Blogger's Note: Check out part 1, 2, and 3 if you missed them. You won't be disappointed. Well, you could be I guess. But it's worth the risk.
As always, these are in no particular order.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012 - Wes Anderson) - If you've ever seen a Wes Anderson movie, you know you can spot a Wes Anderson movie a mile away. He was in the hipster vanguard, dating back to 1998's Rushmore, which I love, and possibly to 1996's Bottle Rocket, which I've never seen love. Every aesthetic aspect of Anderson's movies smacks of the Ironic 60's; from the mod costumes, to the British Invasion soundtracks, part homage and part parody. His movies are weird and whimsical, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Moonrise Kingdom definitely works. It's a story of young, forbidden love, 12 year old Khaki Scout Sam Shakusky falling in love with the slightly older Suzy Bishop. The two run off together to the chagrin of Sam's foster parents, Suzy's attorney parents (played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), the Khaki Scout Master (played by Edward Norton), the local cop (played by Bruce Willis), and basically everyone else who inhabits the beautiful New England island of New Penzance.
The grown up cast also features Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, and Jason Schwarztman. All are great, as one would expect, but the kids are really what make the movie. Jared Gillman as Sam and Kara Hayward as Suzy are the perfect pair to capture the innocence of a young and earnest love that doesn't really know any better. More than any other of Anderson's movie, this one shows actual heart, rather than an ironic twist on what true sentiment might actually look like. Not to say Moonrise is sentimental, because it's not, but it's Anderson's most honest movie yet and highly enjoyable.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962 - David Lean) - For my full take on 5 Things That Make Lawrence of Arabia the Consummate Epic click here. I guarantee it's the only take on David Lean's classic that drops a quote from The Wire.
Fargo (1996 - Joel Coen) - I am a huge fan of the Coen brothers, and their classic crime story is without a doubt their masterpiece. Not necessarily my favorite, but it's pretty great. William H. Macy is a portrait of frustrated ineptitude as Jerry Lundegaard, a hapless car salesman who plots his wife's kidnap and ransom to extort money, and respect, from his wealthy father-in-law. Unfortunately for Jerry, the criminal "professionals" he hires are only slightly less inept than he is and things go south in a hurry. Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare are the mismatched kidnapper duo; one neurotic and one a sociopath. Frances McDormand is terrific as Marge Gunderson, the unassuming, sharp, and very pregnant, small town cop who is investigating the case. Dark, funny, and full of awesome Midwest accents and cadence, it also sets the pace in movie uses for wood chippers.
The Cooler (2003 - Wayne Kramer) - Another great performance from William H. Macy, this time as Bernie Lootz, a hard luck gambler employed by one of the last old school, pre-corporate casinos in Las Vegas as a cooler. When a player gets hot at the black jack table or roulette wheel, they send in Bernie, a walking whatever-the-opposite-of-a-rabbits-foot-is and suddenly lady luck waves bye bye. But when Bernie falls for waitress Natalie, played by Maria Bello, his luck, begins to change. And that's bad for business. Alec Baldwin stars as Shelly Kaplow, the hard core casino boss trying to hold on to the joint before the corporations take him over too. He is none too pleased with Bernie's sudden stroke of good fortune. He's old Vegas to the core, preferring to solve his problems with a ballpean hammer when possible. A pretty good show about luck, destiny, and choices. However, I saw Macy's butt on multiple occasions so that may have soured it for me a little.
Winnebago Man (2009 - Ben Steinbauer) - I wrote a full blown review of Winnebago Man a while back. It's one of the most entertaining and thoughtful documentaries I've seen in a while. Predictably funny, surprisingly poignant, and full of swearing.
