Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

[10] In picturesque Italy, 1983, a seventeen-year-old boy falls in love with an older man who is working as his father's research assistant. That's it. That's all Call Me By Your Name is about. And it's marvelous. So many other…
The Witch (2015)

The Witch (2015)

[10] I'll come right out with it: The Witch is my favorite horror film of the last ten years. Newcomer writer/director Robert Eggers serves up a masterfully creepy tale that's equal parts psychological and atmospheric, elegant and restrained, but not…
There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

[10] Director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) serves up a masterful study of two ambitious men -- a turn-of-the-century oil prospector driven by capitalism and a young preacher eager to grow his flock. The two men come to conflict…
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

[10] I love road movies and ensemble pieces, but Little Miss Sunshine goes one step further by saying something we all need to hear from time to time: it's okay to fall short of ambition. The film throws six disparate…
The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)

The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)

[10] Peter Jackson (Dead Alive, The Frighteners) embraces the Herculean task of bringing Tolkien's supreme fantasy to the silver screen, and hits a home run. The Fellowship of the Ring gets the trilogy off to a strong start, as Frodo…
Wonder Boys (2000)

Wonder Boys (2000)

[10] Michael Douglas gives a career highlight performance as Grady Tripp, a fifty-year-old college professor worried about following up his sensational debut novel in this warm, character-driven comedy from director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile) and author Michael Chabon.…
Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club (1999)

[10] A profound, yes profound, pitch black satire that has become an anthem for a "generation of men raised by women". From a gender studies perspective, Fight Club speaks to the fragility of masculine identity and the disturbing lengths to…
Titus (1999)

Titus (1999)

[10]

The story of Titus Andronicus is a fascinating dissertation on human violence, and in the hands of visionary director Julie Taymor (Frida, Across the Universe), it becomes an orgasm of cinematic delight.

It opens in the aftermath of war, as Titus (Anthony Hopkins) returns victorious to Rome, having just defeated the Goths and captured their queen, Tamora (Jessica Lange), and her sons.  Fulfilling his religious duties, Titus disembowels Tamora’s eldest son and burns his entrails before her. This begins a downward spiral of revenge and madness that ultimately destroys both families and rattles the foundation of Roman government. In grand Shakespearean fashion, the story ends in a dinner finale in which nearly everyone is killed (and some are baked into pies!)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

[10] Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) adapts the Patricia Highsmith novel for the big screen, casts it perfectly, and delivers a superb character study and psychological thriller. Matt Damon anchors the film in the best performance of his career, playing the…
Heat (1995)

Heat (1995)

[10] Al Pacino is Vincent Hanna of the LAPD robbery/homicide division.  Robert DeNiro is Neil McCauley, the leader of a successful bank robbing team that includes his protege Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer. After a fouled-up heist puts Hanna…