Allan King
1969

How to be devastated in 90 minutes.

King got this couple to agree to be filmed basically 24/7 for a few days (they had, like, 40 hours of footage).
I get that they agreed (and were paid) to be filmed, and were to a large degree performing their own personalities, but there are moments that are so raw it's impossible to believe they're just putting on a good show.
And there are scenes like when they're playing Sgt. Pepper for their kid, and she starts out all dancey, and then she gets this kind of dead-eyed look that really gives you the sense that she's letting her guard down.

John Ford
1939

I love that in the tug-of-war scene, which is supposedly hours after the pie-judging scene, he's still eating pie.

What a bizarre movie.

William Friedkin
1985

I think the funniest thing about this is that I watched it for school.

But seriously, surprisingly good. It's all gritty and features various '90s-aughts TV stars like John Pankow (Ira from Mad About You, William Peterson (beard guy from CSI) and a curiously silent Jane Leeves (Daphne from Frasier) as an exotic beauty, only you know she's all British and quirky so you don't buy it. Also, young Willem Dafoe and young Jon Turturro are counterfeiters.
And the soundtrack? Is by Wang Chung.
Like The French Connection, it's great because there's lots of chasing (in that same ditch where they have the race in Grease, you know the one), but it's smart because it doesn't pretend that anyone in it is, like, a good person or anything. You want to like Chance (that's the Peterson character's name, seriously), because he's young and cute and grieving for his partner, but you slowly realize that he's a) kind of a jerk, and b) coming unhinged. By the end, you're totally ambivalent toward him, and by extension, toward Willem Dafoe, the evil counterfeiter that he's obsessed with catching.

Howard Hughes
1930

This is one of those things that's more interesting as a historical document than an actual movie.
The aerial scenes are as amazing as they're reputed to be. Mostly because you know, in 1930, they actually did this stuff.
Sexist, though. "All women are the same. You should make love to them, not love them." This is the last word on women.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet
2004

This would definitely been one of my favourites of 2004, had I seen it in 2004.
It's really hard to tell it's not total cheese from the trailers. The story is kind of Nancy Drew, only she's looking for her missing, presumed dead fiancé after World War I, and she winds up weaving in the stories of these five men who were all condemned to be executed.
The whole thing is (of course) gorgeous, because, Jeunet.
The story was pretty conventional, but it was like five conventional stories mixed together. Which is a good thing, I promise.

John Huston
1950

This was the second time I saw this this year. I don't think it's that good a movie.
My favourite part is still Jean Hagen and I still think it's creepy that Marilyn Monroe calls her sugar daddy "Uncle Lon."

Frederick Wiseman
1967

So what I learned today is Wiseman isn't one of those direct cinema guys. He was all about structure based on editing. He called his movies "realist fictions."
This one was good, but harrowing. The forcefeeding? With the doctor just smoking a cigarette? Wow was that hard to watch.
I'm becoming fascinated by this guy. He's made practically a film a year since 1967. All sort of examining an institution and how it functions.

Frederick Wiseman
1968

This was way more engaging than I expected it to be.
The sex ed scene where the teacher was like "It's natural that the man is more aggressive and the woman is more passive. It takes the woman longer to become sexually aroused," was insane.

Alexander Payne
2004

I really wanted to see A Very Long Engagement, but it was only playing at the Carlton and this was at the Cumberland, and it was cold.
However, I was surprised at how much I liked it.
It's a grown-up movie where everyone is actually a person. With, you know, flaws and stuff.
Also, hilarious.
And it was really, really good to look at.
And they didn't overdo anything, because all the situations in it have the potential for borrible sentimentality.
Paul Giamatti was fantastic and I kind of love Virginia Madsen. She's this gorgeous blonde woman, but she conveys so much intelligence. Always looks like she's paying attention.

Wong Kar Wai
2004

It's so lucky my boyfriend borrowed this the same week I just re-saw In the Mood for Love. So many little things resonated beautifully. Like that shot in the taxi cab.
I'm glad he never sees her again.
The sci-fi bits (the story) was really cool and stylish.
Zhang Ziyi was amazing.