Good Night, and Good Luck
George Clooney’s look at the legendary CBS broadcaster, Edward R. Murrow and his 1950’s cold war of words with Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Filmed in black and white and cinéma-vérité style, this chamber piece almost feels better suited for the stage than the screen. Still, a compelling portrait of truth and power that is strangely intimate and sterile.
The Celluloid Closet
An excellent documentary on the evolution of how Hollywood has depicted gay people since the 1920’s. From the “Sissy,” the effeminate male stock character who’s always the butt of someone’s joke, to Hitchcock’s gay villains, to the suicidal, self-loathing “fags” of the 70’s, to Tom Hanks stricken with AIDS in “Philadelphia,” it’s painfully clear that in Hollywood’s eyes to be gay is to be anything but happy.
My Voyage to Italy
Martin Scorcese’s incredibly long (246 minutes!) documentary of Italian films that influenced his life and career. I like how he balances the warhorses such as “8 1/2” and “La Dolce Vita” with lesser-known gems from De Sica, Antonioni, and Visconti. It’s an impassioned look at cinema, Italian culture, and life itself from arguably the greatest living American director. A must-see for anyone who loves film.
