11 movies watched:
Hail Caesar!
All sorts of fun 50s movie studio stuff.
Beyond the Lights
How much of yourself do you have to trade for fame?
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Good movie, but you should turn down any invitation extended by George and Martha.
Neighbors
Inappropriate and hilarious.
The Two Faces of January
Mystery and intrigue in Greece.
Ishtar
Don’t believe the press. Actually funny.
11 total movies watched.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
A great start to the newest trilogy
Cinderella
It made my “Top Movies” list once already this year and is still good enough to appear a second time.
The Big Short
Frustrating in all the right ways.
Whiplash
Tense in all the right ways.
Total movies watched: 16
Words & Pictures
“Grownup” love story and a good meditation on teaching.
The Intern
Way more complex than I thought it would be, with great characters and a female-centered plot.
42
Hard to watch biopic of Jackie Robinson.
All the President’s Men
Great Redford/Hoffman pairing, and one of THE best newspaper movies.
Spotlight
Another amazing newspaper movie with great acting and frustrating subject matter.
Brooklyn
Possibly the most perfect movie I’ve seen this year.
Alien
It’s a classic for a reason. And there’s a subplot with a cat.
All the Real Girls
Realistic portrayal of early 20s bumbling in love that also captures the beauty of a small mill town.
Nine total movies watched.
The End of the Tour
Smart guys talk about stuff.
The Martian
Smart guy needs to survive.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Smart (and good looking) guys work together, reluctantly.
Bridge of Spies
Smart guy defends spy.
Begin Again
Smart girl’s music changes people’s lives.
Inside Out
Emotions wreck havoc with your emotions.
10 total movies watched
Mistress America
Zany in all the right ways. Excellent acting.
Straight Outta Compton
Intense and long in the best ways
No Strings Attached
Surprisingly funny and populated with good actors.
Sleeping With Other People
Hilarious and worth watching more than once.
Unexpected
A story we don’t get to see in movie form.
13 total movies watched.
Rudderless
Great performances and soundtrack.
The Grand Seduction
Really great at what it does. Funny.
Thanks for Sharing
Solid actors and an engaging 12-step story.
Two Night Stand
Two of my favorites talk about sex in a way I never see in movies.
Tangerine
A peek into the world of transgender prostitutes.
19 total movies watched. (I adore summer!) 10 recommended. Not bad.
The To Do List
I still think this is a great sexual coming of age movie.
10 Years
A solid ensemble film with a whole bunch of people you will google afterward, trying to figure out where you know them from.
Say Anything
If you haven’t acquainted yourself with Lloyd Dobler, now is the time.
We Are the Best!
Fabulous female coming-of-age with punk rock girls. (Just look at those cute little punk rock girls!)
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Excellent examination of the aftereffects of cult life.
Beverly Hills Cop
Solid 80s comedy.
The Art of the Steal
Solid heist movie, worth watching just for the cast.
Tonight You’re Mine (aka You Instead)
Watch two musicians handcuffed together for 24 hours at a music festival. Good soundtrack.
Inside Llewyn Davis
Follow the follies of a not-so-great guy who still manages to be a sympathetic character. Also good soundtrack.
Only Lovers Left Alive
What would your relationship look like if you were in love for centuries, and also were a vampire? Another good soundtrack.
June
13 movies watched
A New Leaf
Elaine May’s dark romantic comedy lives up to my youthful remembrances.
A Place in the Sun
Great mid-20th century class commentary and a good argument for why abortion should be legal. (I say this only partially tongue-in-cheek.)
Now You See Me
It’s a heist movie with magicians and is populated with fabulous actors.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
Join the Casey Affleck Aficionado Club. Enjoy Rooney Mara too.
The Sessions
Ignore Helen Hunt’s accent and marvel at John Hawkes performance.
Love & Mercy
Get inside the mind of Brian Wilson in this not-traditional biopic.
Dope
Enjoy the best movie about being a teenage boy since Kings of Summer was released.
The Lifeguard
Cringe at Kristen Bell’s inappropriate choices while enjoying everyone’s acting. Contemplate how ugly those lifeguard suits are.
New Feature!
Because I watch so many movies, I thought it would be handy to have a summary at the end of the month of my top movies of that month. These are movies I watched during the month that I feel are worth watching, for a variety of reasons. Just like my viewing patterns, movies will be both first-run and from the back catalog. I will include a total of movies* watched in the month and a sentence or two explaining why I’m recommending this movie to you. After this catch-up post, this will be a monthly feature.
*For our purposes “movies” will include both films and the DVDs of TV show seasons.
January:
(6 total movies watched)
Dear White People
Come for the peek into college campus life via Black characters, stay for Lionel, the nerd.
Skeleton Twins
Hollywood is littered with the broken careers of post-Saturday Night Live actors. Watch this for two alumni, attempting/succeeding at serious drama.
Zero Motivation
You will probably have to work to find this comedy, an Israeli Army female version of Office Space, but it will be worth it.
February:
(2 total movies watched)
Treme Season 1
Travel back to just after Katrina and watch a multi-racial cast attempt to put their lives back together.
March:
(11 total movies watched)
Cinderella (2015)
Marvel at how well Disney translates an animated classic into a live-action movie. Become verklempt during the ballroom scene and gasp just how well the dress works.
April:
(9 total movies watched)
12 Years a Slave
Watch it because the acting is first rate and the subject matter is important.
Short Term 12
Recommended for its heart (it’s so much better than those movies designed to inspire you) and for its female-centered plot.
Furious 7
Only watch this after you have enjoyed numbers 1, 4, 5, & 6 of the series and marvel at how well they sent off Paul Walker
May:
(12 total movies watched)
Ex Machina
A great movie for post-viewing conversation and spellbinding to watch.
Now, Voyager
Female centered 1950s drama (not the sci-fi film I thought it was) about a woman of a certain age finding her path
Me and Orson Welles
A very good backstage drama of Wells’s 1937 production of Julius Caesar.
Like Crazy
Quietly acted and improvised realistic love story.
While We’re Young
Smart and funny and a good time capsule of current life for 20- and 40-somethings.
Mikey & Nicky
Look to Elaine May for a different kind of gangster film.
