The greatest plot ever?

The films of 2025:Q3

Over the past four years I read through the works of Conrad, Stevenson, Hawthorne and Melville. This year I’m reading Kipling. I find him to be an extremely skilled writer, but I don’t connect with his work quite as much as the other four.

I don’t watch much TV but did finish an eight episode version of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Is this the greatest plot in the history of cinema? Actually, all the film versions of Highsmith novels have pretty great plots. I haven’t caught the new PT Anderson film due to travel, but promise a review at yearend.

I’ve gradually begun watching more Youtube videos. I enjoyed Bari Weiss’s 93 minute interview with Woody Allen. He came across as more chill and more likable than I expected. Was it an act? I’m not certain.

I like Allen’s films, but not quite as much as most of his fans.

My favorite video was a more than one hour Youtube of a guy canoeing alone in a giant Canadian lake that no one has ever heard of—arguably the 6th Great Lake. The video is not for everyone, but it gets better as it goes along. For me, it brought back fond memories of when I lived in the world of atoms, not the world of electrons. It also has interesting implications for the importance of competence, and the beauty of solitude.

Nipigon is the world’s 30th largest lake by surface area, and 23rd by volume (20th among freshwater lakes.) So if it is not “great”, that’s only in comparison to nearby Superior. If it were in Europe, it would be the most famous lake on the continent.

Speaking of natural beauty, Daniel Frank has a really nice post on the Faroe Islands. In addition to great pictures, he explains how Europe’s most far flung archipelago is both a conservative paradise and a liberal paradise.

2025:Q3 films

Newer films

After Yang (US) 3.8 Kogonada followed up Columbus with another film of great beauty and subtlety. His visual style is clearly influenced by Ozu. It reminds me a lot of Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun, both in terms of style and content. A great sci-fi film for people who don’t like sci-fi.

Ennio (Italy) 3.8 Documentaries are now a dime a dozen, but this one is special. Everything about the production is first rate, and the visual style of the film seems to match Morricone’s music—a mixture of avant-garde and deeply emotional scenes. If (like me) you have only a superficial knowledge of music, you might find that there’s much more to his career than you were aware of. Be aware that the film is quite long, so you’ll need some patience. My only reservation is that I wish they’d covered fewer examples of his music and spent a bit more time discussing his most significant work.

Caught in the Tides (China) 3.4 I was disappointed by this film, as I really like Jia Zhangke’s work and the critics gave it rave reviews. Maybe I missed something, but it seemed to me like an experiment that didn’t quite work. The first half of the film was a sort of quasi-documentary based on old footage from other film projects. Unfortunately, because I was aware of the experimental nature of the project, I was never invested in the story. I was never able to suspend my disbelief. The last portion of the film was new material and worked much better. But by that time, it was too late to produce the expected emotional payoff. One thing the film did do very well is to show the transformation of Datong (and by implication China) from a dirty and poor city back in 2001 to a clean and shiny high-tech metropolis in 2023.

Architecton (Europe) 3.3 The film had some things to say about ancient and modern architecture, but I didn’t find the ideas to be of much interest. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film. I was the only person in the theatre to enjoy it, however, as I was the only person who attended the showing. I cannot imagine this film will have wide appeal. There is no plot, almost no dialogue, and it really only works on the big screen. The most charismatic actors in the film are large stones. If you imagine Tarkovsky directing Koyaanisqatsi you’ll have some idea as to what to expect.

Cloud (Japan) 3.3 None of the critics seem to understand this film, but then the director also seems confused. That actually may have been a good thing, as it continually subverts your expectations, and thus keeps the viewer interested in what is transpiring on the screen, no matter how preposterous.

The Shrouds (Canada) 3.3 This Cronenberg film operates on several different levels, with commentary on a wide range of contemporary issues. But the only level I found satisfying was the sly comedy, which appeared when it was least expected. Otherwise, it was like a puppet show where you could see the strings.

Art School 1994 (China) 3.1 The most notable feature of this slacker film is that it is animated and takes place in China. Very nice visuals, but the screenplay is derivative and not very interesting. That’s a problem given the 2-hour length.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (US) 2.9 A major disappointment. Kogonada has an excellent eye, but his talent is wasted here due to the mediocre screenplay. (Unlike with his previous two films he did not write the script.) It starts out well enough as a charming romantic comedy. But then the film wanders into some overly dramatic scenes with lots of unearned emotion.

Old Films

Once Upon a Time in the West (US/Italy, 1968) 4.0 Most old classics are slightly disappointing on a rewatch, especially on TV. This (restored) baroque masterpiece was better than ever, with dazzling visuals, great music and an excellent screenplay. Probably my favorite western. Tarantino was heavily influenced by Sergio Leone, but none of his films measure up to this one. Lots of teenage boys fell in love with Claudia Cardinale (RIP).

Pandora’s Box (Germany, 1929, CC) 3.9 Louise Brooks was just as dazzling as I recall her being when I first saw this film almost 50 years ago. The first half has a lot of jazzy high-spirited comedy and then the film turns darker, toward tragic poetic realism. Now there’s a restored print and the brilliance of Pabst’s direction is what really stands out. One of the high points of silent cinema. (It’s a pity the negative was lost.)

The American Friend (Germany, 1977, CC) 3.9 Each time I see this film I like it more than the previous time. Patricia Highsmith created some wonderful plots, but this Wenders film also has great atmosphere, and the actors are all excellent. I was engrossed for the entire 130 minutes. (I wonder if the idea for Breaking Bad came from this film.) Nicholas Ray (who was near death at the time) and Sam Fuller had small roles. When I saw this back in 1977 it was part of the exciting German New Wave. Hard to believe it’s been 48 years—Germany looked so poor back then. Here’s the FT:

Wim Wenders once wrote that the “greatest inspirations for all of my films have always been places”, and his work is testimony to a cinematic oeuvre in which location is the star.

Secret Sunshine (Korea, 2007, CC) 3.9 Parasite is often viewed as a critique of Korean society, but it really isn’t. On the other hand, Lee’s film is a devastating portrayal of Korean misogyny, seen through the eyes of woman who endures almost unimaginable suffering. The is the second time I’ve seen the film, and it only got better with time. In retrospect, it seems prophetic of the way the genders in Korea are drifting apart.

Touchez Pas au Grisbi (France, 1954, CC) 3.8 Almost a perfect film, at least in terms of style. A bit less gritty than the Melville noirs, but every bit as entertaining--maybe more so. As usual, Jean Gabin is great, and it features a very young Jeanne Moreau.

Werckmeister Harmonies (Hungary, 2000, CC) 3.8 I’m rating this based on the first time I saw it at the theatre. It loses something on a TV screen, as its appeal is almost entirely sensory, with relatively little plot and dialogue.

Grave of the Fireflies (Japan, 1994, CC) 3.8 This animated film about two Japanese children at the tail end of WWII is certainly not for kids. At least not for American kids. It’s the sort of bleak film that Hollywood would never greenlight. Every time I see this sort of film, I find myself getting angry that the world’s major powers are ruled by nationalist fools. From the Ghibli studio.

Summer With Monika (Sweden, 1953, CC) 3.8 This is one of my favorite Bergman films, and one I didn’t fully appreciate when I saw it back in the 1980s. It has a similar theme to Summer Interlude, but has a more pessimistic take on young love. Perhaps Bergman’s first truly great film.

The Virgin Spring (Sweden, 1960, CC) 3.8 This is less well regarded than The Seventh Seal (a deeper and more complex film), but from a purely visual perspective it is the better film—indeed one of Bergman’s most striking. Sven Nykvist provides stunning cinematography and no one does faces better than Bergman.

Port of Shadows (France, 1938, CC) 3.7 Jean Gabin stars in a classic example of French poetic realism. I notice that these older dramas often start quite slow and then become much more effective in the second half. I wonder if that’s a problem for younger viewers brought up on Hollywood films, where the entertainment value is much more evenly distributed over 2 hours.

Thieves’ Highway (US, 1949, CC) 3.7 An underrated noir directed by Jules Dassin. The middle portion is especially good, reminiscent of a classic Howard Hawks film. It’s interesting how an inconsequential memory can sit in the brain for 60 years and then be triggered by an old film. For me it happened when I saw one of those round oil-filled warning lamps they used to place on the side of a highway after an accident. I could almost smell it. The opening is a bit unconvincing, and the ending (added by the studio without Dassin’s permission) is weak, but the bulk of the film is absolutely top-notch noir.

Summer Interlude (Sweden, 1951, CC) 3.7 This is Bergman’s tenth film, but it’s often regarded as the first true “Bergman film”, both in terms of style and content. It’s hard for me to imagine how American audiences that stumbled on this film back in 1951 would have reacted. The idyllic summer romance seems so much fresher and more natural than anything coming out of Hollywood at that time.

The Last Days of Disco (US, 1998) 3.6 Not top form Whit Stillman, but still a quite entertaining film. Every paradise seems to end at just the moment when you first realize that you’ve achieved happiness.

Eureka (US, 1983, CC) 3.5 I’m not sure why this Nicholas Roeg film got such poor reviews, as I found most of it to be fairly engrossing. Part of the problem is that it is done in the mannerist style of his previous films but is a bit more uneven. Like David Lynch and Wes Anderson, Roeg has a first-rate imagination. Unfortunately, he’s a significantly less talented filmmaker. I find ambitious failures to be more interesting than bland successes, but most people just want a good screenplay and a coherent story. This is not the film for that sort of viewer. Rather, it would appeal to people that like something like Coppola’s Megalopolis. BTW, Roeg married Theresa Russell in 1982, right before directing her in this film.

Winter Light. (Sweden, 1963, CC). 3.5 This Bergman film is almost the opposite of Eureka—a highly polished film that’s a bit dull. It’s one of those cases where Bergman forgets that cinema is a visual art form, not an essay in philosophy or psychology. The screenplay may be better than The Virgin Spring, but the film is inferior.

Killer of Sheep (US, 1977, CC) 3.5 Neorealism is far from being my favorite style, but this low budget film is fascinating in much the same as are many film noirs—it shows life on the fringes of American society during the mid-20^th century. The married couple is an example of good people trapped in a bad situation—one of the best examples I’ve ever seen on film.

Palermo Shooting (Germany, 2008, CC) 3.4 An objective rating would have this a bit lower, but I like Wenders style so much that I enjoy even his lesser films. (Sort of like how I enjoy even Murakami’s lesser novels.) Strictly for Wenders fans.

Clytaemnestra (Korea/Greece, 2021, CC) 3.3 An interesting idea for a film. Actors working on a production of an ancient Greek play begin to experience some of the trauma from the fictional story.

Sunrise/Sunset (Korea/US, 2019, CC) 3.3 This 47-minute short does a nice job showing what it’s like to be young and just drifting through life. Same director as Clytaemnestra.

Code Unknown (France, 2000, CC) 3.3 Hanake’s films are highly intelligent and some of the scenes are quite well done. But in the end this film seems like a failure, an attempt to explore sociological issues in a medium not well suited to do so. I didn’t buy the thesis, or perhaps in 2025 I’m just bored with identity politics.

Paris Belongs to Us (France, 1961, CC) 3.3 Jacques Rivette’s first major film is almost a caricature of a French New Wave movie. It is an intelligent film with a number of fine sequences, but in the end that’s not quite enough. It’s a big ask for people to devote 2½ hours to a film that doesn’t have an interesting plot and stylistically doesn’t do any single thing extremely well. There’s a reason it is less watched today than the work of more distinctive people like Godard or Antonioni.

July Rhapsody (Hong Kong, 2002, CC) 3.2 A well intentioned drama where the pieces never quite come together to produce a coherent film. But many of the individual scenes are quite well done.

Iconocity (US, 2020) 3.2 A documentary on the art scene in the desert regions of southern California. The first half had too many interviews of aging hippies spouting cliches about art and nature. But the final portion of the film was more interesting, especially the segment on the artist colony in Bombay Beach, on the (dying) Salton Sea.

65 Revisited (US/UK, 2007, CC) 3.2 This film is composed of outtakes from Pennemaker’s much more famous Don’t Look Back, released in 1967. The original was better in most respects, but this has more complete musical performances. Strictly for Dylan fans. (Want to feel really old? Boomers might want to check out this Youtube video and note her comments on “the boy” holding the cards.)

China Moon (US, 1994, CC) 3.2 A modestly entertaining film patterned after Body Heat, but well behind that classic noir in terms of acting, plot and screenplay.

A Colt is My Passport (Japan, 1967, CC) 3.1 Imagine a mix of a Suzuki noir and a Leone spaghetti western---but not nearly as good as either. I probably would have liked this quite a bit back in 1967, but now the once snazzy techniques seem a bit dated. It stars Joe Shishido, who had a very odd career. In real life, a botched plastic surgery left him with chipmunk-like cheeks, and yet his career took off as a result. He was in the much more interesting Branded to Kill in the same year.

The Pleasures of the Flesh (Japan, 1965, CC) 3.1 Another film that would have been avant garde in 1965 but doesn’t hold up very well. Even in one of his lesser films, however, Oshima provides enough interesting images to make it worth watching.

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (UK, 1996, CC) 3.1 The date is misleading, as the concert took place in December 1968. From the perspective of 2025 (or even 1985), the production values seem quite amateurish, especially given all the heavyweight musical acts. But that’s part of the charm of the pre-MTV era. Mick was still few years from when he’d begin to “move like Jagger”. The Who were in top form.

Here’s to the Young Lady (Japan, 1949, CC) 3.1 There are two reasons to see this film. It stars the sublime Setsuka Hara, and it presents an interesting look at how the Japanese looked at class during the period after WWII. The film itself is only so-so, and the Criterion Channel print was of poor quality. BTW, in 1949 Setsuka Hara also appeared in Late Spring, one of the greatest films ever made.

Ornamental Hairpin (Japan, 1941, CC) 3.1 Unfortunately, the Criterion Channel print was very poor quality, and I found the humor to be a bit dull. However, the film is redeemed by a beautiful ending.

Routine Pleasures (US, 1996, CC) 3.0 Certainly not for everyone—I almost fell asleep at the beginning. But if you stick with it there’s some sly humor and an interesting look at an American subculture that is much bigger than many highly social and/or verbally- oriented people might assume. Must see for people who are fans of both model railroading and Manny Farber’s art. (Are there any such people?)

Gidget (US, 1959, CC) 3.1 This film nicely captures that moment when the staid, conservative 1950s were transitioning into the free-wheeling 60s. While the filmmakers try to suggest that the traditional lifestyle is best, the actual message is that tradition is boring. Sort of like how a romance novel might use the trope, “Your lips say no, but your eyes say yes.” It’s a silly romcom, but fun in a campy sort of way. Back in 1959, it would have seemed adventurous, and I’d guess this film led to at least a few thousand Midwesterners moving to California. BTW, there’s one scene 40 minutes in where Sandra Dee suddenly looks like Marilyn Monroe.

(It’s interesting seeing big beach parties in California with zero Hispanic, Asian and black actors. Back then we had a (boring) country!)

Piaffe (Germany, 2022, CC) 3.0 There’s an audience for this sort of provocative film, but it’s not me. It seemed too artificial—too much like a director trying to comment on sexual relations with a contrived scenario. But I can see how someone might like it much more than I did, especially if they have an intense interest in horses.

The Dreamers (France, 2003, CC) 2.9 This seems like a 1970s film put into a time capsule and released in 2003. A good example of what happens when a very talented director makes a bad film. It is one of those cases where less would have been more.

Ladies’ Paradise (France, 1930, CC) 2.9 This exercise in “poetic realism” is not poetic enough. Too much snazzy visual experimentation, which looks quite dated today. Audiences might have been impressed at the time, but it doesn’t really hold up. Most silent dramas don’t tend to hold up as well as silent comedies.

The Big Night (US, 1951, CC) 2.9 This low-brow Joseph Losey noir is too simple-minded, full of caricatures.

The Parallax View (US, 1974, CC) 2.8 A surprisingly inept film that provides a window into how conspiracy theories were viewed back in 1974. The few positives were mostly unintended, like the feel of flying on a commercial jet back in period before deregulation.

La Marge (France, 1976, CC) 2.8 I stumbled onto this due to false advertising from Criterion Channel, as it had been nearly 50 years since I’ve seen this sort of “soft-core” film from the 70s. But that’s OK, it was an interesting trip down memory lane. Probably only of interest to viewers interested in cultural history.

A Bigger Splash (UK, 1973, CC) 2.7 This documentary of David Hockney is much too long. I suspect the problem is that material that might have been inherently interesting to viewers in 1973 (a look at the gay lifestyle), is much less novel today.