This week – three new movies in theaters, but your best bet is The Power of the Dog on Netflix.
And it happened AGAIN, for the second time this month and the fourth time in thirty years: I had the whole theater all to myself at a Monday 1 PM screening of Benedetta at the Shattuck.
IN THEATERS
House of Gucci: Lady Gaga and Adam Driver shine in this modern tale of Shakespearean family treachery.
C’mon C’mon: In Mike Mills’ charming and authentic film, Joaquin Phoenix plays a well-intentioned, emotionally intelligent guy who gets an immersion course in parenting.
Benedetta: Paul Verhoeven’s entertaining parable of belief and class, wrapped in scandal and sacrilege.
Also in theaters:
ON VIDEO
Some of my choices for Best Movies of 2021 are already on video:
- Riders of Justice: Thriller, comedy and much, much more. It’s the year’s best movie so far. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu and YouTube.
- The Power of the Dog: One man’s meanness, another man’s growth. Netflix.
- Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain: Bad ass romantic. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube and redbox.
More 2021 movies on video:
- Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road: An unusual documentary about an unusual man.
- The Lost Leonardo: iI it a hustle? Does it matter?
- The Harder They Fall: a forgettable shoot ’em up, but with soul. Netflix.
- The Velvet Underground: Immersing us in a cultural moment. AppleTV.
- Passing: navigating a racist society and the value of one’s identity. Netflix.
- Keep Sweet: A community traumatized, a decade after. discovery+.
- Respect: Struggling to take command of her own artistry
- The Eyes of Tammy Faye: Some dignity for the clown.
- Best Sellers: Orneriness goes viral.
- Son of Monarchs: resolving his identity. HBO Max.
- De Gaulle: a man and his moment. Laemmle.
- The Card Counter: a loner, his code and his past. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Old Henry: too late for redemption. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu and YouTube.
- Wildland: giving family ties a bad name. Laemmle.
- The Many Saints of Newark: Tony Soprano’s origin story. HBO Max.
- The Unknown Saint: a shrine to really bad luck. Netflix.
- CODA: a thought-provoking audience-pleaser. AppleTV.
- The Green Knight: More of a test than a quest. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, Redbox.
ON TV
On December 13, Turner Classic Movies is airing eight of the most important films noir, including:
- The Naked City
- The Asphalt Jungle
- Kansas City Confidential
- Crime Wave
- The Big Sleep
- Out of the Past
- Mildred Pierce.
I’m highlighting The Narrow Margin, a taut 71 minutes of tension from my Overlooked Noir. Growly cop Charles McGraw plays hide-and-seek with a team of hit men on a claustrophobic train. Marie Windsor is unforgettable as the assassins’ target. McGraw and Windsor’s performances are first-rate, and their hardboiled dialogue is terrific. Director Richard Fleisher, early in his career, imaginatively stages the woman-hunt up and down the tight corridors and compartments of the moving train. Masterpiece.
I love this movie, and a replica of the poster is next to my TV.
