Hamilton (2020) This filmed performance of the original cast of the most iconic Broadway musical of the young twenty first century somehow exceeded my lofty expectations. My only quibble is Anthony Ramos as the younger Hamilton in the second act. He’s very good as Laurens in the first half, but as Phillip Hamilton his… Continue reading Best of the 2020s
Category: Best of
A look at my favorite film of each year from a given decade
Best of the 2010s
Incendies (2010) When Nawal Marwan dies, she leaves instructions for her twin children, Jeanne and Simon, to find their father and half-brother. Retracing their mother’s steps, they discover their elder half-brother was born out-of-wedlock to their Christian mother and a Muslim. To minimize the family’s shame, he was hidden in a local orphanage, but Nawal… Continue reading Best of the 2010s
Best of the 1900s
Kobelkoff (1900) This short film about “Human Torso” Nikolai Kobelokoff reminds us how different the world was a century ago. With no arms or legs, Kobelkoff became a circus freak. In this short snippet it looks like he is enjoying his life despite his severe handicap. Some viewers will see this as exploitation; they have… Continue reading Best of the 1900s
Best of the 1910s
The Birth of a Flower (1910) A remarkable achievement from the early days of cinema: a lovely large scale exploration of a small scale occurrence which often flies under our radar. The Hallucinations of Baron Munchausen (1911) Once again, Georges Méliès demonstrates his enormous creative capacity, using the story of Baron Munchausen as a launching pad… Continue reading Best of the 1910s
Best of the 1920s
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Francis recounts the time he exposed Dr. Caligari as a murderous sociopath who hypnotized one of his patients to commit his crimes. As he finishes his story, we learn Francis is actually patient at an insane asylum and his account is his latest delusion. This film invented the now… Continue reading Best of the 1920s
Best of the 1930s
The Blood of a Poet (1930) The first part of Jean Cocteau’s Orphic trilogy is a surrealist fever dream. An artist paints a mouth which starts talking, then transfers to his hand, then to a nearby statue. This statue convinces the artist to pass through a mirror to a bizarre world inhabited by opium smokers… Continue reading Best of the 1930s
Best of the 1940s
His Girl Friday (1940) Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is an editor for The Morning Post. His ex-wife, Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), was a star reporter for his paper, but quit when she got engaged to Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). Walter goes to great lengths to convince Hildy to return, including framing Bruce for various petty crimes,… Continue reading Best of the 1940s
Best of the 1990s
Dreams (1990) Nearing the end of his life, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reflects on his childhood and finds inspiration for several beautiful vignettes. After a child stumbles upon a fox wedding during a sunshower, his furious mother demands he apologize. Their surviving commander orders the ghosts of Japanese soldiers returning from the second World War… Continue reading Best of the 1990s
Best of the 1950s
Sunset Boulevard (1950) Faded silent screen star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) steadfastly believes she will regain her former glory and hires writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) to help with her planned comeback, but as the project drags on their relationship becomes dangerously complicated. William Holden brings a weary everyman quality to Joe Gillis while Gloria… Continue reading Best of the 1950s
Best of the 1980s
The Shining (1980) Writer Jack Torrance takes a job as a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel which was built on a Native American burial ground. Haunted by the numerous evil spirits which populate the hotel, Jack slowly loses his mind and unsuccessfully attempts to kill his wife, Wendy and young son, Danny. Contrary to what… Continue reading Best of the 1980s