Last year on r/movies I posted a year-end review of 700+ movies including my favourite movies I saw in 2020, you all responded positively to it, so let's do it again!

Here's last year's post

Same as last year, I'll post my top 5 (in no particular order) for each calendar month of 2020, varying from popular favourites to ones I feel like deserve way more attention in the general conversation.

Jan 2021

• One, Two, Three (1961) - To me, Billy Wilder's movies are some of the most accessible movies anyone could watch from old classics, if you're looking to get into classic cinema, then he's one of the best places to start. I know a lot of people struggle with the pacing of movies from decades prior because of the different pacing, humour and acting. But One, Two, Three is such a consistently funny comedy with rapid fire dialogue that the runtime flies by. Not to mention, James Cagney is more than up for the task with his animated, live wire performance. Plus the satire is so razor sharp that it hasn't aged a day, a lot of the barbs at corporations and Cold War politics remain just as relevant today.

• Dragged Across Concrete (2018) - By S. Craig Zahler's standards, this film went under the radar compared to his previous outings and I'm scratching my head a bit as to why that is, I guess maybe because it's his longest film so far, and the fact that people couldn't quite decide what Zahler's politics are from this film, he doesn't talk about his political views in public as far as I'm aware, so people extrapolated the film's intentions from the politics of the two lead actors, Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. But to me, it's paced just as well as Bone Tomahawk, and Brawl in Cell Block 99. It builds flawlessly to a tense climax with satisfying payoffs and I'm pretty sure from the ending I know where Zahler's intentions lie. The stakes for each character involved in this whole mess is clearly defined and yet we root for them all even if it's a zero-sum game, I think Zahler did something very special here.

• The Tenant (1976) - Polanksi's attention to detail and the craft is always so meticulous, he's just one of those directors that came fully formed out of the gate with Knife in the Water and The Tenant is another of Polanksi's great psychological horror films much like Rosemary's Baby, it feels very modern and it's gorgeously photographed by Sven Nykvist, Bergman's regular cinematographer. It taps into some deep-seated paranoia and makes us squirm and squeal (in a good way) and Polanksi is surpisingly effective as an actor too.

• Miami Vice (2006) - Maybe one of the ultimate marmite movies, famously divisive upon release but has developed a huge cult following for a style and craft on display that quite frankly has never been since either. My perception is that fans of the TV show generally didn't like what it had to offer but I'd never seen the show so I was coming in blind from that perspective. I would urge anyone who is a fan of Michael Mann's other movies to check this out to make your own opinion on it. Important to note that I prefer the theatrical cut because it gets right into the action but obviously if you like the theatrical cut, it's safe to say that you'll probably enjoy or maybe even prefer the longer cut. It's not an alternate cut that drastically changes the movie like Kingdom of Heaven.

• White Men Can't Jump (1992) - If you've seen Bull Durham and not seen this, then just do yourself a favour and go ahead and do that. Stanley Kubrick thought this was a great movie and he thought fucking right. Also pretty sure that the Safdie Brothers took a cue from this movie and Jules Dassin's Night and the City when they were making Uncut Gems. The great thing about Ron Shelton is that sports is just the backdrop to the actual story. Most sports movies never get sports right because the conclusion is always very obvious and you can already predict what happens in the first act. Ron Shelton knew the character story was always the heart of any good sports movie.

Feb 2021

• James White (2015) - Before this, I'd seen Christopher Abbott in 3 films in the space of just as many weeks in 2021. He's been good in all of them, but noticing this curiously frequent pattern, I decided to look up what else he's done. This man basically has his hands all over the American arthouse scene in the way that Jesse Plemons is all over the studio movie scene. It made me question what people see in him because he's been solid in all of them, but at the same time this man has been everywhere. It was certainly an interesting pattern that made me question what he's done before that has gotten him this street cred. After James White, now I get it. It's been a long while since I've seen such an emotionally affecting performance. Like someone else has said, we're not ready for the conversation about Abbott's ability as an actor. But I will gladly await the day it comes. This is way better than the generic IMDb premise would have you think. Christopher Abbott is a star in waiting.

• Fantasia (1940) - Blows my mind this was made in 1940 and made by Disney (!) at that. I wanna live in a world where Fantasia made $1 billion at the box office. The sad thing is, we may never see anything with this much artistic integrity and sheer medium-pushing audacity like this ever again in animation. Legitimately the most ambitious and risky animated film I've ever seen. In the whole history of movies, the closest thing I can honestly think of is Kubrick's 2001, and that came out 28 years after this. Seems like a freak event in hindsight that this was ever made but some more movies of this calibre and style would be nice.

• Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) - Enough has been said about this movie that I don't think I have much else to add, Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield are just two of our greatest working actors right now and the fact that we got a Departed-esque movie that pits them against each other is a blessing. I still can't even fathom the idea that the FBI started wire-tapping Fred Hampton at the age of 14.

• eXistenZ (1999) - The premise for this is so wild and quite frankly it feels like the precursor to Inception, not Satoshi Kon's Paprika. If I say anything more, I'd probably risk spoiling it. It's a movie that works on so many levels and it's genius that Cronenberg pulled this off with $15M ($25M in today's money), I guess this is one of those mid-budget original concept genre movies they talk about that we'd love to see more of today.

• Listen to Me Marlon (2015) - Marlon Brando's one of the biggest enigmas to come out of Hollywood maybe ever, his life has been endlessly covered and yet the more you read, watch and learn about him, the less you feel like you know. This documentary makes a damn good attempt at getting closer to understanding him and his legacy and does so in a way that is respectful to the man, without elevating him to a higher status nor tearing him down for some of his mistakes.

March 2021

• The Father (2020) - Nice to know Anthony Hopkins still has a GOAT performance in his locker hidden away somewhere when he feels like putting it out there for the world to see. I didn't think Hannibal Lecter could ever be equalled or improved on (depending on who you ask), but I guess I ate humble pie after seeing this movie. Incredibly cinematic for a movie based on a play, and a real testament to Florian Zeller's sense for how to bring out the visuals in a gem of a script by playing with structure, time and editing.

• I Saw the Devil (2010) - Not sure why it took me so long to get round to a movie that is so famous by international cinema standards on reddit, but it really is just so engaging and driven by a stellar lead performance by Byung-hun Lee and Min-sik Choi brings his A-game for this as well. I guess we can see why Korean cinema became so big in hindsight as it's pretty rare in the 2010s that mid-budget and high-budget Hollywood movies went to places this dark and edgy.

• A Taxi Driver (2017) - Rock solid proof Kang-ho Song is one of the greatest working actors right now, as if you needed any more of that to reach this conclusion. There's a moment towards the end of this film that I would usually eviscerate in any other movie in terms of suspension of disbelief, but the rest of it is just so great and edge-of-the-seat thrilling that I honestly don't care enough to let it bother me. Takes a leaf out of the Joon-ho Bong school of balancing tonal and genre shifts.

• Cemetery of Splendour (2015) - Weerasethakul's movies aren't for everyone, so only a certain kind of person will seek this one out, but the way his plays with time and pacing in a film, combined with the spiritual themes he explores, there's something magical happening here that I can't really describe why they work for me, but they do. This film rewards patience, but it's also quite humble in the way it goes about things, it doesn't feel oppressive and it even ends on a happy note with another great Weerasethakul needle drop.

• In the Loop (2009) - I haven't seen The Thick of It yet, but I think the most commendable thing about In the Loop is that Iannucci and his writers clearly knew they had cinematic dynamite in Malcolm Tucker, but they managed to find that fine balance between too much Malcolm and not enough Malcolm. Too much and no one else feels developed, not enough and then you lose what makes this whole enterprise so entertaining. Everyone is given time and space to drive the story forward in their own way. and I guess even then what's great is that the story itself is good, but it's not necessarily dependent on the audience understanding the ins and outs of Downing Street/White House politics. I'm trying to think of the last great political satire film that wasn't The Death of Stalin (another Iannucci film), and I'm sort of drawing a blank. I guess considering what's happened post-Great Financial Crisis, how can you out-farce a farce?

Apr 2021

• The Wild Child (1970) - Almost certain Wes Anderson's love of Vivaldi came from this movie. Occasionally I think about how much of a tragedy it was that Truffaut passed away at the age of 52, one can only imagine what else he was working on and what other masterpieces were in store. I guess all you can do is cherish the masterpieces that we do have and man, The Wild Child certainly is one of them. Feels like it took a page out Bresson's book with how simple, elegant and ascetic it is in its style, even down to some of the qualities that Victor possesses, he feels like he could easily fit into Au Hasard Balthazar. And the best part is, Truffaut's use of dialogue is deliberate, primarily the storytelling is driven by the visuals. And Truffaut was probably one of the kings of directing child actors, his chemistry with Jean-Pierre Cargol is so effortless and heart-warming. The choices of music, and the uses of montage are perfect and every part of it feels so earned because of how much time and consideration is given to each part of the story, it never feels rushed, we also feel the frustration of the protagonist in his journey and there's no contrived conclusions, no melodrama, it ends exactly where it needs to, leaving us wanting more and in its minimalism, it ends up saying much more than it lets on.

• Target 1968 - The montage in the climax at the drive-in cinema is basically the 'Odessa Steps' in Bogdanovich's filmography. The editing is so controlled and precise and every cut is so meaningful, and Boris Karloff's performance is out of this world good. Visually it's a really great film especially since the storyline involving the killer is something that honestly works even without dialogue, it's so clinically told and there isn't a wasted moment there. The tricky part of managing a film like this is cross-cutting to the scenes with Orlok, but this is just an example of perfect casting meets a perfect performance. It also helps that Boris Karloff seemed very humble about his own image and had great chemistry with Bogdanovich, who also seems to show a certain respect for the man through his direction and the characterisation. On a more sombre note, maybe the saddest part of this entire film is, I'm sure when Bogdanovich made this film in 1967, he hoped it would age like milk, and yet sadly it hasn't. It hasn't aged one single goddamn day. P.S. Here's a link to an essay from Tarantino on Targets. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood makes a bit more sense now lol.

• October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927) - Only an utterly maniacal genius could edit a movie like this...good God. This isn't editing...this is just Eisenstein's brain in cinematic form. Even modern movies don't have cutting rhythms like this. Truly the only pre-Godard filmmaker who still feels like he was making movies on another planet.

• Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) - Anyone who finds Mr. Bean funny should watch this, Tati's observational humour is just so sharp, he has the ability to make the audience laugh from the simplest and most mundane things. Very light and short and sweet at 90 minutes as well.

• Time (2020) - I tried watching this about 6 months ago prior to when I watched it and I sort of gave up half way and decided it wasn't for me. With the Oscars now behind us, I decided to give it another shot. Now I'm sort of scratching my head as to why I felt agnostic to it the first time round? Maybe it was because I misjudged this as exploitative 'black pain' cinema that Hollywood has a tendency to milk for the wrong reasons. But it's honestly pretty far from that, in fact by being upfront about what the tragedy is right in the first scene, this allows the documentary to move beyond simply exploiting that and it ends up becoming so much more. Through the careful use of clips and great editing, Garrett Bradley (in part thanks to Fox Rich) has created some of the most indelible images of the year. It ends up becoming a metaphysical and deeply emotional exploration of the lasting ripple effects, of forgiveness, redemption and it's about this family's restoration of their dignity. And somehow...it does all that in 81 minutes. I'm amazed tbh.

May 2021

• The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) - I've said this multiple times, and I stand by it, Woody Allen's best films are all the ones that don't actually have him in them as an actor. Maybe one of the ultimate tributes to the power of cinema and why we love the movies. Endlessly charming and Mia Farrow and Jeff Daniels are delightful in this.

• Head-On (2004) - This is probably one of the best films I've seen when it comes to understanding the limbo that one lives in between two cultures, in this case, Turkey and Germany. One of the great romance movies, and Birol Unel will live on in this extraordinary performance he gave here. Also Fatih Akin and his composer and music team have such a great sense for the music choices. I love the musical interludes he dropped in this film to give the audience a breather.

• Bad Trip (2021) - Look straight up, I find Eric Andre absolutely hilarious and he brought back a type of comedy that hasn't been made in so long with such finesse that it just seriously impressed me. And it's not a one-trick gimmick either, the filmmaking here is actually really good, like way better than I expected it to be. This movie has jokes right from the first scene and never lets up, so if you're not laughing at the start, be advised, it probably isn't your thing.

• Horse Feathers (1932) - I'm a big fan of the Marx Brothers, and in an era where comedies feel extremely long nowadays, because they have to be dramedies for commercial purposes, it's incredibly refreshing to see a genuine "laugh-a-minute" comedy that just excels at what it does and does it all in 68 minutes. I guarantee this will be one of the shortest hours of your life.

• Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) - John Sturges is one of those directors depending on who you are, you may have never heard of, but he's probably made one of your all-time favourite movies, either The Great Escape or The Magnificent Seven. This is the other masterpiece he made, and it weaves such complex and layered commentary and characters together around an engaging mystery and does this all in 81 minutes.

June 2021

• Moulin Rouge (2001) - This is a musical on steroids, and now I understand why the one-two punch of this movie along with Rob Marshall's Chicago brought back the musical from the doldrums after like 30 years of silence. There is nothing like this, and never will be anything like this again.

• The Seventh Continent (1989) - I'm a sucker for Michael Haneke, I honestly think he's one of the few directors with a genuine Midas touch. I get why his movies irritate some people, but this movie builds and builds to maybe one of the most memorable climaxes ever that was already sealed but it does this with such respect for the audience and never gives easy answers for hard questions.

• The Green Ray (1986) - I think Eric Rohmer made a movie about me and I find that weirdly uncomfortable but also incredibly profound as well. This is a big favourite of Richard Linklater's and I can see why, Rohmer creates rich and real characters like not many film directors ever have. It's so low-key but you're with Delphine every step of the way and understand what makes her tick and that's why it's so engaging.

• Irma Vep (1996) - Look, if you have eyes, then you'll understand why Maggie Cheung is one of the most famous movie stars ever by international standards. She has this universal appeal and her performance in this movie is so charming and inquisitive that you'll be in good hands with this movie.

• The Innocents (1961) - I generally don't do well with a lot of famous horror films (Argento's Suspiria to name one), it's less that they scare me and more that they actually just don't. Some people probably think I overthink the quality of the dialogue and the effects, but for me, they just don't work as well. The Innocents is one of those horror movies that hasn't aged a day.

July 2021

• Certified Copy (2010) - You know earlier I said about Michael Haneke being one of the few directors I consider to have a Midas touch, well Kiarostami is another. It just blows my mind that Kiarostami manages to innovate to a level I've never seen before from ridiculously simple concepts. It really makes you wonder what people can do with relatively low budgets when they really put their mind to it. It's a movie that offers you multiple perspectives and multiple takes on the meaning of love, and then redefines your entire perspective on what was offered within the same movie.

• The Bad Sleep Well (1960) - I generally hate most Shakespeare adaptations, both played straight and also adapted to different eras. But boy, Kurosawa just gets Shakespeare in a way not many people do. Between Ran, Throne of Blood, and The Bad Sleep Well, he may be one of the greatest directors when it comes to putting Shakespeare on screen.

• Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) - This movie hits deep on a personal level considering what's happening to movie theatres this year.

• The New World (2005) - I think this is another of those marmite movies like Miami Vice , although in comparison to the three movies Malick made in the 2010s, it's less so I guess. There's two cuts for this film, and Criterion put out both from what I remember, the longer one is the one Malick intended before studio demands changed the theatrical release. Just unbelievably gorgeous and a real work of art.

• Black Book (2006) - Now I understand why Verhoeven had enough of Hollywood, when he can make absolute bangers like this with less studio interference, I'm not surprised. Verhoeven's had something of a comeback since this movie came out, between Black Book, Elle and Benedetta, it's great to see one of our wildest and most imaginative directors on a high. One of the greatest war movies I've ever seen.

Aug 2021

• Dil Se... (1998) - Quite frankly it seems wild that one of the world's biggest movie stars (Shahrukh Khan) who has starred in endless blockbusters and sappy, Yash Raj romance films starred in a movie like this. It's like Tom Cruise starring in Eyes Wide Shut. I'm still in awe that this exists, but I guess it comes from Mani Ratnam, so it shouldn't be too surprising. Maybe A.R. Rehman's peak as well, it's one of the greatest soundtracks I've ever heard and so flawlessly combines politics and romance together on a level I rarely see.

• Le Bonheur (1965) - It's incredibly rare to see a movie come together this late and reveal the cards that it's been holding close to its chest, especially so in the modern era. The only ones I can think of are like Tenet and The Power of the Dog from recent years. I honestly did not think Agnès Varda had a movie like this in her locker based on all the other movies I've seen from her, but I'm more and more impressed by her range the more I familiarise myself with her body of work, in that sense you'd be forgiven for being fooled. Absolutely gorgeous movie to look at as well, the use of colour is so striking and the nervous, jumpy editing that almost makes you feel guilty for watching some scenes and the composition of some of the shots during the first date outside, this is some of the most formally expressive work I've seen in a while.

• A New Leaf (1971) - Elaine May made 4 movies, and the last one was Ishtar. No doubt the story of the production of that movie is a mess but her other 3 movies? Straight masterpieces. Although I have yet to see Ishtar so maybe they're all masterpieces. I hope her new film comes out, she deserves much more attention and love than she gets.

• The Bad News Bears (1976) Walter Matthau specialises in that miserable, hilarious asshole, and I think it's a kind of energy that I don't think has been matched since by anyone other than Steve Martin. Also Tatum O'Neal has to be one of the greatest child actors ever. It's also a sports movie with a unique twist on the ending as well, which is where most sports movies always flounder.

• The Return (2003) - I wish I had something more substantial and intelligent to say about this masterpiece but Zvyagintsev is just so damn good at what he does. This movies builds a lump in your throat over the course of its runtime and does it without telling you where it's going but you know it's not going to end up well straight from the first scene. But it's so engaging even though it reveals everything exactly when it wants to.

Sept 2021

• 35 Shots of Rum (2008) - Claire Denis is so versatile and she's made so many different movies which is why I consider it a high compliment when I say this is greatest Ozu film Ozu never made himself. It's so tender and kind and has such empathy for its characters.

• Heaven's Gate (1980) - I'm almost tempted to spoil the ending for people because if you know where it's going, it actually changes your entire perception of what every scene before it means. Enough has been said about this movie, we all know why it's so infamous, I'm glad Criterion let Cimino put out the version that he always intended to, this is just a maximalist film in full force, every single goddamn dollar of that mammoth budget is on full display here. The world is so gorgeously rendered (and deliberately so from a thematic POV), you'd think Cimino created a goddamn time machine.

• The Green Knight (2021) - Funnily enough, considering the (amazingly edited) ending, this makes for an interesting contrast with Heaven's Gate. It's definitely quite different from a thematic POV, but from a character study POV, there's something interesting contrasts to be made. Dev Patel is just so good in this and conveys the big events and years (with help from the makeup department) that pass by in this film with such ease.

• Distant (2002) - There's a scene where the main character in the film wants to watch porn in peace and he's living with a roommate who needs a place to stay but he also wants the roommate to piss off so he can have some privacy. He gets rid of the roommate by putting on Tarkovsky's Stalker to bore him to death. It works. If that doesn't intrigue you enough to watch the rest of the film, I'm not sure what will.

• Knife in the Water (1962) - You know how they say filming on water is an absolute pain and it's an easy way to balloon a budget, it makes me think, this was Polanski's debut. And the sailboat in this film isn't exactly huge, it's not like a cruise/pirate ship that Soderbergh/Verbinski might have had. Not to mention this was in the 1960s, like Polanski actually made an absolute mockery of directing a movie here, especially when it turned out this good.

Oct 2021

• Baraka (1992) - I thought this was gonna be a Mortal Kombat movie, unfortunately it wasn't. On a serious note, movies like Baraka, Man with a Movie Camera and Koyaanisqatsi are like crack cocaine on celluloid to me. Powerful beyond words and that 70mm photography is just pure sex. This does not look like a movie released in 1992, it looks at least 15 years ahead of its time. I love the way this movie utilises the Kuleshov effect and various other editing techniques to transform what might seem at face value, simple imagery, but then becomes something so much more when sequenced with other images, but it does this without judgement and lets the audience derive what they want to from these scenes. It's like a 97 minute meditation session but with gorgeous imagery and evocative music.

• A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) - There's a needle drop in this that is so fire, I think it might be one of the greatest I've ever heard. Ana Lily Amirpour absolutely nails every single soundtrack choice. She's right up there with Danny Boyle and Quentin Tarantino. It does this all with such unique style (mixing Sergie Leone, Jarmusch, Lynch and God knows what else) and never condescends to the audience with its weighty subject matter either. If you love films that just show you what happens, rather than tell you what happens, this is a great one to watch.

• Our Little Sister (2015) - If you've seen Shoplifters, you'll understand why Kore-eda is just such a damn good filmmaker. He effortlessly draws up big groups of characters while retaining their own individual identities, this is a meticulous tribute to the bonds of sorority from one of our greatest currently active directors. It's a ridiculously comfy movie as well.

• Secret Sunshine (2007) - If you've ever seen A Serious Man by the Coen Brothers, or have ever loved any movies about wrestling with your faith, then this is a must-watch. I'm not sure if it's just me but I felt like this movie was going one way until it went another and then I realised where it was heading. Chang-dong Lee gets a lot of acclaim but he doesnt get the fame Bong Joon ho and Park Chan Wook get, but he's just as deserving of it. It takes a carefully considered and balanced approach to dealing with faith and how humans practise it and features one of the best lead performances of the 2000s.

• Titane (2021) Do not expect a coherent answer from me on why this is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. This is crack cocaine to my inner lizard brain. Words fail me now, hopefully something will come on repeat viewings. Ducournau's two films in and I think we can already drop the lazy comparisons to previous cinematic reference points, she is her own thing now.

Nov 2021

• Dune (2021) - Villeneuve did it, the mad bastard. Now give me the next two parts (I think it's two) and take me all the way. We're a third of the way there to seeing his magnum opus.

• Shadow (2018) - Seeing is believing with this film. Absolute god-tier shit from my man Yimou Zhang. The guy's been at it for 30+ years since his killer debut, Red Sorghum and he hasn't lost an ounce of his touch. There's two setpieces in the second act of this film that Yimou crosscuts between, there's one reveal of a certain thing that I won't mention, and that entire setpiece alone is worthy of being held up there with some of the best of the last decade, and then Yimou's like "you ain't seen nothing yet boy" and just absolutely goes and blows that out of the water with the setpiece in the parallel subplot. Unbelievable. But I probably shouldn't oversell the action in this film, because this isn't a film where the story is built around the action, it's the detailed screenplay that gives weight and depth to the characters and the setpieces. In fact, IMDb classes this as an action movie, but it's closer to a complex political drama that happens to have killer setpieces in them. And really, if that's what you want, it doesn't get better than this.

• El Verdugo (1963) - I'm still mulling over this film but the way it weaves together its political commentary on Spain at the time and the comedic elements is so smooth, that it has to have inspired directors like the Coen Brothers or other great directors like them who combine drama and tragedy together so well.

• Experimenter (2015) - If you've ever read anything about Stanley Milgram in school or university, then I highly recommend this film. Thankfully it's not just a straight Wikipedia re-telling of the greatest hits like most biopics are, and Almereyda adds in some elegant twists as well to keep things moving on. Also Winona Ryder's back in great movies again and I will never complain about that.

• Microcosmos (1996) - Not sure if I can stomach seeing this again, considering some of the insects on display but the photography here is so amazing and what you are given the opportunity to witness is so unique that for that reason alone it's worth a watch. It almost feels like you're eavesdropping on something you shouldn't be.

Dec 2021

• The Last Duel (2021) - Ridley Scott is one of the greatest directors to have ever graced the medium and he's still making masterpieces at this age. What a king. Bring on Kitbag. Also Jodie Comer should win an Oscar for this, so the fact that it's unlikely she will even get a nomination for this is kind of insane to me.

• The Power of the Dog (2021) - I said it above that this movie comes together so late, but there really isn't a single wasted scene in this. It's one of the few movies I've seen twice this year and Campion's screenplay is just one of the best from this year. Setup after setup and payoff after payoff. Between this and The Last Duel and West Side Story, it feels like multiple master directors came back with a vengeance this year to prove they still have it.

• Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) - If the Academy appreciated comedic performances more, Cary Grant would genuinely have like 3 or 4 Oscars. Literally one of the greatest comedic performances I have ever seen from one of the greatest, most effervescent and most evergreen movie stars this planet has ever seen. When he's on song, no one reminds me more of why I love movies.

• Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) Heist movies that also function as comedies tend to be rarer than movies that are just straight heist movies. So the fact that Monicelli manages to make the buildup to the heist so intriguing and consistently hilarious without the comedic elements ever getting in the way or slowing the pacing down is just a wonder.

• Blue by Derek Jarman (1993) - This is free on Youtube btw. Every once in a while, I come across a film which I think is so good and about something so unique that it goes beyond individual tastes and that really everyone should just take it as an explicit recommendation. Obviously I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who only casually watches movies, but if you're reading this, you're probably not one of those people. Blue is a film that has such clarity and tunnel vision in what it wants to convey to the audience and how it wants to convey it and it does it with such remarkable sincerity that it's probably beyond my capability to even dissect this movie. In a way, it's a movie that would work just as well with a pair of headphones at home as opposed to seeing it in a movie theatre, which I would also love to do. But the way it plays with sound design works just as well in an intimate setting.

If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, please do; a big thing that kept me going was the conversation it let me have with others.

Thanks for reading!

Submitted January 01, 2022 at 10:53PM by PopeDarthPaul https://ift.tt/3zu68qR