The Passenger – 1975 Antonioni
I reserve the right to change my mind (I haven’t seen the Mystery of Oberwald- I can’t find it- and have only seen Identification of a Woman once) but The Passenger is last great work
Annihilation – 2018 Garland
1.0 Feb 2018 Shows that Garland’s directorial debut, Ex Machina, was no fluke The film is filled with many of the same preoccupations as Garland’s debut—heavy stuff—metaphysical and existential with a dark outlook in the
Zabriskie Point – 1970 Antonioni
It’s a flawed work but contains several elements that have much in common with films of masterpiece caliberFlop for Antonioni- perhaps his biggest and infamously included on list of 50 worst films from Harry Medved,
Rembrandt – 1936 Korda
Another strong performance in the prime of Charles Laughton’s career. He’s coming off the Oscar win for The Private Life of Henry VIII in 1934 and another nom for Mutiny on the Bounty in 1935Despite
Eighth Grade – 2018 Burnham
It’s a strange comment coming off my most recent review/post with Antonioni’s Blow Up but I think this film is going to suffer for being so of-the-moment. It’s a short film and the amount of
Blow-Up – 1966 Antonioni
Another brilliant work from Antonioni during this streak from L’Avventura to Blow-Up where he made five films in seven years that are either masterpieces or right on the fringeIt’s a break for Antonioni in many
If Beale Street Could Talk – 2018 Barry Jenkins
Jenkins, just three films into his oeuvre, has a voice- you can compare him to Demme in the brilliant close-ups, WKW in the tone, photography still and mood, but I’d also like to throw Douglas
Moonlight – 2016 Barry Jenkins
A loud proclamation of a new voice in cinema- Jenkins’ debut, 2008’s Medicine For Melancholy is a C+ ugly (not his fault—it cost like nothing to make) version of Linklater’s Before Sunrise- but Moonlight is
Inside Out – 2015 Docter and Del Carmen
Wondrously candy-colored—a complex world and narrative with rich detail uncovering the complexity of the mind One of animation, sci-fi and Pixar’s go to composers- Michael Giacchino—a great one here- not on the level of Up
Red Desert – 1964 Antonioni
Antonioni’s first color film and his best film overallAntonioni- like Fellini, Kurosawa, Ozu and the other early masters who started in b/w uses color like a weapon- expressive-- he actually painted part of the landscape
Closer – 2004 Mike Nichols
I love the Mike Nichols-ness of the telephoto lens crossing the street (utilized to great effect in Nichols’ The Graduate) opening and closing bookends--- also—this is clearly a 4-person chamber piece with roots in the
L’Eclisse – 1962 Antonioni
Magnificent finale to Antonioni’s “incommunicability trilogy” with L’Avventura and La Notte. I’m sorry but it’s much stronger than Linklater’s “Before” trilogy and Antonioni did them in consecutive yearsAntonioni’s last film in B/WHaneke named it one