New Film Recommendations

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Hey Everyone,

We’re back with some new film recommendations.

The entertainment studios/streamers’ refusal to settle the 2023 union strikes in a timely way delayed many film releases. Consequently, after the strikes ended, it was a firehose of consumption to look at all the “awards contenders” over only a couple of months.

I was disappointed at the volume of safe, expected, predictable, “well-made” films. I feel too many filmmakers are trying to “do it correctly.” For me, that’s the worst kind of art. No one wants to see you do it “right,” they want to see you go right off the edge of what’s acceptable, what’s understood, and what’s accustomed.

And so, I pushed through into some movies that I wouldn’t have generally looked at, because the title and/or poster and/or summary didn’t appeal to me at all. And, hey, hey, I found some pretty great new films for you guys.

JULES (2023, Dir: Mark Turtletaub)

Saw this one on an airplane, because it was one of the very few films I either hadn’t seen or even heard about. (Hell, you can watch anything for 5 minutes on a plane to see if it’s worth it, right?) Both the title and the poster predisposed me to dislike it. The title is a persons name, a woman’s name? Could be a man’s name, à la Jules Verne. Anyway, it didn’t tell me anything. The poster is three older actors leaning in from the side of frame in the classic sitcom-TV-guide-ad fashion, suggesting to me that this is going to be a bit slap-stick and predicable. I don’t like that either.

But, the first thing that struck me was the pacing, and also the structure of a thousand small towns under its older residents. I was taken in with the main character’s (Ben Kingsley) routine. And then the film makes a turn, but it doesn’t turn in the cliché, sitcom manner where everything suddenly gets wacky. It instead pushes the story in far deeper. It avoids a lot of what you would expect, and instead makes a film that lets us sit in the time it takes to show care and love for another person.

CORNER OFFICE (2023, Dir: Joachim Back)

The promotion for this film had showed John Hamm as a kind of cowering, mousy office worker. It didn’t appeal to me, as it seemed to promise to be a variation of THE OFFICE or OFFICE SPACE, etc. But again I’m on an airplane, so I hit play.

Well, this is a very philosophical film about being in the correct head-space to be yourself or become yourself. The constant voice-over keeps us on Hamm’s level of justification throughout, and out of any conventional interpretation of his manner. Very Charlie Kaufman-like.

DREAM SCENARIO (2023, Dir: Kristoffer Borgli)

Speaking of Charlie Kaufman, here’s another one in his arena. Nicolas Cage plays a man showing up in other people’s dreams. It is the best metaphoric representation of “cancelling” that I’ve seen in film yet. I like that Cage has become one of the few actors left whose film choices can still be depended upon as a “something different” indicator.

CASSANDRO (2023, Dir: Roger Ross Williams)

I’m not the target audience for this film, but I watched it as part of an “awards contention package.” The direction of this film and the lead performance by Gael Garcia Bernal really pull you into this environment. And Bernal’s acting in particular lets you sit in the unstoppable joy of Cassandro, regardless of that man’s circumstances. That Bernal isn’t at the top of everyone’s Best Actor contender list is ridiculous to me.

CHILE ‘76 (2023, Dir: Manuela Martelli)

This is Martelli’s first feature film, and pow, she’s right in the same camp as Lucrecia Martel. If you like Martel’s films, you’re going to love the framing, pacing, and scene direction of CHILE ‘76. Another film that avoids clichés or the expected and a film we can just sit in and absorb.

ZONE OF INTEREST (2023, Dir: Jonathan Glazer)

Considering story, perspective, pacing, framing, production, presentation innovation, and all the rest, I think this was the best film of 2024. Again, I’m disappointed this film isn’t getting twice the attention it presently has. I just don’t think any other film was at the same level as this film in 2024.

Today in Film Club, we’ll be discussing George Stevens’ A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951). Today (Monday) 1/15, 4pPT in Clubhouse.

Next week, we’ll be discussing Ingmar Bergman’s SHAME (1968). Watch beforehand and join Mon 1/22, 4pPT in Clubhouse.