In an attempt to catch up, this post will be a super-packed extravaganza of films. The next post will have a rundown of my favorite films from this block.

Today we're looking at:

102. I Can't Sleep
103. True Detective
104. The French Connection
105. Mr. Freedom
106. The Dreamers
107. Bertolucci Makes the Dreamers
108. A taste of Cherry
109. Napoleon Dynamite
110. This is Spinal Tap
111. The Vanishing
112. Capote
113. All About My Mother
114. Purple Rain
115. Dancer in the Dark
116. Entertainment
117. Pee Wee's Big Adventure
118. Pee Wee's Big Holiday
119. In the Mood For Love
120. Lemmy

Repeat Viewings:

*True Detective*
*L'avventura*

I Can't Sleep (1994)

This is an exceptional film. Claire Denis, the director, has created some of the most thought provoking, creative works over the last two decades. This is a film that is about a serial killer in the loosest sense. What is more important in the eyes of the film is the very essence of what it means to be human. These are all fleshed out characters living in tandem. It is a very different movie, but hard to dismiss.

Standout Moment: The night on the roof between father and son and estranged mother is incredible.

True Detective Season 1 (2014)

I gave a lot of thought as to whether I should include True Detective in my list of films. In the end it came down to two factors. Firstly, although it is a series rather than a film, it had an intended ending to the story. It was not meant to continue on indefinitely like most television. Secondly, this is my list and I can do whatever I please without real consequence. So, there we are. This is an amazing show. I know I am two years late to the party, but I really cannot get enough of True Detective. This show produced some of the the best work from either of its leads, extremely memorable cinematography, and a story that is only simple on the surface. The very last episode wrapped it up in a way that I wasn't sure would be possible. It was a very affecting, and incredibly satisfying way to conclude the story.

Standout Moment: The last twenty minutes of the last episode are incredible.

The French Connection (1971)

What is there to say that hasn't been said about this film? It is a classic for a reason. It is masterful at creating suspense, as well as creating empathy for an objectively terrible person. Both sides of this drug war are unlikable shells of men. They don't care who is hurt as long as they get their way.

Standout Moment: I loved watching Popeye try and outsmart the guy he was trailing onto the subway. It was a nicely packed, tense, and quiet scene.

Mr. Freedom (1969)

William Klein is one of the most underrated Film Directors in my opinion. His comedies are equal parts wacky and thought provoking. Mr. Freedom is perhaps his best work. I had the opportunity to see a 35mm print of this at BAM and I jumped at the chance. It was fun seeing the insanity of this film in the context of a large audience. This is definitely one to look up- especially if you are into strange comedy.

Standout Moment: The American Embassy as department store is perfect.

The Dreamers (2004)

The Dreamers is definitely not a film for everyone. It is a dense, complex film about the interconnection between sex and social and personal revolution. This is a film for artists and film-lovers. In many ways this film explains a world I wish could exist. It is also actively ugly and off-putting. It pushes the audience to the extreme, and then makes them wish they were part of that extreme. There is something inherently hopeful in this film, although you wouldn't be able to see it on paper.

Standout Moment: The very end is haunting.

Bertolucci Makes The Dreamers (2004)

Bertolucci has directed some of the greatest films ever made. This rare opportunity to see him work on a project is incredibly valuable for anyone who is interested in filmmaking or artistry of any kind. This was a straightforward 'making of' doc, but it didn't really need to be anymore than that.

Standout Moment: Seeing Bertolucci direct his actors 1-on-1 is insightful.

A Taste of Cherry (1997)

Taste of Cherry runs the gamut of emotions. There is humor, sadness, anger, and despair. What is, on paper, a simple premise, draws out a complex understanding of the nature of life and death, as well as what it means to be a man. In many ways this is a reverse Christmas Carol. In this version, the Scrooge character searches out the ghosts, wishing for their help to end his weary, miserable life. Instead of ghosts, the guides take on the form of men from completely different age and ethnic groups. We complete the same motions over and over again, but to a varied effect. this film never feels repetitive. It is a real masterpiece of cinema.

Standout Moment: My favorite of the three guides is the old taxidermist.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

I remember when this blew up. I rented it on a whim over Christmas break and by the time I came back to school everyone had suddenly started asking for tots and telling each other to vote for Pedro. I think most of the animosity towards this film has to do with the relentless quoting that everyone was doing after it came out. I loved the movie and I tired of it. I didn't watch it again for nearly a decade, which happened to be the magic amount of time needed to love it again. It honestly is a heartwarming and funny film. I watched it with my kids, and they both loved it.

Standout Moment: "I bet I could throw a football over those mountains."

This is Spinal Tap (1984)

At this point in my life I think it is safe to assume that this movie will never get old. I will be 80 years old and still popping it into the holodeck player that I use on my escape craft I'm riding on to get to Earth-2. I think this film is such a classic of the comedy genre for one reason: it has some of the very best performances in cinema history. The actors really became their roles for this movie. In fact they were so convincing that they were able to trick the media into thinking that they were actually making a documentary.

Standout Moment: The first time I watched this film, the pod scene made me laugh so hard that I cried.

The Vanishing (1988)

This film is chilling. It accomplishes horror without looking or acting like a horror film. It is honestly very banal. The horror is in the meaninglessness of the antagonists actions. It is evil for the sake of evil. The ending is terrifying and necessary to the story. It is truly the only ending that could make sense for this brutal story.

Standout Moment: When the vanishing first happens.

Capote (2005)

This film went in a very different direction than I thought it would. I say that as the highest of praise. It began as a typical fish-out-of-water story, and ended as a complex discussion of crime and deviance. The performances are also complex and nuanced. Each of the characters has a fully realized life beyond the frame of the camera. I watched this film with no real desire to see it, but it ended up surprising me.

Standout Moment: The moment after the execution.

All About My Mother (1999)

The thing I like best about All About My Mother is the feeling of joyful inclusiveness. Everyone is accepted for who they are in this film. No one laughs at another's expense. Despite the tragedy that occurs, there is also great hope. The vision is almost utopic. As far as films focused on sexual inclusivity, this one is far from my favorite (hopefully I will write about my favorite later this year...), but it still fun to watch. I would never be adverse to seeing this movie.

Standout Moment: The conversation between the four women on the couch is wonderful.

Purple Rain (1984)

I watched this the night that after Prince passed away. I really think it embodies everything that Prince was known for-- especially during this era. Although the non-concert scenes are cheesy and over-the-top, they are also engaging and charming. The concert footage is amazing, and the soundtrack is one of the best ever made. He was a true star and talent.

Standout Moment: "I Would Die 4 U"

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Before I write about this film I want to begin by saying that I love Bjork and all of her work. Her music and performance in this film is no exception. She captures the childlike naïveté in a way that would be difficult for someone else. I also think that the last ten minutes are well constructed and provoking. Sadly, the rest of this film leaves me with little to enjoy. As with most of Lars von Trier's work, the emotional beats are both overwrought and juvenile. They are dramatic for the sake drama instead of attempting to be true to his own characters. There is a desperation to make people cry in this film, and it seems as if he will go to any length to achieve it. I know this is not a popular opinion, but it is how I feel about the film.

Standout Moment: As I pointed out, the last ten minutes are really well made.

Entertainment (2015)

I was completely unprepared for this film. I had heard about it over the last year and was excited to see it, although I had no clue as to what it was really about. This film conveyed the mind-state of depression better than any other film I have ever seen. The quiet meaninglessness of life is constructed in such a bitter and oppressive way that it is hard not to collapse under the film's weight. There are moments of real humor, but they are quickly contrasted to the moments of self-defeat and pain. This movie messed me up, and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Standout Moment: The very end wraps up the whole movie with an intensity that is at once unexpected and necessary.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

I decided that it was time. My boys were old enough to really get into Pee Wee. We watched both This film and the new one, as well as several episodes of the show. The boys loved it, as did I. There is something wonderfully innocent and genuinely funny about Pee Wee. Despite the winks to the adults (which are much better than any found in the post Shrek era of family films), there is a charming naiveté to Pee Wee's antics that's hard to not like. This is a fun movie from start to finish, it's hard to see a movie like this getting made today (or at least with a new character, as a new Pee Wee movie came out this year).

Standout Moment: Large Marge all the way.

Pee Wee's Big Holiday (2016)

I expected a film that attempted to reclaim a star's former glory, and instead I found a movie that was hilarious and fun. This movie fits perfectly in the Pee Wee world. Its mixture of childish humor, understanding of b-movie schlock, and unending optimism makes it a perfect comeback for Paul Reubens. I watched it for the sake of my kids, but I ended up laughing more than they did.

Standout Moment: Pee Wee's gift to the Amish.

In the Mood For Love (2000)

Every piece of this film is beautiful. The cinematography, music, art design, costumes, actors: everything is gorgeous. This is a film that will make me cry whenever I see it. The build up of emotion and the refusal to allow the audience closure makes this a love story that is much braver than any other romantic film out there. The film posits: sometimes love is impossible, yet potent and often the relationships that are unable to coalesce are much more meaningful than those that do. Everything is close, but nothing is claustrophobic. We are in the most intimate of spaces with the characters, forced to experience every moment of their awkward and powerful relationship with them.

Standout Moment: The cinematography is to die for.

Lemmy (2015)

As far as filmmaking goes, this doc was alright. The structure and filmmaking methods were fairly average. As far Lemmy goes, he is one hell of a documentary subject. Despite the blandness of the presentation, Lemmy is still a thoroughly entertaining film. I watched this film for the same reason I watched Purple Rain, it is an in depth look at the artist as a person. Lemmy is such a specific type of artist and specific type of personality thing that it's revealing to see what he means to the metal culture.

Standout Moment: I loved watching Lemmy interact with his son.

365 Films- Post 17