I started out watching Jim Jarmusch films in chronological order after somebody (I've forgotten who it was) told me that he peaked early and that none of his later films lived up to that early promise. Whoever that forgotten person was, they clearly had VERY different tastes to me! I found Stranger than Paradise and Down By Law to be incredibly frustrating experiences, Mystery Train and Night on Earth to be mixed bags, but from Dead Man and Ghost Dog…

Hurray, I finally found the Fred & Ginger film for me! Despite the always-spectacular dance sequences I had major issues with the first three that I saw - they either had weak plots, unmemorable songs, cringeworthy blackface sequences or some combination of those things that stopped me from getting on board.

Shall We Dance has no such problems! The plot is interesting enough that the energy doesn’t sag between musical numbers, the songs are absolute classics, Edward Everett Horton provides some…

Murder, betrayal and corruption in Atlantic City! There's a lot of cliches here, but the energetic direction and performances carry it through with style... Nicolas Cage hits a nice mid-point between his wildest roles and the more subtle ones, as a corrupt-yet-loveable cop investigating a murder during a boxing match. Stan Shaw, as the defeated boxer, is particularly great - the deflated pride and pain in his eyes as he talks about losing his heavyweight belt feel really genuine, an…