Pick of the week: “Manhunter” — Still shaking from Season 2 of “Hannibal”? Time to head back to Michael Mann’s 1986 adaptation of the Thomas Harris novel, with William Petersen as FBI profiler Will Graham and Brian Cox as the manipulative Hannibal Lecter.
Pick of the week: “The Master“ — My full review is here. My favorite movie of 2012 was Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece that puts the lie to the American ideal of the “free-thinking, self-made man.” Anderson’s two men — a physically and emotionally damaged veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) and a charismatic cult leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are deeply flawed, but find their flaws fit together in a charged, fascinating way.
Pick of the week: “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead“ — “Croupier” star Clive Owen and writer-director Mike Hodges reteamed for this pitch-dark 2003 British noir, about a homeless man seeking vengeance against the gangster (Malcolm McDowell) who drove his younger brother to commit suicide.
Pick of the week: “Stories We Tell”: My full review is here. Actress turned filmmaker Sarah Polley, after making a couple of strong narrative features in “Take This Waltz” and “Away With Her,” turns the camera on her own family, and a family secret that everybody sort of knew but nobody ever confirmed. The result is a family drama, a mystery and a fascinating exploration into the shifting nature of memory, and how we construct the stories about our lives that make sense to us. One of the best movies of 2013.
Pick of the week: “Annie Hall” — Upon further review, “Manhattan” may be a slightly better movie, but “Annie Hall” is still that one Woody Allen film that feels perfectly balanced between comedy and something more serious, as young Alvy recalls his love affair with the daffy and unforgettable Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). La-di-da.
Pick of the week: “Diggstown“ — Michael Ritchie’s later films were a pretty spotty bunch, but one bright spot is his immensely entertaining 1992 film starring James Woods, a shady boxing promoter who bets the town patriarch (Bruce Dern) his over-the-hill boxer can beat 10 of Dern’s best fighters — in 24 hours. It feels like a great B-movie from the ’40s, snappy and punchy and full of surprises.
Pick of the week: “Dear Mr. Watterson“ — My full review is here. My daughers are just discovering my old “Calvin & Hobbes” books, and I imagine that someday their kids will fall into the magical, funny, poignant and beautifully-rendered world of Bill Watterson. This highly entertaining documentary deliberately doesn’t try to contact the reclusive Watterson, instead talking to fans, fellow comic strip artists and colleagues to celebrate and investigate why we love it so much. There’s treasure everywhere in this movie.
Pick of the week: “Much Ado About Nothing“ — My full review is here. The gimmick behind Joss Whedon’s Shakespeare adaptation is a lot of fun, he shot it in his own house, using a lot of actor friends (including Nathan Fillion and Amy Acker) in under two weeks, as a break between shooting and editing “The Avengers.” But the film, set in present-day Los Angeles, is an efficient and knowing adaptation of the text, never skimping on the fun of the Bard’s plot while throwing the play’s sharp anti-feminist themes into sharp relief.
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (all week, Point, Eastgate, Star Cinema, Sundance) — It’s a rainy Friday with a high of 57 degrees, which can only mean one thing — it’s summer movie season in Wisconsin! After months of promos (and some not very kind early reviews), the sequel to the reboot of the film version of the comic book is here. For Madisonians, the big draw is that hometown by Marc Webb returns as director — the first “Amazing” was most notable for its sweet and funny relationship between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. In the sequel, which has at least three villains and all sorts of connections to the larger Marvelverse, I hope that doesn’t get lost in the CGI shuffle.
Pick of the week: “Kings of Pastry” — Let’s start with dessert. This entertaining and mouth-watering documentary looks at the world-class confectioners who gather in France for a world pastry championship. In addition to marveling at their creation, less dessert than works of art, we learn about the chefs and their almost obsessive pursuit of perfection.
Madison Movie 