Mulholland Drive to Casino Royale — and retroactively appreciate how those later creators were inspired by its mood, imagery, and non-linear construction. Like my boy David Lynch, Roeg creates mystery and immersion through brutal characterization and trippy juxtapositions. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland are ‘70s Sexy as a cosmopolitan couple grieving the sudden loss of their child by relocating to Venice, where they’re slowly driven into secret plots and mysterious happenings. It’s an inscrutable story at times, and I can’t say it’s scary in the traditional sense, but it’s nothing if not hypnotic. It’s the kind of movie I respect and appreciate even if I can’t think of a time when I’d necessarily be in the mood to rewatch it.
Ronin. I was a little young for this one when it came out, and it’s only in the last few years that I started reading appreciation pieces that clued me into the fact that it was something other than a disposable ‘90s studio thriller. Robert De Niro leads Sean Bean, Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgård, and other notable heavies through a French battlezone of intrigue, honor, and betrayal. It’s a ‘70s throwback through-and-through, one of those movies that — even in 1998 — they just Don’t Make Anymore. Its sensibilities are old-fashioned and uncompromising. Its characters are gritty and pulpy without posturing. The car chases are actually better than I’d heard, which is difficult considering how frequently they appear on best-of lists. I don’t really want to spoil too much of Ronin, just in case there are others discovering it for the first time. Suffice it to say that this is up there with Heat. It’s a masterpiece that I’ll definitely be revisiting soon.
Rapid Fire, Sudden Death, and Tombstone, so going back and looking at an earlier lead from him was a real treat. I’m trying to watch more of Walter Hill’s back catalog this year. I’ve only seen about a half dozen of his movies to date. I’ll try The Driver, Johnny Handsome, or Extreme Prejudice next.
Get Out, Happy Death Day) has given him solid instincts in the director’s chair, and I’m excited to see what he does next. Hell Fest drags a bit in the last forty minutes, for sure, and there are about as many misses as there are hits, but that assertive sense of joy goes a long way. It’s smart, but not too clever for its own good. It plays with conventions without getting too cute about it. It’s solid!
2018 honorable mentions. That one hits hard. Other recommendations include Sergio Leone’s four-hour epic Once Upon a Time in America (speaking of De Niro), Jason Reitman’s Tully (which would have made my honorable mentions had I seen it in time), and the documentary My Beautiful Broken Brain, which I’ll probably talk more about in an upcoming installment of Weird on Top. What are we doing next week?
Adam: We’re celebrating Spike Lee’s recent Oscar nominations by covering six films of his that either you or I or both of us have never seen. I can’t wait. Until next time…
Rob: These seats are reserved.
Adam: We’re celebrating Spike Lee’s recent Oscar nominations by covering six films of his that either you or I or both of us have never seen. I can’t wait. Until next time…
Rob: These seats are reserved.
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