500 + 1: My Favorite Movie Writing and Reviews in This Blog

First and foremost, I love to write about movies.  As part of my "celebration" of two years and 500 posts, I offer now a special entry, a retrospective of my favorite writings about the movies.

Writing about film has always been my special interest, my passion.  From my teen years, I have been inspired by great filmmakers, and especially, great film critics.

I considered making this just a blog about movies.  But I then decided not to restrict myself  just yet, and to give free voice to any number of topics and ideas that would interest me.  Besides, the critics I admire most seem to have well-rounded interests. And what better way to educate ones' self (the cornerstone of reinvention) but to learn enough about a topic to write about it? Or, at least, to express one's opinions intelligently.

I have enjoyed the series of posts about Oscar 40 years past. This gave me a chance to revel once again in a movie era that influenced so much to me, in which the films took chances and meant something.  I can't wait to re-visit 1971 next February.(Oscar 1969;   Oscar 1970)

My remembrance of the late Sidney Lumet gave me a new appreciation of the director and his work.  His core of classic films in the mid-1970's are life-long favorites, and his quote about good movies is part of my manifesto.

And there have been my rants, and more thoughtful pieces, about the state of movies today, and the role of film critics and film criticism, not only as a reflection of movie trends, but as a way to even influence the viewing habits of audiences.  (What Makes A Movie Good?, and many others.)

Best of all was the opportunity to write film reviews and criticism.  I always tried to be sensitive to those who had not yet seen the films; I tried to make them WANT to see a movie I really liked.  To readers who saw the film I reviewed, I hoped to provide enough substance so that they could think about the film, articulate their feelings better, and, even if they disagreed with me, they would feel as though they had just had the experience of seeing the film again for the first time.  That is my goal in my reviews.

I was frankly surprised at how many reviews I wrote, even though I would write many more if I had the time (or desire) to see more new releases.

I especially enjoy re-viewing older films I love.  It's like taking a new friend around a town you are intimately familiar with, and love. 

I re-read all of the reviews and created a retrospective list of the ones I felt read the best, or represented the movies--or my views of them--most accurately and honestly.  They were the reviews I was most proud of, seemed most polished, or else I took more chances with them.  A few are very personal.  Quite simply-- I just enjoyed reading them the most.

I never assembled them all on one page like this...it's like an index to a book of reviews by Roger Ebert or Pauline Kael !!  (The reviews are listed in chronological order by the date the review was written). 

They are not all reviews of movies I liked.  I found that I write better if I enjoy a film, but I am more forceful if I dislike a film.

It's my first portfolio. I hope Ms. Kael would have enjoyed them. I hope you enjoy them too.  Feel free to come back often!

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"An Education"  (2009) 11/8/09

"Harry and Tonto" (1974) 11/21/09

"Chris and Don: A Love Story" (2008) 12/12/09

"Cabaret" (1972) 12/13/09

"Precious" (2009) 12/21/09

"Nine" (2009)  12/29/09

"A Single Man" (2009) 1/15/10

"The Blind Side" (2009) 2/15/10

"Citizen Kane" (1941) 5/25/10

"Toy Story 3" (2010) 7/5/10

"The Kids Are All Right" (2010) 7/17/10

"Inception" (2010)  7/25/10

"The Hours" (2002) 8/28/10

"The Tillman Story" (2010) 9/6/10

"The Subject Was Roses" (1968) 9/23/10

"Never Let Me Go" (2010)  10/2/10

"The Social Network" (2010) 10/25/10

"Hannah and Her Sisters" (1987) 11/8/10

"Love and Other Drugs" (2010) 12/5/10

"Black Swan" (2010) 12/24/10

"The King's Speech" (2010) 12/27/10

"Blue Valentine" (2010) 1/18/11

"Come Back, Little Sheba" (1952) 2/9/11

"The Red Balloon" (1956) 2/22/11

"Burlesque" (2010) 4/6/11

"Poetry", (2010) 5/5/11

"The Tree of Life" (2011) 6/7/11

"Midnight in Paris" (2011) 7/2/11

"The Help" (2011) 9/6/11