My Night at Maud’s (1969) If I had to recommend a starting point for understanding the French New Wave, this would be my choice, perhaps not as popular a choice as Breathless , or The 400 Blows . Like all of Eric Rohmer’s work, My Night at Maud’s has a narrative structure based on talk. The three m...

Darkest Hour (2017)

Next: American politician

Interesting topic. I like it. Two actresses I enjoyed come to mind:
Constance Bennett
Madge Evans

Fallen Leaves (2023) From Finland, just a tad contrived but overall quite charming. It’s only 81 minutes. Aki Kaurismäki’s deadpan writing and minimalist direction is a commentary (but with a light touch) on the struggles of the working-class, and also a romantic comedy. Something we don’t see much ...

Nicolas Cage

Rowan Atkinson in Four Weddings and a Funeral

Next: another clergyman

It Happened One Night (1934) Ben said after the success of IHON, Columbia was no longer a poverty row studio

Next: Hitchcock film before he came to America

In the "Your Favorite Films Of Years Ending In 4" thread, it was hard for me to think of a film I really liked from 1994. I finally picked Barcelona, which I like very much. I do like Ed Wood and Quiz Show. I've never seen (and have no desire to see) The Shawshank Redemption , although I ...

Christabel Caine Carey (Joan Fontaine) in Born to Be Bad (1950)

Ron Rich in The Fortune Cookie

Next: played an MLB player

The Talented Mr. Quick, excuse me, Saltburn, could have benefited from a lighter touch. It self-indulged in its own cleverness and shock value.

Remember the Night (1940) is a good addition to the Christmas movie list. We have Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray in fine form in a story about redemption, and a Preston Sturges script with a few eccentric characters that hits the emotional notes. It’s sentimental but appropriately so.

Metropolitan (1990) is my favorite Christmas movie, and one of my favorite movies in general. Another is The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), with its great ensemble cast.

Mister Buddwing (1966)

Next: villanous royal

Bananas (1971) Woody Allen satirizes Latin American political instability (a subject never out of the news) by playing Fielding Mellish, reluctant leftist rebel engaged in toppling the military dictatorship in fictional San Marcos. Loose and irreverent, funny but with a few clunkers, and quite rele...