My First Film (2024; d. Zia Anger)
In my Top 10 of the year (so far). I reviewed for Ebert.
Sweetheart Deal (2024; d. Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller)
A very upsetting and beautifully made documentary, representing a decade of work. You don’t make something like this without putting in the hard work of building relationships and trust with the people you are going to be documenting. I reviewed Sweetheart Deal for Ebert.
What Price Hollywood? (1932; d. George Cukor)
A classic, really. Even by 1932, Hollywood was taking a look at itself and how it operated, what it did to people. We’re still “unpacking” this kind of thing. It’s an excellent film and it also has my favorite movie poster (it’s hanging on my wall right now).
A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald (2020; d. Errol Morris)
I inhaled Fatal Vision like every other true crime buff. I think I read it back in college. Then I read Janet Malcolm’s classic The Journalist and the Murderer and … it’s such a strong piece of analysis, it’s an indictment, an intimidating reprimand to unscrupulous journalists … Malcolm’s book is still taught in journalism classes, as well it should be. And I never felt the same way about Fatal Vision after Malcolm’s book (so, mission accomplished, I suppose). However, I still think Jeffrey MacDonald did it 100%. Had a huge conversation about it with friends while I was in Scotland. You know you’re in the presence of kindred spirits when you have the following conversation:
“I mean, the crime scene, right?”
“I know.”
“Yeah. It was so contaminated.”
“He’s a Green Beret. He can’t take on a bunch of hippies?”
“Helena Stoeckley, though.”
“Her story changed so many times, though. She was on drugs.”
“I keep coming back to that coffee table in the house.”
“I know. The homicide detective immediately knew the whole thing was staged.”
I was in the presence of people where nothing needed to be explained. Nobody needed to be filled in. It’s even better that we were having this discussion while having tea on the top floor of a swanky hotel in Edinburgh. Anyway, this conversation inspired me to watch this series which I of course knew about but somehow never got around to. It’s well worth your time, especially if you know this case really REALLY well. As I do.) I was fine with the re-enactments – Errol Morris has a way of doing those where he repeats them, changing the details – so you have the feeling he’s not telling you WHAT happened but showing you all the different versions.
Runaway Jury (2003; d. Gary Fleder)
I saw this in the movie theatre when it first came out. I haven’t seen it since then. The film made me realize just how much I love – and miss – Gene Hackman. Hoffman is in this and he gives a pretty standard performance. He’s good but then you watch Hackman and he wipes the screen with him. John Cusack is also very good. It’s wild to see how the people in the jury were all these established actors, many of whom barely have any lines. Clearly shot on location. It’s really fucking sad, because the film was this explosive topic where someone whose husband died at a workplace shooting – decided to sue to gun lobby. And it was still seen as this in-the-air situation, where something like this could actually make a difference, make people come to their senses, equivalent to the exposure of the tobacco industry. There was still hope back in 2003 that something could be done. In the intervening time, we decided it’s okay if grade schoolers have shooting drills at school. We’re okay with the dead bodies of 5 year olds. It’s a disgrace.
Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023; d. Joe Berlinger)
September was really packed for me, with awesome things (Scotland), and with traumatic things, unprecedented things, taxing things. I haven’t had much time or the mental bandwidth to absorb new things, or watch things for pleasure. Docuseries work for me, even ones I have already seen, like this one. I am endlessly fascinated by Madoff, have read numerous books about the whole thing, and I think Berlinger does a good job of laying it all out. I like Berlinger’s stuff.
Ghostlight (2024; d. Alex Thompson, Kelly O’Sullivan)
Another fave of 2024. I was a wreck. The theatre nerd in me was so satisfied, it called up such old old feelings, my first love, my primary love – still – it’s so beautiful. AND I am tangentially connected to it. It’s all Northwestern people, first of all, and some of the cast members are good friends/colleagues of Chicago friends of mine. I’m sure I met the lead actor multiple times (his best friend was my roommate the last year I was there). This film is STEEPED in theatre, and it understands – and cherishes – theatre, and what it gives to people involved in it but also its community. Waiting for Guffman mocks. I know. It’s funny. I think it’s funny too. But when I laugh, I am laughing at the best and oldest and most precious part of me, so … I don’t think it’s HILARIOUS. Ghostlight reminded me of Who Am I This Time?, based on the Kurt Vonnegut story – which I wrote about here.
Working Girls (1931; d. Dorothy Arzner)
I hadn’t seen this one. I did a deep dive into Dorothy Arzner’s stuff for the essay I wrote for Criterion’s release of Dance Girl Dance. But some are not easily see-able, like this one. What a treat! Excellent story, with Arzner’s sensitivity of approach, her focus on her actors, and her gift with material and atmosphere.
His Three Daughters (2024; d. Azazel Jacobs)
Adored it. It’s one location, only a couple of characters, and character development – or, character REVEALS, more like. You learn about the “daughters”, and then you just sit around spending time with them, getting to know them, see beneath the surface. I won’t reveal who the dad is. He comes out at the very end, and blows the roof off. A character actor I have loved for decades, always good, always reliable, always welcome – and here, he gets a moment center stage and he crushes it. In the way only a character actor can.
Amber Alert (2024; Kerry Bellessa)
I was describing the second half of this to my sister-in-law and she said, “So it suddenly becomes Scooby Doo?” YES. I wish I had used that in my review for Ebert because that’s exactly what it was.
A Very Royal Scandal (2024; d. Julian Jarrold)
This was a year with two releases covering Prince Andrew’s catastrophic interview with the BBC. First there was Scoop, which I reviewed for Ebert, and then this mini-series (part of a larger anthology series about royal scandals. I can’t keep up with all the scandals). I liked Scoop, but I think I prefer A Very Royal Scandal. It’s the exact same territory, but of course the mini-series goes into a bit more depth with the characters (and Sam MacAllister – the central figure of Scoop is barely in the series – so it’s good to have the corrective of Scoop). Michael Sheen is terrific as Prince Andrew, and the film delves into way more of his “journey”, including chilling flashbacks with John Hopkins, who looks so much like Epstein it’s nauseating. Honor Swinton-Byrne (Tilda’s daughter, and star of The Souvenir and The Souvenir II – both of which I reviewed, including a cover story for Film Comment) – plays Princess Eugenie. The whole backstage look at Andrew’s life is … tragic. I mean, he made his bed. No sympathy. But still … it’s hard to picture a person more ruined than Andrew. As a person of Irish descent, I don’t give a shit about any of these people, lol, and so maybe there’s some pleasure in watching Andrew squirm. There’s a lot of pleasure, actually. But it’s pretty hollow since the bigger predator “committed suicide” (uh huh) in 2019.
Sugar (2024)
Wow, I LOVED this. I binged it over a 24 hour period. I needed the escape. And what a gorgeously shot and intriguing escape. Filled with noir references (explicit), plus old movie references, and a charistmatic movie star performance from Colin Farrell. He’s so gorgeous and so transparent, but he holds something back, his essence, whatever it is: classic movie star stuff, they never give it all away.
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