The Unknown Girl (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, 2017): 3/5
At times reminded me of Diary of a Country Priest: an isolated public servant, trying to lead by example but lacking social skills, enters into a humiliating search for redemption.  But this story of a modern doctor (who has no staff? or friends?) playing detective strained credulity at times.  Nevertheless, lead actress Adele Haenel was mesmerizing in her single-minded intensity.

Good Time (Josh & Bennie Safdie, 2017): 4/5
Crisp, gritty heist film.  Huge improvement over the pointless junkies-in-trash bags Heaven Knows What.  NY-based DP Sean Price Williams is a talent to watch.

A Ghost Story (David Lowery, 2017): 3.5/5
I went in with low expectations, and was surprised and occasionally moved.  Loved the decades-spanning montage sequence; time turns us all into ghosts.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints (David Lowery, 2013): 3/5
An overfamiliar genre piece (criminal dad on the run attempts to reunite with family), improved by atmosphere and acting (same leads as A Ghost Story).

Wormwood (Errol Morris, 2017): 4/5
Repetitive and overlong by an hour, but never dull.  Will confirm your worst fears about government overreach in the name of National Security.

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography (Errol Morris, 2017): 2/5
Dorfman's medium (the now-defunct large format Polaroid) is much more interesting than she is, and her subjects (primarily her family and Allen Ginsberg) aren't much to look at, either.  A flattering minor work made by her neighbor in Cambridge.

The Crown, season 2 (2017): 4/5
Suffered for the lack of Winston Churchill, but I admire its continuing focus on the demands of duty, tradition, and the public good--and how quickly an institution can go off the rails when those principles are abandoned.

Gomorrah, rw (Matteo Garrone, 2008): 5/5
If only Scorsese would attempt a film like this, acknowledging the wide-reaching social effects of gangsterism and corruption, instead of focusing only on the macho theatrics...

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey, rw (Steven M. Martin, 1993): 5/5
Music, electronics, spies, Stalin, unrequited love... you really can't make this stuff up.  Enchanting, engrossing.

Arrival, rw (Dennis Villenueve, 2016): 4/5
Enemy, rw (Dennis Villenueve, 2013): 3.5/5

The Right Stuff, rw (Philip Kaufman, 1983): 4/5
Reds, rw (Warren Beatty, 1981): 4/5
Made me long for the days when Hollywood made smart, entertaining movies for adults, all year round.

Monte Walsh (William Fraker, 1970): 2.5/5
Poignant end-of-the-West story with Lee Marvin, Jack Palance, and Jeanne Moreau (as--surprise--a hooker with a heart of gold), marred by some overly broad humor.  Part of my ongoing project to go deep in Jeanne Moreau's filmography.

*Dracula, rw (Tod Browning, 1932; with live accompaniment by Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet, Segerstrom Hall, 10-28-2017): 4/5
The film comes alive only when Legosi is on screen; the score helped liven the dull parts.  It was a bit strange having live accompaniment with a talking picture, but any chance to hear Kronos is sublime.