* Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018): 4/5

I had to go pee with an hour left and kept waiting for a “break” scene (missing the suicide the first time I saw Cache has traumatized me). But the tension and anticipation were relentless, and I finished the movie in agony. The Don’t Look Now stuff worked better than the Rosemarys’ Baby stuff, but it’s churlish to quibble.

Touchez Pas au Grisbi, rw (Jacques Becker, 1954): 4.5/5

A retired gangster now just wants to munch on some paté and crackers, don his silk pajamas and hit the sack early—I’m hip. Decades before its time for its blending of genre thrills with the quotidian. Jeanne Moreau gets slapped.

Hotel du Nord (Marcel Carné, 1938): 3.5/5

Grand Hotel with French élan, romanticism and theatricality.

Model Shop, rw (Jacques Demy, 1969): 3/5

First half, with tour of LA/Venice, Spirit’s pad: 5/5

Second half, with Anouk Aimée and the titular model shop: 2/5

#noantagonist

Kings of the Road (Wim Wenders, 1976): 5/5

When Krautrockers Can, Neu!, Faust, etc., were asked why their music was so different, they said they felt they had to throw out everything that belonged to their rotted parents’ music world and start new. Both Wenders and his soulful characters work to ensure the survival of German cinema (literally) and identity amid the literal ruins of their country’s fucked-up recent past. #noantagonist

Paris Texas, rw (Wim Wenders, 1984): 4/5

Part 2 of my Wenders/Müller film festival. A parade of new and arresting images. Survives the momentum-killing final act. #noantagonist

The American Friend, rw (Wim Wenders, 1977): 4/5

Part 3 of my fest. A melancholy and fateful movie (starring Bruno Ganz) is periodically interrupted by a much cooler, crazier but worse one (starring Dennis Hopper, Nicholas Ray, Sam Fuller). “I know less and less about who I am or who anybody else is.”

Hour of the Wolf, (Ingmar Berman, 1968): 3/5

Would make a nice pairing with Aronofsky’s mother! Two horror(ish) Portraits of the Young Artist as needy, self-centered, egotistical assholes. #humblebrag

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, rw (Michel Gondry, 2004): 3/5

I’ve gone back and forth on this movie, but remained unmoved this time. Not sure why. Asserts the necessity of all these shitty memories, which I suppose is true. #noantagonist

Blockers (Kay Cannon, 2018): 3/5

I didn’t relate to the parents at all (which, given my biography, is a problem), but the film did offer some laffs.

Narrow Margin, rw (Richard Fleischer, 1952): 3.5/5

Everything you would want from this story (and less) in 71 minutes. Now that most movies are going straight to streaming, why aren’t more this length?

Wind Across the Everglades (Nicholas Ray, 1958): 3.5/5

Bananas movie combining elements of westerns and pirate movies. Includes explicit references to the Holocaust as well as the destruction of the environment and Native American civilization. Head baddie Burl Ives has a wordless, blonde, male “moll.” Written by Budd Shulberg.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God, rw (Werner Herzog, 1972): 5/5

Showed it to my 19 year old, who loved it. Reminded me that when everything in a movie is digital, nothing on screen really matters. But when everything on screen is real, even the presence of a horse, monkey or pan-flute is astonishing. “That is no ship. That is no forest. That is no arrow.” #noantagonist

The Rider (Chloé Zhao, 2018): 3.5/5

The scenes where the main character works with horses are stunningly beautiful to watch. Clearly, the director found this cowboy and worked back from there (as opposed to finding an actor and teaching him to ride or break a horse), and this decision really makes the movie. #noantagonist

Annihilation, rw (Alex Garland, 2018): 5/5

Doubling down here on my defense of the metaphoric and literal content here. Still my favorite 2018 movie. #noantagonist

Le Vacances de M. Hulot, rw (Jacques Tati, 1953): 4/5

Plenty of good gags, but the best thing about this movie is the graceful, peaceful, bucolic flow of the narrative. #noantagonist

Ingrid Goes West (Matt Spicer, 2017): 2/5

Protagonist is consistently annoying and terrible but is given a completely unearned 11^th hour redemption anyway. #noantagonist