METROPOLIS

Metropolis is a silent film that was released in Germany in 1927. It was directed by Fritz Lang. It is regarded by many film historians as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made… for good reason. This movie is magnificent. Despite being nearly a century old, it is still smart and dynamic. The special effects and the variety of innovative filming techniques are a marvel of ingenuity. This movie would influence other iconic films for years to come, including Mad Max, Star Wars, Batman (1989), and Parasite.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY

It may be difficult to imagine now, but in 1938 and 1939, Katharine Hepburn was extremely unpopular with Hollywood and with the American public. A string of box office failures, coupled with her abrasive and combative behavior with the press and fans, had garnered her a reputation for being extremely arrogant. Seeking to reignite her career she returned to the stage, starring in a new play by Philip Barry. That play was The Philadelphia Story. She would perform the role of socialite Tracy Lord in two tours and on Broadway for over a year. When Hollywood decided to produce the play as a movie, Hepburn had already purchased the rights to the story (thanks to help from Howard Hughes), so she was guaranteed the role. Teaming with Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart for the movie version of the play, Hepburn’s shrewd selection of this vehicle paid off. The Philadelphia Story would become one of the biggest movies of 1940, and Hepburn’s career and public perception were back on track.

HOPE AND GLORY

For Hope and Glory (1987), its writer/director/producer John Boorman called upon his personal experiences as a child growing up in England during the early days of World War II. The movie revolves around the Rohan family as seen through the view of 9-year-old Rohan son, Billy (Sebastian Rice-Edwards).

THE COMMITMENTS

Musical anhedonia is a neurological condition that affects 3 to 5% of the Earth’s population. The people who suffer from this condition derive no pleasure from music of any kind. If you are one of the small percentage of people who suffer from this condition, then you should skip reading the rest of this review. On the other hand, if you are one of the majority of humans who can partake in the almost-universal experience of enjoying great music (along with terrific storytelling) then you should make it a goal to see The Commitments, an Irish film directed by Alan Parker, released in 1991.

BOYZ N THE HOOD

For his first film outing, John Singleton chose to drop his viewers smack dab into the Crenshaw ghetto of South Central Los Angeles. The movie was Boyz n the Hood (released in 1991), and it would earn him two Oscar nominations. One nom was for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The other was for Best Director, making Singleton the very first Black director to earn this nomination. To date, a Black artist has yet to win this award.

LA VIE EN ROSE

La Vie en Rose is a biographical film that highlights the life of Edith Piaf, one of France’s most popular singers of the 20th century. The movie made its way to theaters in 2007 and stars Marion Cotillard as the central character.

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

I don’t like Sleepless in Seattle. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like romcoms, chick flicks, or love stories. That’s not the issue at all. I simply don’t like Sleepless in Seattle and never did. I don’t think it is a good movie and I find the character of Annie Reed to be a vexatious ninny, and quite frankly, a little creepy. Because of this, I’ve never really had much of an ambition to see An Affair to Remember, a movie that is referenced and quoted ad nauseam throughout Sleepless in Seattle.

That being said, An Affair to Remember ended up on my 2023 film journey through recommendation. And I must admit that I’m glad that it did! Sure, it’s a bit saccharin and astoundingly chaste, but damn, the acting is magnificent. The chemistry between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr is phenomenal (Grant took the role just so he could act with Kerr again). Both actors are at the top of their game.

THIS IS SPINAL TAP

Viewing This is Spinal Tap turned out to be a very pleasant and unexpectedly good time! I’m neither a fan of heavy metal music nor of the mockumentary genre of films. Yet despite that, director Robert Reiner was able to deftly marry the two and provide me with 82 minutes of unexpected laughter and levity. This is Spinal Tap was released in 1984 and is often cited as being one of the best-made mockumentary films. For this reason, it was included in my 2023 film journey.

GREED

Ninety-nine years ago, a silent film titled Greed was released in U.S. cinemas. It was directed by Erich von Stroheim. When von Stroheim originally filmed his movie, he shot approximately 85 hours of footage before he would start editing. He originally whittled the footage to be approximately 9 hours long. Only a handful of executives and film critics would be privileged to see this version. As von Stroheim worked to condense the final product, the studio behind the funding of the film took control of the footage. They handed the editing off to one of their employees, Joseph Farnham, who was a titles editor. Farnham cut the movie to approximately 2 hours and most of the excised film was destroyed. Von Stroheim disowned the final version and felt his masterpiece had been butchered. The version that was released was a financial flop and critically panned. Jump forward almost a century and the movie is now widely regarded as one of the best, most important, and influential films ever made. My intrigue with this dichotomy made it clear that Greed needed to make it to my must-see list of films for 2023.

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

If asked to name some exceptional actresses, no doubt the names Streep, Davis (Viola or Bette!), Hepburn, and Blanchett might quickly come to mind. But what about Leachman?

I AM LOVE

I Am Love (2009) is one of those films that I have found myself pondering for weeks since I first viewed it. It made my list of “must-see 2023 movies” based on the lauded reviews of Tilda Swinton’s performance, and because it was directed by the brilliant Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). Swinton and Guadagnino collaborated on this film for 11 years, both serving as co-producers. Their passion for the project is more than evident in the final product. I Am Love is a rich and magnificent story of a middle-aged woman named Emma (Swinton) who's discovering her identity and passions after years of simply living life in the footsteps of traditions and norms pre-established for her.

THE GRADUATE

I put off watching Casablanca for years because I didn’t imagine it could ever live up to the hype and adoration that are heaped on it. I was mistaken. I put off seeing The Graduate for much the same reason. Turns out I was mistaken again! I am in awe of this film and cannot wait to give it a second go-around.

DE-LOVELY

A film that tells the tales of a real-life individual worthy of recognition… the biopic! I’ve always had an immense fondness for biopics of all kinds. I’ve also been a long-time fan of actors Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd. So, as I went to view De-Lovely (2004) as part of my 2023 film journey, I had to wonder why I had never heard of it. Upon watching De-Lovely, I may know why.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) is part dystopian, part apocalyptic, part drama, part fantasy, and part social commentary. When all these parts are assembled by director Benh Zeitlin, what Beasts of the Southern Wild becomes in its totality is joy. Pure and beautiful joy.

MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS

I fell in love with actress Leslie Manville when she played the complicated character of Lydia Quigley on the TV series Harlots. As the central character in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris she plays an extremely different type of character, but still provides a splendidly nuanced performance as kind-hearted Ada Harris.

IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was a last-minute addition to my 2023 Film journey, recommended by a friend. I was familiar with it but had only seen bits and pieces of the film on television when I was a child.

The new week greeted me with some dreary skies, and I was experiencing a sense of heightened ennui. I thought a screwball comedy might offer some welcome levity. And that it did! It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a large-ensemble comedy that succeeds where many similar type films fall short (and that includes Around the World in 80 Days which in my opinion is unworthy of the Best Film Oscar that it was awarded seven-years before Mad World’s release).

ANATOMY OF A MURDER

Anatomy of a Murder was directed by Otto Preminger and released in 1959. It made my must-see 2023 film list because it is often cited as being one of the best American courtroom dramas ever made.

The film starts off with a jazzy upbeat score by the legendary Duke Ellington. The music’s lack of intensity and drama cements a mood that will run throughout the film. You see, this movie isn’t really about who’s innocent or guilty, this film is about the spinning of narratives that our legal system is predicated upon. While the viewer is firmly vested in finding out what the final verdict will be, the true story is the “sport” of the courtroom.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH

My 2023 Film Journey to see cinematically acclaimed stories or performances continues with The Grapes of Wrath. This film is often cited as one of the greatest American films ever made. Those heralding this film include The National Film Registry, The National Board of Review, the American Film Institute, and others. The film’s aggregate scoring by professional movie critics on Rotten Tomatoes is 100% approval. My expectations were high. Maybe too high. I found this film to be average at best. I’m left wondering if much of the praise for the film is merely bled over from appreciation for the John Steinbeck novel upon which it was based.

CHILDREN OF MEN

Children of Men was included in my 2023 Film Journey because I had heard of the impressive long takes used to film most of the movie. I was not disappointed. This is a magnificent blend of great story, outstanding acting, and extremely well-thought-out and executed camera work. I would venture to say that visually this film is a masterclass in filmmaking.

A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE

The mood is quickly established with a musical score that employs numerous dissonant chords, cementing a theme of disconnection that runs throughout A Woman Under the Influence (1974). Not in quite some time have I been so impressed by, and cognizant of, a film’s score. Composer Bo Harwood cradles the entire film using only a piano and an acoustic guitar (throwing in a youthful kazoo during the closing scene). The only orchestral dynamic is when Italian opera is injected into a single scene as music that is being listened to by the characters. The movie's central score is underdone and naked, which makes it perfect as a thin blanket upon which this vibrant story can rest.

THE SNOW WALKER

 

As The Snow Walker opens, it is 1953 and life has molded Charlie Halliday (Barry Pepper) into an arrogant and self-serving individual. When not working as a Canadian bush pilot, his time is spent at the local pub drinking with friends and maintaining a non-committed relationship with one of the bar’s waitresses. He resides in the Northern Territories province of Upper Canada and his contempt for the local indigenous Inuit population doesn’t prevent him from exploiting them for his personal financial gain through side hustles, delivering and selling supplies. These personal endeavors, using one of the planes from his workplace, are overlooked by his employer, Shepherd (James Cromwell).

On a particular flight, Charlie encounters a small group of Inuit who implore him to help them. One of the Inuit, a young girl, is sick and they want him to fly her to the hospital back in his town. Charlie suspects the girl has tuberculosis and initially refuses. When the Inuit offer to pay him with valuable walrus tusks, Charlie reluctantly agrees to take her with him. Soon after taking back to the skies, Charlie’s plane experiences engine problems and it crashes down in one of the lakes of the huge Canadian tundra. Though both Charlie and his passenger survive, the plane is disabled, and the radio no longer works. He is miles away from where his flight was charted to be, and he realizes that any type of search by his company will never find him. By his estimation, he is hundreds of miles from any town. He leaves his passenger with a small amount of the supplies that he had on the plane and sets off to find help on his own.

THE EXORCIST

For my 2023 film journey, with the help of friends, I put together a list of movies that are highly regarded for at least one reason. One of those films was The Exorcist, released in 1973. I’m probably one of thirteen people on the planet, over the age of 18, who haven’t seen this movie! Now that I have, I must say I’m neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed.

THE ICE STORM

The Ice Storm (1997) was included in my 2023 film journey for two reasons. The first one is the film’s outstanding ensemble cast and the second reason is because it was directed by the superb Ang Lee. Lee is an incredibly innovative and gifted storyteller, and he is at the top of his game with this movie.

UPTIGHT

Uptight is a psychological drama set against the backdrop of the growing Black Liberation movements that would come to prominence in the early 1970s. The film was released in 1968, just eight months following MLK’s death. The story was written and filmed before MLK was assassinated. After that tragic murder, director Jules Dassin felt that it would be important to incorporate this loss into the storyline. Several scenes were rewritten and re-filmed so that the assassination could be integrated into the film’s story. It was an excellent decision as it intensified the anger, loss, frustration, and motivation of all the central characters. Actual footage of MLK’s funeral is woven into the beginning of Upight, setting the highly charged mood. The movie’s era is further cemented by the exceptional soundtrack provided by the Memphis R&B band, Booker T. and the M.G.’s.

12 ANGRY MEN

12 Angry Men, released in 1957, made my list of “must-see movies for 2023” because it was the first film directed by the legendary Sidney Lumet. Fourteen of Lumet’s films were nominated for Academy Awards, and Lumet himself was nominated five times for an individual award for Directing and Screen Play Adaptation.

NASHVILLE

 

Last year I set a goal to view every film I hadn't previously seen that featured Meryl Streep. One of my favorite movies from that journey was A Prairie Home Companion directed by Robert Altman. I was so enamored with the film that I made it a point to add Nashville to my 2023 must-see list. Nashville was often cited as being one of his best works. Last year when I reviewed Prairie, a friend and fellow film-lover commented, “Altman doesn’t disappoint.” Now that I’ve watched Nashville, I must agree with him.

OF HUMAN BONDAGE

 

Of Human Bondage is a 1934 film that forced the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to add a "write-in" option for acting nominees. This was the result of incredible backlash when Bette's performance was not nominated. It is her performance that placed this movie on my 2023 must-see list. The story is based on the W. Somerset Maugham novel. It tells the tale of Philip Carey (Leslie Howard), a British man of some means, who abandons his hopes of being an artist and instead sets out to earn a degree in medicine. While in medical school he meets a lower-class waitress named Mildred Rogers (Bette Davis) and falls in love with her.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

My goal for 2023 was to see films that included some cinematic importance, notability, or significance. One movie that made this year’s agenda is We Need to Talk About Kevin, released in 2011. While the subject matter is distressing, the film itself is an intimidating and unique experience.

BROADCAST NEWS

Broadcast News (1987) provided audiences with two impressive accomplishments. The most important being a tight, well-written, finely directed, and superbly acted story. The second accomplishment was casting Holly Hunter in a role that would provide her with the break-out performance she was very deserving of.

THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS

 

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) was written, produced, and directed by Orson Welles and is based on the 1918 Booth Tarkington novel of the same name. The Ambersons were the wealthiest family in Indianapolis at the end of the 19th century. Young Isabel Amberson (Dolores Costello) has been courted for some time by Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotton), but after he accidentally embarrasses her because of a public mishap, Isabel childishly decides that she will marry Wilbur Minafer instead. She doesn’t love Wilbur and their marriage is a dull routine, so Isabel channels all her time and devotion into their one child, George. George grows up being given anything he wants and he soon morphs from an annoying child into an extremely spoiled and self-centered young man (Tim Holt). George is universally disliked throughout the town, and most residents look forward to him one day getting his comeuppance.

ONCE

Throughout high school and college, music was a huge part of my life and education. One of the experiences that brought tremendous joy was jamming. Creating new sounds and rhythms on the spur of the moment, sharing chord progressions with other musicians through instinct, skill, and some luck. It’s never perfect, but it’s always immensely fulfilling and enjoyable. Watching the film Once (2007) was akin to being part of such a jam session… a deeply personal and incredibly satisfying 86-minute jam.

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

While the film is most certainly a product of its time, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) can still be appreciated for what it set out to do…. while simultaneously being disappointing by revealing it might never have been as progressive as it set out to be.

NOSFERATU

Despite being over one hundred years old, this film still packs a wallop! Nosferatu is a German movie released in 1922. Its history is almost as entertaining as the film itself.

THE BIG CHILL

I specifically added The Big Chill (1983) to my 2023 viewing list because of how highly regarded I often hear it mentioned. I was certain I had seen it when it was originally released but wondered why I didn’t remember anything about it. I pondered whether I lacked the maturity when I first viewed it to appreciate all that the film possibly offered. I thought perhaps a second viewing with a more adult mindset might yield a more memorable or meaningful experience. I can’t say that it did.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY

The double entendre comes out of the gate swiftly in the film noir classic Double Indemnity (1944)!  Fred MacMurray plays slick insurance salesman Walter Neff. Mere minutes after meeting sultry Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck), the wife of one of his clients, Walter is letting it be known that he’s enjoying his time with her a little more than just professionally.

Phyllis: “There’s a speed limit in this state Mr. Neff, 45 miles an hour”
Walter: “How fast was I going officer?”
Phyllis: “I’d say around 90.”

HAROLD AND MAUDE

Harold and Maude is a dark comedy that has become a cult classic for good reason. It’s smart, extremely well-acted, and laugh-out-loud funny. Though it was a failure at the box office when it was released in 1971, this film has gone on to gain much-deserved acclaim and recognition.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE

In 1970 a movie titled Airport, dealing with a midair emergency, would be a box office winner. While disaster films were not new to Hollywood, the success of Airport would spur on an entire Seventies genre of big blockbuster disaster films. Soon there would be Airport 75 (a flight attendant (Karen Black) helps land a plane while simultaneously coping with hysteria and an annoying nun (Helen Reddy)), Airport 77, and finally The Concorde: Airport 79 (by this time the stellar casts consisted of actors like Charo, John Davidson, and Jimmy “JJ” Walker…. it was The Love Boat with a crisis!). Heck, the genre was even adopted by television. During the 1970’s the roster of television characters forced to help land planes included Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman), Hulk (The Incredible Hulk), and Kelley Garrett (Charlie’s Angels)! Characters in the 1970s were dealing with plane disasters almost as often as they were dealing with quicksand (kids of the 1970s will completely get this reference!).

Lest one imagine that airplanes presented the only possible disaster of the era, rest assured there were many more! Bees (The Swarm), snow (Avalanche), seismic activity (Earthquake), fire (The Towering Inferno), whales (Orca), and even amusement parks (Rollercoaster) were all capable of subjecting people to life-threatening terror. And let us not forget water! The Poseidon Adventure, released in 1972, tells the gutsy tale of a group of people trapped in a capsized ocean liner, fighting to stay alive. It is with The Poseidon Adventure that I begin my 2023 film journey!

SOPHIE'S CHOICE

 In 1947, Stingo (Peter MacNicol), a young, innocent, and naïve young man leaves his small southern hometown and travels to Brooklyn, NY with aspirations of becoming a published writer. Stingo sets up residence in a boarding house and soon meets his upstairs neighbors, Zofia “Sophie” Zowistowski (Meryl Streep), a Polish immigrant, and her lover Nathan (Kevin Kline). With this, the 1982 film, Sophie's Choice, begins. As Stingo becomes closer friends with the duo, he is also exposed to the bigger world around him as he lifts the veil of Sophie’s painful experiences as a former prisoner of the Holocaust and deals with the oft-manic behaviors of Nathan.

PLENTY

Plenty, released in 1985, provides yet another example of Meryl Streep’s incomparable ability to completely disappear into a role. In this film, she transforms into Susan Treherne, and Plenty follows Susan over a two-decade span beginning in 1943 during World War II in German-occupied France.

As the movie commences, Susan is a British courier, assisting the French military in their efforts to defeat the Nazis. She soon meets a fellow British agent, Lazar (Sam Neill) and she gives him tips on fitting in,  then offers him an invitation to her home which leads to a romantic one-night affair. It’s a night that Susan naively romanticizes into a sort of benchmark for all that will follow.

IRONWEED

Ironweed is a bleak and unsettling emersion into the lonely, desperate existence of an alcoholic, homeless couple living on the streets of Albany in the years following the Great Depression. It features the second on-screen pairing of Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, and it was released in 1987.

ADAPTATION

Journalist Susan Orlean wrote The Orchid Thief, a non-fiction book published in 1998 that tells the tale of John Laroche. Laroche is a horticulturist who had been arrested for poaching orchids in a protected Florida State Preserve. Orlean becomes intrigued by Laroche’s passion for these unique and exquisite flowers. Later, filmmaker and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman would endeavor to adapt Orlean’s book into a film, and it was this undertaking that ultimately led to his 2003 film, Adaptation.

 

THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS

Where to start with this one? The House of the Spirits (1994) is a supernatural, political drama, love story, and period piece that spans three generations in an unnamed South American country. Is that not enough for you? Well then, let’s throw in some class warfare, American wild west type antics, and tits. Plenty of tits. I ask you… does this sound like a film that would feature Academy Award winners Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, and Vanessa Redgrave… and Academy Award nominees Glenn Close, Antonio Banderas, and Winona Ryder? If you said, “no”, you would unfortunately be wrong.