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Air
How much of Sonny Vaccaro’s inspirational close to MJ is really about Ben Affleck? Ben, after all, knows a thing or two about meteoric rises, the insatiable public need to tear down its heroes, and the long-term price of fame. Affleck is having a well-deserved “moment” right now, and, even better, is delivering consistently good…
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Infernal Affairs
Tight, intricately plotted, often thrilling, this 2002 Hong Kong crime drama delivers in almost every way except, perhaps, for its romantic nods. Two great leads, Tony Leung and Andy Lau, anchor the action and give real heft to the movies concerns about choice, identity, and, yes, transformation. –. .-. . .- – (Criterion)
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RRR
Rambunctious, Revanchist and Ridiculous in the extreme, this might be the silliest movie since 300 (to which it bears a passing, well-oiled resemblance). But despite a disappointingly banal ending for the Governor’s wife (she deserved something more), it’s pretty sure to please from stem to stern. Best watched with a large and not very sober…
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The Nice Guys
Gosling and Crowe do Redford and Newman (and do it damn well) in a movie with near perfect comic beats. Watch it for the ankle gun scene alone…and stuff… (HBO Max & Netflix)
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Aftersun
The man you are for your children is not necessarily the man you are. Often, that’s a good thing – at least for your children. A sad, dreamy, slow-burn sans ignition that will remind any father of their daughter’s brief age of perfect grace. (Cheated and watched this on the plane flying home from NY…
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Royal Warriors
All hail Michelle Yeoh who is absolutely kick-ass in this ’80s HK martial arts thriller. The story is silly, the ending out-of-control, and the last bad-guy-standing mugs shamelessly. And so what. Michelle Yeoh. (Criterion)
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Highlander
The original. The only. Still a great B movie despite some of the most awkward sword-fighting you’ll ever see (looking at you Sean Connery)! A modern remake with up to date fight choreography – and less ’70s music – would be awesome. (Amazon).
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One Night in Miami
It’s easy to assume that good reviews for a movie like this are just a product of the vast ideological packaging machine serving up another heaping plate of racial injustice. Mistake. The writing is sharp enough to shave by and the actors make four compelling men come alive.
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Downhill Racer
A prototypical late ’60’s and early ’70s Redford movie. Slick, cynical and awfully good. But it also happens to written by THE James Salter before he kicked Hollywood aside and wrote really good books. And you know what? It kind of feels like James Salter. (Amazon Prime)
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Emily the Criminal
Crisp storytelling and a satisfyingly nefarious ending make for a compelling modern crime story. (Netflix)
We are not rational animals, we are animals that must work to be rational
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