Movies to See Right Now

Photo caption: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Nadia Tereszkiewicz in ONLY THE ANIMALS. Courtesy of Cohen Media Group.

This week – four new 2021 movie recommendations and two more from the 1950s. Plus, Cinequest’s online festival CINEJOY is running through November 17, and here are my Cinejoy recommendations.

IN THEATERS

Only the Animals: The ever-surprising Only the Animals is no ordinary mystery. The intricately constructed story reveals elements of the mystery, from each character’s perspective in sequence – and each may have the key to the puzzle. Obsessive infatuation, misdirected passion and psychotic delusion collect into a pool of perversion. Opening at the Landmark Shattuck.

The Velvet Underground: It’s rare for a documentary film to immerse the audience as deeply into a time and place as does Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground. Richly sourced, it’s the LOOK and FEEL and SOUND of the film which is so singular. Also streaming on AppleTV.

Last Night in Soho: It’s a clever, entertaining and sometimes artsy horror movie, but in the end. it’s just a horror movie. Sure is fun to watch Ana Taylor Joy, though.

Also in theaters:

ON VIDEO

De Gaulle: This fine docudrama takes us to a pivotal two-week period in June 1940 when Hitler had all but conquered France and Charles de Gaulle was the only French leader who could imagine an Allied military victory. Laemmle.

Ashes and Diamonds: A masterful director and his charismatic star ignite this Overlooked Noir, a thriller set amidst war-end treachery. I wrote about its broadcast on TCM, but it can also be streamed from Amazon and AppleTV.

Michael Gandolfini and Alessandro Nivola in THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK

The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:

ON TV

Paul Newman and Edmond O’Brien in THE RACK

On Veterans Day, November 11, Turner Classic Movies airs an overlooked Korean War film, The Rack (1956). A returning US army captain (Paul Newman) is court-martialed for collaborating with the enemy while a POW. He was tortured, and The Rack explores what can be realistically expected of a prisoner under duress. It’s a pretty good movie, and Wendell Corey, Edmond O’Brien, Walter Pidgeon, Lee Marvin and Cloris Leachman co-star.

Paul Newman and Walter Pidgeon in THE RACK

And on November 6, TCM plays the fine 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet, tracing the history of LGBTQ filmmakers overdecades of don’t ask, don’t tell Hollywood.

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