The Age of Innocence is an all around rich experience between the costumes, production/sets and a fine cast led way by Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer. It certainly was an unusual choice for Martin Scorsese yet like any master filmmaker, really pulled it off.
The Silence of the Lambs is easily one of my favorite movies of all-time (top 10) and is probably The Godfather of the suspense-thriller genre with incredible performances from Foster, Hopkins and Levine and an all-around great experience that has held up incredibly well over the years.
Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 2 has some very interesting movies though honestly, I didn’t find them very engaging, but I can appreciate them on a technical level. For hardcore film historians out there, this is well worth picking up as most of these are no doubt hard to come by.
The Squid and the Whale is a poignant family drama featuring some really fine performances, the main one being Jeff Daniels who shockingly (or not) did not at least secure an Academy Award nomination. But beyond that, this is a story which transcends generations.
No Escape is an all around entertaining film perfect for a Saturday movie night. No, it doesn’t make you think or have any profound performances but the acting isn’t bad with Owen Wilson serving as a fine everyman type of character and Pierce Brosnan in his small part is a lot of fun. This is probably worthy of a rental.
Although uneven in its tone (as it deviates from effective to cheesy drama), I enjoyed Valley of the Dolls particularly for the performances from Barbara Parkins and, especially, Sharon Tate. The writing isn’t the best and I’d actually welcome some sort of modern remake or even a mini-series
The Manchurian Candidate is a movie for its time, fear of communism and an idea that I’m sure some find merit today, a politician being controlled by a foreign government or, as is the case with the 2004 remake, corporation. The film also excels in the acting department with top notch performances by Sinatra, Harvey and Lansbury.
I Knew Her Well isn’t something I normally watch and I wasn’t especially invested with the story or the character but it’s hard to deny the performance from Stefania Sandrelli was excellent and in the end I at least found it well made with a moving final scene.
The Graduate is probably one of the more quintessential movies of the 60s probably featuring some of the best direction, not to mention editing, ever with incredible pacing and blocking. Combine that with perfect casting from Dustin Hoffman as an unlikely leading man to the nuanced performance by Anne Bancroft, this is one hell of a film that holds so well today.
Downhill Racer is a well done crafted, and fantastically shot (the first-person view from the skier is exhilarating), sports movie with excellent performances by Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.
I wasn’t nearly as impressed with Dressed to Kill as others have since it doesn’t offer much mystery and the psychological elements which De Palma is normally a master of (look no further than Blow Out), isn’t very enticing either. I guess Angie Dickinson and Nancy Allen excelled in their roles as Michael Caine, while not entirely remarkable, still manages to turn in a sufficient (and unique) performance.
Five Easy Pieces might not have been my cup of tea as it is slow moving and no real plot to speak of being a character study, but Jack Nicholson’s performance, in one of his first lead roles, is fantastic and it is a fairly well written film with one iconic scene.
Odd Man Out is a very well made and tense film noir thriller featuring incredible performances by, most notably, James Mason and Robert Newton. The Blu-ray itself released by Criterion Collection offers good video/audio transfers while the features are well done, headlined by an archive documentary about Mason.
An Autumn Afternoon is not only a beautifully written film but, to go along with the excellent performances, was beautifully shot by director Yasujiro Ozu and his longtime cinematographer Yûharu Atsuta. The Blu-ray released by The Criterion Collection brilliantly restores the picture and audio and while the features aren’t bountiful, are still interesting especially the commentary track.
The Sword of Doom, directed by Kihachi Okamoto (who was often overshadowed by other Japanese mainstays), this drama has heart and features great performances from its two leads. This Blu-ray released by The Criterion Collection might not have an abundant amount of features but the video and audio transfers are both well done and alone are worth the price.