The feature debut for the great Krzysztof Kieslowski at age 35. He had made a ton of documentaries prior and this is certainly made with that background in mind- realism It is a study of a man, played by Franciszek Pieczka, the building of a factory in a community- the “development of a village”– about local politics and a damning tale of bureaucracy. Sort of like Grapes of Wrath but from the other point of view. We even have a bulldoze a house scene Opens of a shot through trees in a forest- a nice frame, static- medium long—Kieslowski

It is a disappointment coming off of Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter from Egoyan (and gets lost a bit in 1999’s incredible year)-- but certainly much stronger than the average film made by anyone else Opens with a gorgeous long floating tracking shot through an immaculately designed period interior—like the opening of The Irishman meets the home of Todd Haynes Far From Heaven (both films after this of course) It was jungle green in Exotica, red and green in The Adjuster, a sky blue in The Sweet Hereafter- Egoyan is back with his dedication to a specific color scheme

It’s a film that may combine the best work of both David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin Hard to top Travers: “The Social Network lights up a dim movie sky with flares of startling brilliance. Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac) puts his visual mastery to work on the verbal pyrotechnics in the dynamite, dick-swinging script by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), and they both do the best and ballsiest work of their careers. The Social Network gets you drunk on movies again. It deserves to go viral.” https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-social-network-113030/ From the fist glorious (maybe the best single shot in

One of the great romance dramas of the silent era- Frank Borzage’s 7th Heaven is indeed moving—but also features several stunning cinematic highpoints Opens on the streets of Paris just before the breakout of World War I. Charles Farrell is introduced working in the sewer (it isn’t Caligari but a great set design there with a light coming in on him that Borzage would pair with the final shot) quickly we’re introduced to Janet Gaynor as well (best known for Sunrise in the same year- the Oscar winner for best actress). It is a larger triumph for Gaynor than

It is a B-side, lesser work in the decade-spanning career of major auteurs – the Dardenne brothers The brothers are social realists—THE social realists of the last 20-30 years – a stripped down style, handheld camera, lots of close-ups, moral dilemmas often featuring amateur actors in real locations A brisk 85 minutes—almost like a tragic novella The Dardenne’s give leave breadcrumbs along the way telling the story of their titular character here- he has an absent father (he has a picture of him under his rug that he prays on), his mother drinks, he has a cousin who he

It is really a film about an occupation of a town– that’s Sissako’s message. In a way it isn’t much different from Shane or Rio Bravo (or say German films made during the occupation like The Seventh Cross I saw just a few weeks ago or even Casablanca). There is good and evil in this film as clearly as white hats and black hats in westerns (here they open with these evil men in trucks chasing down and shooting at poor animals) The local people are arrested for peacefully playing music, there is a new language barrier, soccer is

An emphatic follow-up to 1994’s Exotica—Egoyan proves himself to one of cinema’s finest directors during this stretch of time in the mid-1990’s—compiling now twin achievements of  pain and loss Like Exotica, this starts with a tracking shot during the credits laying out the color design that is going to fill the frame throughout the next nearly two hours. This is a washed out blue—almost like a sky blue- if you’re familiar with Steve McQueen’s work (McQueen debuted more than a decade after this film of course so this is a comparison, not influence)—it is the color in Shame. Egoyan