire cast. Noticed this time around the ubiquity of backlit shots only unlike contemporary films you can still see the actors. 136 minutes that go by like 70.

Love Is Love Is Love (2020) **

Portmanteau chick flick d'un certain âge showcases a plethora of terrific actresses including the always welcome Polly Draper. It's a shame the material is not up to the performers' high caliber. Still, it's well shot and there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes.

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) ***

Well done uber-80's rom-com with a top cast including peak Madonna.

Bullitt (1968) ***

Steve is perfect as the good cop standing up to sleazy politicos in a surprisingly slow and, except for the acclaimed car chase, dull procedural. Beautifully shot and makes superb use of the SF location.

The Strange Monsieur Victor (1938) **

Interesting French noir meller has a little too much going on to be compelling. Well made though.

Nights and Weekends (2008) *

This is worse than a waste of Ms. Gerwig, it's exploitation.

The Chase (1946) ***

Strange noir has many oddball touches that make it feel modern along with a couple of terrific supporting turns. Fizzles out in the third act.

The Canyons (2013) **

Disappointing because it could have been a lot better but not the complete train wreck a lot of critics saw. The acting is fine and it is beautifully shot for the most part. The script and direction are just too pedestrian to make something resonant.

Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007) *

Non-scripted exercise is watchable only because of Greta.

Tenet (2020) ****

Terrific mind-bending actioner answers the question what if you combined Memento with Inception?

Daliland (2022) **

Yet another constantly, annoyingly backlit flick which really hampers some good performances. Also unfortunate that the lead does not seem up to it.

Coherence (2013) ****

Starts off extremely annoying but give it until the comet arrives. Terrific ensemble acting and sharp, tight writing that explains but does not condescend.

The Straight Story (1999) ***

Commanding performance from Richard Farnsworth makes this flick which could have used a little tightening. The lead is so good the film's weaknesses stand out.

Gambit (1966) **

Heist flick with a nifty twist and a nifty Shirley scene where she proves her dancer's flexibility. No chemistry between the leads so the romantic turn is abrupt to say the least.

Willem Dafoe on Kinds of Kindness, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone

When in my most sentimental mode, I always feel like we’re put on this earth to walk each other home. That’s what I always think, and if you really believe in that, you really practice that – and I don’t all the time, nobody does, it’s really hard – I think that that’s a good life. So that’s my response to making movies. I look for those opportunities. Hopefully, movies change, I change, the world changes. It’s new every time because of what I just said, not because of me.

‘Has this guy ever made a movie before?’ Francis Ford Coppola’s 40-year battle to film Megalopolis

As if that wasn’t enough, Coppola made life even harder for himself: “When he arrived in Atlanta, he was looking for accommodation for his extended family and he wasn’t finding anything he particularly liked. So he bought a drive-in motel which had just closed, and decided to renovate it. So all the way through the shoot, he lived there. The construction noise started at six in the morning.” When Figgis (who opted to stay in a different hotel) asked Coppola how he handled it all, “He said, ‘Look, it’s all the same thing. Movie business, construction business: it’s telling people what you want, and making sure they do it.’”

Bringing Out the Dead (1999) ***

A primer on how to shoot a "dark" movie and still be able to always see the actors faces even when backlit! Terrific, typical Scorsese flick in all the best ways. Only quibble is it could have been trimmed a bit.

What a Way to Go! (1964) *

I remember liking this film when I first saw it. At age 10. And that's about the age limit they're aiming for. A waste of Shirley at her loveliest and the great Margaret Dumont.

Vengeance Is Mine (1984) ****

Two powerhouse performances drive this odd, brilliantly understated family drama. Powerful, thrilling film.

Pretty Poison (1968) **

Terrific leads keeps this rather ridiculous tale afloat.

Past Lives (2023) **

Nicely shot K-weepie featuring a marvelous Greta Lee. Could have been a little tighter.

For Clara

What is life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.
    -- last words of Crowfoot (Blackfoot warrior and orator, 1890)

Ripley (TV Mini Series 2024) ****

I could quibble about casting, but the production design, photography, script and performances are so spectacular. Terrific adaptation, really captures the feel of the novel.

Master Gardener (2022) **

Starts off great but too much facile plot intervenes and ruins what was a nice character study.

The Trial (1962) **

Sensational production design, photography, cast but too long and too slavish to the source material. Orson's usually tight pacing is missing.

Not Fade Away (2012) ***

Avoids most of the cliches about coming of age flicks and particularly 60's flicks with a smart script, tight direction and terrific cast.

Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog passes away at 92

Whitey Herzog, whose keen eye for talent evaluation and unique creativity in building baseball rosters led to a Hall of Fame MLB managing career, died on Tuesday. He was 92 years old. Herzog won World Series titles in 1969 and 1982 -- first, with the Mets as a farm system director and, later, as the dynamic manager of the speed-driven Cardinals. Like with the Mets, when his fingerprints were all over the franchise’s first crown in 1969, Herzog reimagined the Cardinals into a team built around speed, defense and a strong bullpen with a series of player acquisitions. A roster recreated by Herzog’s moves -- his deals involved 22 players during the 1980 Winter Meetings -- would ultimately win the World Series in 1982 and capture two more pennants for the Cardinals in ’85 and ’87.

Mississippi Mermaid (1969) **

Overlong, meandering flick starts off as a Vertigo-like mystery and ends up as a fable about how love hurts. Cat Deneuve is always watchable.

Gideon's Day (1958) ***

Well photographed by the great Freddie Young, this is a preposterous but entertaining look at a particularly busy day for a Brit detective.

The Two-Headed Spy (1958) ***

Top-notch spy thriller with an intelligent, taut script and perfect casting. Jack Hawkins shows he can carry a film.

Phase IV (1974) **

Intelligent sci-fi update of Them! includes A LOT of micro-footage of ants who, although perfectly cast, are just not up to the same level as the human cast. Nifty surreal ending.

Lord Jim (1965) *

Earnest, sincere effort, well crafted but too long and repetitive.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) ***

Bowie is perfect and perfectly cast in Nic Roeg's typically disjointed and say-it-with-visuals-only stylized sci-fi flick. It needs to be trimmed by about 30 minutes or it would have been a classic.

Fire Over England (1937) ***

History as only Hollywood can do it, which means heavy handed Brit propaganda. Ms. Robson is so good though and the script has some dazzling moments.

The Detective (1954) **

Guinness and Finchy are the standouts here. It's kind of dull otherwise but nicely made.

Poor Things (2023) **

Production design overwhelms the story. Proves you can get good photography with modern effects. Good cast, not up to Lanthimos's high standards.

Ruten no ôhi (The Wandering Princess) (1960) **

Plays like a Japanese Zhivago and as beautifully shot.

Celebrity (1998) **

Beautifully shot in b/w with a top star cast but disappoints in its dearth of funny one liners and in the glaring miscast of the lead. Charlize literally walks away with the picture.

Warning Shot (1966) ***

Terrific twist on the police procedural blends noir elements with a satisfying whodunit. Top notch cast and a tight, witty script. Only drawback is shoddy production values.

The President's Analyst (1967) **

Another attempt at satire on film has a number of terrific spots but too many heavy-handed unfunny ones as well. Very much of its time but with a lot of ideas that were unfortunately to come to pass.

An Unlikely Life | David A. Bell | The New York Review of Books

A film like Gance’s, long and complex, would not do well at the box office today. Scott has said, “I couldn’t get through it, honestly.” But we need films that take history as seriously as Gance did. In the global culture wars of the twenty-first century, history has become a major battleground. Vladimir Putin’s Russia criminalizes criticism of the Red Army, British conservatives defend the legacy of the British Empire, Israelis and Palestinians duel over the events of 1948, American progressives cast 1619 as an alternate national origin story, and everyone squabbles over statuary. Historical films like Scott’s Napoleon make for reasonable entertainment, but they also represent an opportunity lost. Today, more than ever, we could use more translations of the past that engage seriously with it, rather than just riffing on it or reducing it to a colorful but empty spectacle.

The Limey (1999) ****

Sensational neo-noir is a master class in modern movie making. Terry Stamp nails the role of a lifetime. More proof you don't need 4 hours and $200 million to make a good film.

Tangerine (2015) **

A day in the life of some denizens of LA's underbelly is often harsh but also funny and heartfelt. The photography is terrible but it's fast paced and the leads are actually quite engaging. Unusual Christmas movie.

You Hurt My Feelings (2023) **

It's well made, watchable, entertaining even insightful and admirable. It just doesn't soar.

El Conde (2023) **

Beautifully photographed in stunning black and white and filled with eye popping visuals, it still disappoints because the script can't keep up.

Highball (1997) ***

A terrific ensemble cast elevates this endearingly funny look at 20-something friends over the course of a year. Proof that you don't need $200 million to make a good movie.

Wuthering Heights (1970) **

Gorgeously produced and photographed but never rises above overwrought melo unlike some previous verions.

May December (2023) ***

Natalie Portman is the standout in this thoughtful, interestingly shot melo.

Waiting for Guffman (1996) ***

Hilarious send up of small town bumpkins and the let's-put-on-a-show mockumentary genre. Stellar cast.

A Night at the Opera (1935) ***

Probably their best flick. If only they could avoid those piano and harp solos that bring the festivities to a screeching halt.

Maestro (2023) **

Very well crafted biopic with stellar lead performances and one of the best makeup jobs I have ever seen, but the directorial gimmicks are annoying and the screenplay assumes you know and love the subject already and that's a big mistake.

Icarus XB 1 (1963) **

Obvious influence on 2001 and Star Trek, this imaginative space opera's interior design and photography make up for what it lacks in special effects, and that's quite a bit. Not much of a story, but so well and earnestly done it doesn't matter.

2023 In Review: Movies

*** Asteroid City
*** Barbie
*** The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
** Bottoms
** Killers of the Flower Moon
** Priscilla
** The Holdovers
* Heart of Stone