Here it is, the 2nd of my super-sized posts. Today I will be discussing films 67-72. There will also be a rundown of my favorites so far. Here we go!

67. Hail, Caesar!
68. The Art of the Deal
69. Vivre sa Vie
70. A Serious Man
71. Listen Up Phillip
72. Dope

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Hail, Caesar! did not disappoint me. I was expecting a screwball comedy and that is exactly what I got. The film is not one of the Coen Brother's best (more on that when we get to A Serious Man), but it was definitely worth watching. There are very few wide release comedies that I can get into, so it's always refreshing when a good one comes out. The film boasts some really great performances from George Clooney, Scarlett Johansen, Josh Brolin, and the relatively unknown Alden Ehrenreich. Unlike many of the Coen's other films, the ending is life affirming and uplifting. It was a great Valentine's day date movie.

Standout Moment: The big climax set on the water's of the Pacific was a great bit of comedy, and a fun callback to the films of the 40's and 50's.

The Art of the Deal (2016)

Although this film had its flaws, I found it really exciting. It showed up out of nowhere, was available for free, and it didn't have to get the legal permission it would have needed if released traditionally. Digital entertainment is in it's infancy, and we will be seeing quite a few more long form pieces like this as the years go by. As far as the film itself, I found it quite funny. Depp is a great Trump, and there are a lot of great cameos from some of the best comedians working today. The reason the film works is because it sticks to the bit. This is supposed to be a film directed, written, and produced by one of the most famous narcissists of our time. We are supposedly seeing Trump through his own eyes. The ending feels a little out of place, but for the most part the film is solid.

Standout Moment: The best man speech at Trump's wedding.

Vivre sa Vie (1962)

This is one of Godard's best. Godard took experimentation in his art very seriously. Sometimes the risks fail miserably, other times they work beautifully. Vivre sa Vie is one of the examples of the experimentation working to the film's advantage. In my opinion Godard never made a "perfect" film, but I think that's exactly how he wants it. What good is perfection if it is at the cost of stagnancy? Narratively speaking, Ana Karenina plays a woman who turns to prostitution to take care of her money troubles. Like all of his other films, though, the movie is actually about the filmmaking art form.

Standout Moment: This film is worth watching for the dancing scene, alone.

A Serious Man (2009)

Speaking of the Coen brother's best... This film was tragically overlooked when it came out. Other than perhaps No Country for Old Men, this is probably the Coens at their most philosophical. In essence, this film is about existentialism, belief, and the concept of karma. The protagonist finds himself barely surviving predicament after predicament as his entire world crashes down around him. He desperately reaches for some sort of meaning in his misfortune, but finds that life is much more complicated than good or evil. The film is humorous, thought-provoking, and poetic. I would put this on my list of the ten best films released in the last ten years. It gets better every time I see it.

Standout Moment: Fred Melamed should have won a best supporting actor award for his performance in this film.

Listen Up Phillip (2014)

This film has its ups and downs. It starts off strong, loses its way, gains it again, loses it again, and then finishes fairly strong. Most of the waxing and waning of the film has to do with whether Jason Schwartzman is on screen. The first time he leaves the film is so we can follow his ex-girlfriend (played by Elizabeth Moss). Moss is a great actress, but her skills were mostly wasted in a fairly straightforward, and slightly twisted "getting over someone" storyline. The other weak point is Schwartzman's relationship with the French Professor. It doesn't quite fit the rest of the film. The cinematography is beautiful, and the points where we get to see Phillip's (and Ike's) true arogance and bitterness are all wonderfully engrossing. There is honestly a lot to like here, and although I wasn't totally with the film the whole time, part of me wants to see it again.

Standout Moment: The last conversation between Ike and Phillip really demonstrates how horrible these guys really are.

Dope (2015)

Dope took Sundance by storm last year, and it's not hard to see why. This is a really fun, high energy film. In a lot of ways, it feels like a new iteration of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. There are a couple of really fun sequences in the film, and the three main characters are endlessly likable. The issues I have with it are twofold: firstly, its treatment of women is mostly terrible. I don't think it's too much to ask to have female characters that have more than one dimension. Even Diggy barely rises above being the token lesbian, which is a shame because the actress is great, and her characterization is a lot of fun. Secondly, the film feels bloated in parts. What could have been a tight adventure about trying to get rid of some drugs keeps morphing and transforming into something too large for its own good. The end of the film has so many plot threads to tie up that it feels like it ends 5 different times.

Standout Moment: The 4th wall break and essay reading is the most stylistically strong moment of the film.

The Best So Far...

Every 35 films or so, I give the short version of what to watch (for those following along at home!). These "best of" lists do not necessarily denote my favorites of the bunch, but they represent a broad spectrum of films that I feel are essential to round out any cinephile's viewing knowledge.

My last "best of" roundup featured the following:

5. The Hateful Eight
4. Tangerine
3. The Man Who Fell to Earth
2. Call Me Lucky
1. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

This post's top 5 are:

5. Particle Fever
4. A Serious Man
3. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
2. Lady Snowblood
1. The Conformist

That's it for now! Stick around to see if I can make it to 85 by the end of the month.
Josh D.
5181 Productions

365 Films- Post 12