I decided a new project would be to go through a streaming service, in this case, Paramount Plus and one by one go through the narrative features I’ve never seen. I’m trying to go fairly alphabetically, and it’s a mixed bag. Here’s those results.

Postcards from the Edge (90): A joy to see Streep play a complex, modern woman with a razor sharp wit. Like the film she’s flinty, nimble, and aces the big moments. Nichols’ crafty direction never lets Fisher’s acerbic bite and keen eye get lost. MacLaine is a camp goddess. God love, Hackman. A-

The End of the Affair (99): Multiple viewings but the same reaction. The ingredients are all amazing (the novel, Jordan’s adaptation, Ralph! Julianne!), but outside of the lovely photography and score, it’s almost there but doesn’t have the impact of the novel. Bloodless. B-

Oscar 1993 Best Supporting Actress 1. Rosie Perez “Fearless” 2. Anna Paquin “The Piano” 3. Emma Thompson “In the Name of the Father” 4. Winona Ryder “The Age of Innocence” 5. Holly Hunter “The Firm” Let’s start here—this is a phenomenal lineup. The kinds of performances, the

Swing Time (36): Perfection. The sets and costumes swoon with design, the Kern score lifts and guild every emotion, and Astaire and Rogers have never dance better…ever. “Never Gonna Dance” is muscular, magnetic, and passionate. It’s their best number. Everyone’s in peak form. A

Swing Time (36): Perfection. The sets and costumes swoon with design, the Kern score lifts and guild every emotion, and Astaire and Rogers have never dance better…ever. “Never Gonna Dance” is muscular, magnetic, and passionate. It’s their best number. Everyone’s in peak form. A

Daddy and Kirby the Bear

People need to start to understand what happens when you fire the inspectors.

Breaking: Tennessee Republicans pass new 9-0 gerrymander after SCOTUS destruction of Voting Rights Act eliminating state’s only majority-Black district & last Democratic seat. Splits Memphis, which is 63% Black, into 3 districts to disenfranchise Black voters. Quite literally a return to Jim Crow

Mulan (98): Sturdy in story and score, but upon rewatch, I wish it looked better. Feels hopelessly stuck between the refined prestige of ‘Hunchback’ and cartoony designs of ‘Hercules’. Ming-Na Wen is particularly good in the voice cast, and every song is a banger. B-

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (26): Started rough, but settles into a charming and funny dramedy about a changed media landscape and actually trying to do a job with the screws constantly being put to you. Our four principles are terrific esp. Hathaway. Clearly truncated, but better than I expected. B/B+

Doctor Zhivago (65): It’s always been second tier of the Lean epics—the ideas aren’t as bright—but on this watch the grand craft and the pulsing melodrama pulled me deeper. Sharif is nearly as good as he should be, but Christie, Courtenay, and Steiger brighten it up. B+

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The Young Victoria (09): Beautifully detailed particularly Powell’s costumes and performed with more nuance and neurosis than standard costume drama, it’s a lovely, complicated portrait of a young royal and her marriage. Blunt and Friend are good apart, but better together. B

Eyes up here, boy.

thinking about Rachel McAdams in Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. 💖

The Tempest (10): Loud more than accomplished, Taymor tries ‘Titus’ again with diminishing returns. The same visual tricks and orchestral bombast just feel cheaper and less nuanced than this play deserves. The cast is good enough, but Sandy Powell’s costumes steal the show. C-

Being Eddie (25) A painstaking, highly produced, highly sanitized celebrity doc punctuated by moments of off the cuff insight and hilarity into the man who’s far more elusive than we realize. The moments backstage at his SNL return are momentous. Oh and the Puppets! B-

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (89): Raiders is the best, but this is my favorite. Expertly made and juicy fun, the film is a perfectly tuned watch of set up and payoff. Ford and Connery are terrific together. Some of the best production design of Spielberg’s career. A-

The King and I (56): Hard to impartially review (I’ve seen it upwards of 50x), but the grand Technicolor pageantry, the palpable chemistry between Brynner and Kerr, and the absolutely gloriously orchestrated score make up where some cultural insensitives persist. Love it. B/B+

The Color of Money (86): Ballhaus shoots the fuck out of it, but in sequelizing Fast Eddie, Scorsese’s film is drenched in nostalgia without ever feeling musty. Well-performed across the board, but Newman is sly and wily even in emotional moments. Mary Elizabeth, owns it. Savvy production design. B+

Spotlight (15): McCarthy and his ensemble make rigorous and deliberate journalism into thrilling cinema. The unshowy yet purposeful photography, Shore’s propulsive score, and the deep empathy for survivors and reporters alike make the most difficult subject matter rewatchable. A

Merrily We Roll Along (25): Filmed well to show what made this revival so special. Groff and Radcliffe are incredible in close up, but what a trio of leads all have impeccable chemistry. It sounds like a dream in that space. Wish the rest of the supporting cast was AS good. B+/A-

Promising Young Woman (20): Sue me, I still like it. The heightened dark fairytale quality is brimming with sly humor and a gutsy premise. Mulligan rewards the film with canny grace and ferocity I wouldn’t have expected. Still love the design’s Pinterest mood board of color theory. B+/A-

Pretty in Pink (86): The Duckie-incelish stuff is worse than I thought, but I appreciate Hughes putting more mature themes (ie socioeconomic concerns) in the mouths of teenagers in the 80s. Ringwald is lovely, but Potts, the costumes and kick ass soundtrack steal every scene. B+

The French Lieutenant’s Woman (81): Save for Streep’s frightful wigs, the film is beautifully made— lush photography, smart cutting, and a big, momentous score. Even on revisit, the dual stories and performances just feel all exercise until late when it comes together, like the last ten min. B-

Green Card (90): A movie that’s this much of a trifle doesn’t have any business looking this good. The photography is beautifully lit and framed and the art direction may be better. Depardieu and McDowell have interesting chemistry, but it’s awakened by a lovely finale. Fun. B

Caught Stealing (25): Maybe one too many moving pieces or plot layers, but as character-driven crime capers, I had a good time. Butler is acquitting himself well in leading man mode, and I’m never gonna be unhappy seeing Regina King or Zoe Kravitz—the film needed more of them. B

Casino Royale (06): Muscular, emotional, and swinging with big dick energy, Craig’s first Bond is his best. His performance is vulnerable and fresh, and Green is downright stunning as her conflicted femme fatale. The chic and slinky costume design and confident editing make every scene sing. A

Skyfall (12): Touching and thrilling throughout and what an easy rewatch. Per usual, Deakins and especially production designer Dennis Gassner create spaces and set pieces of color and light that breathe with emotion and flair. Dench’s as a final Bond girl is a lovely touch. A-

What To Know About ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 https://theonion.com/what-to-know-about-euphoria-season-3/

Tumbleweeds (99): The themes and situations are familiar, but I’m impressed by O’Connor and particularly McTeer finding ways to buck and swerve. Brown is a lovely foil, and the mother/daughter banter feels balanced and realistic. Still, maybe too familiar to be audacious. B

You’ve Got Mail (98): As easy as Meg Ryan’s neutral separates, but still packs an emotional punch. Ryan does some of her best work, and it’s fun to see Hanks slightly snarkier. Ephron’s reliance on cute and quirky gets a bit much by the end, but the writing is acerbic enough to elevate. B+

Field of Dreams (89): Maybe too hokey, but honestly felt. There’s enough darkness to cut through the sugar. I’m a sucker for father-son films, but this handles it with grace and surprise. The supporting cast led by Jones and Lancaster pop, but it’s firecracker Amy Madigan who stands out most. A-

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (47): The fearless, boozy work by Hayward is mercurial and elevates a movie she can do in her sleep. Impressed by dark they let the plot go especially for a mother in ‘47. Still ends up slightly silly in parts. Susan knows how to play blitzed. B-

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MO (17): Purposely pushing the audience to the brink, ok. Undermining the stakes and motivations even within scenes; that’s not. Well-acted, but gossamer. Fran can do this role in her sleep; I wish there was newly seen layers. Painfully shot. C+

Call Me By Your Name (17): A man’s touch on sun-kissed skin, a gulp of cold water after a sweltering bike ride, or the sweetest bite of fresh fruit pale in comparison to the roiling emotions and sensuality of first romance and heartbreak. Gets those first tingles perfectly. A total mood. A-

Doing my best

The exquisite Emma Thompson, born 67 years ago today

L.A. Confidential (97): Lustrous even 29 years later, this noir doesn’t lose an ounce of the complexity of the genre’s heyday or its beautiful modernity for today. Hanson has such a mastery of form, character, and story and his cast repays tenfold. All three leads are terrific. A

The Pope is soft on crime though.

Dreamgirls (06): A bullet train of color, music, and performance. Condon makes you feel the skyrocketing fame and its emotional fallout. Murphy has Jimmy’s sadness along with the performer’s soul. Costumed impeccably. Hudson is better in non-singing moments than I remembered. Second half drags. B+

If you see this, post a picture of you in glasses🤓

Four Favorites with Michaela Coel ❤️ The Christophers is now playing in NY and LA and expands across the US on April 17 via NEON. Mother Mary, also starring Coel, is in theaters April 17 via A24.