I can’t think of a more authentic movie about intergenerational relationships than the charming, character-driven Driveways . The more I think about Driveways, the more I admire it – it’s one of the Best Movies of 2020 – So Far. It also features the final performance – so genuine and subtle – by Brian Dennehy.
Moment after moment of authenticity keeps Driveways from being corny. There’s not a hint of manipulation from director Andrew Ahn. That’s why Driveways is that rarity, a recommendation from The Movie Gourmet that can be described as”heartfelt”. Driveways is available to stream on all the major platforms.
ON VIDEO
The gripping documentary Touching the Void the worst quandary a mountain climber can face – what happens if you must cut your partner’s line to survive yourself? Touching the Void can be streamed from Amazon and iTunes.
The excellent ticking clock thriller Searching captures the Silicon Valley vibe. And, perfect for a time when we are living our lives on Zoom, the movie is entirely on the character’s screens – those of his computers, but also on smartphones, television, a security video and a live funeral cam. Searching can be streamed from Amazon (Starz channel), iTunes, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.
The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:
- Outside In: A story of self-discovery with an astonishing performance by Edie Falco.
- The T.A.M.I. Show: The first concert film, featuring eight future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.
- Cold Case Hammarskjöld: An investigatory documentary that sends-up the genre.
- Spaceship Earth: A visionary scientific experiment, unraveled from human foibles.
- Night on Earth: This indie has the funniest vignette and the saddest – all in one movie.
- The Deep: astounding fact-based survival story.
- Very Semi-Serious: glorious The New Yorker cartoons.
- The Whistlers: a shady cop and a mysterious woman walk a tightrope of treachery.
- The Wild Goose Lake: vivid nights in the Chinese underworld.
- The Handmaiden: gorgeous, erotic and a helluva plot.
- Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project: it seemed crazy at the time…
- Radio Dreams: stranger in a strange and funny land.
- The Lost City of Z: the historical adventure epic revived.
- Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache: every cinephile should know this story.
- Buck: the man inside the horse whisperer.
ON TV
On June 3, Turner Classic Movies presents the documentary Peckinpah Suite (which I haven’t seen), followed by the Sam Peckinpah movies, Ride the High County, The Wild Bunch, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and The Getaway. You can’t go wrong with any of these, but the best is the iconic and influential The Wild Bunch, with stellar performances by William Holden, Robert Ryan and Ernest Borgnine. Watch for two of my favorite character actors, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson, as the Gorch brothers. Other beloved members of Peckinpah’s repertory company in The Wild Bunch include L.Q. Jones, Dub Taylor and Strother Martin. The great Mexican director Emilio Fernández plays the villain con mucha fuerza.
Peckinpah tells the story of men who have outlived their time, as the Old West gives way to the 20th Century. These are men who Lived By A Code, which leads to the finale, featuring the slow motion bloodletting for which Peckinpah was renowned.
