A Slightly Different Version of the Beloved Feature: Films I've Watched Lately Some of Which I Loved Greatly

The Invite

In this edition of Films I’ve Watched Lately….I include more films with slightly less commentary. This may or may not be the start of a trend. But I hope you enjoy more that is shorter.

Farewell, My Lovely (1975) Richards. Robert Mitchum is a good Marlowe and the fact that he’s an older one is fine. The movie itself is perfectly okay but I’m happier with the 1944 version which starred Dick Powell and was called Murder My Sweet. I do get irritated with how many times PIs get conked in the head in books and movies.They should all be on concussion protocol.

My Own Private Idaho (1991) Van Sant. One of the many films in which the main character suffers from narcolepsy. Yet another film which has scenes in both Rome and Idaho. Yet another gay male prostitute film based on a Shakespeare play. All that aside it’s one of my favorites, securely in my top 100 and features the great River Phoenix whose death at twenty-three remains one of filmdom’s great tragedies.

Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man (2026) Harper. . A classic example of a film that is entertaining for its entire running time than instantly forgotten. Need I say more? I think not. (I did watch the TV series and enjoyed it.)

Blue Heron (2025) Romvari. A new Canadian/Hungarian production (isn’t everything?). You think it’s a perfectly fine film about a family and its one member who’s very much off the rails but then something subtle happens just past the midpoint and you barely notice it until it’s as obvious as can be. The upshot is that a good enough film turns into an extremely interesting one that I need to see again. Give it a shot.

Carnal Knowledge (1971) Nichols. Today I don’t know why anyone would want to watch this film. Jack Nicholson plays a misogynistic jerk with no redeeming qualities and there’s no one in the picture to offset him and there’s no reason why we’d care about any of the characters. It might have played in 1971 but today it’s mostly just offensive. It’s another reason for me to wonder why people speak so highly of Mike Nichols, the film’s director.

The Invite (2026) Wilde. New in theaters and devastatingly good. Seth Rogen is no longer just a stoner character with the classic stoner laugh. He’s a big player in Hollywood, the creator of The Studio, for crissakes. He holds his own in what is a four-person cast including Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton and Olivia Wilde who also directed. Ms. Wilde had the meatiest role and was terrific. Rogen…man, he’s surprised a lot of people as witnessed here where he’s a “serious actor.” The Invite takes you on a ride and none of the twists and turns are expected, but they all work.

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018) Gan. This is my fourth viewing, the first two were in the theater. I have no clue what’s going on, I’ve given up trying but I’ll watch it again. Brilliant. There’s an extended dream sequence that actually feels like a dream and not a cinematic version of one. Not based on the O’Neill play. Not even close.

M (1931) Lang. This is where German Expressionism functioned strictly to tell a story and not draw attention to itself. Fritz Lang had a long career in which he made a lot of really good films but for reasons I do not know he never approached the likes of this again save perhaps with The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Prior to M he made Metropolis which is equally brilliant. Peter Lorre, who like Lang made for Hollywood when the fascists took over Germany, is if anything, underrated for his performance.

La Piscine (1969) Deray. I wrote about it in a previous edition of this feature, that was after I watched it on the Criterion Channel. I bought my own copy and watched it with the missus. It’s a film — like many greats — that improves with each viewing. Jane Birkin who I would have had a crush on back in the day is desirous but her coltish looks are only one of the fine features of this mesmerizing film.

The Love That Remains (2025) Pálmason. I also made brief mention of this film on a recent post. It’s intelligent, inventive, visually stunning and deserving of a wide audience that it’ll never get. Such is the lot of those films lumped into the “art house” category. 

It's Time Again For Your Favorite Feature: Films I've Watched Lately, Some of Which I've Loved Greatly

The Awful Truth

The Awful Truth (1937) McCarey. A classic of the screwball comedy genre that is highlighted by one scene. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are going through a divorce that’s about to become final. Masquerading as Grant’s sister, Dunne shows up at Grant’s fiancé’s mansion, where there is a formal yet intimate gathering. What ensues is comedy gold. The brilliance is that Dunne never overplays it. She acts just unhinged enough to create maximum discomfort while remaining completely committed to the performance. Grant's reactions are priceless—he's trying desperately to maintain his dignity while watching his carefully constructed world collapse around him. The timing between them is immaculate. While Dunne steals the scene, it doesn’t work without Grant as something of a straight man.

Wonder Boys (2000) Hanson. One thing I love about Wonder Boys is that it feels so much like a February weekend—especially the Sunday scenes. How does a movie do that so well? Create the feeling of a specific day? Wonder Boys blends meloncholy, humor, and a deep affection for its characters. Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr. and Tobey Maguire are brilliant, interesting and a bit lost. Katie Holmes and Frances McDormand do nothing but add to the film’s charms. Wonder Boys is less interested in plot than in spending time with people who, even if we can't relate to them, we at least enjoy spending time with. As someone who flatters himself to be a novelist, I particularly relate every time I see it. 

No Country For Old Men (2007) Hanson. A perfectly made film, masterfully directed by the Coens. So many memorable scenes that stay with you. Like the coin toss. It's interesting that in that scene the Coens didn't do the usual thing of making Anton a nice sort when he wasn't killing people. He was a jerk at all times. I also liked when the manager of the trailer park stood up to him and refused to tell him Llewelyn's workplace. There was nothing he could do. Every scene with Tommy Lee Jones is excellent. He's something like the moral centerpiece of the film. The sanity within. After this viewing I moved NCFOM into my top twenty on my all-time favorites list.

La piscine (196) Deray. My second viewing and I now regard it as a masterpiece. A love triangle starring Alain Delon, Romy Schneider and Maurice Ronet. Added to the mix is the young daughter of Ronet’s character played by Jane Birkin. It would be easy to overlook her given her three co-stars all of whom were excellent (not surprisingly). But Birkin as an actress had quiet confidence in this film and so did her character. The first time she opens up and speaks is when the movie became really interesting to me, I can't exactly tell you why, but perhaps it announced that she wasn't merely decorative and thus the whole movie was going to be deeper than I'd imagined. What La piscine does so well is build. It’s not a film that announces itself in the first minute — that’s too easy. It asks our patience and then pays off. I can’t wait to watch it again.

Lancelot du lac (1974) Bresson. I hated this movie. I’m baffled as to why it’s so highly regarded. Usually when I don’t like an acclaimed film I can at least see why others do. Not with this one. Part of it is that I’m not a big fan of Robert Bresson. I thought A Man Escaped, Diary of a Country Priest and Pickpocket were good films but I hardly consider them classics. But this iteration of the Arthurian legend — I was bored to death.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) Ford. Jimmy Stewart is far too old to be playing the lead character, just as in Vertigo and Bell, Book and Candle. For one thing he’s twenty-two years older than Vera Miles who plays his wife. Why did they continually cast Stewart in roles for younger actors? The film itself is fine though if I were making a list of my favorite John Ford films, there would be at least a dozen Ford films ahead of it. TMWSLV is not as visually interesting as other Ford films, it was shot mostly on studio lots. Liberty Valance is almost cartoonishly evil. I like the political/historical themes but they weren't at all subtle.

Wagon Master

Wagon Master (1950) Ford. Somehow I’d never seen this John Ford film, given that I knew little about it, I wasn’t expecting much. I got a lot. What a wonderful film. I liked Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. as the wagon masters and always enjoy Ward Bond when he has a juicy part. Also fun to see Alan Mowbray. Beautiful film to look at and interesting that the film starts before the opening credits, which I was initially confused by. I suppose by Ford standards it’s a modest film but by any standards it’s a terrific one and typically beautiful to look at with equal respect to the characters and the scenery. 

Shampoo (1975) Ashby. One thing that particularly struck me from this viewing is what an empty person Warren Beatty's character, George is. He has no interior life and nothing profound to say. Other than wanting his own shop he's directionless. Today he'd probably be classified as a sex and love addict. Overall the film is excellent. Hal Ashby directed a string of really good movies that I love in the seventies like The Landlord, Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo and Being There. Shampoo is set on election eve 1968 but was filmed at the heart of Watergate. An interesting combination. A great cast that includes Goldie Hawn, Julie Christie, Carrie Fisher (first film role), Lee Grant (gorgeous at fifty) and Jack Warden. Warden graced many a great film including From Here to Eternity, Twelve Angry Men, All the President’s Men, Being There, Heaven Can Wait and The Verdict. He made all those films and Shampoo better for his presence.

Dersu Uzala (1975) Kurosawa. I greatly appreciate films that combine technical mastery with deep compassion for their characters. This is a perfect example. Dersu Uzala is an odd one in a sense because here we have the great Japanese director directing a film set in Russia with Russian actors speaking Russian. It’s one of his later pictures but retains so many Kurosawa touches while being distinct from most of his other work. I really liked the title character who is a native hunter helping Russian soldiers on early 20th century surveying missions. It’s a day later and many of the film’s scenes still live vividly in my memory. Few directors have filmed nature better than Kurosawa and this is a classic man versus nature film with a heart-warming friendship and two richly drawn characters at the heart of it.

It's Time Again For Films I've Watched Lately Some of Which I Loved Greatly, Plus a Bonus Bit About Sean Baker

The Florida Project

The Florida Project (2017) Baker. I think of The Florida Project as the 21st century version of Grapes of Wrath. Forgotten, displaced people trying to scrape by either by seeking greener pastures or hustling for every buck. The Florida Project and The Grapes of Wrath are obviously very different stylistically, but spiritually they share a great deal. Both are deeply American works about people living on the edge of the economic system that is designed to soak them for all their worth while enriching the coffers of the richest. In The Grapes of Wrath, families are displaced by the Depression, their homes, that might go back generations, are gone. In The Florida Project the poor have no homes and no means to buy one or to even lease or rent one. They’re forced to get by as best they can on a month-to-month even week-to-week basis. The Florida Project is another absolute gem from Sean Baker that primarily centers around small children but also looks at the single parents trying to raise them. Scams and hustles and deals are part of living. Both films could have been depressing but both show people with dignity and their refusal to yield to powerful forces that could break them. Like Tom Joad in Grapes, the young girl Moonee in The Florida Project has an indefatigable spirit and a stubborn refusal to accept defeat. Maybe theirs is the true spirit of America. Willem Dafoe shines as the motel manager who struggles with being empathetic while enforcing the rules.

Red Rocket (2021) Baker. Another from Sean Baker and this one pulls of the difficult feat of featuring a perfectly unlikable person as its protagonist.The ex-porn star, Mikey returns to his Texas Gulf Coast roots and is an absolute train wreck. To varying degrees he disrupts the lives of his wife, neighbors and would-be underage girl friend. We sort of root for him because he has a certain charm and his success could elevate the lives of those around him. But there’s also a fatalism to Mikey. It’s impossible to see such a tire fire of a human being doing anything but falling flat. Baker’s genius is in making Mikey someone we can’t dismiss. His story demands a look, maybe because its so outrageous, maybe because there’s a sense that maybe this time… Simon Rex is incredible as Mikey which shouldn’t be a surprise because like a lot of great directors Baker is a master at eliciting brilliant performances from his actors. Red Rocket creates atmosphere through place and texture an environment is captured without romanticizing it, in this case a Texas refinery town. The setting becomes moral atmosphere.

Nothing Sacred (1937) Wellman. A Thirties screwball comedy in color? Strange but true. The queen of the screwball comedy, Carole Lombard stars, so you know it’s good. Her leading man is the reliable Frederic March. I’ve never found him to be a terribly interesting actor yet I’ve always enjoyed his performances. March and Lombard are aided by two of the better supporting players of their time, Walter Connelly and Charles Winninger. Nothing Sacred is about Hazel Flagg (Lombard), a small-town woman mistakenly diagnosed with a fatal illness, and Wally Cook (March), a New York newspaper reporter who brings her to the big city as a human-interest sensation. Hazel becomes a celebrity and loves the attendant attention. Romance develops between her and Wally, but the truth about her perfectly good health threatens to expose them. Connelly plays Wally’s editor and Winniger is the small town doctor who knows the truth about Hazel. Why he goes along with the charade is never explained but who cares, it’s screwball, Jake, and one of the better ones at that. Directed by Wild Bill Wellman who one doesn't usually associate with comedies, screwball or otherwise. 

 

Cold Water (1994) Assays. Like most great films Cold Water deepens on rewatch rather than diminishes. It resonated with me because atmosphere and emotional drift matter as much as plot. It’s a film about youthful rebellion that doesn’t romanticize. We are drawn to watching the two co-stars but can’t let ourselves exactly root for them. They are too morally comprised.The atmosphere is extraordinary. The music and the cinema photography create an unmistakable early seventies vibe. The long party sequence is brilliant. It is less narrative and more experiential. You feel the exhaustion, intoxication, longing, and temporary sense that these kids have escaped the world. Cyprien Fouquet and the stunning Virginie Ledoyen co-star. They’re not generally likable teens but they’re compelling. Ms. Ledoyen, seventeen when the film was made, had one of the most gorgeous young faces ever to grace the scene and this played a part in how enthralling I’ve found Cold Water. This is another film in which plot is secondary to mood and atmosphere, the feeling of being transported in time.

I Knew Her Well (1965) Pietrangeli. I’ve always loved this movie but initially struggled with the ending (SPOILER ALERT) because the main character, Adriana (Stefania Sandrelli) commits suicide. In the first viewing and even the second it’s not something that is telegraphed and seems barely hinted at. But with repeat viewings it has the feeling of inevitably. She is a beautiful young woman on the outskirts of fame holding down numerous jobs flirting (literally and figuratively) with those who can make or break her. She endures heartbreaks, disappointments and even humiliation. Adrianna is, unsurprisingly given the times, objectified more than respected — if indeed she’s respected at all. There are high times but always with the sense that they are stops along the way and not something that will become a permanent feature of her life. Beyond her beauty she has little to offer the entertainment world. She can’t imagine settling for less so rather than remaining on the treadmill until she ages out, she takes the inevitable ultimate step. Somehow it’s not a sad story, perhaps because it is presented so lightly (while given deeper meaning). It in some ways recalls the great Fellini film, Nights of Cabiria in that it avoids cynicism without denying cruelty. Both feature a female protagonist who suffers the slings and arrows. One ends by offering us a sad smile, the other opts out of life. Both are poignant and important films.

 

Martin Short

Marty, Life is Short (2026) Kasdan. Among other things Martin Short is the greatest talk show guest of all time. He also ranks among the funniest people of all time in any setting as has been made evident by his role in Only Murders in the Building. His career extends back nearly fifty years and has seen him star in SCTV and, for a brief time, on SNL. He’s also been in a series of films, frankly most bad but never because of him. He’s created innumerable fun characters such as the interviewer, Jimminy Glick. Comic genius is the simplest and best way to describe him. However his life has been struck by its fair share of tragedy and then some. The death of a beloved older brother when he was young and both parents before he’d turned twenty and the passing of the love of his life, his wife Nancy Dolman from cancer at 58. Add to that the recent suicide of his daughter and it’s a wonder that he can smile let alone make us laugh. But Marty Short is made of tough stuff and is living proof that laughter is the best medicine. This documentary by Lawrence Kasdan gives us some insight into the man and not surprisingly it is one rich with friends, love and laughter. It really is a wonderful life.

Point of Order! (1964) de Antonio.No narration, no later-day analysts, just raw footage from the infamous Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954. One hundred and eighty-eight hours of footage was reduced to ninety-seven captivating minutes. You don’t feel the lack of those other eight days worth of film, there’s plenty here. One thing you’ve got is the slow descent of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the red-baiting Commie hunter who wreaked so much havoc on the the public and its psyche in the early fifties. By the end of the film when he is continuing a tirade as the hearing room empties and everyone is going home, you can clearly see that this once mighty figure has been exposed. Joseph Welch, the aw shucks but brilliant attorney for the army played a very large part in bringing the monster down. It’s all compelling stuff.

Il Grido (1957) Antonioni. I loved this film. The pacing was interesting, not as languid as Antonioni's later films, but leisurely yet purposeful. It was more about mood than plot with the weather and settings playing a key role in establishing the feeling. It was melancholy but never depressing, never melodramatic. As if it were purposeful. You can see how it portends some of his later work but also how it stands alone as unique to his oeuvre. But unlike the later Antonioni films, Il Grido still has traces of postwar Italian realism in it. The workers, gas stations, river towns, economic hardship, transient labor — it’s grounded in a recognizable social world. Later Antonioni becomes more abstract, more modernist, more existentially rarefied.Il Grido is a romantic, heart-breaking road film. That preceding sentence will make sense if you see the film which I recommend you do.

Platoon (1986) Stone. Platoon is one of the greatest war films ever made. As a Vietnam veteran once said of it: it has everything but the smell of war. Indeed it can at times feel like you're watching a documentary made by filmmakers embedded in the unit. There is an immediacy to the story but at the same time it has a mythic quality. It has the sweat, confusion, fear, exhaustion, and moral randomness of war — particularly the one in Vietnam — but is at its core a moral tragedy. Private Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a soldier and our guide being transformed by war. Like the war itself, Platoon leaves residue rather than clean resolution. The cast is wonderful as is everything about the production. It was a personal film for director Oliver Stone, based in large part on his own experiences. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture which shows you that the Oscars do sometimes award excellence.

Finally a word on the director Sean Baker. I’ve now seen all of his films at least twice. The missus and I just enjoyed a retrospective of his work. For me Baker's films are about people, their relationships and their dignity regardless of their status. They're about people struggling and succeeding in small ways. A Baker film is not a grand gesture, it's a nod, a quiet affirmation. Like Aki Kaurismäki, Baker respects his audience and trusts them to appreciate small moments. Baker's world is not for Pollyanna's, there is struggle, there is shouting, there is anger and there is not always resolution, as in life. I find his films life-affirming. I don't recall ever yawning during a Baker film. His films are not heavy-handed or preachy. The stories and the people speak for themselves without him underlining or emphasizing to make a point. He trusts the audience to understand or better still to find their own answers and meaning

Back by Popular Demand: Films I've Watched Lately Some of Which I've Loved Greatly

Cabaret -- old chum

Cabaret (1972) Fosse. I’ve been enjoying this picture for about fifty-three years, that is since it first appeared in theaters. I saw it three times during its initial theatrical run. I’ve no idea how many times I’ve seen it since but suffice to say my DVD is well worn. It sits at number twenty-two on my all-time top 100 films list which come to think of it seems a tad low. Cabaret features Oscar winning performances from Liza Minelli and Joel Grey and Grey’s turn as the master of ceremonies is one of the greatest supporting player performances of all time in any film of any genre. But one thing I noted during my latest viewing was how good Michael York was. He was evidently one of many candidates for the role of Brian Roberts. It is difficult to imagine anyway being better in the role. He had to play opposite the vivacious, the eccentric, the emotional, the erratic, the delightful Sally Bowles (Minelli) and let her do her thing. This he did with aplomb. Cabaret delights on so many levels. The music, the characters, the setting, the stories. I’ll never tire of it.

Lacombe, Lucien (1974) Malle. Talk about the banality of evil….A young Frenchman in war torn France seeks to join the resistance but stumbles into a group of French collaborators who work for the German police. What the heck, he joins them instead. The title character is not a lad with great intellectual gifts and he wants to be part of something, he wants to belong, he wants action and excitement, never mind with whom and for what. Lucien kills easily as we see early in the film when he needlessly kills a small bird with a slingshot. He falls in love with a young woman named France (the stunning Aurore Clément) and tears her life asunder. This is a story of how easily and thoughtlessly we can slip into various roles even ones that require us to kill. The horrors committed in the film are not presented so as to shock us, rather they are matter of fact, carried out by regular people who fancy themselves doing regular work. The great Louis Malle directed. 

More Than a Secretary (1936) Green. What an awful movie and particularly a terrible waste of the great Jean Arthur. I’ve remarked before how Ms. Arthur had chemistry with every leading man she played opposite of. That was before I saw this clunker where her love interest is George Brent. Maybe they would have worked well together with a decent script or under a better director but this is one of those movies that doesn’t work on any level. Screwball romcoms are supposed to make us root for the couple to get together. In this picture I soon gave up any interest in the two and and whether they lived happily ever after or not. I just wanted it over.

A Matter of Life and Death (1946) Powell and Pressburger. David Niven is a World War II British pilot who was supposed to die but the conductor from heaven missed him in the fog. Every effort will be made to bring him back. It’s a bizarre premise but it’s still a very good film. Kim Hunter is the radio operator who the flyer falls in love with in the minutes before he was supposed to die. Roger Livesey plays a doctor friend of Hunter’s who is naturally skeptical that this downed flyer is being told he must ascend to the afterlife. But when he’s forced by personal circumstance to believe him, the doctor defends him in afterlife court. None of it is as silly as it seems and it all makes for an intriguing tale and moving love story. It’s got elements of Here Comes Mr. Jordan and The Devil and Daniel Webster. This is one of four excellent films in a row that Powell and Pressburger made between 1944 and 1947 (the others being A Canterbury Tale, I Know Where I’m Going and Black Narcissus). 

Love Affair (1939) McCarey. Sappy, cloying ultimately dull. Not a total waste of time; after all, you get the charms of Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne as your leads but it's bit too melodramatic for my taste. I didn’t care for the remake, An Affair to Remember, either despite it starring Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant and the newest version, also called Love Affair with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening was a stinker. The passion in this version (the best of the three for whatever that's worth) is more told than shown. I never believed it. The side story with the grandmother seemed particularly contrived and lacking emotional heft. If you told me you liked or even loved this film I’d think not a whit less of you. Simply not my thing. Leo McCarey was a fine director but his films were often more technically astute than emotional impactful.

Ever Since Eve (1937). Silly movies can be good movies and of course great fun. Such is the case with this delight which was Marion Davies’ last film role. She was in her late thirties and still easy on the eyes though she looked puffy, doubtless from the heavy drinking that she was indulging in. Nonetheless she and co-star Robert Montgomery worked well together in the story of a woman (Davies) who makes herself look plain so that she can land a job as secretary to a novelist (Montgomery). Patsy Kelly and Allen Jenkins, two of the better supporting players of their era, are in top form here and add to the zaniness. Davies and Montgomery were two of the better comic actors of the their time and together they took a very silly premise and made a perfectly charming movie out of it.

A Half Dozen Not Your Usual Christmas Films, Christmas Films are Here Recommended

There are more than enough Christmas films to get one through three or four Decembers. Many of them are of the Hallmark and Netflix original variety which is to say that they are unoriginal, uninteresting and predictable. They feature D list actors (with an occasional washed up star slumming) and mediocre production values. The actors are all too pretty and the stories teeter tend toward the saccharine.

There are also Christmas classics that are indispensable parts of the holidays. These include such films as It’s A Wonderful Life, Christmas in Connecticut, Home Alone and it’s immediate sequel, Elf, the original Miracle on 34 Street, The Bishop’s Wife and a few of the versions of A Christmas Carol, particularly the Alastair Sim edition from 1951.

A few newer Christmas films are wedging their way into the conversation such as The Holdovers, The Happiest Season and A Boy Called Christmas.

But I’d like to focus on a half dozen very unconventional Christmas adjacent pictures. These are stories that are set at Christmas and in which the fact of Christmas is very much part of the story. However they are not the least bit sappy or sentimental, indeed they have some rough edges. A few likely get a lot of play around this time of year but none are Christmas season staples. Five of the six are from this century. One last thing about them, they’re all damn good movies. True, not your traditional Christmas fare but we've got plenty of those.

Tangerine (2015) Baker. One could certainly argue that this is more of a signature Sean Baker film than a Christmas one. It’s the first of his pictures I ever saw and I couldn’t wait to see more. It’s as un-Christmasy a Christmas film as you’ll ever find. It’s set on December 24 but in the mean streets of Los Angeles. Not only is there a total absence of snow (in a Christmas movie!) but as evidenced by everyone’s attire, it’s a very warm day. The focus here is on a transgender sex worker named Sin-Dee Rella who’s just been released from the hoosegow. Our heroine (?) discovers that her (?) pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. With a fellow tranny sex worker in tow she goes in search of the cheater. Many adventures ensue. We also follow an Armenian-American cab driver and his adventures which ultimately collide with Sin-Dee. Remember, it’s set on Christmas Eve! It’s also another example of Baker’s excellence as a director/writer/editor.

A Christmas Tale (2008) Desplechin. First of all it’s French which might be disqualifying for some people but good Christmas films are not exclusive to the U.S.It features what should be a standard of holiday fare: the dysfunctional family. This unhappy brood is gathering for Christmas at their matriarch’s home having just discovered that said mother has cancer. What could go wrong? It’s a surprisingly accessible film as heavy issues are treated with a light touch. The cast is stellar led by Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric. It’s an award-winning film that was all over 2008 top ten movie lists. Deservedly so.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) Helander. Us Finns claim Santa Claus as our own — actually that would be Joulu Pukki. So it’s natural that we should have a produced an outstanding Christmas film and being made by Finns it’s a bit odd. I’ve seen it described as an action/horror/comedy. I might quibble a bit with the horror label but there’s no arguing that it’s got action and comedy and it’s most definitely a Christmas movie. It should be noted that this film’s version of Santa is no jolly fat man and the elves depicted are not full of holiday cheer. It is a very dark version of the Santa Claus mythology that’s not for the little kiddies. It’s highly original and great fun and worth a look.

Bad Santa (2003) Zwigoff. As the title suggests this is a dark comedy. You’re also prepared for that knowing that Billy Bob Thornton is in the lead. Add to that the fact that the Coen Brothers were executive producers. It was both a critical and commercial success but doesn’t seem to resonate with audiences today. More’s the pity. Bad Santa is the story of a thief who, with the aid of a diminutive elf-like partner conspire to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. All does not go as planned. Not exactly a feel good story but a good story for sure.

Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) Jutra. It’s set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there’s snow a plenty and the residents of the small mining town that provides the setting are all enthused about the holiday. There’s also a dead body, that of a young teen and his bereaved family not the usual stuff of a Yuletide film. This is a French Canadian picture and it’s not only highly suitable for the holiday season it’s an excellent movie that comes highly recommended by me and others. This touching story is told through the eyes of a fifteen-year old lad named Benoit. It is social and political history from its time (set in 1949) but it’s also perfectly charming.

Carol (2015) Haynes. A lesbian affair for your holiday season. This is a brilliant film from Todd Haynes. It’s set in 1952-53 and you immediately feel transported to that time and that place which is mostly New York. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara co-star and are both excellent as is the rest of the cast. Ms. Blanchett plays the title character a married woman of means who falls for a shopgirl (Mara). She is going through a separation from her husband and the custody of their young daughter is in question. The affair will be a black mark against her. What’s all this got to do with Christmas? Not a whole lot but it begins as Carol is Christmas shopping and is waited on by her future lover. It continues through the holiday and later New Year’s Eve. A New York Christmas in the ‘50s looks lovely.

Have Some Rather Unique Questions You'd Like Answered While Watching a Really Good Movie? This Blog Post is For You!

Ryan Gosling (left) in Half Nelson

You want to learn something and watch a movie at the same time? Good idea. Go for it. But stick around here for a second because I’m going to give you ten suggestions. I’ll make sure there’s a variety to suit all manner of tastes and moods. I’ll name a film and tell you what you can learn as I brilliantly (with all due humility) anticipate your desires. Sound good? Here we go.

Half Nelson (2006) Fleck. Learn what it’s like to be a dedicated young middle school teacher in the inner city while also battling an addiction problem. See Ryan Gosling star in one of his best roles (for my money his very best). Half Nelson is an underrated gem that I totally related to. Realistic as hell, believe me. The teacher's totally appropriate relationship with an African American female student will be a lesson in itself.

Melancholia (2011) von Trier. Want to learn what it might be like to be around someone who suffers from clinical depression as the apocalypse approaches? Look no further. Kirsten Dunst here stars as a woman who exhibits classic signs of clinical depression, including emotional withdrawal, fatigue, inability to experience pleasure, and difficulty functioning. But as the end is nigh she’s the one who holds it together while everyone else is freaking out. Great stuff. 

Cabaret (1972) Fosse. Ever find yourself wondering what it must have been like to be a bi-sexual English teacher in Berlin who's involved with a self-possessed Cabaret singer shortly before the Nazi takeover? Check out Michael York’s character in this cinematic classic based on the Christoper Isherwood novel. You’ll also get to hear and see some amazing song and dance productions which is what you'd expect from a Bob Fosse film. But those damn Nazis are looming. Yuck!

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) Coens. I’ll bet you're curious about what it must have been like to be not-quite-good-enough-to-be-famous folk singer in the early Sixties. See Oscar Isaac as the title character in this terrific film from the Coen Brothers. The incredible frustration and hurt of realizing that you’re good, but not good enough, is one of the themes running through the picture. It's also a bit of an Odyssey as exemplified by a cat. At the end you’ll hear the voice of one of the lucky few who did make the breakthrough.

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Milestone. I’ll just bet you’ve spent some time trying to imagine yourself a soldier in the Great War. Wonder no more. This, one of the great war pictures and certainly one of the better anti-war pictures of all time, will give you much more than a clue. For one thing you’ll learn that a lot of your mates will die. You’ll also learn that you’ll be expected to kill. You’ll also see how those sitting it out on the Homefront have no real sense of the horror soldiers go through.

The 39 Steps (1935) Hitchcock. What would it be like to be accused of a crime that you didn’t commit? How would you feel having to go on the run to both evade the law and prove your innocence? Frankly there are several Hitchcock films with this theme but why not go with my personal favorite of that particular sub genre? Gorgeous black and white from London to Scotland and back. People who aren’t what they seem. A pretty blonde who reluctantly helps our hero. Hitch at his best.

Beau Travail (1999) Denis. I get the sense, dear reader(s) that you’d love to get a sense of life in the French foreign legion. You also are probably the type who would like to see a film set in Djibouti. I’ve got just the thing from director Claire Denis. You’ll discover that it was not all glamour and rollicking fun in the legion. Indeed you’ll see what a brutal and unforgiving time it could be. What’s that, you ask, is this a highly regarded film? How’s this: it ranked at number seven in the most recent Sight and Sound poll of greatest films. 

Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton in Reds

Reds (1981) Beatty. So you’ve probably found yourself contemplating what it would have been like to be John Reed, the journalist and communist activist from the early years of the 20th century. I guarantee you’ll wonder no more after seeing Warren Beatty’s self-directed portrayal of Reed and his pals and wife and fellow journalist Louise Bryant. You’ll meet such noted figures as Emma Goldman, Eugene O’Neill, Big Bill Heywood and…more. Indeed you’ll learn about the Greenwich Village Bohemian radicals of the 1910s and get a lesson in the early days of the Russian Revolution. It’s a long movie, but whattaya expect given the richness of content?

Some Like it Hot (1959) Wilder: Has this ever happened to you? You’ve witnessed a mob hit and the gangsters want to shut you up — permanently — so you go on the run disguised as member of an all female band? It hasn’t!? And I guess that you’ve never lived in Chicago or been in Miami in the 1920? Before your time, I spose. Well then pal you’re going to have learn about that particular experience from this classic directed by Billy Wilder with a cast that includes Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis. Not too shabby.

The Exterminating Angel (1962) Buñuel. I’ll wager that you and your company have been able to leave every room you’ve had a dinner party in. In fact, I’ll go one further and say that you’ve likely made it successfully out of every room you’ve endeavored to exit. But in so doing you’ve doubtless speculated at what would happen if — for inexplicable reasons — you couldn’t. I’ve just made a pretty darn strong argument for you to watch this iconic film by Luis Bunuel. Watch as people struggle to do the ordinary, can’t figure out why and wrestle with the consequences.

See how much you can learn from moving pictures? Watch one today!