Klute (1971)

I watched Klute (1971) a long time ago and simply remembered it as a good 70s thriller. One Saturday night, dusting off the DVD I own, which held up well visually considering the darkness and shadows of Gordon Willis’ artful cinematography, this re-watch opened my eyes: Klute is a masterpiece! This isn’t exactly news as […]

The Drop (2014)

I don’t think Tom Hardy can ever play a normal guy – he’s one of those actors who always has to do something, some bit of business to make it interesting for him. On the surface, he seems to be playing an ordinary joe in The Drop (2014), a Noo Yawk neo-noir in the downbeat […]

What happened was… (1994)

The moment when someone makes a joke in conversation to another person, catching them off guard, not getting a laugh in return, then immediately says to explain, “I was joking.” It’s a cringeworthy moment, two people not having a connection or not being able to read each other. This moment happens continually during The Awkward […]

Smoke (1995)

There’s a feeling of comfort I get from Smoke (1995). It’s an indie drama that has serious moments about loss, grief, bad luck, the chaotic nature of the universe, and so on. But it also radiates a sleepy feeling of the third hour of hanging out with friends or the activity that animates around you […]

Report To The Commissioner (1975)

There’s so much location footage of old Times Square New York in Report To The Commissioner (1975), that it IS its own character, a document of a New York from long ago, crowded streets witnessing a spectacular filmed foot chase or extras interacting with method actors playing cops. This movie is like a lost Sidney […]