Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  The Fabelmans 2022

  ★★★★ Watched 10 Aug 2023

  I really loved this movie. It's a pleasure to walk alongside a master director through old dreams, wiping dust off of his old toys and reliving the highs of old memories of ingenuity and craftiness. Many fine performances and a couple of dynamite cameos. There are two monologues that rang false to me; words coming out of a character's mouth with an insight that I didn't believe came from that character. But generally a really intimate, family story well told.…

• 

  Suspiria 2018

  ★★½ Watched 12 Sep 2022

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  Beautifully shot movie, with some strong performances & standout production design, but poorly paced for the quality of the material, and tastelessly invokes real-life tragedies. Watchable, but skippable, unless you're particularly interested in dance on film.

  The good: I can’t judge the accuracy of the Cold War, divided Germany production design, but it seemed to be high quality with integrity. Dakota Johnson’s performance seemed only OK until she gets to play an inner transformation at the end of the movie. Tilda…

Popular reviews

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  It Happened One Night 1934

  ★ Watched 26 Aug 2020

  Thank god that attitudes about equality between men and women have changed tremendously since this movie came out. I imagine that Clark Gable would have seemed fun and rakish if you ignored the way that he constantly overrules Claudette Colbert’s character’s choices by threatening violence against her. I couldn’t, so this movie doesn’t have much to offer me.

  It may be too bad that I’m closing myself off to this movie, important for all of the reasons it’s important, but…

• 

  Sweet Bean 2015

  ★★★★ Watched 05 Sep 2020

  Sweet little movie; “you were put on this earth to listen to it; there’s nothing that you have to be.”

  This movie isn’t trying to be anything more than it is: sweet, beautiful, warm.