Simple story told elegantly by Richard Lester (Help, A Hard Day's Night). Julie Christie and George C. Scott have magnificent chemistry, the latter delivering lines extremely well. The editing is inventive, thoughtful and adds layers to the straightforward story.

Duvall gives it his all here, even singing the songs himself. Understated, melancholic and pastoral. An American gem that serves as a reminder that they don't make them like they used to.

I couldn't help but think of the recent Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges while watching this. Tender Mercies even predates the novel Crazy Heart was based on by a few years. Interestingly enough, Duvall appears in Crazy Heart as well. Either way, Tender Mercies is the much better film of the two.

Great, great film about reggae culture. Began as a documentary project which evolved into a loose Bicycle Thieves (De Sica) adaptation and ended up something else entirely. The soundtrack is as incredible as the film.

Mamet's seamless script would be hard to mess up by anyone, but the phenomenal cast here takes it to another level. Jack Lemmon proves once again just how great he is, stealing each scene he's in (no small feat with Pacino). Thoroughly enjoyable; didn't want it to end.

Capra tells another tale of wealth vs. friendship. The script is snappy and not too didactic, but there are certainly some lessons embedded (albeit, valuable ones). Stewart's role is more of a supporting one; Lionel Barrymore carries the load here, masterfully.

Wonderful courtroom drama with a few twists. A great cast: Stewart, Gazzara, George C. Scott and Remick. Directed well by Preminger and displays how the court system can fail at times. It even has a Duke Ellington cameo (he also did the brilliant score). Very memorable film.

A pretty bad attempt at wrapping a narrative around some performances by The Clash. I fast-forwarded through all of the story though and just caught the music, which was wonderful and well worth it.

Cronenberg's Stephen King adaptation is missing the former's usual slimy special effects, but Walken's performance and the great editing make it just as creepy and well done. The media frenzy was a nice touch.

Altman's buddy picture. Segal and Gould are terrific together, losing all their money, betting big and living fast and loose. Bears many of Altman's trademarks, but also lets the characters roam freely. Great film.

We all have our societal shortcomings, but acceptance helps us get along. James Stewart is perfect for the role of the kind, but delusional, outsider that displays why this acceptance is so necessary. Seems to have been paid homage by Donnie Darko.

Bill Murray's lone directorial effort is a bank robbery farce in which the city plays as large a role as the characters. At times outlandish and implausible, the performances (Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid) help overcome this.

An early exploration of voyeurism and the audience's fascination with a world not theirs.

The camera plays a large role. There are also many interesting theories on how the subjects being watched may represent Jeffries' fears and apprehensions about marriage. Very absorbing.

Extremist and over the top, but still an entertaining (if you can call it that) allegory for mankind; essentially an update of Lord of the Flies with the addition of governmental imposition. Wacky, violent, stylized.

Meditative and contemplative, one of Jia Zhang-Ke's best (which is saying something). Intertwining stories similar in themes: reunion, estrangement, nostalgia, destruction. Rich, textured film that encourages patience and introspection.

Very odd, bizarre film. An early effort from the director of Gomorrah that displays his filmmaking skill, but while tackling a less interesting, though weirder, story. Strong thematically.

Australia is a beautiful, even if oppressive, backdrop for this minimal, biblical tale. Largely free of dialogue, it is visually impressive and the pacing is meditative. Understated and subtle. Good.

Wonderful documentary. It seems to focus on the dramatic moments and outlandish comments, but that just makes for more interesting viewing, even if not an entirely honest portrayal. You can tell tons of work went into the making of this. Made me want to check out the bands involved.

Without Bogarde and Guinness, there's little of interest here. A naval drama with plenty of canon shots, disobedience and public punishment. The performances are definitely worthwhile though.

Thoroughly entertaining with a heart. The story is a bit predictable, but it's no less fulfilling when it happens. Well made, written and acted. Has some really funny parts. Seems a precursor for Dazed and Confused.

Michael Moore's latest bears a sense of desperation, and this helps and hurts it. He presents more facts than usual, but also pinpoints the system as the problem instead of the people and their behavior, which make up the system. Should focus more on better social values and morality rather than a new framework in which the same people will make the same mistakes.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the views of the film though, it does invite a conversation about these issues, which is necessary and welcomed.

Christmas time or not, this is what classics are made of: purity, honesty and ultimately a questioning of how we can be better people. Capra was a master at blending the harsher realities of life with the joys and uplifting the audience, even the cynics. You don't have to sacrifice all of your dreams like George, but helping others won't hurt you.

Wow, this is quite an intense film. There is so much going on: the lure of crime to youth, how chaotic organized crime is, the expanding reach globally. Told in several connected segments, it masterfully displays people colliding directly crime within their daily lives. Powerful.

Amusing film that overcomes a faulty script with the plot focus on spontaneity. Overly long, but well made. Seems to do a lot with a little.

If not Campion's best, certainly her most deeply felt film. It has the visual quality of fine photography with an expressionistic color palette throughout. Carries the richness of the period, a time when some people still sat around and thought free of distractions. Contemplative, subtle and beautiful.

As far as World War II films go, this takes the cake for breadth and ambition. Packed full with stars, but none really gets the focus, as the events themselves take center stage. Long, but worth it.

Great Chabrol film. Sandrine Bonnaire and Isabelle Huppert are expectedly fantastic. Very intriguing, well made, with a solid ending and underlying tension throughout.

Fits snugly in the genre of optimistic teachers in inner-city schools (Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Minds, etc.). Though it has become cliche, this is a good, early take. Not fighting misbehavior so much as indifference.

Flat-out incredible. Can you imagine going into space and seeing Earth from millions of miles away? How unbelievable an accomplishment. And documented wonderfully by Reinert. Loads of special features on the Criterion disc.

This guy is a real treat to read and listen to, but especially to watch. A must-see for Bukowski fans.

Pleasurable watch for the direction and Bette Davis' acting, but not much else. Interesting how they handled ethnicity in the 40s (not so well); though I guess it was just a reflection of the times.

This is like an edgier, more dysfunctional 'Meet the Parents' with Stiller just as frustrated (and funny). The plot is, and gets more, out of control, but the dialogue is sharp and the performances good from all involved.

Coppola has some great stylistic flourishes and Bridges is just as good playing the wide-eyed, adventurous Tucker. No surprise that he is fairly unknown today, as history tends to favor either the majority view or the tyrannical individual. Keep an eye out for the Tesla poster in the background of one of the scenes.

Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez have a surprising chemistry, along with decent cameos from Turturro and Benicio. Bridges' performance is surely the anchor of this unusual story, but other interesting themes emerge: mortality, the tedium of daily life, society's almost ingrained fears. Enjoyable.

Real-life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges play a brotherly piano team trying to make ends meet before Michelle Pfeiffer comes along to up the stakes. She shows here why she was such a star. Really well shot and though the story teeters on the edge of predictability and mediocrity, the performances and talent overcome this.

Eastwood and Bridges lead the excellent cast in this fun, buddy movie. Cimino directs with the superb script. It's really Bridges' presence that makes the whole thing work.

Great reunion concert in which Cream shows why they were so revered at the time as well as how they have grown as musicians since. The sound/picture quality is great. There are several awesome solos and good interviews. The playing just seems to miss a bit of that fiery edge they used to have. Still great viewing.

Incredible film. Director Hiroshi Teshigahara puts on full display what it means to be a film director. Using very little narration and sound, Gaudi's work is explored and photographed simply and with much interest. A must-see for both lovers of architecture or film.

The video quality and effects are definitely dated, but the music itself and the candid interviews with the band (including demonstrations of their techniques) more than make up for it. Incredible document of one of the greatest musical bands.

Provocative and perhaps even groundbreaking with two excellent lead performances. This can be disturbing and difficult to watch. It is well made, but the content is sure reason for the time-tested reputation.

Similar to Tarnation, this is an exploration of the director's roots. The results are miserable and the hope is that the director can learn from the mistakes of his father. He can even be thankful they have been estranged. Real life is often worse than fiction can imagine.

Gritty and realistic documentary about social misfits creating a family together. As each reveals their strengths and flaws, it's a wonder they have lived together this long. Ultimately kind of depressing and incredible how difficult it is for them to simply survive.

Based on Chris Marker's La Jetee (also highly recommended), this is a longer, more accessible adaptation. Willis is good in the lead role, but outshone by Pitt's maniacal twitching. The real star here though is Gilliam. He creates an apocalyptic vision near his previous efforts in Brazil. If only he could've matched its ending as well.

Using most of the Western archetypes (outsider with a shadowy past, family in trouble, old-fashioned values versus new times of expansion), Shane is in a way a typical Western, but also one that transcends the genre. Though he has his share of fistfights, Shane is almost the anti-John Wayne hero: a sensitive, conflicted man that ultimately belongs on the run.

Gilliam adds some nice touches in telling this straight-forward story which shares a lot of his usual themes (a man whose pain is caused and alleviated by his imagination, for one). Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges are fantastic.