Top Films by Year
Top Films of 2020
Top Films of 2017
Top Films of 2015
Borat the Subsequent Moviefilm – 7
Taken for what it is–a raunchy and absurdist political comedy–this sequel to Borat (the original moviefilm) was less offensive, less remarkable, less groundbreaking but still rather astonishing. By now I am more familiar with the acting talents and intelligence of Sacha Baron Cohen (see, e.g., Trial of the Chicago 7), but I still have no idea how […]
The Fight – 7.5
Perfectly competent account of the ACLU’s fight against abhorrent Trump policies, with a focus on the men and women leading the charge–very similar to Liz Garbus’s series last year about the New York Times reporters. More than a nuanced movie, it came across as a solicitation for the ACLU, certainly a worthwhile cause.
My Octopus Teacher – 7.5
Stunning photography, both above and underwater, made this a pleasure to watch, and the novelty of an octupus’s life, up-close and personal, made it fascinating. Like almost all nature docs, there was a fair amount of anthropomorphism: I submit that the title character was acting on (animal) instinct, not employing “intelligence” to teach his human […]
The Trial of the Chicago 7 – 8.5
Pure catnip: an Aaron Sorkin drama with pithy dialogue, clearly drawn characters, a hopefully moral universe and a healthy dose of politics, past and present. Being in my personal revisit-Vietnam moment helped. Having just watched Platoon, the Ken Burns 10-part documentary, Da 5 Bloods and having read Oliver Stone’s and Randy Hobler’s memoirs, this moment of […]
Time – 6.5
If nothing else, this film immersed me in an unfamiliar world, Black life in Louisiana. Maybe there was nothing else. The story covered 20 years between Sibil and Robert’s failed bank robbery and Robert’s long-awaited release from jail. Without any other facts, though, no points were made about the justice or incarceration systems. Most remarkable were […]