Argo (2012)

Argo (2012)

[8] Score another point for Ben Affleck. I never much cared for him as an actor, but between this film and 2007's Gone Baby Gone, the guy has shown us some serious directing chops. Argo is the true story of…
All the President’s Men (1976)

All the President’s Men (1976)

[4] Alan J. Pakula (Sophie's Choice, The Pelican Brief) directs the big-screen story of how Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein cracked the Watergate scandal that lead to President Nixon's resignation. I love Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman…
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

[8]

Director Sidney Lumet showcases a true story ripped from the headlines, about two amateur bank robbers who started a media sensation that exploded further when the public learned of their unusual circumstances. Al Pacino stars as the master-mind of the heist plan that goes to hell and Charles Durning costars as the police captain who tries to manage the 24-hour siege. What’s most remarkable about this story is the robbers’ unexpected courtesy toward their hostages and law enforcement, as well as the reason Pacino’s character needs the money — to pay for his lover’s sex change. Lumet’s unadorned, fly-on-the-wall approach neither sensationalizes nor condescends to any of the material or its characters. Dog Day Afternoon is a mesmerizing mash-up of the gritty and the oddly touching, the darkly comic and the emotionally tense. Frank Pierson took home the Academy Award for his original screenplay, while the film also earned nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Editing (Dede Allen). Pacino was nominated for Best Actor and Chris Sarandon (Fright Night, The Princess Bride) was nominated for his supporting role as Pacino’s exasperated boyfriend. With John Cazale and Carol Kane.

Tom Jones (1963)

Tom Jones (1963)

[4] It must have been a weak year at the movies for this to have been the winner of the Best Picture Oscar. Tom Jones is a meandering mess of a narrative, with no strong through line and a bizarre…
Gone with the Wind (1939)

Gone with the Wind (1939)

[7]

Hollywood’s most celebrated melodrama is still entertaining today. Vivien Leigh does a remarkable job playing one of the most volatile heroines in film history. Scarlet O’Hara begins Margaret Mitchell’s story damned spoiled, and I’m not sure she ever really learns her lesson, but Leigh renders a subtle transformation while always remaining true to character. My other favorites are Olivia de Havilland (sweet in everything she’s in), Hattie McDaniel (who deserved her Oscar), and Butterfly McQueen (for bringing a little comedy to the proceedings). I don’t get Leslie Howard as Ashley. For being the crux of the movie’s romantic triangle, I’d like to have known what was so darned special about him. Max Steiner’s music, especially the Tara theme, is among the most memorable ever composed for film.

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

[4]

I knew I would eventually have to watch this 3-hour 20-minute behemoth and thank goodness it’s over. Doctor Zhivago is a sprawling epic about the Russian Revolution as seen through the eyes of a doctor (Omar Sharif) who wants to have his cake (his wife is played by Geraldine Chaplin) and eat it, too (his mistress is played by Julie Christie). The first half is dense with plotting and myriad characters — I was getting pretty sleepy. But once Zhivago becomes an exile, I became more alert and the movie picked up speed. Still, when it was all over, I was underwhelmed. He loved two women, he inspired a nation, and I just didn’t care.

American Beauty (1999)

American Beauty (1999)

[5]

SPOILER REVIEW

I really liked American Beauty when it was first released. Maybe I was wooed by its quirky introspection and aesthetic achievments. Or maybe it was screenwriter Alan Ball’s fresh new way of blending the real with the surreal. Or even the meditative lilt of Thomas Newman’s trend-setting score. But whatever the reason(s), watching the film ten years later, I realize — American Beauty ain’t all that. It’s kinda whack.

Battleground (1949)

Battleground (1949)

[7] Van Johnson and Ricardo Montalban are among the men holed up under snow and fog in William Wellman's (Wings) depiction of the Battle of the Bulge. Unlike most other war films of the time, Battleground is more of a…
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…
Gods and Monsters (1998)

Gods and Monsters (1998)

[9] Ian McKellen gives his most moving film performance to date as James Whale, director of the original Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and many other Golden Age titles. Bill Condon directs and adapts from a novel by…