Stuff I've Been Watching February 2022

 

Finch. Directed by Miguel Sapochik. 2021. United States. Via the AppleTV+ app. With Monika, Michal, and Marta. 4 February.

The world has more or less ended in some unexplained catastrophe. But Tom Hanks, his dog, and two robots are still alive. For a movie with only one human character, this is a surprisingly upbeat movie.

 

Les Cousins. Directed by Claude Chabrol. 1959. France. Via the Criterion Channel app. 4 February.

An early entry in the French new wave. Very much worth your time.

Uptown Saturday Night. Directed by Sidney Poitier. 1974. United States. Via the Criterion Channel app. 6 February.

Sidney Poitier directs and co-stars with a bearded Bill Cosby. Harry Belafonte plays a bad guy. Not a great movie, but this one is fun. That is, if you are still able to watch Bill Cosby after his rape conviction.

The Book of Boba Fett. 2022. United States. Via the Disney+ app. 10 February.

I was excited to watch this miniseries, but I was disappointed. The best parts were when the Mandalorian was the main character which certainly seems ironic. Some people loved this minieries; I did not.

 

La Pointe Courte. Directed by Agnes Varda. 1955. France. Via the Criterion Channel app. 10 February.

One of the earliest in the French new wave and a great movie from the great Agnes Varda. If you are a person who watches a movie for the visuals more than for the narrative you will enjoy this picture.

Zola. Directed by Janicza Bravo. 2021. United States. Purchased from iTunes and watched via the movies app. 12 February.

A truly unique movie developed from a twitter thread. Definitely for adults with its sexuality, although it does manage to make some ironic commentary while presenting explicit images. May I suggest Richard Brody is a good place to start if you wonder what makes this a great picture.

We Need To Talk About Cosby. Directed by W. Kamau Bell. 2022. United States. Via the Showtime app. 13 February.

W. Kamau Bell really did his homework for this miniseries. The picture answers two questions. 1) Why was Bill Cosby so important to comedy, television, and the Black community? 2) Was Bill Cosby a serial rapist? The movie provides in-depth answers to both questions and suggests that the two questions are deeply connected. This picture will make you think and will make you uncomfortable.

Kimi. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. 2022. United States. Via the HBO Max app. 15 February.

I learned about this under the radar movie on HBO Max from Richard Brody's blog. A conspiracy thriller sort of in the vein of Watergate era films like Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View. Also, there is an element of the Covid pandemic that is part of the plot.

Lenny Cooke. Directed by Josh Safdie and Bennie Safdie. 2013. United States. Via the Criterion Channel app. 22 February.

I wrote a longer essay on this movie earlier. Not your typical sports documentary by any means.

Huey Long. Directed by Ken Burns. 1985. United States. Via the PBS app. 24 February.

An early movie from Ken Burns who is now better known for his documentary movies on the Civil War, Baseball, and the Vietnam war. Long was a would-be autocrat in the early twentieth century who offers lessons worth thinking about as we still try to understand what a well-functioning multiracial democracy might look like.

Portrait of Jason. Directed by Shirley Clarke. 1967. United States. Via the Criterion Channel app. 28 February.

Essentially one long interview with one person. The great Shirley Clarke blurs the line between fiction and documentary in this movie who's influence can be seen in later movies like Swimming to Cambodia and The Fog of War.