No Country for Old Men
2007
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men, based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, is a crime thriller. Tense and philosophical, No Country for Old Men is among the Coen brothers’ best.
Must see.
Throne of Blood
1957
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Throne of Blood, which follows the plot of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is a Japanese-language samurai film. Kurosawa adapts Shakespeare not to mindlessly repeat his words or to borrow literary seriousness, but to use Macbeth’s story and themes to craft his own masterpiece. Throne of Blood is the best film adaptation of Macbeth in any language.
Must see.
High and Low
1963
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
High and Low is a police procedural crime drama that is loosely based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel, King’s Ransom. High and Low is a masterpiece. Expertly controlled pacing and cinematography paint vivid picture of class divisions. High and Low is an entertaining film and an incisive social commentary.
Must see.
Pan’s Labyrinth
2006
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark fantasy set in Francoist Spain. The fantasy elements are beautiful in themselves, and Guillermo del Toro elegantly interweaves them with the historical setting. Pan’s Labyrinth is a moving parable of childhood, courage, and belief.
Must see.
Django Unchained
2012
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Django Unchained is a highly stylized revisionist Western set in the American South. All of Quentin Tarantino’s movies have flawless style, but some have more substance than others. Django Unchained is a film of style and substance—an immediately fun tribute to Spaghetti Westerns and an acid indictment of the fathomless cruelty of American slavery. It is a spiritual sequel to Tarantino’s 2009 movie, Inglourious Basterds—in which American Jews kill Hitler.
Must see.
The Wind Rises
2013
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
The Wind Rises is an animated historical drama based on the life of Jiro Horikoshi and Tatsuo Hori’s 1937 novel, The Wind Has Risen. The Wind Rises is an exceptionally great film. The animation is stunning, the music is delightful, and the story is thoughtful and affecting. The film is devastatingly beautiful.
Must see.
Boyhood
2014
Directed by Richard Linklater
Boyhood is a coming-of-age drama. Richard Linklater filmed it over twelve years, so the actors’ ages match those of the characters that they play—as the protagonist goes from six to eighteen years old. Boyhood is unhurried, charming, and poignant.
Must see.
A Serious Man
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
2009
A Serious Man is a comedy-drama about a Jewish man in Minnesota. A Serious Man is the Coen brothers at their funniest and most profound. The film succeeds both as comedy and moral drama. It is a rare achievement.
Must see.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Directed by Wes Anderson
2001
The Royal Tenenbaums is a comedy-drama about the fictional Tenenbaum family. The Royal Tenenbaums is deftly funny and deeply moving. Wes Anderson directs the film with all of his usual precision and detail – and with a sincerity and ambition not all of his other films match.
Must see.
Inside Llewyn Davis
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
2013
Inside Llewyn Davis is a black comedy-drama about a struggling folk singer. Inside Llewyn Davis is a masterpiece. The cynicism occasionally grates, but the distress feels sincere. The music, the plot, and the writing are all nearly flawless; the film is deeply moving.
Must see.
Micro Film Reviews 